#and she finds it amusing that I collect many random things for crafting

[lightineventide]

Thanks for tagging me!

That line for the mouth made me laugh so hard, it's literally how mine looks whenever I'm deep in thought...😄

I am tagging @deep-space-siren, @a-miphae, @severalpossiblemusiks, @frenchish-water, @st4r-with-a-four if you'd like to join, and anyone else who finds this interesting! 💚

Heyy guys!!!

do it yourself in veluv pricrew maker <3

https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/2288696

@radio-silence-fan @totalcharliespringsimp @effervescent-lesbian @tori0704 @touloserrrr @mybedroomceilingsbored @babyqueenfangirl @jinxdragons @touloserradiosilence @theshyqueergirl @the-stars-are-ineffable

[script-a-world]

Pylon Bios!

As we've added some new team members, please allow us to introduce ourselves!

First of all, we call ourselves Pylons. What the heck is a pylon? Well, outside of this blog, it’s an upright structure for holding up something, usually a cable or conduit. When this blog was started more than five years ago (whoa), the group chose the word Pylon to describe ourselves collectively, as a fun little nickname. Whee!

Without further ado, meet the current Pylons! (in alphabetical order) (For retired Pylons, please visit the Historical Pylons page.)

Addy: Howdy hey, I'm Addy! I dabble in many (many) things, but I'm most familiar with civil engineering and general logistics, along with some knowledge about vernacular architecture and neat ruins. Beyond that, I have some pretty eclectic knowledge from a lifetime of Wikipedia binges. I tend to lean towards fantasy, but do have an interest in sci-fi. 

My favorite thing in worldbuilding is taking an "unrealistic" premise (eg, a flat world) and finding a way to make an internal system that makes sense. No matter what you do, you want your system to run by consistent rules - beyond that, there's a lot of freedom.

Brainstormed: Hey there, call me RB or Brainstormed, and you can find me at @thunderin-brainstorm. Any pronouns will do. I'm a student, illustrator, and world traveler currently back in the US. Worldbuilding has been my hobby for quite a long time and I'd love to give you some tips and tricks that I've learned, or take your idea and turn it on its head to perhaps show you a new perspective. The many projects I've developed have been lifesavers for me, as they allowed me to harness my Maladaptive Daydreaming Disorder and use it as a positive tool for creativity. Aside from drawing and daydreaming, I spend a lot of time biking, hunting for cool rocks and bones, binge reading any scholarly article that catches my eye, and memorising completely useless random facts that I spout at any given moment in lieu of remembering actual important information.

Constablewrites: My name is Brittany, and I'm a California girl living in the Midwest. I use she/her pronouns. I've always loved stories with rich and detailed worlds, whether in movies, books, games, or something else entirely. I'm the kind of writer who will spend hours researching to confirm a minor detail. Naturally, I not only write SFF, but my recent projects have all required worldbuilding on more than one axis (like multiple types of magic, or time travel on top of historical) because I am apparently something of a masochist. I'm a walking TV Tropes index and a whiz at digging up random useful knowledge, both of which come in handy as a Pylon. Other random facts: I'm a trained actress and singer, I used to work at Disneyland on the Jungle Cruise (among other attractions), and a laptop held together with duct tape is responsible for my day job in tech support. I blog about writing as @constablewrites and about random things that amuse me as @operahousebookworm.

Ebonwing: Hi, I’m Ebonwing. I’m a writer and worldbuilder, and sometimes a worldbuilding writer or a writing worldbuilder. I gravitate towards fantasy, though I’m not going to say no to the occasional stint in scifi, and as I’m also a giant language nerd, I enjoy making conlangs for my creations. Other than that, I’m also an artist and indulge in any number of other crafting hobbies, and if I’m not doing any of those things, I can probably be found playing video games. 

Feral (she/her): Hi! I'm Feral, and you can find me @theferalcollection where I reblog things nearly exclusively or on my website theferalcollection.com where I post original writing content and offer freelance editing services for indie comic books. I work in the interiors & home furnishings industry and have previously earned degrees in comparative literature and theatre & drama. 

I’ve been writing and worldbuilding for over twenty-five years now (jfc). I used to consider myself a fantasy writer, but I’ve been writing almost exclusively science fiction for the past six years. My first love was Star Wars, so I think it will always be a little of both. 

My worldbuilding philosophy is that internal consistency matters more than just about anything else, and it really all comes down to the story you want to tell with your world - whether it’s told to others or just yourself.

Licorice: Hi, I’m Licorice. I’ve worked as a full time secondary school teacher of social studies for several decades now; my specialism is world history, but I also know a fair bit about law, politics, philosophy, anthropology, the history of medicine, and current affairs generally. My current academic interest is Chinese history. In my free time, one of my hobbies is writing fanfiction. I have travelled all over the world, and spent long periods of my life living in cultures not my own, mostly in Europe and Africa. I speak English, French, and beginners’ Japanese.

