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edorazzi · 5 years ago

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It’s the post everyone’s been waiting for!

It’s taken a little while for me to get around to this, but it’s worth it for being able to make a full reaction post. This is really long so I’ll put it under a cut, but check it out for my complete scene-by-scene reaction of Miraculous’ “Felix” episode! (´∀｀)♡

Okay, I’ve been putting this off for days now so it’s time to finally get to it. I’m comfy and undisturbed and have my supplies ready to go.

I know next to nothing about what I’m going into. I’ve seen a little bit here and there because some people haven’t tagged their content properly, but I haven’t watched either of the trailers. I haven’t even looked directly at the images of Felix which have been going around. I’ve tried to stay as blind as possible, so as a result I’m pretty excited but also very anxious. I’ve taken two beta blockers today and I’m considering taking a third.

I usually liveblog episodes on our Ladybug PV Discord server (message me for an invite!) but this time I’m making a proper post out of it. I’ll be typing up my reactions as I go then cleaning everything up a little bit afterwards. I think it’s the first time I’ve done something like this on my blog so here goes!

- “Script: Thomas Astruc” NO. HE REALLY COULDN’T JUST STEP AWAY FROM THIS EPISODE GRACEFULLY, COULD HE. HE HAD TO GET HIS HANDS DIRTY. I’m not going to say “fuck this man” but, you know, identical sentiments. I’m opening my chocolate bar.

- God, Emilie looks more like ET every time I see her. Such an awkward model.

- Oh but wait, Sébastien Thibaudeau was on the script? That does actually give me some hope! Next to Zag himself he’s the only writer on this mess of a show I trust. HE FIXED WAYHEM, CAN HE DO FELIX A SOLID TOO? PLEASE. PLEASE SÉBASTIEN OL BUDDY OL PAL OL FRIENDA MINE

- Does Gabe have anything else to say to his wife other than monologuing his Miraculous plan over and over? They say people in comas can still hear things but Emilie’s probably double unconscious from how boring her husband is.

- DON’T LIKE THAT KNIFE SOUND EFFECT FROM THOSE RINGS. Am I supposed to find it sweet that Gabe’s taking such good care of their wedding bands or is he about to use them for evil? Also where’s Felix.

- ADRIEN SWEETHEART. I maintain that it’s weird to have a statue of your wife/mother/self in your own garden but it kills me that he’s just sitting there in front of it like a lost kitten.

- “Of course, someone will get you right away.” IS THAT FELIX. WAS SHE ON THE PHONE TO FELIX. WHERE’S MY SON, NATHALIE HAVE YOU SEEN MY SON

- That wide-eyed look Adrien turns up towards the window is killing me even more. I’M SO SAD. I see he also hasn’t noticed he’s sitting in the middle of a giant butterfly circle, unless he’s so used to it being Gabe’s logo that he’s just not paying it any mind. When was this all built? Has Gabe always used a butterfly motif even before he got his Miraculous and it was just a great coincidence, or did he commission this whole garden area after Emilie went missing? I guess you could pass it off as eccentricity but in the real world that would be a HUGE red flag that Gabe murdered her. I dunno man.

- DON’T WAVE AT HIM LIKE THAT, NATHALIE. YOU RATTED HIM OUT IN 5 SECONDS IN THAT THEORETICAL FUTURE WHERE YOU DISCOVERED HE WAS CHAT NOIR. YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT THIS BOY. >:V

- “It’s been one year.” HAS IT? Hasn’t Adrien been at school for at least a year now? Didn’t his mom vanish two years prior to that?! Maybe she’s talking about how long Gabe has been fighting Ladybug and Chat Noir but knowing this show’s messy timeline it could be anything. WHERE’S FELIX.

- That’s the song from Chat Blanc! Was that something his mom taught him? OH NO, I’M EVEN SADDER NOW. This is what I mean about Sébastien’s writing, we’d never get this kind of focus on Adrien from Garbage Man Astruc. This kind of character exploration does wonders for ML whenever it’s brought up so I hope this is consistent.

- SHIT, GABRIEL’S OUT OF THE HOUSE. SOMETHING’S WRONG. THOSE EXPENSIVE LEATHER SHOES HAVEN’T TOUCHED ACTUAL GROUND IN YEARS. ADRIEN GET OUT OF THERE.

- I do like that Adrien doesn’t get up when his dad comes to stand right next to him like that. It’s just informal enough. He’s waiting for Gabe to make the first move this time and that’s nice development considering how stiff and cold their relationship was in S1.

- OOOOH GABE THAT’S AN AWKWARD CROUCH. Any lower down and his back is going to go. He’ll be stuck there. I do LOVE that he’s trying though, I don’t even know what he’s going to say to Adrien but this is already SO good.

- “There’s something important I have to talk to you about.” Finally time for The Talk, huh.

- GABE PLEASE. ADRIEN’S WAY TOO CHIRPY TO HAVE ACTUALLY CAUGHT ON TO WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO SAY. HE THINKS YOU’RE TRYING TO SAY YOU LOVE HIM OR SOMETHING ELSE RIDICULOUS

- “I’ve noticed how close you and Nathalie have become!” CLOSE ENOUGH. Still in the ballpark of Adrien thinking his dad has real human feelings!

- “HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY THINK SUCH A THING??” I GENUINELY LAUGHED OUT LOUD AT HOW ANGRY GABE WAS ABOUT THAT. I’m not sure what to think of the “Nathalie replacing Emilie when Emilie’s technically still alive” plot either but GABE’S DECIDED FOR ME. Also good job yelling in your son’s face when you were JUST having a moment, good luck getting back up off your knees in order to storm away, old man.

- Oh alright, he did get up, but it was with a strange angry bow-legged prance. I think he still had trouble.

- I love the way Adrien just kinda wide-eye-blinks at him, like Gabe’s emotional outburst is going totally over his head. He’s been dealing with akuma FAR too long to be bothered by this.

- Guests, plural? I’m guessing Felix is one of them but is he with someone else? That makes sense given he’s (as far as I’ve gathered) the same age as Adrien so he wouldn’t be running around far from home unchaperoned, but OHHH this is so interesting.

- So they ARE claiming it’s been one year since Emilie vanished! This just doesn’t work as a Season 3 episode, especially with Nathalie and Gabe’s romantic development being as far along as it is. Emilie’s been gone for at LEAST three years by this point! Read your show bible once in a while you horrible garbage man!!! Also ADRIEN SWEETHEART THAT’S A LITTLE PREMATURE. You can say “went away forever” when you’re three years into her disappearance, the anniversary of one year really isn’t long enough to claim she’s never coming back!

- OH NO, IT’S THE GIRLS. I’m already bored. Unless Luka is here I really just do not care what they’re all up to. I haven’t missed Marinette at ALL in the first two-and-a-half minutes and I don’t want to see her now. WHERE’S FELIX.

- I’m sorry, how are Lila, Chloé AND Kagami all on a video call together without any blood being drawn? Also for god’s sake PLEASE leave Adrien alone, you want to ask first if he’d LIKE some company or if he’d prefer a quiet personal day to think about his mom? OF COURSE NOT MARINETTE, YOU WOULDN’T WOULD YOU.

- Okay, a video message is definitely a better idea than trying to break into his house AGAIN. At least then he can watch it whenever he feels up to it. The first good, safe, noninvasive idea Mari’s had for SEVERAL episodes when it comes to Adrien.

- I’M REALLY TORN WHEN IT COMES TO THE ENGLISH DUB. On one hand I hate how little screentime Nino has when he’s not just being Alya’s fashion accessory, but on the other hand I’m so glad they switched scenes the moment Nino started his video because I CANNOT handle his dub voice. Nino just deserves better in general really.

- HE WAS CRYING. MY BOY WAS CRYING AGAIN. I’M NOT COOL WITH THIS. IT’S NOT ABOVE YOUR PAYGRADE TO GIVE HIM A HUG, NATHALIE.

- ALRIGHT HI ELSA. IS THIS HIS AUNT? THAT’S SPOOKY.

- Her name is Amelie? So their parents had twins and named them Amelie and Emilie, and they turned out the same right down to the over-the-shoulder Dead Anime Mom hairstyles? That’s lazy parenting down to a tee, can’t mix your twins up if you never have to learn the difference between them in the first place! But that’s INTERESTING that Felix is (I assume, still haven’t seen him yet) from Emilie’s side of the family, I’ve always had the impression he was a petit Gabriel.

- OHHH THAT’S MY BOY! I CAN SEE MY BOY IN THE DOORWAY!!! OH MY GOD GIVE HIM TO ME. GIVE ME FELIX. GIVE ME MY SON.

- ADRIEN IMMEDIATELY JUMPING ON HIM IN A HUG IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. WHILE FELIX’S HAND IS STILL OUTSTRETCHED FOR A HANDSHAKE. I know this episode is going to go downhill because there’s no way it won’t, but this one single moment is EVERYTHING I WANTED. I should just close the tab now and leave it at this, I really should.

- “Do you remember when they used to have so much fun pretending to be each other? Once they had you and Emilie fooled for a whole weekend!” WHERE HAS THIS BEEN FOR MY ENTIRE ORDEAL GETTING THROUGH THIS SERIES. I don’t even care if this Felix is a stone cold bitch, it’s enough to know he and Adrien were besties when they were kids and Adrien still wanted to hug him the second he walked through the door. AMAZING.

- “I WON’T BE FOOLED A SECOND TIME.” WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, GABE. THEY WERE PROBABLY TODDLERS. ARE YOU JUST SO USED TO GETTING YOUR ASS HANDED TO YOU BY CHILDREN THAT YOU’RE SUSPICIOUS OF EVERY SINGLE ONE NOW

- Aww, Felix is American (dubbed, anyway). I was really hoping he’d be British with all the references to London over the last season. He does have a nice voice though! I can tell he shares Adrien’s actor but he’s got the softness I’d have expected from his character. There’s kind of an interesting look about his face though, I wish they’d tweaked it a bit to give him a sharper look but I guess he IS like 14, he can afford to still have a bit of baby-cheeked roundness. I’m going to find the positives in every part of this because I will NOT give Garbage Man Astruc the satisfaction of being disappointed like I know he wants me to be. It’s been a fucking war from the moment I saw his name in the writing credits and my best weapon is being pleased about everything in this episode.

- Okay, he looks a little better in the following closeup where his eyes are slightly narrowed. I think it’s the slightly-below-the-chin angle which doesn’t really work for his character model with his soft cheeks and high collar. FELIX IS A BABY.

- WHY WILL NOBODY SHAKE HIS HAND. Adrien hugged him instead and Gabe is ignoring him completely, Felix is clearly so perplexed and I love it. He’s fourteen! He’s fourteen and doing his best with social graces but NOBODY WILL HELP HIM.

- “Felix, you know your uncle’s never been the physical sort!” HE KICKED HIS OWN SON RIGHT ACROSS PARIS IN THE LAST EPISODE BUT SURE, IF YOU SAY SO.

- “Oh, how sweet! You’re still wearing your wedding band!” YEAH? IT’S BEEN LIKE A YEAR?? Again this would make more sense if it had been around three years like we KNOW Emilie’s been gone for, but picking someone out for still wearing their ring after 12 months?! And why isn’t Amelie more emotional about this anyway, isn’t it her sister who’s missing? I wouldn’t be poking fun at MY sister’s husband for keeping his ring if SHE went missing. No wonder Felix seems like he turned out weird.

- I CAN’T MAKE OUT THE NAME OF HER BRANCH OF THE FAMILY AND IT’S KILLING ME. SOMEONE LET ME KNOW WHAT THAT WAS. Graham de Vanily? I can’t place the words. I mean I’m going to keep calling Felix “Agreste” no matter what but I’d like to know what canon is trying to get at.

- “It’s been a long journey from London” I KNEW IT, I FFFFFFFFFUCKING KNEW IT. SO THEY ARE BRITISH?! BUT THEY HAVE AMERICAN ACCENTS?! I mean I guess they’re French first and foremost, but what the fuck is with the American accents if you’re making a POINT about them being from London?! I can’t wait for the French audio to be released, I really want to know what Felix sounds like there. Regardless AAAH MY SON IS FROM MY CITY, I’M SO PLEASED.

- “TakeFelixtoyourbedroom.” EASY GABE THEY JUST MET, ALSO THEY’RE COUSINS

- Poor Felix looks so depressed being saddled with Adrien. Sweetie it’s okay, think positive! You could be stuck with Marinette and THAT would be a true nightmare.

- Now why does Felix keep glancing at Gabe? Is there something going on there? Is he suspicious about what happened to his aunt? I can’t imagine he knows anything about the Miraculous so what’s the deal here?

- UuuuuUUUUGH we’re back with the rest of the gang. I’M NOT INTERESTED, SHOW ME MORE FELIX.

- “Help me Tikki! What would you tell a Kwami friend who’s lost their mom?!” You’re talking to a 5000-year-old demigoddess, Mari, I don’t think she’s gonna relate.

- MARI YOU CAN’T CONFESS TO ADRIEN. NOT AFTER CHAT BLANC. GABE WILL LOSE ALL HIS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT TO WRECK THE LOVE SQUARE AND ALSO THE MOON’S GOING TO EXPLODE. WHY ISN’T BUNNIX HERE TO SLAP THE TABLET OUT OF YOUR HANDS

- Should Tikki really be encouraging this?! I have no idea where in the timeline this is supposed to be. Maybe this is at a stage where she doesn’t know Adrien is Plagg’s chosen so there’s no reason to steer Marinette away from bonding with him. Or maybe every episode just plays by its own rules and there’s really no such thing as continuity in this series. I want to see Felix again.

- YANKING AT AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE ON THE OUTER EDGE OF A BOAT ISN’T GOING TO END WELL. DON’T. I do love how :D Alya is about it though, if nothing else I love what a supportive friend she is.

- Oh, the tablet didn’t go into the water! I’m genuinely surprised by that. Though I imagine Felix is going to fuck things up in some way so he’ll probably be the one to destroy the video somehow. We all know the relationship development isn’t allowed to move forward so SOMETHING’S going to happen to it.

- Thank god we’re back to the mansion. I’m surprised and pleased that (for now at least) we’re only getting the girls in small doses and the plot is mainly focused around the Agrestes. Gorizilla is my favourite episode to date and it did a similar thing with allowing Marinette to be a side character for once along an Adrien-centric plotline, so hopefully this episode will be similar. I’m liking its odds so far but who knows what Horrible Garbage Man Astruc has up his sleeve.

- “I’m really sorry I didn’t come to your dad’s funeral.” I’M SORRY WHAT? PARDON ME? THAT’S AN ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM I DIDN’T EXPECT. As a side note I love Felix being killer at basketball for some reason, he doesn’t look like the athletic type at ALL but he still made that net over his shoulder without even LOOKING. Goddamn. Can everyone please appreciate how cool my son is!!!

- “My father thought it would be too hard on me, considering everything that’s happened this year.” So Felix lost his dad VERY RECENTLY. OUCH. DON’T LIKE THAT. Or I DO like that because it’s already giving his character some extra depth when we’re still only just getting to know him, but on an emotional level I don’t like that.

- “He’s very... protective of me.” CHAT BLANC REALLY WAS A HOT MESS OF AN EPISODE WASN’T IT.

- Now Felix is giving Adrien a hug?! I didn’t see that one coming. My canon Felix would mean it but I don’t quite trust this new Felix yet, he’s probably up to something.

- WHAT A JARRING PIANO TRANSITION. Also why?! What does he have to gain from swiping Adrien’s phone? He’s probably got a terrible roaming plan on his own mobile, that’s always my problem when I go to France. If you truly loved your cousin you’d let him browse Reddit on your phone, Adrien. This is worse than not coming to his dad’s funeral.

- PLAGG KNOWS SOMETHING’S UP. He ought to, in another life he and Felix are STILL dealing with each other.

- Okay I take back what I said about Felix’s voice. Bryce Whatshisface isn’t doing a very good job separating the tones. I can buy that Adrien and Felix sound very similar but their delivery should be completely different! I really do want to watch this in French, I get the feeling it’ll sound much better.

- AH YES, HERE WE GO. I’m getting the feeling this is Garbage Man’s part of the episode. Squished cheese aside, I do like the implication Felix does (or did) card magic and karate. I’m thinking of that Mickey Mouse episode where he vanishes Donald’s car keys with a hand trick except it’s Felix vanishing Marinette’s phone when she’s about to text Adrien or something. I’ve got to draw that.

- “Mind if I take a shower?” WHY, FELIX. I mean I’d probably want to shower too after the London-Paris commute (and I’m sure he’s only going in there to wreak havoc, put food colouring in Adrien’s shampoo bottles or something) but what a weird time to ask!

- I mean Plagg has a point about difficult home situations not justifying bad behaviour (and I feel like that’s not what’s going on, with how he was glaring at Gabe I think he’s behaving like this for some other reason), but Felix’s dad LITERALLY DIED. Like they had a funeral and everything. Emilie is just “missing”. They’re SIMILAR but that’s still a false equivalence because Adrien’s got hope to hold on to and Felix doesn’t.

- So we’re not going to talk about how Felix got into Adrien’s passcode-protected phone? I guess he could have done the fogging-up-the-screen trick from Oblivio. Standing around in a steamy bathroom in three layers of clothing is a great way to sweat yourself out and ruin your hair though, way to get even more gross than a five-hour commute between countries.

- “Of course that idiot has a crush on a superhero!” EASY THERE, MR HOWLING-ON-A-ROOFTOP-BECAUSE-HE-SAW-THE-GIRL-HE-LIKED. WE’VE ALL SEEN THE PV.

- I’ve just noticed Felix has a ring too! I don’t know how I missed that before this scene! That’s NICE. He’s still not allowed to have it on his middle finger (LET HIM SWEAR) but that’s a nod back to Chat Noir which I really appreciate!

- ROSE HAS BEEN ON THE HELIUM. SOMETHING’S NOT RIGHT THERE.

- FELIX KNOWS CHLOÉ! THAT’S NICE, THAT’S GOOD. I LIKE THAT. That’s also a really nice little video from her, I love the few small moments we’ve had that affirm she and Adrien really ARE friends, whether she wants to date him or not.

- OOOH HE DELETED THE VIDEOS. I’m curious about him borrowing Adrien’s clothes too, are they going to dress the same? You’d think Adrien wouldn’t give someone an exact copy of the outfit he’s currently wearing but I genuinely don’t know if he owns anything different. I hope they don’t just use two Adrien models for the rest of the episode, please let me see Felix properly :/

- WHY. HONESTLY, WHY. CAN I PLEASE GET AN EXPLANATION FOR WHY FELIX IS DOING THIS.

- OOOH MARI YOU’RE NOT GONNA LIKE THIS. I can imagine Felix is going to say something nasty and that’ll set the girls off and bring about the akuma of the week. I’m mildly entertained but I’m still not engaged with this idea without any proper explanation. We’d better get something by the end of the episode which justifies what’s made Felix do this, because “he’s just evil lol” would be a reeeeally low move from Garbage Man Astruc.

- MARI SWEETIE. YOU’VE GOTTA LEARN TO CHECK A ROOM IS EMPTY BEFORE YOU RUN INSIDE AND START FREAKING OUT VERY LOUDLY. LUKA’S HEARD ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING.

