#and fit the messy & imperfect vibe of the show

[heycoyotegirl]

the writers should've just committed to the one-sided pining daxton, but they're cowards who refused to accept that it's fundamentally impossible to write a version of paxton who is not in love with devi

[luna-azzurra]

How to Write a Confession of Love

Build the Emotional Tension Before the big confession, let the tension simmer between the characters. Maybe they share little glances across the room, or their hands brush accidentally but neither pulls away. Every shared laugh or lingering look should leave the reader wondering “Is this it?” When the confession finally happens, it’ll feel like the natural next step, as if both characters have been teetering on the edge of admitting their feelings for a while.

Inner Turmoil Leading Up to the Moment No one’s ever totally confident before saying, “I like you,” or “I love you.” Show the character’s inner freak-out. Maybe they’re wondering if they’re about to ruin everything, or if the other person feels the same. Let them overthink every detail, what if they mess it up? What if they say the wrong thing? This nervousness is super relatable and makes the confession way more intense and vulnerable.

Choose the Right Setting Where the confession happens can completely change the vibe. If it’s somewhere quiet and personal, like on the roof under the stars or sitting close on a couch, it adds a sense of intimacy. But maybe it’s in the middle of a party or a chaotic situation, where emotions are running high and everything’s on the line. The setting should fit the emotions—are they scared? Excited? Confused? Let the environment match their energy.

Don’t Make It Perfect Real life is messy, and confessions of love are no different. Maybe the character fumbles their words, says something awkward, or has to start over. Maybe they get interrupted, or they laugh nervously halfway through. These imperfections make the moment feel real. It’s not about saying the perfect words, it’s about what’s in their heart. Let the raw, unpolished feelings shine through.

Balance Between Show and Tell Obviously, they’re going to say something like “I love you” or “I can’t stop thinking about you,” but actions and body language speak just as loudly. Maybe their voice cracks, they shift closer without realizing it, or they can’t seem to meet the other person’s eyes. Maybe their hands are shaking, or their heart is pounding so loud they can’t hear anything else. Let those little details paint the full picture of how much this confession means.

The Other Person’s Reaction It’s not just about the person confessing, the other person’s reaction is a huge part of the scene. Are they completely shocked? Do they hesitate, or respond right away? Do they get teary-eyed or try to play it cool? The way they react adds layers to the moment. Even a pause before answering can make the scene ten times more intense. Their response shows how much they’ve been waiting for or dreading this confession too.

In short, make it messy, emotional, and real. Readers want to feel the build-up, the fear, the excitement, and the vulnerability of both characters. Don’t be afraid to make things a little awkward or imperfect, that’s what makes a confession unforgettable.

[cypanache]

Hello there :)

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice)

O - Choose a song at random, which ship or character does it remind you of

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice)

So I'm going to preface this with the disclaimer that I know very little about the Star Wars or even Prequels fandom as a whole. My corner is very small and my experiences are limited to mostly what I see in fic, and tumblr discussions in my tiny little piece of the world. With that said, things I wish I saw more of (beyond just more obidala 'shippers in general).

Messy Obidala -- Look I love healthy couple Obidala. I really do. That soft, so good together + hot vibe they give is absolutely what attracted me to them and what attracts most shippers so its no wonder that its the version which gets written the most. But they are and can be so much more than that. They are complicated, imperfect characters who can be a little too righteous, a little too prideful or privileged. They have proven capable of compromising themselves in the worst ways for both the sake of Anakin and the Republic. And they would more than rip each other to shreds in a fight. I would love to see more writers take them to those places.

More Obidala in my Obianidala. This one feels a little unfair because there's actually quite a number of gorgeous Obianidala fics where their relationship is handled beautifully and in some cases the primary focus. But look I'm greedy. And for every one of those, I feel like there's at least three where their relationship is very much an afterthought or more just an agreement to share Anakin. And since as I mentioned before I very much like my OT3s to all be equally obsessed with each other and they’re the least established in canon … this leaves me wanting more.

Padme Appreciation/Exploration -- Tbf there may be more of this in pockets of fandom that I'm not aware of, but in general I feel like she is criminally underused and underexplored by fandom as a whole. I love how strong and kind and smart she is, but sometimes I think we in the Obidala fandom can become overly focused on those aspects of her character while glossing some of her more complicated parts, almost like we're trying to 'fix' her. By the same token, I adore the badass, sensual, dominant Padme who shows up frequently in Obianidala fic, but it can occasionally tip over into her serving as a mechanism to meet Anakin's needs or soothe Obi-Wan's insecurities without giving her own needs and vulnerabilities equal time. And I'm sorry my queen deserves to be all the things. Powerful and weak. Generous and selfish. Confident and vulnerable. She is fathomless, infinite and contains multitudes.

Note -- I have a whole host of fic recs and blogs and fandom friends which prove me wrong every day on the above, and I love them all for that, but you asked what I want more of and yeah I'm greedy. I want more of all of that.

