#Rowan I suppose also was used for a bit but definitely not SUPER long

[pineflowerart]

A little sketch of all my DND characters through the years! Very few made it far, but it's cool to see them all together in a row :)

[agentnorthdakota]

4, 7, 8, 14, 17, 22, 24, 26, 31, 33, 34, 44? :3

Thanks Spencer!! uwu ilu <3

Answers under read more b/c long lol

4. how often are you on tumblr? Way too often lol. I check it many times a day, most of which are out of boredom :p

7. can you swim? I can! No, like, 'proper' styles or super well or anything, but I can swim! The last time was like 2 years ago tho and it's way harder than I remembered lol, I think it was easier when I was a kid and much lighter :p

8. have you had water today? uhhhhhh. I. can't recall. the last time I had just normal water. I've never really like the 'taste' of it, and still don't. p much the only time I drink it is if it's summer and I was exercising and am Super thirsty, in which case cold water is great. Otherwise I'm drinking something else, iced tea or juice primarily, I do still try and stay hydrated.

14. do you admire the clouds and color of the sky? Very much!!! Clouds are so pretty and there's so many variations, I absolutely love them. I'm admiring the clouds and/or sky at least once a day.

17. an earliest obsession you remember? Hmmm I mean I'd probably say Pokemon honestly. I had so much Pokemon merch as a kid (and still own much of it in storage boxes), and I'm p sure I had a Pokemon themed birthday one year (probably 2001? 'cause we went to see Pokemon: The Movie 3 in theatres, which would've made me 7).

22. do you have a collection of cool rocks? Heck yeah I do! Primarily ones I've bought from mineral shops. I used to also just have some cool river rocks I found, but I don't think I have any of them anymore.

24. what have you learned about yourself? Gosh this is such a broad question. I love bonding with friends over the same creative hobbies (cosplay, DnD, etc), I love fashion and eccentric clothes and shoes and heels now, especially after top surgery as I get to actually enjoy how they fit me! I'm a slut in theory but not in practice u.u I'm not 100% settled on a sexuality label, but I also don't have to be, sexuality and romantic orientation are fluid and also a spectrum. I have some poor behaviours I picked up from my parents that I'm not proud of. I've definitely improved some quite a bit, but I'm also still wary there's more that I haven't realized or had pointed out.

26. do you believe in aliens? I think the universe is far too unbelievably vast for other life to not exist out there. So in that sense, yes! Same goes for sentient life. But do I believe they've visited Earth, or even our solar system? Nada.

31. have you gotten bit by a dog? Depends on how you'd define 'bit' I suppose? There's only ever been one (or two?) cases in which it was enough to draw blood. Which was shortly after I got Rowan, and I was giving him a chicken treat before leaving for work, and I looked away and he snatched it out of my hand, and accidentally bit my pinky as well as the treat. He defs didn't mean to, and I wouldn't really consider it a bite, myself.

33. a song that gets stuck in your head? Oh boy this varies all the time. Like, daily or multiple times a day. Often I wake up with a song stuck in my head. It's usually just a song I like and have been listening to recently.

34. when you hear “ peace ” what do you think of? I mean, if this were one of those 'answer with your first thought/off the top of you head' things, it would just be the peace sign ☮ Or the two-finger peace sign. More philosophically though, just a beautiful nature view, a river or mountains or something, on a nice day that's not too hot. Beautiful scenery and relaxation.

44. do you collect anything? Yes!! The aforementioned rocks/minerals, and also feathers that I happen to find. And shed antlers that we've found out hunting (tho now that I don't go any more I haven't added to them in years), and some animal skulls and bones~ Oh and dice. As I ponder this question and look up to see my shelves full of Chessex dice lol (I thought I had photos handy but uh. apparently I don't. and my phone's storage is too full to take some whoops)

[charincharge]

Cruel Summer, Part 3

cruel summer masterlist

AN: I’m really sorry I like posting at 1AM, I guess? Same warnings apply. Drinking, swearing, sexual frustration. Excited to hear what you think about this one... 

There are nice neighborhoods in Wendlyn. There are suburbs with sprawling lawns and white picket fences and wraparound porches and two car garages. But Rowan has never seen anything like the Ashryver’s Terrasen summer estate. It took him a full fifteen minutes just to walk up the driveway. He supposed he could have parked on the driveway – he sees most everyone else has, but he’s certain his loud clunker of a truck would have only marred the view.

The house is stunning. It sits on top of a stony cliff that overlooks the North Sea. He cranes his neck up, taking in the mansion. It looks as if it’s four stories tall, and each window has its own personal balcony. The front door is wide open, so he walks through, admiring the high ceilinged foyer. His flip flops clop across the beautiful black and white marble floor, echoing loudly with each step, making him feel more and more self-conscious.

He’s already running extremely late. It took him forever to decide what to wear. Stupid, he knows. But he’s fucking nervous. He’s never been to a party like this. With people like this. He ultimately decided on a t-shirt and board shorts and flip flops – it was a pool party, right? But as he looks around the back patio, at the caterers and full bar, Rowan’s not sure he made the right choice. He looks over his shoulder, desperate for some reassurance from the girl he brought with him for moral support, but can only gape, horrified.

His roommate Manon, has taken off her leather jacket and revealed her outfit underneath – an oversized band t-shirt she’s wearing like a dress, which… barely reaches the tops of her thighs. He knows the t-shirt well, and though it promotes the Beastie Boys innocently on the front, he knows when she turns around, in large yellow block letters it will read: GET OFF MY DICK.

“Fucking A, Man. Put your jacket back on. That is so not appropriate. We’re at my boss’s house.”

Manon flicks a piece of lint off her shirt with her long black polished nails and narrows her eyes at Rowan. “Maybe if we hadn’t just walked four hundred miles down the driveway I wouldn’t be so fucking hot.” She smiles, baring her white teeth from under her dark lipstick. “Anyway, no one’s going to care soon. It’s open bar.”

“I don’t know why I asked you to come to this,” Rowan sighs, running his fingers through his hair. This was a bad idea. Manon isn’t exactly… work friendly, he thinks, as he takes in the ferocious-looking dragon tattoo that wraps itself around her forearm and disappears up her shirtsleeve.

“You couldn’t bear the thought of leaving me alone,” Manon coos, batting her heavily lined eyes at him. “Despite my many protests.”

“You’re a pain in my ass.”

“Don’t fucking slander me like that, Whitethorn. You know I’m the best you’ve ever had.” Manon winks. It’s a joke between them. They’ve lived together now for two years. Manon saved him after a particularly terrible run of bad roommates, and they’ve been cohabitating since. He made the mistake of telling her she was the best roommate he’d ever had one night, and she’s been taunting him about it ever since. Manon loves being the best.

“Yeah, yeah. You’re the best I’ve ever had.” Rowan blows her a kiss, and she pretends to catch it and throw it back at him. He clutches his heart, wounded from her rejection. Though it’s par for the course with the two of them.

A throat clears loudly, and they both turn. Rowan’s boss stands with the one person he wanted to work himself up to seeing today. Aelin looks just as good as she did the last time Rowan saw her — if not better, all warm sun-kissed skin and long wavy hair in an ethereal white dress. Her cheeks are flushed, and her eyes glint with fire. Rowan’s beginning to think that’s just their natural state.