Miri: Miri here, with my main tumblr @asylos and my writing tumblr @mirintala. I am a Canadian Pharmacy Technician by day and a small time ePublisher and gamer of many types by night. Mostly wandering around the Internet helping to organize events in the FFVII tumblr fandom (modding at @ff7central and @ffviifandomcalendar), and stumbling around in various video games with my friends. I use she/they pronouns

Synth: I’m @chameleonsynthesis on Tumblr, but that’s a mouthful, so just call me Synth. Any pronouns work. Born and raised in Canada, but living in Norway since late 2007. Been worldbuilding in one form or another for some thirty-odd years now, with a predominantly science-fantasy bent. I’m of the artsy creative type, with way too many projects on the go at any given time, and enjoy long walks through Wikipedia and getting caught in TV Tropes. The best thing is when I stumble across some strange factoid that can justify aspects of my many weird alien species. When I’m not working on my worldbuilding or my art or at band rehearsal I can often be found exploring the hiking trails in the mountains surrounding the city.

It seems I have become the main “space ask” person ‘round these parts.

Tex: Hello, I’m Tex. Most of my hobbies are centered around fandom and worldbuilding for it, particularly on the science side, though I also like cooking and reading up on fiction and non-fiction whenever I have the time.

Utuabzu: Hi, I’m Utuabzu, I previously was part of ScriptMyth (RIP) where I tended to take the lead on Mesopotamia and Egypt related asks. I’m most of the way through a Bachelor of Linguistics, e parlo italiano und ein bisschen Deutsch. I have a deep and enduring interest in the history of the ancient world, particularly the ancient Near East, and I’m also a bit of a nerd for politics, which is helpful when it comes to worldbuilding. My random adhd-fueled 2am research binges have resulted in my knowing a lot of odd things. I enjoy traveling and experiencing other cultures, however as I am Australian this unfortunately requires flying, which I hate a great deal, and a fair bit of money, which I don't have. I expect to one day be crushed beneath a pile of my books. It is a demise I am ok with. If I must be referred to in the third person, he/him is fine, but don't stress about it. Other pronouns are more likely to cause confusion than offence. I have an unfortunate tendency towards really long sentences.

Wootzel: Hi, I’m Wootzel, or @wootzel-dragon! I use she/her pronouns. I'm a writer and artist of various flavors of fantasy, when I'm not being swallowed by life's obligations. My favorite thing about worldbuilding is making things as realistic or pseudo-realistic as possible, and finding a justification for everything. Sometimes, this is also my least favorite thing about myself, because it can make things very hard! But, it can also be really rewarding when I get things to work out in a way that I enjoy. 

My other hobbies include trying to rehabilitate my anxious dog, starting ambitious sewing projects on a whim, and wondering where all my time goes on a daily basis. I am still unsure about what I want to do with my life, except that it’ll always have writing in it somewhere. 

[takeflight-hermitcraftau]

Chapter 1- New World

Grian first came too to the sound of an explosion overhead. He slowly pushed himself up, looking down at the sandy beach he was now on. “What the- Where am I?” He asked, standing up and brushing sand off his clothes and shaking out his wings. He looked around the small island, and saw crafting tables and saplings galore. His eyes caught onto a sign in the center of the little island.

“Welcome to Hermitcraft Season 6!

- Scar”

“No way.” Grian covered his mouth as he looked at the sign. “I’m in a new world! Oh my god. The watchers let me go?? No they couldn’t have.” He mumbled, and jolted as the communicator on his wrist started to buzz.

Grian has joined the game

Falsesymmetry: Grian?? Who the heck is Grian??

Ijevin : I have… no idea.

Stressmonster : I can go find out!! Im really close to spawn!!

Grian looked around, and just quickly took off. His red and black wings quickly lifting him into the air as he zoomed off into a random direction. Usually he wouldn’t be so… shy. But he didn’t want to be thrown into conversations with people he really didn’t know, especially with his wings. They had been gifted to him from the Watchers, and he wasn’t sure how people outside of Evo would react to that. He felt his wrist buzz again.

Stressmonster: No one’s here. Hey Grian!! Come back to spawn! We wanna meet you!

We?? Grian turned off his communicator, flying to the top of a mountain and looking over the ocean. His eyes widened as he actually looked into it. What were those things in it? The oceans weren’t supposed to have life in them besides just blue fish. And those you couldn’t even see! He checked his inventory, only to see a piece of paper and his recording equipment.  He pulled out the paper and read over it, his eyes widening.

‘Welcome to your new home, Grian.’ The paper read, and it gave a quick run down on some of the things he had never seen before. There was new mobs now, Drowned, Dolphins, Fish, and even temples and ruins! He hadn’t ever heard of the watchers being this generous. Not to him at least. They hated him. Grian yelped as he heard an explosion, looking around and seeing three people flying. He saw the wings on their back, and his eyes widened, but for some stupid reason he quickly flew underwater. He looked around this underwater landscape, and he grinned as he saw what the paper had called a shipwreck. He swam over to it to investigate.

Grian quickly swam into the ship, cautious of his air. He found a chest and pulled it open, grinning at the iron and lapis it held. He quickly swam back up, putting the valuables in his inventory before suddenly taking damage. He yelped, looking around and seeing the Drowned mob the paper warned him about, quickly swimming to shore. He scrambled up the mountain, watching tridents being hurled at him. He laughed excitedly.

