#americans pls correct me if i'm wrong!!

[puppetsoftomorrow]

When you say that the supermarkets in the us are huge, how huge are we talking? Like bigger than a big Tesco?

oh yes. bigger than big tesco. bigger than even the biggest tesco.

i think bcos in the usa, especially rural areas, ppl drive a long way to a store, so it needs to literally contain everything you could need. like i've been in targets with camping sections, fishing sections, opticians, full pharmacies, starbucks, as well as much larger clothes / home goods sections than UK supermarkets, whereas in the uk we don't have areas that can be as rural (except maybe in scotland) so we don't really need this

i also wonder a bit about the difference between driving vs walking culture, like the uk has a lot more corner shops, which are in walking distance, so theyre small bcos ur only picking up things u can carry back, whereas outside us cities in the usa, ur gonna have to drive to the store anyway, so u might as well make the store massive

then also theres just a lot more empty space in the usa, way more than in the uk, so they can fit these giant stores in much easier than we can.

[ancient-reverie]

does anyone else realize that white supremacy in america has also taken white people culture away from various different white cultures there used to be and made it into one conglomerate white person thing. like I can't look back into my ancestors and find any culture at all. and I can't really say that being american is much of a culture really it's just capitalism, and surviving that capitalism

[leverage-ot3]

time for the obligatory post about what episodes I want to see in the upcoming leverage season(s)

(for reference, I made this similar post in 2020 after the reboot was announced. I'm pasting some from that post bc I still want them to happen lol)

new ideas:

I mentioned a date night episode in the last post (apollo really did bless me with foresight for the date night job on that one) but for considerment: ot3 date night. possibly their first date night after they all get together. breanna and sophie know it's happening (harry is, like, peripherally aware) and some crime hijinks are going down and the three of them are frantically trying to stop bad things from happening that are going to interfere with the date. I want to see them going through it behind the metaphorical curtain. I want to see breanna fighting for her life trying to out-hack the hacker that is going to ruin their ten-part itineraried date. harry has to get in a fistfight and eliot is so proud about it when he finds out after everything is over

tree law episode. harry has been frothing at the mouth about it since it was made. his life has been moving him towards this penultimate moment. breanna thinks it's HILARIOUS and cheers him on 100% of the way. she is VERY enthusiastic about this con

I'm not going to mention certain things because I've seen jrogers posting on bluesky social and I know he might be already writing some of those plots

con that the food trucks have plot-relevance. like, one of his food truck stations is being harassed /victimized by, like, a local gang or something that takes advantage of food truck/cart workers and the team steps in. the actual (veteran) food truck workers get involved in the con. leverage international might just have gained a few retainer members

quinn should come back for an episode. I know the actor is friends with ckane. they should make it happen because it would be iconic and I said so

on a similar note, ckane is friends with jensen ackles and. guys. wouldn't it- wouldn't it be extremely funny if a flame from eliot's past named sean sylvester who is a rugged drifter with a questionable past

episode where tara or maggie (or BOTH, can you imagine how powerful that would be???) come back and there is slight flirting with sophie possibly??? that or very obvious chemistry from a past tryst. sophie has slept with both of them, I know it in my heart of hearts. bonus points if tara and maggie fall in love (I think it would be funny. maggie's taste in men is canonically atrocious, I think she deserves someone like tara at this point)

I just want a lot of side characters to come back, okay? sue me I miss them

gonna put the rest under the cut since this post has become obscenely long

not episode-specific, but I want more mentions of the korean leverage team. and all the other teams too! we know that in canon there is the south korean one, the nigerian one, and one in london (I think that's it for mentions so far, but correct me if I'm wrong!)

episodes addressing issues with american imperialism and its effects on minorities and marginalized communities, specifically within this country (there aren't a lot of episodes where they are actively out of country)

dear fucking god take a more abolitionist stance on policing I'm begging. would it KILL you to not be weird about cops? pls just punch some more cops. take down white supremacist cops, I'm sure you can scrounge something up bffrrn

women's rights episodes. I know it's kind of recent, but episodes about accessibility of stuff like birth control, abortion access, etc. y'all are capable of making excellent episodes on that I know it

more climate crisis-related episodes. god knows you're feeling it in the deep south

taking down a corrupt megachurch pastor (although lbr, there is no ethical megachurch anything and you can fight me on this)

something to do with ace rights bc I think it would be really cool to see the team advocate for that stuff, especially since breanna is canon ace

helping a polycule that is being victimized by X organization/entity (maybe a housing association or medical or something???). breanna is bombastic side-eyeing the ot3 the entire time. it is making hardison sweat. sophie thinks it's hilarious

taking down 'writers' that use ai and self-publish AND/OR people that take original/fan works off of like ao3 and wattpad and publish them for personal profits without the author's consent. breanna would have a field day with this (god herself could try to convince me that girl does not read/write fanfic and I wouldn't believe it)

episode about underfunded public schools. we saw corrupt private schools in the fairy godparents job but I want an episode that would make abbot elementary writers proud

episode addressing native/indigenous. eliot is from oklahoma, I'm sure he is well aware of the health/job/economic/etc disparities on reservations. I will email jrogers about it myself if I have to- it anyone can get people going about native rights through a tv show it would be leverage.

I sent an ask to wil wheaton once asking if he was open to returning to leverage and I think he said he would be down for it. but chaos either has to be a reluctant ally to leverage international and is being handled by quinn as a hitter OR he is just. in jail. bc he sucks.

bpas and/or pfas episode. breanna has mentioned microplastics before but I want more

the team tears the shit out of conversion therapy camp owners and plants the seeds for legislation that will punish parents that try to send their kids to those hellscapes

while we're at it, I'd love to see an ep where they tackle the trans bathroom issue. god knows the news doesn't talk about it nearly enough

something to do with foster care. they end up starting some sort of foster care network that past clients/allies can take part in. maybe a mentorship program for kids that want to do what they do one day (they are very reluctant to encourage kids to participate in crime BUT if that is the avenue that they are going to inevitably go towards, they guide them in the right direction). nana makes an appearance (*insert 'everybody liked that' meme*)

prison industrial complex episode. I KNOW we had the jailhouse job BUT we really need this in our year of 2024

another episode on corrupt influencers. maybe influencer parents? dear god pls take them down a notch

ep where there is an underlying message that tells you how to avoid becoming victim to scams or something, or like is a tutorial for how to identify scams you might fall victim to (sorry, I just have to say this after two separate people tried to pig butcher me in less than two (2) weeks))

not to say I want them to do an ep calling out cop city, but it would feel really good to watch the leverage team rip that concept to SHREDS

the minimum wage job. need I say more? we deserve the catharsis

pls go after goodwill execs, esp the ones in the pnw that have their sector as for-profit and have become millionaires+ because of it while paying their staff (especially disabled staff) fucking pennies

while we're on the topic, pls call out salvation army (the corporation)

I can probably go on for like five hours so I'll stop here

ep that we get to see harry and his daughter bond :)

job where they get to lower the price of insulin (and other drugs)

actually, you know what? an episode where the crew annihilates big pharma and terrible insurance companies

I think that breanna should be able to go off about mass/over consumption as a treat. I 100% believe she has Thoughts about it. like, she will absolutely call out the corporations that are responsible for these trends, but also she should be allowed to mention our tendency for overconsumption as a society. obviously there are a few corporations that are doing most of the world's pollution/ecological damage, but we should be doing our part too and I KNOW it would be in-character for her to go off on it

I bet she has a LOT to say about influencers, tbh. obviously not all influencers are bad, but there are sooooo many problematic ones and problems within the influencer industry

sizing discrimination in the modeling/clothing industry. let eliot talk about how there are no perfect bodies. also while I'm on the subject, can we PLS have more body-diverse background actors on the show? I know this is nitpicky but I'd really love to see some more people that look like me, even if they are just in the background

a thinly veiled writers' rights episode (I'm looking at you media execs and the stupid amount of time it took for you to comply to the WGA demands)

something to do with media companies making entire movies/tv shows and then fucking cancelling them/not releasing them and using them as tax write-offs. every time it happens it baffles me. that is cartoonishly stupid villain shit. I can't imagine lovingly working on a project for a year plus and then the company just going, nah, we aren't going to release it because you suck and it's a good business move

ai art and ai in general. please. let it BURN

okay now I'm done

ideas from the previous post that I still want:

comicon job. I said it before and I will say it again- we deserve it!!! come on, it's the age of the geek after all!!! (in the last post I also said a ren faire ep, but I will let the card game job count for that)

summer camp ep? I saw a tumblr fic about it and I think it could be cute. it could kinda be like the fairy godparents job- eliot in charge of some type of sports (archery, fencing, etc), hardison would be in charge of arts and crafts (this boy might be a genius with tech and in general tbh, but the show did such a good job of showing that he’s also very talented with the arts- sculpting the statue for the miracle job, forging the old diary in the king george job, etc), parker would LOVE to be in charge of a high ropes course. breanna would totally be down for some sort of nerdy kid robotics or simple, traditional camp games (can't go wrong with the classics. everyone loves making bracelets!) I feel like it's too stereotypical to have sophie have kids put on a play but we all know that's exactly what she would do. idk for harry? I think he has the same traditional camp activities vibe as breanna. he's in it for the nostalgia. OR something to do with videogames

please, please, please, please, please make an episode where they take down a cult, im begging. that would be such a good episode. definitely a mindfuck episode like the experimental job (4x11). I’ve seen a few posts about a job dealing with a cult (here’s one) and I think it would be really interesting 

MORE STERLING being DONE with leverage shenanigans!!! give me feral!sterling like in the frame-up job (5x10)!!! give me sterling that protests every step of the way but conveniently looks away and “whoops, the team just disappeared, I have no idea how that happened!!! diddly dang darn it, they got away again!!! sorry guys!!!” bonus points if mcsweeten is there too and also participates in intervening hijinks

the team takes down a circus that is still using and abusing wild animals!!! because first I’d LOVE to see acrobat!parker swinging up in the air like a pro and being in her element, but also because those places are the fucking worst and need to Go Down. give me eliot having to pose as an animal trainer with deep sympathy for the animals being abused, quietly talking soothing words to them when he thinks no one is around (correction: hardison is, in fact, around, and filming his boyfriend’s softness to save for later). give me charismatic hardison playing the role of ringmaster, running and flaunting about and being passive-aggressive to the circus master. give me eliot freeing the animals from their chains when they are finally able to shut the place down and relocate the animals to sanctuaries (his hands shaking just a little as twists the key in the lock, because he too was once an abused, caged animal in his own right and he knows how liberating it is to finally be free). 