“Lorcan!” Rowan, stutters, unprepared.

Lorcan’s lips tug into a small smirk as his eyes slide over to Aelin. “Aelin, I wanted to introduce you to—”

“Rowan Whitethorn,” Aelin drawls his name and holds out her hand out to shake his.

“I guess your connections came through,” Rowan says with a smile, but it’s not returned, and Rowan feels self-conscious again as he pulls his hand back.

There’s an awkward pause as Rowan wonders what the hell to say next. Aelin doesn’t seem interested in continuing a conversation, and Lorcan isn’t exactly the most amicable guy in the world.

Aelin’s eyes narrow and turn to the girl on Rowan’s right. “Aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend?”

“What?” Completely flustered, Rowan’s forgotten that Manon is beside him. Manon looks at him, annoyed. “Oh. Uh, yeah.” He shrugs. “Sorry. This is Manon.”

“I’ve just been standing here the whole time, you asshole,” Manon chides, and Rowan sends her a warning glare, but she smiles widely and ignores him, holding her hand out to shake hands with Aelin.

“Manon Blackbeak. Thank you so much for having me.” Though Manon sounds sincere, Rowan knows Manon is being anything but. She’s going to be mocking him about this party for days.

Aelin returns her handshake, and gasps upon seeing Manon’s nails — intricate black and white designs on long talon like shapes. Manon says they’re coffin shaped. Because that’s apparently a thing. Rowan shudders. Manon’s nails are the one thing about her that truly frighten him.

“Oh, I love your nails,” Aelin says, admiring them thoroughly. “But it’s such a shame you’ve broken two of them.”

Manon’s amber eyes flash with glee as she gives Aelin a practically feral grin. “Oh, sweetheart, those aren’t broken. I keep those two short on purpose, so I don’t hurt pretty things like you.”

“Jesus, Manon,” Rowan barks out, blushing for Aelin. Watching Manon flirt with the girl he’s had his eye on is enough to send him into an early grave. Rowan scans Aelin’s face for any signs of offense. He doesn’t see any, but feels the need to apologize for his roommate, regardless. “I’m so sorry for her. Honestly.”

Aelin looks confused, her eyes darting between Manon and Rowan at a rapid pace. “…I don’t get it,” Aelin admits, and Manon is about to explain when Rowan cuts her off.

“It’s better that way.”

Manon rolls her eyes and twists her long platinum hair over her shoulder. She preens, admiring her manicure and picks off a nonexistent hangnail before looking back at Aelin. “Something you should know about Rowan is that he’s absolutely no fun.”

“So it seems,” Aelin says, her brow furrowed. Aelin’s demeanor changes in an instant again, giving them a terse smile. “Well, it was nice to meet you, Manon. And to officially meet you, Rowan. Enjoy the party.” And with a flounce of her skirt, she’s gone.

As Rowan watches Aelin disappear back into her house —

“What’s the story there?” Manon asks. “You piss in her cereal or something?” Rowan quirks an eyebrow at Manon, and she laughs. “That girl does not like you.”

Rowan crosses his arms defensively. “Why would she not like me? I’m very likable.”

Manon poked a sharp talon into his arm. “That’s debateable. Regardless, I know you did something.”

“I didn’t do anything!” Rowan can feel the anger swirling around his stomach. There was some fundamental reflex to being disliked that always got the better of Rowan. It wasn’t that he had a compulsive need to be liked, but — okay, maybe it was that a little bit. But also, he hadn’t done anything wrong. And why was he so damn upset about being blown off by a person he’d spoken to just a handful of times?

Lorcan snorts as he finally pipes up. “Aelin’s a handful. Steer clear that drama.”

It’s the most candid Rowan has ever heard Lorcan ever be, so he nods, taking in his warning. Though he’s not a hundred percent sure he’s going to adhere to it.

“Let’s get drinks,” Rowan suggests and Manon follows him willingly. Drinks are definitely an idea she can get behind.

Rowan meets up at the bar with the rest of the Cadre — that’s what the group of his coworkers has named their text thread. He’s not exactly close with any of them yet, but it was nice to be added to the group chat. Fenrys and Gavriel are already wet from the pool and the twins, Connell and Vaughan, pass around beers to everyone.

Rowan’s taken his first swig of beer when he realizes he’s lost Manon along the way. He finds her mid-conversation with Elide, one of the other Playland managers. Rowan isn’t super familiar with the petite girl, and he’s shocked to see that his roommate is.

“You found a friend,” Rowan says, handing a beer to Manon.

“Manon was my Resident Advisor my freshman year at University of Terrasen. Can you believe that?” Elide squeals. “She was the absolute coolest. She always let me sleep on her couch when my roommate kicked me out for slutty sleepovers.” Elide leans into Manon’s side, and Rowan expects the cold, white-haired girl to shake her off, but she doesn’t. She shocks the hell out of Rowan and wraps her arm around Elide’s shoulders and squeezes her, looking down at her with a fond smile. A small pang of jealousy blooms in Rowan’s stomach. He didn’t expect Manon to have her own friends at this party. She was here to be his support. Which he obviously, desperately needs. He’s floundering here.

As Rowan tunes in and out of Elide and Manon’s conversation, giving the appropriate mhms and wows, his eyes wander the patio, searching for the blonde who disappeared on him earlier. He can’t shake her dismissal. He wants to talk to her. Know what’s behind those blue and gold eyes of hers. Know why the hell she walked away from him. He spots her by the pool. She’s reemerged from the house with her hair tied up in a messy bun, wearing only a white bathing suit and freshly painted bright red lips. Rowan can’t help but stare as she slowly makes her way into the pool, the water rising until it hits right at her chest. It’d be indecent if the swimsuit weren’t so modes. The girl certainly knows how to command attention.

“Rowan.” Manon snaps her long claws in front of his face.

“Hm?” Rowan brings his attention back to his evilly grinning roommate.

“I asked if you wanted to get into the pool,” Manon says, her eyebrow raised.

“Uh, yeah. Sure.”

Manon raises up onto her tiptoes and whispers into Rowan’s ear. “Think she’d be down for a threesome? She is fire.”

Rowan’s cheeks heat as he pushes Manon away. “Stop that.”

Manon grins. “But you’re so easy to rile up.”

Rowan finds a free chair for their things and strips off his t-shirt, and Manon does the same. He sighs upon seeing Manon’s black mesh strappy bikini, which looks more like lingerie than swimwear, showing off the artwork inked all over her body. Not that he can talk. He has his own tattoo, which runs up his chest and down his back.

As they make their way towards the pool, Rowan pauses. Aelin is in the pool with another man. He’s pale with floppy brown hair, and Rowan can tell he’s a rich kid just by looking at him. Their hands are all over each other. Aelin smiles and lets him kiss her cheek as she hoists herself onto his back.

“Uh ohhh,” Manon drawls. “Looks like Barbie’s already got herself a Ken.”

Rowan elbows her in the ribs. Perhaps a little harder than intended. Manon scowls at him. “I’m never taking you as a wingman anywhere ever again,” Rowan grits out.