“Oh my god. I can’t believe this! This. This is going to be awesome!!” He looked around the world, at the block generation. “Okay. Okay. Don’t get too over your head here.” Grian ran a hand through his hair, but he couldn’t stop the excited smile that pulled over his face. “Grian. You need to collect resources. Wool, wood, and weapons. You have to start mining.”

“Ah i see. Another guy who talks to himself.” Grian screamed and fell back into the ocean, gagging as salty water filled his mouth. “Oh heavens-!” He heard, before he was being pulled out of the ocean by a man with a glorious mustache. Grian quickly took in the mans appearance. Black hair and pale skin, wearing a suit, with gorgeous iridescent wings keeping them in the air. “Seems like the drowned are proper after you mate.” He flew them back on top of the small mountain. “So, You must be Grian then right?” He asked. Grian let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Yea! That's me, Grian!” He smiled, holding out a hand to him. The man in front of him chuckled.

“I’m Mumbo, nice to meet you. False and Stress and real curious about you mate.” He smiled still, the expression nothing but warm and welcoming, “We should message the rest of the Hermits, tell them about you.” He said, more to himself than anything as he pulled up his communicator screen.

Mumbo: Found him, He’s one of us.

Docm77: One of us!

Falsesymmetry: One of us!

Stressmonster: One of us!

“Oh dear.” He sighed, looking up at Grian who was just curiously looking at everything. “Your… not used to this stuff aren’t you?” He asked. Grian nodded.

“Yea, the world i was in is still in 1.7.” He said, Mumbo’s eyes widened.

“This is 1.14!” He said, and Grian laughed.

“No.”

“Yea.” Mumbo grinned, and looked him over. “We need to call a Hermit meeting. You comfortable with that? All the hermits are just like us. I promise.” Mumbo smiled again, and Grian couldn’t help but say yes to him. He shook out his wings, drying them off as the two took flight. Mumbo started typing again as they flew. “We just started this world, your in luck! Hermitcraft is a thing we came up with. Its essentially a group of misfits, we all make videos of our travels and post them. A lot of people really like what we do.” Mumbo said, his voice oozing with pride.

“Oh really? I do videos too! This seems like fun!” He said, listening as Mumbo described the sections this world was in, explaining that they’d be different building styles and whatnot. Grian couldn’t help the surge of excitement that flowed through his finger tips. He was a builder at heart after all, and he was over the moon in learning all this. They were just flying to the shopping district. A few buildings were already in the works, and Grian felt a surge of energy he just hadn’t had in Evo. This was all new, exciting. And he was going to have so much fun.

Grian watched as others quickly flew towards them, each and every one of them having wings. It filled his heart with relief. He wasn’t an odd one out anymore. Of course, there was someone carrying another person. Grian frowned in concern, seeing her wings were rotting and thus unable to fly.

“So Mumbo! This is the new guy?” He turned at hearing a heavily accented voice, seeing a larger man with a beard, and a visor over his eye. His wings were large and a darker brown, and yet seemed incredibly fluffy.

“Hey! I’m Grian.” He introduced.

“I’m Iskall! Nice to meet you! Your wings are amazing by the way.” He said, and Grian couldn’t help the flush that came onto his face. He wasn’t quite used to being complimented.

“You too!” He beamed. He turned as the others gathered, seeing many faces and many wings.

“How did you even get here?” A women asked. Grian looked at her. She was the one with the rotting wings. Her skin was a blue-ish gray, patched together. She looked like a zombie, the only thing bright about her was her bright orange hair.

“Uhh nice to meet you too?” Grian’s smile turned nervous as he looked the women up and down.

“Oh! My bad! I’m Cleo, Zombie Cleo!” She smiled, and Grian nodded a bit. The others introduced themselves, Grian trying to memorize names to faces. But he knew it was a fruitless endeavor.

“So mate, how did you get here?” Mumbo asked, sitting down on a rock as the others just sat on the ground.

“Yea!! Story time!!” Scar grinned as he plopped down next to Cub. Grian chuckled.

“Well. I was in my old world, we called it Evolution, or Evo for short. I was building my little town of farms and whatnot, and i heard a void. I saw this obsidian piller and thought if was the Watchers, who kind of overlook our world and make sure we’re ‘playing nice’ or whatever. I followed the pillars and the voice, when i got to this boarder wall or whatever. Sooo I… Blew it up. And walked through. Next thing I know, I wake up on your spawn island.” Grian explained calmly. He looked at the others, some who already had diamond armor. But why was it glowing like that?

“You said your world was stuck in 1.7 right?” Mumbo asked and Grian nodded, earning a few gasps from the others.

“Oh lord I’d hate being stuck in that! No beacons? No efficacy five? Awful.” Iskall sighed, and Grian stared at him.

“Wait wait what?” He asked, and a few of the Hermits jumped up, eager to brag about their loot. Grian was shown tridents, told what enchantments were, beacons, everything. His eyes were wide as he listened to everything, Doc even handing him a trident and saying to try and throw it.

