#P l e a s e ask me about the music they listen to/I associate with them

[leilost]

i saw you mention some ocs in that tag-the-oc that’s always on your mind. i’d love to hear a little bit about them!

Hiiii

I always describe Trishe Horton as a methodical plant enthusiast who's real intense about gardening and farming, bullet journaling/studying, and cooking for her loved ones. She's pan. She has a real soft earthy aesthetic that contrasts so well with her resting bitch face, firm tone, and dark humor.

I attach music genres to my ocs. It's how I make sense of them. Trishe isn't much of a music person (really my only oc where that's the case, pretty wild) but she's in the lofi beats, alt rock and folk rock, international jazz realms with a hint of r&b courtesy of her best friend, Di, another one of my ocs.

Trishe is hilarious to me. Her dialogue is so much fun, especially since her voice is in the lower register and the tone doesn't change too drastically when she speaks. Some examples of dialogue/Trishie actions:

"If I had the grim reaper’s number, I’d send him my location like three times a day. Just in case he wants to make his week a little more spicy. Perhaps break a few rules."

"Gender doesn’t create Haku. Haku creates gender,” Trishe explains. “That’s my claim. Furthermore, Haku is a dragon who disguises himself as an alleged human boy. So, that’s even more evidence that he doesn’t play by the rules of the straights. So, really, he’s genderless. Not androgynous at all if you look at the bigger picture. I can write a whole dissertation on this.”

Trishe would do these tedious dares like “Go outside and pick exactly 40 blades of grass with a pair of tweezers.” Everyone is like “We don’t have a lawn.” Trishe is like, “I’m aware,” with a dead serious face on.

She's very responsible despite how indifferent she is to hearing people describe her as such. She can't deny that she enjoys leading or facilitating things. Her tendency to be straightforward can get her in trouble, but she can and will provide cushion for loved ones whenever someone confronts her about it. Big reveal: She's actually one of my mushiest ocs.

If you ask her, she'll say she values honesty, spirituality and sour cream and onion chips.

Nadji White. This is my baby boy. He's been with me since I was like 13/14, and actually started out as a side character that I used to nurture one of my other characters for a bit, but as Nadj usually does he was like, "Naaaah, I'm stayin lol" and that he did.

Best way I can describe him is goofy new york nigga. Like, for real. He's always been that, but definitely has had some major development this year. Astronomical.

Lets start off with some random facts that come to mind. He's the eldest of four. He's heavy into comics (mainly Marvel) and viddy games. The genres of music I associate him with are (mainly...bc damn, he has so many playlists) diff kinds of rap but especially Chicago rap, funk - most of his music has funk elements, and alt r&b in the steve lacy/frank ocean arena. He also loves trap beats made from gaming music and old cartoon theme songs.

Also, he's very intense about cereal. Ask me to explain his theory about Kix. I dare you.

Nadji draws! Ask him and he'll say he's a graffiti artist first. Started out doing caricature art in high school, then moved to comics and graffiti and street art on both wall and canvas. He has an art collective that he puts together over the years, starting in high school (that I still haven't named lol). They too are my faves.

All of them brought together because of art but they like to think of themselves as a "we do whatever the fuck we feel" kind of crew so there are musicians, actors, and models. There's a photographer/filmmaker, someone crochets and makes rugs, someone does hair, they do comedy sketches, there's a fashion designers, someone paints. another dances. And so on.

Nadj is definitely a problematic fave. He can be a sweetie, but he's so damn mean when he wants to be. As well as selfish. Stupid lol. His growth as a character is one that even surprises me. Oh also should mention he is indeed a part of the alphabet mafia.

I'll leave it there for now. Thank you for asking bout my babies.

[duvetsandpillows]

Sebastian Vettel Fluffy A-Z

Gif Credit: @chasingpegasus

A = Attractive: what do they find attractive about the other?

Your kindness. You are always looking for the best in everyone and you always put others before yourself. He calls you his little angel because he thinks you’re too good to be of this earth.

B = Baby: do they want a family? why/why not?

Seb knew he wanted to have kids with you after he saw you with one for the first time. Your friend had a baby and you’d offered to babysit for a night so she could go out. Seb got back from work to see you dancing around the living room with the baby girl in your arms, the two of you listening to Queen.

“Liebling what have we said about stealing babies?” You turned around and rolled your eyes.

“I know, I’ll give her back tomorrow.” He chuckled and gave you a kiss before cooing to the baby.

Once you’d put her down for the night you turned around from her cot to see Seb standing in the doorway.

“I didn’t know you were so good with kids.” You shrugged and gently ushered him out the room, pulling the door to.

“I dunno, used to look after my cousins when I was growing up.” He smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of your head.

“Do you ever think about having your own one day?” he asked wrapping his arms around your shoulders.

“I think I’d like having a pair of feet pattering around the house.”

A year later you found out you were expecting two sets of feet to cause mayhem and Sebastian couldn’t have been happier when he found out.

C = Cuddle: how do they cuddle?

Sebastian loves to wrap his arms around your shoulders from behind. He loves being able to hold you close and press kisses to the top of your head. In bed he loves to be big spoon, having you curled into his chest, your leg hooked between his. He will kiss the side of your head and whisper sweet nothings in German to you as you fall asleep.

D = Dates: what are dates with them like?

The two of you don’t always get time for dates as he travels so much so you always cook dinner for when he gets back from a race. It’s guaranteed time for the two of you to have some alone time together. You don’t need extravagant dates, being together is enough.

E = Everything: "you are my ____" (e.g my life, my world...)

You are my forever and always.

F = Feelings: when did they know they were falling in love?

He knew he had feelings for you pretty quickly. Whenever he was home from work you would be his first thought and he realised that he loved you and no one could ever compare to you.

G = Gentle: are they gentle? If so, how?

Seb is always gentle with you, sure you two muck around and play fight but he would never intentionally hurt you.

H = Hand/Hold: how do they like to hold? how do they like to hold hands?

When out and about you can guarantee his fingers will be laced with yours. He likes keeping you close, knowing how you can get overwhelmed in big crowds so will always squeeze to give you reassurance that you’re not some and that you’re going to be okay.

I = Impression: first impression/s

You were an old family friend but you two hadn’t seen each other since the two of you were kids. Sebs mother had invited your family over for a barbecue since Seb was home for a while. When he came down stairs he saw you chatting with his auntie, and he couldn’t believe it was really you. You’d gone from being an adorable little girl to a stunning young woman.

You glanced away from his aunt and caught him staring at you so you flashed a smile and a small wave. Seb immediately had an unexplainable wave of anxiety wash over him. He walked over and his auntie excused herself to let the two of you catch up.

“Long time no see,” you said offering him a beer, which he accepted.

“I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

“It’s a lucky day for both of us then.”

The two of you were inseparable for the rest of the day, causing both your mother’s and his auntie to have plenty to gossip about.

The two of you ended up staying up all night chatting around the fire pit, cuddled up in a blanket together.

“Can’t risk you getting a cold or something,” he whispered wrapping his arm around you.

J = Joker: are they into pulling pranks?

You two would be silly and make each other laugh with shitty dad jokes and puns but you two weren’t prank sort of people.

K = Kisses: how do they kiss?

Sebastian is quite reserved in public so usually kisses your head or cheek but in private he will kiss you anywhere he can, he finds it hard to keep his hands and lips off you.

L = Love: who says I love you first?

He did. You two had been dating for a couple of months and he just knew it was love but he was worried that it was too soon to say it to you. I hat was until you two had gone out for drinks with some friends and you two ended up getting a taxi home and leaving the car at the bar.

Sebastian poured the two of you a whisky while you kicked off your shoes and lit the fire. Seb sat down next to you and passed your drink before wrapping an arm around you.

“Did you know…” you slurred turning your head to look at him, “you are my favourite person,” you pressed a kiss to his jaw before pressing kisses to his neck, leaving a small mark.

“Did you know that I love you,” he slurred back. You looked up at him in shock, just as much as he was; realising what he’d just said.

“Really? You love me?”

“How could I not, you’re perfect.”

M = Memory: their favourite moment together

You hadn’t been able to go to a race weekend and even though he didn’t show it he was bummed. You felt just as sad so you wanted to make it up to him. He got back to see candles lit everywhere and music playing softly in the background. The table was laid and dinner waiting. You were in the dress you’d worn on your first proper date together, which was coincidentally Sebastians favourite.

You spent the whole night pampering him after he’d worked so hard and by the end of the night the two of you were cuddled with up under a blanket by the fire.

N = Nickel: do they spoil? do they buy the person they love everything?

Sebastian likes to occasionally spoiled you with jewellery or clothes. You don’t like him spending so much money on you but he would always respond with “nonsense my angel deserves the best.”

O = Orange: what colour reminds them of their other half?

Light green. You wore a necklace that you’d had since you were a kid and it had a small light green emerald inside it. He was so used to seeing you wear it he automatically associated the colour with you.

P = Pet names: what pet names do they use?

Engelchen, Schatz, my everything.

Q = Quaint: what is their favourite non-modern thing?

Cuddling up by the fire and chatting. You would sit there for hours discussing anything that came to mind. You just enjoyed being in each others company.

R = Rainy Day: what do they like to do on a rainy day?

Usually you would start the day by trying to do jobs around the house but Seb gets bored and insists that you two take a break that never seems to end. Then you usually watch a movie or cuddling up in bed.

S = Sad: how do they cheer themselves/each other up

Sebastian goes quiet and finds ways to occupy himself. You always notice fairly quickly and walk over to him, wrapping your arms around his waist and hugging him tight.

“I love you so much,” you will say giving him a squeeze, causing him to hold you as tight as he can and let everything out that’s on his mind. As long as you were in his arms he felt safe.

T = Talking: what do they love to talk about?

Anything. You two could talk about paint drying and find a way to make it interesting. He spends half his day texting you random things because he misses you.

U = Unencumbered: What helps them relax?

Taking baths together. He brought a purposefully large bath so that you two could both fit in it. He loves holding you close, with your back against his chest and pressing kisses to the side of your head or neck while whispering how much he loves you.

V = Vaunt: what do they like to show off? What are they proud of?

Seb only shows off on track. His personal life is kept private.

W = Wedding: when, how, where do they propose?

Seb proposed to you on your three year anniversary. You were four months pregnant and didn’t really want to dress up all fancy and have to go out so Seb set up a beautiful dinner in the back garden. After you had finished pudding Seb took your hand in his and told you how much you mean to him before getting down on one knee and asked you the questions. You said yes and pressed your lips to him before he slid the ring on your finger. You had the wedding a few months after you gave birth so you could have the kids in the photos.

X = Xylophone: What's their song?

Thunderstruck - AC/DC

Y = You're the ___ to my ___ (e.g the cookies to my milk, the macaroni to my cheese)

You're the lightning to my thunder.

Z = Zebra: if they wanted a pet, what pet would they get?

You both had dogs but when you got pregnant you got a puppy so your kids could grow up with their own dog.

[cacoetheswriting]

fluff alphabet - spencer reid

A = Attractive (what do they find attractive about the other?)

It would be safe to say you’re strangerly attracted to his genius. Many people find it annoying, how he spits facts completely unwarranted, but not you. His vast knowledge of quite literally anything is what sparked your interest in the young doctor in the first place.

Spencer on the other hand is captivated by your smile. The kindness behind it; how truly genuine it always is. He especially likes when he is the reason that smile spreads across your face, from cheek to cheek, illuminating your perfect features.

B = Baby (do they want a family? why/why not?)

Definitely yes, and you know Spencer would make a great dad. He has a way with kids and it comes to him so naturally. Frankly you can’t wait for the day you get to tell him you’re expecting.

C = Cuddle (how do they cuddle?)

One arm wrapped securely around you, pulling you in as close to him as possible. Your head resting on his shoulder landing just below his chin. He smells your hair taking in the scent of your shampoo before placing a soft kiss on the top of your head. 

D = Dates (what are dates with them like?)

He likes to take you out to the movies where you share popcorn and a large soda. A lot of coffee dates where he enlightens you on books he read or reread and you fill him in on the latest pop culture gossip. Nothing too adventurous but never boring.

E = Everything (“you are my ____” (e.g my life, my world…))

“You’re my home.” Spencer whispered, his hands cupping your face. You blinked a couple of times registering what he just said but before you got a chance to respond he continued. “When I’m with you, I feel so comfortable and at peace. I can truly be myself around you, no judgement or scrutiny.” He took a soft breath. “When I’m with you I feel at home and that doesn't make much sense to me but you’ve told me before that not everything has to make sense. Especially when it comes to love.”

F = Feelings (when did they know they were falling in love?)

One evening at a bar with your friends you repeated a fact to the group that Spencer had told you earlier in the week. It caught him off guard because no-one really listens to the rambles that come out of his mouth. Yet here you were, the biggest smile on your face as you reiterated: “chewing gum boosts concentration.”. You glanced at the young doctor from across the table. His eyes lit up as they locked with yours. That’s when he knew. 

G = Gentle (are they gentle? If so, how?)

Spencer is one of the gentlest souls you have ever met. He has an incredibly pure and kind heart. He always puts you first and would never dare to do anything that could hurt you. Your happiness is his priority and even though he’s not the most physical person he always does everything in his power to make you see how loved you are. 

H = Hand/Hold (how do they like to hold? how do they like to hold hands?)

For many reasons he isn't the biggest fan of public displays of affection. But when he does hold your hand, he traces down your fingers gently with his own before intertwining them. He’d then lift your hand to his lips and place a soft kiss on your knuckle.

I = Impression (first impression/s)

At first Spencer found you quite hard to read. He’s usually not good at social cues or interactions therefore it took him longer than the rest of the team to really get to know you. 

You on the other hand were instantly mesmerised by the young doctor. The wealth of knowledge he possessed was captivating and in a way inspiring.

J = Joker (are they into pulling pranks?)

Definitely; Spencer loves a good practical joke. He also has quite a good sense of humour. Not everyone always understands his jokes but they never fail to make you giggle.