[midnightluck]

Aventurine is Rom-Coded

Back on my bullshit with more over-analysis for my best blorbo LET'S GO

DISCLAIMER I am not Rom, I am just an interested party, pls correct me if i'm wrong or disrespectful here it's been a long time since I got to deep dive this topic. Will be also discussing the slur as context with full knowledge of the context. ALSO I am BIASED take this with a barrel of salt, and I haven't cited my sources since I did this research in high school for writing Dick Grayson fic okAY HERE WE GO

So like, can we talk about Sigonia??? Like???? What the fuck kind of culture has "may your schemes remain hidden" as a general wellwish? Can we talk about how "Sigonian" is a slur????? and ALSO they are so Rom-coded, CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE CULTURAL GENOCIDE PARALLELS PLEASE--

So FIRST OFF, Romani != Romanian, Romani != "gypsy", Romani != criminal. Romani is a tribe, is a culture, is a way of life. It's nomadic and art-centric and Romani, as a language, is not Romanian, no matter what some folk use in fic (sources: 1, 2, 3). It's a language that borrows from most European languages, and because Rom are nomadic, they then spread that back to those countries. For example, the English word "love" is used in Rom to mean "money," possibly the basis for the idiom "show me some love" meaning "pay up". (also, side note: as there are different groups and traditions, there are some pretty widely varying dialects; here's some more about that if you're interested.)

The Rom culture involves moving on and traveling. This is fascinating for townies (derogatory) and for the vast majority of people because it's an alternative lifestyle, and often children or teens or young adults would fall in love with the people or the lifestyle and follow the caravan, at least for a while. This led to the Rom's reputation as babythieves and childstealers. "Lock up your children," people used to say, "because the gypsies are coming to town." Maybe some caravans did take kids, we don't know, because fresh blood is important to continue family lines? But citation needed and A N Y WAY

So the Rom would roll into town, half-show and half-trading, perform for money, spend money, and move on. Because they were transient, there was less pressure to maintain a reputation, and a lot of the "tricks" and bad trades led to the term "getting gypped" being coined from the word "gypsy," which is why it's a slur; it literally means "someone who is intending to steal from you". One such common trick was Ekkeri, akkery, u-kéry an, which was a "magic spell". Put your money into this handkerchief, say the spell, it doubles. Do it again; it doubles again. Oh, you want me to do it with all your life savings? Sure, here's the hankie, the longer you wait to open it, the more it'll grow, buh-bye! Ekeri Aikeri is likely the original basis for the common rhyme Hickory Dickory Dock, and like all nursey rhymes was presumably a warning: if you hear this, be wary. (sources: 1, 2, 3)

So the Rom became more and more marginalized, and as any marginalized group will tell you, that's not a winning recipe for longevity. There's currently an inherent, unexamined bias all modern kids are taught, to be wary of strangers, to be wary of "gypsies" because they're enchanting magical creatures who will walk into town one day and leave with your money or your heart or your dreams (see Shakira's Gypsy), but they're not, the Rom are people, and people are not one thing. The stereotype of a "gypsy" is constantly enforced and as the population dwindles, more and more people are assuming that the Rom aren't real people, that the way of life has died out, and why be careful when there's no one left to harm? Only there is and they are trying but they no longer have the infrastructure to support themselves outside of society and they have to give up their culture to be a part of society because society thinks they're extinct fairy tales. It's a lot like what happened with Native Americans in the US, except that there were more Native Americans, they had settled land and history, and they fought back. The Rom didn't have a place to defend because nomads, couldn't point to history because oral traditions, and now there's so little to prove they ever travelled the entire continent of Euraisa and spread culture and art and magic. The only things the wider world has left of Rom culture are in our words, and even then those are carelessly used and more weapon than word.

TL;DR I have a lot of feelings on this but LET'S GET TO AVENTURINE.

Unlike real Rom, he's got the eyes--everyone can see at a glance that he's a schemer, a liar, a storyteller and a gambler. He wears his heritage on his face and he doesn't try to hide it, just like he doesn't try to hide his serial number. Someone tried to own him, and he beat them. Someone tried to kill his culture, and he won't let it die. He's been a foreigner longer than he'd ever been Avgin, but that kind of heritage doesn't die, even when everyone else does. Take Sparkle looking at him and saying "What's one of your kind doing here?"

Sigonia IV is the planet; there were multiple races on it, according to the lore, and Aventurine was an Avgin, a race that was wiped out. "Sigonian" is like calling someone an "earthling"; you're not wrong, but you are grouping everyone in together, and the Avgin and the Katican are terrible enemies who would not appreicate that in the least, I assume.

In-game characters use "Signonian" over "Avgin" which feels like "gypsy" over "Rom". Aven is presenting himself as a "gypsy," letting people call him that, embracing the stereotype and leaning the fuck in because it's better to be a Sigonian than to let the entire Avgin culture die entirely.

It's a lot of weight to carry, but that's the thing about a magic trick: the real trick is hiding how hard it all is. Magic is the art of making the impossible seem easy and natural, after all; look at this shiny pretty distraction, isn't it flashy? Isn't it bright and pretty and so easy? Just a twist of the wrist to produce anything your heart desires, and never mind how long it took to set it all up (we'll discuss performative luck build next time!)

Anyway so that's my take on his identity and cultural issues; he's too visibly an outsider to ever be trusted, but he's too alone to ever be supported in a culture. He knows he's alone, and what's more, he knows that everyone is looking to him as their only example of what an Avgin is, of what they were. He is defining his entire culture, in defiance of society, and all he has to do that with is childhood memory. There's this fuckoff big weight on his shoulders which is part of why he can't die; his reputation is every Avgin's reputation, and he will defend that more bitterly than his own. Aventurine doesn't lose because Avgin don't lose.

[heyidkyay]

I guess I’ll take this pain, instead of your name |

Part Twenty

A/n: Hello lovelies:)! Part 20 is here!! Felt like I owed you lot a quicker update after the last and it's a much longer one than usual too! It's probably my favourite so far actually, so I hope you enjoy x

| Just a brief mention- this chapter has a lot of different scenes! You'll understand more of what I mean as you read on but a lot happens! ALSO I'm nowhere near fluent in the language used in this part, I did it as a gcse and that's about it. So pls don't slew me in the replies! Thanksssss, love you lots!

Summary: In life, things changed. The boys you'd once grown up with were men now, and famous ones at that. The type that toured the world and had millions of adoring fans.

The five of you shared a shit ton of history. But you also shared a lot of mixed emotions for one of them in particular, a certain drummer.

Warnings: Thievery. (yes.) ummm, swearing's always a given, a grumpy Ross too... lots of fluff and fun though? Or bits and pieces of it at least. Oh and a little ribbing against Americans but they're alllll just stereotypes!! And I do love you lot so it's not said nastily x

Feel like a lot could go wrong with this part, pls don't hate me😅

Masterlist

—

“Alright. Start packing.”

I frowned over at the suitcase Matty had thrown onto my bed.

“For what?” I replied from where I was perched on the window seat, knees tucked up under my chin with a book in hand. It was one of the three places I’d taken to hiding in since my last outing at Delia’s a couple of days ago. Hiding seemed like the best option right now.

“Airport.” Matty told me in prompt, already having walked his way over towards my chest of drawers and begun pulling out an array of tops. He wrinkled his nose between two and then glanced at me from over his shoulder, “Why do you have two of the same fucking shirt?”

With a crease between my brow, I fixed him with a halfhearted glower. “Says you. And why are you headed to the airport?”

“We.” Matty corrected casually, flinging a pair of denim shorts onto the bed. “Why are we headed to the airport. And well, ’cause we are.” He gave me a simple shrug as though things were that easy.

“Matty…” I tried, wearily shuffling forward out of my comfortable position so that I could move closer to him. “What do you mean? Why are we going to the airport?”

“Because,” He drawled out, still riffling through the top drawer of my dresser, “Airports are where planes take off, you know, those big metal birds you see in the sky.”

“Right. Yeah. I get that.” I answered him, absolutely baffled. “But why?”

“Why what?”

I groaned and Matty flashed me a shit-eating grin, obviously pleased with himself.

“Why are we going to the airport, Matty!”

“‘Cause we’re getting on one of those metal birds.”

“Matty, we are not getting on a fucking plane.” I denied, eyes as wide as saucers whilst I hastily tried to stop him from throwing any more of my wardrobe about the room. “So stop being a div and put all my shit back.”

Matty merely rolled his eyes and ignored my complaints, only turning back to face me when he held a yellow laced thong between two fingers and catapulted it at me. I scowled and swiped the offending item from off my head.

“Matty!” I stressed, getting the ump now.

“Oh, come on. Just go with it, yeah?” He said then, looking at me with a tilted head and appeasing eyes. “I figured we could both use some time to just chill, relax even. And the only time I’ve ever felt closer to being exactly that was when we were sixteen and in Tenerife.”

I blinked back at him owlishly, not really internalising his words. “The holiday with your dad and Lou?” 

Matty started nodding away at me in reply before he spun back around and headed for the sliding door that hid the rest of my clothes. “Exactly! Figured a couple days spent lounging under the Spanish sun might do us both some good.”