Grian quickly took that opportunity, aiming high and throwing hard. Doc whistled lowly as he watched it fly. “Damn, good arm Grian.” He said, his lips pulling into an amused smile. He took off to go find it, and Grian watched the mechanical wing the man had seemingly built himself. Grian yelled a thanks at him as he flew off, and the other hermits were kind of dispersing. But a blonde women- he had learned that was Falsesymmetry-walked up to him, smiling.

“So Grian! It’s nice to finally have a new guy on the server! If you ever want a healthy match of PVP, feel free to message the queen of hearts and body parts.” He grinned with a laugh, taking off. Her wings were sleek, and yet seemed robust. The others said their goodbyes, a few giving Grian some basic starter materials of food, and some iron gear.

Grian looked over at Mumbo and Iskall, that last two standing there with him. The two smiled. “And if you want some redstone help, just give us a call! And feel free to drop by anytime. Okay?” Mumbo said, and Grian nodded.

“Yea man! Thanks!” He smiled, and the two took off. Grian quickly rushed to get resources, having already formulated a plan in his mind.

___

Grian’s plan… lead him to die many times by Drowned, thankfully he had built a little platform over the water with a bed to respawn in, but it was done. He had made a shipwreck in a bottle! And frankly, he was quite proud of himself. Grian had recorded the whole thing, even going back to the spawn so he could explain in a video what was going on. He swam into his starterbase, already planning on a megabase for this futuristic district.

He had dumped resources into his many chests, trying half hazardly to be organized with everything. But deep down he knew it would end up just like Evo; with chest monsters everywhere. He glanced down to his communicator, starting to type. He needed to figure out what the hell a conduit actually did, and had a plan to build one, but he needed a little bit of help. And one of the only people who were online were Xisuma. He sent him a quick message, going down to his farms and just collecting more food and eggs (those he was saving for Mumbo later).

Xisumavoid: Yea sure i can help you out! Just come on over.

Grian had quickly learned who his neighbors were. Mumbo, Biffa, Scar, and Xisuma. He rushed over to Mumbo’s base via the strip mine, that being the easiest way to get onto land to fly. As he ran, his mind briefly went to Taurtis. To Netty and the others. Did they miss him? Did they even realize he was gone?

“Probably not.”  Grian thought to himself, climbing up the stairs and shaking off his wings before taking off. He’d be the first to admit he was happy to be here. He could fly around without feeling like he was cheating, or that others were mad at him. The people in this world were so nice and accepting, they loved talking to one another and cracking jokes. This was the kind of environment his personality type thrived in. Fun, fast, and chaotic situations that one needed to adapt too quickly. In fact, that gave him an idea for a game they could all play.

He landed at Xisuma’s base, looking around at how organized everything seemed. Especially in comparison to his own base. But it didn’t really matter to him. He was having fun again, meeting new people and starting on new adventures. Surely the Evo gang wouldn’t mind him being gone if it meant he was having the time of his life. Right?

---

Grian finished recording, sighing as he just uploaded the footage onto his communicator to edit later. For now, Mumbo invited him over to relax for a bit (and probably to gloat about his base) and he wasn’t about to say no to something like that. He took off from his small cobblestone platform and flew the few hundred yards over to Mumbos base. He saw the raven haired man sitting on top of the structure, and he quickly landed next to him.

“Hey Mumbo!” Grian smiled, plopping down and rubbing his neck. His throat was starting to hurt again, and he had been thinking that he might have been too loud in his recording. His throat was murdering him.

“Hey Grian, you doin alright?”

“Oh yea! My throats just been a little sore for the past few days.” Grian smiled, leaning back and looking over the ocean. “But what’s up?”

“Nothing really.” Mumbo said, his voice trailing off and into a bit of an awkward silence, before the redstoner exploded, “Whatarethewatchers-?” He asked quickly, and Grian was slightly taken aback.

“What?” He laughed a bit, coughing into his arm.

“When you first came here a couple of weeks ago, you said you thought this was the fault of ‘the Watchers’. What exactly are they?” Mumbo asked, reaching into his inventory and pulling out a bottle of water, handing it to the other.

“Well… It’s a little bit of a long story.”

“We’ve got all the time in the world, mate.”

[secondhand-trash]

Ashido Mina(BNHA)- Spring Flowers

A/N: I know that this is way earlier than the time I’m supposed to post this but I will be in an examination hall at that time so I decided to post it now uwu this is the fic I wrote for @bakuismybitch for the @/bnhaclaimedmysoul spring time event^^ sorry that I haven’t been messaging you as much as I should and that this falls short comparing to my other stuff, I kinda overestimated my ability to balance life qwq

Description: you might not be able to go out to enjoy spring as you want to but Mina is determined to bring spring to you.

Word count: 1735

When quarantine was first announced, Mina had expected that she would be the one badly hit by all this. She was the energetic one in this duo, the one that couldn’t go a day without being around other people and the one who wants to go out. If one of you would go insane because of being trapped inside he confines of your house, she could almost bet on her last existing brain cells that it would be her.

And oh boy was she wrong.