- Luka is such a nice character. Why does he get to be so high quality when Felix has been turned into a cheese-smashing phone-stealing gremlin? I mean I KNOW why, but I’d like to think the showwriters are better than this. They’re not, but I’d like to think they are.

- WHAT A VIDEO MESSAGE. I love how Luka’s just sitting there grimacing while Mari speeds off into battle, he doesn’t know what she’s about to do but he knows better than to try stopping her.

- Back with Gabe and Nathalie. Is this what was being foreshadowed when Gabe claimed he wouldn’t be fooled by the boys’ identity switch twice? Is he GOING to be fooled again or will he be the one person who can tell immediately that this isn’t his son?

- “FELIX.” WOW, HE REALLY WASN’T FOOLED TWICE. RESPECT. He may have trouble getting up off the ground if he sits down too low but he can at least identify his child in a difficult situation like this, props to Gabe this week.

- “All this disappointment might just help us get rid of our unwanted guests!” SHUT YOUR MOUTH, FELIX IS A DELIGHT. The only unwanted guest here is Astruc on the writing team.

- “Felix... I told you that you couldn’t fool me twice.” Way to blow your identity in five seconds Gabe. I guess he hasn’t sent out the akuma yet so this might just be a personal monologue, but he starts addressing his victims directly so often at this stage that I’m really not sure what they can or can’t hear. SHIT’S RISKY.

- OH OKAY, SO HE’S SENDING THIS TRIPLE AKUMA AFTER FELIX? AND/OR ADRIEN, DEPENDING ON HOW HARD IT IS TO TELL THEM APART? I guess that’s what he means by getting rid of their guests, if the house is attacked by a monster (or monsters?) they aren’t going to want to stick around, but I REALLY HOPE YOU’RE TAKING ADRIEN’S WELLBEING INTO ACCOUNT HERE GABE OL BUDDY :/

- “TIKKI, SPOTS ON! MNUURGH” ME TOO MARINETTE. I’M REALLY ONLY 12 MINUTES INTO THIS.

- I’m gonna be honest, I’m not really interested in the girls. I was hoping for a real triple akuma (like Oblivio was apparently Alya and Nino together) but they’re all just villains we’ve seen before. There’s stuff I could comment on here but I just want to see more of Felix, that’s what I’m here for.

- “Nathalie, get Adrien to a safe place far from his cousin!” YOU’RE REALLY JUST GONNA SACRIFICE FELIX LIKE THIS. I guess that makes sense, I WAS complaining during Chat Blanc that Adrien is Gabriel’s weak point, so all things considered I’m not surprised that he’ll protect Adrien but just flat-out wants Felix dead. Fair enough.

- WOW. I THOUGHT ADRIEN WAS GOING TO BE HEROIC AND DEFEND FELIX BUT HE WANTS HIM DEAD TOO. Or was that a double bluff to make the akuma think he MUST be Felix so he can lead them away and keep his cousin safe? He’s just run off with a wild cackle so I’m thinking it’s the latter. HE’S A GOOD BOY AND A TRUE HERO.

- I also find it kind of funny how Nathalie will jump in harm’s way to defend him when there have been INNUMERABLE other episodes of Gabe just setting an akuma directly on Adrien for the hell of it. Maybe because there isn’t really any ‘harm’ here to start with; the three girls’ powers are probably the least violent of all the akuma we’ve seen so far.

- AM I REALLY ABOUT TO SEE FELIX DRESSED AS ADRIEN DOING KARATE. I HOPE HE’S GOOD AT IT.

- OH MY GOD HE IS GOOD AT IT. That’s cool! I was expecting him to totally flop considering how badly his imposter trick went down a few minutes ago, but it’s nice to see he’s as capable at fighting as he is at basketball. When do I get to see his magic card tricks?

- YEAH I FEEL THE SAME PLAGG. WHAT’S EVEN HAPPENING. Not that I think Adrien shouldn’t save Felix, I just want to know WHY Felix felt like he had to do this in the first place! I feel like “can I PLEASE get a waffle” except instead of watching the employees fight I’m watching this episode careening away with no pauses to explain what’s going on.

- FELIX C’MON. STOP CAUSING PROBLEMS ON PURPOSE. I can tell Garbage Man Astruc still has the reins here because causing even MORE trouble even AFTER Adrien saved his ass is a completely illogical course of action. PUT SÉBASTIEN BACK IN THE WRITERS CHAIR.

- “WHICH PART OF THE WORD ‘NO’ DID YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?!” Oh perfect, great, can’t let this episode end without accusing Felix of not respecting consent! That’s a hot button issue and if Garbage Man Astruc can get him on that bandwagon then fans HAVE to hate this character! Great move! Fucking pillock!

- WOW CHAT THAT’S MEAN. I guess accusing Felix of having no friends is justified in the context of the episode but yikes :(

- Was that a flash of humiliation from Felix there? God will one of the writers PLEASE save this character, PLEASE don’t let this episode end without someone getting him out of the Garbage Man’s big meaty claws.

- Excuse me WHAT? Felix is talking directly to Papillon?! So he knows about all the Miraculous stuff?! Oh NO, is this about getting his dad back? I don’t know whether the One Wish is common knowledge (I don’t think it is?) but maybe Felix put the pieces together on his own back home, so all his behaviour here has been trying to incite an akuma that he can take advantage of to appeal to Papillon?! Or he could just be a bitch all on his own, which is probably what the Garbage Man would prefer, but this makes a lot of sense all of a sudden.

- BRO HE NEARLY DIED. BRO. BROOO.

- “I hope you’ve learned your lesson!” YOU’RE NOT EVEN GONNA ASK ABOUT THE PAPILLON THING? YOU CAN’T JUST TREAT THIS AS A REGULAR DISTURBANCE, FELIX KNOWS SHIT ABOUT THE MIRACULOUS YOU GUYS--

- FELIX’S MOM IS REALLY GOING TO BLAME HIS DEAD DAD FOR THIS? HARD YIKES. NO WONDER FELIX IS WEIRD.

- I’m expecting this isn’t over, because Felix still clearly wants something specific that he didn’t get, but I’ll take this cute hug for what it is. He didn’t have an evil expression behind Adrien’s back this time either and the music is all soft and nice, plus he FINALLY got a handshake from Gabe, but I absolutely do NOT imagine this episode will end without getting an extra shot in at the PV fans somehow. We’re not getting off this easy.

- Why doesn’t Gabriel want Adrien to go after Felix? Is he scared he’ll try to run off, or ask them to stay longer when he really wants to get rid of them?

- AHAHA FELIX STOLE GABE’S RING. WHAT A BRAT. Was that the “jewelry” he mentioned wanting in return for helping Papillon? I figured it was a Miraculous thing but maybe not.

- OHHH, look how much Felix loves his mom! This is such a sweet scene. I particularly like the idea that Amelie was trying to get the rings back to give one to Felix because the way she was speaking to Gabe made it sound like she wanted them Just Because. But you can’t mention some wild story connected to the rings and then not explain it! I want to know what that is, I want to know why Felix is so fascinated with it!!!

- ALSO, FELIX GETTING A BIG KISS RIGHT ON THE FOREHEAD. EXCELLENT. I’ll fucking BET this is another scene Sébastien sneaked in because it’s such an emotional quality shift from the whole clone mess. Like what the fuck even WAS that.

- Yep, Felix is still evil! WHY THOUGH. WHAT’S GOING ON. CAN I PLEASE GET A WAFFLE

- I was expecting a worse ending, but “Felix can’t ever come back to Paris because Gabriel will kill him with his bare hands if he does” is decent enough. If there’s no further confirmation (and NO, anything Garbage Man Astruc tweets later on does NOT fucking count so don’t try me) I’m going to take it that he WAS actually sorry for what he did to Adrien. That’s better than nothing.

WELL THAT WAS AN EPISODE. That actually wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be - it could have been a lot better but it could have been a lot worse too. The beginning and end were nice enough even if the middle part was Garbage Man Astruc’s usual atrocious mess of self-service, though I do particularly despise the hamfisted consent issue shoved in there just to generate extra reasons to hate the character. WE GET IT, YOU DON’T LIKE FELIX. OFF YOU FUCK.

I’ve slept on this next paragraph to give myself time to formulate some concrete thoughts about the plot, so... Well, it was a mess, that’s for sure. They spent way too much time establishing how oH sO eViL Felix was and not nearly enough time actually explaining his character.

Why is he acting out like this? What has he got against Adrien in particular? Is he really sore about Adrien not supporting him at his dad’s funeral or is that just what Adrien thinks is his problem? What was his relationship with his dad before he died? Was his troublemaking all about trying to provoke an akuma and ask Papillon to help him get his family rings back (which he was clearly trying to steal from the moment he walked through the door, only Gabe wouldn’t shake his hand the first time), or was that just a side effect of causing shit for no reason? Did he mean his apology to Adrien at the end? WHAT was the deal with the rings and the story attached to them? There’s a whole interesting story buried in here which just got completely overlooked by the emphasis on how terrible he was and that’s really disappointing.

I did like his damaged-but-still-good relationship with Adrien though, there’s still hope there and maybe Felix (if he ever shows up again, which I only hope he does if it’s NOT another excuse for Garbage Man Astruc to shit on the PV fandom again, for the love of FUCK don’t give this guy multiple opportunities) will start coming around and making the effort to be a better cousin since Adrien’s given him a second chance. I don’t know. What I liked just as much was Marinette actually barely being in this episode at all, for the first time since Gorizilla she’s ALLOWED to be the supporting character again and that’s GREAT.

I don’t really know what else to say. I’m exhausted. Adrien’s a darling and I think I prefer my Twin AU, though canon Felix being a delightful little gremlin who causes problems-on-purpose is something I can work with in the future too.

Thanks for coming on this... interesting journey with me! I posted a set of tweets last night which I’ll leave here to finish up:

#josie's art #josie talks about things #miraculous ladybug #felix agreste #this can go in my felix tag for organisation's sake #and NO i'm not going to start calling him felix vanillagrahams or whatever his canon name is; leave me alone #anyway here's the post everyone wanted; it got VERY LONG but i ain't even sorry #i usually liveblog on the PV discord server but i felt this deserved its own post of basically-the-same-thing-but-neater

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bastillewolf · 5 years ago

Text

The Grand Tranquility Hotel (XV)

Pairing: Alex Turner/Reader

Summary: An eccentric hotel owner and an inquisitive writer find solace in each other when they both seemed to be at the edge of rock bottom.

Notes: Sorry this chapter took so long. I must have rewritten it about 5 times before I felt completely satisfied with it. Furthermore, thank you for all of your wonderful birthday wishes, it gave me a lot of joy reading them during times like these. I hope you’re all doing well and I hope to keep you entertained with more Alex Turner content in the (very) near future.

I’d advise you to listen to ‘The Linden Tree’ from the Grand Budapest Hotel soundtrack for the final ‘scene’. It somehow felt very fitting to me, as I’ve used most of this soundtrack while writing this story. The movie had lightly inspired me to make it.

Let me know if you’d like to be added to the tag list.

@edgythought @iwannabemorethanme @he4rtbre4khotel @juga-42 @alexbandguy86 @imagine-that-505

Chapter XV - Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (Pt. III)

“You’re both idiots,” she huffed under her breath, as she rinsed the bloodied washcloth in the previously stark white sink. She didn’t bother to wipe away the splatters, since she’d had to rinse it ten times before that because Matt’s nose wouldn’t stop bleeding.

They had taken their mess to the kitchens, away from prying eyes, when a picture had almost been taken by one of the paparazzi that had been sneakily investigating them. Word must have gotten around that the writer of The Grand Tranquility Hotel was visiting the new estate and seen with the owner himself.

As she cleaned the remaining grime off of Matt’s cheeks and chin, she wasn’t being as careful as she usually would be. She was pissed off, and all the men did was cast their eyes downwards and shoot her regretful looks from time to time. Even if they did still feel resentment towards each other, they were very careful not to show it in her presence.

“You know, it’s not just your reputation you’re damaging,” she added, walking over towards the hotel owner’s messy features, “I’m an accomplished writer now. If you can’t behave properly, I’ll have to write another book and lie myself out of this. I’d rather not write a fake autobiography.”

“You mean an addition to the already existing one?” Alex muttered.

She raised a brow, the washcloth momentarily wavering over the bruised cheek she’d been tending to. The injuries to his face were less severe, and she was very much considering making them worse.

“You better watch your mouth, mate,” Matt growled.

“Or what? Are you going to hit me again?” Alex challenged.

Jamie was quick to hold Matt back when he tried to get out of his chair, while Nick took a hesitant step towards Alex, in case he was about to try something. But the hotel owner remained seated on the kitchen countertop, rubbing his temples tiredly.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” she sighed, “And I advise you to double check the personnel you’ve hired, as they clearly can’t keep their mouths shut.”

“It’s the paparazzi; they’re always here, even when we do keep an eye out for them. And my clerk is very trustworthy, he just needs some more training,” Alex told her defiantly.

“Just some training?! He was drawing squiggles in your guest book when we arrived, Al!”

“Matt, I do need you to shut up,” she snapped, “You’re letting your anger make you as spiteful as a ten-year-old. Go cool off.”

The man in question huffed, shaking Jamie’s hand off of his shoulder before making his way towards the door.

“Yes, go cool off, Matt, lest you try to beat someone up again.”

Her eyes met his in a desperate attempt to ask him to let it go, which wouldn’t have worked had it been the Matt from when they left the hotel together. The Matt now, however, was more calculated and reserved; though his tendency to use his fists as the main solution still lingers there. She had thought it gone by now, yet the circumstances had indefinitely proven her wrong.

The door slammed behind him with a finality, and she returned her annoyed gaze to Alex, clearly disappointed with the way he’s treating her best friend. Nick left shortly after, mumbling about what idiots they were being, to go search for Matt. Jamie didn’t stick around for too long either, evidently feeling awkward staying in the brooding tension that hung around them.

She silently continued to care for his split lip, peering up at his eyes ever so often, which seemed darker and more distant than usual.

“What did you mean by that?” she murmured.

“Mean by what?” he asked.

“You know what.”

He gave her a look, “You mean your fake tales about my perfect hotel?”

“I never wrote anything but the truth, Alex. I simply left out the lesser parts.”

He hummed, clearly not persuaded by her words. He was being stubborn, and he was very aware of it, yet she decided it would be better to continue the conversation rather than let unspoken words hang in the air for the remainder of her stay.

She fumbled with the stained cloth in her hands. “Did you read it?”

He met her eyes with a lifted brow, as if trying to decide whether or not to respond. “Of course, I read it,” he eventually admitted.

“Then you should know I didn’t fabricate anything. It wasn’t some publicity stunt I was trying to pull off, Alex. Naturally, I wanted to give your hotel the credit it deserved, but I wasn’t going to lie while doing so. That’s not who I wish to be.”

“Yet you left out all that I did to you. You could have ruined me. Why didn’t you?” He sounded almost desperate, now.

“I think you know why.”

She felt his hot breath waft over her lips. His face was suddenly so much closer to hers, making her inhale sharply. He smelled just as she remembered, like expensive cologne and cigarettes. He’d been smoking more.

“It’s not right, Alex.”

“Why not?” he whispered. His orbs had dilated significantly, and only wavered from hers to look at her licking her lips.

“Because you still despise me for what I’ve done.”

She ran her hand over his cheek, before stepping out of his embrace. She left the room without sparing him another glance, leaving him to his never-ending train of thoughts.

Nick hadn’t been able to get much out of Matt, and saying it disappointed him was the understatement of the century. He had chased him around the hotel for a bit until they reached the doors to the gardens, where Matt was now taking photographs with his aged camera. Nick knew he needed to give Matt more time, yet his patience was running low. He had played the waiting game for long enough.

So, when Miles had arrived at the front desk asking for Alex, he had given him a relentless glare that made the mayor’s eyebrows shoot up so far they were almost closing in on his hairline. Only he could make this look as comical, and Nick felt his steadfastness waver around his friend. “Alex is a bit busy at the moment, I’m sure he’ll seek you out once he has the time.”

It was a lazy lie, which Miles obviously saw through, because all he replied with was an “ah” while his curious eyes trailed towards the guest book and skimmed over a familiar set of names. “I see,” he continued, “Very busy indeed…”

Before the clerk could say any more, the mayor was already trailing off towards the elevator, appearing deep in thought.

“I’ve always found the mayor such an odd man,” said the young man next to him.

Nick sighed. “Shut up, Mark.”

She was surprised to hear a knock on her door. Not because she was deathly scared of knocks on doors, but because she wasn’t really sure who was still on speaking terms with her right now. If anything, she had expected to have been left alone for quite a while, with Matt needing time to brood and sulk and the others to decide whether to finally kick her out or not.

She hadn’t been sure what to expect when she opened the door, but it most certainly hadn’t been Miles Kane’s warm smile.

He really didn’t want to have this conversation. And he’d really rather be anywhere else. Yet, here he was, in the gardens of his own hotel – if he could even call it a garden compared to his other property; the city didn’t allow much room for greenery – seeking out the man who had beat him up not hours before.

“Come to take another blow at me, then?” Matt asked. He had his camera raised; his right eye squinted shut to take a good look inside the lens. He stood facing the small pond that was outside; one of the very few hidden gems of the hotel.

“Wouldn’t want to ruin your pretty face any more than I already did,” Alex tried.

Matt huffed in response. They were both testing the waters here. “As if. You barely touched me last time.”

“Oh, really? You want to swap jumpers and make another move? I recall your timing being off. Those drumming classes haven’t done much for you, have they?”

They both snickered, a sense of familiarity washing over them like they were back in old Sheffield, when they had nothing more to worry about than homework and bickering over how to snog a girl.

“Not much to see around here, eh?” Matt asked, lowering his camera to run his eyes over the rest of the reasonably-sized plot.

“We were more concerned about the interior of the hotel.” Alex had his brow raised.

“Real shame. Not much space to keep horses and such.”

The inquiry was there, and Alex quickly picked up on it. “Mardy is being properly looked after, Matt. She’s doing fine.”

The man grumbled a bit under his breath about how ‘fine’ wasn’t good enough which the hotel owner decidedly ignored.

“I’m not here to bestow any more grief upon you, Matt. I’m here because we have a shared interest that I wanted to talk to you about.”

“A shared interest?” Matt repeated blankly.

“I…” Alex exhaled sharply. “I hope you’re happy together. I really do. And that’s all I’ve ever wanted for both of you in the end; happiness. I’m glad you’ve found it together.”

Matt’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Alex, we’re not together.”

“... You’re not?”

“Is that what that whole ordeal was about?”

Alex had a difficult time processing this new information being thrown at him, and could barely hide the glee that was bubbling up in his chest. He was interrupted, however, by Nick running towards them. He couldn’t recall him ever running so fast for anything in his life.

“I think we have a problem,” Nick gasped, “Miles is here.”

“I’m happy to hear you didn’t lose your job,” she gave him a genuine smile as he poured her a fresh cup of tea and added in some milk.

“Me too, if I’m honest. Spending so much time on the hotel made me realize how much I actually liked doing it and how much I was missing it. I can only be glad people were still willing to vote for me. Guess my good looks pay off after all.” He winked at her, making her roll her eyes.

“I’m sure they voted for you because they were reminded of the goodness in you when you made that apology on the tele.”