K = Kisses (how do they kiss?)

When Spencer kisses you he does so with all his might. Unlike his usual gentle demeanour, when he kisses you it’s always with immense passion. He cups your face with his hands and pulls you in as close as humanly possible. 

L = Love (who says I love you first?)

You do - however completely by accident. “Did you know nutmeg can be fatally poisonous?” Spencer asked as the barista handed you a brown paper bag with a pumpkin dessert bar inside. “A little dash of nutmeg in a pumpkin pie or on your eggnog gives it extra flavour Spencer.” You noted flashing him a smile. “Too much nutmeg, however, can be toxic. Two to three teaspoons of raw nutmeg can induce hallucinations, convulsions, pain, nausea, and paranoia that can last for several days.” He stated. You couldn't help but laugh. “I love you Spencer but I’m not going to die because of a sweet indulgence.” It took you a second to register what you just said. Your free hand travelled to your mouth covering it with a soft gasp. “Shit Spencer, I didn-” “You love me?” He interrupted. All you could do was nod in response. 

M = Memory (their favourite moment together)

After a particularly hard case Spencer drives you home, like he has done so many times before. He walks you to the door of your apartment and waits until you are safely inside. He places a soft kiss on your forehead and says goodnight - which is when you ask him to come inside, stay the night. Rather than going to sleep however you stay up baking what turned out to be the worst brownies either of you have ever tasted. 

N = Nickel (do they spoil? do they buy the person they love everything?)

Spencer is not an overly material person. He prefers to shower you with words of affirmation and subtle compliments. Although when he does give you a gift it is always extremely thoughtful and definitely something that means a lot to the two of you.

O = Orange (what colour reminds them of their other half?)

If he had to associate a colour with you it would be yellow. Yellow - the colour of optimism. The colour of sunshine and enthusiasm. It stimulates the left side of the brain, helping with clear thinking and quick decision making. 

P = Pet names (what pet names do they use?)

He shortened your name. It was unintentional when it first happened but you liked the way it sounded so it stuck. You on the other hand, if you’re not using his first name, usually call him ‘honey’ or ‘sugar’ which he used to hate. If you’re feeling giddy you’ll call him by the original nickname you came up before you were dating: ‘suspence’.

Q = Questions (what are the questions they’re always asking?)

“Are you okay?” - you are his priority therefore he likes to make sure nothing is ever wrong. “Do you need anything?” “How are you feeling?” 

R = Rainy Day (what do they like to do on a rainy day?)

When the weather outside is far from ideal and the two of you are not out working a case, Spencer likes to curl up on the couch with you. He’ll put on an old back and white movie as you provide the drinks.  

S = Sad (how do they cheer themselves/each other up)

If he’s feeling sad you find yourself reaching for a random book on his shelf and reading the first few chapters aloud. His head rests in your lap, eyes closed, as he listens to the sweet sound of your voice. 

If you’re feeling down, Spencer will draw you a bath. He’ll light a couple of candles and dot them around the bathroom. He’ll play relaxing music through the speaker of his phone as the two of you enjoy the warm water together. 

T = Talking (what do they love to talk about?)

The short answer, everything. You never run out of topics to discuss and the conversation flow is always pleasantly smooth. 

U = Unencumbered (what helps them relax?)

Quite simply you. No-one knows Spencer the way you do and even though the two of you haven't been together for very long you know exactly what to say or do to calm him down.

V = Vaunt (what do they like to show off? What are they proud of?)

Spencer is modest which is one of the things you admire about him. The one thing he truly shows off is his knowledge of pretty much everything - even if he does it unintentionally. 

W = Wedding (when, how, where do they propose?)

“Almost fifty percent of all marriages in the United States end in divorce or separation.” Spencer said turning off the documentary you just finished watching. “Researchers estimate that forty-one percent of all first marriages end in divorce.” He continued. “Well, lets hope when we get married we’ll be in the lucky fifty-nine percent that lasts.” You teased, a small smile circling your lips.

X = Xylophone (what’s their song?)

Let’s Groove by Earth, Wind & Fire. The song was queued by Penelope at one of Rossi’s famous get togethers - before you and Spencer were dating. She swayed and twirled, soon joined by Morgan, as the rest of the group watched and laughed. You glanced at the young doctor and before he got a chance to protest you dragged him into the middle of the room to dance. 

Y = You’re the ___ to my ___ (e.g the cookies to my milk, the macaroni to my cheese)

“You’re the Holmes to my Watson.” He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Why am I not Watson?” “Because you’re not that kind of doctor.” You nudged Spencer playfully. He couldn't help but laugh under his breath. “That is a terrible analogy.” “Terrible or not, it’s true.” 

Z = Zebra (if they wanted a pet, what pet would they get?)

He wouldn't want a pet for now. The job is too demanding, he’s away for long periods of time and there'd be no-one to take care of it. Perhaps in the future, when you’re married and have kids. Perhaps. 

-

[isthisthingeven0n]

coping mechanisms : a.h

everyone has their ways of coping with traumatic events, but it’s finally time you faced yours. (2.5K)

m y  e t s y  s h o p

also pls don’t steal my work or share it without crediting, it takes a lot of time and effort to write these!

Sitting on the jet, you were abnormally quiet. Usually, the team couldn’t get you and Spencer to stop talking about anything and everything. Yet today, a strange silence loomed over you as Spencer rambled on about statistics, whilst Hotch tried to catch gaze from across the table that everyone besides you noticed.

“You know, based on Greek mythology, Ares is the God of War, son of Hera and Zeus and is one of the twelve Olympians. He’s also the equivalent of Mars in Roman mythology.” Spencer finishes his explanation with a small smile towards the team as your eyes remain fixated on the case file in front of you, something that didn’t go amiss by Hotch.

“So, this unsub thinks of himself as a God?” JJ questions as she scrolls through the various photos on her tablet of the nine victims so far.

“Each one has a new symbol on them, you see, on their wrists?” You finally speak up to everyone’s surprise. “Spence, are these symbols correlating to the other eleven Olympians?” You ask, focusing on your best friends gaze as his smile meets his eyes.

Taking in all of the images, Spencer nods. “It looks that way, but this one here, the sun which would symbolise Apollo, the God of archery, music, dance, healing diseases, truth and prophecy, and more recognisably sun and light. But it isn’t quite complete, looks as if the unsub was interrupted.” Spencer explains, watching as your interest quickly declines, and you lean back into your seat.

“Maybe there will be some security footage outside of the bar leading toward the alleyway the victim was found.” Hotch states, closing his case file as the jet begins to descend. “Morgan, I want you and JJ to go to the ME’s office, see if the symbols all correlate and any other marks that may be on the victims. Rossi, you and Reid go to the crime scene where Olivia Collins was found, see if anyone in the area saw anything. Y/n, you and I will go to the station.” Hotch tries to see if you’ll even focus on him, but you’ve retreated into yourself, shut down.

Eventually, you nod along with everyone else, unaware of the concern etched in Hotch’s hardened expression as you close your eyes, rubbing your temple as you lean against the window.

*

“Agent Hotchner?” A man walks over to you and Hotch, holding his hand out. “Officer Richards, a pleasure to meet you.”

“This is SSA Y/L/N, where would you like us to set up?” Hotch asks as you follow behind him to a free room, passing the blur of noise of phone calls and officers talking. “Y/n?” Hotch calls out your name, snapping out of your daze.

“Sorry,” You apologise, feeling the heat rising through your cheeks as Hotch hums to himself.

“Is something wrong, Y/n?” Hotch questions as he sits down beside you in the private office, his hands resting on the table. “If there is, you can tell me, especially if it affects your ability to work on the case.” Hotch tells you, his voice softer as your eyes grow heavy once more as you hide your hands in your lap.

“I don’t know Hotch,” You sigh. “and that’s the issue.”

Rising to his feet, Hotch closes the door to the room, shutting out the noise from the rest of the station as he returns to his seat beside you. “You didn’t sleep last night, did you? You seemed jittery on the jet.” Hotch states, not even needing you to agree with him.

“I just,” You struggle to form the correct words as you focus on your boss who looks back at you with a gentle expression. “I’m not feeling like myself, Hotch. And I just, I don’t know what to do about it anymore.”

Silence falls over you both as you play with the hem of your shirt, not wanting to face your bosses reaction. “Is it related to Utah?” Hotch watches as you tense at the mention of it. “If it is, you’re still entitled to see someone about it, Y/n.”

“But it was months ago, Hotch.” You comment quickly. “I should be over it, I moved on, I got better.” You explain. “So why is it now coming back to haunt me?” You exhale deeply.

“What happened to you in Utah isn’t something you can just walk away from, Y/n. You were captured and beaten, held at gunpoint in front of all of us to watch.” Hotch pauses as tears form in your eyes, one escaping as it glides across your cheek.

It was a sight Hotch will never be able to forget. He was the first one to find you in that building as you lay on the ground too weak to move. You were muttering nonsense as you screamed in pain when he tried to help you to your feet.

You were gone for three weeks, and in that time you were filmed being tortured and threatened to be killed whilst your team watched on a live stream. Hotch had never felt so useless since Hayley had died, and he didn’t dare want to risk losing you too, even if he had never said anything about how he felt.

“I know, I just want to forget about it.” You admit, wiping your eyes quickly with the cuff of your sleeve. “I have to.” You forcefully state before reaching over for the case files, but Hotch places his hand on the file, stopping you from taking it.

“Y/n,” Hotch starts with his authoritative tone. “you need to speak to someone when the case is over, and that’s an order.”

“I will, Hotch.” You force a small smile, taking the file and delving in deeper to the evidence that’s been collected so far.

“I’m saying that as your boss, and, and as a friend, okay?” Hotch adds softly, witnessing your forced smile soften into something genuine, even if it were for a split second, it returned.

*

You were getting closer, four more bodies had been found with the symbols of Hermes, Ares, Posideon and Hades carved into their wrists.

“What if the unsub knows we’re onto him? And this is his endgame now?” JJ suggests.

“But he hasn’t finished all twelve.” You state bluntly, ignoring the look on JJ’s face as you rise to your feet and look over the victim pool once more.

“Maybe that doesn’t matter to him.” Hotch comments, stepping toward you as he stands by your side, his back turned to everyone else. “Keep level, Y/L/N.” He mutters to you, a shudder going through your body as Hotch averts his attention back to the rest of the team. “Each of his victims has been associated in some way with each Olympian. Maybe he doesn’t have all twelve in the first place.”

“He’s halfway through the twelve though, why stop now?” Emily speaks up as Garcia interrupts and appears on the screen.

“Good afternoon my favourite crime fighters. I’ve discovered something that I think might help with your suspect pool.” Garcia states brightly. “It looks as if the victims were all part of the same after school club in High School. All from different friend groups and societies, but they all attended the Greek mythology club at Preston State.”

“How many others were involved in this group, baby girl?” Morgan asks, leaning forward as you listen to the sound of Garcia typing becoming further and further away.

“Four others. There’s Hayden Lewis who is currently serving seven months in jail for possession of drugs, Jordan Littlewood, she moved upstate to Michigan last year, Elise Harding and oh,” Garcia pauses, and you zone back into the room as you reach for the back of a chair to support yourself on.

“What?” JJ enquiries as Penelope pushes her glasses back up her nose, focusing on the camera.  

“When the group was in school, there was a fire in the same block that the club was held in. It says that six students and one teacher were killed in the accident, including Greek mythology club member, Timothy Cardel.” Garcia sadly sighs.

“What time of day did the fire occur Garcia?” Spencer leans forward in his chair, and you can see the cogs whirring behind his eyes.

“Erm,” Garcia hums to herself until she clicks on something. “3:35 pm on a Tuesday.”

“What’re you thinking, Reid?” Hotch focuses on Spencer as you take a seat, catching Hotches eye for a split second before Spencer starts to explain his thought process.

“Most school clubs happen after school, meaning there’s a high possibility the Greek mythology club was held on a Tuesday after school, and all the members were there when the fire happened. If school finishes at 3, then they would’ve all been in that building when the fire started.” Spencer explains, and you nod along.

“Meaning Timothy got left behind.” You state coldly, all eyes turning to you.

“I think we’re ready to deliver the profile,” Hotch announces as he rises to his feet, the rest of you following suit.

*

Fastening the velcro around your vest, you place your gun into its holster, unaware of Hotch hovering by the doorway as you exit.

“Y/n,” Catching you by surprise, you jump before glaring to Hotch. “sorry,” He tries to sound sincere, but a small smile creeps into his face as you relax beside him. “are you sure you want to do this? It might be best if you stay at the station.” Hotch suggests in a low tone.

“No,” You respond too quickly. “I, I want to come. I’m fine, really.” You add, nodding to yourself as you walk on, but Hotch reaches for your arm, pulling you back.

Your eyes focus on his hand resting on your arm, and quickly Hotch removes his hand from your arm. “I just don’t want you getting hurt.” He tells you sincerely, something you’ve heard countless times, but something about this seems different. No one else in the team is around, they’re all outside waiting for you both.

“I won’t.” You mutter in response, moving aside from Hotch as you exit the building, thankful for some fresh air as your vest is starting to feel constrictive.

Upon arriving at the unsubs house, you’re already feeling the humidity getting to you worse than it had been the entire time you’d been in the city. Spencer joked when the jet landed that you’ll get used to it, that fewer layers were key and Garcia would’ve loved a chance to see Morgan in fewer layers; but this was far from pleasant.

As you all filed out, guns at the ready Morgan followed behind Hotch whilst you’re on the tail end of the team.

You were unintentionally squinting as you listen to the sound of Morgan kicking the front door in as Hotch’s firm voice fills your ears.

“Y/n?” Snapping out from the blurred house, three versions of Spencer takes over your peripheral. “Hey, let’s sit down, okay?” Spencer speaks quietly, delicately as he reaches out to take a hold of your arm, but you jolt away.