“Ahah! So you admit it. I am here as a wingman because you have a crush on the boss’s daughter.”

Rowan flicks his pine green eyes at Manon. He doesn’t have to confirm anything. Manon has figured him out. So what? He thought Aelin was cute, and yeah, he thought maybe today would be a good opportunity to talk to her again. Get to know her a little better. Maybe start a friendship. Maybe more. Who knows? But it looks like that’s not in the cards. The dismissal was her way of letting him down easy. She’s already involved. Whatever. It’s better this way, Rowan thinks to himself. This way he won’t put his job at risk. Or his heart. It’s fine. He doesn’t know anything about the girl other than how good she looks in a bathing suit. He’ll get over it. He’s sure of it.

Except he doesn’t. The rest of the day is torture. Aelin avoids his gaze, shifting away from him at every opportunity. And it drives him absolutely insane. She splashes around the pool with her cohort, whose name he overhears is Dorian. He swears if he hears her shout out “Dor!” with unbridled affection one more time, he’s going to crack his teeth by how hard he’s grinding them. He tries to distract himself by racing with the Cadre, who’ve taken up the entire deep end, but he tires quickly.

Water-logged and exhausted from the sun, Rowan pulls himself out of the pool. He leaves Manon in Elide’s company and tells her he’s going for a walk. Rowan needs to clear his head. He grabs another beer and heads down the walkway to the beach. There’s something about the salt air and the sand that soothes him. Rowan walks a ways down, admiring the row of mega mansions that overlooks the water, though he can’t help but feel like even more of an outsider than he already is. He does not belong in this neighborhood. By the time Rowan makes his way back to the Ashryvers’ the sun is halfway dipped into the horizon, and dusk is upon them.

He finds a side gate to the house and makes his way through it, surprised that it leads to a beautiful rose garden. Vines crawl and wind themselves around arched trellises creating a magical canopy of flowers. His mom would love this garden. He sits to take a picture for her when the garden lights turn on, lighting the flowers with delicate twinkle lights, giving the garden an ethereal glow.

Rowan’s phone buzzes with a text from Manon. People are leaving. Where u at, bitch?

He laughs to himself and texts her back quickly. Be right there. Just paused to take a pic.

Loser.

Rowan ignores Manon’s reply and snaps another photo of the garden. He wishes he had his real camera and not just his camera phone to capture the light of the garden, but he thinks he manages to take an okay snap of the lit roses with the fading sun over the ocean in the background.

He’s about to head back to the patio when he hears a voice from overhead call out, “Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou, Romeo?”

He looks up, and sure enough, Aelin is dramatically leaning over her balcony, hand placed over her brow, as if she were searching through the crowds for her paramour.

Rowan is positive she doesn’t see him in the dusky twilight, so he chuckles somewhat loudly and gives her a short wave to get her attention.

Aelin straightens up immediately, her posture suddenly rigid with tension. “Oh, shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t see anyone out here.”

“I figured,” Rowan says, running his hands through his hair, a nervous habit of his. He spots a silhouetted shadow emerging from behind Aelin and smiles sadly. “By the way, I think your Romeo is behind you.”

Confused, Aelin turns, and sure enough Dorian appears next to her. He pulls her into his arms, and Rowan’s heart gives a small sad tug as he watches Dorian spin Aelin and lower her into a low dip. His footsteps feels heavy as he walks away and hears her peals of laughter ring out into the slowly encroaching darkness.

~*~*~*~*~

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[nightwingshero]

OC Interview

I was tagged by @ja-crispea thank you, love!

Name: Wren Marie Blake

Are you single: Nope. I’m with John Seed.

Are you happy: *laughs* Overall, I suppose.

Are you angry: Uhm...I mean, I’m not...I’m not normally an angry person per se. I think...I have a lot of unresolved emotions that just kind of build up over time, and I’ve just never really dealt with them. Which explains the drinking and self-harm issues. But I guess, with how everything hit the fan and with all the violence, it just turned into anger. So, in a way, maybe I am angry. I don’t know. Next question?

Are your parents still married: Super tempted to do the whole Batman thing, you know, the “my parents are dead!” dramatic bit? But my mother died when I was young and my father died a before I moved to Hope County. So, no, I suppose they aren’t. 

Nine Facts

Birthplace: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Hair color: Black

Eye color: Blue green, though mostly green. They change sometimes. 

Birth date: June 24th, 1989...yeah, I’m a Cancer. I know that matters to some people, so...

Mood: Hmmm. A bit energetic, I had a Monster this morning. Other than that, I guess I’m at ease a bit. Generally happy. 

Gender: Female

Summer or winter: Honestly, neither. I prefer Spring and Fall. But if I had to choose one, summer. I love the cold, but I like to swim more. 

Morning or afternoon: Afternoon. I’m not a morning person. It takes me too long to just get started on my day. 

Eight things about your love life

Are you in love: I don’t know how he did it, but yes, I’m in love.

Do you believe in love at first sight: *laughs* My future husband and I tried to kill each other the first few times we met...I think that one answers itself, hun.

Who ended your last relationship: Okay, this is awkward. He did. I was...having an affair with my college professor who, surprise, was married. He broke it off when, another surprise, I ended up pregnant. So....yeah. 

Have you ever broken someones heart: Maybe, I think so. 

Are you afraid of commitment: Yes and no. I want commitment and to be loved, but I guess I’m just scared of being abandoned, you know? Makes it a bit hard to open up to people when you’ve had bad experiences doing so in the past. 

Have you hugged someone in the last week: Sure. John, that’s a no brainer. Adelaide, Rowan, Jacob does this side hug thing, so I’m counting that. 

Have you ever broken your own heart: Guilty as charged. I started a fight with John when things started to get serious because I was falling in love with him, and was afraid he was faking everything just to get me to join. So...yeah. Looking back, if I would’ve just talked with him, maybe things would have been a bit different. 

Six Choices

Love or Lust: Love, for sure. Don’t get me wrong, Lust is definitely one of my sins, and its a lot of fun. But I value love over it, for sure. 

Lemonade or Iced Tea: Tea, I really love the taste of it.

Cats or Dogs: Cats. Peaches is a badass, and I love how independent cats are.

A few Best friends or Regular Friends: Best friends. I’m fine with a small circle. I’m introverted anyways. 

Wild night out or romantic night in: *laughs* Yeah, I’m an introvert. A wild night sounds...terrible. Romantic night in, hands down. John is also super good at making a romantic dinner. I wouldn’t pass that up for anything. 

Day or night: Night, for sure. It’s fun to swim, watch the stars, and the view of Holland Valley by the YES sign at night? Gorgeous! But most importantly, that’s the best time to watch a scary movie.

Five Have You Evers

Been caught sneaking out: Never. My father kept me on lockdown a lot of my life, so I never really...did much of anything. 

Fallen Down/Up the Stairs: I’ve slipped down the stairs from not paying attention. John makes me use the railing on a daily basis now. 

Wanted someone/something so badly it hurt: Oh god...you have no idea. 

Wanted to disappear: *sighs* Yeah, unhealthily so.

Four preferences

Smile or eyes: *sighs heavily* Oof, that’s a tough one. I love both. I would say eyes. They’re the windows to the soul and all that. 