“You watched that?” He asked.

“Of course, I did. Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

The twinkle in his eyes seemed to diminish as he cast them downwards. He fumbled with the cup, his fingers making circular motions over the ceramic. “I’m not really sure I’m all that deserving of their praise. Not to mention, yours.”

“Miles-“

“I’m really sorry for what I did. I never meant to cause any of this. I really wanted to do right by Alex, because he’d been hurt by so many people before and I didn’t want to see it happen again and yet… When I showed him that notebook I think I only really did more harm than good. I know those words were never meant to be read by anyone else and that Alex would have been doing so much better had I just…” He let go of a shuddering breath.

She moved her hand to rest on his forearm in comfort, unable to bring about any form of resentment for the man. She met his eyes. “I know. You were only ever trying to protect him. I can only thank you for that. What happened between me and Alex would have happened either way, whether or not you showed him what I wrote. Neither of us were in the right state of mind back then.”

He gave her a watery yet relieved look, and nodded in understanding. He wrapped his arms around her. “I just hope he’ll get it into that stubborn noggin of his soon that he’s never going to find anyone better than you.”

She laughed against his shoulder quietly, “Me too.”

When Miles finally left the room, it was nearing dinner time, so he was planning on heading straight down to the hall. He didn’t get much further than the lobby, though.

“Relax, Al,” he told the frantic hotel owner, “All we did was talk it out. Seems like you took the more violent approach.” Miles eyed his injuries carefully, as Alex avoided his gaze.

“Where is she?” Matt asked.

“In her room, last I checked. Why?”

“Alex has another stupid idea.”

She was about ready to head downstairs for dinner when Matt burst through the door. He gave her a quick look up and down, shaking his head in disapproval as he did so. “Oh no, you’re not wearing that. Put on something fancy.”

“Excuse me?” she asked incredulously, placing her hands on her hips.

“You heard me,” he said, “I’m taking you to dinner. Now come on, hurry up.”

She wasn’t able to protest as he’d already disappeared back out the door. “This day just won’t end, will it?” she muttered.

Now her mother should have seen her. Though perhaps all she would’ve done is complain about how she wasn’t married yet instead of taking a look at her state of dress. She was honestly quite proud of the work she’d put up, even going as far as to wear heels with it.

She took a gamble that she was supposed to meet Matt in the lobby when he didn’t appear to be waiting in the hallway outside, and a part of her expected him to already be sitting in the hall eating his fill of chicken wings. But he was nowhere to be found, not even at their usual table.

“Miss,” a voice stopped her as she was about to sit. It was Nick. “I’ve reserved a different table for you tonight. If you’ll follow me, please.”

“No.”

Nick gave her an annoyed look.

“Stop being difficult.”

“You like it when I’m difficult.”

The first thing that filled her senses were the bright rays of lights hanging around the garden, and only when she’d taken in the starry night’s sky was when she noticed a record playing softly in the distance. Nick led her to a clearing near a pond hid behind a few bulky bushes, where she found a table and two seats waiting for her.

“Please, don’t be too difficult on him,” Nick whispered, before taking off again.

His footsteps on the soft grass made her turn back around.

God, he was wearing that same suit from all those years ago. And he still looked damn good in it.

“Would you care to join me for dinner?”

She blinked at him.

“You actually want me to?”

“Yes,” he said, and she could tell he meant it.

He was busy pulling out her chair for her when someone rounded the corner.

“You’re still not ready?” Matt asked, his arms carrying what appeared to be a set of menus slumping against his chest in annoyance. “I’m never doing this again.”

“I recall you volunteering to be our waiter this time, Matthew. This was of your own volition.”

“Wait a minute,” she turned to glance back at the man in question, “You volunteered to be our waiter? What happened? I wasn’t absent for too long, last I checked.”

Matt rolled his eyes, before gesturing towards Alex. “You think I was just going to leave you alone with him? We compromised.”

“You suggested it,” Alex said.

“It doesn’t matter anymore. Are you ready to order now, or should I take my outstanding services elsewhere?”

“Why did you set all of this up?” she couldn’t help but ask. After Matt had run off to escape their incessant teasing about him maybe actually enjoying waitering, they had only managed to make some small talk. But of course, ‘how are you’s and ‘fine’s aren’t enough to form an entire conversation during dinner.

He gazed up at her, and he looked tired. No longer did she feel captivated by the boyish charm in his gaze; this time, she was completely entranced by the mature and graceful man that sat before her.

“I don’t despise you for what you did, love,” he murmured. “I did when it happened, but the moment you left, I knew I’d made the biggest mistake in the entire world.”

Of course, he’d made the biggest mistake. She felt her heart drop to her stomach.

He had realized that he should have rid of her long before that. That she was nothing but a bother in his perfect grandeur life.

“I never should have let you go.”

She was awaiting his rage, thinking this was the calm before the storm. That he would snap at her or insult her again. But, he didn’t.

For once in his life, Alexander Turner didn’t get defensive. He didn’t storm off, nor make a scene. He simply started talking, like it was the most regular thing for him to do. As if he had always done it, as unnatural as it may have seemed.

Her bottom lip started trembling, her exhaustion fuelling her already tensed emotions. “Then why did you never call? Why did you never pick up the phone? You said you always would if I called you.”

“I didn’t think you’d ever want to see me again after all the things I said to you, after how I lashed out on you.”

“But you could’ve at least tried,” she reasoned.

He nodded, running a tired hand through his hair before it landed on hers and squeezed it lightly. “I didn’t try because I knew you’d be better off without any of this.”

He gestured vaguely towards the looming hotel behind them. “This hotel… It was out of the money from the back of my pocket. The risk was far higher than I thought it would be, and as we were signing the official papers, all I could hear were your warnings being whispered in my ear over and over again.

The opening didn’t go without loss. We barely got any visitors in the first few months, and I was certain that that was going to be it. That it was all over. All I’d worked for, down the drain, because I’d taken one last pathetic gamble to get to the place I’d always wanted to be.

And then you came, a bright light shining over all that was bad, publishing a book about the grandeur Tranquility Hotel, with nothing but praise and comforting words.”

He narrowed his eyes at her for a fraction. “Of course, I read your book. And I only felt the guilt and shame that had been haunting me during all that time you were gone.

You deserve so much more than what I can give you, writer. You have talent, a big heart and the stubbornness of a swine and I love that. You’ve proven more than enough times that you can take care of yourself. It made me realize how much I was holding you back from your full potential after you left.”

“Alex-“

“I was not in the right set of mind, and I can’t say I am now. I’m not very patient, I have a bad temper and I can be cruel when I want to be. You saw the way I reacted when I came to the conclusion you and Matt were a thing. I haven’t changed. Not one bit. Me wanting you to be my girl again is the most selfish thing I could ask for, which is why I won’t.”

Her vision was blurry, and a lump had formed in her throat that felt so heavy it could drop back down to crush her heart in a beat. “You’re not selfish, Alex. I wrote that book for you. It was my last attempt to find some solace after all that had happened. I’m only glad to hear it worked out so well for you and the business, I would’ve hated to see your legacy go to waste.”

But if that’s how you feel, I’m asking you- I’m begging you, be selfish. Be selfish for and with me, because I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

A tear solemnly ran down the length of her cheek, which was swept away by Alex’ gentle caress. He captured her lips with his, and took her chin in between her fingers. It was soft and sweet; though felt as dramatic as the finale of an Italian opera, for his decision was made.

He loved her, and she loved him, and all was right in the world.

She ran her thumb over his straining knuckles. “And please don’t worry about any of the boys, Al. They love you and care for you, even Matt. Even when you don’t make the best decisions, they’re there for you, because that’s what family does.”

“Family that needs to sock you in the jaw from time to time,” Matt himself added, as he set their plates of food in front of them.

Alex clasped his shoulder, a brotherly look exchanged between them once more.

And so, the rest of the night was spent exchanging long awaited kisses and glances, until the plates were licked clean, wine glasses empty, and clothes strewn across the grassy yard behind conveniently placed bushes under the night’s sky.

The end.

#Alex Turner x Reader #Arctic Monkeys #Matt Helders #Jamie Cook #TLSP #Miles Kane #Nick O'Malley #The Last Shadow Puppets #AM #TBHC #Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino #Wpsiatwin #Humbug #Suck It And See #Fanfic #Romance #Alex Turner

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the-angst-chronicles-fanworks · 4 years ago

Text

DRACO’S WISH [PT 6/14]

<< | < | >

WORD COUNT: 3303

PAIRING: Drarry

TAGS:

hidden identity

Down and Out Draco Malfoy

Pretty Draco Malfoy

Talented Draco Malfoy

Auror Harry Potter

Smitten Harry Potter

Harry Potter Being an Asshole (just for a while)

Angst

Fluff

Angst with a Happy Ending

Falling In Love

Torture

Skipping Meals/Hunger

Cold Weather

Libraries

Hot Chocolate

Veritaserum

SUMMARY: Draco does a good deed and is granted a wish - 12 days of anonymity in a world that hates him CHAPTER SUMMARY: Draco and Harry’s ice-skating plans get interrupted

on FF.net

on AO3

STORY:

December 13th , 2007

The brief warm flash from the previous day unfortunately doesn’t last, and Draco is woken before sunrise by the freezing air. “Bloody fuck,” he mutters, shivering violently as he sits up. It’s not even a consideration that he tries another warming charm – today is one of those days that is just too cold to bear without it.

It’s hard to focus enough to cast wandlessly when it’s this cold, which is just counterproductive really, but it’s not as though Draco hasn’t faced days this cold before. He inhales a shivering breath, ignoring his trembling as much as possible and endeavouring to block out the chill, as he reaches down into his magic.

He tries some of the new techniques that he’d studied yesterday, but it doesn’t come immediately to him. It takes a few tries before he actually manages to cast the spell but, to his great relief, the new technique does expend less effort. It doesn’t improve the potency of the spell though – the room warms enough to be only just bearable – so Draco makes a mental note to find a way to improve that.

Not wanting to risk the spell wearing off, Draco hops quickly out of bed and rushes through his shower. He pulls on his clothes and his outdoor gear, shuddering at the cold fabric.

He’s meant to meet Potter today for ice skating, and he shivers at he very prospect. Hopefully, the weather warms up by then – his clothes aren’t all too warm as it is, and skating about at any speed is sure to make it worse. It would be terribly embarrassing if he has to beg off skating early because he’s cold.

Then again, maybe it’s embarrassing just to go out dressed as he is. He looks himself over critically in his chipped little mirror, taking in his appearance and grimacing. He’s scrawny, malnourished and it shows, his naturally sharp features turned harsh and unattractive. His hair is neither as glossy nor as healthy as it once had been but it’s not greasy either. He fiddles with it until it lays in an acceptable wave, framing and softening his face.

But his garments still hang too loosely on his thin frame, ragged and torn and not flattering at all. His gloves have so many holes that they scarcely count as gloves, his coat is threadbare, his pants are patched and baggy, and his boots are one hard knock away from falling apart. Draco scoffs at himself and turns away from the mirror. What is he doing, trying to primp himself, trying to look attractive? Those days are long past.

Giving up on the mirror, he goes over to his little stove and fiddles with it, trying to coax it to life. It takes a minute but, against all odds, turns on. Draco inwardly cheers. He’s going to be expending energy today, if he’s to go skating, and he hadn’t eaten yesterday. It most certainly won’t do to faint in front of Potter just because his stove won’t cooperate.

He toasts himself a couple of slices of bread, eating them dry, and boils some water that he pretends is tea. Then he heads to the library, where he and Potter are to meet.

The librarian catches sight of him and gives him her usual smile. “Hello dear,” she says, as she does every day. Draco returns the smile, genuinely happy to see her friendly face.

“Good morning,” he replies, waving his hello. That’s the extent of their daily conversation, so he goes on to browse the shelves.

He’s very early – the clock on the wall shows that it’s just barely eight, and they’re not set to meet until two. He has plenty of time to make use of the library, and he’s hoping to move onto more advanced wandless theory.

He finds his usual book, double-checks the index to make sure that it covers spell potency, and then carries it back to his armchair. He means to study until Potter arrives, but he only gets about three hours in before his interrupted sleep and the warmth of the library get to him.

He doesn’t even notice drifting off, but he finds himself waking sometime later, comfortable and warm enough that he almost falls back asleep. Then he sees Potter, sitting in his summoned armchair and watching him, and that startles him enough that he stops drowsing. “Creepy, Potter,” he mumbles, blinking and rubbing his eyes to clear the bleariness. “Do you make it a habit to watch people sleep?”

“It’s Harry,” Potter pouts. “Do you make it a habit to sleep in libraries?”

“Touché,” he yawns, too sleepy to bother with a comeback. He glances up at the clock, which shows quarter to three, and frowns. “You should have woken me.”

“Oh, right, sorry,” Potter fumbles. “I just- you looked comfortable.”

Draco stretches languorously and blinks at Potter, who’s staring back at him intently. “You’re an odd one Potter,” he tells him. He extends a lazy hand. “Help me up, won’t you?”

Potter snorts, but grips Draco’s hand firmly and pulls him to his feet. Draco sleepily admires the ease with which he does so. He pokes at Potter’s bicep and finds it firm with solid muscle. “Bloody Aurors”, he mutters, then grabs his book and wanders off to the shelf to return it. When he returns, Potter’s face is as red as Auror robes, and that’s when Draco realises what he’s done.

His own face burns with mortification and he casts around for something to say, but all that comes out is a useless squeak. “I just meant,” he finally manages. “Very good, Aurors. Doing great. Thanks for your service, and all that.” Merlin, what is he even saying? He doesn’t even like Aurors, they’re usually not very nice. He needs to get over this humiliating habit of just babbling nonsense when he’s embarrassed.

Potter laughs, though, and his face clears of its embarrassed flush. He throws one of those muscular arms around Draco’s shoulders. “And you called me the odd one,” he says, his voice oddly fond. “Come on then. Let’s get a move on.”

He guides them out of the library and into Diagon, where the freezing air finally wakes Draco the rest of the way. Merlin, he’s so mortified. He’s never going to fall asleep in public again.

He thinks about pulling away from Potter – he’s really thrown this ‘staying away’ thing out the window – but it’s still freezing out and Potter is decidedly warm. “Sorry for all that Potter. Very embarrassing of me,” he says, making no move to dislodge Potter’s arm from his shoulders.

Potter grins, jostling Draco a bit in a playful manner. “Don’t worry about it Emory. And please, it’s Harry.”

Draco hums and thinks it over, but something about calling him Harry is too intimate. “Hmm, no, I think I like Potter better,” he decides.

“You are unbelievable,” Potter laughs, shaking his head.

By this point they’ve left Diagon and have travelled down at least two other streets. The area here is residential, with cute little houses decorated with festive lights lining the street. They don’t look big enough to have backyard ice rinks. “Do you live here then?” he asks Potter.

Potter, for some reason, laughs. “Here?” He says. “No, I don’t. It’s the nearest ice rink that I know of, that’s all.” He pauses and looks around contemplatively. “It’s a nice area though,” he offers. “Very jolly.”

Draco smiles. “I like jolly,” he says, watching the lights of the nearest house twinkle. That, at least, has always been true. Granted, the décor at the Manor was far more extravagant than this, but he’s learnt to appreciate simple things too.

Potter is silent again, and when Draco looks up, it’s to green eyes smiling down at him. He looks away, flustered, and something glinting in the street ahead of them catches his eye.

“What-?” he begins, but as the shape draws nearer and resolves into an ethereal, silvery otter he realises what it is. A patronus.

“Harry!” It says urgently in Granger’s voice. Harry jerks to attention, startled.

“Hermione?” He asks, pulling his arm away from Draco’s shoulder and turning to address the otter. “What’s wrong?” Draco shivers, mourning the loss of Potter’s warmth, and turns to the otter also.

“Sorry to bother you,” says the otter contritely in Granger’s voice, “but Ron’s got a work emergency and Rosie fell of a table and hurt her leg. I have to take her to St. Mungo’s, but Walker’s is getting that new wool I wanted to get for Molly today and I’m afraid they’re going to sell out. I’m terribly sorry to ask, but can you please pick some up for me? Just a skein of each colour please.”

Potter groans. “Hermione, I’ve got plans!” He whispers furiously, shooting an apologetic glance toward Draco, who’s trying to keep from shivering in the cold air. It takes him a moment to process this, and then raises an eyebrow, shocked. Potter is blowing off his friends for him? He can’t help feeling strangely pleased at the notion.

Then another burst of wind gusts through his shitty coat, threatening to freeze his skin. Draco hifts from foot to foot and does his best to hold himself still. Without Potter against him to warm him, it is impossibly cold. The very idea of skating like this is unthinkable.

He touches Potter’s arm gently, hoping the other man doesn’t feel how he’s trembling, and says “Don’t worry if you need to go shopping Potter. The ice will be there tomorrow.” He hopes Potter agrees. He’d much rather chance that the weather will be warmer tomorrow. He doesn’t know how he’ll manage to get on the ice today.

Potter looks frustrated though. He opens his mouth and turns to look at Draco, and then frowns. He glances between Draco and the otter a couple of times, and then finally says “Alright Hermione, I’ll get the wool.”

The otter looks between them and says carefully, “I check if someone else is available.” Granger’s voice is loaded with something that Draco doesn’t understand, but it makes Potter snort.

“No Hermione, I said I’d do it,” he says.

The otter’s expression doesn’t change, but Draco can hear the relief in Granger’s voice as she says “Thanks Harry. And you too…Emory, was it?” Then it swirls in a circle and disappears. Draco, trying to hold in his shivers, takes a moment to wrap his head around the fact that Granger apparently knows his fake name. That can only mean that Potter’s talked about him to her. He peers over at Potter, who’s face is flaming red and who is looking anywhere but at him, and the earlier pleased feeling comes back to him.

He doesn’t call Potter out on it, though, because he quite frankly wants to get out of the cold as soon as possible. He’s disappointed that they’re parting ways so soon, but he feels as though he’s going to freeze his bollocks off if he stands out here for much longer. “I’ll meet you tomorrow, same time?” He offers to Potter, already turning to head back.

Potter catches his hand, though, and, instead of agreeing, says “Come with me.” Draco looks down at where their hands are intertwined, his face exploding with heat and his words abandoning him. When he doesn’t answer quickly enough, Potter adds, “I’ll get you a hot chocolate to make it up to you?”

Draco looks up then. Potter seems intent on plying him with free food and drink, and he’s not willing to turn them down when he gets them so rarely. “Okay,” he says, his voice unsteady from the cold.

Potter rocks back on his heels with a wide, stunning grin. “Brilliant,” he says. Unfortunately, he doesn’t through his arm over Draco’s shoulders again, and Draco bites down on his lip as another cold gust hits him. He follows behind Potter, hoping that the wool store is nearby.

He must not hide his shivering very well, though, because Potter after a little while Potter turns to him. “Okay, you’re clearly cold,” he says, his dark brows furrowing with concern.

“I’m fine,” says Draco, and shivers.

Potter rolls his eyes. “Sure,” he says. “We’re not going to the ice anymore. Why not cast a warming charm?”

Draco flushes, embarrassed. He doesn’t want Potter to know how pathetic he is, having not even a wand to his name. But Potter is looking at him expectantly.