“Get off me.” You snap, walking past him as your vision only worsens and the humidity seeps through your clothing, itching your skin as each step feels weighted until you reach the steps of the house.

Hotch emerges behind JJ and Morgan as they hold the unsub, passing you quickly, hiding their concerned looks.

“Y/L/N?” Hotch steps closer, capturing a glimpse of panic in your eyes just as you pass out as your head hits the pavement.

*

Cold coffee and stale doughnuts. The well worn in fabric beneath you had a spring sticking out, jabbing against your left thigh. You were back in the station. But what was more surprising was the hushed sound of a conversation ending between two of your colleagues whilst your eyes remained closed.

“Do you think you’ll ever tell her?” Rossi mutters as he averts his gaze from your ‘sleeping’ form to Hotch, who is unable to take his eyes from you for a single second.

“I’m not sure, Dave.” Hotch admits, wanting to reach out and brush the stray hairs out of your face, but he doesn’t want to risk waking you up, not yet at least. “Maybe someday, but not today.”

Rossi tuts to himself. “You’re letting all the good ones slip out of your grasp, Aaron,” Rossi comments. “and you know how much Jack loves her.”

The mention of Jack causes your heart to swell, and it takes everything for you to not smile as you gain consciousness.

“He’s not the only one,” Hotch adds, just as a yawn escapes your lips and you begin to open your eyes.

“Hey sleeping beauty,” Rossi speaks up, rising to his feet whilst Hotch stays glued to his chair beside you.

Slowly, you try to sit upright but Hotch leans forward, his hands hovering over your shoulders. “I’d just stay lying for a while if I were you.” Hotch suggests as you nod along, forcing yourself back down.

“I’ll go check on the others, let them know you’re alright.” Rossi excuses himself, leaving a heavy silence over you and Hotch.

“Are you ready to talk about what happened?” Hotch asks, his stern gaze concentrated on the exhaustion in yours.

“No time like the present.” You force a laugh, ignoring Hotch’s prior suggestion and sit upright as a slight pang crosses your temples. “I’m going to take some leave when we get back to Quantico.” You tell Hotch, watching as he nods.

“I think it’s for the best, Y/L/N.” He responds, catching the sight of your leg bouncing for a moment before you rest your hand on your thigh, forcing it to remain still.

“I know I’m due for a lecture, and a debriefing about the mission,” You hold back the urge to sigh, but Hotch beats you to it as a heavy sigh leaves his lips, causing you to smile.

The sight of a smile crossing your face is too contagious at the moment between you both. “We can talk more when we’re back. For now, I think it’s best if we just got you home in one piece.” Hotch stands up and hovers beside you, his arm extended as you gratefully accept.

“Thanks, Hotch.” You smile softly up to him as you exit the sheriff's office and near the rest of your team.

After a series of short questions, you’re all heading towards the jet.

“I couldn’t be happier to go home.” JJ sighs as she rests her head in her hand, looking out at the city as you near the airport.

Sitting beside Hotch in the passenger seat, your eyes glance over to him. “Me too,” You reply, a smile gracing your lips, knowing there’s more yet to be discussed with Hotch, including what he said before you fully woke up. “me too.” 

[swagstudentpandastuff]

Sherlcok Holmes fluff alphabet

AN:Hello guys!!! As you can see I am still alive I was just busy with school and studying lately so I didn’t have time to write. I hope I will finish all requests I have this short winter break. As always this is gender neutral so everyone can read this. Requests are OPEN. If you notice grammar mistake please tell me so I can correct. That’s all! Enjoy!

A - Attractive (what they find attractive)

Sherlock isn’t type of man who cares about your physical appearance or something like that. However he will find very attractive your mind, the way you think and understand things. He doesn’t have time for people who are led by their emotions, money or even something else; he searches for the beauty of the mind which is very hard to find.

B - Baby (do they want a family?)

Sherlock isn’t sure if he wants family or not. If he finds the right person with whom he can make his own family then sure but only if that person wants same. If you don’t want kids then it’s not that big problem for him.

C - Cuddle (how they cuddle)

Sherlock leaves impression of emotionless man lead by only logic and his mind but he is also huge cuddly baby. He likes to be little spoon when he had bad day or when he doesn’t feel well, then he just wants you two wrap your arms around him. When you have the bad day he would almost immediately knew what’s wrong and would just open and wrap his arms around you quietly. He would stroke your back slowly making you relax and calm down.  

D - Dates (what dates with them are like)

Dates with Sherlock are never boring and never at the same location. Sometimes the date can happen on the crime scene and he often makes them even more interesting by asking you to help him solve the case.

E - Everything (you are my…)

You are his helper, crush, relaxation and love. The last one takes the most time to confess to himself but once he finally accepts the truth he becomes more open to you about his feeling.

F - Feelings (when they realize that they love you)

He realizes that he loves you when he notices how often he thinks about you. His mind is filled with only important things so when he catches himself thinking about you he realizes he has some feelings for you.

G - Gentle (are they gentle?)

He is very, very, gentle even if he doesn’t look like that. At the end of the hard day he just loves to cuddle with you and to listen to your gentle voice as you tell him about your day. When he notices that you are not in the mood for talking he would just wrap his arms around your body and bring you close to himself. He would often stroke your hair and cheeks making you forget about your bad day and every problem you might have.

H - Hand/hold (how do they hold you? Do they hold hands?)

Not always and surely not in public. When he is stressed or angry because of something he doesn’t want to be touched but when he notices you don’t feel well he would gently touch your hand and slide his fingers between yours reassuring you that everything is going to be fine.

I - Impression (first impression)

When he first time saw you he tried to deduce and find out as many things about you as he could. He only found out few things about you but most things are secret for him still. He immediately noticed that you are cheerful a bit naïve and very loving and caring person.

J - Joker (do they pull pranks?)

Sometimes, when he is in the mood for it. Sherlock is very serious most of the time and doesn’t like to joke but when it comes to you he likes to tease you a little bit, just to see your reaction.

K - Kisses (how they kiss)

L - Little things (what little things they love)

When you remember something he said to you. He knows that people don’t pay attention when he says something or when he does something so when you tell him something you remembered or when you notice the small things on him and make your own deduction about it he feels very happy and also falls in love with you again and again.

M - Memory (favorite memory together)

His favorite memory of you is when you both got stuck in elevator. You two talked about weird but interesting stuff for hours and shared interesting facts with each other until they fixed the elevator.

N - Nickel (do they spoil?)

No unless you mean affection and love. Material things are not important to him and he doesn’t waste time on that.

O - Orange (what color reminds them of you)

Dark blue, reminds him of you because no matter how much time he spends with you or how much he thinks he knows you, you are still mystery to him, and you will always be. He associates dark blue with depth of the ocean, mysterious, calm yet dangerous, and surely very beautiful in its own mysterious way.

P – Petnames (what petnames they use)

He doesn’t use any kind of pet name or nickname; he prefers to call people by their name.

Q - Questions (what are the questions they’re always asking?)

He always asks kind of weird questions or very complicated ones which made you think for a while before you answer him.

R - Remember (their favorite memory of each other)

His favorite memory of you is when he saw you helping the lost crying little girl on the street. He knows that people like you are rare and when he saw you smiling gently at her and helping her find her parents he knew you were special.

S - Sad (how they cheer themselves/others up)

Sherlock doesn’t know how to cheer himself up and as well doesn’t know how to do that to others. Sometimes he would make the situation even worse with his conclusions (which are most of the time true) but he didn’t had intention to hurt anyone just to help them see the right side of the problem. However sometimes he knows how to surprise sad person by giving them compliments and making them laugh with his smart jokes.

T - Talking (what they love to talk about)

He absolutely loves to talk about his unsolved cases. He would just walk around the apartment talking quickly about what he had seen on crime scene, the smallest details he saw on suspects, the behavior of the suspects… Usually your questions would help him solve the mystery and he would be very thankful for that. Also he likes to talk about art, science, music and other things he finds interesting.

U - Universe (a metaphor)

The moon

Part of you is always hidden away.

V - Very (thoughts about each other)

He thinks you are very kind, beautiful, intelligent and a little bit naïve person who always manages to make him smile even in the worst situations.

You think that Sherlock is one really beautiful person, who has heart of gold; you think that he is very caring and that he doesn’t know how to express it correctly. Overall he is very loving at his own crazy way.

W - Why (reasons why they love you)

He loves you because of your smile, your intelligence and your kindness. He loves when you smile because it warms his once cold heart, your intelligence because you always find a way to intrigue him and your kindness because no matter how the people are bad to themselves and to each other you always find a way to see good in everyone and you are always kind to them.

X - Xylophone (what’s their song?)

Vivaldi’s four seasons. He absolutely loves classic music and you often find him playing it on his violin.

Y - You (what you are to them)

You are his biggest mystery. He never understood your reasons why you love him, why are you so full of patience, why are you still with him when he is at his worst etc…

Z - Zebra (what pet they want to have)

He would like to have a dog, cocker spaniel. Because of the huge mess the dog sometimes created you two had to give him to his parents who take nice care of him. However the dog didn’t forget you two and would jump at you as soon as you showed up on door.

[2queens1prince]

Fan Fic Ask Game

Between @teaismyqueen, @lilacmermaid25 and a couple of anon requests, they hit most all of the questions.  I just thought I’d answer them for anyone who cares to read. :)

A: How did you come up with the title to [insert fic]? Shock I absolutely suck at titles.  I can come up with all of these weird, elaborate scenarios in my head, but ask me to title a story and it’s like all creativity is gone. I chose Shock because I needed something completely non descript, and I knew the end of chapter one would be a shock. See? Totally lame.

B: Any of your stories inspired by personal experience? Some of them. I would say that even if the events are not from personal experience, a lot of the emotions are. I think that’s why a lot of my writing is angsty. I’m angsty all over the place, but there’s no outlet for it in my life.

C: What member do you identify with most? Elizabeth

D: Is there a song or a playlist to associate with [insert fic]? No.  I typically don’t listen to any music, although, I did at one point create a wedding playlist of songs for Henry and Elizabeth’s wedding reception for Evolution.

E: If you wrote a sequel to [insert fic], what would it be about?  I really don’t know.  Perhaps The First Time needed a sequel instead of the time jump at the end, but I’m not really sure.

F: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.  Anything Phyllis said in Evolution.  For being a non-canon character, I loved her so much.

G: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order? Start to finish, although sometimes I know there are things I want to include and I make notes at the end, but not whole scenes.

H: How would you describe your style?  I’m sure someone else could describe my style better than I could.  I’m an emotional writer, but I like the characters to show progression.

I: Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)? Give me a good hurt/comfort fic and I’m all over it.

J: Write or describe an alternative ending to [insert fic].  The obvious answer is Evolution because when I started, Henry wasn’t going to be a fallen away Catholic, but as I wrote it, I sort of came to the conclusion that he couldn’t be anything like he is in the show if he were still a Traditional Catholic. Not good or bad-it just would become to OOC for me.

K: What’s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with? Due to accident or illness, one of the McCord children dies.

L: How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?  This has changed over time.  Now most of my writing goes to my betas after the first draft.  They offer ideas and then it sits for a while.  With multi-chapters, by the time they are posted, I’ve been through them 8-10 times.  Often, after the third draft, I don’t change much other than some wording or punctuation.

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you’d care to share? I’m currently writing a fic in which Henry and Elizabeth remodel her parents’ home together and I think my next one has to do with a self-defense class and a very arrogant Elizabeth.

N: Is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you?  Pool Party!  Gah!  I started to turn it into a multi-chapter and stalled.  Also I would like College and Coffee to go somewhere.

O: How do you begin a story–with the plot, or the characters?  The plot, always.

P: Are you what George R. R. Martin would call an “architect” or a “gardener”? (How much do you plan in advance, versus letting the story unfold as you go?)  I am a gardener.  Most of the time I start with an opening scene and I have no idea where the story will go.  An excellent example of this is the “Hiking” there is only one bed prompt.  How did that prompt end up the way it did?  Who even knows?

Q: How do you feel about collaborations?  I collaborate on ideas frequently with several writers.  I haven’t written with someone only because the opportunity hasn’t come up.

R: Are there any writers (fanfic or otherwise) you consider an influence?  I think smut is incredibly difficult to write, so there are a lot of writers, particularly the veterans in the group that I go back and read.

S: Any fandom tropes you can’t resist?  Give me a slow burn romance with a fair amount of angst and I’m in my element.

T: Any fandom tropes you can’t stand? I feel like I might offend people who have stories that may fall into these categories.  It has nothing to do with the writer, only the topic that I don’t care for..  Unrealistic smut and unbelievable pregnancy fics.  Additionally, I have a thing about Elizabeth’s name, so I’ve been known to stop reading a fic if I don’t like the way Elizabeth’s name is used. 

U: Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much. @pillar--of--salt‘s smut is hands down the best in my book. @laineyvb131 and I share a brain, so yeah, everything she writes resonates with me, and @fsulinz because she is the perfect example of someone who has outstanding ideas and the writing skills to pull them off, but was hesitant to put herself out there and after some peer pressure, she did it and she’s great! Oh, one more.  Nonadhesiveness needs a mention because her stories are woven together with an extreme amount of skill, and I’m jealous at hell!

V: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose? Strongest Convictions-I really think a well written prequel to what happened to Elizabeth and Henry when they were in prison would be riveting.

W: Do you like more general prompts, or more specific ones? I like @lilacmermaid25‘s prompts, whatever those are.

X: A character you enjoy making suffer.  Dmitri and Craig Sterling although I don’t think I’ve written about either, but if I did, they would suffer.

Y: A character you want to protect.  I think Elizabeth in a certain way.  Shit always seems to happen to her, but she’ll always come out on the other side if I’m doing the writing.

Z: Major character death–do you ever write/read it? Is there a character whose death you can’t tolerate?  I’ve read it and I tolerate it all.  There’s just a lot of tears.