At first, you seemed to be rather indifferent by all this. “It would be fine,” you had said when her hands flailed around while she whined about how long it would be until you could do all the things you liked to do again, “there are plenty of things we can do while being inside!” You were the one who would make her get up early in the morning despite no longer having a schedule because you read that maintaining your regular habits was good for the mind. There were pages of home workout videos and craft tutorials on the search history of you browser, she was still astonished that you managed to find so many different way to sew puppets out of old socks. You had took upon yourself to make something different for lunch every single day and she had to practically beg you to stop baking after having sourdough for a week consecutively because you wanted to test out all sorts of recipes and fresh bread doesn’t last long. So, which she would now scold herself for being so stupidly optimistic but didn’t know any better at that point, she was truly convinced that the only issue you would have is the eventually shortage of space to accommodate all your creations that spawned from your boredom.

She knew that something was wrong the moment she woke up one morning and saw that it was way past the time you would usually wake her up at. It was a gradual change, but the more she picked up on your wilting spirit the more concerned she was. Lunch started repeating, you nearly forgot to feed your starter one week until she asked about the little jar of dough in your fridge, you started breaking ramen into pieces and call it a snack. She could see you physically spiraling down and it was very worrying to witness. 

The breaking point when she realised that she had to step in and pull you back was when she walked out of the room one night and saw you wrapping yourself under a cocoon made out of blankets with a nutella jar in your hand, your eyes an empty void as you stared at the glowing television. No lights on, no anything, just the pale light from the screen shining on your face and making you look so souless. Mina’s eyes travelled back and forth between your still frame and the television. Why were you watching the weather channel at 1?

“...Are you ok?”

No response, you didn’t even move. Gingerly, she climbed onto the couch next to you and gave your shoulder a light poke. “(y/n)?"

Nothing, not even a budge. You jumped when she called for your name again, this time louder and with a bit of a squeak to her voice. Clumsily, clutching the jar that nearly dropped, you coughed in embarrassment. “Oh, mina,” you chuckled almost too stiffly that it sounded more like a huff, “you’re still awake?”

“Yeah...” she narrowed her eyes, “what are you doing?”

“Ah, you see,” you put down the jar of chocolate spread, pilling the blanket away from your body as you gave your nose a light scratch before continue, sounding almost way too matter-of-factly considering how eerie this all was, “I was thinking that since we can’t go out, maybe I’ll imagine what it is like everywhere else to make it remind myself of what spring looks like.”

All the little cogwheels that had been spinning and spinning in her mind finally clicked into place when she realised what all of this was about. Spring, yes, it was spring already. She didn’t even remember that it was already a good quarter into the year with how long she had been staying in but you sure did. You had always thrived during spring, something about the smell of grass in the humid air and the warmth that was seeping back from the winter cold always put you in a constant good mood. So the fact that this bit of joy was no longer available had put you in a slump that you were sinking deeper and deeper into made total sense.

“Guess I should go to bed now,” you said nonchalantly, as if you weren’t staring at a slow motion shot of a random place in the world like a zombie just mere seconds ago. You collected the half-finished jar of nutella and hoisted the blanket in your arms, looking at your very dazed girlfriend like she was the one who was doing something weird, “You coming?”

“Yeah,” Mina said as she scurried up, thinking of what she could possibly do to stop you from finding comfort in the weather channel, “yeah.”

You woke up to the sound of pots banging and cabinet doors slamming shut, a squeal mixing in between at times. Your foggy morning mind was telling you to go back to bed, that you did not have the energy to handle whatever it was that your girlfriend was up to. But just as you were about to flip onto your other side and take up the now spared up vacancy on your luring mattress, a sharp screech followed by a series of profanities made every hair at the back of your neck stood up. You sighed, no longer feeling even an ounce of sleepiness and rolled so you were facing the ceiling.

You needed to go check if she is alive, didn’t you?

Poking your head from the door, you could see Mina carefully pinching a piece of bread with the very tip of her thumb and index finger. She was almost flinging it into the pan before quickly retreating her hand as fast as she could. The sizzling echoed through the kitchen and you watched as she poked the bread with the spatula with caution.

“Mina?” You tilted your head when she snapped her head up, yellow eyes widening when she saw your confused face, “What are you doing?”

She didn’t say anything so you looked past her shoulders to look at what’s in the frying pan. If anything, your confusion had only grown. The bread was soggy, the edges browning and sticking to the bottom of the pan. There were clear stains of what was put in there before left around the bottom, some already starting to burn into black char.

“Mina what are you making?” You asked and your girlfriend scratched the back of her neck rather sheepishly.

“This was supposed to be a surprise,” she said, “I was gonna make you breakfast.”

“Aw that’s so sweet!” You cooed and then you finally connected the dots of what she was trying to do deconstructing the kitchen so early in the morning, “Is this... French toast?”

“Yeah!” She chirped, literally scratching at the pan to flip the frying toast and it made your heart ache at how it was likely that you were to say goodbye to that pan after this, “Is it not obvious?”

You blinked, not having the heart to tell her that you would have no clue if you simply stare at the pile of burned bread that was placed on a plate. “Did you add any butter to the pan?” You asked, referring to the burn that stuck to the pan.