O - Choose a song at random, which ship or character does it remind you of

This ones a little difficult because I curate my playlists by the fics I'm writing or in some cases the relationship or character I need to write. So 'random' is sort of an illusion the moment I go into any playlist. To counter that at least a little I dumped all my active playlists together and pressed shuffle. Here’s what came up:

This song always makes me think of grieving Obi-Wan forming a connection with Padme for that opening line alone "Yes I understand that every life must end" This song was on my on my Trap playlist for a long time in the section for the Naboo arc and was the song for just after Qui-Gon's death but I swapped it out for 'Flares' which vibes a lot better with the other songs for that arc.

Now it lives on my 'Wires' playlist where it fits with the over all vibe a little better. Wires is my Modern Post-RotS Padme Live style AU where the Jedi are cops and Padme was the ADA before everything came crashing down. It's an older, rougher, version of Padme and Obi-Wan who have a lot of history and a lot of grief and self-loathing and blame to throw around, but also completely need each other in that no one else could possibly understand kind of way. So this fits that vibe rather nicely.

[entertainment]

Entertainment Spotlight: Jordan Claire Robbins, The Umbrella Academy

If you’re a fan of The Umbrella Academy, you probably recognize Jordan Claire Robbins, who stars as Grace/Mom along with Ellen Page, Colm Feore, and Tom Hopper. Jordan's other tv credits include Netflix's Anon opposite Amanda Seyfried and Clive Owen, Supernatural, Man Seeking Woman, and SyFy's 12 Monkeys. Before she set her sights on acting, Jordan had a successful career in modeling. When she's not on our screens, she enjoys singing and playing the piano. Jordan hails from Bermuda and currently resides in Vancouver. She took a few minutes to chat with us about The Umbrella Academy, funny moments on set, and more. Check it out:

Despite the creepy Stepford Wife vibes, on balance, Grace has been a better parent than her maker. What is it that drew you to the role?

I love that there is more to Grace than meets the eye. The writers did a brilliant job of revealing Grace’s depth as the first season went on, while also constantly making you wonder what she was capable of – she’s such an enigmatic character. There were all these beautiful flashback scenes where she was the perfect mother figure she was programmed to be, but also moments when you see a dissonance of sorts when she can’t protect the children from pain inflicted by their father figure. And when the story starts off she’s a shadow of what she once was. She’s lost under this faulty programming and she has so much to fight against to find her own voice. Then when she is given another chance at life she’s this different version of herself, one that makes her own choices and has agency for once. It certainly kept me on my toes, getting to play these different versions of her and also finding a balance between perfectly programmed AI and a hidden humanity, a consciousness I believe she developed over her years with the children. I also really loved how Grace’s story, while being very distinctly non-human, mirrors the life women led not that long ago. I did a lot of research (one of which was Stepford Wives!) to have a better understanding of the template Grace was built in as a 1950’s housewife, and was just so struck by how trapped they were in the gender role of being the perfect wife and mother, to never push back against what society expected of them. There were so many obstacles to them feeling free and empowered, just like Grace. Her inability to leave the house, and totally losing the identity and purpose she was programmed to have when the kids left, felt like such a beautiful, heartbreaking parallel to what so many women have struggled with through history and I loved being able to tell that story.

You've successfully made the leap from modeling to acting. Do you think your experience as a model has helped you in your career change/expansion?

I think the more experience you have in life, the better an actor you can be. Modeling definitely gave me lots of practice getting comfortable being in front of the camera, not taking rejection personally, and being a part of telling a story. Modeling feels very collaborative, the same way acting is, and I think my years of physically transforming to contribute one part of a bigger picture at shoots really helped me understand the creative process that goes into every day on a film set. The biggest challenge for me coming from modeling to acting has been learning to embrace my imperfections, and be okay with letting the camera see them which felt very vulnerable and uncomfortable at first. In modeling there’s a ton of pressure to be this and that, essentially to be flawless, but playing a human being onscreen requires the opposite. Humans are complicated and messy, and the more you can embrace the unattractive parts of yourself the more depth there is to draw from.

In your free time, you like to sing and play the piano. If The Umbrella Academy were a musical, what would Grace's big number be?

Ooh, great question, music is such a huge part of the show, so a musical episode would have been amazing! I listened to a ton of music from the 40s and 50s to get into character, and in my audition tape for Grace I hummed Sinatra’s ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ - it’s a funny coincidence because the moon ended up being such a huge theme in Season One. I think it’s perfect for her since it’s so romantic and classy, and because she was always longing for her children, for an escape from being under Hargreeves’ eye so the lyrics are fitting.  

If you could play any other character in the show, who would you choose, and why?