“I…uh…I don’t have my wand on me,” he hedges, mind racing.

“What? Why not?” Potter asks with a frown. He looks around, as if Draco’s wand will just appear in front of him.

“Well…I’m trying to learn wandless magic so…” Draco fibs. “To encourage myself to use it, I…left my wand at home.” Potter stares at him incredulously, and Draco worries for a moment that he’s going to call him out on his ridiculous story. What wizard just leaves their wand at home?

Potter raises his brows. “I thought it was just an interest?” He challenges.

Draco nods. “Yes,” he decides on, not elaborating further. He and Potter stare at each other for a moment longer, and finally Potter laughs.

“You’re a strange one Emory,” he says.

“I take offense to that,” Draco sniffs, and then shivers again.

Potter frowns. “Can you not cast a warming charm wandlessly though? Surely you didn’t leave your wand behind without being able to do it in this weather.” He asks.

Draco bristles at his tone, although Potter is not wrong – if Draco had a wand, he would never leave it behind on so cold a day unless he knew with absolute certainty that he could keep himself warm. “I’m still learning Potter,” he replies. “I could try casting one, but I certainly wouldn’t want to cause an international incident by accidentally setting fire to your hair.”

Potter is still frowning, but his lips twitch slightly. “Merlin Emory, that’s a bit dramatic,” he says. He waves his wand carelessly. “But don’t worry about it. I’ve been set alight more times than I can count – job hazard, you know? I’m very handy with an extinguishing spell. Go ahead.”

He seems almost eager. Draco sighs. He’s cold, and he doesn’t want to argue with Potter. “Very well. I shall accept no complaints if something goes awry,” he says. Potter just nods encouragingly.

Draco closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, focusing on his magic. The motions are at once familiar and new as he reaches down into the well deep inside himself and draws some forth, shaping and tuning it. He holds the form, with more ease now than he had even just this morning, and draws more magic to his command. His brows furrow in concentration as he holds the first shape and pushes the additional magic through the suspended spell, giving substance to the charm.

To his surprise, the air around him immediately warms. His and Potter’s breath both catch in tandem and he opens his eyes to meet the other man’s intense gaze, the warm glow of magic fading between them. Then the air starts cooling again, the heat dissipating into the open street.

Draco flushes and looks down at his ratty boots. “I – ah – haven’t really learnt self-contained spells yet,” he mutters, embarrassed.

“That was amazing,” Potter says, his voice awed. A wave of warmth settles over Draco, and he looks up, surprised. “Until you master self-contained spells,” Potter says with a wink, putting away his wand. Draco’s cheeks heat further, and he tucks his face into the collar of his coat to hide the silly smile spreading across his face.

The shop that has Granger’s wool turns out to be back on Diagon. It’s one of the new storefronts, a small building called “Walker’s Enchanted Fabrics”. It’s warm and cozy inside, and smells of new fabric in the most delightful way. Draco lets Potter get on with his errand and wanders through the various displays of fabric and wool skeins. He’s drawn to a midnight blue bolt, the fabric shot through with an icy white-blue that twinkles like stars. It’s soft to his touch, like silk, and Draco feels a melancholy ache somewhere in his chest as he runs his hand down it. It’s the type of fabric he would absolutely have coveted once upon a time, the kind that his father would have commissioned the finest of robes from at Draco’s demand.

“It suits you,” says a voice from behind him, and Draco jolts. He turns to see Potter standing there with a large, lumpy parcel in his gloved hands. He’s smiling warmly at Draco. “Do you sew?”

Draco chuckles lightly, pushing down the bittersweet memories as he pulls his hand back and tucks it into his pocket. “Oh no,” he says. “I’m terribly undomesticated Potter. I manage to boil water well enough, and you simply cannot expect more of me than that.”

Potter lets out a delighted laugh. “Well, as lovely as boiled water sounds,” he says, “how about we get that hot chocolate I promised you instead?”

Draco agrees wholeheartedly, and he follows Potter out of the store. “What is the story with this wool then?” He asks as they walk. “Surely Granger could get them to hold it for her? Being a great important war hero and all”

Potter laughs. “It’s a new blend, very high in demand. This is the only shop in Britain that carries it, because it’s so bloody expensive, but Hermione and the owner… don’t exactly get along.” Draco raises an eyebrow, curious as to what Granger has possibly done. “Hermione took very public umbrage to Walker’s use of Sicilian Silk Bat silk,” Potter explains. “It’s lucky any of us are allowed in here at all.”

Draco laughs. “What in the name of sorcery is her objection to Sicilian Silk Bats?” He asks.

Harry shrugs. “There was an overharvesting problem for a while apparently. The bats weren’t being left enough silk or something. I don’t really know the specifics.”

“Potter,” Draco sighs, shaking his head, “if you’re to be banished from stores on Granger’s account, surely you ought at least to know why?” Potter shrugs, unrepentant.

They go to the coffee shop from the other day, and Potter pulls open the door for Draco once more. He thanks him, smiling to himself as he walks in. Potter follows him in and sends Draco to get a seat again – even though the café is still empty – while he goes up to the front counter.

Draco watches as he chats with the girl at the til and hems and haws over what he wants to buy and drops his money all over the counter, and feels unbearably fond. He can’t help the smile that tugs at his lips, not even when Potter turns around, floating another pair of frothy chocolate monstrosities and two huge cinnamon buns along with him, and sees it. “What is it?” he asks.

Draco shakes his head. “You keep feeding me sweets. I think you’re trying to make me fat,” he fusses jokingly, while eagerly tearing off a piece of cinnamon bun.

“You got me,” says Potter. “My original plan was a house of candy, but this seemed easier.” Draco has no idea what he’s talking about, but Potter’s smile is bright and directed only at him and he finds that he doesn’t mind. Twinging with happy warmth, he pops the bit of torn-off cinnamon bun in his mouth and lets out a pleased hum, closing his eyes at the delicious flavour.

When he opens them again, Potter is watching him with his impossibly warm green eyes.

Draco ducks his head, smiling into his hot chocolate. He could get used to this.

#drarry #drarry fanfic #harry potter #harry potter fanfiction #draco malfoy #writing #draco #harry #fluff #angst #Draco's Wish

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a-shameless-otome-rp-sideblog · 5 years ago

Text

looking for otome-based RP partners!

Hullo (hopefully future) friends! I’ve got a bit of a weird proposal.

(For anyone who saw the first one on my OTHER-OTHER side blog, this is redux, the 2.0, because that sideblog was TOO NEW to show up in tags and I am really hoping that this one shows up on this MUCH OLDER and REPURPOSED sideblog!)

ANYWAY, here blog isn’t and probably won’t ever be an RP blog. I’ve RPed on Tumblr a lot in the past (mostly in the Homestuck community, a few years back) and while doing so was a lot of fun, it was also a lot of work! Maintaining pages, bios, graphics, etc, is all stuff I seemed to have all the time in the world for a few years back, but I find I really just don’t anymore.

Unfortunately, I don’t really know where to find RP outside of Tumblr and cherubplay (thanks again, Homestuck!) either, but Cherubplay isn’t exactly the greatest for finding anything outside of just raw-doggin-it-smut-fests and while that can be, uh, fun, it’s not really what I want to focus on when I RP.

So why am I here?

DISCORD RP!!

I’m hoping to find other people who don’t really have time to run an RP blog (or who do have time, but also might be willing to dip their toes into doing it on Discord, too, assuming you aren’t already!) for some good time plotting and roleplaying!

Which I guess brings us to the meat of this whole thing… (more, of course, under the cut!)

WHAT WILL WE RP?

I’ve been real keen on otome lately and I’m really looking to play some canon boys to your MC or OC! While I’ve certainly had my fun playing girls before (mostly in WoW, or other MMORPG settings), I find I always prefer to play dudes, and (if you’d pardon this bit of arrogance!) I think I can be pretty dang good at it!

While I do occasionally ship MxM, it’s really only something I do with my best bro, so I’m sorry to disappoint, but I’m really only interested in MxF pairings atm! I hope that’s okay with everyone.

COOL, BUT WHAT SERIES? WHAT CHARACTERS?!

I’d like to say I have a pretty healthy familiarity with a lot of otome, but I’m not sure I’d be the hottest at RPing them all! If it can’t be guessed by my avatar, I’m kind of on a Hakuouki kick right now, so I’m partial to that, for sure, but for ease of readability and so you can get a good idea of what I’m open to, I’ll list them in some nicely formatted order.

Hakuouki Characters

Okita :: Okita is tied for my personal favorite Hakuouki dude with Sannan, but I think I’d enjoy playing him a lot more than Sannan (which isn’t to say I wouldn’t like to play him, too!). I’ve always been partial to smirky, tease-y boys, especially when they’re struggling with confronting their feelings.

Sannan :: Sannan speaks to my love of polite but cold characters, and it’s only a bonus that he’s a megane, which I’ve also always loved! As mentioned above, he’s probably tied with Okita as favorite Hakuouki dude, but I think Okita’d be easier to play.

Kazama :: Kazama is fun because I’ve always had a love for garbage can style kidnap-and-seduce plotlines if that was your kind of thing!

Saito :: I love Saito aesthetically and his personality is pretty rad and I’d rank him as pretty up their on faves, but I admit I don’t have overmuch experience when it comes to awkward slow-to-open-up kinda boys! I’m sure we could make it work though.

Other dudes :: I’d be willing to try honestly most anyone from Hakuouki but these are the ones above are the ones I feel most confident/interested in playing! If you’d like someone else, you can most certainly ask, especially if you have some kind of plotline you’d like to see!

===

Diabolik Lovers

Oh baby, yeah I am totally into this hot hot dumpster fire!

Reiji :: As mentioned, I love megane, and Reiji’s probs my favorite of everyone in the whole dang series. Older? Check. Smart? Check. Responsible? Check. Cold? Double check. Really fucking mean? Check. Smirky? Well, in the games, yes!

Shuu :: Sorry Reiji, but I also love Shuu. I might make him just a twinge OOC because his laziness might make advancing the plot kind of headachey, but other than tht, I love this loser.

Subaru :: Subaru, contrary to his third place on this list, is probably pretty close behind Reiji for favorites. Aggressive, ill-refined, totally willing to fight everyone – I admit I tend to play the more well-spoken and calculating kind of characters more, but I’d be willing to rock Subaru for you to the best of my ability!

Ruki :: I won’t say Ruki’s my favorite of the Mukami brothers but I like him a lot and I think I’d play him well!

Everyone else except Azusa and Kou :: Spoiler: I love Azusa to death and find him adorable but I don’t really relish playing openly masochistic characters, so he’s a no go unless we can work something out! Kou is – no offense, but I just really do not like Kou. As far as the famous Sakamaki triplets go, Kanato is one of my absolute all time favorites, and I’d be willing to play him with the right person… but we all know he’s kind of an absolute nutbag, so I’m hesitant to dump that on anyone! Ayato is a staple and Laito could be… like Kanato, I think I’d have to feel pretty assured by my partner they could handle the grosser parts of his character. Open to exploring it, however!

===

Amnesia

I’m not gonna bother sectioning everyone into neat little areas cause there is so few, but Toma is my favorite (I’m a real sucker for yandere, whoops). I’d be willing to play him, of course, provided my partner was comfortable with it! I’d also be willing to do Kent (my second favorite!), Shin and maaaaaaybe Ukyo. Sorry, I didn’t really care for Ikki – not because Ikki was bad (he was actually cool!) but because fan girl route characters drive me BANANAS.

===

Other fandoms :: Hit me up and ask if you want me to try anything! I might surprise you!

===

AND SO THAT LEAVES US WITH… WHAT WILL YOU PLAY?

Honestly, I’m gonna be real with everyone here: I love roleplaying because it’s like writing fanfiction with someone else, so it’s all the fun and self indulgence of fanfiction, but better, cause ya know – someone else is doing it with you! And I’m really here for the self indulgence, so please go ham.

Yeah, you can play the MC of the game, and I’d be cool with that! But honestly, I love OCs, and I’d love to hear about and plot with your OCs. I have some ideas for potential plots (especially for Hakuouki), but I’m also open to your ideas, too, and I think a lot of plots could work best outside the confines of a pre-established MC. Also, you get to show me your drawings/face-claims/whatever for your characters, and that’s pretty rad!!

Also, as someone had asked when I tried to post this on my previously non-functional blog, I’m also open to crossovers! I’m cool even if I don’t know much about the character -- you’ll just have to pardon my ignorance.

===

So, uh… RULES? RP STYLE? ETC? SOME POORLY ORGANIZED POINTS

+ Yeah, I’m deffo 21+ so ideally you would be too, especially if there’s anything like, remotely scandalous going on! I’m not too sure I feel very comfortable RPing with anyone younger than 18, mostly just because there’d be such a big age difference between us. Rest assured it isn’t because I think I’m better than you, or being ageist! It’s mostly just for my own sense of comfort!

+ Speaking of scandalous, I don’t push hard for anything super graphic unless that’s your style because I’m very much a person who loves drowning in the emotions of “holy crap does this guy really like this lady a lot”. I tend to be over indulgent as heck when it comes to inner monologues describing just how much your character makes mine’s heart go doki-doki, so expect a lot of that. If we start heading towards fuck-making of the graphic non-fade-to-black-variety, we should deffo discuss the sorts of things you discuss before those scenes! (Kinks? I GUESS???) But, as mentioned, it’s deffo not at all on top of my list of prerogatives. We need to BUILD for that!

+ My RP style tends to be 3rd or 2nd (lmao, Homestuck) person, present tense, a couple paragraphs to “oh my god, you can shut up now”. You can write however you like, with my only request being that you be passably literate! Not like, snootily literate. You get what I mean? I hope so. ):

+ As far as activity goes, I’m also fine with the Tumblr esque style of replying whenever you get around to it! If we both happen to be on for a barrage of replies, great! If we can only get one or two out a day, also great! I’m pretty easy going, honestly.

+ I love working in universe and also going mad with AUs. Find some cute starters or AU ideas on tumblr and you wanna throw them at me? I’m always open. From vampires where there are none to school AUs to coffee shop AUs I am willing to try most things, but note: I am primarily a fan of DRAMATIC ROMANCE so keep that in mind!

+ Want some kinda crazy love triangle where your lady is pursued by not one, BUT TWO DUDES? We can probably make it happen!

+ I run the gamut from fluffy and sweet romance to angsty yandere esque stuff, so please feel free to talk to me about what kind of dude you’d like!

===

A SAMPLE OF MY STYLE:

It has been months, Okita reminds himself. It has been months, and months, and more months on top of that – almost a year, maybe a little more, even, and as he sets his teeth behind that constant wolf’s grin, he thinks to himself: You should be better than this. You should be stronger.

But for all the time he’s spent with her, it has never gotten easier. No, no – it has only ever gotten worse, and it’s particularly bad now that he’s alone with her, now that she’s so close –

“Okita-san?” Her voice rings in his ears like a few plucked notes of some delicate string instrument, and he feels his lips part, his smile all teeth. She’s paused, midway between pouring him a cup of tea, and her eyes – ever and much too familiar – meet his with a hint of shyness Okita feels guilty for relishing. “Are you okay?”

“Worried about me, mn?” He rolls his head from one shoulder to the next, halfway between a shrug and a stretch, and tries very hard to resist the urge to pull her towards him, into him, that he might catch more of the rich perfume that lingers along the line of her throat. “You shouldn’t be.”

You should, he thinks, and not without a hint of guilt, be more worried about yourself.

===

ANYWAY, IT’S LATE.

I feel like I’m missing some garbage, but I’ll probably add to this tomorrow when I inevitably remember what I forgot! If you’re interested, send me an ask or a submission or a Tumblr… DM? We can work from there with regards to exchanging contact info!

#hakuouki rp #hakuoki rp #otome rp #diabolik lovers rp #amnesia rp #ikemen sengoku rp #hakuouki #hakuoki #diabolik lovers #amnesia #ikemen sengoku #i'm sorry for all these tags i'm trying for exposure #let's be real this probably won't even work #i might have to do this on like #my main blog #or my main side blog #the horror

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milesgonzalomorales · 6 years ago

Note

1-50 for studyblr (all or nothing motherfucker ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°))

I owe you my life anon I wanted to answer these

What year are you?Third-year as of summer 2018

What’s your major/what do you think you want to major in?Double major in Political Science and History

If applicable, what is your thesis about? n/a

Do you think you picked the right major? For sure. At first I was uncertain in my choice bc I switched quite a bit in my first/second year bw English and History, but then I realized that English classes were making me dislike my relationship w/ literature. I love my poli sci and history classes

Ultimate educational goals? Getting my PhD in International Relations but i have no job to pay for it

Career goals? Working with an international organization like the UN or the IMF

Do you think your goals are realistic? Certainly. They may be difficult to reach, but they are within my grasp so long as I keep working towards them.

What classes are you taking right now? Canadian government/politics, introductory political theory and a comparative history class on race relations in the US and SA

Favorite class out of everything you’ve ever taken and why? Introduction to international relations parts 1 and 2, I took them both in my second year back to back (one in the fall, the other in the winter) while I was still in the political science minor. I loved this class for several reasons. First, the content was so interesting that reading the textbook was never a chore and I was always in the first row of the lecture hall ready 15 minutes before classes even started. Another reason I liked this class was bc I had a really good experience with the ta who was my tut. leader in both semesters - there is only one other ta that I’ve had who has been that phenomenal in their teaching. This ta along with another prof have been really influential in my learning and I don’t think thank you will ever be enough for what they both did. It was actually through these classes that I decided to major in poli sci bc I loved it so much.

Least favorite class ever and why? An Ancient Greek history class bc it was at night and the prof had us read exclusively from a sourebook and his slides sucked.

Current favorite class and why? Canadian government, I’m learning a lot of cool stuff about my country that high-school teachers never did justice to. Also the prof is really enthusiastic and it’s contagious.

Current least favorite class and why? Political theory… it’s not that I hate it, but some of the texts are really difficult to read at times. Lectures are fun though, the prof really knows how to keep an audience engaged.

Favorite STEM field? I took an anthropology class in first year and loved it, the tutorials were really interesting bc we actually got to handle bone material!! It was nothing like humanities tutorials where you discuss and debate. A fun experience overall and I loved learning about the science parts too even if it was a little complicated sometimes…

Favorite humanities subject? Political science, hands down.

Class that you’ve always wanted to take but never had the chance? I want to take a class on ethnic conflict and security, but it’s a 4th year class and i don’t have the prereqs (yet!)

Do you use caffeine and if so how much daily? Never, unless Coffee Crisp counts

What’s your preferred method of taking in caffeine? ^ see above answer

Have you ever tried study drugs? Nope, not a huge fan of supplements like that.

Are you a homework-in-the-morning kind of person? Homework whenever I can type of person

Do you listen to music while you study? Used to, but now it distracts more than anything so I’ll put on some ambient noises or just work silently.

Crowded area or quiet place? Quiet place, but one that has people in it so I feel obligated to work

What’s your preferred writing implement? bic gelocity 0.7 black and blue pens. i cannot write w/o them but they run out so fast.

Do you need to work out before you can study well? work out??? haven’t heard that term in years

Describe your perfect study environment. Idk the specifics, but good lighting, nice temperature, a rolling chair and a high desk i guess?

Are you procrastinating right now? Not really, I have time before assignment deadlines roll in.