“...you need to do that?”

You chuckled, “Do you need help?”

“What? No!” She flailed her hands in the air as she tried to push you out of the kitchen, “Just chill around and wait for the food! This is about you, I don’t want you to even lift a finger!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!” She exclaimed, shooing you out of the kitchen, “It’ll be done in a few.”

“Ok,” you said rather skeptically, “just... call for me if you need anything.”

It didn’t take long for you to hear another groan from the kitchen and for Mina to weakly beckon you for help. You laughed, knowing exactly that this was bound to happen.

With a good square of butter in the pan and some relentless scraping later, you had the plates of toast on the table with a generous amount of syrup on top. You eyed Mina curiously when she didn’t sit down, running around the house and grabbing the computer in her hand.

“Mina what are you doing now?” You said, almost not sure if you find this amusing or confusing.

“You see,” she said as she turned on the computer, “I know that you like spring and you’re sad that we don’t get to experience the season, so I decided to do something fun and have a picnic indoors!”

You snorted when she pulled up a picture of the lily fields at a nearby park and placed it right by the table. A gif of butterflies on her phone which she carefully steadied with a mug. “You know how those youtubers like to use have a fake fireplace in their backdrop?” She said, seemingly pleased with her little set up, “I figured we can do the exact same thing but with flowers.”

This whole thing was a bit funny, if you were being honest but warmth bubbled up inside of you at the thought of Mina going out of her way just to make things a little bit more enjoyable for you. You laughed when she lined up your sock muppets and arranged them in a circle, going as far as to putting an empty cup in front of them.

“What is a picnic without friends?” She winked as she poured out a glass of orange juice for you. Raising her glass, you grinned at how hard she was trying to put on her serious face. 

“Cheers to spring?”

You smiled. The glowing screen might not even come close to the real thing, but you still felt the fresh giddiness that the spring flowers would always bring you.

“Cheers to spring.”

[isitgintimeyet]

Road To The Aisles

AO3

Previous

Happy Sunday. Time for another chapter and if we’ve had a hen party, surely it’s time for a stag do (without Wee Jamie).

Thanks to you all and especially @wickedgoodbooks @happytoobserve @mo-nighean-rouge for their support.

Chapter 21: A Staggering Circumstance

Rudy: Let's have a bachelor party with chicks and guns and fire trucks and hookers and drugs and booze!

Gary: Yeah! Yeah yeah! All the things that make life worth living for!

Bachelor Party

Jamie leant back in his chair and closed his eyes, a finger marking his place in the report he had been reading. He mulled over the recommendations succinctly articulated by Jenny. Ever since her recent fact finding visit to the Macallan distillery, she had been enthusing at every opportunity about the new architecture, technology and design and was preparing a presentation on her vision and proposed five year plan for their own distillery to the Board.

Jamie sighed. The Macallan was certainly impressive, but they were a much bigger outfit and, as part of a larger group, had the finances to support change on this scale. As a smaller, independent distillery,  Broch Tuarach was not in that league and, truth be told, Jamie found comfort in the old technology and older buildings. But he did realise that some change certainly would be good for the business. It was all a balancing act really, tradition versus technology, investment versus profit, increased visitors versus spend on amenities.

A ping from his laptop made Jamie open his eyes. He smiled at the email from Claire - just a very brief message (love you) plus one attachment. He opened it up. With four weeks to go before the big day, this was the latest version of their wedding planning Excel spreadsheet.  He quickly scrolled down looking for the tasks Claire had assigned to him, clearly highlighted in yellow. There were two - he had to pick up thank you gifts for Ian and Wee Jamie and then collect William’s special wedding outfit.

He glanced across at the photographs on his desk - an ever growing range. The latest additions included a black and white snapshot of Claire holding William, laughing as he tried to paw her face, his happy grin clearly displaying his two front teeth and another of himself crouching next to William whose arms were outstretched, waiting for his father to cuddle him. And more photos to be added over the coming weeks, too, without a doubt.

The next four weeks could not pass quickly enough. Jamie longed to see Claire in her wedding dress. He longed to stand up in front of family and friends and make that forever commitment to Claire and to hear her say those words to him. In their day to day lives, nothing would really change, and yet, Jamie knew in his heart of hearts, marriage to his Sassenach would change everything for him… everything.

A slight tap at the office door roused him from his contemplations and, with only a brief pause, Ian came in. Jamie gestured for him to sit.

“I’m no’ disturbing ye, I hope?”

Jamie shook his head. “Nae. Jes’ digesting this report from Jenny. She has some grand ideas, ye ken.”

“Aye, that’s our Jenny. A woman with a vision, Nae doubt. But I didna come here tae talk about that. I jes’ wanted tae clarify something with ye. I’ve had an email from Angus… about yer stag do.”

“Oh, god. I thought it was all sorted. Curry and pub. That’ll do me fine.”

“Aye, that’s still the plan, but Angus wanted tae tell us about a club that’s jes’ opened that he can get us complimentary tickets fer. It’s called…” Ian consulted his iPad. “... ‘Gentlemen’s Relish’.”