I think Klaus would be a blast to play, he’s so free with no boundaries or self consciousness whatsoever, but he’s also tortured from a lifetime of numbing his pain. Recognizing that I would not be a good casting choice for Klaus (and since I can’t picture anyone playing Klaus besides Robert) I think it also would’ve also been fun to play Cha-Cha, with her dry sense of humor and all of those great stunts. Plus I love Cameron and would love the chance to have scenes with him!

Can you tell us about any funny fails/stories that happened on set?

There’s a scene in episode 3 of season one when Allison and Luther are questioning Grace while she cooks them breakfast. I was supposed to cook eggs and bacon, plate the food into smiley faces, and then bring the plates over to them while avoiding their questions. But I’m not a great multitasker when food is involved and it was the last scene up on a very long day of shooting, so I somehow plated them two really sad looking frown faces. The camera was on me through the middle of them and when they got the giggles it was near impossible to stay in character. For the rest of the night the three of us had a hard time keeping it together – it actually turned out to be one of my favorite scenes, probably because we had so much fun shooting it!

What advice would you give to young people looking to get into modeling and/or acting?

I would say to make sure you stay connected to your sense of self. Neither are particularly easy industries, and it can be hard not to take rejection to heart, but the most important thing is being really grounded in yourself and what makes you happy. There really is no way to do any of this “right” and the most successful people are always the ones who own who they are because that’s the most endearing quality, so if you keep honoring yourself you can’t go wrong. Other than that, be a “yes” person when it comes to taking opportunities to learn and grow! The more you push fear aside and make it your goal to get out of your comfort zone, the further you will go and greater your work will be. The world needs more brave voices to share their stories.

Who do you look up to as an actor?

Jordan Peele is so incredibly talented, he’s obviously a master at comedy and he’s making such original, intelligent projects that look at social issues like racism in a way that’s never been done before. I would love to work with him one day. I’m also really taken with Phoebe Waller-Bridge – I love the boldness she brings to her work. Fleabag is so beautiful, raw, hilarious, and Killing Eve is brilliant, we need more strong female driven stories and she has such a unique voice. And I have always looked up to Helen Mirren. She radiates this strength and classiness while also being so playful and irreverent - and she makes aging sexy in an industry where women can feel so much pressure to stay young.

Thanks for taking the time, Jordan! Season two of The Umbrella Academy is now streaming on Netflix.

[snowlovespie]

Hi ! I'm here for the asks game 🌿

5, 12, 22, 26, 58, 60

Hi babe 💗

5. are you single or in a relationship?

Single (even happily most of the time😅) too messy to handle.

12. what qualities do you find attractive in a person?

I like respectful people who look at you in the eyes when you're talking, and show you they're really interested in what you're saying. I think it's one of the highest forms of politeness.

I find self confidence very attractive, I love it when people don't care what others think about them, perfectly imperfect people who are, somehow, incredibly charming just being themselves, and you just want to spend time with them.

People with positive vibes, those who, no matter what, always see the glass half full.

If voice fits into the category, I would absolutely say voice!!!

22. what is your sexuality?

Straight. Never been physically or mentally attracted by women, but I'm open-minded so 🤷‍♀️

26. what is your favorite film?

This is difficult, I've a lot of favorites, but Stand by me is surely in my top 10.

58. if you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?

Ok, this probably sounds very stupid, but I always say that if I could time travel, I would go before the 80s to go see live concerts of bands and artists I love.

60. hugs or kisses?

Hugs, definitely hugs.

Thank you so much for asking, sweetie!!!

[ms-meredith-milton]

FIC: A Model Patron, 1/?

BLAME @sabrecmc FOR THIS!!!  :)

No idea how far I’ll get--that’s why I’m not putting it on AO3 yet!--but when I saw the prompts @sabrecmc was floating around, one of them bit me and wouldn’t let go until I wrote this down.  So whatever gets written is a gift to Sabre while P&P is playing hide and seek with my muse!

Fic: A Model Patron

Pairing: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark

Tags/warnings: BDSM; pre-serum Steve; prostitution / sex work; Great Depression; power imbalance; age difference; eventual graphic kinky sex!

Original Prompt (though I’m taking it in a rather different direction): Prompt 9:  Smol hooker Steve, so I was thinking that it could be Depression-era sort of noir-ish vibes.  With the economy in shambles, lots of people, including many Irish immigrants, turned to selling their bodies to have enough food to eat, but who would want someone like Steve?  Or so Steve figures.  But, he hears about a guy who has been trolling the docks looking for a very particular type of person for certain “special clients”.  Steve’s no stranger to pain, so he figures he can handle it and if it puts some food on the table, it would be worth getting knocked around a bit. At least he would be getting paid as opposed to the usual running his mouth situation.  Or, how smol, 1930’s Steve enters the world of bdsm and finds himself ensconced with a particular reclusive millionaire with very specific tastes.