I gaped at his retreating back, beyond bewildered at this point.

“Are you being serious?”

“When have I ever fucking joked about a holiday, darlin'?” He quipped right back and I had to card a hand through my hair in attempt to try and wrap my head around things.

Now that I was actually messing with it I figured my hair probably needed a wash, but even so I couldn’t linger too much on that thought, not when Matty was apparently jetting off to Tenerife with a suitcase full of my clothes!

“Matty, just… please slow down, would you?” I murmured, tugging at my scalp as I glanced about my room that was in sudden disarray. 

Matty pivoted on his heel to face me, a couple hangers dangling off the crook of his elbow. I shook my head and chose not to focus on that, nor the loose strands of hair that fell into my face.

“I can’t just go to Tenerife!” I told him imploringly, “Are you actually insane?”

I was met with a pinched expression and thin lipped smile, “Why not?”

I spluttered at him. “Why not?! Because I’ve got things keeping me here! Like my next check up, and my job at Delia’s! My fucking arm is still in a cast, Matty! And I still struggle to get in and out of bed most days! How the hell am I meant to get on a plane to Spain?”

Matty’s stance seemed to shift upon hearing my worries and so he dropped the bundle of clothes he held, I tried not to wince at the motion even as he trod over them to stand closer to me. 

“Love, listen to me, yeah? You’ll be back in time for your next appointment, we’ll be gone a couple days max. And Delia doesn’t need you anywhere near her shop until you’re right as rain again.” His eyes were searching mine, he had a careful hand on my shoulder. “Besides the excuse about your arm is utter crap, and you are getting better. So much so in fact, that even Dr Mann reckons a bit of sun will do you some good.”

I frowned. “You spoke to Dr Mann?”

Matty gifted me lopsided smile, “‘Course I did. She even recommended a couple of sunscreens to me and insisted I buy you one of those umbrella hats to keep the sun off your giant head.”

I glared at him. “You better fucking not.”

That smile of his started to grow and his eyebrows lifted in excitement the second I realised what I’d just said. “So, is that a yes then?”

I chewed on my lower lip, gaze darting between Matty’s own ruddy brown and then swallowed thickly.

“‘Spose so.” I mumbled with only a tiny knot of anxiety welling in my stomach. 

Matty grinned brightly and I couldn’t help my light chuckles when he started jumping about excitedly, looking like a Labrador that’d just been let of its lead. 

“Fucking Tenerife baby, here we come!” 

—

“I hate airports.”

“Ditto.”

“Is that even a thing here?”

“What, ditto?”

I hummed, eyes searching the terminal.

“Reckon so.”

“Maybe it’s one of those many American things you’ve picked up.” I teased, “Traitor to your own, you are.”

“Leave off.” Matty chuckled at me from where he was hidden under a pair of black sunglasses.

“You gonna start spelling colour wrong and try wearing pants instead of trousers now too?”

He scowled, even from behind his darkened shades I could tell, it was all in the mouth with Matty. It typically flattened and forced itself out into a sarky sort of smile whenever he wasn't very impressed.

“Ha ha, hilarious. That the best you got?” He shot back.

“Nah, could talk about your brash arrogance too, but I reckon that’s just a you thing as well as an American one.”

Matty scoffed, “Just ‘cause I own it, love, don’t make it a bad thing.”

I widened my eyes sarcastically at him in reply before glancing out over the runway.

We were currently hidden away in the First class lounge, him in a cap and shades, me in a hoodie and beanie. There weren’t too many people mulling about, though it was rather late and our flight wasn’t set to take off until just gone eleven. Currently it was only nearing a quarter past ten.

“Excited then?” Matty asked me, drawing my attention back to him.

Was I excited? I guess so, but also anxious. I was an alright flyer, mainly due to having been Matty’s main distraction during all our years spent travelling together, but after the accident everything sort of felt different. I was different.

I kept on waiting for that burst of adrenaline to kick in and bubble over, the type I often got whenever one of the guys roped me into something stupidly spontaneous, but it had yet to even spark.

I nodded at Matty though, foot tapping aimlessly away beside my carryon. “Think so, just nervous.”

“That’s meant to be my job.”

We shared a knowing smile, but then I shrugged. “Dunno, just feels strange. Think I’ll be more enthusiastic about it once we land and get to the hotel.” I paused for a second then and darted my head over in his direction, “You did book a hotel though, right?”

His eyebrows rose high up over his sunglasses just as his mouth dropped. “Oh fuck.”

My eyes widened in alarm, already moving to grab my phone so that we could start a search. But Matty’s snickering caught me just before I could. I shot him a harsh glare in retort and shoved at his shoulder when I realised he’d just been having me on.

“You’re such a dick.”

“I couldn’t not.” He snorted, face full of amusement. Though with another shove Matty relented and slung an arm across my shoulders to drag me in, “Don’t worry, I sorted it all. You’ll love it and we’ll have a sick time.”

“You better fucking hope so.”

—

The flight had been alright, a bit of turbulence to deal with as well as a whinging Matty, but other than that, it’d been fine. Customs had also been quite the breeze, seeing as we’d landed in the early hours of the morning and my semi-conversant Spanish had come in handy with one of the security officers. It was just the car ride over to where we were staying that really fucked us.

Matty had originally hired a car to pick us up from the airport but it’d cancelled on us at the very last second, and trying to get hold of a taxi driver that was willing to take us as far as we were looking to go proved to be a rather difficult task.

When we finally did though- after one bloke with a bleached goatee had practically doubled the original asking price- the journey had been bumpy enough that I’d had to fight with my suitcase in the backseat just to get a hold of my painkillers. Matty had tried to help of course, but it’d been a struggle to even breathe in the tiny cab, let alone have him move around and find them for me.

So by the time we arrived I was shot to hell and beyond thankful to escape the stupid car and its extremely boisterous owner.

“You alright?” Matty asked me quietly once he’d reluctantly paid the man, rolling his eyes at the twat when the car pulled away from the curb, muttering under his breath.

“Yeah, just wanna sit down.” I replied uncomfortably, but that was before I finally caught sight of the building we’d pulled up outside. “Fucking hell, Matty.”

When I glanced back over at him, he was wearing the biggest smirk anybody could’ve possibly mustered. “Snazzy, ey?”

Fuck snazzy. It was insane. I’d been way off when I’d asked him about the hotel booking, because he’d only gone and rented out an entire sodding villa.

“You’re mental.”

“Been calling me that a lot, as of late.” Matty noted, pursing his lips at me whilst he braced himself against his suitcase, “Bit mean if you think about it actually, seeing as I’ve done all this for us.”

My smile was soft, tired, but oh so genuine when I peered back over at him, and caught him a tad off guard when I wrapped my one good arm around his middle. “You are mental but you’re also amazing. So thank you.”

He squeezed me back, cautious of my torso when he did, before we parted ways and he gestured his head over towards the front door. “You wanna stand outside all day then or are we headed in?”

—

The villa was incredible. Honestly, it felt like something out of a dream. 

We had our very own bar, pool, hot-tub, sauna and gym, even a pizza oven which resided right beside the built in fire-pit! Not that either Matty or I would be going anywhere near it, ovens back home were hard enough to handle and one with an open flame was not something we could get behind, even sober.

Speaking of being sober though, Matty had actually decided to take to it during our stay here. Alcohol wise at least… or so he claimed he’d try. But come noon our first day here and I could already tell that he was dying for a glass of wine out by the pool.

Still he didn’t, and so I simply started counting down the hours until he eventually caved.

Apparently our trip abroad hadn’t been too expected either, seeing as Ross had phoned me up the second he’d seen my instagram story and started ranting about his invitation. I’d attempted to pacify him by assuring that I hadn’t even been aware of it up until the point when Matty had come barging in the day of.

It was nice though. Getting away.

Home had just felt too confined now that I was out here. Sort of like leaving a cage you hadn’t even known you’d been trapped in.

The sun and the sea was everything I’d needed and more. It soothed my restlessness and calmed my chaotic thoughts, even dulled the ache my body was constantly in. 

“Oi, fancy heading into town? Reckon we might need more than what we picked up earlier.” 

Matty’s voice broke me from where I’d been sat daydreaming beside the pool, clad in a pair of short dungarees and a tee whilst I waded my legs back and forth through the water.

I glanced up at him, squinting in the afternoon sun. He frowned down at me in return.

“Don’t make me buy you one of those hats, ‘cause I swear I will.” Matty scolded as he made his way closer, tearing the cap he wore from off his head and placing it on mine instead. I wrinkled my nose but allowed the gesture, knowing the heat would only prey on me and my many medications. “And you’d best have sunscreen on too, I don’t need a bollocking at your next checkup, yeah?”

“Alright, dad. Calm down, would you? I put it on after I showered.” I told him with a roll of my eyes, extending an arm outwards so that he’d get the hint and help me up. He did, whilst pursing his lips in distaste- likely at the epithet used. “Besides, I thought I was meant to be relaxing. Ever since you woke up you’ve been on my case.”

“Oi,” Matty said, stopping me just before I could slip past him with a steady hand to my wrist. “It’s ‘cause I care, alright? I know you can take care of yourself but, I don’t know, it just helps ease my mind.”

I searched his expression, saw the honesty in his eyes and the sincerity that creased the skin of his forehead. Ultimately, I gave him a nod and released a sigh, “How far’s town then?”

—

“Ninety-five percent sure that that is the exact same bar we hid in when were sixteen and tried escaping from that one crazy fucker with the wooden tooth.”

I blinked at the sudden memory his comment brought forth and snorted at the picture my mind painted. “He only chased us because he thought you swiped an apple off his stall!”

“Oh yeah.” Matty chuckled then, nodding at the reminder as we wandered down a small street full of flavourful aromas. “Probably 'cause I did.”

A sharp laugh escaped me at his easy admission and I shook my head whilst attempting to dull my giggles.