[hcusecfcvrds]

KEIYNAN LONSDALE,  CISMALE, HE/HIM. —  looks like MATTEO FACILIER  is attending AURORIA UNIVERSITY  in auradon. they’re the NINETEEN  year old child of DR. FACILIER, which  means they’re from THE ISLE OF THE LOST. heard  they’re PERCEPTIVE &  SOFT-HEARTED,  but can also be  DREAMY &  FLIGHTY ;  we all have our bad days.  people normally associate  them with FINGERS TRACING THE CRACKED SPINES OF BOOKS, THE GLINT OF SUNLIGHT OFF OF RINGS, A LIGHT BLUSH ON HIGH CHEEKBONES, and SHADOWS THAT LOOM LARGER THAN THE PERSON CASTING THEM. 

itʻs me again with this soft boi. because, essentially, i have absolutely zero self-control and am gonna end up driving myself insane with this and my homework load aHA LETʻS GET STARTED

                                             G I V E  Y O U R  H E A R T . . . . ( s t a t s )

full name: matteo facilier

nickname(s): tomato, theo

age: nineteen

date of birth: february 3, 2000 

gender: cismale

pronouns: he/him

hometown: isle of the lost

parent(s): dr. facilier

orientation: pansexual/panromantic

occupation: student

                                              A N D  S O U L  T O  M E . . . . ( p h y s i c a l )

face claim: keiynan lonsdale

hair colour: brown

eye colour: black

height: 6ʻ0”

tattoos: a piece inspired by the lovers tarot card on his left forearm. wild flowers on the back of his neck. probably a bunch more but aHA iʻm lazy and canʻt think of any

piercings: standard lobe piercings, two helix piercings on his right ear, septum piercing that he got as soon as he was in auradon but doesnʻt wear always.

distinguishing characteristics: his shadow always stays behind him. even if the light is coming from the direction, his shadow doesnʻt move.

                                       A N D  L I F E  W I L L  A L W A Y S  B E . . . . ( a b o u t )

shadow baby, baby boy

born and raised on the isle baby !

he has a well-enough relationship with his father, but he had always been too dreamy for his father to really understand. they were both intelligent, but in such different ways that they donʻt understand each other but they get along just fine.

his sister tho ! theyʻre tight. theyʻre opposites, but theyʻre twins. they have an inherent understanding of each other that is often left unspoken. they look out for each other.

matteo is the eccentric one in a house of eccentricities. while his sister and his father are making deals and running the isle from the shadows, matteo is probably off scavenging for romance novels and laying down in the middle of fields. 

which is probably why his sister has the talisman and not him lmAO dr. facilier probably looked at him and was like “this kid is gonna fucking forget it somewhere”

he has an interest in voodoo as well, but not to the lengths that his sister does. he has his own deck of tarot cards, where the pictures are ones that he drew himself. heʻs the only one who really know which card is which since itʻs mostly abstract lines and he didnʻt write down which card they were. kind of just went with a feeling and let things happen.

his readings are a less specific than most. he doesnʻt charge for them, but he also wonʻt do a reading if asked. for the most part, he comes to you when he feels like you need a reading. heʻll answer questions never asked, or avoid the question asked entirely and talk about something completely different. still fun. 

heʻs also fond of scrying bowls and he wears a pendulum around his neck. both things heʻs liable to pull out whenever he feels like it and conduct a reading whenever.

he adores reading, especially romance novels. heʻll find any romance novel he can get his hands on and read them until they become even more worn than they already were.

has this fairytale-esque ideal of love in his head now and wants nothing more than to find his one true romance and live happily ever after. only problem is that heʻs fickle as fuck and heʻs flighty. heʻll stick around for like a week and then get distracted by the next pretty thing that walks by and lose interest

he also loves jazz music and found himself an old record and a couple of shitty vinyls that he keeps in his room and listens to whenever heʻs bored.

this boy is a sloth. he moves slow as fuck. he talks slow as fuck. everything moves in slow motion for him and heʻs distracted by anything that is shiny or colorful enough.

this attracts animals to him lmao. like, birds and butterflies and stuff will land on him randomly just because heʻd be sitting there without moving a muscle for a while.

also, please picture a new orleans southern drawl when he talks thatʻd be Peak k thanks

                               L A  V I E  A N  R O S E . . . . ( w a n t e d  c o n n e c t i o n )

heʻs very luna lovegood-esque so can i please have people give him shit for it?? like they just think heʻs crazy or stupid and they like steal his shit from his dorm and hide it around or something?? just some general assholery.

ooh maybe a crush ?? could go either way honestly. oh ! maybe someone he had a crush on and was very sweet towards, but as soon as they started liking him back, he was already on to the next person

iʻm going full harry potter akjdsfajf but like can i have someone where he just predicts something really shitty is gonna happen to them and their like PFFT but then it comes true in some aspect?? and then they go back to matteo for confirmation later and heʻs just *shrugs* “i donʻt know man the stars said what they said.”

can someone be like?? scared of him?? like, he gives off kind of weirdo vibes and has shadows following him so the look of him is kind of dark?? so theyʻre intimidated but heʻs like pressing flowers in between the flowers of his journal or some shit

pls give me some ride or dies that corral him like “matteo no pls come back here and put the bird down we have places to BE”

again, iʻm open for anything !

[cruddyborderlandstheories]

i have so many theories!!! theyre all screaming at me!!! i must write out them all!!!!! 

so here’s one that’s been knocking around my head since finals week began:

the Writing 3 Playlist on Spotify 

I think this bad boy is a hint at the game’s timeline

maybe not 100% explanatory, but I think we can guess certain parts of the game through this

and i just wanna tell y’all now, almost all of this is speculation, as honestly im 90% sure the playlist was created bc it had borderlands-y songs in it (although the last few have me scratching my head)

lemme explain why im writing this, though I’m very thirsty for lore

tl;dr: game goes like this: lilith powers stolen. go to promethea, go to jungle, find brick mordy and tina, get into a fight, lose fight, go find other VHs, get into another fight, Krieg shows up to save Maya, maya die. (oh no she ded), the twins have their we are GODS moment, the VHs get summoned to the Eridian homeworld, there’s a huge ass final battle, someone attempts to create an end-of-the-world scenario

so the playlist itself was created to help one of the authors of the game get into their borderlands jam 

it starts with a Cage the Elephant song, “Trouble”, the band of which we all know wrote the first song used in BL1. Not really much else to say here, but we do know the opening cutscene of the game involves our current team of Vault Hunters being attacked by the Children of the Vault. this is, of course, not indicative of any songs used in bl3, but we can assume it captures the general feeling of the game.

Second song: “Fire” by Barns Courtney (holy shit I love this guy so fucking much!! if you’ve never listened to his music, PLEASE do so! I really recommend “Rather Die”- I am in the process of making a bl3 animatic to it actually lmao). 

So anyway, I’m just sayin’, the lyrics of this song...

“Oh, a thousand faces staring at me Thousand times I've fallen Thousand voices dead at my feet Now I'm gone... And my mother told me son let it be Sold my soul to the calling Sold my soul to a sweet melody Now I'm gone... Oh gimme that fire ...”

Honestly, I would not be surprised if this song was about Lilith’s loss of her powers. I mean, she used to call herself the Firehawk because she burned the shit outta bandits. c’monnn.

The man, the myth, the legend himself even says that "[The song is] quite defiant as well, like this cannot be how it ends, it cannot be my situation."

Mooooving on

“Majesty” by Apashe and Wasiu

holy fuck i love this song so much. and its so very obviously about the Calypso Twins- at the very least its Tyreen.

“All the stars and galaxies address me as your majesty So better say your majesty, I might react erratically Throw you in a fire, purify you I'm the sire, my empire's on the rise You better find yourself a place to hide Your place to find, but say it twice My name divine, I'm aimin' high Don't look in my face or eyes Take a bow and save your life Glory to the emperor, my temperature is risin' Always hot, it's getting violent”

I mean come on if its not when we meet the twins for the first time after they steal lily’s powers, then its definitely when they do something absolutely badass and really show us why they’re revered as gods. Possibly related to the Holy Broadcasting Center?

“The Way I Do” by Bishopp Briggs 

this one honestly had got me stumped as to its purpose, i lowkey kinda think its getting Sanctuary 3 up and running (and possibly meeting Maya for the first time- still not sure about that). I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a whole thing for Scooter and this song fits pretty well. I imagine we also meet Vaughn and the Children at some point, so maybe here?

“Greeting the Menace” by Zack Hemsey 

yeah i uhhhh dunno. This sounds like a song about a dude getting tortured which scares me a bit lmao. 

I thought maybe this song and the next 2 could be VH-based songs, as the next 2 have no lyrics whatsoever and the third is called “Best Friends”, but who knows... If this is the case I could make the argument this is about Zane or Moze, leaning towards Zane cuz he’s pretty covered up, plus I think “Best Friends” would be more Moze’s style lmao

I could also see this being a song about Troy... could explain all the ‘body mods’ and the missing arm.

“ProtoVision” by Kavinsky

If we’re going with the idea that these next few songs are about the Vault Hunters, then I imagine this would be Fl4k’s. It’s got that synth and some guitar which I think fits perfectly with his robo-hobo aesthetic lol

Other than that, I truly have no idea what part of the story this song could reference since there aren’t any lyrics. Maybe Promethea’s city? I could kinda see it, it sounds pretty high-tech

Similarly, “diatribe.” by Oliver Michael

the beginning gives me a whole meditation vibe which I kinda associate with Amara and her phasecast skill which “sends out an astral projection” of herself. 

Then again, this could be the outskirts of the Promethean city... I could see myself wandering around the huge ass foliage and discovering an abandoned research base to this song idk

“Best Friends” by grandson

aaahh i love grandson. I think this could be a Moze-based song. I just get that vibe from her leather jacket... anyway

I also could totally see this as discovering Brick, Mordecai, and Tina in the research base (if that truly is where they are). Cause we saw them in the trailer hanging out there. 

tbh the lyrics themselves kinda remind me of pre-Tales Rhys and Fiona and all their friends

“All of my best friends Like to go and get fucked up Then they talk about all the lives they never got to live Oh, they're still waiting for some sort of invitation It's never coming along, oh no, you'll get just what you give”

but idk if that’s what its meant for

“Bap U” by Party Favor

hmm another ‘lyricless’ song. not really lyric-less but uhhh the lyrics are pretty nonsensical lol

I could see there being a fight scene with Brick Tina and Mordy as AIs helping out here, maybe exploring the abandoned research base?

“Not Human” by elegant slims 

oh you know what im going to say here hahaha

monster troy p l e a s e

i wouldn’t be surprised if Tyreen started accumulating more powers here, like perhaps the previous fight scene was over the Vault on Promethea and the twins were able to access it before us? and Tyreen gives the Vault Monster the succ

“Crack in the seams You're breaking through The animal inside of you You're not human anymore... Your eyes go black electric blue The animal inside of you Life on a string Watch it swing Hide your teeth”

and one (or both) of the twins start going feral lol

“Way Down We Go” by KALEO

one (1) fear and that’s that someone dies during the scene that corresponds to this song

hopefully its just the boys being depressed over a loss instead of a victory, but oof

anyway, you know what they say: “sometimes you gotta fall before you make it big” ;) thats a typhon deleon quote

“I’m a Wanted Man” by Royal Deluxe

I want to believe these next few songs are us recruiting the rest of the Vault Hunters not seen yet

I kinda associate this one with Axton since his whole History with DAHL, but who knows! It could be Gaige, too. or Maya since she looks like she’s being incredibly gay criminal on the Maliwan Monastery planet. Maybe both Axton and Gaige? I would love that

“The Devil You Know” by X Ambassadors 

Could also be Axton! I lowkey think its Salvador or Timothy Lawrence. The reason I think its Timothy is cuz the whole song gives me huge Handsome Jack vibes, but it could also be Sal cuz I totally imagine him becoming a bounty hunter to fund his gun addiction lmao

“00000 Million” by Ella Vos

this one also gives off Maya vibes imo. I wouldn’t be surprised if this one is about her and the introduction of Little Blue. I could also see Athena and Janey here, just living their lives out in a cottage somewhere. awww

“Jungle” by Tash Sultana

Ahh a love song [pukes] Hopefully this one is about Athena and Janey, cuz there is a depressing lack of both of them in all the trailers we’ve seen! It sounds lowkey sad, though. I hope nothing happened to them D:

“Don’t Wait Up” by Dustbowl Revival

this one gives me very big Fiona and Sasha vibes. 

Of course, there’s also the fact that the song is about a dad, and we still don’t know who the heck “the Father” is on all those Calypsos posters. We also dunno who in the heck “Mother” is, either. Sounds like Father left the cult, though, oof, and Mother stuck around. Wonder what that’s all about, maybe he felt like the twins were working fast/efficient enough and left to do things himself? Very lost on this idea tbh. the song seems very out of place, but it has to connect to something, yknow?

“Dies Irae” by Apashe and Black Prez

For those of you who don’t speak fluent Latin (the fuck guys?? lmao jk), the title means "Day of Wrath". Nice, nice, nice. 

the lyrics, you might be asking:

“'Cause I'ma beast. Where you at? I've been unleashed. Whatchu doin'? Sink my teeth. Y'all can't fathom I'ma beast”

me: [vibrating in my seat] monster twins monster twins monster twins monster twins

at the very least this is definitely a fight scene here. Probably with the twins again (hopefully). Maybe they found some way to imbue the cultists with fucked up powers and are sending them against the VHs as giant demon things and as we fight through the temple (apparently with some Guardians) we realize the final one is Troy and/or Tyreen?

I like to imagine this is where Maya gets her powers stolen, if only because the next few songs... I think she’s around because she’s now the only person with Siren powers on the side of the Crimson Raiders, so they might need her help with the Vault in some way

“RAMPAGE” by GRAVEDGR

y’all wonder why I seemingly forgot about Krieg in the above songs? Well, this is why. 