A Model Patron

When Steve had first accepted a gig at the Academy, he had expected to be humiliated: his imperfect body, frail and small, exposed to a circle of elite art students whose ranks he’d never be able to join.  

But he hadn’t been humiliated by the modeling at all.  The students had been courteous, though distant distant, and as Steve sat on the raised platform, above them, he’d been their muse.  Steve was the center of their devoted concentration, at once a person and an object, as the Master walked around the room commenting on someone’s shading across the curve of Steve’s ribs, or how to capture the jut of his hipbone, or the right pigments to convey the fading bruises on his cheek and arm (remnants of Steve’s last scrape). 

Steve hadn’t hated it; he liked it.  Liked to be looked at, liked to be transformed into artwork.  It had made his blood sing and his body hum.  And his miserable, treacherous body (his goddamn traitor cock) responded for all to see. 

That had humiliated him and he’d vowed not to go back, even when the kind, old professor delicately assured Steve he wasn’t the first model to respond to observation in a physical manner. 

But Mr. Cavalli had recently let Steve go when his business took another bad turn; the pinch in Steve’s stomach and the danger of being turned out in the cold was enough to conquer far greater humiliations.  He needed steady work, but one solid gig would stave off disaster.  

Steve shifted nervously in his seat and stared at the student work displayed in the hallway. Fine, but generic.  Steve didn’t care for it.  (And couldn’t help thinking he’d be capable of better, given such fine paints and canvass--not to mention lessons.)

“Can I help you?” Professor Ellis asked politely as he stepped out of his office and saw Steve waiting. His greying beard was meticulously trimmed, his old brown shoes carefully polished, and his old fashioned jacket well brushed.

Steve scrambled to his feet, glad he’d taken such care with his own appearance. 

“Professor Ellis,” Steve said, holding out his hand.  They shook.  “Steve Rogers here.  I modeled for your life drawing course a few weeks ago.”

“Yes, of course,” Professor Ellis said with a smile.  “It’s nice to see you again, Mr. Rogers.”

“And you, sir,” Steve replied, heart racing nervously.  The professor looked at him expectantly. 

 “I--” Steve faltered.  “I’m here to inquire if there might be any openings for models again.”

The sad expression on the professor’s face was answer enough.

“I’m afraid we got more applications than usual and we’ve already hired our models for the upcoming session,” he said gently.  “And we’re operating on a reduced budget, so we have fewer slots than in previous semesters.”

Steve’s stomach dropped.

“I understand, sir,” Steve said in a hollow voice, then added after a moment’s hesitation, “Perhaps there’s a waitlist in case a model cancels? And, I-- I understand that funds are tight for the Academy; I could accept a reduced rate if there’s any opportunity that opens up.”

Steve knew he reeked of desperation, but instead of withdrawing awkwardly the Professor only looked softer.  

Then a sudden change--he cocked his head to the side and frowned, scanning Steve up and down.  

“Was it my advanced drawing course in October you sat for?”

“Yes, sir.”

The professor nodded and hesitated before speaking. “Actually, I may be able to refer you for something after all.  Won’t you step into my office, Mr. Rogers?”

Steve followed him, only barely managing not to trip all over himself in his eagerness.  

The Professor began shuffling papers across his messy desk, clearly looking for something as he spoke:

“Not long after you modeled, a young woman--afraid I’ve forgotten the name!-- came in to look at some student work and show it to the collector she works for who sometimes acts as a patron to promising young artists. He liked young Mr. Winslow’s drawing from that class and purchased it directly, though sadly no additional patronage seems to be forthcoming thus far. But a few days later one of this young lady’s colleagues came by to reiterate the collector’s satisfaction with the work.  And with its subject.”

At last the Professor found the card he’d been looking for, but instead of handing it to Steve he held it, frowning.

“I was given to understand that the collector she represents may be interested in dabbling in some . . . unusual art work of his own.”  

There was something odd in the professor’s voice and Steve started to worry that the old man wouldn’t give him the referral card after all.  He held his breath as Professor Ellis finally looked up and met his eyes.  

“The Academy has very high standards for how we treat our models,” the Professor said almost primly, “and it is our policy not to refer our models to unknown parties. But since it seems you may be”--a delicate pause as he selected the right phrase-- “in a difficult position . . .”

Steve’s cheeks heated even at the careful euphemism, but he took the card without hesitation when the Professor held it out.

“Thank you, sir,” Steve said, trying not to sound stiff.

“Of course, Mr. Rogers,” he said, still a little melancholy.  “I hope the position proves satisfactory.  I wish you the best of luck.”

They parted and Steve finally looked at the card. 

All it said was “Miss Natalie Rushman” and a phone number in Manhattan.  

>>>

Steve was fifteen minutes early for his interview, so he paced the side streets nearby killing time since he didn’t want to look too eager (or desperate).  And Miss Rushman had offered to meet Steve at a pub near the Academy instead of making him travel all the way to her offices in upper Manhattan, saying she would be in the area anyway.  When he’d asked how he’d recognize her if The Old Pony was crowded, she’d replied that she’d find him--then reminded him that she’d ‘seen him before’ in a tone that made him blush.