What was the last thing you procrastinated? Reading Thomas Hobbes Leviathan, the language was too complex and I shied away from it

Are you a perfectionist? Not really, you make a mistake and you move on, I find that studyblr aesthetic notes are counterproductive

Do you like easy classes or do you feel bad if you’re not working hard? I don’t think there is such thing as ‘easy’ classes, it depends on what an individual’s strengths and weaknesses are. That being said, I had a light course load for a first year class where the prof felt bad for assigning us 10 pages of reading a week when another prof was assigning 80-100.

Are you a good test taker? Most of the time, but with essays, I need to write outlines or I lose my train of thought and get frustrated and anxious about the time and my argument.

What are you the proudest of out of all the assignments you’ve ever had? A paper I did for my critical writing for history class 2 semesters ago, I contacted that professor regularly and was in her office all the time working with her to keep making it better and when I saw my final grade of 38/40, I cried with happiness.

Do you talk to your teachers/professors a lot? Oh yeah, I’m that student who stays after class, spends half the time at office hours, asks questions during class, you name it. Professors are people too, just really accomplished people. Also they’re pretty cool and they want to see you succeed.

Describe your favorite teacher/professor and why you like them. Okay again not a prof, but this person is training to become a prof and i truly hope he’s successful for several reasons. He has a lot of cool book recs both academic/non-academic, calls out the bullcrap that is academic writing, genuinely goes above the paygrade to make sure that students succeed and most importantly, is enthusiastic about the content himself. (press f to pay respects)

Describe your least favorite teacher/professor and why you dislike them. Hnghhhh there was these 2 profs who taught intro ir part 1 and one of those guys was an absolute loser, he constantly made holocaust jokes and other tasteless comments and when i went to talk to him about my final paper, he told me that i’d look like someone who might like to write mine about is/s like ://. never told that prof anything about my academic interests so shut your mouth

Have you ever thought about becoming a teacher/professor? A few times, but I don’t think I could do it. I’d be one of those rambling profs who never end up finishing their scheduled content.

Most profound thing ever said to you by a teacher/professor? Not a prof, but a ta once said that my ideas were worthy of respect and that i shouldn’t feel the need to apologize for contributions (ta: you are valid me: holy fuck i’d die for you)

Best feedback you’ve ever gotten on something academic? Best feedback I’ve ever gotten was on a paper I wrote for my ir class in the first semester where i had a lot of pitfalls in my argumentation style so when i wrote one the next semester w/ the same ta marking it, i got a better mark bc i incorporated that feedback.

Worst study habit and how are you working on it? My worst habit is lacking discipline and I’m working on it by trying to stick to schedules so I can fall back into routine and ultimately be on top of things

Are you an in-class fidgeter? moment of silence for all the pens i’ve dropped while twirling them/taking them apart.

How’s your handwriting? pretty neat, not to brag. but apparently my f’s are jumping off the lines practically.

Write “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” and post a photo. sorry, too late for that I’m headed to sleep soon.

Neat or messy notes? A weird combo?? Like messy enough that you have arrows sticking out from all corners and sometimes things are disorganized, but the writing itself is usually very neat unless i’m tired.

A lot of notes or the bare minimum? A lot, for me, the slides are the skeleton and the meat comes from the prof’s mouth.

Post a photo/scan of your notes from your favorite class. I think I uploaded them to my side blog?? anyway it’s late now so can’t do that

Are you a doodler? I used to be, but I cut the habit bc sometimes I miss key info if I’m not paying attention.

Post a photo of your doodles if you have any. lol i used to post a lot under the tag naailah draws

Do you have pre-test rituals and what are they? Making sure I have more pens than I’ll ever need and checking the ink refills to ensure there’s enough.

Are you a tangent-question asker? Yup, there’s no such thing as a dumb question. Unless it’s answered on the syllabus. That’s a dumb q.

Do you make jokes in class? Sometimes. I’ve cracked some awful puns in my comparative poli class once and the prof’s mic picked up on it bc i sit at the front so you have a room of 200 or so students hearing me laugh about poverty and i swear it sounds bad but it was not as bad w/ context.

How many hours do you spend on academics per day? A lot… most of my time is spent on studying/procrastinating on it

What’s something more important to you than school? Life after school and making a real impact in the world, whether it’s small-scale or large.

#Anonymous #naailah receives an ask

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loading99percent · 7 years ago

Text

Exclusive 2/3

Pairing: LYJ x OC (Melanie/Li Xiangjun) || CXK x OC (Serena/Jiang Yingyue) Genre: slice of life, college!au, fluff Word Count: 4,901 Summary: Lin Yanjun openly flirts with Melanie, yet she’s tired of his games and can’t take him seriously. Cai Xukun and Serena chill on a daily, but there’s gotta be more than that between them. Eventually enough, the boys just want the girls exclusively to themselves.

part one.part two.part three

Warning: matured content as in college related stuff. swear words. NOT MOBILE FRIENDLY! not sure why, but it has all the breaks and stuff while on a desktop. (teach me if mobile is different and it can be done!)

Part 2! Not sure if you guys enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it, but hey it is what it is. Sorry if you guys get confused with the usage of names here and there. I wrote it and am too lazy to go back and like change them and so it is what it is. LOL Anyways, so yeah, this is part 2 of 3 and happy reading! kthxbai, Admin Lia~

After helping Xukun complete practically almost everything on his list, Serena finally entered her second class of the day. She waited for the rest of her group mates to join her, but none of them showed up as the rest of the class filed in. Serena wondered if there was a memo about something and she missed it as everyone was gathered in their respective group.

The professor finally arrived and began recapping their last session two days ago shortly afterwards. Serena anxiously looked about her hoping that at least one of them would show up. After telling the class to continue with their group work, the professor went through his files before calling out Serena's name. Serena became alert and slowly made her way towards the front of class.

"Yes, Mr. Hung?" Serena asked once she was besides his desk.

"I'm sure you have noticed that your group members aren't here, correct?" Mr. Hung stated as Serena nodded. "Well, Miss Jiang, I'm sorry to inform you that Mr. Song Shuijiao, Mr. Wang Youchen, Mr. Zhang Jinming, Mr. Jiang Dahe, and Mr. Liang Hi have all been expelled from Langfang since yesterday."

Serena's eyes widened with disbelief at the fact that five of her group mates were expelled and would no longer be attending school.

Mr. Hung continue on. "As for Mr. Li Xinyan, he has been dismissed due to serious medical reasons." He shot Serena a sympathetic look. "I know that it wasn't easy being paired up with a group of males, but I knew you handled it well. It's just the concern that you're the only member of your group now."

"So, what's going to happen to my grade then? Do I continue it solo?" Serena asked a moment later.

"No, Miss Jiang. I have decided for you to team up with my other class where another group is also doing the same topic. You'll work with them to receive your final grade for your last group assignment for my course."

"Does that mean I'll have to attend that class instead of this one?"

"Yes, you will. I know we're already in the second semester of the school term year, but it's the only way you'll pass this class for attendance. It's a Tuesdays and Thursdays class and it's at two-forty. Will that clash with the rest of your schedule?" Mr. Hung asked as Serena tried to recall her weekly school schedule and shook her head afterwards. "No and it's fine. Thank you, Mr. Hung."

He smiled at her. "No problem, Miss Jiang. Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow instead."

"Yeah, tomorrow. Bye."

Serena bid the professor goodbye before returning to her seat to gathered her things and left the classroom soon after. She was planning on returning back to the Nu Chi Phi house to take a nap, but she felt the vibration of her phone and answerd the call after looking at the caller ID.

"Hey, BinBin?" Serena answered her friend, Zheng Ruibin.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class instead of answering my call?" Ruibin questioned instead.

"I was, but something happened." She answered while walking off in a random direction. "What do you want?"

"Well, NaNa, I have a favor or two to ask of you."

"Is it for the stupid scavenger hunt that I-P-T is doing?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"I just do. So what's the favors?"

"Well, we wanna use you in our photos."

"We as in...?"

"Jeffrey and I."

"Go figure." Serena rolled her eyes despite making her way towards a familiar direction. "I'll meet you guys at the basketball court at the park then."

"Thank you, NaNa!" Jeffrey thanked her from the background as Serena chuckled. "You're welcome. See ya."

"See you in a bit." Ruibin said before hanging up.

"Why am I being so nice today and it's not even noon yet?" Serena mumbled to herself after letting out a tired sigh as she headed towards Xinfan Park.

Melanie had just sat down in her seat when she was surrounded on both sides by her two friends, Qin Fen and Han Mubo.

"Guys, I just sat down. Can you give me a minute?"

"No." The duo answered as Melanie groaned. "You guys are so annoying. What do you want?"

"You already know what I want." Qin Fen answered with a smug look while wriggling his eyebrows as Melanie cast him a disgusted look. "Gosh you sound greasy and I knew you were secretly a little pervet. Don't do that again."

"If you give me what I want, then I'll leave you alone."

"Dude, you can practically ask any other girl to do what you're asking me to do. So go do it."

"It's not the same. They're expecting a date or something afterwards. You don't think of that of me."

"I wonder why, but that's not my problem. Besides, there are other Nu Chi Phi members who aren't like that. Hell, you could've asked Junyi, Zixuan, or Qiuyan to help you guys out instead of me."

"Qiuyan already helped me with three and both Junyi and Zixuan each helped me with two. All three said they wouldn't help me anymore than that." Mubo informed as Melanie rolled her eyes. "You guys seriously need to go find some more female friends. It wouldn't be that hard since you guys have quite a bunch of fangirls."

"Like I mentioned earlier in case you forgot-"

Melanie interrupted Qin Fen. "I didn't forget."

Qin Fen continued like he didn't get interrupted. "They don't want to be just friends, Jun." Qin Fen clarified as he cast her a look. "How many times do we have to keep reminding you this?"

"When you guys stop bothering me about stupid shit."

"That was uncalled for." Mubo stated with a look as Melanie shrugged while casting them an annoyed look. "It's whatever. I'll only help you guys two times, but that's it because I've done so much for you guys last time and I regret it." She glared at Qin Fen. "And you better have bought me a new bra already. Like forreals, Fen."

"I got you, JunJun. I got you." Qin Fen beamed as he set a white rectangular box onto the table. "You're welcome."

Melanie's eyes lit up as she inspected the present while slowly opening the gift. Melanie went to check the tag, but frown upon seeing the incorrect size while shutting the box and passing it back to her friend.

"What's wrong? You don't like the color?" Qin Fen asked worriedly as Melanie shot him a look. "The color's fine, but it's the wrong size, Fen."

"How can that be? I double checked."

"It's the same size as the one that you tried to give me that wasn't even mine. You're hopeless."

"Haha, I knew it." Mubo laughed while pointing a finger at Qin Fen. "I told you that wasn't her size."

"Shut up." He blankly stared at the box. "What should I do with it?"

"Give it to one of your fangirls." Melanie mused as Qin Fen elbowed her with a sheepish look. "Stop."

Jeffrey was currently serenading to Serena as they held hands, but her other free hand was slightly shielding her face from the camera's view. When it was over Serena quickly removed her hand from Jeffrey's and glared over at Ruibin who pulled Jeffrey's phone down to look at Serena amusingly.

"Are we done now?"

"Depends. Do you want to continue?" Ruibin smiled at her as Serena shook her head with a frown. "No. I basically did like fifteen of those on the list and even doubled them for the both of you. Took like two hours for some dumb reasons on your guys' part." She then placed a hand on her stomach while making a cute pout unconsciously. "Plus, I'm hungry and it's way passed lunch time."

"Then let's go get some late lunch then since our precious NaNa is hungry." Jeffrey suggested as he swung an arm around her shoulders with a playful smile as Serena slightly nudged him. "Didn't you want to try that 99 °C Bakery Cafe a block from here?"

"OMG, yes, Jeffy, but you're buying as the favor you owed me." Serena grinned as she looked at Ruibin. "And the favor from you, BinBin, is that you can owe me is getting that Totoro bedroom set."

"You live in a dorm room. You sure you want it?" Ruibin asked unsure as Serena nodded. "It's for my room back home. I ain't using that here."

"I mean, Jeffrey's richer than me, are you sure you don't want him to get that for you and I pay for lunch?"

"Oh, you right, you right." Serena nodded. "Jeffy pays Totoro and BinBin pays for lunch. Set and done. Let's go."

The trio began heading towards the bake shop.

"Off topic, but about NiNi," Jeffrey began, "How is she and Yanjun?"

"Nothing since NiNi just hates being involved with his dumb shit."

"Well, NaNa, a little birdie told us that Yanjun had NiNi become his pretend girlfriend again so that one of his crazy stalker fangirl could back off a few weeks ago." Ruibin explained with a small smile while placing a hand upon Serena's lower back to steer her out of the other people's way as they crossed the cross-walk.

"By little birdie, you mean your girlfriend, also known as Qi Yandi, also known as one of Nu Chi Phi's member gossiper, right?" Serena chuckled as Ruibin shyly laughed and nodded. "Yeah, something like that."

"Also, Ziyi told me that NiNi almost beat Yanjun up, but he prevented her from doing so." Jeffrey added upon remembering it.

"Yeah, she almost did. Actually, she's still pissed about it all because she was used three times for Yanjun's selfishness, but mainly she's just done with the other girls who were involved and wants to put out a restraining order on them."

"Dang, what did they do? Do you guys need protection?" Ruibin asked and offered as Serena shook her head. "Thanks. I'll ask her about it. But anyways, the girls keeps calling her names and what not, but when NiNi is about to confront them and shit, they run off scared."

"We can talk to Yanjun about it." Jeffrey offered. "Since we know him and he's definitey trying to stop using NiNi in those situations."

"I mean you could, but who knows how that will go since NiNi said she'll slap the shit out of Yanjun if he did it again. Anyways, these girls just talk a lot of shit, but won't do nothing. NiNi can handle that bit."

"I'm pretty sure it has to do with you guys being a part of Nu Chi Phi." Rubin stated with a knowing smile as Serena laughed. "Somewhat, but they're also part of Epsilon Nu Sigma."

"Ah, E-N-S, the crazy and party-goers sorority house." Jeffrey recalled as he affectionately patted her head. "Don't worry. They're all bark and no bite."

"I know. I've dealt with a lot of them without embarrassing my house, too."

"It's because you're a low-key N-C-P member and they don't know it." Ruibin remarked nudging her as she nudged him back. "It's because I do enough to stay under the radar from the public, but enough to get noticed by the sorority house to stay a member."

Serena then locked arms with her friends and hurried them along. "Anyways, guys, let's forget that. Let's get food instead because I'm hungry and I have a tutoring session in like an hour."

After bidding her two friends goodbye once they finally got what they wanted on the list, Melanie casually made her way to her next class. She settled herself towards the back of the classroom. She brought out her materials to review for the practice test on Monday. If she did super well on the test, then the teacher would allow for the practice test to help bump up their grades to replace a previous test that they scored poorly on.

Too focused on the reading material, Melanie didn't notice Zhangjing joining her and placing a dual boba cup near her. It wasn't until she felt a poke to her side and slowly turned to look at a smiling Zhangjing.

"I'm not talking to you." She stated while returning back to reading again as Zhangjing rolled his eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. My peace offering is your favorite drink."

Zhangjing pushed the drink closer to her and Melanie automatically took a hold of it to drink both flavors before putting it down again. "I'm still not gonna forgive you for your stupid antic with Yanjun this morning."

Before he could defend himself, Melanie shot him a look. "And don't try to say you couldn't come, because I saw your fast ass run off."

"You knew I was there?"

"Of course. Your broad back is so obvious."

"Wow, Xiangjun. Thanks for attacking my figure. You're a great friend."

"I never said we were friends, You. Zhang. Jing."

"Seriously, you're so rude, dude. I even pay for you whenever we eat hotpot together." Zhangjing scoffed as he angrily sipped on his own boba drink.

"Psh, it's because we made an agreement." Melanie reminded him while sipping on her own. "You pay for hotpot night and I pay for dinner hangout night." She then shot him a look. "Besides, Zhangjing, we do hotpot like three to five times a month while we do dinner hangout once or twice a every so well. Now think about that."

"Okay, fine. You win. My bad and I'm sorry."

"Gosh, you're such a little brat, I swear." Melanie commented with a smile as Zhangjing playfully stuck his tongue out at her.

The duo were later joined by Yanjun and another friend, Lin Chaoze, to who Melanie greeted the latter happily.

"Chaoze! Hi." She stood up to the hug the male as he returned the gesture and taking the seat on her other side. "Hi, Xiangjun. How are you today?"

"I'm good. You?" Melanie totally ignored Yanjun when he opened his arms ready for a hug from her, but she sat back down causing the male to slightly glare at her behavior towards him while he sat on the other side of Zhangjing.

"Lin Yanjun, zero. Li Xiangjun, nine thousand and one." Zhangjing muttered mischievously as Yanjun mocked laughed at him before glaring and reminding him of his little threat. "One eye open tonight, Zhangjing."

Zhangjing turned away to finish his boba. Yanjun glanced at Melanie to see that she was too busy talking to Chaoze about the upcoming test so he focused his attention on to the teacher who entered at that moment.

The tutoring sessions were being held on the first floor of the school's library in its own designated area. Today, along with two other tutors, Serena was tutoring seven of her fellow schoolmates in various topics.

"You write this word like this. That way the sentence flows better." Serena spoke in Thai to Huang Shuhao who was a Thai transfer student.

"Ah, okay. Thank you." Shuhao smiled at her as he erased his previous answer and replaced it with what Serena had told him.

"I mean, you can work with Sunnee a lot better since she's more fluent in Thai than I am."

"Oh, it's okay. I also don't want to disturb her."

Serena chuckled and patted him on the back. "I'm sure she would rather helped you with than deal with math right now. I'll go get her for you, Shuhao."

'Okay, thank you, Yingyue."

"You're welcome. Just wait a moment."

Serena made her way over to Sunnee who was teaching Sun Fanjie and Huang Ruohan an algebraic formula with no luck. The two girls switched places with Sunnee mouthing a quick 'thank you' before rushing to help Shuhao. Serena chuckled with a shake of her head before asking the two boys what they were exactly having issues with.

Once she helped them out she made her way over to Zhu Yiwen who beckoned her over.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Ying Zhiyue needs help with his academic schedule next year," Yiwen began to explain, "And since you've worked with him the most throughout our tutor sessions, you think you could help him sort it out for the next school term?"

"Oh, yeah that's fine with me." Serena agreed while looking around for Zhiyue, but didn't spot him. "Did he already go down to registration?"

"Yeah. He just left to go talk with an advisor. I'm not sure when he'll return, but I'll let him know you'll agree to help him."

"Okay, cool, Yiwen. I should be free Friday afternoon if he's available."

"Got it. I'll keep you posted, Yingyue."

Just then, Serena felt her phone vibrated. She ignored it at first since it was only a text message, but when it vibrated several more times she went on ahead to check it out. She received several messages from her sorority's president, Qiang Dongyue, and upon scanning the last one it was telling Serena to report to her right now.

Class was about to end in less than half an hour when Melanie received a message from Dongyue. Contemplating if she should leave now or wait a few more minutes when she realized that she had friends in the class and that they could fill her in later. Melanie patted Chaoze and Zhangjing on the shoulders while asking them to message her later if she missed something as she gathered up her things.