Jamie sighed. “Er, that wouldna be a strip club by any chance?”

“Angus says not. Apparently, it’s a high class establishment frequented by discerning gentlemen requiring sophisticated entertainment.”

Ian showed Jamie the image of the flyer Angus had included as an attachment to his email. Jamie snorted with laughter.

“Sophisticated entertainment, ma arse. The pictures of those women in gold bikinis…  It’s jes’ a lap dancing club. I’m no’ interested. And I dinna think Claire, or Jenny fer that matter, would be too impressed. Let’s stick tae the plan.”

Ian stood up, “ I kent ye’d say that. But I had tae ask. And ye’re right. Chicken Jalfrezi and a few beers is much more ma kind of thing too. Dinna fash, I’ll set Angus straight.”

***************

Jamie supped his beer contentedly and looked around, catching snippets of conversations from his friends all in various stages of inebriation. His belly was comfortably full of lamb madras, rice and many, many poppadoms and now beer. He belched softly, a sure sign it was time to switch to whisky.

He shifted on the bar stool, trying to fit a wee bit more buttock onto the seat, but gave up and used his long legs to support him instead. That was the only downside of this pub, the seating. But worth it for the old fashioned ambience, the dark wood panelling, the lack of trendy, loud young crowds and, of course, the wide selection of craft beers and single malts.

Angus was talking animatedly to Rupert. From his elaborate hand gestures, Jamie was fairly certain he was telling Rupert about the ‘gentlemen’s club’. Jamie smiled. That wasn’t his idea of a fine evening. The whisky would, no doubt, be overpriced and watered down and however scantily clad and attractive the girls were, it wasn’t his kind of entertainment. Well, he corrected himself, it would be his kind of entertainment if it was his Sassenach providing the lap dance… a deeper connection there, not just providing a service to a series of nameless punters.

Jamie shifted, trying to lessen the stirrings in his nether regions at the thought of Claire giving him a personal lap dance. Perhaps he would ask her when he got home, perhaps she would be willing to…

A sudden shoulder shove from behind pushed Jamie off his stool. Struggling to regain his balance, his beer sloshed over the glass and onto the floor, catching the front of his shirt on the way. He turned around, anticipating an apology to be met with a sweaty and, once again, inebriated Tom Christie.

Tom leant fully against Jamie’s now unoccupied bar stool and looked up at him.

“Fraser,” he acknowledged. “Celebrating or commis… commis… drowning yer sorrows? I may have had a couple of nips maself. Is yer girlfriend no’ with ye?”

“Fiancée.” Jamie corrected and offered no further conversation. He put the dregs of his beer on the table.

“Aye, a fine lass, that one. If ye ever change yer mind, pass her ma way, would ye?”

In an instant, Ian was at Jamie’s side, a calming hand now resting on Jamie’s shoulder. At the same time, Tom’s drinking companions joined him.

“I suggest ye get Tom some fresh air and a taxi home.”  Ian spoke directly to Tom’s companions.

They hesitated and looked at Tom, now slightly swaying. “Och, he’ll be fine…”

“Now.” Jamie’s voice was harsh. “And that’s no’ a suggestion, mind. Get him out of ma fucking sight.”

He deliberately turned his back on Tom. Ian watched as Tom was, reluctantly, led away. John passed Jamie a large whisky.

“Ye did right, there, Jamie.” Ian reassured him. “He’s no’ worth the effort. And fer some reason, he has it in fer ye.”

“Aye, I dinna ken why.”

“Jealous, most like. He wants tae be ye. Ye have the family distillery, ye’re good looking, if ye like that kind of thing,” Ian joked. “And ye’ve Claire too. Ye need tae let him go and forget it. This is a night tae celebrate, not think about twats like him. And therefore…”

Ian cleared his throat and continued. “So, gentlemen, can we have a toast please tae the man of the moment, who’s finally leaving the single life and getting married in three weeks time tae the lovely Claire. I'm no’ sure quite what he’s done tae deserve her, but anyways, she’s said yes. So raise yer glasses tae Jamie Fraser… lucky bastard.”

“Jamie Fraser… lucky bastard.”

*******************

Claire pulled her dressing gown tightly around her as she checked the spy hole on the front door. A single blue eye stared back at her.

“‘S me, Sassenach.” The blue eye blinked. “Would ye let me in… please?”

She opened the door to find Jamie standing on the doormat, keys in one hand, bag of chips in the other. He stumbled slightly as he came in.

“I tried tae get ma key in, but I think there’s something wrong wi’ the hole. Mebbe it’s broken.”

He pushed the chips into Claire’s hands as he leaned in and gave her a kiss. She winced slightly as the beer and curry fumes hit her.

“I bought ye a wee gift, Sassenach.” Jamie indicated the lukewarm bag of chips.

“Thanks. Good night then, I take it?”

Jamie started to take his jacket off, struggling to get his arms out. Claire watched for a moment, amused, before depositing the chips on the hall table. She unfastened the buttons on the cuffs and pulled his jacket off.

“I thought my jacket was broken then. Is everything broken ‘round here?” He pulled her into a bear hug. “Ye dinna have a gold bikini, do ye, Sassenach?”