At exactly 3:59, Steve stepped into the pub, blinking as he adjusted to the dim light.  A voluptuous redhead in a beautifully cut green dress approached him immediately with a slight smile.  She extended her and greeted him in a deep voice: “Good afternoon, Mr. Rogers.”

It was strange; she looked so familiar, like someone he had seen around his neighborhood from time to time. But he was sure he’d have noticed such a high class lady in his area, so it was probably just a passing resemblance.  (Or his exhausted mind playing tricks on him.)

“Very nice to meet you, Miss Rushman,” Steve replied.  

“Please join me.”

Steve slid across from her in the small corner booth near the window.  

“Thank you for taking time to meet with me,” Steve said.

“Likewise.  Thank you for meeting me here,” she said, green eyes sparkling.  “Please allow me to offer you a drink--compliments of my client.   What would you like?”

“Coffee if they have it.”

She nodded.  

“What’ll it be?” the barkeep asked Steve.  

“One coffee and one vodka,” she answered.

The bartender gave Steve a queer look, but didn’t say anything. Miss Rushman studied Steve’s face with an intense expression while the man brought their order.  Steve flushed, then turned brighter red as the man set the coffee in front of her and handed Steve the vodka.  She traded their drinks immediately, paid, and raised her glass saying, “Cheers.”

“Good health,” Steve replied. He wrapped his chilled fingers gratefully around the warm cup.

She took a sip and leaned back in her seat, still examining him.  

It was the strangest interview he’d ever been to and Steve was starting to feel an echo the professor’s uneasiness.  His blush was spreading down his neck and he started to drop his head awkwardly, almost bashful, then reminded himself that he had nothing to be ashamed of. Steve raised his head again and threw back his shoulders. 

“Yes,” she said at last.  “I think you may be a very good fit.”

“Thank you,” Steve said, trying to reign in his temper. “Perhaps you could tell me more about the position now?”

Steve couldn’t quite keep the impatience out of his tone, but her smile widened despite that (or perhaps, oddly, because of it).

“Quite so,” Miss Rushman said, leaning forward to fold her hands on the table.  “I represent an unusual and eccentric artist who has been searching for a . . . special muse.  He’s had single sessions and even a few repeats with models before, but never formed the artistic bond he craves, which is one it would take time and trust to nurture.  Something more collaborative.”

Steve sipped his coffee and nodded, intrigued.  

“My client values his privacy,” she continued. “He is exceptionally wealthy and well-regarded and can compensate you very handsomely for your services.”

“Would I know any of his work?” Steve asked, thrilled (and more than a little bewildered) by the idea that a luminary of the art world--both rich and famous?--might want him as a muse.

“No, I’m afraid not,” Miss Rushman replied smoothly.  “His wealth and renowned are based on industry, not on his purely private artistic achievements.”

Steve tried not to let his disappointment show.  

“I must warn you that the artist can be . . . difficult.  Fickle.  Hard to work with.”

Steve nearly snorted. Sounded like every artist ever.  And this one was a rich industrialist to boot?  He’d probably be a terror. But Steve could handle that. He’d handled worse.  

Miss Rushman continued.  “He can be harsh, but he is not by nature cruel. He’s brilliant, arrogant, and impatient.”

She took another sip of her vodka.  “Are you still interested?”

Steve nodded. “Very much so.”

“Good,” she said with satisfaction. “Would you be free for a meeting sometime soon? Tomorrow perhaps?”

Steve tried not let his relief show.  

“My schedule is very open tomorrow,” Steve said, trying to sound confident.  

She smiled. 

“Excellent.  If you are still interested at the close of our meeting, I will provide some funds for travel expenses. This is separate from the salary.  For your initial session, the artist would pay you 100$.”

Steve couldn’t keep the shock off his face and it undoubtedly doubled as she continued.

“But perhaps you’ll find that you’re busy tomorrow after all,” she said, “when you understand the exact nature of the . . . art.”

Another sip of her vodka. Steve’s stomach began to tighten up into knots; there was something decidedly unnerving about all of this. He felt like he was always missing something, like he couldn’t read between the lines.

“If you accept the position, Mr. Rogers,” she said, leaning forward, her expression intense, “you would be the canvas for his art.”

“Pardon?” Steve said, cocking his head to the side.  “You mean that he’d . . . paint on my body?”

Hardly seemed like that would require such princely pay or all this mystery.

“He might,” she answered with a hint of a smile at her brightly colored lips.  

“But he mostly works in a different medium--the relationship between pleasure and pain.”  

Her voice was low, intimate, almost a caress. Steve’s heart began to race as she continued: “He likes control. Intricate patterns of rope twined around the body. Leather cuffs. Chains.  And he likes to inflict pain and make it show. Bruises. Scratches. Sometimes welts.”