“Don’t fucking laugh, it was your fault!” Matty blamed, though he was laughing lightly too even as I leaned into his side to steady myself.

“My fault!” I countered him, mouth open in shock at the blatant lie. “How was it my fault?”

“You said you were starving and it was a long walk back to the hotel! I had fuck all on me, and so I just pocketed it as we passed- it was in the moment!” He defended, taking my arm in his now, still smiling away.

“Oh fuck, I actually do remember that.” I agreed with a gleeful grin of my own, letting him lead us on further up the street at a sedated pace. “Hey- I did share it with you though. Had that barman grab us a knife for it too, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, just before you talked him into pouring the both of us shots.”

“What can I say?” I smirked over at him, “Even at sixteen I had a way with words.”

Matty snorted, “That or the fact he was mesmerised by your tits.”

I elbowed his side but failed in my attempt to dampen my grin, “Well, you got your shot, didn’t you? Made the journey home all the more exciting too.”

“That it did.” Matty smiled at me before he caught sight of something up ahead. “Why don’t we carry on the tradition, ey?”

And before I could even blink, he was out of my reach and walking away from me. My brow furrowed though I still wore a small smile, confused as I followed behind him, watching as he worked his way through the tiny market before us and up to the top of the street.

Matty rounded the corner in the next moment and so I quickened my pace to try and catch up. I found him leaning casually against a terracotta coloured wall, one ankle crossed over the other whilst he grinned like a sneaky little kid who had yet to be caught.

“What was that all about?” I asked, a tad out of breath now.

He simply shrugged and pulled the hand he’d been hiding behind his back into view. I shouldn’t have been as surprised as I was, because there it was. Catching a ray of light from the slowly setting sun, was a bright red apple.

I could only shake my head as I laughed and hurried over to join him, stealing the fruit from his grasp and taking a massive bite out of it before he could even react.

“Thief!” He gasped dramatically and I grinned around the apple I’d just eaten, feeling more like myself than I had in a long while.

“Takes one to know one, I ‘spose.”

With a sly smile, Matty snatched the apple back and bit into it too. “Where to now then?” He prompted as he offered an arm out to me, chewing carelessly away. 

“Fancy aiming any higher? Reckon there’s got to be a bank around here somewhere…”

—

“Perdón, is this seat taken?” 

I heard a strong accented voice ask from right beside me and so I peered up away from the book I'd been lost in and into the eyes of a handsome stranger.

Blinking, I looked back and forth between him and the wooden chair he was pointing to. I was quick to shake my head in retort, offering it up to him. 

“Adelante, es suya.” I said, and he smiled down at me politely before simply slipping into the seat. I was a little taken back by the gesture, having figured he’d only wanted the chair for a nearby table, seeing as the restaurant was growing more and more by the minute.

“Discúlpame, pensé que eras una chica inglesa.” He replied after he’d gotten comfortable at our little table in the corner. His Spanish caught me off guard for a moment and I took a second to translate his words in my own head. I had to laugh a little when I did, and he tilted his head towards me with a mirthful smile of his own. “¿Qué?”

“Lo siento,” I apologised, dog-earing my book before I reverted back to English. “It’s just that, I am English.”

His eyebrows rose and I watched as his eyes quickly trailed up and down my figure. He appeared shocked almost. “I should be the one saying sorry!” He hurried to cajole, “I- just your Spanish, it is rather good.”

I tried to fight the unexpected blush his compliment gave me, and brushed his words off. “You’re fine, I’m just glad I didn’t offend you with my pronunciation.”

“No, no. Honest. I didn’t think anything of it.” He told me, and he seemed truthful. “Forgive me, but where did you learn?”

“Oh, from a family friend.”

In truth, I’d only picked it up from one of my mum’s many boyfriends. He’d lived with us the longest and had an elderly grandmother who he visited infrequently. My mum had sent me with him a couple of times and the woman seemed to take to my added presence, she'd taught me most of what I now knew.

I’d stop in to see her once or twice a week, mostly on my way home from school, and continued to do so even after he and my mum had split. She’d been lovely, always made me feel safe and welcomed, but sadly passed away a few months before I’d had the chance to leave home. 

I thought of her from time to time, mostly whenever my mind wandered to thoughts of what was after all of this. If there really was something waiting up (or down, I supposed) there for us all. 

“They did an excellent job!” The stranger complimented again, and I took a moment to give him the once over. Nice smile, pretty eyes, dark hair which only complemented his olive complexion.

“Thank you.” I smiled, unable to help the small burst I pride I felt. And here I thought I’d been butchering the language this entire time!

“Of course.” And he returned the sentiment- though I silently conceded that ‘nice smile’ had been somewhat of an understatement now. “Can I ask what you are reading?”

I blinked at his question before he could catch me staring and diverted my focus over to where I’d left my book. “Oh, um, The Bell Jar?”

He hummed and went to take it. 

“May I?” He asked me before he did, and I gave him the go ahead, watched as his eyes danced across the back of the novel. “What is your favourite?”

“My favourite book?”

He replied with a soft nod and I had to think it over.

“It sounds silly, but for a long time it had always been Pride and Prejudice. I stuck by it, read it a couple dozen times, watched the film again and again, even dragged my friend along to this giant garden they’d filmed it in. Then someone gifted me One Hundred Years of Solitude and I was hooked. Completely changed me. I fell in love with it, in truth.”

His eyes seemed to brighten at the sound of the second novel, though he’d seemed truly interested in hearing my reply.

“One Hundred Years of Solitude, now that one is increíble.” He divulged me, leaning in closer to be heard over the rest of the tiny restaurant with a doting smile. “My mother, she loved it too.”

I grinned at that and continued to chat with him, first about the book, then about Spain and what I thought of life here, he noticed my cast after a long while and questioned me on it just as we were stirred from our conversation.

“Alright?” 

Was the word that clued me in to Matty’s sudden arrival and I glanced up, somewhat startled, to see him smirking down at me, eyes lingering momentarily on the stranger who sat knee to knee with me. 

“See you’ve been quick to replace me.” He teased, waving off the man’s apology and the offering of his seat. Matty instead shook his head and slotted himself into the chair opposite us, the one I’d originally been saving for him.

“You said you’d be gone ten minutes!” I laughed in reply when I’d finally pulled myself together- already far too aware of what had probably caught his eye, or rather who.

“And I apologise! Sincerely I do, with my whole entire heart even. But what was I to do when I saw a lady in need? Not stop and offer my help?” Matty replied theatrically, always in his element when putting on a show.

I hummed and raised an inquisitive brow, unable to help my sardonic smile. “And that took you nearly an hour?”

He winced slightly in jest before he relaxed back into his seat. “What can I say, I’m very… thorough.”

I grimaced around a short laugh. “What you are is an idiot.”

Matty merely grinned and gifted me a soft shrug that couldn’t be helped, before he turned towards our party’s newest addition. “Thanks for keeping her company, mate, but just who might you be?”

I went to answer for him, but came up short when I realised we had yet to even swap names. 

The man appeared to find a little amusement in it though, and glanced over towards Matty to give him his reply. “Alvaro. And I was happy to, I apologise for stealing your seat.”

With another wave of his hand, Matty shook his head good-naturedly. “You’re all good, man. ‘M Matty.”

Alvaro smiled with a dip of his head and shook Matty’s hand in greeting, before he then turned to me. I realised a little belatedly that he was now waiting on my name. Matty snorted under his breath at the wide-eyed expression I must've made and I kicked at his shin from beneath the table, ignoring his sudden scowl in favour of glancing towards the handsome stranger.

“Y/n.” I told him around a sheepish smile, but it appeared to grow when Alvaro grinned sweetly in return and pressed a gentle hand to my shoulder.

“Well, Y/n, it has truly been a pleasure.” He murmured to me, enticing eyes locked on mine as he got up from his seat and ducked down towards me. “A mí me basta con saber que tú y yo, existimos en este preciso momento.”

My breath got caught in my throat upon hearing a quote from the book we'd spoken about and it lodged itself there when the Spanish man pressed a soft kiss to my cheek.

“Hasta que nos volvamos a ver. No?”

I swallowed and nodded up at him, touching the back of his hand to show I understood before I let him pull away. I watched him go then, eyes trailing after his retreating figure until he could no longer be seen and tried to wrap my mind around the entire encounter.

“Wow.”

Inhaling sharply, I spun around in my seat to find Matty leant back in his, smirking over at me.

“What?” I questioned and pretended to take a sudden interest in the menu that had been casted to one side a long time ago.

I heard him chuckle lowly before he followed on. “Just- that. The chemistry! Christ, if you don’t shag him I think I just might.”

I couldn’t help the airy huff of laughter that escaped me then and chanced a glance over my menu to find Matty still smirking away without a care in the world.

“It wasn’t like that.”

“Bollocks it wasn’t.” Matty argued and set down his own menu to lean across the table towards me. “He was proper into you. I mean, how’d you even get to talking?”

I shrugged, eyes still trained on the many appetisers the bistro had to offer. “He asked for a chair.”

“He asked for a chair?” Matty repeated, though his tone was lined with a lot more bewilderment. “You’re joking, right?”

Again, I gave him a small shrug. “I don’t know, he just asked if the seat was taken and I said he could have it, thinking another table might've needed it- but then he just sat down!”

Matty laughed loudly, a hand coming to rest on the tablecloth. “He fucking wanted you!”

“Shut up.” I rolled my eyes in retort.

“I’m not messing a-fucking-bout here!” Matty stated and I watched as he shoved his sunglasses up into his frizzing curls, “He was all over you just then, and when I walked in I honestly had to do a double take when I spotted the pair of you.”

I shook my head silently.

“Come on, even you have to admit that it was a bit strange of him to just sit at a table with a complete stranger, no?”

It had been. Very ballsy. “Doesn’t mean he liked me though.”

Matty rolled his eyes then with a huff. “You’re blind. I’m telling you right now, he fancied the fuck outta you.”