The only lyric for this entire song is “Bitch, I'm on a rampage- mask on my damn face”

I mean come on, Krieg with his psycho mask on, the fact his action skill is literally called “Buzz Axe Rampage”, the fact he loves Maya as shown in his introductory trailer... it’d be so perfect. And I bet badass psycho Krieg would be the only thing able to beat back whatever’s attacking at the moment. I’m just imagining him smashing down a wall and going apeshit

“Black Out Days” by Phantograms

Another song I think is about Krieg and Maya. I don’t think Maya does too hot in this game, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if she gets the Roland treatment if you know what I’m saying. I wonder if this causes Krieg to devolve back into insanity cause the whole song seems to focus around that. I hope not D:

“Hide the sun I will leave your face out of my mind You should save your eyes A thousand voices howling in my head Speak in tongues I don't even recognize your face Mirror on the wall Tell me all the ways to stay away”

To be honest I could also see it being that Maya gets her powers stolen and thoughtlock-ed by the twins to fight on their side (as she’s seen fighting with the big demon elemental things), and maybe we have to kill her or hurt her in some way to get her to stop attacking us. God I hope not.

Let’s hope this is someway about the twins and definitely not about our favorite Siren and/or Psycho

“The Finishing” by Stavroz

oof i think somebody dies... If its not Maya, my best guess is Krieg or Lilith. Maybe Mordecai or Brick? Oh I hope not, I love both of them way too much for it to be healthy. But, hey, at least Tina learned some coping mechanisms :(

“Intro” and “Apocalypse Please” by Muse

merged these into 1 because Intro is like 15 seconds long and is literally the introduction to Apocalypse Please. 

Definitely reaching the end of the game here... 

“And it's time we saw a miracle Come on, it's time for something biblical To pull us through And pull us through And this is the end This is the end Of the world Proclaim eternal victory Come on and change the cause of history And pull us through”

I think the twins (or whoever may have become the main villain- perhaps the Eridians?) have claimed victory/gotten the ultimate power in one way or another, and/or this is the Crimson Raiders getting themselves ready for a final stand-off with the big bad evil guy. 

I would really love if there’s a scene right at the end of this where the Twins have their huge “BOW TO ME” moment and then they just get COMPLETELY obliterated by a new villain. Just absolutely decimated.

New villain, like if they opened a Vault and whatever was being imprisoned there just wipes the floor with them (something like the Destroyer, if not the Destroyer itself), or fuck shit maybe even Tannis? or the Eridians looking for help in the war. or the Eridians bringing war. Who knows!

Again, could just be the Twins having gotten their hands on the end-game material, like realizing they can turn troy into big demon fuck (no i am not letting this one go) and we are kinda fucked now.

“Free Animal” by Foreign Air

I... have no idea lol

maybe Krieg getting rescued, maybe (one of?) the twins getting recruited by the Raiders for the final fight? It could fit into the ‘Beast’ imagery. Fuck, maybe even rescuing/finding Typhon or something? Idk, im kinda in the party that Typhon is going to be coming back some way or another lol, I’d love to meet the guy

“Dreams” by ZHU and Nero

This definitely sounds like a new BBEG has just been introduced or the big bads just entered the final phase of their plan, like the Crimson Raiders just learned about something life-changing and this is their “oh shit” moment

i wanna believe that the Eridians or another alien race (like the Seraphs!) are going to come in at the ‘end’ of the game and the Watcher is gonna be like “bitch did you really think I thought these dumbass ECHOnet streamers were the epitome of War??” I imagine we’d be on the side of the Eridians here, since y’know, the Watcher came to us for help.

Of course, the twins could still be the BBEG and have gotten their hands on that universe-destroying power that was described on the website (”to recover a map to ancient Vaults and prevent a universe-destroying power from falling into the wrong hands”) so maybe the Eridians called us in in order to meet and get help against the COV?

“Beyond the Fray” by Cassandra Violet

personally i think this one is about the Eridian homeworld

“I'll mark the day When we can meet beyond the fray Don't lose the will to see your home You find the way so we can meet beyond the fray I'll fight to see that you get home Consider this small clue Look beyond your point of view Make a space for honesty hide“

Wouldn’t even be surprised if someone made a sacrifice so we could get there... I imagine its hidden somewhere in the alternate dimension or wherever the Vaults lead to so it couldn’t be found, so maybe Lilith’s got her powers back at this point and she sacrifices herself to send us there?

idk...

“Outside the Realm” by Big Giant Circles

ah yes, another reason I think the end of the game involves the Eridian homeworld in some way. Have you heard this?? huge “we just stumbled upon a long-lost-alien-planet” vibe. I love it. Maybe even just a shot of Sanctuary III slowly gliding over the giant planet, having just exited phasewalk. God yes

“Battle Royale” by Apashe

another reason i think the final fight is some giant battlefield/wave fight instead of just against 1 or 2 enemies. not to mention the fact that the VH skills we’ve seen so far are crowd control based instead of raid boss focused. 

Its likely the VHs against the Cult of the Vault, but if we defeat the Twins halfway through the game, then the Cult will dissolve on its own. Either way, I really really really really really want a huge fight against an army. I don’t care if its against the Children of the Vault, the Eridians/some Guardians, or if its against the Seraphs or a new set of aliens we’re gonna get (maybe whatever the Destroyer was/is?). idk idc i just want a huge battle. I imagine we’re on the Eridians’ side, as I said above, but who knows, maybe the Watcher went rogue. 

oh and also, the next song:

“Doomsday” by NERO

oh hey, I recognize this song, it’s giving me major BL2 flashbacks lmao

Also the last song in the playlist, which is giving me the big fear (tm)

I imagine that we wouldn’t have been brought to the Eridian homeworld if it wasn’t kind of a huge deal, and what’s more of a huge deal than the end of the universe?!

that’s what i’d call doomsday, anyway.

could be the reason the Eridians are coming out of hiding after all this time. Either to stop our dumb human asses from opening the Vaults, or to get help against these alien fucks because our dumb human asses keep destroying their first line of defense- the Vault Monsters.

If the twins actually DO remain the main villains throughout the whole game, then I imagine this is them prepping to destroy the universe

but maaaan i really want some aliens... maybe the universe destroying power IS the aliens? aw hell yeah

[antiquechampagne]

Antique Champagne Answers for...

FanFic Ask Game

wornquillsandspilledink

A: How did you come up with the title to [insert fic]? It’s a bad play on her stage name, Champagne

B: Any of your stories inspired by personal experience? I am not a vampire, burlesque dancer, or bodyguard, but I am female and I enjoy music, singing and dancing.

C: What member do you identify with most? Wanting to find someplace you feel welcome with people who know you and love you for who you are.

D: Is there a song or a playlist to associate with Antique Champagne? Why yes! Yes there is! You can find it HERE

E: If you wrote a sequel to Antique Champagne, what would it be about? This story if the first in a planned trilogy... and I don’t want to give too much away, but let’s say Payne will be forced to face her more inhuman side.

F: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it. 

-Hancock unfolded the chair. Payne gingerly sat, her palms balled in her lap. A grumbling Amari pulled out a battered doctor’s bag, pulling equipment out on a nearby computer bank. She wrapped a blood pressure cuff around Payne’s upper arm. Hancock watched as Payne looked away, her eyes wide, darting around the room as she fought to stay in the chair. Her hands clenched, kneading her thighs.“Sit still, please,” ordered Amari.Hancock leaned against the boxy metal mainframe. “Hey!” Payne looked up into his mischievously sparkling eyes. “What did the necrophiliac say to his girlfriend?”Payne scrunched up her face. “What?”“What did the necrophiliac say to his girlfriend?” he said again.“How the fuck should I know?” Annoyed, Payne blinked as Amari took a light and looked in darting eyes.“I really dig ya!” Hancock snickered.It took a moment, but a weak smile broke Payne’s frigid features. A few scrawny laughs broke through her fear-heightened panic. “That’s a horrible joke.”-

I know it doesn’t sound like much, but this joke is a homage to my husband. He loves ‘dad’ jokes and this is one he would tell me repeatedly early in our relationship.

G: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order? I write chapter to chapter.

H: How would you describe your style? Chaotic, I suppose. I have a rough outline, and I just expand the chunks as I go.

I: Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)? Oh yeah. For writing, I can think of a whole lot of smut, but it has hardly made it to the page. For reading - smutty stuff would be The Chain the Binds, for adult Rot Dust and Steel and for listening it would be Fallout: Equestira

J: Write or describe an alternative ending to Antique Champagne. Um, it hasn’t ended yet... but vaguely putting it “And they all lived happily ever after.”

K: What’s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with? I think it is going to be the bit have planned for the next few chapters (at least that I am willing to spill the beans about). Payne get’s to face her fear of doctors etc.

L: How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting? I try to revise it at least three times. 1 myself 2 my husband 3 my beta

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you’d care to share? For this fic? No, I got everything outlined for the end of this arc, plus the next two ‘books’ in the series. I still need to work out the details, but the main points are all in place.

N: Is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you? I have a fic on my ‘to do’ list that involves a symbiot (Venom franchise) and a suicidal woman. And another that is a mishmash of Fallout/Dragon Age/Elder Scrolls in the planning phase.

O: How do you begin a story–with the plot, or the characters? I normally latch on to characters first. Not always though.

P: Are you what George R. R. Martin would call an “architect” or a “gardener”? (How much do you plan in advance, versus letting the story unfold as you go?) I am a gooey architect.

Q: How do you feel about collaborations? Holy hell, that would be amazing!

R: Are there any writers (fanfic or otherwise) you consider an influence? I read a LOT of Anne Rice when I was a kid, and Mary Roach has a lot of fun stuff.

S: Any fandom tropes you can’t resist? Angst. So much angst. Not letting love in.

T: Any fandom tropes you can’t stand? I can’t stand Thor/Loki or Stark/Parker ships.

U: Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much. I think I kinda did that up top with I. I love the first two because they treat their characters with such dimensionallity, it makes them really relatable. I love the mash up of MLP and FO, it is so well done... so gritty yet campy but still recognizable.

V: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose? I would probably want to work on extending this little jewel: Real Life Has no Manager. It’s just so fun!

W: Do you like more general prompts, or more specific ones? I haven’t really written from a lot of prompts... so I don’t really feel I have a preference.

X: A character you enjoy making suffer. McDonough, Father, Strong, Anders and Solas (Dragon Age), 

Y: A character you want to protect. Hancock (duh), Kent, Curie

Z: Major character death–do you ever write/read it? Is there a character whose death you can’t tolerate? Nobody kills Dogmeat. Leave the puppers alone!

[ghosty-schnibibit]

late amnesty liveblog because my sleep schedule has betrayed me :P

i've scheduled this liveblog to come out around 10:00 am on friday, but as i'm typing this it's around three in the morning. summer has utterly fucked my sleeping schedule lmao, i literally went to bed around 6:00 am yesterday and didn't wake up until a little before 4:00 pm... which is about a normal amount of time to sleep for me tbh, just at a wack time. oi vae. i’m going to try and get to bed a little earlier tonight, but i had to get this done now so i didn’t have to avoid tumblr altogether for fear of spoilers while me and my parents are driving to IKEA tomorrow :P

i've been procrastinating listening to the new ep all day because of well, the same reason i tend to procrastinate listening to every new ep of amnesty: i'm scared as fuck for all of these characters and a lil bit nervous about how griffin intends to unify all the disparate plot threads in a way i wasn't during balance. i'd say that nervousness is less of a product of me being distrustful in the boys’ abilities and more a product of me binging all of balance over the course of a month and only catching up in time for reunion tour, aka when all the main mystery threads were either solved or would be in the next few eps. also, ngl, still a little shaken by ned's death, along with how bloody the last arc was in general and what that means going forward vis a vis character mortality. please griffin, all i ask is that you don’t kill off duck and aubrey, p l e a s e

tl;dr: my sleep schedule is fucked and i'm a nervous wreck about fictional characters, what else is new lol? anyways, onto the liveblog!

the description is probably the least terrifying of the last five or six 

"how's the scene doing?" "lil cold" i caught that pun trav

MY BOY :D

griffin what the fuck

good to know indrid isn't at fault lmao

aww duck :'(

"what a delight" bless

the heathcliff is out of the bag

indrid you dramatic twink jfc

i really love these moments of just... pure dialogue

q u e l l

"why did you invoke submarines?" ilu aubrey

... you're not really being helpful here drid

i love thacker so much holy shit

yep, all bummers sums it up pretty well :|

a very finely feathered cast lol

minerva's voice is so similar to indrid’s jesus

i only know of minority report through the lost in adaptation ep on it lmao

well that's not great

"our- well, your world technically" aww indrid

aubrey you dummy ilu

i forgot kirby was there lol

i need fic of aubrey and thacker watching movies together and getting him caught up to modern day, i don't even like the mcu and i want that fic

d u c k m a n

JESUS CHRIST INDRID

what was that noise clint???

indeed quite zany lol

which one of them is clicking their computer mouse a bunch???

"gotta getchu a sword" leo ilu

i know there's gonna be fanart of that lmao

ooooh, new music! very good new music!

yes please keep the together party after splitting it caused so much heartache and literal death last arc 

i love thacker's dad energy so much, can't wait to see how that plays out

"WHY ARE THEY SITTING IN RUBBLE" ilu trav

sammiches c:

keith is just d o n e

i just remembered the throwaway line from the last arc about hollis being into saturday night dead and got sad :(

JESUS THACKER

i need fic of thacker interacting with the baby hornets, i need it so bad

duck you cannot just spring all this on them

"my friend the mothman" D U C K

YUP, you need to roll for that

that's better than failure! that's not complete failure!

JAKE! JAKE! JAKE!