Shorter or taller: I’m 5′4. I definitely prefer taller, and its not hard, honestly. Sharky makes fun of me all the time. 

Intelligence or Attraction: I mean....the more intelligent you are, the more attractive you are to me, so I don’t really think it matters? But I value intelligence any day. I love having deep conversations. 

Hook up or Relationship: Relationship. I get too emotionally attached, and I just can’t do it. 

Family

Do you and your family get along: Uhm, before my mom died, we were super close. My dad and I hated each other, even though I constantly sought his approval. I get along pretty good now with my in-laws. And my friends and I are really close, too.  

Would you say you have a messed up life: *scoffs* Where would you like me to begin?

Have you ever ran away from home: No, I didn’t have the courage to try that with my dad. I left as soon as I turned 18, though. 

Have you ever got kicked out: No, my dad had a major control issue. I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere and he always wanted me under his thumb. Which is why I left as soon as I could. 

Friends

Do you secretly hate one of your friends: No, why would I? What’s the point of being friends if you hate them? *laughs* kinda defeats the purpose, don’t you think?

Do you consider all of your friends good friends: Absolutely. I chose my friends very carefully, and they’re amazing people. 

Who is your best friend: Rowan and Adelaide. They’ve always been there for me no matter what, and Addie has stuck by me from the very beginning. I love them both. 

Who knows everything about you: *laughs* Oh, that’s easy. John for sure. John knows me like the back of his hand, and vice versa. We don’t keep anything from each other.

Tagging: @chazz-anova @fadedjacket @joeyhxdson @xbaebsae @seedlingsinner @returnofthepd3 @shallow-gravy

[hazyheel]

Money in the Bank 2019 Predictions

Money in the Bank has suffered from a pretty lackluster build for the most part. The ladder matches really don’t feel like that big of a deal, and the wildcard rule has made everything confusing. But, the card looks pretty good on paper, so lets see who will win on sunday, shall we?

First up, we have Elias vs. Roman Reigns. This is basically a surrogate match for Shane vs. Roman at Summerslam or some other show, because Elias doesn’t have that huge of a problem with Roman. Elias was supposedly the biggest acquistition in Smackdown history, and Roman upstaged him by also being drafted. So he is pissed about that. But mostly, Elias is just Shane’s crony right now. So, as such, Roman can and should win here, because the only other place that this feud could go is a No DQ match with a guitar shot in there. Should be an alright match, unless Elias really turns on the gas, in which case it could be great. But I’m not getting my hopes up.

Next, Shane Mcmahon vs. The Miz in a steel cage match. This feud has stretched back a while, and it was really well built. Miz was in the finals of the world cup tournament back at crown jewel last year (ew.) Miz got hurt during the match, and for some reason, Shane was allowed to fill in for him. Shane ended up winning, and he became the best in the world. So, Miz started to hero worship Shane, and wanted to tag with him to make his dad proud. So they tagged together, won the tag team championships at the royal rumble, lost them at elimination chamber, and failed to get them back at Fastlane. During fastlane, Shane turned heel and beat him up. So, Miz challenged him to a falls count anywhere match at Wrestlemania, where Miz’s dad got invovled and Shane beat him up. Shane beat him after Miz delivered a superplex off of some scaffolding and like twenty feet down, and Shane just happened to roll onto Miz. So, Miz was pissed, and kept beating up Shane for a few weeks, and eventually challenged him to a steel cage match. And that is where we are now. I don’t know if the feud will continue, but Miz needs his win back. Its a fun stip, but I doubt its the end of the feud. This could be fun, but idk. I didn’t expect to like their Falls Count anywhere match so much, and I really did, so maybe this will be good too.

So now its Ariya Daivari vs. Tony Nese for the WWE Crusierweight Championship. Daivari was just sorta thrown into a #1 contender match against Oney Lorcan and got the win to qualify, but the story has been okay. He and Nese are really trying to get into each other’s head, and Nese seems to have the edge. They both have been saying things like, “I could have attacked you, but I didn’t. Just know that.” Either way, Nese just won the belt, so he should retain here to be a good champion. Daivari is undefeated in 2019, but that is a streak that I am willing to sacrifice. Should be pretty good, but not a show stealing cruiserweight performance. 

Then we have Daniel Bryan and Rowan defending their smackdown tag team titles against the Usos. The Hardy’s had to vacate the belts, and Shane was gonna just give them to Bryan and Rowan, but the Usos came out to say that they wanted a shot. Usos lost, Bryan and Rowan are champions. The Usos feuded with Rowan and Bryan a bit for like a week, and now we have this match for the pre show. So not a spectacular build, and the fact that the Usos are a Raw team confuses me, and I hate the wildcard rule. Either way, Bryan and Rowan should retain, and this could be good. But still, weird that a Raw team is challenging for the Smackdown belts.

Next is Samoa Joe vs. Rey Mysterio for the United States Championship. They had a match that was unfortunately cut short at Mania, with Joe winning quickly. They had a rematch a few nights later, which Rey won, and then celebrated with his son. Joe intimidated his son backstage a bit, and now we have this match. So, Joe probably should retain here, and this should be a great match, but that is weird and lazy storytelling. 

Into the first of Becky’s matches, Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair for the Smackdown Women’s Championship. This feud has stretched back a while, but this latest chapter only concerns Wrestlemania. Lynch pinned Ronda Rousey in a match that was for both the Raw and Smackdown Women’s Championship. So Charlotte lost her belt without being pinned, and she wants a rematch. She beat a couple people to get there, and the rematch is happening. I think this will be a long match, but Becky is gonna still win here. But she will be brutalized. I hope this is a good match, and I think it will be, but if it is booked the way I think it will be, then it could kinda flop.

So after that, Lynch defends her Raw Women’s Championship against Lacey Evans, in her first pay per view singles match. Evans just was inserted into this spot, and she doesn’t quite belong here. But she is talented, so this push isn’t super unwarranted outside of kayfabe, but in kayfabe, this doesn’t make much sense. I think Lynch will win this by the skin of her teeth. She will be battered from a much more competitive match with Flair, and will get beaten a lot by Evans, but still pull out a roll up. If that is how it goes, then this will probably suck. But if they choose to make it competitive, then there is no reason for it to be bad.

For the WWE Championship, its Kofi Kingston vs. Kevin Owens. Owens came back from injury as a babyface, and replaced Big E in the New Day while he was injured. That lasted a week, because he attacked both Kingston and Xavier Woods. He says that Kingston was never supposed to get to the WWE Championship, and that he will be torn down. I like this build, but I think it is happening a tad early. Unless big E is coming back soon, Owens should have stayed in the New Day until Summerslam. If it was a bigger pay per view, I would think Owens would win. But it’s right after Mania, and Kingston only has 2 defenses so far, neither on pay per view, so I think that he will retain. I don’t know if this is the end of the feud, but I could definitely see Owens beating Kofi for the belt. It could be here, this is a tough match, but I’m going with my gut. I think this will be a very good match though.