Yanjun held out a hand for a high-five him which Melanie high-fived him unconsciously after passing by him causing Yanjun to grin at her in satisfaction. Melanie rolled her eyes at him, but quickly left the classroom and made her way towards the Nu Chi Phi house.

When Melanie neared the house she ran into Serena as the two looked at one another curiously while pointing at one another.

"Don't you have tutoring right now?"

"Aren't you supposed to be in class at this time?"

"Dongyue messaged me." They chorused at the same time while entering the house and making their way to the conference room.

"Hello, ladies." Dongyue greeted them with a smile as she motioned for them to sit as the duo did so with the rest of the sorority council. "We apologized in advance if you're missing on anything academic-releated."

"Take a breath and slowly exhale. It's nothing bad or serious, so don't stress about that." Kimberley, the vice-president, chuckled as the treasurer, Lucia, smiled. "Yeah, it's only to discuss about attendance for the social gatherings this school term and we're doing it by roommates."

Both Serena and Melanie relaxed and looked at their fellow sisters calmly awaiting permission to speak when prompted to.

"Anyways, Melanie," The secretary, Yamy, began with a grin, "You've done well in attending all the events that Nu Chi Phi has hosted thus far and have been invited to as well. And for that, we're awarding you this set for doing an outstanding job."

Dongyue stood, walked around the table, placed the small box in front of Melanie, congratulated her, and then returned back to her seat. Melanie then opened the small box and her face lit up upon seeing the new bracelet and necklace insignia set of Nu Chi Phi's symbols for this year.

"Thank you!" Melanie beamed as she closed the gift and put it into her bag.

"Now, Serena," Yamy began with a gentle look in Serena's direction, "We know you wanna be low- key and we're okay with that."

"Yeah, like super low-key under the radar type." Kimberley added with a laugh before speaking again, "But we would appreciate it more if you attended one more event before the school term's over."

Lucia nodded in agreement. "We acknowledged the fact that you do do your part as a fellw sister of Nu Chi Phi and haven't caused us any scandals or embarrassment since being with us." She then cast a look at her fellow council members. "Still..." She trailed off as Dongyue continued instead.

"As president of Nu Chi Phi, I'm ordering you to attend one more social event as per socializing with those around you not in Nu Chi Phi. Plus, you will actually need to stay for more than an hour. Not just make appearances to several attendees and leave soon afterwards." Dongyue smiled as Serena made a face causing everyone else in the room to laugh. "You don't have to mingle much, just chill or relax and eat the good food. Just stay for a bit passed an hour and you're set."

Serena nodded. "Alright, will do, Dongyue."

"Think of it this way, Serena, by joining a sorority you're committing yourself to a lifetime of network connections." Melanie nudged her friend as Serena nudged her back. "I know. You've been telling me this since you made me pledged Nu Chi Phi."

The others laughed before dismissing the girls as the two roommates headed up to their shared room to relax since they didn't have any other classes to attend for the rest of today. Serena had dozed off and so missed the calls and text messages due to her phone being on vibrate. Melanie had just returned from the bathroom when she saw her phone light up and went to answer it.

"Yo, wassup, bro?" She answered coolly causing the other person on the other line to laugh. "Sup, Melanie. You and Serena busy?"

"Well, Ziyi, Serena just fell asleep, but I can wake her up if you want me to."

"Do it!" Melanie heard another voice yelled through the phone. "Is that Xiao Gui with you?"

"Yeah." Ziyi confirmed. "Anyways, I mean if you don't mind. Xiao Gui and I are on our way to the I See Darling amusement park if you guys are down."

"Hell yeah. Just the two of you?"

"Mhmm. Xiao Gui basically forced me."

"I did not!" Xiao Gui yelled through the phone again. "But come join us, Xiangjun, and bring Yingyue along, too!"

"Alright. We'll see you guys in a bit." Melanie agreed. "Just let me convince Serena to come."

"Gotcha. Just message me." Ziyi told her with a chuckle.

"Will do. Bye."

"Bye."

Serena found herself sitting in-between Xiao Gui and Ziyi on the viking ride so that she couldn't escape with Melanie sitting on Ziyi's other side. The quartet held onto one another for dear life as the ride went back and forth. Of course, Serena had wanted for them to sit on the edge since it would make the ride more thrilling, but Ziyi refused and they ended up in the center of the ride instead. Once the viking came to an end, they all got off of it with Xiao Gui holing onto Serena's shirt.

"Ugh, Xiao Gui, I'm not gonna run away." Serena stated for the nth time today. "You don't gotta worry."

"I dunno." Xiao Gui answered a bit wary. "I remember the last time you said that to me, you also ditched me to ride alone on the roller coaster."

"Because I had to pee."

"Yeah, that's what you said, but you came back with a big ass corn dog and didn't share it with me."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Because you weren't hungry."

"I was lying." Xiao Gui admitted as Serena shook her head. "Gosh, you're hopeless."

"Anyways, what do you guys wanna do now?" Ziyi asked trying to direct the conversation somewhere else.

"Let's eat. I'm hungry." Melanie suggested as she pointed to one of the food stalls. "A corn dog sounds really good right now."

"Xiao Gui's paying since his bitch ass forced us to come here." Serena declared with a laugh as Xiao Gui shot her a weird look. "Dafaq? You think I'm made of money or what, Yingyue?"

"Guys, I'll pay if it gets you two to stop fighting." Ziyi intervened as Serena shook her head vigorously. "Nah, bro. Don't do that. Make Xiao Gui pay for our meal for once since he's always freeloading and shit."

"This bitch. Fight me, Ying." Xiao Gui said as he annoyingly bumped his chest against Serena's side as she pushed him away with a roll of her eyes. "Ain't gonna fight you, dipshit. Calm down."

"Hey!" Melanie snapped her fingers together while clicking her tongue. "Stop fighting like little kids. Sheesh, can't take you two anywhere."

"Psh, I didn't want to come in the first place." Serena reminded her. "I wanted to sleep instead."

"Bro, you sleep like all the time. Be more productive, lazy ass." Xiao Gui stated as Serena elbowed him. "Get outta here before I throw your ass into the gold fish pool, you big-mouthed frog."

"These two." Ziyi shook his head at his friends' bickering while smiling as Melanie sighed beside him a bit annoyed. "Och, I swear these two act like they grew up together when they only met like last year."

Ziyi placed an arm around her shoulders as he led them towards one of the food stall. "Let them fight, Melanie. I'll buy you that corn dog."

"Oh, please and thank you. I only ate oatmeal and a grilled chicken sandwich today."

"Then I'ma buy you a whole meal. Can't let my home girl starve."

"Thanks. I'll get you next time, Ziyi."

Both Melanie and Serena were given piggy back rides from Ziyi and Xiao Gui, respectively, on their way back to their sorority house down Greek row.

"So why are we doing this again?" Serena asked as she wanted to walk on her own while feeling uncomfortable with stares from the others.

"For the scavenger hunt, dummy." Melanie answered reminding her friend. "Weren't you listening before we agreed to do this."

"No."

"What else is new?" Xiao Gui snorted with a laugh as Serena tightened her hold around his neck causing Xiao Gui to choke out his words. "Ack, loosen up your hold, girl."

"Stop talking shit then."

"I'll stop when you start being nicer to me."

"Isn't allowing you to piggy back me, nice enough, brat?"

"Are you two done arguing over there?" Ziyi asked the two as the duo replied in-synced in a playful manner. "No."

"You guys are so childish." Melanie stated with a laugh as both Xiao Gui and Serena blew her each a raspberry.

When they neared the Nu Chi Phi house that was when the girls got off of the boys' back.

"OMG, about time. It was starting to ache." Xiao Gui held his back making a face as Serena rolled her eyes and playfully pushed him away. "Shut up or I'll get Bu Fan to hit you in my place."

"Don't you dare, Yingyue." Xiao Gui's eyes became alert as he cautiously looked around him. "I've dealt with him too much today. I don't need more."

"Mmhmm."

"Seriously, you guys fight like siblings." Ziyi remarked with a chuckle. "You sure you guys weren't separated at birth?"

"Nah, bro." Melanie dismissed the topic. "Don't bring that up or they'll start arguing again."

"Ugh, whatever." Serena threw a hand in the air to dismiss the whole situation. "Forget y'all. I'ma sleep now. Bye."

Before she could actually make her escape, Ziyi took the hem of her shirt to prevent her from leaving.

"Just let me go." She whined as everyone laughed while Ziyi pulled her closer and locked her under his embrace. "Just hang out for a bit more."

"Why? You guys already got enough stuff for your list from me."

"It's about attending another event." Melanie informed Serena as Serena looked at her warily before shifting it to the two males. "What about it?"

"Saturday night we got a little karaoke thing going. You down?" Xiao Gui asked with a smirk. "Or nah?"

"Hell nah. I ain't down."

"Don't be like that. You'll get to witness me and Ziyi have a rap battle."

"And so?"

"Don't be so stubborn." Ziyi told her while squeezing Serena a bit as she made a face at him. "I feel like it's a trap."

"You think everything is a trap." Melanie remarked with a roll of her eyes as Serena glared at her. "Because it usually is whenever you're involved and it's not Dongyue or the others doing when it's concerning the sorority. For you it's plain entertainment of my misery."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Melanie feigned aloofness as Serena scoffed. "Sure you don't, but fine, whatever. I'll go. Just let me go, Ziyi."

Ziyi smiled as he playfully held onto her longer while squeezing her causing Serena to squirm within his grasp before letting her go.

"Ugh. I hate when you do that." Serena huffed as she fixed her shirt.

Ziyi smirked while ruffling her hair. "Don't lie. I know you secretly like it."

Serena stuck her tongue out at him in response.

"Anyways, just make sure to bring a plush doll on Saturday night for karaoke." Xiao Gui reminded the two females.

"Why?" Melanie asked with a questioning brow.

He shrugged. "Something about a raffle or something. I don't remember. Gotta ask Zhou Tengyang about that."

"Well, we gotta go." Ziyi informed them. "We still got stuff to do before the scavenger hunt ends in a few hours."

The quartet bid one another goodbye with the girls entering their house and the boys walking back in the direction to their house of Iota Phi Theta.

#loading99percent #nine percent scenarios #idol producer scenarios #9% scenarios #9 percent scenarios #lin yanjun #cai xukun #idol producer #nine percent

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nerobombs · 8 years ago

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Writing Oppression

(Want more? Check out my Writing tag!)

Hope you’re not sick of the Stormblood-induced rants yet, because here’s another one.

I’m sure there’s many Domans, Xaela, and Ala Mhigans getting ready to get back at those darn Garleans and settle into their newly liberated homes. So I’m sure a lot of the player stories that come out of Stormblood will be surrounding that: themes of oppression, of returning home with new experiences, the idea of institutionalised power and how it can be wielded, and so on.

Well, maybe, anyway.

To preface this, my demographic is not what you might call “disenfranchised”. None of the places I’ve lived in or visited are particularly rife with genuine oppression--which I suspect will change when my North Korean visa finally gets approved and America hits its third year of a Cheeto Benito presidency (ooh, spicy political commentary!)--so I’ll admit that I’m approaching this topic more in theory and from logical examination than from experience.

I’ve definitely consumed media wherein oppression is depicted however, and more often than not such things end up depicted more cartoonishly than anything else. You know, really weird and unintuitive racial slurs, mustache-twirling commissars, goose stepping secret police, and so on.

I’d like to avoid that. Oppression in fiction can be a fascinating topic and an environment that provides for a lot of intrigue.

And if you’re worried that this post is going to contain some ol’ SJW bullshit then, well, it’s not.

So if you’re looking to approach the topic of Garlemald’s occupation in your storyline, you may want to read further.

1). Internalisation is a genuine factor to consider.

In short, when you get told something often enough, you’ll probably start believing it regardless of whether or not you cognitively recognise it as false.

For a historical example, a “colonial mentality” is a form of internalised oppression where the colonised people feel themselves to be inferior to their imperialist colonisers. The nuances are complex--thoughts can range from “Well they managed to take over half the world and we didn’t so we must be worse people” or “our economy is so much better now with our new overlords”, and so on--but the principle is relatively simple. This sort of thing happened a lot with the spread of the Spanish Empire and the rule of the conquistadors, particularly with places like the Philippines.

It happens a lot in marketing too: women are told they’re not thin and beautiful enough, men are told they’re not manly and successful enough, and both of these things lead to self-esteem issues. Same mechanism, for the most part.

Weirdly enough, this is something I almost never see portrayed in fiction with oppressed societies. It’s a kind of society-level Stockholm Syndrome. Certainly there will be Domans or Ala Mhigans or Xaela who truly believe that they are inferior to Garleans and that Garlemald is something to aspire to, and breaking such an internalisation takes a lot of work, simply because the information is everywhere.

So when you’re considering why oppressed citizenry might side with their oppressors, consider internalisation. Consider the effect of seeing and hearing “Be grateful to your conquerors for they are better and wiser” day in, day out.

2). Bigotry and intelligence are not mutually exclusive.

Or to put it another way: people can genuinely believe racist shit regardless of their status, upbringing, or intellect.

Let’s write a character, Garlic McGarlemald the Garlean. For all intents and purposes he is kind, fair, and intelligent. He’s a university professor, donates to the poor, loves his wife and children, and also sincerely believes that all Xaela are savage horsefuckers who cut off their enemy’s heads in order to consume their soul.

Wait, what?

One of the pitfalls of writing an oppressive or racist society is the depiction. A lot of these stories depict all oppressive racists as universally dumb, drooling ignoramuses who spend all day teaching their children to play “Lynch the Minority” and “Spell the Slur”. And, well, okay, there are certainly people like that.

But in a truly oppressive society, the dumb racists are not the dangerous ones: the really dangerous ones are people like Garlic McGarlemald who is, for the most part, an ordinary person perfectly capable of critical thinking, yet still inexplicably believes in this shit for reasons no party can really rationalise.

And if that doesn’t seem logical in the slightest, it’s not. But it’s certainly realistic.

People do actually believe in stuff like that. You had scientists in the 19th century seeking “natural, evolutionary” reasons as to why other races were inferior to whites. You had logicians, biologists, and anthropologists huddling around and wondering why whites were so much awesome-er than all those other dirtfarmer races. It was something that was just believed. Maybe it was because it was a cultural cornerstone or it was merely a result of internalisation, but people who by all rights could be considered intelligent and capable believed that stuff.

And while we’re on the subject...

“But my bigot character doesn’t really believe in that stuff, of course he’s smart enough to know that’s all bollocks,” you might say. Garlic McGarlemald is just under social pressure to pretend he believes this stuff, that’s all!

Well, that’s not really valid. For one, from a writing perspective, that kind of argument is a total cop-out; it’s a lazy way to keep your character “clean” for fear of being controversial. For two, lip service has absolutely zero value in this context: unless Garlic McGarlemald is actually willing to take action, he’s still a bigot. A passive and well-meaning bigot, perhaps, but still a bigot. Not only is he a bigot, but he is a hypocrite too, because he refuses to jeopardise the racist and bigoted system that he himself benefits from.

And this is where the “with us or against us” mentality sort of comes from: if your character is part of the oppressors, then he/she is an oppressor unless they’re actively working against it. Being passively racist is still racist, so sayeth the oppressed, because institutionalised power is still power.

3). Prejudice can have layers.

Consider the “double jeopardy hypothesis” which proposes that, for example, a Asian-American woman is not only subject to racism and sexism, but to the combined effects of both simultaneously. And if she falls into the LBTQ camp (or however many letters that camp seems to have these days), then she’s going through triple jeopardy because heterosexism piles on like a big smelly heterosexist frog.

I say that it’s a hypothesis (and from a scientific standpoint it still is) but this isn’t particularly beyond the stretch of logic.

Let’s say your Xaela meets Garlic McGarlemald. Now obviously, Garlic McGarlemald hates your Xaela. But he doesn’t hate your Xaela just because your Xaela is a Xaela: Mr. Garlic hates your Xaela because they talk funny, dress in rags, have a weird pagan religion and because they’re bisexual.

Would Garlic McGarlemald hate a Garlean who was the same thing? Well, we don’t know. But the point I’m trying to make here is that an oppressive society will use everything, and I mean everything it can weaponise against the people they’re trying to oppress.

To go further, Garleans might dislike that Domans speak a weird language, they also hate Domans because they eat raw fish (barbarians!), force their children to kneel on bamboo mats (monsters!), and refuse to export Mother 3 to the United States, in addition to taking eight years to finish a new Persona game (complete heathens, I say!).

See what I mean?

4). People who belong to the oppressor group can have nice qualities.

If you’ll harken back to my intro paragraph, I don’t like it when oppressors are depicted as universally revolting mustache-twirling Nazis with no redeeming qualities.

Like I said, Garlic McGarlemald can be considered a nice guy, excepting the racism. People who are among the oppressors in an oppressive society aren’t universally bad. After all, for a lot of them it’s not particularly their fault that they were raised in a society that encouraged such bigotry. And internalisation happens with things like racism too: even when they become educated, they seek new reasons to justify their bigotry because it’s all they were raised to know.

There is a nauseating amount of self-righteousness that comes with depicting all racists and bigots as unrepentant monsters who hit so many branches of the stupid tree that they’re in danger of accidentally swallowing their own extra chromosome.

So don’t do that. If you’re going to write your oppressors, at least write some of them as mostly well-meaning.

5). Avoid tokenism.

Or, to put it in a more wordy way: either judge every group within your story as a group, or judge every group within your story as individuals.

Let’s say that Garlic McGarlemald is actually not a nice man, and he drinks alcohol and beats his wife.

Edgy, isn’t it?

Now, when being written by a not-so-good writer, Garlic McGarlemald won’t place any stigma upon his group, because he is part of the oppressive Garleans. It’s not that all Garleans are drunken wifebeaters, it’s just that Garlic McGarlemald specifically has that problem.

Meanwhile, Xaela Xaelason accidentally trips and breaks a bottle, therefore all Xaela are clumsy!

No. That can’t fly. And the reason why that can’t fly is because it very quickly descends into becoming preachy.

This happens a lot with poorly written fantasy novels: there is a single named character who is gay or has dark skin, and that single character ends up representing the author’s entire views on gays or black people.

So when you’re writing something like an oppressive society, multiple characters are important. You have to be willing to do the work to portray each side--oppressors and the oppressed--as having complex people who aren’t easily categorised.

Don’t insert a Token Doman or a Token Good Garlean or a Token Evil Xaela and then use that character to make blanket statements within your story. Because that’s just lazy writing.

6). Oppression is hard to escape.

Whether you’re one of the oppressors attempting to open your worldview or you’re one of the oppressed trying not to fall down the same slippery slope, oppression isn’t an easy thing to “win” against.

There’s no magic argument or book that suddenly allows one to instantly widen their acceptance of race, religion, language, sex, sexual orientation, etc. Similarly, there is no Garden of Eden free of prejudice.

If you’re planning to tackle oppression as a theme, be prepared to be conscious of it, for as long as the theme is relevant. You can’t have Xaela Xaelason make it to the land of his people and decide that Prejudice Doesn’t Exist. No, Xaela Xaelason would be judged based on the fact that he was born in a city and doesn’t know any Xaela customs or traditions. He’d be judged for not staunchly supporting the tribal religion. He’s among other Xaela, and there will be prejudice there, too.