I chuckled quietly and was grateful to let the topic die when a waitress finally cropped up out of nowhere, taking the full brunt of Matty’s attention.

—

Lounging out on the deck had quickly become one of my most favourite pastimes.

Being out there was so peaceful, whether it was early morning or late evening. I was just enraptured by the landscape that surrounded us as well as the humid air.

It was a little while after lunch when I’d gotten a bit peckish and decided to make myself a bowl of ice-cream to bring outside with me.

I’d taken to lying out under the branches of a nearby peach tree, which liked to offer me shelter from the beaming sun. Sometimes I read, often times I just relaxed out there, listening to Matty move about the place, or play the old guitar we’d found upstairs. It was nice.

Today though, my plans had quickly been interrupted by an unprompted FaceTime call.

I grinned down at my screen as the call connected and caught sight of a familiar bearded man. “Ross!” I exclaimed happily, all too glad to see his face.

“Alright there, stranger?” Came Ross’s chuckled greeting and we seemed to just smile at one another for a long second. “Fucking hell you’ve really caught the sun!”

“Jealous much?”

“Of you being out there whilst I’m sat in this sweaty studio? Yes.” Ross replied with a gruff huff, “Still fuming you and twat-face jetted off before I could invite myself along.”

I giggled and flipped my camera around so that he could see what I was seeing. “Be home soon, only I’ll be forced to miss all this.”

“Yeah, yeah, fuck off. You know what you’re doing.” Ross drawled out unhappily, and when I returned to the screen I found him covering his eyes with a grumpy sort of frown.

“Ah Ross, I’m only messing! Wish you were here too. It’s proper gorgeous.”

“So you and Matty keep telling me.” He humphed, “What are you up to now anyway?”

“Currently just sat eating some ice-cream. Think Matt said he was headed for a shower.”

Ross hummed and I peered down at the phone with squinted eyes to see past the glare of the sun. I grinned when he mimicked me, getting up close and personal with the lens.

“You look good.” He told me when we finally pulled away, chuckling amongst ourselves.

“Yeah?” I answered, almost as way for something to say.

“Yeah, you always do. But you look happier is what I actually mean.”

I bit at my bottom lip and fiddled with the silver spoon I’d stolen from inside. “Feel it.” I said to him quietly, poking now at the melting ice-cream. “It’s different out here. No reminders of back home. Well, I say that then I’ll see Matty pop up.”

Ross snorted softly at that but nodded like he understood, which was something I typically loved about him.

“It suits you. The sun, the smiling.”

I couldn’t help my smile then and turned away to hide it.

“Leave off.” I muttered, gifting him a gentle laugh, one he mimicked. “How are you anyway? How’s the album going?”

“Oh- you mean the album that Matty just upped and deserted us with, that one?”

I huffed out an amused breath and nodded, allowing him to continue on.

“It’s… going, I guess. Mainly just focusing on our own parts as of now.” Then he went on to tell me about this new riff he’d since created with Adam, getting a little excited when he explained how it’d come about during a session together, and where they wanted to use it.

It was sweet to see, and I found that I missed him a bit more than I’d first anticipated.

Matty came and disturbed us a short while later, recounting all the details of our getaway if only to piss Ross off and then embarrassed me when he recalled our earlier encounter with Alvaro the previous day.

I’d left him with the phone and two fingers tossed his way when I swanned back inside to escape the heat- both literally and metaphorically. Listening to the laughter that echoed behind me.

—

I don’t really remember how it went down. Just that I actually had gone down. And hard.

Reckon I had a few violent bruises to prove it too, but I was far too out of it to really focus on that though.

The beeping was back again. Like a dull ache that haunted me. And so were the light whispers and hazing lights. The hand I felt in mine.

There’d been no floating this time around though. No peace. Just that pitch black darkness that I could hardly even recall now.

I must’ve come in and out of it a couple of times because I can remember random bits and pieces. Mostly Matty, his voice and worried face. But there were nurses again too, talks of medication and doctors… another uncomfortable mattress and itchy sheets.

This time though I blinked past the blur and fought to stay awake.

And with a furrowed brow I came to and I glanced about an empty hospital room, similar to the one from before but different somehow too.

People buzzed outside the door that’d been left ajar, talking in English but, Spanish as well? I remembered then that we were in Tenerife. That I was meant to be living it up on holiday, not stuck in another hospital ward.

“Oh! You’re awake.”

I startled at the sudden sound and immediately regretted snapping my head in the voice’s direction. I winced at the fiery ache I felt lick its way up my neck. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” A young woman said, holding a clipboard close to her chest. “I’ll just call your friend in. ¿Sí?”

I simply watched her leave without a reply. And Matty came bounding in only seconds later, looking worse for wear.

“All I asked for was one holiday! One week where nothing happens, and then you go and pull this!” He ranted as soon as he caught sight of me, practically skidding his way over to my bedside.

He was still wearing the clothes I’d last seen him in, jean shorts and the pale pink tee I’d bought him, so I took that to be a good sign.

“I mean, fuck. You scared the absolute shit out of me!” He continued, rubbing harshly at his tired face. “One second you were fine and the next-” He shook his head, “I don’t think I ever moved so fucking fast in my life.”

“Why?” I croaked out with a tiny smile, “Pull a muscle, grandad?”

Matty’s eyes sharpened when they turned to me, “Oh so you are well enough to have kept that shitty sense of humour.”

I wrinkled my nose, but allowed him to take my hand in his. He was putting on a bravado but seemed to have been really shaken by the whole thing.

“I’m sorry.” I murmured, coughing quietly to clear my throat and then forced myself to sit up a tad.

Those hard eyes narrowed and he shot me a well-deserving glare, “Don’t fucking apologise. Just don’t do it again, alright?”

I smiled and attempted to nod past the pounding in my head. “I’ll try. What even happened anyway?”

Matty sighed and kicked a wooden chair closer so that he could sit. I rolled my eyes, choosing to keep quiet about the fact that he could’ve just crawled in beside me.

“They said it must've been the heat at first.” And he fixed me with a challenging look, one that screamed 'I told you so', before he carried on, “But when I told ‘em about the crash and all that… they ran a couple more tests. Just to make sure.”

I hummed quietly, not commenting on his guilty glance. He had nothing to feel guilty for, he’d done what anyone would’ve.

“And then they were in and out of your room, said they didn’t sedate you or nothing but when you collapsed you hit your head pretty fucking hard, kept you knocked out for a while.”

“How long?” I frowned.

Matty huffed out a long breath as he thought it over.

“Near to an hour? You were awake a bit by the time I got you here, but then you passed out again.” He worked out, his fingers playing aimlessly with mine. “Was fucking shitting myself out in that waiting room and this nurse at the reception, barely spoke a word of English. So I spent the entire time wishing you were there to just talk to her and then cursing you out for pulling a stunt like this, again.”

The small chuckle I gave him hurt and so I didn’t apologise another time. Though I did feel guilty for the scare.

“Been out there waiting on you for two and half hours as well, and let me tell you now that their coffee is shite.” He grimaced, seemingly alright with taking lead of the conversation between us. “Tasted like watered down piss, I swear. And I hear I thought that the Spanish loved coffee!”

“Reckon you're thinking of Brazil.” I muttered to him, “Spain’s got Sangria, innit.”

“Ah, yeah probably.” Matty hummed, quiet then to allow the noisy flurry of the hospital outside to trail in.

“So when can I go?” I asked him and he looked over at me, those bags beneath his eyes were back but softened somehow by the glow the sun had gifted him.

“Not sure.” He shrugged, glancing over towards the door. “Could ask. They said they were just waiting on a couple more tests.”

“It’s alright, I can wait.”

Immediately Matty shook his head and went to stand, “No, I’ll go check. Shouldn’t be much longer, hey?”

He gave my hand a squeeze before he left, looking back at me from the doorway before he had the strength to round it. I let go of the sigh I’d been holding in. 

Just my luck, I supposed. To be in sunny Spain and end up in hospital once again. I figured now that I’d been in more of them over the last few months than I had my entire life. And that was including the time I'd spent in one before my dad passed.

Toying with the bedding, I tried to recall what little I could of the day before I’d gone and collapsed.

We’d been on the phone to Ross, but then Matty had gotten bored and pestered me into tagging along with him to the beach. I remember the lemon icepop he bought me and the cone he'd gone and dropped into the sand when a bird had swooped too close.

We’d sat outside a cute little cafe for an early dinner, he’d finally caved and let himself have a glass of cava to pair with his paella, and I’d gotten the fish? No, the pisto. Matty had snorted at the name.

It had only been a short walk back to the villa after that and in return for having joined him, I made Matty piggyback me most of the way. He hadn’t stumbled as much as I thought he would, and when he had he blamed it one the wine. ‘Two glasses!’ I’d laughed at him in return.

When we’d gotten back I’d jumped in a quick shower whilst he hooked his laptop up to the flatscreen downstairs, claiming he wanted to rewatch a film. We fought over which one, but ultimately settled on Mamma Mia!, the first one of course. 

It had happened just as we’d been getting ready to head up to bed. The long day had worn me out and I remembered feeling a tad bit dizzy when we’d been sprawled out on the couch, drifting slightly as ‘I Have a Dream’ played through the speakers. I can vaguely recall Matty nudging me with his foot, laughing tiredly as I swatted him away.

He’d gotten up first, wandered into the kitchen to grab some water before we headed up. I’d only just gotten to my feet when he’d returned and then nothing. I couldn’t tell you what’d happened.

But I must’ve fainted or something, just like Matty’d said. Because my skull now pounded, my body ached, and I was stuck in this shitty hospital room.

A light scuttle caught my attention in that next moment, it drew me from my thoughts altogether and I looked up, expecting to see Matty walk in.

But it wasn't, and so you can imagine my surprise when the last person I ever thought I'd see was stood there instead.

“Alright, Birdie?”