The last of the championship matches, Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles for the Universal Championship. AJ beat Rey Mysterio and Samoa Joe in a triple threat, and then Baron Corbin in a singles match to qualify for this. Their feud is pretty simple: Styles doesn’t feel like Rollins has enough respect for him. So, AJ attacked him one week, and then abandoned him during a tag match on another. AJ has justified his actions so far, and done it pretty well, but this is heading towards a heel turn. I think Rollins wins this match, and then AJ turns heel. If they want to be smart about it, he should turn heel, but not get another match until Summerslam. This is a huge match, and there is no reason to be doing it right now. I am sure this will be match of the night, and I’m really trying not to get my hopes up, but the smark inside of me is so happy that I get to see this. 

Into the ladder matches, it’s Natalya vs. Dana Brooke vs. Naomi vs. Bayley vs. Mandy Rose vs. Ember Moon vs. Carmella vs. Nikki Cross for the Women’s Money in the bank briefcase. There is a little bit of story here, but not a whole bunch. In the real world, Sasha Banks has refused to come to work since losing the tag titles, so Dana Brooke replaced her in this match. As for kayfabe, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville are on their way to splitsville, and Mandy just cost them a tag match last week. So i could see Deville turning on her partner in this match, costing her the briefcase, and then they can have a nice midcard feud. It sucks to lose such a great women’s tag team, especially when we need them, but it’s coming. Also, Bayley has been pissed that she hasn’t had many opportunities at singles gold in forever, so that’s happening. For me, this is between Bayley and Mandy, because no one else has any momentum. Naturally, this thing fits best on a heel, but Mandy may be turning face soon. And she is literally the only heel, unless they forgot what Dana Brooke was again. I’m going to go with Bayley, because she really does deserve something for singles competition, and this is how you get her back there. My heart says Ember Moon, but I’d also be happy with Bayley. The talent is present for this match, but not much of the momentum.

And lastly, for the men’s money in the bank briefcase, it is Sami Zayn vs. Ricochet vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Baron Corbin vs. Ali vs. Finn Bálor vs. Andrade vs. Randy Orton. Another match without much story though. Zayn beat Strowman for the spot on Raw last week, so that will definitely factor into the match. McIntyre and Corbin are kinda friends sometimes. Andrade is currently feuding with Balor (the IC Champion), while Orton is feuding with Ali. So, this match has a lot of candidates. but I’ll go through who won’t win. Zayn will definitely be taken out by Strowman, so then they will feud. Orton and Ali have their own thing going on, and both of them don’t have too much upward momentum right now. Ricochet is too new, and is only in this match because he does flips. Balor is the IC Champion, and he still needs to cement himself in that role. So that leaves us with McIntyre, Andrade and Corbin. Corbin has won before, so I don’t think he will win, but given how much the company loves the fact that the fans legitimately hate Corbin, they might do it to be dickheads. So that leaves me McIntyre and Almas. I think that Andrade needs this win a bit more, because McIntyre is a beast, so he can get to the world championship without the briefcase. Andrade can too, but it would take a bit longer. Plus, if Andrade gets the briefcase, then he has a reason to lose his feud with Balor over the IC championship. It just seems to work the best for everyone. I think that this match should be really good to great, because these ladder matches tend to be, and there is a lot of talent here. 

All in all, I am looking forward to the show. The build hasn’t been great, but ladder matches are one of the best stipulations in wrestling, and the Money in the Bank Briefcase is an awesome and exciting concept. Plus, there are a couple great matches on the undercard as well. Hopefully WWE pulls there stuff together for the stories though, because before I started writing this I really didn’t care much. Here’s hoping for a fun show.

[marvel-broke-my-heart]

hi :))

1. my friend taylor told me she was trying to shift and so i was curious and she told me our friend rowan got her into it so i asked rowan about it and she told me her shifting experience and i got super excited!!!

2. none, haven’t shifted yet :/

3. i started about a year ago. tried january-february and a little bit into march before taking a break that was only supposed to last a little bit… started up again last month

4. i made myself a little blueprint of my bedroom in the avengers compound to help me visualize! i find the more detailed my visualizing is the more symptoms i experience

5. at first it was about getting into a relationship lol, but now i have a bf here in my CR and i’m very happy with him, so now it’s really just about getting to experience my fav books/movies/shows for myself!! having cool powers!! making new friends!! :D

6. MCU, LEGO Ninjago, httyd:rtte

7. still working on finding a consistent routine. as of late:

1.get all ready for bed

2.listen to music pertaining to my DRwhile going thru my DR pinterest boards; for my MCU DR i have ones for my wardrobe/clothing style, bedroom elements, and general aesthetic

3.read my script while still listening to music pertaining to my DR

4.meditate. still working on the details of this aspect bc i keep switching up meditations but generally 10-15 mins

5. put on a subliminal and attempt to shift

8. my friend rowan. she sent me this “shifting note” with background info on shifting, scripting suggestions, meditation and subliminal links and more.

9. my script are pretty long and extensive. i use google docs and make it all pretty and print them out. i’m a bit of a perfectionist lol so my scripts are usually several pages long, separated into sections such as “About Me,” “Shifting Conditions,” “Character Changes,” “Health,” “Appearance,” “Talents/Abilities,” “Relations,” “Living,” “Desired Reality Entry,” and “Affirmations,” with affirmations tailored specifically for that script.

10. “My comfort character is Bucky Barnes” :)

(i’ll give you another- “I can shapeshift into different animal forms”)

11. one finished; five still being edited and changed

12. (MCU DR) myself, but an animal shapeshifter. a year or two older, a few inches taller, more confident and athletic and happy.

12.5. i script myself mostly as i am in my CR, so yes, definitely weaknesses lol

13. the EFFORT it takes

14. technically i haven’t yet, but getting to experience things that are impossible in my CR. just having control over how my life turns out, i guess.

15. (MCU DR) i’m an avenger animal shapeshifter. bestfriends with bucky and loki, as well as very close with steve and nat, with peter as a younger brother figure. we mostly just chill, train a bit with the occasional mission. at least, that’s how i picture it. (Ninjago DR) action!!! i basically am just imputing myself into season 4 the tournament of elements as a new elemental master, and just experiencing the whole tournament and becoming friends with the ninja. (httyd:rtte DR) same idea as my Ninjago DR; basically inputting myself into the events of the race to the edge tv series as a dragon rider and hanging out with vikings and dragons😄

16. (MCU DR) i’m letting the universe pick! i’m happy with my CR boyfriend so they universe can choose whether or not i get a S/O in my DR

17. don’t have one since none of them have been working for me :/

18. raven method. hasn’t worked for me :/

19. i’m not sure, actually!

20. also not sure…

1.she/her

1.5. straight. i think. probably. maybe…

2. i’m a libra! leo moon and rising aquarius

3. favorite color light purple!!

4. currently obsessed with the encanto soundtrack. otherwise my music taste is a mix of indie pop (?), 80’s rock and musical theatre. so: let go by lynnea m, back in black by ac/dc, and sunday in the park with george from sunday in the park with george sung by annaleigh ashford

5. i love to sing and write! i also play soccer :)

6. there’s this one my boyfriend told me once but i can’t remember the name of it!

7. taken <3

8. oops- i already said lol. idk, it’s just really pretty!!

this was super fun!!! @bones-shifts

Shifting Ask Game!