It’s a double-sided magnet, and it has some powerful pull. Be aware of that.

#ffxiv #final fantasy xiv #stormblood #rp #roleplaying #writing #writing tips #oppression #honestly the hardest part of these posts is coming up with damn tags #ala mhigo #i hope i don't regret writing this?

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seven-oomen · 4 years ago

Text

Hi, Ben! I hope your 2021 is off to a good start! I turned out to be right about things getting loud here the later it got. For about an hour or so either side of midnight, it was just constant booms and cracks, some of them sounding like they were right outside my door. I’m still not 100% sure some of it wasn’t gun/rifle fire. So that was a pleasant adrenaline boost. :/

Omg, I love all your answers to the asks! XD Some of them (especially some of the OUAT ones) reminded/clarified for me part of why I identify with Noah so much at times. There were some very unnecessary callouts in those answers. XD And Chris getting ready for people to come over just makes me think of that cleaning meme. XD And why can I just see them after a round in the TWITTB ‘verse, Peter’s still in a daze, and Noah just, like, shrugs, and is like “I mean I’ve still got two hands and a mouth…" XD Question, does Noah take the collar and leash off Peter after they’ve been for a walk before or after he shifts back? ;D And they may not have a pet, but they definitely have one of those fancy vacuums for people with pets because werewolves shed A LOT.

Also, the new preview is adorable, and I can’t wait to see where it goes. :D Who doesn’t love being koala hugged by a snuggly alpha? XD Also, the fact that they all felt safe enough to sleep that deeply in each other’s presence should have been a clue, I feel, but they are not the most aware at times. XD

Okay, so a while back you mentioned something about Noah and lingerie or something (I was too lazy to look for the post), and when you brought up him being a total slut for long showers and baths, my brain remembered it and decided that looking up outfits would be a more productive use of my time than working on my WIP, so I’ll panic about disappointing my readers later, but in the mean time, I have some thoughts and links. Because like I feel some of it would connect to the baths as like a self-care thing. Sometimes it’s been a long shitty day/week, and you just want to relax and slip into something soft (and pretty), like this set, or this set. Or a nice robe (the short one also comes in a pretty blue or purple, but I love that green) over something cute and slinky (actually, I can see him and Chris both having that one, for a combo of the French maid feel and the slimming illusion of the design. Also because why not some matching sets, and that one’s gorgeous. Here’s another view, presuming the links are working right.) And let’s not forget the stuff that only gets brought out for ”special“ occasions. Fishnets and thigh highs are added depending on mood. And he totally has a few pairs of things like these, just for Chris. ;D (All the better to loom over you, my dear…) Did probably spend WAY too long thinking about this and picking out outfits? Yes, but my brain wouldn’t listen to me, so here we are. XD

And you are very lucky that you specified TW, Marvel, or SPN for the Ultimate Ship thing, because tipsy!me was definitely about to send you Din/Luke until I double-checked your tags. XD (Side note: while looking for shoes for Noah, I found these, and my brain just kept screaming "THE CHANEL BOOTS!!!”, and I still haven’t fully recovered. XD )

So anyway, now that I’ve inflicted my brain’s weird diversions, I really need to go get ready to meet up with a friend to see the holiday lights in a nearby park before they get taken down for the season. (And then hopefully, maybe, finally, some writing. D: I hope…) I hope you and Mo are both doing well and enjoying the start of a fresh year. Take care! *Hugs!*

Hey B, thank you for your continued patience with my forgetfull ass <3

I hope things calmed down in your area and that you had a great day at the park with your friend <3 ❤

I looked through all the lingerie photos and my my my my my 😁😏

In case you couldn’t tell, I very much approve and I’m sure Peter does too once he sees Noah (and Chris) in some of those selections. I’d be surprised if he can keep his hands to himself at any point. XD

Hahaha yeah, that meme was actually the inspiration for that headcanon honestly XD I’m so glad that was clear ^^

And yeah I’m pretty sure Noah just does a lot of eating out and finger magic (he’s not a druid but he’s still got the magic hands) while Peter is coming down from sensory overload after an orgasm. And Noah is very curious just how many times Chris can come before he too is overloaded.

Hehehehe well that depends doesn’t it? What they’re in the mood for. Like if Peter isn’t feeling like some sub/dom play or kinky talk, Noah will take the collar off but if he’s in the mood... well... ya know.

Oh yeah definitely, they have several roombas and a very fancy vacuum to get a handle on all the shedding.

Aware? Of their feelings? It’s less likely than you think XD But yeah, it’s a sweet little tidbit. I want to put a few of those in in this ficlet. Along with some more porn after they get the electricity running and find the bath/shower. I’m not sure what’s funnier, either omg there’s only one bed and they all fit in it or shit, there is a bed but it’s rickety and too small to even fit two of us comfortably.

Still debating on that one. Since it’s quite late I’ll keep it at that but I hope I’ve given you some nice images?

Lots of love from me and Mo and big hugs <3

#ben says stuff #TWITTB universe #comments #B #my convos with anon #submission

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lesbianbruabba · 6 years ago

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All of the questions 😈

Jokes on you bitch I have time since I’m waiting for drag race to air but oh my god this is gonna be long so i’ll pull an Iza and put it under a read more

1. Who was the last person you held hands with?

I don’t know

2. Are you outgoing or shy?

Shy, even though I don’t feel like I am, people tell me I’m shy

3. Who are you looking forward to seeing?

My brother when he comes here oh my god. I miss him. I’m going to make him watch a couple crazy music videos and possibly scar him.

@lettiehigh and @akakuro4869-blog and @rippling-waves when I get back to Hong Kong and Tiff and Bella and Karl and Ellie and Miss R and everyone else

@samrull and Lettie again and maybe @lecafenoirx if I go to Bristol in September to see flor

4. Are you easy to get along with?

I’d say so! Unless you give me a reason to dislike you lol

5. If you were drunk would the person you like take care of you?

Probably but that’s a stupid question since I don’t drink :)

6. What kind of people are you attracted to?

Kind people. Usually more on the feminine side? Even the more muscular guys that I thirst after have a few feminine traits like a higher-pitched voice.

7. Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now?

Nope, I’m going back to Hong Kong so there’s even less chance of me being in a relationship lol

8. Who from the opposite gender is on your mind?

Ryan Ross [insert tongue emoji]

9. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable?

Nope. I’m usually way too open, quite a few of my friends are this way too. Literally one time my brother and I shared a hotel room and the first thing he said when my folks were out of earshot is complaining how he can’t jack off for a whole week (I asked him why he couldn’t do it in the shower, he said it was too much effort to do so standing up XD)

10. Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with?

Kasia or Iza about body image? define deep

11. What does the most recent text that you sent say?

“Call him or dump his useless ass?” to Lettie

12. What are your 5 favorite songs right now?

Victorious by P!atD, Dodie Clark’s cover of Somebody Else by the 1975, I Need My Girl by the National, Pożyczony by Sylwia Grzeszczak and Honey by Kehlani

13. Do you like it when people play with your hair?

Yeah! People at school used to love braiding my hair because it was so long. And I like playing with people’s hair, because I can French braid on others but I can’t do it with myself :/

14. Do you believe in luck and miracles?

Sometimes?

15. What good thing happened this summer?

I’ll say last summer since it’s not quite summer yet now. Well, I was accepted into Edi, got a 38 on the IBDP which is not too bad, and celebrated my birthday with my squad (rip)

16. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?

Yep :)

17. Do you think there is life on other planets?

I fkin hope not

18. Do you still talk to your first crush?

My first actual crush or like, elementary school crush? But no on both counts

19. Do you like bubble baths?

I’ve never had one :/ I’ve never had a ~bath~ tbh. I want to try in the summer because home in Hong Kong has a bathtub.

20. Do you like your neighbors?

I like my flatmates here, we like the same kind of porn and vines. I don’t know my neighbors well enough back home

21. What are you bad habits?

I trust too easily, I am intelligent but lazy when it comes to schoolwork (I procrastinate), I worry way too fucking much about everything, I have crushes on people that I should NOT have crushes on sometimes (see: gay men)

22. Where would you like to travel?

I answered this a while back I think but as far as I could remember it’s a lot of european places - Oslo, Aarhus (I’m going to Copenhagen!!), Moscow, Tallinn, Berlin, Lublin, Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk, Lyon, Lisbon, Prague, honestly just count in every capital haha. I’m not good at geography. Also, Tasmania, Tokyo, Osaka (I’ve been twice but it’s. So good), London, Glasgow are all places I’d go again.

23. Do you have trust issues?

With my mum yeah lmao

24. Favorite part of your daily routine?

Talking to my friends (basically everyone I’ve tagged up there I don’t have many friends lmao)

25. What part of your body are you most uncomfortable with?

My thighs because they’re heavily scarred, my tummy because fat, double chin, face because weirdly big lips and weird shape and small eyes, honestly most of my body if I’m being honest, when I’m not corseted.

26. What do you do when you wake up?

Go through tumblr, twitter, instagram, kik, snapchat, emails, facebook, usually in that order. And then maybe scroll a bit more through tumblr and drag myself awake. Brush teeth and drink juice for breakfast.

27. Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker?

My skin tone is fine. I’m kinda pale for a Chinese girl (according to others, but my skin’s gotten darker in recent years) so I sometimes have to use white people products. I only lighten my skin for doing goth-y makeup so in those instances i’d love to have lighter skin. (then again, I’m talking like...wallpaper white if possible pls)

28. Who are you most comfortable around?

My friends and my brother.

29. Have any of your ex’s told you they regret breaking up?

What exes lmao

30. Do you ever want to get married?

If it’s with the right person yeah.

31. If your hair long enough for a pony tail?

My hair is long enough for several pony tails

32. Which celebrities would you have a threesome with?

Men - Jawn and Ryan Ross

Women - Stephanie Beatriz and Lynn Gunn

33. Spell your name with your chin

cbhreusftjd

34. Do you play sports? What sports?

Exactly - what sports?

35. Would you rather live without TV or music?

Without TV. I can’t live without music.

36. Have you ever liked someone and never told them?

Would’ve said yes up to this morning haha

37. What do you say during awkward silences?

So, do you know what a furry is?

38. Describe your dream girl/guy?

Emo, responsible, kind, good sense of humor, understanding, appreciates Ryan Ross, doesn’t mind me checking my phone a lot [insert date in Hong Kong meme]

39. What are your favorite stores to shop in?

Damaged Society for band merch, Ann Summers for lingerie, various taobao shops for lolita fashion, Restyle for corsets

40. What do you want to do after high school?

Study linguistics at university. Hey! I’m doing that!

41. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?

No but most people do

42. If your being extremely quiet what does it mean?

I don’t feel like talking/I’m depressed/I’m thinking

43. Do you smile at strangers?

Not like randomly?...

44. Trip to outer space or bottom of the ocean?

NEITHER I LIKE BEING SAFE OH MY GOD

45. What makes you get out of bed in the morning?

Brushing my teeth or needing to pee?

46. What are you paranoid about?

I’m paranoid that I won’t graduate uni, about not being able to find a job that I will be happy at (doesn’t have to be a dream job but I don’t want to work at something I hate like a factory), I’m paranoid that no one will ever love me esp. romantically, that my family will never accept me as a bisexual woman, that I won’t be able to migrate to the UK before I’m 30 or worse before China takes back Hong Kong in 2047 and I will be trapped in hellish censorship conservative society, that depression and anxiety will drive me to off myself before any of that could even happen

47. Have you ever been high?

Noooooooooo don’t do drugs :( I say, even though I am friends with a drug dealer lol

48. Have you ever been drunk?

Nope, alcohol tastes gross

49. Have you done anything recently that you hope nobody finds out about?

Recently no. But like when I was a kid yeah

50. What was the colour of the last hoodie you wore?

Pink!

51. Ever wished you were someone else?

Every day :/

52. One thing you wish you could change about yourself?

I want to weigh 80lbs. It’s been this stupid ‘goal’ throughout teenagehood and I know it’s stupid and unhealthy but I really want to. I don’t care if I won’t have boobs.

53. Favourite makeup brand?

Maybelline has good concealer

54. Favourite store?

Damaged Society

55. Favourite blog?

Can’t make me pick between these two

56. Favourite colour?

Pink

57. Favourite food?

Tiramisu and also siu mai but only the fish ones because they taste like garlic and also calbee chips, british junk food is garbage compared to the stuff we have in hong kong (they’ve got good sweets here though)

58. Last thing you ate?

Spaghetti carbonara

59. First thing you ate this morning?

I didn’t eat today till dinner which was spaghetti carbonara

60. Ever won a competition? For what?

I got first runner up in a nationwide comp for poetry. I wrote a depressing poem that ended up with my English teacher sending a concerned email to my folks lol

61. Been suspended/expelled? For what?

*gasp* I am a good student

62. Been arrested? For what?

Oh my god. I’m a good girl. I’m not with that kinda shit

63. Ever been in love?

I have fallen in love but not like...reciprocated love, no

64. Tell us the story of your first kiss?

Ooh this is fun. He offered to be my first kiss and I said sure and we made out and it was nice and less scary than I thought but I forgot to close my eyes

65. Are you hungry right now?

No I had too much spaghetti :(((((

66. Do you like your tumblr friends more than your real friends?

are you calling my tumblr friends fake

But no I love them all. Also given that half of my irl friends are on tumblr idk what to say lmao

67. Facebook or Twitter?

Facebook

68. Twitter or Tumblr?

Tumblr is the MOST SUPERIOR SOCIAL MEDIA BECAUSE IT IS TRASH

69. Are you watching tv right now?

We’d need a TV license for that. and a TV. so no

I’ve got netflix

70. Names of your bestfriends?

Lettie, Chloe, Iza, Natalie, Daniel (my brother), Karl, Bella (but she’s mad at me so idk), there’s a couple of people who I consider close friends but idk if they’re okay with me calling them my best friends

71. Craving something? What?

A GETAWAY FROM THE SMOOTH TALK THAT’S KEEPING ME GROUNDED TO THE CARPET IN MY ROOM MY QUIET BLUE TOMB OF YOU

72. What colour are your towels?

Both purple why

72. How many pillows do you sleep with?

One. Or zero if I kick it to the floor by accident. I mostly hug it.

73. Do you sleep with stuffed animals?

No :(

74. How many stuffed animals do you think you have?

zero. I have a stuffed L Lawliet from Death Note though. It’s a present for my mum when I get home. I’ve also got a few stuffies back home courtesy of Lettie and Bella

75. Favourite animal?

Humans but I like dogs and cats and rats are kinda cute too?

76. What colour is your underwear?

Right now it’s white but I’ve got beige and grey ones I’m kinda boring

77. Chocolate or Vanilla?

Chocolate

78. Favourite ice cream flavour?

Coffee

79. What colour shirt are you wearing?

White, my waterparks shirt :)

80. What colour pants?

Blue denim shorts

81. Favourite tv show?

Drag race, b99, the good place, parks and rec, ASOUE

82. Favourite movie?

Dzien Swira it’s funny and depressing

83. Mean Girls or Mean Girls 2?

Mean girls but i’ve not seen the second one

84. Mean Girls or 21 Jump Street?

Mean girls, idk what the other one is

85. Favourite character from Mean Girls?

The nice girl

86. Favourite character from Finding Nemo?

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh idk...the blue fish? Ellen Degeneres?

87. First person you talked to today?

Iza

88. Last person you talked to today?

Kasia

89. Name a person you hate?

Uhhhhhhhm Doanld Trump?

90. Name a person you love?

My brother he’s so smart and creative and sweet and makes the worst puns and he loves fall out boy and tries to be an edgelord and it’s super adorable so that’s great

91. Is there anyone you want to punch in the face right now?

My feelings bc they dumb

92. In a fight with someone?

Kiiiiiiiinda? More like she’s mad at me and idk what to do about it because i refuse to go to fucking london with her because international plane tickets are expensive as heck and she wants me to go in the middle of summer when i’m home

93. How many sweatpants do you have?

easy, 0

94. How many sweaters/hoodies do you have?

A Lot. Like 10.

95. Last movie you watched?

Dzien Swira

96. Favourite actress?

Sara Canning and Stephanie Beatriz make me v gay

97. Favourite actor?

Neil Patrick Harris because Count Olaf

98. Do you tan a lot?

No lmao

99. Have any pets?

m-my brother...?

100. How are you feeling?

Impatient because drag race hasn’t aired yet. Lonely because my favorite flatmate moved out and there’s no one to chat with me at 3am anymore. Frustrated because my crush-y feelings are being dumb. Sad because my mum is kiiiiiiiiiiiinda homophobic and I imagine myself getting married to a woman not a man (it’s more likely) so :/

101. Do you type fast?

68 WPM? Is that fast?

102. Do you regret anything from your past?

I regret a lot of things. But it’s okay I’ve not turned out too bad overall considering. I’m also glad I did a lot of things, so

103. Can you spell well?

I think so yeah

104. Do you miss anyone from your past?

Yes absolutely in particular one person because sometimes I regret things that I did with good intentions and never stop regretting :/

105. Ever been to a bonfire party?

I’ve been to a campfire so kinda??

106. Ever broken someone’s heart?

Nah

107. Have you ever been on a horse?

Yes!! When I was a kid

108. What should you be doing?

It’s 1am so prolly sleeping but who has time for that amirite

109. Is something irritating you right now?

Yeah my mum. And my feelings

110. Have you ever liked someone so much it hurt?

Yes lmaoooooo don’t read me like this

111. Do you have trust issues?

This was a question up there. Why is it asked again. You’re making me have trust issues

112. Who was the last person you cried in front of?

Ooh shit I don’t know I haven’t cried in front of people for a while mostly because I shut myself in my room but prolly my brother or my mum back home

113. What was your childhood nickname?

Never had one (that I liked)

114. Have you ever been out of your province/state?

~that’s not a thing~ uwu

115. Do you play the Wii?

No my mum is against video games

116. Are you listening to music right now?

Yes I’m listening to Dear Uber Driver

117. Do you like chicken noodle soup?

Never had it

118. Do you like Chinese food?

I like dim sum and egg tarts and a lot of HK street food so yes?

119. Favourite book?

Suck Less by Willam

120. Are you afraid of the dark?

Sometimes, but at other times it’s oddly comforting

121. Are you mean?

:o I am the least mean person to exist

122. Is cheating ever okay?

No unless it’s in NTAL but even then it’s like hmmmm is it tho

123. Can you keep white shoes clean?

Lol no

124. Do you believe in love at first sight?

I think it’s possible but unlikely

125. Do you believe in true love?

Yeah I’d like to

126. Are you currently bored?

No because this is keeping me entertained until I can watch drag race

127. What makes you happy?

Talking to my friends, sending them dumb tumblr shitposts, sending my brother disturbing gifs, getting weird gifs from Chloe, thirsting over Jawn with Iza, hearing that my friends are happy, reading and sharing poetry with friends, listening to music, playing the ukulele, eating junk food and watching b99, answering tumblr asks, writing poetry, drawing

128. Would you change your name?

I don’t like Christie so yes. Would change my Chinese name too it’s too annoying to write.

129. What your zodiac sign?

Leo//rabbit

130. Do you like subway?

No :(

131. Your bestfriend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do?

Brenda, he’s gay. Very very very gay, think a 6 on the kinsey scale

132. Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with?