Steve took a sharp breath. A few moments ago, he’d felt chilled but now the pub seemed far too hot.

“So, this so-called ‘artist,’” Steve said tightly, “wants a ‘model,’ he can tie up and beat?”

“A vulgar way of phrasing it, but not entirely inaccurate.”  She waved a hand dismissively and finished her drink.  “But he’d want to make it good for you. And he would hurt you, but he would never harm you.”

“What’s the difference?” Steve bit out. 

“No lasting damage. His tastes aren’t particularly extreme and he has exceptional control. As I said, he’s not by nature cruel.”  

Steve couldn’t keep back an incredulous snort. (Not cruel! Just wanted to pay for the pleasure of beating somebody up who couldn’t fight back.) 

Her expression tightened and she added in a grave tone, “And if you change your mind at any point and tell him to stop, he will.”

“And I’m supposed to believe that?” Steve asked with a glare.

“Believe what you like,” she answered smoothly. “It is the truth.”

With that, she slid abruptly from the booth and took a small envelope from her purse.  She placed it on the table.  

“Funds for travel expenses to Manhattan and a good meal on the way,” she said briskly.  “Noon tomorrow at the enclosed address if you’d like to meet him and continue the interview process. If not, then I wish you well, Mr. Rogers.”

She took one step away from the booth, then turned back to add in a soft voice, “He isn’t always a nice man, but he is a good one.”

Then, as if by magic, she seemed to vanish in the crowd.  

Steve’s coffee cup shook in his hand; he set it down abruptly with a clatter.

It was quite some time before Steve collected himself enough to go home, envelope secure in his inner breast pocket, right above his too-rapidly beating heart. 

[acuraintergurl]

random things/ saying i love

- when ppl say” love u long time”

- braces ( or what i call them “mouth full of jewels and metal )

- when lighter skin ppls knees get pink

- the color pink itself

- piercings

- when girls have lots of jewelry on them. like lots of bracelets that clang and make lots of noise when they move, necklaces, rings, waist beads, etc etc

- when ppl have summer songs! like when they have a song that reminds them of the summer time or that they played non stop during the summer.

- buzzcuts!!

- when friends or significant others do each other’s hair. like in waves alexis was dyeing tyler’s hair blonde. or in buzzcut season by lorde, she sings about how her and her friends would cut each other hairs when it would got super long in the summer time.

- bikinis!

- huge glasses that hide most of ur face

- mullets especially on girls.

- when i see black girls all collectively wearing their bonnets 2 bed.

- bangs so long that u cant see their eyes

- acrylic nails and painted toes

- DAD HATS!

- bushy eyebrows

- when ppl have a certain piece of jewelry that they always wear and never take off even 4 a shower

- when friends have a thing. example: let’s say a friend group meets every saturday and watches adventure time and eats mcdonald’s, like everyday saturday! and that’s their thing.

- when ppl smile or laugh so big u can see the gaps in their teeth

- kisses on thighs

- when ur hugging someone and u wrap ur arms around their hips and kinda hang ur thumbs on their belt loops

- when ppl tape bus tickets, movie tickets, play tickets,metro cards or old receipts from diners or whatever into their journals

- tattoos on fingers

- ice cream trucks

- when ppl have an unspoken understanding of things (like how my ex bestfriend microwave worked in specific way like u had 2 turn it a certain way and stop it at a certain time and everyone in the house understood how 2 work it.)

- imperfect ponytails

- kisses on knuckles

- 2016/2017/2018 aesthetic

- when ppl have like comfort backpack or bag? like a bag they put everything in and use all the time and like cant live without

- when ur done getting ready and someone ask u 2 do a “360”

- when u get close enough 2 someone that they show u their baby pictures

- when someone knows u enough 2 already know ur order at a food place.

- “emotional support water bottles”

- napping with ppl

- darker skinned ppl blushin

- iphone 6 camera quality

- leaving clothes at a friends house bcos ur just close like dat lol

- having a gas station order?!

- mistki’s lyricism

- sonder son

- birth marks/beauty marks

- putting flowers in hair

- chuck taylor’s

- when willow smith says “ run my hands through your hair you wanna run your finger through mine but my dreads 2 thick and that’s alright”

- smoke fits! meaning when smokers who live in cold areas have 2 go outside 2 smoke we usually have 2 layer up so we end up having these cute ridiculous looking outfits and everyone kinda has this mutual understanding not 2 judge.