An excuse to talk about stuff!  Shifting 1- What made you start shifting? 2- Weirdest experience?  3- How long have you been trying?  4- Any general advice? 5- What is the important thing about shifting? 6- Where are you going?  7- What is your usual routine? 8- Best resources? 9- How do you script? 10- Give me a line from your script! 11- How many scripts do you have? 12- What is your DR self like (specify DR name; I’ll list my DRs in the tags)? 12.5- Do you script weaknesses in your DR or do you make everything perfect? 13- Least favorite part about shifting? 14- Favorite part about shifting? 15- Tell me about your DR (specify DR name; I’ll list my DRs in the tags)! 16- Tell me about your DR S/O (specify DR name; I’ll list my DRs in the tags)! 17- Favorite method? 18- Least favorite method? 19- What do you wish you’d known before starting shifting? 20- Unpopular opinion on shifting?

Personal 1- Pronouns 1.5- Sexuality 2- Star signs 3- Tell me a random fact about yourself! 4- Favorite song 5- Tell me about one of your interests! 6- Give me a poem! (doesn’t matter if it’s one you’ve written or one you found cool) 7- Relationship status 8- Favorite color and why? Also an invitation to tell me how you perceive me (on anon or not)–I’m kinda curious now jsfdkls Also also anyone doing this has a right to say in the tags what questions they will not answer; you are not obligated to answer anything if you don’t want to.

[phoebemartellcrawford-blog]

Welcome to the jungle

Not sure where to even begin with this one. I just got back from a week in the Amazon Rainforest and it was the most incredible experience of my entire life. We left early Monday morning to catch our 8:20 am flight where we flew to Coca, Ecuador where we got on a boat on the Napo River. After about an hour we made our way to a bus on the Maxus Road which is within the Amazon Rainforest, but also within a number of oil reserves and indigenous communities. We stopped along the way at a home of an indigenous family who was selling bracelets, necklaces, etc. We continued along the road where trees had been cut down and there were clear signs of oil companies that had moved in a number of years before. Finally, we got to another boat and headed down the Tiputini River for about two hours until we arrived at our station which was far out in the jungle. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. All the noises were bugs or birds (sometimes mammals) and it was so separate from the world I forgot immediately that there were actual things going on out there. There was only electricity on the camp for 6 hours a day, 10am-1pm and 6:30pm-9:30pm and there was absolutely no wifi or service. The first day we got there we had a brief orientation and then had some downtime before dinner. A couple of my friends and I went swimming in the river for a little bit (I accidentally peed a little when I laughed and you’re not supposed to pee in the Amazon river because there is a little parasite fish that goes up your pee stream so I got kinda nervous and got out because I wasn’t about to get a parasite on my first day). After dinner we went for a night hike and of course the first thing we saw was this long ass snake on a tree right near my cabin. It was a harmless snake and some people held it but I stayed a solid couple arm’s lengths away from that bad boy. After the night hike we went to bed because, well, no electricity makes for early nights.

On Tuesday we went for a really long hike in the morning to a lake where our guide took us out on a canoe. After about thirty minutes canoeing around the lake and looking for wildlife Jose (our guide) stopped us in our tracks and said he saw an anaconda. Sure enough, about 10 feet away deep in the bushes was a big ole anaconda. We sat and watched him for 20 minutes, and it was definitely watching us too. It moved its head to get closer to us and get a better look, wiggling its little tongue at us. It was a surprisingly calming experience watching the anaconda. I really hate snakes and the thought of actually seeing one before I got there freaked me the f out, but we were just silently observing the dude and he was silently observing us and we were all going to be alright and it was fine. We finally made our way back once we were starting to get a little uneasy watching the anaconda and finished our hike by having to tread through the river. Because of the rain the river was 3meters higher than normal so the bridges we had to cross were completely submerged. Standing in the water after seeing an anaconda wasn’t IDEAL necessarily but I made it back. We went out for another hike later that day when it was beautiful and sunny but a rain storm quickly moved in while we were in the forest and the trees were going nuts. One huge branch flew from the sky and almost took out my friend Brady. We had to hustle on back home.

On Wednesday we had a solo observation where we were placed in the woods alone and had to chose something to study and write about for an entire hour. I chose a dead tree with a bunch of mushrooms growing on it but there is only so much you can write about mushrooms and eventually 5 tamarin monkeys crashed through the trees above me. Right before we went into the woods my professor explicitly said not to go monkey chasing but I mean they were SO CUTE I had to. I didn’t get lost though don’t worry. 

Thursday was probably one of the Top 5 days of my life. We started the morning at 5:30 with a walk up to the canopy tower to watch the sunrise. It was a pretty grey and misty morning, but it was still amazing to be on top of the Amazon Rainforest watching as day broke through and all of the animals woke up (or went to sleep for the nocturnal homies out there). After the sun rose, we walked down to the salt lick where animals go to clean themselves/eat some minerals. We sat there quietly for 30 minutes and after about 20 we smelled some peccaries (Amazonian pigs) and then heard them close by. I had developed a cough recently and coughed shortly after smelling the stinky guys and they got scared of me and ran away. We then walked to this place with a bunch of dead plants except for one tree and Jose opened up the tree and there were a bunch of little tiny ants and he told us to eat them and they tasted like lemons. Then there was a bush that he cut and we could paint our fingernails with it so basically we had a spa day in the middle of the amazon #spoiled. After the hike we had some downtime so I took a nap in a super nice hammock then we had lunch then got to play soccer with the workers of the station which was sooooo fun. They couldn’t pronounce my name so apparently they were calling me “Hebe” when they would pass me the ball and I wasn’t paying attention so I let them down a lot because I just definitely did not get the ball. Then we went on a float down the river. We were given life jackets and told to jump off the boat (mind you this was RIGHT AFTER we went piraña fishing) and float for an hour back to the station. The entire float we just sang songs like a bunch of idiots and laughed a lot (didn’t pee this time!!!!) and had an incredible and magical time being swept away by the current. Before dinner a couple friends and I hiked back up to the canopy to watch the sunset. It was such a moving experience getting to watch the sun fall under the canopy and disappear into the trees. The sky turned red and then eventually black and the forest grew quiet. Once we climbed down (28 flights of stairs) we had a nice big group hug and started on back to camp. I’m kind of a sucker so as we were walking and talking about how lucky we all are I started crying (happy tears) and was quickly engrossed by another group hug. Just felt so lucky and blessed to be surrounded by amazing people in an amazing place. After dinner we ended the night by playing a competitive game of spoons with the workers of the station. One worker showed us a picture of a 24hour snake he had found a couple days ago so that was less than ideal. (24 hour snakes are snakes that bite you and then you’re dead in 24 hours soooo... nice.) 

We left on Friday feeling so lucky, and happy and humbled to have had that experience. It was humbling because I was really shown the things that matter in life. There are things out there bigger and far more important than the every day little things we stress about- things like the loss of habitats for biodiversity or species going extinct- things that are going to affect us and things that are being affected right now. The world is a really big place, but its also so beautiful and its so important but I’ll get off my soap box now because I could definitely get preachy.