OH MY GOD THAT'S SO FUCKING CUTE

they're in it for jake :')

i’m so excited for the new graphic novel!!! hopefully i will have enough money to buy it ha haaaaa for real tho i have no money or autonomy

ghost dewey! :D

who does he need to talk to? pigeon maybe?

that was so good clint! i loved it :D

WHAT THE FUCK, DUCK NEWTON

i know i've said it like eighty times but thacker's peak dad energy is absolute gold and i'm super happy we get to see him interact with juno again after how adorable their last scene was :)

"gross" bless travis

oooh no, i'm getting bad vibes

i have never heard milanos pronounced that way in my entire life

i have to hide mine from my dad lmao

WHO IS CLICKING

thacker you sound like the goddamn unibomber could you please be more forthright about what the plan is

hmm... here's a fun question: did thacker inherit ned's spent luck???

well that answers that lol

i love juno so goddamn much

sensors? stealth could be an option

why is she so scared? like aubrey brought her coworker back to life, i personally would not be afraid of her murdering me after that

"no one needs to go to chicago" ilu aubrey

federal paperwork is an absolute bastard

some monday what???

"well i don't care for the tone!" aubrey ilu

that's a good way to put it :/

WHY IS DEWEY IN THE CLOSET

s p e c t r a l  m o m

well dewey is immune to death sooo...

ned was one of aubrey’s best friends... even after everything that happened she still called him one of her best friends... travis you've made me cry ; _ ;

PLEASE MAGIC TRAVIS DICE SHE HAS NO MORE LUCK TO BURN

damn this really is a wild ass scenario isn't it

"you're melting my fucking brain" pfff

thank you clint, i completely forgot too

travis is the irl voidfish lmao

i love dewey so much

"can't kill me twice, i think" i hope dewey can't double die lol

d u c k o l a s

why did you go to buffy and winthrop duck??? why did you want to talk to these weird edward and lydia reskins duck?????

yeah that feels right

okay, it's griffin clacking on his mouse

playing what???

THE WHAT

WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING AT, JUSTIN MCELROY

DUCK WHAT THE FLYING FUCK ARE YOU DOING I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON

i love justin's triumphant laugh so much

i mean i already mentally associated them with the wonderland liches so this isn't much of a jump  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

griffin what on earth is this

"that's it, that's all the latin there is" i wish lmao

THE SHADOW BRETHEREN

we are... so screwed lmao

this was very good! this ep kept up the trend of funnier interactions from the last ep and i’m grateful for it after how sad the past arc was. i am still very worried but i’m happy we’re seeing a lot of npcs that we hadn’t gotten back to in a while just to make sure they’re okay. pretty much anything else i had to say is summed up by the mini rant i made before listening above lol. 

see y’all next right thursday!!!

[plintern]

Week 4

Monday, July 2 to Friday, July 7

Monday: Here we go again!

Man, is it a Monday. Tough to wake up this morning, but this was the Monday to wake me up--two programs to attend and a lunch with my mentor and her boss. I started off the day at the newest of my library’s branches to perform for children during a Music Lab. Our library’s summer theme is music, and all three branches are hosting Music Labs on the same weekday every week for the rest of July to introduce children 5 and under to music. There are some easy crafts (like coloring pages and bookmarks), a guitar (with only three strings…) and electric piano for the kids to play around on, and laptops to explore types of music. A part of my job this summer is attending nearly every Music Lab in July, and today was my very first one. I’m not quite sure yet what my Labs may look like at other branches, but today I set up shop in the corner of the storytime room where these Labs take place. I played a variety of pieces on my cello that were already in my repertoire--mostly movements from the Bach solo cello suites. I was amazed to see the smiling and wondrous faces of the kids as they heard the music through the doorway and meandered in. It was inspiring. In essence, I provided a backdrop of music to the walk-in climate of the Music Lab, for both parents and their little ones. It was adorable!

Afterwards, I drove across the city back to my office to meet up with my mentor and her boss (the executive director from the branch I visited last Friday--remember him?). It was a wonderful lunch that helped us break the ice further than our conversation on Friday. We talked just about everything, from the World Cup to superheroes to poetry! The taco-filled lunch was splendid.

I returned to my office, stomach full, to get some quick work in before heading to yet another branch for a Kid Zone program. At this program, subtitled “You Can Hear Music On That?” I assisted an Early Literacy librarian with showing young kids (aged 6-8) how music has progressed throughout the years in terms of how it is listened to. From phonographs to Amazon’s Echo, displays were set up around the room for children to look at (and hear) the transformation of music. She introduced the program by showing them some music boxes and explaining how to be careful with each of the devices available. The children were also given half-sheets of blue paper and a music pencil to complete a matching game, where they connected each musical device to the date in which it was invented. Kids mostly exercised self-autonomy as they traveled from game to game. Initially, most were drawn to the Amazon Echo--they loved asking Alexa to play different Kidz Bop songs for them. At some point I attempted to meme it up by saying “this is so sad alexa play despacito,” but I garnered not even a mere chuckle, not even from the 15 year old volunteer that was also with us. Alas, I am left to meme in solitude.

Following Alexa, the kids were very drawn to the Code-A-Pillar, a caterpillar with detachable segments with different tasks that when assembled caused the technological critter to advance in a form dictated by the ‘codes.’ I myself observed the children converse with Alexa and giggle with the insect, but seeing as they were autonomous, I ventured around the room to the sole children who were exploring some older gadgets, to see what, perhaps, they may need. Eventually, I ended up at the station with the record player, and my attention for the next several minutes was completely enraptured with these vinyls. Most of the devices used to share music with these children came from the EL Librarian’s own haul, and she found most of these vinyls at a local thrift store. I popped several into the record player, and particularly found myself drawn to one that featured Victor Herbert, my favorite composer.

After perusing the records, I helped the kiddos build a music box together, make music necklaces and bracelets, take care of snacks, and then clean up at the conclusion of the event, all while playing my cello intermittently. While cleaning, I commented to the librarian how much I enjoyed her records, and to my surprise, she said I could keep all nine of the records in the collection that housed the Herbert. Astounded and grateful, I took home two physical momentos: the set of nine records and a music bracelet I added to my cello case. More than that, though, was what I learned: it takes very little to make a kid’s day.

Tuesday: Driving is my job.

Much like yesterday, where I began work at one branch, traveled to the office, and then to another branch, today consisted of much travel. I began the day at the same branch I did yesterday. Here, I had an intimate Every Child Ready to Read training alongside a new Library Assistant with the same EL Librarian who led the Kid Zone yesterday. I came to the astute observation that I adore this librarian. Her teaching methods are subtle, yet precise, and she kept both I and the assistant engaged throughout the training. The presentation consisted of an explanation of the importance of children reading and the importance of the five practices: talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing. Here are some of the activities she had us do to try and understand how children think at their pre-reading age. Try them out and let me know how well you do!

Activity 1: Decipher this code:    [   *<:    }><#. Using the following alphabet:

A< B/ C* D# E> F+ G\ H** I[ J= K) L] M~ N: O]] P{ Q++ R} S// T^ U! V[[ W(( X>> Y\\ Z|

This forces us to associate figures with letters, much as children learn to read pictures before they learn to read letters and words. To them, letters are just pictures.

Activity 2: Write your name on a piece of paper with your non-dominant hand (if you’re ambidextrous… no fair).

This activity forces us to use a different part of our brain: rather than writing our name, we are drawing it. This is much like a child who is learning to use a new part of their brain, and is drawing the image of their name.

In addition to these activities, she also had us learn about different puppets and activities she utilizes during storytimes to engage kids by talking (Heggity Peggity Hen). singing (nursery rhymes), reading (Ten Little Fingers & Ten Little Toes), writing (drawing name), and playing. This last one is the one I learned the most about. She taught us that children’s play is their work, as it is them figuring out the world around them. There are three types of play--single, parallel, and group--that happen in stages as children develop and discover themselves. She also provided us with resources to use and give to children. Afterwards I took my time to explore the branch and become comfortable with the spaces. I was already pretty familiar with this branch, as it was the location in which I studied for my SAT and ACT exams, but then again I only stayed in the study sections and fiction shelves in those dark times. So, I revisited the storytime room I played in yesterday, and the rest of the small area. This is our smallest branch, so there wasn’t much to see, but it gave me a better understanding and sense of home to spend some time on my own in the area. When finished, I went off to a personal appointment, and then traveled to another branch across town.

Here, I took part in my second-ever Music Lab. This branch had a much different environment--yesterday’s lab was full of kids coming in and out, playing with excitement, but this branch had a much more laid back environment. Only four kids that weren’t volunteers ever came in the room, and none of them at the same time. Much of the activities that we had were the same, like having bookmarks and coloring pages, but this branch did not have a guitar nor a piano. Instead, there was an out-of-tune ukulele, some percussion instruments, and an interactive floor piano that kids could play with their feet. I played my cello upon request here, and it was wonderful to see when kids were interested in hearing the instrument. One mother in particular adored the cello, and we had a wonderful conversation about Yo-Yo Ma after I played for her. Apart from playing, I put some stickers that were lying about upon my cello case, and I conversed with the kids and volunteers there. These volunteers were some of the friendliest kids I’d met--much more approachable than the volunteers at the branch I visited yesterday. One of the volunteers even drew and colored a cello for me, and his face lit up when I said I was coming back every Tuesday--that is the sort of interaction that keeps me motivated and reminds me how lucky I am to have this job.

Thursday: Office? I’ve never heard of her.

Much like Tuesday, I spent most of today at another branch. I had a branch training at our largest and oldest library, where I met with the site manager, had a tour, and discussed my project proposals. This is the library that I am most unfamiliar with, so I believe I learned more today about the libraries in my community than I have at the other sites. The manager is the newest leadership member of the library, having held her post for about a year. I knew her before coming to this training, however--she is the mom of one of my high school friends. This was both refreshing and comforting for me, as the environment was already jovial and understanding. There was essentially very little ice to break. We started by discussing the history of the branch, where I learned how much remodeling and complications the library has endured since its creation in the early twentieth century. Then we discussed how much had changed since this manager had come on board, specifically with staff turnover and reforming some outdated processes. The mornings at this branch are dedicated more towards early literacy, for the ‘trouble times’ of 12 to 5 exist in the afternoon where librarians must deal with infractions to the library code of conduct. However, these issues are not such a problem now, since the trouble seems to be more seasonal, occurring in the winter. I learned of the four stages of a team--forming, storming, norming, and performing--and how outreach groups in the city interact with the library. She also shared the importance of having more staff-to-patron interaction than posters, and having libraries be evolving and relevant to the demands of the public. We spoke much of the difficulties the library faces, but also remained hopeful towards what she is working on for the future. Then, we took a tour of the building, where she specifically showed me two areas that she is hoping to revamp in the coming years to be more relevant and helpful to the public. During this walk, we spoke much about the microbusinesses of a library, how space is allocated and utilized, and about the upcoming cycle of a master plan where she will work with other library leadership and a consultant to create a vision and goals for the upcoming years. Microbusinesses in a library include tasks such as inventory, and it was eye-opening for me to understand the depth of the services that the library provides, specifically at this branch. After our tour, we returned to her office and discussed my project proposals. Much like my discussion with the manager of the branch that I met with last week, she was incredibly helpful in her feedback. While last week, the manager kept me realistic and helped me understand my parameters, this manager helped me see what my projects could become if I did in fact hit all the roadblocks that lay ahead, so I could be prepared to reform my ideas if need be. I left my meeting with her feeling hopeful and wise.

I rushed back to my office for a quick lunch before returning to the same branch for my last Music Lab of the week. Again, every Music Lab is different, and this one was no exception. Like my Tuesday lab, very few children came into the room; my guess is about 5 or 6 kids total over the length of the program. I was quite excited to be there, though--it was led by the Early Literacy librarian that I raved about earlier, and apparently one of the volunteers knew me and was excited to have me there. Also, my high school friend that I haven’t seen all summer came to visit! It was a wonderful time, where I played cello for the majority of the time for our small audiences. We had a whiteboard with musical notes and staves for the children to learn, an iPad connected to a projector, several percussion instruments (much more than on Tuesday), an out-of-tune guitar, and again several coloring pages and crafts. I tuned the guitar for the parents of some of the kids and briefly interacted with the volunteers, but most of the time I spent sharing my music with those in attendance. The intermittent applause made me so happy--I know these Music Labs will be a consolation and safe, happy place every week.

Friday: Work, work, work, work.

How anybody can expect a man to work on a day of the world cup quarterfinals is beyond me, but alas, I did. While Uruguay lost to France, and Brazil subsequently fell to Belgium, my little Latino heart was crushed--all I could do was check every time I met one of my short-term goals, and then cry a little bit inside. Of course, this all happened during one of the most focused days I’ve had in awhile. I spent the day in my office, and the majority of which I spent editing my proposal drafts. I cross-analyzed the feedback I received from both branch managers I met with as well as my meeting last week with my mentor, and I worked through the holes, weak points, and challenges of each proposal. I did so through going through my extensive notes, annotating my previous drafts, and then changing my drafts to modify my current visions. The meeting where I will present my finished drafts is next Thursday, so I need to have my drafts as revisited and polished as possible for that date. I’m proud of the work I did. I worked efficiently and heavily in preparation to show these re-drafts to my boss during our check-in meeting this afternoon, but alas, she rescheduled last minute to next Monday. This gave me some time to prepare for my Music Labs next week as well as organize myself for other upcoming programs. I also realized I’ll be working next week right after the world cup final--will I be able to survive? Anyways, during my Music Labs this week I mostly played music from my own repertoire--Bach movements, some romantic pieces, etc. I think children will enjoy my playing more if I am playing pieces more relevant to them, so I tried to find pieces they might recognize, like an arrangement of the Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings theme songs. I soon realized, however, that the age range of music lab kids (under 5 or 6) means that they probably wouldn’t recognize these tunes. So, instead, I looked for some recognizable classical tunes--like the Can Can or the Waltz from Sleeping Beauty--instead, alongside songs everyone knows, like Wheels on the Bus and the ABCs. I found a large cache of music and I feel prepared to practice it and have a more personal concert series next week.

What Did I Learn?