Part Twenty-one>

[rellik24]

Wanna spout some headcanons here.

1. All the Greek demigods can speak Greek and speak it to eachother quite frequently when in public with mortals and sometimes forget to switch back to English when speaking with mortals (same goes for the Romans and latin)

2. CHB has an 'ancient day, where they dress up in togas and ancient Greek clothing and vote on who gets to 'rule the empire's for the day and wear the appropriate clothes. They also do a trivia quiz on myths in the amphitheater and whoever wins chooses capture the flag teams.

3. I'm pretty sure I remember something about harpies or something going after the campers who go outside after hours (pls correct me if I'm wrong about that) but also the Hermes cabin made a game of who can stay out the longest and they sometimes barge into random cabins and the other campers are just uses to it by now. Stoll brothers hold the record for now.

4. Percy sometimes pranks his friends by changing the temp of their shower water by turning it cold bc the cold can't hurt them but might shock them but he always makes sure that they're okay afterward if he feels something went wrong

5. Whenever Thalia and the hunters come around, they go all out in the capture the flag game. Thalia, Percy and Annabeth always go after eachother more than they go after the flag just to mess with eachother. Like they'll have a clear opportunity to get the flag but they'll still go after eachother if they have the chance.

6. There's some kind of bank at CHB that can trade drachma for American dollars in case someone wants to go out into the world and don't have money.

7. Since it's a strawberry farm to mortals, some would hear about it and then try to pick some strawberries but Chiron has to tell them that they can't do that and sends the very disappointed mortals on their way. This happens at least once a year.

8. Hephaestus cabin made a special chariot that acts as a car but gets pulled around by horses or pegasi and so some demi-gods can learn to drive on the chariot course and they sometimes set up obstacles like Canada's worst driver style

9. Percy likes to take the new campers swimming and he "drowns" and then the new kid goes to someone telling them that percy drowned but everyone just doesn't care and is slightly confused by what they're saying

10. If percy had a job, he'd work at an aquarium and defend that animals like "I don't think he likes the sardines you're feeding him." And he'd tell the fish to troll the trainers and people and fail shows for laughs

11. (Thus is a joke one) percy is the reason the orcas are attacking boats. Because people over fish the waters and fish are friends, not food

[authorhjk1]

Lmao I had a feeling I would get it wrong somehow with your hint earlier about the name similar to a member of Ive my mind was telling me Yujin so I was about to go with Ryujin but it would be totally wrong since she never had a background from the US but darn I forgot about Yunjin lol since I was too focused on Itzy. Then I went with the other members like Liz then Rei hence why I came up with Lia since I almost got a close call with her too bad it wasn’t her even though she never was a trainee at SM and also not from the US but Canada. Oh well.

Thing is I have a feeling that for the next three chapters all are members of Gfriend so my mind went to Viviz so here are my guesses: SinB, Umji then Eunha in that order pls if you may. I somehow may get one right.

Pls be on my side this time lady luck. 😂🙏🏻

Thanks again!

Guessing anon.

Oh my friend, I get where you're coming from. Ryujin wouldn't have been a bad guess, based on the name hint. But, of the top of my head, I don't even know many idols who are American, or were raised there. So I thought Yunjin, Mina and Julie might be the ones you could come up with.

Gfriend was already the right direction, but I'm afraid you took the wrong turn. Feel free to correct your other two guesses, based on the the chapter I just released. I also got your additional guess for pink pair btw.

[trashy-tries-writing]

Trashy my beloved 💞 hello! It is I! 🍄 Anon again! And im here to ask you if you can show a possible heigh chart of the boys versus Ravine?

For example im 5'6 (I think im around 167 cm??? Im sorry im american and sadly we use the imperial system here😔) so like if im understanding what you said for Ravines height with him being 2-4 cms shorter than könig (who is supposedly 6'10 in ft(omg tall man) and about 208 cms??? Pls help me trashy🥺) that would mean that Ravine when he stands at full height would be about 6'8-6'9 ft and 204-206 cms tall! Omg thats a large man! 😳

Sorry if my guessing in centimeters was wrong, im still trying to learn it. :( But i would love help on figuring it out if you would be so kind trashy?

Anyways love your content as always and can't wait for more involving the main pretty man himself Ravine! Thank you trashy for your time you beautiful person! 🍄 Anonnie out!

Hi hi 🍄 Anon! 🥰

I went to make a chart for you (and myself) I tried to make it as canon as possible with watching videos and how tall they stand beside each other but I'm still not 100% sure this is correct?

But hope this is to your satisfaction 😊😊

(God kids would run away from him like he and König are montains 💀)

Thank you so much for your kind words and if there are any other requests you have, let me know!

(I will answer the rest of the requests in my askbox I swear! Just need to push myself slighty 👌)

[grapecaseschoices]

If i remember correctly you mentioned a while ago you were Haitian american (if not I'm really sorry for misremembering and pls feel free to correct me or ignore this ask!). If you are, I was wondering what some of you favourite Haitian dishes/food are. One of the characters in my story is of Haitian descent and I was doing some research on Haitian cuisine and it looks delicious. As a black woman and a foodie at heart I always love to research cuisines from different places in the world. I have tried Jamaican and Dominican food before, since I have quite a few Jamaican and Dominican family friends, but I've never tried Haitian food before. Do you have any recomendations that I should give a try?

You are most correct, anon! I am Haitian American. And do I ever!

It is as delicious as it looks.

We have sme similarities with Dominican food, obviously; but a lot of the difference is in how foods are done/cooked. Of course, person by person, region by region it will be different -- I've had the same food taste different in my own family (and it is sometimes a matter of person x and person y were both taught by person b, for example). But from my observation (and limited recollection -- it has been a while since I've had dominican food), things like the spices we use or how we cook our rice definitely differ.

Since I'm talking about spices, the thing to try is epis. I don't know WHAT it is made of - you can probably find receipes in Google - but it is a staple in many dishes. I saw it is similar to Dominican sazon? I'm not sure how accurate that is, but that might give yoou a base. It's basically a mix of spices and used to cook things like chicken, soups, meats, etc. I'm sure there are people who use it for everything.

Speaking of things people use for everything: Pikliz. Again, a thing that varies per household - it can be tangy, sour, or spicy. Generally though, it's spicy spicy or a spicy sour. And you can literally put it on anything (not sweet obviously -- or I don't know, to eacch their own). I LOOOOVE pikliz. It's like a relish, it has cabbage in it, the ingredients you'd probably see in a slaw. You can eat it with your meat, you can eat it with your rice. Like epis, you can cook the food with it but often enough people put it like a condiment. I personally love it on fried plantain.

Speaking of: we have banan peze (literally pressed bananas) - which is fried plantain flattened. It can be sweet or not. You have that with pikliz. Another popular food to eat by itself (or with pikliz) is griot, a type of pork. Or tassot (often goat but google says people have it as beef). A whole meal could be pikliz on the side, griot or tassot (or a sauceless chicken), banan peze and some rice.

Haitians LOVE their rice. Like, oh my goodness. Honestly, I know some Haitians that could have rice breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And maybe a snack. The main rices I recall are: white rice usually had with 'sos pwa' (beans ... sauce, I guess). There's black beans, red beans, or peas. Sos pwa can be had as a soup or, like I said, with the rice. Usually as a topping. Then there is diri kole avec pwa (probably saying it wrong, actually forgive all my creole spellings, I know most of these terms by sound/verbal) - which is basically rice and beans. Usually red beans and the rice comes out a nice brownish-red color. Or diri jonjon - which makes the rice come out black, and people often add shrimp. But there can also be like peas in it or black beans. Seafood - typically fish - can be had with the rice too by the way, but discussing the type of seafoods would take too long. I WILL say lambi is a big, BIG thing in Haiti -- lambi is a type of conch. Or just conch, idk.

I'm going to speed run through some appetizers and sweets, or else this will take forever. If you have more questions just let me know!

There is haitian patties - which is different style from jamaican patties or an empanada. But it typically has beef or chicken in it; it can also have types of fish or spinash. Fritai is also a thing, which is various fried foods.

Sweets: Diri Au Lait is my fave as a kid, and still. AK100 (a blended corn drink). Haitian cake is great. We have various fudges made of nuts and stuff.

Drinks: cola champagne is a favorite.

A quick look at this shows it's not inaccurate. Though it might be overwhelming. But it covers a lot of the stuff I missed, then you only asked for my faves :-D (which I still am missing a lot but thats a good starter I feel, lol.)

Happy eating! Enjoy :-D

[leo-in-the-clouds]

So I can't sleep so this is what we're doing now.

I've seen a lot of discussion about the Grammys so I'll just give you all my 2 cents.

First of all, as far as I'm aware the Grammys are US based (pls correct me if I'm wrong) so that is actually kind of important to know. Now, Song of the year was won by a musician whose name i haven't heard before with a song I've never heard before. (It is important to mention that I am drom Central Europe so I won't know every american artist out there.) Not saying that the song wasn't popular but it definitely wasn't on any sort of playlist or radio I listened to. Which somg I have definitely heard about a million times a day and at least every two hours on the radio was "As it was" by Harry Styles (Disclaimer: I am not a fan of Harry Styles and this song was everywere(I am aware he won Album of the Year)).

Like to me it just doesnt make that much sense that someone, who as far as I can tell, didn't really arrive overseas with their music somehow managed to get voted over ppl like Taylor Swift or Harry Styles.

So I'm mostly just confused, cause even if its only popularity in the US something else would have been voted....

Second of all, the Sam Smith and Kim Petras performance of "Unholy". I tbh didnt see anything wrong but lots of ppl are considering this as a sort of satanic ritual or confession to being involved in Satanism.....fr

Sam Smith wore a hat with devil horns and his dancers were "praying" (they said that not me) to them. Pretty sure thats just extreme christians and homophobes but still I've seen and heard a lot more disturbing stuff in Church....