Our flight back to Quito was booked for Friday, so we had to spend the night in Coca where we weren’t allowed to leave the hotel. It turned out to be a nice hotel and we left at 12:30pm on Saturday so it wasn’t too bad. Saturday night I got to see Rowan and then we spent all day today (Sunday, January 28) at La Carolina park which is huge and fun and beautiful. We went to the botanical garden and learned about trees and flowers native (and not native) to Ecuador. Then there were food tents set up so we go some food, hung out in the hammock and just chilllllllllllled. It was a really great ending to a really great week.

I do have an essay that I am avoiding writing (I only have 50 more words yet can’t seem to bring myself to write them) so I’m signing off for now! 

[nuudoodles]

hi i love your art style! and your dnd characters are so cute, can you tell me more about them?

!! thank you, im glad you enjoy them ´ v`

Misko Kiirasilmä was my first ever ttrpg character, a wizard made in Age of the Tempest. I… didnt really expect him to become a serious character he sort of started as a walking bear joke (his name essentially means bear bear, etc), but currently hes like my #1 dearest child. He was a herbalist/healer before he briefly got into the adventuring business, hes caring, fiercely protective of those around him and very outgoing, to a point some would consider it annoying. Hes also got a husband and a kid :3c

Kalmari…. is definitely not a serious character. He was made for a one-off sci-fi comedy game in Risus. Hes s squid, technically his name is Humboldt (unrelated to the other squid called humboldt i drew a while ago, im just shit at coming up with names on the spot so i went with the easy one) but i guess thats more a surname and everyone just calls him Kalmari. Hes an old space pirate, a struggling author and a conspiracy/UFO theorist (yes, even though the game takes place in space with literal aliens). Hes a bit cranky and takes himself and his job very seriously.

Amar Das is a mechanic from India, made for a victorian fantasy-steampunk campaign in Savage Worlds. In the game hes kinda freelancing for a branch of englands secret service in charge of the more… out there cases with supernatural elements or like, villain technology (?? idklmao), but he served in the army as an airship mechanic for a few years before that. And he REALLY loves machinery and airships especially. Hes not super sociable but is very driven and a “im going to fucking do this” type of person, and like, super hardy. If Miskos thing was bears Amars would be staying alive, his name means immortal/undying, his two edges are about ignoring wound penalties to rolls and he survived losing his right arm in an accident during his army days. But now he has a sweet robot arm he helped build.

Morris Grey is a fighter and actually the only character ive made in D&D. Hes from a baker family but didnt inherit the business and chose to join the town guard, but he ended up fucking up so bad (somebody ended up dead? idk man) he was p much like welp time to fake my own death and leave forever out of guilt and shame. Since then hes worked as a personal body guard etc and generally do good stuff while travelling to make himself feel somewhat useful and less awful. Hes Tired™ and kinda has a resting bitch face and likes to keep things as simple as possible. what an edgelord

Rasmus is an elf ranger made in Dungeon World, and hes like two weeks old so theres not that much ive figured out about him yet but heres some stuff. Hes the happy-go-lucky, yay adventure type, his main motivation being to see cool and dangerous places for the thrill and wonder of it. Ive called him an extreme tourist a couple times, because he also wants to keep a record of his travels in the form of sketches he carries with him in an album. Hes got a fox companion called Pihlaja (’rowan’) who helps him in combat etc, although shes getting a bit old and forgetful. One bit i liked was when rasmus missed a shot which she was supposed to follow she sort of went “uuhhh what do i do, did we go through this scenario in training?”

also absolutely nobodys straight ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿  (including the squid ig i… havent thought about that much)

thank u for lovely message, hope this wasnt too long or dull writing isnt my strong suit 

[roseknows20-blog]

Day 19 Long a$$ day- Blue Lake hut to Anne Hut

January 28th 2017

What a delightful morning! As I got ready and conversed with the other TA trampers, I felt overly enthusiastic to start the day. We had an ambitious day ahead of us, aiming to hike 42kms to Anne Hut. Gee wilikers. The reason being, Anne Hut was the next fully serviced hut after Blue Lake Hut. We also had to make up for our unplanned zero day. I tried to remind myself I’m capable of anything I put my mind to, because 42 sounds like an absurd number of kilometers!? I was the last one to leave the hut besides Dyl, and crushed the first section, passing the majestic Blue Lake, and heading up hill through the forest. At the top of the hill, I reached Lake Constance. Wow, what a sensational view! Nature is truly remarkable- noticing dazzling tributaries and picturesque waterfalls as I tramped along as well. The glorious landscape made me the jolliest girl in the world, and served as a good reminder as to why I’m hiking the TA! After a short while, I caught up to Warrick and chatted with him a bit. We traveled up the scree together, until it came to a point where it levels off and you walk along side the mountain. It’s always inspiring seeing Warwick out here on the trail, and made me realize that I shouldn’t lament about my own aches and pains! That legend truly crushes the trail! After a bit, we ran into the U.K. Girls, Adam, and Hamish, and we all tramped together alongside the lake. I accidentally fell at one point, the awful spanish grass scratching my arm and legs up pretty good! Rawrrrrr. Similar to the North Island bush, the plants were grappling with me again! Thankfully, I was feeling well rested though, and ready to take on the day! As we followed along Lake Constance, the scenery was some of the most captivating that we’ve seen on the whole TA! We continued our quest through the valley, to the start of the Waiau pass. Dyl and Luzie caught up, and we all relished in a snack break before climbing uphill. The scree was fairly loose, and the track was a bit hard to follow. I was also remaining extra cautious not to slip and fall down the 1000 plus meters below me! However, getting up the mountain safely was the main goal, and as long as that’s achieved, then we’ve conquered the main objective! Wahooo! Lake Constance was visible the whole trek up the mountain, and the summit offered us phenomenal 360 degree views as well. When we got to the top, there was a bit of cell phone service, and I was able to message Rowan about plans for the next section. Certainly, a snickers break and sweet D-pics were also in order! We eventually headed down the mountain side, scrambling over large rocks, and sliding down steep slippery mud. I was as agile as a mountain goat and found the descent overtly exhilarating! The landscape was so beautifully overwhelming at one point that I could feel my mama dukes with me and I started to tear up. She stayed with me the rest of the day, and helped me carry on through the agonizing endless kms. It was especially ironic we were heading towards Anne Hut, which was my mamas middle name. Eventually, I passed Johannes, the Older German dude, and other TAers, cruising all the way down the mountain until I met the Waiau river. After going way ahead of the rest of the gang, I was a bit worried that everyone was ok. As I tramped along, feeling the sweat excrete from my exhausted body, the track was a mixture of rocks, stream crossings, and a well formed bush track. Hopping over rocks can be a bit tiresome, having to remain cognizant of each step and every move you make, and I always happen to twist my ankles! So, I took a ten minute breather to regain my strength and have a water break. The sun was also a blazing, and I could feel the beginning of a sunburn. Yet, I was thankful for the blue bird skies! Eventually, Hamish caught up to me, and him and I walked the rest of the way to the Caroline Creek Bivy together. It was 12kms from Blue Lake Hut to the Bivy, following the raging river mostly the whole way. For lunch, I had a delicious sun-dried tomato and salmon tapenade wrap, and another snickers. Hamish and I then waited for the others to join us for about an hour! The Bivy was a real simplistic hut with only two bunks and no toilet or water. It doesn’t look like the most comfortable place to stay, but if the weather was bad I suppose it would be a good shelter! From the Bivy, the 30kms to Anne Hut was fairly simple, passing many grassy flats, swamps, meadows, and a bit of classic NZ native bush. I enjoyed frolicking through the easy terrain, taking notice to the blooming flowers, diverse plant life, colorful butterflies, and chirping birds! There were lots of camping opportunities along the way, but we were determined to get all the way to Anne hut. Hamish and I pushed along, taking a tactical snack break every few hours. Dyl momentarily caught up to us, and we all walked the remaining 15kms to the hut together. There were definitely some sketchy river crossings, one in particular right before the trail veers right towards the hut. Also, the track was a bit ambiguous some of the time, and there were a few other trails that intersected with the TA track, making easy to get sidetracked. The last 5kms or so was on an old gravel road though, and super simple to follow. We were also hitting almost 6kms an hour. Cheyah. After we crossed the dodgey swingbridge, it was only a few more kms to Anne Hut! We can do it! When we finally arrived, there were a few new non TA people we chatted with! Having not seen Adam and Luzie for 30kms though, we were worried about them and hoped they were safe! Using the word “knackered”, as the kiwis say, would be an understatement. Hamish even fell asleep while in the middle of eating his pasta. Lolz. As soon as I laid down I was out. Though, in the middle of the night, I went outside to use the toilet, and saw the brightest shooting star I’ve ever seen! I could feel it was my mama up in heaven reminding me she’s okay and sending me some extra love :)! (42kms)