Again. this has been asked. What kinda unprofessionalism

133. Favourite lyrics right now?

I think with my heart and love with my head

134. Can you count to one million?

I mean...in theory yes but why would I do that

135. Dumbest lie you ever told?

I told my mum I was striaght lmao

136. Do you sleep with your doors open or closed?

Closed. What the fuck

137. How tall are you?

5′2

138. Curly or Straight hair?

I have straight hair, I want wavy hair. Or bangs.

139. Brunette or Blonde?

I have black hair. I tend to have blondes/general bright hair as a ‘type’ when it comes to romantic affection/crushes but it’s also not v accurate

also, I want pink hair. I had a dream where my brother loved MANIA so much he dyed his hair purple

140. Summer or Winter?

WINTER. BUT WITHOUT SNOW. Summer brings out my skin problems so I have a v valid reason to hate it. Also I’m fat so my thigh chafe in summer if I walk more than an hour

141. Night or Day?

I am usually, unfortuantely, only awake at night and like maybe late afternoon.

142. Favourite month?

I don’t have one. December I guess bc it’s acceptable to play christmas music. or June bc pride month

143. Are you a vegetarian?

Nope. I don’t love meat though.

144. Dark, milk or white chocolate?

Milk. With sea salt and caramel. I’m a classy hoe

145. Tea or Coffee?

Coffee. Either iced americano or some sweet frappe shit

146. Was today a good day?

Today was a very good day. I told my crush I liked her, slept away most of the day, watched a lot of brooklyn nine-nine and listened to Dodie while doing German and Polish on duolingo and I read Chloe’s poetry and it was very good. Link here. And Kasia gave me lots of good song recs. And drag race is up soon (it’s technically tomorrow but whatever).

147. Mars or Snickers?

I can’t pick because Snickers has such a great texture, but also mars bars has the perfect nougat to caramel to chocolate ratio? Probably mars wins out by a bit

148. What’s your favourite quote?

“Hewwo” - Aquaria, RuPaul’s Drag Race

149. Do you believe in ghosts?

I’d like to think souls can see what we’re doing after they pass away.

150. Get the closest book next to you, open it to page 42, what’s the first line on that page?

“Adjective opposites and their comparatives” from a Polish grammar book.

Thank you for this long ass ask

drag race still hasn’t fucking aired so i’m gonna watch more b99 and drink fanta

#answered #anon #about me #hi i gave up on using tags bc it's annoying so i tagged everyone once and thats it #it's all the usual suspects that i tag anyway #xo fuckers

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khadeza-s · 8 years ago

Photo

Finally, my most requested post is live! I didn't want to release it until I was completely happy with all the products I was using so I could comfortably recommend them to you all. This will be a lengthy post but I’ve included lots of images so you don't get too bored just reading. Grab yourself some snacks as you might be here awhile!

Please bear in mind that everyones skin is different, something that works well for me, may not work well for you. You have to experiment with different products to find the right one for YOUR skin. Anything I refer to is specific to my experience and my skin. All products are linked - just click on the product names :).

Feel free to ask me any questions regarding products or anything else! Enjoy ♥.

DAYTIME SKINCARE ROUTINE

All of the above products are part of my current morning skincare routine, I rotate them around every other week but I like to remain quite consistent with certain products to give my skin time to get use to them. It also allows the product to be effective. I find changing products around too often can make skin worse and you’re less likely to learn what suits your skin type. If you don't have a skincare routine and you're looking for one, I highly recommend trying one or two products at a time (one cleanser, one exfoliator, one toner etc). This way you're more likely to find one that suits you, and if something is causing you to breakout it’ll be SO much easier to notice which product it was and stop using it.

A “typical” morning skincare routine may consist of: Cleanser Exfoliator Toner Eye Cream Serum/Oil Moisturiser SPF

You dont HAVE to follow this routine, everyone has their own style of routine and some people may feel this is too much or like me you may not have time for all of this everyday!

CLEANSERS

NIP+FAB - Glycolic Cleansing Fix

I LOVE the NIP+FAB products so much and I’ve written a whole post on them here. I use this cleanser for those mornings when I still have traces of makeup on my face or when I have more time go through skincare steps (weekends mostly or my days off). This also helps fade away blemishes and really cleans the face well.

GARNIER - Pure Active 3 in 1

This product was purchased purely on recommendation (@mary.s.khan)! Maryam has the most beautiful skin and she said she had been using this for years. I was quite skeptical as I’m not keen on 3in1 products as I find they don't work well in all that they claim however this has surprised me and I find its so convenient for those morning where my skin needs that extra step that I just don't have time for! This is a wash, scrub and mask! Pretty impressive, huh! The only thing that I dislike about this is the smell, its not terrible but its not appealing either. It works really well and leaves skin feeling super soft and refreshed.

EXFOLIATORS

Clean&Clear - Skin Brightening Daily Facial Scrub

I have been using this product for the longest time! I always take a break from it after about 6 months of continuous use and then return to using it again. The reason I do this is because I feel if you use a product for too long it just stops being as effective as your skin gets use to it. Its such a gentle scrub so for me its more like a face wash than a scrub/exfoliator which is why its perfect for everyday use. I honestly don't have much time in the morning to complete a longggg skincare routine but I use this as much as I can and it makes me feel super awake and refreshed. I noticed it really did brighten my face over time, blemishes faded away and my skin looked so much more clear. The is one of my all time favourites and its so affordable. I will do a separate review on this if you’d like me to, let me know!

NIP+FAB - Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads

These are great, especially if you're on the go or don't have much time in the morning. I usually use these after cleansing my face with the clean and clear mentioned above. Then while getting dressed or rushing around I use one of these cleansing pads! It will gently exfoliate your skin and contains glycolic acid which is great for those of you with pigmentation, uneven skin tone or acne prone skin.

TONER

La Roche-Posay - Serozinc

Ive been wanting to try a new toner for ages and I saw this used by a lot of bloggers and mentioned on Instagram stories too. But then I saw it on Kaushal’s Insta live (@kaushalbeauty) and she spoke about how amazing it is. I HAD to purchase it, she is one of the sweetest most beautiful bloggers/youtubers, literally my favourite. Im so glad I got this, it sprays on perfectly with a generous amount but not drowning my face. It also dries really quickly too so you don't have to wait ages before applying the next product. Another lovely instagrammer (@zbeauty158) mentioned how she had gone through several bottles and had purchased backups after trying this because she loved it so much! Ive been using this for weeks now and would highly recommend this! OR empty rose water into a spray bottle to use as a toner!

EYECREAM

The Soapery - Organic, Unrefined, Raw Shea Butter

So since Sophia (@phosbeauty) mentioned Shea butter I had been thinking of purchasing it. She did a whole Instagram story on it! And I'm pretty sure most people that follow her purchased this! She can convince you to buy anything. Obviously I had to purchase this..I have been also been using Shea Butter as an eye cream since Rehma (@rehmabeauty) mentioned it! Go check out her Instagram and her blog too where she mentions using Shea butter! It doesn't smell very nice as its raw :( it did put me off however I use the smallest amount for my under eyes as its SO moisturising. My concealer glides on like a dream after applying this first! It melts so easily as soon as you work it into your skin. If you have any small sample pots or old eye cream pots you can use these to fill up with shea butter like I have here!

MOISTURISERS

Lacura - Caviar Illumination Day Cream

I have a separate post on this moisturiser here, but I have been using this for months now and absolutely love it! So many of you purchased this after I recommended it on my Insta, I hope you all love the cream as much as I do!

Charlotte Tilbury - Charlottes Magic Cream

I have so many of these as my bestie works at CT and theyre honestly briliant. I do feel the full size pots are very over priced but you are getting what youre paying for. HOWEVER, there are just as great products in stores that cost way less. Lacura for example, is very luxurious without the hefty price tag and works just as well!

SPF

GARNIER - Ambre Solaire Face and Body Lotion

Im not going to lie, im really bad with SPF! I know you skincare addicts are probably thinking OMG WHAT and you most likely want to tell me off! BUT i know, and its SO SO important to wear SPF. ESPECIALLY if you're using acids in your skincare routine but you should be wearing SPF regardless! I get really lazy and think if my moisturiser and foundation have SPF i can skip this step (oops). When I DO wear SPF I change them around, I have one from no7 and a few from other brands. This is the one Im currently using from Garnier. It sits really nicely on the skin and makeup applies well on top too without it looking a weird colour.

B. Confident - Hyaluronic Acid Spritz

Ive been spraying this on my face before makeup and some days after makeup. I havent been using this religiously everyday as I was a little wary at first in case it broke me out! I have very sensitive skin but so far it has been OK. It is a little drying for the skin if used a lot but for the girls with oily skin this is great for you! The girls with dry skin, I wouldn't recommend this for you at all. It really does make your highlighter pop when sprayed on top! However I think I prefer the NYX setting sprays.

You’ll notice I haven't included a serum for my morning skincare, I honestly just don’t have time on a normal day to day basis as I’m ALWAYS in a rush! When I have time I use the serum which is included in my nighttime skincare routine below.

NIGHTTIME SKINCARE ROUTINE

I spend more time on my skincare routine at night as Im not in a rush like I am in the mornings! Cleansing your skin at night is very important. Your skin will repair overnight whilst youre sleeping so these steps are JUST as important as your morning skincare. Everyones nighttime routine differs but mine typically consists of:

Cleanser (pre cleanse/cleanse) Exfoliator (acid) Toner Eye Cream Serum Moisturiser/Oil

CLEANSERS

Pre-Cleanse

Garnier - Micellar Water (Oil-infused Cleansing Water)

Micellar water is great for removing makeup, especially eye makeup. Eyeliner can be very stubborn and I find this works perfectly using cotton pads. I remove my eye makeup first and then the rest of my makeup on my face too. I then go in with wipes.

Simple - Cleansing Wipes

These are amazing! They are slightly more expensive then your standard wipes but my skin absolutely loves these. I use one wipe all over my face after micellar water and this removes any makeup I may have missed. These wipes are also great if you have breakouts. Simple is such a great brand for sensitive skin!

Cleanse

Lush - Ultraband Facial Cleanser

You definitely need to be double cleansing if you have been wearing SPF and makeup all day. Just micellar water/wipes aren't enough and once you start double cleansing you'll notice why! I love Lush products and this cleanser has been amazing. It leaves my skin baby soft and so moisturised. Sometimes I don't want to apply anything on my face after using this as it feels so so soft! This product is so creamy and melts into the skin, after applying it all over my face I wipe away the cleanser with a damp face cloth. Ill be writing a separate review on this cleanser! Let me know if you've tried this.

EXFOLIATOR

NIP+FAB - Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads

I use these pads twice a week maximum as they're VERY strong. But I feel like they're really effective for my skin. Full post on this here.

TONER

Ayumi - Rose Facial Toner enriched with Glycerin

You can get this without the glycerin in too as just rose water which is great as a toner aswell. I have been using this for quite some time and I love how it leaves my skin feeling so plump and moisturised. The glycerin works as a humectant which is why it attracts more moisture onto the skin. So if you have dry skin this is great for you. Its also great for acne, wrinkles and fine lines.

EYECREAM

The Soapery - Organic, Unrefined, Raw Shea Butter

Same as my morning skincare routine, I also use this at night! LOVE Shea Butter ♥.

SERUM

NIP+FAB - Dragons Blood Fix Plumping Serum

One of my favourite serums, it will leave your skin feeling so plump! Review here.

MOISTURISER

Lacura - Caviar Illumination Night Cream

You can read my thoughts on this here. I am still loving this cream, its nearly finished now :(.

OILS

Ayumi - Almond Oil & Castor Oil

For the days my skin feels really dry or the days when I've had heavy makeup on from a photoshoot, I drench my skin in almond oil! And OMG, it feels and looks amazingggg in the morning. Try it, you'll love it! I also use castor oil at night on my eyebrows and eyelashes to help them grow and I've seen a big difference. You have to be patient! I made my brows way too thin once and used castor oil every night and they grew back so much quicker than I expected! I don't feel like it helps with thickness but it definitely helped with length. Almond oil is also great for your under eyes if you suffer from dark circles, but again, you need PATIENCE. It won't happen over night.

Hope you all enjoyed reading about my skincare routines! I was going to add the masks I have been using but its already so lengthy so that will have to be a separate post!

For everyone that managed to get this far, THANK YOU for reading ♥.

#skincare #skincareroutine #nipandfab #Superdrug #boots #ayumi #Caviarcream #Aldi #rosewater #sheabutter #lush cosmetics #simple #garnier #micellarwater

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elderly-worm · 3 years ago

Note

Repeat of OP's response under the cut with the original formatting:

Yes, yes, and YES. I probably drive everyone nuts in the Discord Servers I am in because when I request a beta-reader, this is the info I try to give, and it’s a lot. For All Requests Major Relationships Quick Summary What I need a Beta-Reader for For Completed Pieces / Single Section Requests Rating Word Count Archive Warnings/ Content Warnings / Relevant Tags Deadline For In Progress Pieces / Long Term Requests Expected Rating Current Word & Chapter Count AND Expected Chapter Count All Possible Archive Warnings/ Content Warnings / Relevant Tags Timeline / Deadline Expectations This is because I want folks to know exactly what they’re signing up for when they say they’ll beta-read for me. Now, I’m a little lazy, and should probably be better about asking these questions of other people when they request a reader, tbh, before jumping in and saying I’ll do something. But I usually volunteer first and ask questions later. I should probably work on that. A big reason I don’t is that my major squicks and triggers tend to be Archive Warning type things, and most people are really good about flagging those. The last time I didn’t get a warning for some pretty serious Whump actually made me laugh because I fell in love with the story and threatened much anger if I didn’t get to read the rest. (you know who you are and I am serious about that much anger) But let’s walk through my normal process: 1. Someone tags the beta-readers group in some Server I’m in (currently this is the only way I take requests–unless I’ve worked with a writer before) 2. I volunteer, and tell the writer to DM me their story and the deets 3. Most writers will then offer a lot of info when they DM me, “Oh I just need a SPAG” or “I’m really worried about x y and z” 4. I double check to make sure however they’ve given me the file works (for Google Docs, for example, I make sure I actually have Commenting/Suggesting privileges and not just View Only access) 5. I confirm what the writer has told me they are looking for in my own words, and ask if there’s anything I’m missing (this helps keep us on the same page) 6. I give them an expected timeline of when they should hear from me next. 7. I dive in. Here’s some heavily edited and redacted examples of first convos I’ve had: Writer 1: I just need another set of eyes on my fic. The prompt I was going for was X, but I also tried to include a little of the Y prompt, and the Z prompt. My problem is that it’s [under the word count] so I need to figure out what to add. I also need to make sure I’m being fair to [Character A], and not implying that they are at fault for this, but showing that they still hold guilt and complicated feelings about the whole thing. Me: Okay! So I’m looking for X, Y, and Z, places to expand, and not being a jerk to [Character A]. Got it! How fast of a turn-around are you looking for? – Me: Thanks for the link! Looks like I’ve got the right permissions. You said you were looking for notes on clarity, continuity, and entertainment value, right? Anything in particular other than entertainment value you’re worried about? Writer 2: Pacing! Does it drag? – Me: Got the file! You asked for SPAG and Flow notes, and you’re hoping to post on [date]. Anything else I need to be aware of? Anything you’re worried about in this fic? Writer 3: Maybe details. It’s a specific POV, so it may need fixing/adjusting to make it more clear. You can see how every time I asked for more, the writer remembered something else they were worried about for me to keep an eye on. I think this answers the heart of your question but there’s something in this ask that I’m going to pull out and make a separate post out of because it’s super important but this is already too lengthy. Thanks for the Ask! Keep ‘em coming!

Are there any specific questions you’d suggest beta readers ask writers before entering a new beta relationship… and/or that writers should ask betas? Of course, making sure everyone's on the same page about the form of beta read (e.g., SPAG vs. characterization check). And, when betaing for someone new, I also often ask if they’d like non-constructive reaction comments ("AAAAA THEY’RE TOO CUTE”) as well as actual suggestions. But I’m wondering what else I should consider asking! Thanks so much.

Yes, yes, and YES.I probably drive everyone nuts in the Discord Servers I am in because when I request a beta-reader, this is the info I try to give, and it’s a lot.For All RequestsMajor RelationshipsQuick SummaryWhat I need a Beta-Reader forFor Completed Pieces / Single Section RequestsRatingWord CountArchive Warnings/ Content Warnings / Relevant Tags DeadlineFor In Progress Pieces / Long Term RequestsExpected RatingCurrent Word & Chapter Count AND Expected Chapter CountAll Possible Archive Warnings/ Content Warnings / Relevant Tags Timeline / Deadline ExpectationsThis is because I want folks to know exactly what they’re signing up for when they say they’ll beta-read for me. Now, I’m a little lazy, and should probably be better about asking these questions of other people when they request a reader, tbh, before jumping in and saying I’ll do something. But I usually volunteer first and ask questions later. I should probably work on that. A big reason I don’t is that my major squicks and triggers tend to be Archive Warning type things, and most people are really good about flagging those. The last time I didn’t get a warning for some pretty serious Whump actually made me laugh because I fell in love with the story and threatened much anger if I didn’t get to read the rest. (you know who you are and I am serious about that much anger)But let’s walk through my normal process:1. Someone tags the beta-readers group in some Server I’m in (currently this is the only way I take requests–unless I’ve worked with a writer before)2. I volunteer, and tell the writer to DM me their story and the deets3. Most writers will then offer a lot of info when they DM me, “Oh I just need a SPAG” or “I’m really worried about x y and z” 4. I double check to make sure however they’ve given me the file works (for Google Docs, for example, I make sure I actually have Commenting/Suggesting privileges and not just View Only access)5. I confirm what the writer has told me they are looking for in my own words, and ask if there’s anything I’m missing (this helps keep us on the same page) 6. I give them an expected timeline of when they should hear from me next.7. I dive in. Here’s some heavily edited and redacted examples of first convos I’ve had:Writer 1: I just need another set of eyes on my fic. The prompt I was going for was X, but I also tried to include a little of the Y prompt, and the Z prompt. My problem is that it’s [under the word count] so I need to figure out what to add. I also need to make sure I’m being fair to [Character A], and not implying that they are at fault for this, but showing that they still hold guilt and complicated feelings about the whole thing.Me: Okay! So I’m looking for X, Y, and Z, places to expand, and not being a jerk to [Character A]. Got it! How fast of a turn-around are you looking for?–Me: Thanks for the link! Looks like I’ve got the right permissions. You said you were looking for notes on clarity, continuity, and entertainment value, right? Anything in particular other than entertainment value you’re worried about?Writer 2: Pacing! Does it drag?–Me: Got the file! You asked for SPAG and Flow notes, and you’re hoping to post on [date]. Anything else I need to be aware of? Anything you’re worried about in this fic?Writer 3: Maybe details. It’s a specific POV, so it may need fixing/adjusting to make it more clear.You can see how every time I asked for more, the writer remembered something else they were worried about for me to keep an eye on. I think this answers the heart of your question but there’s something in this ask that I’m going to pull out and make a separate post out of because it’s super important but this is already too lengthy. Thanks for the Ask! Keep ‘em coming!

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