- friendship bracelets

- bulky jackets

- keychains and when ppl have tons of stuff on it

- crochet dresses

- “nobody’s heart is perfect”

- “don’t push away the ppl that ground u”

- the concept of not being who u r without some of the ppl in ur life “i wouldn’t b who i am without u”

- “u r the greatest love i’ve ever felt and known”

- the skating rink

- ppl with soft skin

- the little patch on the back of levi jeans

- when women let their hair grow and don’t wear bras (wishin i had the confidence 2 not wear one)

- painting someone’s nails/someone painting ur nails

- when ppl say “always” as an alternative 4 “i love u”

- the word “ache”

- rubbing ur hands over thighs, but not aggressively more sliding ur fingers over their thigh and knees

- sweaters

- the non stop laughter while high

- baby tees and graphic tank tops

- the song honey by kehlani

- tan lines

- collecting journals

- the fair

- the cute little messages on victora secret perfume bottles

- “if we ever stop talking send me a song”

- charm bracelets

- pretty lacey bras

- cute pretty little pins in girls hair

- black girls with bangs

- stickers on phone cases

- puffer coats

- smoking in the summer

- the pet name “honey” and “baby”

- when someone rests their head on ur shoulder

- when ur listening 2 music with someone and ur using wired headphones so u have 2 b rlly close so the headphones don’t come out from ur ears

- gunky mascara and glossy lips

- sitting on benches on a sunny day

- the summertime 😍😍😭

- new york city

- when girls put their hair up in a lil pony and it swings

- when ppl tell u about the dream they had when they like first wake up and there’s something so subtly pretty about the slur in their voice due 2 just waking up and how heavy their eyes r

- when u can hear bits of someone’s accent when they get rlly passionate about something

- the sleep u get after being out 4 a rlly long time

- when you’ve been in tight shoes most of the day and get home and finally take them off and just relax urself or when u have socks on 4 a while and u take them off and there’s lines from the inprint so u just rub on them and it feels nice

- when ur touching knee slightly hits someone’s knee and they don’t move

- the neon “open” signs at gas stations at night time

- how girls look when they’re doing their makeup and look super focused

- in movies when the camera pans 2 the teenager in the house door and like they have a door collage and one of the pictures is “STAY OUT” or “KEEP OUT” suppper edgy right? lol

- slushees

- sleeping after swimming in the pool all day

- tote bags

- when ur in the store and u have been pushing the cart 4 a while so in result of getting tired u slump ur upper body onto the cart a little bit and close ur eyes and breathe

- having bikinis air dry in the summer

- pretty chinese mesh slippers

- bucket hats

- girls getting ready 2gether

- girls straightening or doing each other hair

- the intimacy of putting lipstick on someone else’s lips

- when b4 someone shows u something that they’re excited about they say “ur gonna freak” or “ur gonna die” idk it gets me excited

- the word ghetto and ratchet ppl think it’s an insult but i think of nice things when ppl say that. like “ratchet happy birthday” by drake gives me fun and lit vibes. and ratchet saturn girl” by amine gives me dream girl vibes

- when u sleep with someone and y’all have unsaid understanding of ur sides of the bed

- women with big/chubby arms

- the shower u take right after cutting ur hair

- when the song ur listening 2 bass is so heavy so u start nodding ur head 2 dance along.

- the sweater + leggings + long socks combo

- handwritten letters 4 no reason

- letters 2 urself

- excessive use of emojis

- the sisterhood of girls asking 2 braid ur hair in class

- using the word “fly” as a compliment

- bowls cuts

- gogo boots

- girls wearing boxers

- when ppl call thei girlfriends “my girl”

- nicknames

- locs

- thongs

- moisturized skin

- daniel caesars lyricism and album freudian

- when ppl call ppl with long legs “legs”

- “oh brother!”

- DARIA

- “love u the most”

- so cute that ppl say “peace!” as in goodbye it’s like instead of goodbye u wish 4 them peace ☮️ that’s so freakin cute

- “luv bug”

- i luv when ppl with bigger long hair and bangs push their glasses 2 their forehead or up 2 their hair so their hair moves into this weird position that makes their hair look so cute n messy and i luv it.

- “take care of urself”

- “till 4ever falls apart”

- VS pink underwear

- when u can see a girls pantie lines in leggings

- women wearing leggings

- women with hairy arms and legs

- thick nice acrylic nails

[imaginedhaven]

HI this is the same anon- ahhh thank you for your response i loved hearing your thoughts !!

ok after some reflection i have determined that there were more reasons why i had such a negative response to the whole aelin/aedion romantic relationship. when i read the series for the first time i was absolutely determined to ship and love whoever aelin ended up with, (i was rooting for aelin/archer, aelin/kaltain, pretty much any character with a pulse, i shipped aelin with) so then when aedion showed up and he was feeding my vicarious aelin ego by thinking about and discussing aelin all the time, i kinda missed the whole rowan thing . yes. like rowaelin just slipped my crazed notice. anyways !now i’m a huge rowaelin fan. but i was like oh my goodness why did i go so incest crazy when the romantic interest was RIGHT THERE before my eyes, ya know? so perhaps my yuck reaction is more about that, since as you mentioned, first cousin marriage was common, and the vibe from the series matches that mindset.