I learned the most about programming and library history this week through my interactions with staff, kids, and parents. It was busy and immersive, and I also learned about my own limits, and what I can handle as far as loading myself with programs.

Links: 

My city’s library history: https://history.fcgov.com/visit/library-history 

[lizzybeth1986]

Music Ask - Queen Edition

@callmetippytumbles tagged me on this, stating that she was sure there would be a Queen song for every question on this ask. Well Ima prove her right! 😂

So since they’re all going to be Queen (unless otherwise specified), I’m going to replace band name with album name instead.

1: A song you like with a color in the title:

🎶 White Man🎶 from A Day At The Races

“What is left of your dream?

Just the words on your stone

A man who learned how to teach

Then forgot how to learn"

Part of me loves this song, but part of me is also is uneasy about it. The song is supposed to be from the PoV of an unspecified Native American tribe, speaking of how colonization has destroyed everything they have stood and lived for - but it’s written by a British white man, Brian May - and we have no idea whether he consulted a Native American for this or not. If he hadn’t, or hadn’t gotten consent, it would be him speaking in the voice of the oppressed while still holding the privilege of being White…and that’s a little disturbing. I love the song, and Brian May is my favourite Queen member, but I can’t ignore that this song has problems.

2: A song you like with a number in the title

🎶'39🎶 from A Night At The Opera

For the earth is old and grey, little darling we’ll away

But my love this cannot be

For so many years have gone though I’m older but a year

Your mother’s eyes from your eyes cry to me.

Besides being an ace guitarist, Brian May is also an Astrophysicist with a Doctorate!! xD And this song really shows us his background in that area: it’s fashioned in the song tradition of a sea shanty, but is about outer space and time relativity. I called this "the plot of Interstellar, 39 years before Interstellar”.

3: A song that reminds you of summertime:

🎶Seaside Rendezvous🎶 from A Night At The Opera

One of Queen’s few vaudeville tracks xD

4: A song that reminds you of someone you would rather forget about:

Thankfully I got into Queen loooong after I broke up with my ex. BUT “More than Words” by Extreme and Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing” hit very particular sore spots coz he dedicated them to me AFTER dedicating them to a girl he always had a thing for (long story gah).

5: A song that needs to be played LOUD:

🎶March of the Black Queen🎶 from Queen II

6: A song that makes want to dance:

🎶Don’t Stop Me Now🎶 from The Game

This one was the very first Queen song I actually listened to, and every time I hear it I wind up doing Hana’s happy dance in my seat 😂

7: A song to drive to:

HAHA there are two! One by Roger Taylor and the other from Brian’s first solo album:

🎶I’m In Love With My Car🎶 from A Night At The Opera

This is a song by Roger Taylor, and it’s not really his best (he’s capable of far superior tracks: Tenement Funster, Radio Gaga, These Are The Days of Our Lives, Small), but it garnered a lot of money and royalties by virtue of being the B-Side of Bohemian Rhapsody.

🎶Driven by You🎶 from Back to the Light

This song ended up being used as a theme for commercials for Ford cars in the early nineties, as I recall.

8: A song about drugs or alcohol:

Drugs: 🎶Don’t Stop Me Now🎶 from The Game

I mean, just listen to some of the lyrics! “Floating around in ecstasy”? “Tiger leaping through the sky defying the laws of gravity”? “Travelling at the speed of light”? I personally think the songs about a whole lot more, but you can’t deny the narrator sounds very trippy lol.

Alcohol: 🎶Killer Queen🎶 from Sheer Heart Attack

She keeps Moet et Chandon in a pretty cabinet

Let them eat cake, she says, just like Marie Antoinette…

Not about alcohol really, but it does mention it.

9: A song that makes you happy:

🎶You’re My Best Friend🎶 from A Night At The Opera

So John Deacon wrote this lovely sweet song for his wife, and it’s got the most adorable lyrics ever.

Ooh I’ve been wandering round

But I still come back to you

In rain or shine

You’ve stood by me girl

I’m happy at home

You’re my best friend

10: A song that makes you sad:

🎶Mother Love🎶 from Made in Heaven.

This is spoken of as being the last song Freddie ever recorded before he died, and his vocals are OFF-THE-ROOF powerful here. Two verses are sung by Freddie, and the last is sung by Brian May, who co-wrote the song (because Freddie felt too worn and weak and tired to continue recording, and told Brian he would return and do the rest. He never did). To hear Brian complete the song because Freddie has gone…is quite heartbreaking, actually. I’d definitely recommend everyone listen to this gem.

11: A song that you never get tired of:

🎶Teo Torriatte🎶 from A Day at the Races.

What I love about Queen is how appreciative they are of their overseas fans, esp those who loved them at the very start of their career. Way before Bohemian Rhapsody placed Queen on the map, they had a very devoted fanbase in Japan, and I believe this song was written specially for them. It also appeals to me as a super mushy romantic xD

12: A song from your preteen years:

EVERYTHING PRECEEDS MY PRETEEN YEARS. Okay but definitely this one we heard a lot:

🎶We are the Champions🎶 from News of the World

13: One of your favorite 80’s songs:

🎶Who Wants To Live Forever🎶 from A Kind of Magic

Another Brian May gem. I tend to associate this a lot with my Liam MC, Esther - esp for most of Book 2. It’s a beautiful track and was used as part of the Highlander movie OST.

14: A song that you would love played at your wedding:

We never had wedding dances at our weddings, and Queen is usually not wedding material haha but here’s some songs that would go well!

🎶You’re My Best Friend🎶 from A Night At The Opera

🎶Teo Torriatte🎶 from A Day At The Races

🎶Bijou🎶 from Innuendo

Bijou is very interesting because it was structured as an “inside-out” version of the usual song - there would be instrumental (guitar, in this case) where lyrics would be and lyrics where you would typically find a guitar solo. Haunting.

15: A song that is a cover by another artist:

🎶Goin’ Back🎶 by Larry Lurex

This was the first ever recording we have of Freddie Mercury, under the name of Larry Lurex. The original was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. A sampling of it is used at the very end of Mother Love, as a way of rewinding to the beginning…a symbolic goodbye to Freddie by going back to the first words that sparked his career.

Damn. I’m emotional now. 😭😭

16: One of your favorite classic songs:

Most people would go for 🎶Bohemian Rhapsody🎶 - and for good reason - but I think 🎶Prophet’s Song🎶 from the same album is equally deserving of this. It’s beautiful, has a lot of echoes that make it surreal and ethereal to me, and very power-packed vocals and lyrics.

17: A song that you’d sing a duet to on karaoke:

🎶Love of My Life🎶 from A Night At The Opera.

The fun thing about any Queen concert is that the audience has always been as much participant as spectator. LoML is one of the few ballads that the band used to interact with the audience, who were always ready to sing along. Freddie started this tradition in his live concerts, and Brian carried it on when he and Roger went back to touring as Queen +. To this day, you will always find a Queen audience being as involved in this song as the people on stage. It’s beautiful to watch. No Queen concert is complete without the audience crooning this ballad.

18: A song from the year that you were born:

🎶A Kind of Magic🎶 from the album of the same name (released 1986)

19: A song that makes you think about life:

🎶A Winter’s Tale🎶 from Made in Heaven

This happens to be one of Freddie’s last written compositions, and it’s unbelievably beautiful and dreamy. He had very few months left to live when he wrote this gem of a song, and there’s so much joy and hope and tranquility in it, and the moment you listen you will inevitably feel a sense of peace washing over you. I can imagine sitting by a lake alone in Switzerland, looking out at the sky and the snow, just listening to the song and basking in all it has to offer.

🎶Miracle🎶 from The Miracle

This is also a very hope-filled song, composed by Freddie shortly after he was diagnosed and told he had very little time left. It’s a very idealistic view of the world, but yeah I really like this one too. Just not as much as I like A Winter’s Tale. 😂

20: A song that has many meanings to you:

🎶White Queen (As It Began)🎶 from Queen II

On one level it’s about a girl who cannot see and the boy who loves her. On another I feel like it can also be about the sadness of unrequited love in general, and of an almost-relationship.

21: A favorite song with a person’s name in the title:

🎶Delilah🎶 from Innuendo

This song was about Freddie’s cat. It’s fun xD

22: A song that moves you forward:

🎶Death On Two Legs🎶 from A Night At the Opera

I can be a spectacularly petty bitch sometimes, and this number can be so vicious it satisfies those vengeful, bitchy parts of me lol. A lot of the lines in this song are particularly cutting, and it should be because it was written for someone who was fleecing the band dry in their early days.

23: A song that you think everybody should listen to:

🎶Track 13/Untitled🎶 from Made in Heaven.

Most people might be put off by this track because it’s 22:33 whopping minutes long, and it’s an endless loop of sounds but OMG is it trippy. Mostly a lot of synthetic, loops, Freddie saying words, and this overall ethereal, otherworldly vibe. Most Queen fans interpret this piece as a depiction of Freddie’s journey to heaven, and call it “Ascension”. Kind of like a requiem, a fitting goodbye to Freddie. I can see why. I mean I can always lie down, close my eyes and immerse myself in the tranquility of this track. All 22.33 minutes of it. It’s a strange recommendation, but in my mind a fitting one.

24: A song by a band/group you wish were still together:

🎶The Show Must Go On🎶 from Innuendo.

Queen aren’t together because their frontman passed away, not entirely out of choice 😟 (okay and John Deacon didn’t want to be involved anymore later on). This was written and composed by Brian May, but Freddie really makes this song his own in the singing. The way he hits some of those notes - at that stage in his life - is spine tingling.

25: A song by an artist no longer living:

🎶Lily of the Valley🎶, written by Freddie Mercury from Sheer Heart Attack.

[duvetsandpillows]

George Russell Fluffy A-Z

A = Attractive: what do they find attractive about the other?

Your passion. When you find soemthing your passionate for you will devote as much time as possible too your topic and when you talk about it George can see how happy it makes you.

B = Baby: do they want a family? why/why not?

You two have spoken about it and decided to wait until the time is right but you both know you want to start a family together.

C = Cuddle: how do they cuddle?

He loves to wrap his arms around you and engulf you into a hug, especially after a bad day, being snuggled up with you on the sofa made him deel ten times better.

D = Dates: what are dates with them like?

George likes to plan all sorts of dates; beach days, forest walks, picnics or movie nights. As long as you're together you two are happy.

E = Everything: “you are my ____” (e.g my life, my world…)

You are my angel.

F = Feelings: when did they know they were falling in love?

he knew he had feelings for you when you stayed over for the first time. He's woken up before you and loved the feeling of walking up to you cuddled up into his chest. He ran his fingers through your hair as he watched you sleep. You were breathing softly and you looked like an angel in his eyes and he knew that he wanted every morning to start this way.

G = Gentle: are they gentle? If so, how?

George is one of the most gentle and softest guys out there. He treated you like a queen and always made sure you were happy and comfortable.

H = Hand/Hold: how do they like to hold? how do they like to hold hands?

George loves holding your hand. It's very rare to see the two of you near each other without your fingers intertwined. Not in a possessive or jealous way (though he has had a couple of moments in the past) but more in a comforting way.

I = Impression: first impression/s

You two started as friends being introduced through Lando but he thought you were incredible and Lando would constantly tease George about the fact he was developing a crush for you.

J = Joker: are they into pulling pranks?

You two are constantly playing small pranks on each other, making each other laugh and just generally being idiots together.

K = Kisses: how do they kiss?

In public he generally kisses your cheek or your forehead but you could usually steal a proper kiss at any possible moment. he usually gave gentle kisses but sometimes he would be much more passionate, one hand pulling your hair, other on your cheek, pulling you deeper into the kiss.

L = Love: who says I love you first?

He did. You'd been having a particularly bad day and when George got home he found you vrying in the shower.  He without a second thought climbed in the shower with you, fully clothered, wrapping his arms around you.

"George are you mental?"

"I don't care my love, why are you crying."

After you explained he pressed a long and gentle kiss to your forehead.

"Oh darling I'm sorry. I love you so much and I will help you in anyway I can."

"Y-you love me?"

"More than you could ever imagine."

M = Memory: their favourite moment together

It was one of your lazy mornings, your legs tangled together, his arms wrapped around your waist. He pressed soft kisses to your neck while you ran your fingers through his hair.

"I wish we could stay in bed all day," you muttered before pressing a kiss to the side of his head. He stopped his kisses and looked up at you.

"There's no reason we can’t."

N = Nickel: do they spoil? do they buy the person they love everything?

George would occasion buy you expesive gifts but usually he would send you postcards, which you had a whole shoebox full of in your wardrobe.

O = Orange: what colour reminds them of their other half?

You just about everyday wore the same pair of white trainers that you somehow always kept pristine. He subconsciously starting associating white with you. He began buying you white hoodies to match and would always made sure they were too big for you as he would often tell you that you looked adorable in large hoodies.

P = Pet names: what pet names do they use?

Darling, my love, angel

Q = Quaint: what is their favourite non-modern thing?

You two would love doing arts and craft. Whether that was painting, making sock puppets or pipecleaner crowns you loved the moments you have time to create together.

R = Rainy Day: what do they like to do on a rainy day?

Cuddling up in front of the fine with hot chocolate and either a movie on or music playing in the background.

S = Sad: how do they cheer themselves/each other up

george loves to cuddle whenever he's sad. You two will talk it out to help him feel better and you will offer lots of kisses, which he always accepts.

T = Talking: what do they love to talk about?

He will often talk to you about golf. You didn't know much about it but would always listen to him enthusiastically. you usually filled him in with the latest drama in your tv show, he would sometimes watch it with you but would always be completely lost and end up asking you a million different questions.  

U = Unencumbered: What helps them relax?

You had a tradition of always giving him a back rub after a race or when he got home from one if you hadn't gone with him. "Darling you don't have to..."

"But I want to. You deserve it."