And lastly, Wet Leg winning the Best Alternative Performance Award kinda confused me like Florence and The Machine as well as the Arctic Monkeys were nominated and I am a fan of both of them so I am biased but I only know one Wet Leg song (the butter your muffin one), but I feel like AM os just way bigger and more kind of influential, if you're counting in all the 2013 Fans that probably still watch/listen to their performances.

(This is in no way intended to be hate towards wet leg I just only heard the butter your muffin thing like 5 times mid 2022 so I'm really just confused if I missed something...?)

So I really just don't know what to make of that....

In conclusion I am confused, there is even more kind of weird voting results than I listed, those are just the ones I noticed. If any of you can explain to me who decides these winners, pls let me know.

[chaoticcosmos666]

I graduated high school in 2018. Even then I had a sense of what's the point thru out high school. Part of it was attributed to my father's mental abuse... But I remember feeling dread 2016. Like obviously I felt like trump was gonna be shit... We all did but I think a lot of young ppl saw it. Then news of more shit... I mean hell a we grew up after 9/11, well not all but as an American perspective here... Then u had the crash of 2008... Then the war... Then the disasters like the gulf spill and all that. What is the purpose? Now the rise of christofascism is here and neonazis aren't afraid. Someone pls correct me but I hadn't seen them crawl out and be bold pre trump... So if I'm wrong... Kindly correct me. Like what's the point? The government doesn't listen, we are written off as sensitive, the oldest of gen z (ie me) can't afford homes or rent, can't afford food, etc. It's all telling.

[wintuvern]

Ooh could you pls tell us more about miko? Do you have a face claim for him as well? 👀

I would love to know more about Bailey as well. If I recall correctly you had another oc called kora or am I tripping? 😭

I could have sworn I saw a video edit of her on your blog a little while ago, I think she was an apt 502 oc of yours, if I'm imagining things pls feel free to ignore this section. If she is an of of yours then I would love to know more about her, she seems like such a fun character. 👀

Hi yes, Kora is an apt 502 OC of mine, I like to just keep making OCs I can't help it XD

Also you don't know how happy it makes me everytime I get an ask, especially with how much interest you have 💛 and I'll answer everything underneath the cut :))

Bailey → Alice Pagani / Li → Christina Nadin

Jack → Lorenzo Zurzolo / Miko → Bob Morley

So for Miko's face claim, I struggled because I have this thing where I just think everyone looks alike for some reason, cause I overanalyze facial features.

So I think I spent longer trying to find Miko's face claim than Malikha's actually, but I settled for Bob Morley, as he is also half-filipino, with a white parent (correct me if I'm wrong, I did do research but I might be wrong).

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Bailey Facts:

She has a strong accent, as most people do in Northern England (the source being me hehe)

She can't cook for shit, like do not let her near the kitchen. She's burned toast before now, and toasters literally time it for you…

Bailey is really smart, and she graduated from Law School. However she isn't working as a lawyer at the moment as she still wants to live her life a little, and is aware of how intense the job is.

Is the friend that can't drive. In her defence, until she came to America, where she lived, everything was within walking distance (English city things for you).

Big BIG fan of classic rock bands, she likes modern rock too, but the classics are the best

Loves watching football, and motorsports. Does get internally annoyed about football being called soccer, but she sucks it up. Unless she's drunk, then she will call you an idiot and educate you about it only being called soccer as a shortened name from Football association.

Bailey has a lot of patchwork tattoos, she loves getting tattoos.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Kora Facts:

Now unlike Bailey, Kora is amazing at cooking, thanks to her roommates teaching her new cooking recipes when she was in University. Beforehand though yeah she was terrible.

When it comes to baking 👀👀 she is amazing. Try and find someone who makes better lemon tarts than Kora, no really, try. She's that good

Loves to bake cookies, all the time. There's always cookies.

Kora is such a kind and caring person, and not a lot of people dislike her. So you'd think she is great in social situations, right? Wrong. She is a major introvert.

Kora is also autistic (yes I'm projecting, sue me)

Kora does still have a strong accent, the Australian twang still there, however it's moulded into an Australian-american accent in a way.

[bluesylveon2]

Aladdin

Summary: Eren finds a mysterious lamp after making a deal with a mysterious man. Now he is a prince trying to woo Princess Mikasa and has a genie named Levi, who grants him three wishes. What will Eren wish for?

Disclaimer: Aladdin is an American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Pictures.  Attack on Titan is a manga/anime series written by Hajime Isayama and published by Kondasha. 

A/N: I am back from the dead!!! I honestly was not motivated to finish this, but then I played Twisted Wonderland and here we are again lol. Updates will be slow since I have summer classes/externships. I hope yall enjoy the chapter!

Warning: not beta read and my Japanese is probably wrong (pls correct me!)

Masterlist: Here

Chapter 2:

"Your princess is crazy! Both she and that bodyguard are!" Prince Jean yelled while running out of the castle. He was covered in tea and was hastily trying to keep his pants up.

"Prince Jean! Wait-" A woman, Empress Kiyomi, tried to stop the prince, but it was too late. He was already out of the door. The queen sighed and turned to the large staircase where her granddaughter, Princess Mikasa, stood annoyedly. Her attendant, Annie, tried to hide her smirk behind her hand. "Mikasa, why did you turn Jean away? He was a good candidate."

Mikasa began to descend the stairs, with Annie following behind. "Prince Jean was rude and knew nothing about personal space. I was only defending myself, and Annie was there as backup. Not to mention that man was overdressed and self-absorbed."

Kiyomi sighed again and met Mikasa when she got to the bottom floor. "You can't reject every suitor that calls, Mikasa. It was hard for Zeke even to convince Jean to come, and you know what the law says.."

Mikasa wanted to roll her eyes at the mention of the royal advisor's name but chose against it. "Obaasan, I know I have to marry a prince by law, but I want to marry for love like Okaasan and Otousan did. Besides, I can defend myself, and I have Annie with me. We can wait out my marriage until I find someone I truly love."

"I understand your frustrations, but I am getting older, and one day I will not be by your side. I want to be sure that you are safe." Kiyomi smiled sadly; Mikasa was almost a carbon copy of her late daughter in terms of looks and personality.

Mikasa frowned. "Obaasan, you never let me go outside alone, and I only have one friend," The princess complained.

"Mikasa, you know why I do this. Why I'm so strict with you is for your safety. I do not want to lose you too."

"I just want to see what is outside the walls one time!"

"No!" Kiyoomi stated firmly. "My answer will always be no." she stood up and wiped some imaginary dust off her kimono. "I will be going now because I have some business to attend to. Mikasa, think about what I said and prepare for your next suitor." The queen walked away, and silence filled the room.

Annie watched the empress leave before turning to the princess. Her eyes widen with surprise. Mikasa had a determined look on her face.

"What are you thinking, Mikasa?"

Mikasa looked at her friend and grinned, "If Obaasan doesn't let me outside, then I will do it myself."

"What am I going to do with that girl?" Kiyomi asked herself while wandering the halls of the palace. Mikasa's birthday was coming soon, and she refused to say yes to anyone. She stopped walking to look at a portrait of her late daughter and son-in-law. The pair looked happy holding baby Mikasa in their arms. Kiyomi sighed and looked at her daughter's brown eyes, "If only you were here."

"Your Highness." A male voice called out to her. Kiyomi turned to her guest and smiled. Standing next to her was Zeke Yeager, her advisor. Zeke is one of Kiyomi's old friends from a country called Marley. He wore a black kimono and carried a staff with a snake carved on the top. On top of his shoulder was a small falcon named Falco that Zeke acquired on a trip.

"Ah, Zeke, my most trusted advisor. How was your trip?"

"I went will Your Highness. I learned a lot from other countries."

Kiyomi smiled, "I'm glad it did." her smile was replaced with a frown. "Zeke, I need your wisdom about Mikasa."

Zeke bent down to give a slight bow to Kiyomi, "My life is only to serve you, Your Highness."

Kiyomi sighed and turned away from the portrait, "It is about the suitor business. Mikasa keeps rejecting everyone."

Zeke nodded and briefly glanced at his pet with a smirk, "I can provide you with a solution to your problem, but it will require using a blue diamond," he said while picking up Kiyomi's hand to inspect her ring.

Kiyomi pulled her hand away, "My ring? It has been in the family for years."

"It is necessary to find Mikasa a suitor," Zeke stared at his staff before turning it so it was at Kiyomi's eye level. Its eyes began to glow red, "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Kiyomi's eyes turned red, "Everything will be fine," she repeated robotically.

"The diamond?"

"The diamond." Kiyomi pulled off her ring and handed it to Zeke, "Here you go."

Zeke snatched it away, "Thank you, Your Highness. You have a busy day, right?" Now run along.

"Right." Kiyomi's eyes continued to glow red while she walked off to who knows where. Meanwhile, Zeke quickly went away before his spell wore off. He laughed manically once Kiyomi was out of sight. Soon, his spell will wear off, but the queen will not be able to recall what occurred during it.

Zeke eyed the ring once before hiding it in his clothes, "Now," he said to Falco, "it is time to find our little diamond."

It was hours before sunrise when Mikasa made her move. She and Annie prepared everything in Mikasa's bedroom on the castle's third floor.

"Do you have everything?" Annie asked while she secured Mikasa's bag.

"I double-checked to be sure," Mikasa replied, wrapping a white cloth around her head to cover her hair. The plan was for Mikasa to wear Annie's clothes and for Annie to wear hers to disguise herself. She turned to face Annie, "How do I look?"

"Like you're going to get caught by the guards if you are not careful."

Mikasa chuckled, "It will only be for a day at most. I will be back by bedtime. You know what to do, right?"

Annie nodded. Before this, Annie had asked Kiyomi if she could go to town to get some stuff for Mikasa. Kiyomi agreeing to it was the catalyst for Mikasa's trip.

"Just make sure to keep Obaasan and Zeke busy. Speaking of, have you seen Zeke lately?"