i completely missed or forgot about aedion’s bisexuality wow i just looked that up and i really don’t know what to think—some more context or something would have been good and interesting perhaps? on the other hand, i do appreciate how it wasn’t a big deal; i don’t really think every lgbtq+ character needs to have the self discovery or familial acceptance storyline, but we still could have gotten more details or more references. i definitely agree that that was such a weird, awkward place to mention it. honestly, it reminded me of a guy dropping that just for the purpose of “don’t worry i’m an ally!” if you know what i mean, but of course i know that was not the case with aedion.

and yes yes yes, the depiction of a not-perfect relationship was definitely gratifying and it helped with the realism of the characters. oh my goodness imagine the angst in a settling/giving up immortality fic i would just pass away

it’s so awesome to have this discussion!! ❤️

YES ANON, I am HERE for this discussion!

I think one of the best and most important things we as fans can do is have the difficult, analytical conversations about what we love. No work is perfect (especially not mine lmao), but I think that’s what makes works... good. If that makes sense. They can be gritty and messy and beautiful in their imperfection.

That... actually makes a lot of sense to me, your explanation about Aelin/Aedion! My shipping goggles were firmly on for Rowan by that point, because I am a SUCKER for enemies to lovers (see also: my very recent read of The Folk of the Air where I was up until 5am my time because I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN), but usually I’m much more of a multishipper and I can definitely see where Aedion’s... extra close relationship with his cousin would raise someone’s shipping eyebrow! I do remember thinking at the time of my first read that boy sure thought an awful lot about his cousin lmao. Maybe that’s why he was rushed into the whole Lysandra relationship! 😂

Yeah, people being so easily able to miss Aedion’s bisexuality is one of my (admittedly minor) issues with it. I’m one of those people who don’t make a big deal of my own, so if you met me IRL it’d be pretty easy to miss as I wound up in a heterosexual marriage and I’m pretty happy where I am in life! So in that regard I kind of liked that he wasn’t just... I don’t know, constantly throwing himself at everyone in the text like it’s implied he did while he was pretending to fight for the King of Adarlan. But to have it come up as a throwaway line in one of the last scenes we have with him? That didn’t hit me as the best way to do it either, even if we’re making it not a big deal. I don’t know, representation is TRICKY and messy and actually an issue I’m struggling with myself in my prompt series Reluctantly Rooming because there are things in there that I KNOW are parts of those versions of the characters but that I don’t want to either overdo or underdo, and when/if they “come out” to y’all in the story (though all is already known to Aelin!) I want to do it justice. Gah. Life’s hard sometimes, isn’t it? Lol.

I think it is no longer a secret at this point that I LIVE FOR ANGST as long as it has a happy ending lol. I love gritty, imperfect characters having the hard conversations as they work to fit their pieces together into a workable relationship. It’s those moments that make for interesting characters, interesting character studies, interesting stories, and interesting lives. If we were all perfect this would be a dreadfully boring place, wouldn’t it?

Like seriously, this has been one of my favorite conversations so far on this site! I love this level of analysis and thought, and I think it only serves to deepen our relationships with the work we discuss like this. Thank you so much, anon!

[aimitis]

Unpopular opinion: I actually like Matteo’s hair. It’s messy, sure, but it fits his vibe well and Michelangelo can pull it off

Matteo is a cutie through and through. This show is about teenagers. Insecure, messy, idealistic, imperfect, frustrating, annoying, moody, self aware, big hearted teenagers, and it’s totally appropriate for them to look the part!

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[andreazeidan]

I changed my concept ( the pictures at the bottom of this text inspired me and gave me the idea) and instead I decided to represent how models are represented in magazines and on TV  as perfect and beautiful. So I was thinking of representing that part of a models life but also show how they are also like everyone else...they are just normal people. I would take pictures of how models pose to show their dramatic and beautiful side and use the same style as Vogue magazines for example, but also show their natural side by taking pictures of them doing chores, watching TV, spend time with their family, walking their dog,....  I took pictures of my brother posing as if he is a model, to represent how we always see how models are perfect and stylish. For these pictures, I set up lights to make the scene look more professional like in the studios. I did not have the lights from school, but I still used what I had and it still turned out good. I picked out a nice outfit for him and used accessories, like watched, rings, and glasses like in one of the pictures to fit the model vibe. For the other set of pictures, I took pictures of the same model, but doing what he does everyday, being normal and not always perfect. So, I took pictures of him playing video games and playing with the ball. I also took pictures of him eating pizza which is unhealthy to show that models don’t always eat healthy, like salads for example. Finally a picture of him studying on a desk that is so unorganized and messy, to show the imperfect side of him. For this set of pictures, I did not add any lights, I just used the ones we had on, so that the pictures fit more the home and normal life, and for it not to look too set up and perfect.