V = Vaunt: what do they like to show off? What are they proud of?

george doesn't show off much but will show you off when he's round the team. Partly to show everyone how amazing you are but also to make sure everyone knows that he is yours.

W = Wedding: when, how, where do they propose?

You two weren't really thinking about marriage at the time. You two were in no rush and you weren't completely bothered about it. A piece of paper didn't define your love for each other.

X = Xylophone: What’s their song?

Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell - Das Racist

Y = You’re the ___ to my ___ (e.g the cookies to my milk, the macaroni to my cheese)

You’re the Taco Bell to my Pizza Hut.

Z = Zebra: if they wanted a pet, what pet would they get?

You have two Cocker Spaniels who ended up having a litter and you tried desperately to convince George to keep them.

"But George they're so cute..."

"I know but darling we can't have seven dogs. Why don't I see if any of the boys want one so you can still see them?"

[recovering-and-healing]

SELF-CARE IDEAS from A to Z

One person’s self-care can be another person’s stress so you need to choose the ones that work for you. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, show up, and never give up.

The ideas are listed alphabetically as this can be a quick and easy way to both brainstorm and plan self-care activities.  You may like to add your own ideas to this list!

A - aromatherapy, art, apps, apple picking, athletics

B - bath, breathing, bike riding, baking, brain exercises, boxing to relieve your stress, buy yourself a present

C - caring for others, caring for myself, call a friend, cooking, chat, cricket, cleaning, count backwards from 100 (Bonus: in a different language), concert

D - dancing, driving, drawing, drumming, draw

E - eating, exercise,

F - friends, fun, focus on what’s happening around you, foster self-forgiveness, find a hobby, flirt, finger paint

G - gardening, gliding, going fishing, going to a movie, get support, go to a friend,  get “me” time, go on dates, get coffee with a friend

H - humour, holding hands, hugs, hopeful

I - imagining, igloo building (someone really did put this!)

J - jokes, joyful activities, journal

K - knitting, kite flying, kisses,

L - loving, laughter, lacrosse, library visits, learning yoga or meditation, listening to quiet and relaxing music, which impacts your heart rate, learn to say "NO”, look at happy pictures

M - massage, meditation, medications, mindfulness, museum visits (free), make a vision board, music

N - novels, new experiences, nanna naps, new project

O - orienteering, opera, origami, organize your room

P - playing, practicing meditation, pets, park visits, plating your favourite sport, practice breathing techniques, pillow fight, painting, play an instrument, practice asking and receiving help, plan a dream vacation,

Q - quiet time, questions, quests

R - reading, relaxation, rogaining, relaxing games, regular medical care, read a self help book, rest

S - shopping, sleeping, swinging, singing, sweeping, swimming, set short term goals, say “YOU ARE GORGEOUS!” to yourself, safe housing, self reflection, stress ball, self-care, self-improvement, show

T - tv, talking, training, take your medications, take time out, taking a bath, tennis, think about positive things, turn off cell phone, think about your positive qualities, take a class, therapy, theater, think of happiness

U - uplifting experiences or people

V - vacuuming, volunteer for a project

W - whistling, walking, watching a DVD, word associating game, create a word from the last letter, work on a new project, watch sunsets, write some letters or cards

X - x-box, xylophone playing

Y - yelling, yoga

Z - Zumba, zoo visits

Source: diverse articles

[ps-yourockmyworld]

i did the music alphabet challenge thing!

@pancakesforamber asked me to do this. i’ll put a read more because this is super long. also this is in response to amber, so that’s why a few of these are directed at her!

okay so i wanna preface by saying this was super hard because some of these aren’t even songs i really listen to anymore, and usually i really like to make playlists with songs that have a similar feel or at least flow together well. this definitely will not! but i think regardless it’s kind of a fun glimpse into the music that’s impacted me throughout my life? also i tried not to repeat artists because that’s no fun, so a few of these include like secondary options but whatever. also also...i just KNOW i’m gonna think of better options for some of these later, but again, whatever!

·         A: an uplifting song miracle by ghost beach. this one was hard for me but i listened to this song a lot when i was trying to get over stuff and it’s a happy song so yeah!

·         B: a song to listen to before you go to sleep whiskey by voxtrot. i don’t really listen to music before i fall asleep, but if i did i’d pick this song because it’s calm and sweet. can a song feel warm? because this song feels warm to me. you’ll have to listen to this one on youtube because i believe this is one of voxtrot’s b-side songs? one of my faves by them though. 

·         C: a song from a soundtrack we’re gonna be friends by the white stripes. i couldn’t think of many songs i listen to that are from movies, but this was in napoleon dynamite back in the day but i think it’s such a cute song!

·         D: a song that reminds me of a fictional character miserable by rodeo church. look, by this point i hope you’ve accepted the only fictional characters that i really think about are my own...i know that’s so vain. anyway, this song reminds me of dominic from wtru given the depressing lyrics but kind of manic energy of the song. 

·         E: a song by a band I’ve seen live in my dreams by eels. i had to include them at least once haha but they were my first ‘real’ band i saw live, and i’m glad it was this way. and this was the song that got me hooked/still one of my favorites so :)

·         F: a song that I’ve used as a ringtone at some point california by phantom planet. uhhh so this is embarrassing: my sister and i used to get super obsessed with shows we didn’t even watch by watching like youtube clips and stuff, and this includes the o.c.  this song is the theme song and i can’t remember if i actually had it as my ringtone at one point or just almost bought it for my ringtone, but it’s the only song ringtone i’ve ever had haha

·         G: a song to party your butts off to desperate measures by marianas trench. there are probably more recent energetic songs to dance around to, but this is my JAM. found this song...freshman year of college? still such a jam though, i love it. 

·       �� H: a song that reminds me of my childhood moonshadow by cat stevens. growing up i listened to a LOT of elton john and cat stevens. but i had to just pick one, and this one reminds me of driving in our family’s car because we had cat steven’s album. 

·         I: a song that gives me butterflies kiss the breeze by sticky fingers. have we talked about this band? one of my favorites, and again, this is the song that made me discover them. weirdly, this band is kind of like a stoner/reggae british band, but this song is so beautiful. i found it right before my england/scotland trip and then proceeded to play it a lot during the trip too, so it reminds me of england. 

·         J: a song by the beatles blackbird by the beatles. i know tumblr hates on the beatles, but i still have a soft spot for them. this is another band i had an obsessive phase with, so i could pick a bunch, but i’ve always really liked blackbird. 

·         K: a song I know all the lyrics to jump into the fog by the wombats. i used to sing this ALL THE TIME in the shower yikes

·         L: an instrumental song claire de lune by claude debussy. i got stuck on this one for a while before remembering my absolute favorite instrumental song. so so beautiful it makes me emotional.  

·         M: a song that hasn’t got a video but I wish it had AHHH okay okay so i was going to reverse this into ‘a song that has a video that i wish it hadn’t’ and send you this video for i like birds by eels BUT the video got DELETED. basically it was this video that a bunch of old ladies in a birdwatching community made, and it was super dorky and i absolutely hated it (but secretly kind of loved it) and i wanted you to see it to hate it with me. but it’s gone now, so i guess now i’m left wishing this song DID have a video...the video of the old women looking for birds </3

·         N: a song by a band I want to see live forgive and forget by the kooks. there are a few bands i still want to see, but the kooks are one of my faves, and of their songs, this is one of my faves. so that answers that!

·         O: a melancholic song calm calm calm yourself by anchor & braille. okay so...this isn’t a sad song. but the thing is i used to listen to it a lot in like high school when i was trying to pull myself out of anxiety attacks and stuff. so now hearing it makes me sad by association, you know? but it’s a nice song otherwise. 

·         P: a song that I’d recommend you based on your blog who’d have known by lily allen. so okay i feel like your music taste consists of a lot more female artists than mine? you may already listen to her, idk, but lily allen was a classic for me and my sister when i was in high school. and this song is adorable. 

·         Q: a song to drive to sit next to me by foster the people. so i’ve wanted you to listen to this song for a while! this is from their new album, but this is potentially my favorite on the album (top 3 at least). but it reminds me of night driving probably more than any other song. 

·         R: a song that I’ve listened to lots of times recently technically this should be something from the new foster the people album BUT i’m gonna go with the man by the killers. super catchy and i love it. 

·         S: a song by a band of your choice holy roller by portugal. the man. okay so...i don’t think we’ve talked about this, mainly because this is super ‘pretentious hipster’, but let me just say that i liked ptm before they became super famous for ‘feel it still’. this was the song that got me hooked. i still remember hearing it during my freshman year of college at american eagle and frantically scrambling to type in lyrics on my phone so i could find it later. ANYWAY let it be known that i knew them before they were cool. 

·         T: a lovesong delicate by damien rice. i don’t know if technically this would be considered a love song? but it’s so beautiful that it feels like falling in love, i think. love damien rice, but again, this is the song that got me into him. 

·         U: a song that reminds me of a fictional pairing I want to belong to you by katie herzig. GUESS WHICH FICTIONAL PAIRING THIS IS ABOUT. JUST FRICKING GUESS ;)

·         V: a non-english song mi ancla by mindy gledhill. this is kind of cheating. i like mindy gledhill, and i love her song ‘anchor’. this is the spanish version. still beautiful and sweet <3

·         W: a song with an amazing music video typical by mute math. this one is super middle school, but to be honest i don’t watch a lot of music videos? and this song is still a jam anyways. basically (or at least the middle school legend goes) this music video was literally filmed entirely backwards. as in the band members had to LEARN THE CHORDS AND LYRICS BACKWARDS so that playing the music video backwards would actually make the song sound right. i’m only now realizing how ridiculous and fake that actually is. still, this music video rocks harder than anything my 13 year old self had ever seen. 

·         X: a cover your song by ellie goulding. you might know this one. i don’t think there’s many covers i like more than the original, but i actually like this one more than the elton john original (which is saying a lot because i like elton john a lot too)

·         Y: a song I’d send to my crush (imaginary, if you don’t have one) wicked game by james vincent mcmorrow. so in reality, i’d never send this to a crush; i don’t think i’d send any song to a crush though? seems kind of creepy. but this song is beautiful and has such a feeling of longing that i guess i associate it with the feeling of having feelings for someone. 

·         Z: a randomly chosen song bloom by the paper kites. okay i’m not sure if this meant i randomly pick a song or if i let a music playing device shuffle and pick a song, but the songs spotify was pulling up for me weren’t good ones, so i made the call on this one haha. anyway, this song is so beautiful. this one reminds me of fall. 

[marumigamer]

A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N.O.P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z all for "The story you will never know"

Nice one, Anon. Nice one... I will answer all of them ONLY for that specific fan fiction. If I can...

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A: How did you come up with the title to "The story you will never know"?

- Most probably we will never know this part of canon, so this title came in my mind.

B: Any of your stories inspired by personal experience?

- Mmmm... Not in this specific fan fiction right now.

C: What member do you identify with most?

- Mmmm... Zeref. Basically because of the curse and Anastascia. That make him feel he’s not worth anything, and a lot of times I feel like that.

D: Is there a song or a playlist to associate with "The story you will never know"?

-  Eh... I normally go random in music, but whne I have to make the lullaby appear, there’s one specific song that I listen in my mind. The healing incantation from Tangled.

E: If you wrote a sequel to "The story you will never know", what would it be about?

- If I tell you it’s spoiler, but the main character would be Larcade or ****. The ones who read my stories will understand.

F: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

- I can’t pick one, because this fan fiction has a lot of internal monologue that is really good.

G: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

- I write them from the start to the end, but I imagine some important scenes at least 3 times before writing them.

H: How would you describe your style?

- Eh... I don’t know. I write too much dialogue and a few descriptions (Only when they are needed).

I: Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)?

- Specifically in this one, when Zeref remembers his worst memory and the curse appears.

J: Write or describe an alternative ending to "The story you will never know".

- It will be... Going through canon a little more than I had planned, and Mavis freeing Zeref from it’s suffering. You will understand later.

K: What’s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with?

- For this fan fiction, Zeref’s past. Really, ask me about it. I would be happy to write that scene that always comes at his mind when the curse releases.

L: How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?

- I don’t revise this one too much. I normally reread my own stories for fun, and it’s when I see the errors. But I would be more careful if someone tells me errors they see.

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you’d care to share?

- Um... I don’t really know...

N: Is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you?

- I want to meet someone who can read minds, so they can help me to write the huge amount of fan fiction I have acumulated.

O: How do you begin a story–with the plot, or the characters?

- Normally they come when I’m imagining random things to make character background.

P: Are you what George R. R. Martin would call an “architect” or a “gardener”? (How much do you plan in advance, versus letting the story unfold as you go?)

- The important scenes are imagined between 3 and 30 times, the filler scenes come as they come.

Q: How do you feel about collaborations?

- I never did one before.

R: Are there any writers (fanfic or otherwise) you consider an influence?

- Um... I think not. I read a lot of books through my life, and I can’t remember all the authors.

S: Any fandom tropes you can’t resist?

- Eh... I don’t know...

T: Any fandom tropes you can’t stand?

- I can’t think in any right now.

U: Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

- I’m not reading too much fan fiction recently... I’m sorry, I have a lot save to read later because of school. I should read them one day now school ended.

V: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

- As I said, I’m not reading too much fan fiction. I don’t know which one.

W: Do you like more general prompts, or more specific ones?

- Depends, but I never used them. Yet...

X: A character you enjoy making suffer.

- Everyone suffers a little in my stories. Even the worst villains.

Y: A character you want to protect.

- Zeref from the time he wasn’t cursed.

Z: Major character death–do you ever write/read it? Is there a character whose death you can’t tolerate?

- I wrote one once. An alternate final for Fairy Tail where Acnologia killed everyone. And another one where Zeref sacrificed himself to save Mavis, Larcade and Natsu.

I talked a lot about Zeref in this answers, but Acnologia is my most special character in Fairy Tail. Because I created a beautiful past for him. I don’t want him to die, even if he’s bad. That’s the problem of loving villains, they always die.