[diverseladybookproject]

Amanda Reads - April 2017

Welp! April was busy, y’all, but that should be nothing new, for those of you who have been regularly reading this here blog. It was a super weird month. I had jury duty, and did Tome Topple and have been working 60 hours weeks, between two jobs. But I also finalized the print ARC for Something Beautiful and had some other exciting stuff happen in my personal life, so it’s not all weird/bad!

A reminder of the rating scale:

0 dogs petted: DNF. I couldn't get through the book. It's not a good day.

1 dog petted: It was an okay day. I mean, I got to pet a dog. But it could have been better.

2 dogs petted: A solid effort. May recommend.

3 dogs petted: A really good day, tbh. Would recommend willingly to friends and family.

4 or more dogs petted: Best day. Will be recommending to all the people. Pet all the dogs.

Let’s dive straight into the books. I had deemed last month Backlist April, and I mostly stuck with that!

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

This was my only audiobook listen this month, and I absolutely loved it. Amy Poehler’s narration was top-notch, funny, entertaining, and charming, just like how I imagine AP is in real life. As I may have mentioned when I reviewed Tina Fey’s memoir—why didn’t they talk about Mean Girls more??? That’s the real question. But! I enjoyed it, and if Poehler were to write another memoir, I’d read it. Well, I should say—I’d listen to the audiobook.

Rating: 3 dogs petted.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

I’ve had this book on my shelf for YEARS, and it’s about time I actually read it! The perfect start to Backlist April. Mindy Kaling is funny and honest and fresh, but I have the same basic complaints/reactions as I did to Amy Poehler’s book—I didn’t learn anything new, but I laughed a lot. A solid read, and I do plan to read her second book. It’s already on my Kindle, in fact!

Rating: 3 dogs petted.

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Okay, hi! Welcome to Tome Topple! This book is a whopping 650 pages long! Bleh.

As a reminder of books past, I disliked Heir of Fire A LOT. I was bored, and I hate the whole “girl has to have a much-older mentor/guide teach her how to master her special gifts” thing. In fact, I remember being sad that SJM went there at all, because the first two books aren’t like that. So I was a little nervous for QoS after HoF. BUT I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED. I liked being back in Rifthold (I think this is going to be a theme in this series—I tend to like the books set in Rifthold and dislike the ones set elsewhere), and I liked having both Chaol and Aedion as main characters again. Aelin and Rowan’s growing love was swoonworthy in this installment, and Nesryn and Lysandra were solid additions to the cast. And Manon! I still love Manon and the witches so so much. They need their own book. SJM, give the witches their own book!

There was some icky ableism at the end of the book after Chaol gets severely injured, and the cast was predominantly white and revered for blond or silver hair. Those things were in the back of my mind the whole time. But I definitely enjoyed reading this installment in the series.

Rating: 3 dogs petted.

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

After the ending in QoS, I had high expectations for Empire of Storms. Did it deliver? HELL NO. I was so disappointed in this book. Ugh.

Remember how I said that I didn’t tend to like the books that weren’t set in Rifthold? YEAH. THIS ONE IS NOT SET IN RIFTHOLD. We’re like, a little bit of everywhere, and there’s a lot of traveling and a lot of talk about draining magic and how special Aelin is. Yawn. I will say that Lysandra is amazing throughout the book, as are Manon and Elide. I kind of hated everyone else, although I have found more respect for Aedion and Dorian as characters. The members of the cadre in this book were a fun addition, but the talk of males and their sexual prowess got super old. Speaking of—there was SO MUCH SEX in this book. So much. Like, how is this YA?

The ending though. The ending set us up for the next phase of the story so nicely, and it was completely bonkers. COMPLETELY BONKERS. I’m glad we get a break, though. I need a break from this world. So the Chaol novel is coming this fall (get ready for more ableism bullshit, I bet) and then the final ToG book is coming in 2018. And then I can tie a little bow on this series and read better things.

Rating: 1.5 dogs petted. A semi-solid effort, but not well-executed for how much happened. Also, give us a break, SJM! That book was 700 pages long!

Solo by Lauren E. Rico

I had the pleasure of getting an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (the full review will be going up on Booknista next week, so this will be short). This was supposed to be a May read, but then I flew through it. Oops?

Things I liked about this book:

It was a fun enemies-to-lovers story.

It was a fun student-teacher romance story.

It was fluffy and light and had realistic dialogue.

The side characters were both entertaining and awful.

Things I disliked about this book:

Drew Markham is supposed to have his PhD, but is potentially the dumbest love interest I’ve ever read. And such a flip-flopper! To the point, near the end, where it didn’t even seem realistic, didn’t seem like he was the same character at all.

There was some shitty stuff said about depression and suicide that is going to make me slap a trigger warning on every single instance of talking about this book. The author talks about depression like it was someone’s fault (which is awful) and then goes on to say that suicide is also someone’s fault. Even so far as to say that people could have prevented it and it was someone’s fault that a character died. I was… shocked. Horrified. And so deeply uncomfortable. There’s one line near the end… oh gosh, I don’t even know if I want to write this. Summation: a character says that the other character that committed suicide was a “psycho bitch.” I’ll discuss the situation in depth in my actual review. In any case, that line and the other instances of ableism in regards to mental illness lost this book some stars for me.

Stay tuned for my full review on Booknista!

Rating: 2 dogs petted. I enjoyed it, but I’ll never recommend it without a huge trigger warning splashed all over it.

While I didn’t read as many books this month, I probably read close the same number of pages. As I stated in my last post, May is ARC May! I’m kicking it off on this lovely May Day and am hoping to get through some awesome books this month.

What did y’all read in April? Let me know in the comments!

Happy reading and dog petting!

-A