Annie hummed in thought before shaking her head, "I heard he was meeting with some nobles. Either way, he will be too busy to notice your absence."

"Good," Mikasa said, giving her bag a final pat, "I'm ready to go."

"Don't die out there," Annie called out when Mikasa opened her window and removed half her body.

"I'll try not to," Mikasa replied and jumped out to taste freedom.

©: This story belongs to bluesylveon2. Do not modify or republish

A/N: What is up with the characters I'm writing and freedom? 😂

[wonderneverlandsystem]

My RWBY Headcanons (subject to change)! If you are BIPOC and are commenting to talk with/correct me involving the headcanons that involve race (this includes identities like, but not limited to, Two-Spirit & Muxe which are for Indigenous people of North America and Mexico only [pls correct me if I'm wrong]) that's more than okay, otherwise don't try to argue with my headcanons. You're free to leave.

——————————————————————————

[STRQ]

Summer- Japanese & Irish

Bi & Ambiamorous | Cis Woman

She/They

Raven- Japanese

Bi & Polyamorous | Trans Woman

She/Her

Qrow- Japanese

Gay & Ambiamorous | Trans Man

He/Him

Tai- Chinese (canon)

Pan & Polyamorous | Cis Man

He/Him (Doesn't mind They/Them)

————————————————————————

[RWBY]

Ruby- Chinese (canon), Japanese, and Irish

Pan, Ace, and Polyamorous | Enby

She/They/Xe

Weiss- German & Korean

Bi, AroAce, and Ambiamorous | Cis Woman

She/They

Blake- Maori & Japanese (canon?)

Bi (canon) | Whakawahine

She/They/He

Yang- Chinese (canon) & Japanese

Lesbian (canon) | Trans Woman

She/Her

————————————————————————

[JNPR]

Jaune- French (essentially canon)

Bi | Cis Man

He/Him

Nora- Nordic (essentially canon)

Pan & Ambiamorous | Trans Fem

All

Pyrrha- Greek (essentially canon) & Japanese

Bi | Trans Woman

She/They

Ren- Chinese (canon) & Japanese (canon?)

Bi & Ace | Gender Queer

He/They

————————————————————————

[SSSN]

Sun- Chinese (canon) & Korean

Bi | Cis Man

He/Him (cool with whatever)

Scarlet- Scottish & Japanese

Gay (Canon) | Cis Man

He/Him

Sage- Japanese & Maori

Straight & Ace | Whakatāne

They/Them

Neptune- Greek (essentially canon) & Latino

Pan | Trans Man

He/They

————————————————————————

[CFVY]

Coco- French & Chinese

Lesbian (Canon) | Trans Woman

She/They

Fox- African (specifically Kenyan) & Japanese

Bi & AroAllo | Trans Masc

He/They

Velvet- Australian (canon) & Japanese

Bi & Ace | Enby

They/Them (She/He sometimes)

Yatsuhashi- Japanese (canon)

Bi & Ace | Cis Man

He/They

————————————————————————

Maria- Indigenous Latina

Bi & AroAllo | Muxe

Any

Ilia- Indigenous North American (Sioux) & Latina

Lesbian (Canon) | Trans Fem

She/Her (Doesn't mind They/Them)

Pietro- African American & Latino

Straight | Trans Man

He/Him

Penny- African American & Latina

Lesbian & Polyamorous | Trans Woman

Any

Shopkeeper- Japanese (canon)

AroAce | Cis Man

Any

Oscar- Cuban & Indigenous Hawaiian

Pan | Māhū

He/They/Ey

Ghira- Maori

Bi | Cis Man

He/Him

Kali- Japanese & Maori

Bi | Tāhine

She/They/Ne

Willow- German & Korean

Lesbian | Cis Woman

She/Her (Doesn't mind They/Them)

Jaques- German

Straight | Cis Man

He/Him

Winter- German & Korean

Lesbian & Ambiamorous | Trans Woman

She/Her

Whitley- German & Korean

Gay | Trans Man

He/Him (Eventually, finds out about It/Its and uses those as well)

————————————————————————

Ozma/Ozpin- British & Filipino

Bi | Trans Man

He/Thon

Port- Dutch

Pan | Cis Man

He/Him

Oobleck- British American

Gay | Trans Masc

He/They/Thon

Glynda- British & Japanese

Lesbian | Trans Woman

She/They

Ironwood- British & Taiwanese (essentially canon)

Bi | Cis Man

He/Him

Lionheart- British & Japanese

Gay | Cis Man

He/They

Sienna- Indian & Chinese

Lesbian | Trans Woman

Any

————————————————————————

Clover- British American & Japanese

Gay | Cis Man

He/Him

Harriet- African American & Latina

Lesbian | Trans Fem

She/Her

Elm- Latina & Polynesian

Omni | Trans Woman

She/They

Marrow- African American & Japanese

Bi & Ace | Trans Man

He/They

Vine- Chinese & Japanese (canon?)

Bi & AroAce | Enby

They/She/He

————————————————————————

Robyn- Latina & Indigenous North American

Bi & Polyamorous | Trans Fem

They/She

Fiona- Irish & Icelandic

Pan, Ace, and Ambiamorous | Demi-Girl

She/They/He

May- Latina

Bi & Polyamorous | Trans Woman (Canon)

She/Her

Joanna- African American & Latina

Bi, Ace, and Polyamorous | Enby

Dey/Dem

————————————————————————

Cinder- Japanese

Lesbian AroAce | Cis Woman

She/Her

Neo- Japanese & Greek

Omni & AroAce | Genderfluid

All

Roman- Italian & Greek

Bi | Trans Man

He/Him (Neo can use They/Them)

Emerald- Arab (essentially canon) & Indian

Lesbian & AroAllo | Trans Woman

They/She

Mercury- Icelandic

Gay | Trans Man

He/Him

Tyrian- Japanese & British

Bi | Cis Man

He/Him (Doesn't really care)

Hazel- Hispanic & Polynesian

Bi & Ace | Cis Man

He/Him

Watts- German & Hispanic

Bi & AroAllo | Trans Man

He/Him

Salem- African American & British (The form we've known since the beginning and that she currently has clearly has locs, yet they made her human form white??? I decline the canon in this case.)

Straight | Trans Woman

She/They

————————————————————————

[thewhizzyhead]

wha...what is this disenchanted thingy with...jodie steele in a very...weird snow white wig...i have so many questions right now... i don't even know where to start...

[m-the-funky-chicken]

German here!

So, I had the fortunate circumstances of watching a version with subtitles which. yknow. HUGELY helps me, especially because with audio processing issues (which I very much have. youch).

I want to say that I have the advantage of having started my English learning/speaking process almost fifteen years ago, as a child, and now conducting 99,9% of my media intake in English, as well a doing a BA in English Studies - but!

I am shit with accents. oh am I shit with them. I can't even differentiate between German accents and dialects - hell, my regional dialect might be very distinctive to me, but would I recognise that somebody was from there if they didn't tell me? probably not lol. and English doesn't make it easier for me, because I am just missing all of these nuances, the inherent knowledge that only growing up as a native speaker might bring; I might have encountered a thousand different English accents - even broader distinctions like American vs Australian vs NZ vs England sometimes pose problems. I lived in Ireland for a few months and have an Irish lecturer, and I still sometimes mix up Irish and Scottish accents at first. why? stupid brain disease, I guess. "ah yes we know this one. it's uuuuh fucking uhhhh I'm not wearing my glasses, what's the first one I can grab out of the dark murk-"

now, how does that translate to the terror?

tbh, starting to think about who has which accent already messes up my mind. Crozier is Irish, but I find his accent to be quite subtle on the consonants, more so than I expected, and only really distinguishable in vowel sounds; but then again, I have experiences with Munster accents above all, and that's definitely not his region. at all.

the translator who's with JCR - Scottish? I think he's Scottish. very satisfying to listen to, sad that we only had this one scene with him, really. I think it kind of startles me to hear him, though, because the rest of the men is more or less lumped together as "somehow English" in my mind. this might range from "super posh sounding" (Franklin) to "potentially more working class upbringing?" (Tozer), but ask me the difference between Jopson and Irving and Little and Hickey and Stanley and-- and I might cry.

the only other person apart from those mentioned who stands out to me accent wise is Blanky. couldn't tell you where he's from or what accent that is. maybe more northern? who knows! not me.

now, do I understand any of the accents less than the others? not at all! I'm used to a lot of mumbling and American swallowing of syllables making it super hard to know wtf is going on, but I think that they speak quite crispy, enunciate clearly, and the sound design isn't *CRASH BOOM FUCK YOUR EARS shhhh I'm saying something now* which helps immensely.

it might be my inability to properly discern these nuances, but I feel like there isn't that much variation in accents in the show, even though characters had very different origins. Irving was Scottish, wasn't he? I don't think the actor does a Scottish accent (correct me if I'm wrong) and I think I remember reading that a lot of the crew was from Northern England - those are some pretty distinct accents most of the time, and I don't think that was really used? I would have loved to see more differences here. both in regional origins but also class origins.

concerning the actors themselves - I haven't watched a crazy amount of interviews or other work of the actors, so I can't really say much about differences, but I remember being surprised by Trystan Gravelle (pls let that be the way you spell that name) being Welsh?? tbf I am shit with Welsh accents because I didn't hear a lot of them over the years and only recently have begun being able to identify them. but I feel like Trystan has a distinct accent, which Collins doesn't have at all. to my ears he sounds vaguely English, like the rest of em. Just a funny disconnect in my mind.

I've been thinking about Terror character/actor accents and origins again today and I'd love to hear some non-British/otherwise outside perspectives on the subject at some point - might even attempt to make a poll about it.

I'm just curious!

Do you find the different accents in the show difficult to understand at any point? Are some more challenging than others? Do you think having more context on different character accents and origins would change anything about your understanding/interpretations of the show and the relationships within it?