“No,” she laughed. “Why?”

“Och, jes’ a thought.”

He relaxed his hug and brought one hand up to her hair, selecting a random curl. Her hair smelt of rosemary and mint, fresh and clean. Letting the curl drop, his hand followed a familiar path down her back towards its favourite destination. He squeezed her arse through her dressing gown. His other hand crept between their bodies, finding its way through the layers of smooth fabric. He cupped her breast, feeling the nipple harden against his palm. Claire gave a small contented sigh.

“Will ye come tae bed?” He whispered.

“Yes, but, please clean your teeth.”

Jamie headed for the stairs, smiling. “Aye, I will do. I’ve some ideas…”

He stumbled on the bottom stair but, unphased, carried on talking. “Sassenach, babe, I’m going to rock your world.”

Claire made the usual nighttime rounds - checking the locks, turning the television off, switching off the lights, before following Jamie to the bedroom.

“Ok, then Fraser, what ideas have you got for me—”

She stopped suddenly and took in the picture in front of her. Jamie lay, fully clothed, diagonally across their bed still wearing one shoe. The other was, inexplicably, on his bedside table, next to his watch, a beer mat and several after dinner mints. He gave a small snore, adjusted his balls through his trousers and farted.

Claire sighed. She quickly undid his belt and trousers and slowly shimmied his trousers down his hips before pulling the legs. She unbuttoned his beer-stained shirt.

“Jamie, Jamie. Wake up. You need to get ready for bed.”

Jamie emitted a mumbled ‘aye’ and rolled onto his side.

“Jamie, wake up.” She tried again, adding a shake of his shoulder.

With Jamie most definitely asleep, Claire left the bedroom and returned with a blanket and bucket, which she positioned next to his side of the bed. By a process of pushing Jamie’s inert body and pulling the duvet from underneath him, she managed to create enough space in the bed for herself. Tucking the blanket around Jamie, she finally crept into bed.

Perhaps Mary has the right idea, she chuckled to herself, maybe I should get me a ‘toy cupboard’.

Jamie snorted as if in agreement.

Claire moulded her body against Jamie’s back. “You raise a girl’s expectations, James Fraser and then you don’t deliver. But I forgive you.”

“And I can’t wait to be married to you,” she whispered. “I know on a practical level, nothing will change, but, for me, I know everything will change…” She lightly kissed his back. “... everything.”

[brookelynnsanders]

Practice Challenge 1 - Prompt 1

A/N a very big thank you to my amazing beta @freykitten for fixing my mess. Love you lots! Also thank you to @dawningofdrag for being my personal cheerleader! Hope you guys enjoy

In the Dream Girls and Pageant's flat the weekly post-lecture drinking session has just got started. An array of different whiskies, canned cocktails and wine litters the second hand dining table where Brooke’s Bachelor thesis has laid not five minutes earlier. A’keria pours herself and Brooke the second glass of scotch for the day - the first one was for calming their nerves while finishing up the last touches on their theses. Meanwhile, Nina helps Vanessa transform her favorite homemade dish, puerto rican pasteles de carne, into a vegan version - which seems to take longer than expected. Not really a surprise when considering the fact Vanessa’s abuelita had never used any proper measurements and just went with her gut. And if Brooke isn’t mistaken, she can hear Vanessa argue from the kitchen that the recipe just flows through her Latin blood, and therefore she needs no “motherfucking measurements”. The blonde can only chuckle and slightly shake her head before taking another sip from her drink. 

“Kiki, have you seen Silky?” Brooke asks out loud, surprised by how relatively quiet the shared household is. The only noises to be heard coming from the kitchen, and, for once, they don’t even include wild chatter or singing.

“If I remember correctly, she wandered off to buy some pastries, but who knows where Big Silk actually is,” A’keria answers without even taking her eyes off her phone for a second. Her manicured fingers swiping left and right across the screen. 

“Are you on tinder again?” A teasing smile present on her lips.

“You fucking know I am.” The snip of her fingers highlights her cocky attitude, knowing damn well most mean swoon over her. Fall for her feisty but wise dementor within seconds.

“Have you matched with- ” The blond starts, before getting cut off mid sentence.

“Guys, girls, and nonbinary pals - I have humongous news!” Silky bursts through the entrance, adding an extra door slam for the shock value. Three pairs of blown wide pupils stare at her - not necessarily in shock, rather in anticipation.

“Spit it out!” Vanessa shouts as Nina popps her head through the doorframe as well. Intrigued by the ongoing comotion - not even bothering about getting the sauce stains off her cheek.

“The application letters for Prince Arin Schreave’s Selection just arrived.”

For a second the world stands still. Everyone, including Brooke, holds their breath. The calm before the storm.

This sentence alone is enough for hell to break loose in the tiny college apartment. Vanessa and A’keria flock around Silky like pigeons waiting for seed to be tossed at them. Vanjie, the shortest of the trio, bounces like a ball around the other two, making up a song with random Spanish words and screeching at the top of her lungs, while A’keria and Silky argue about who would be a better queen. Nina simply settles by Brooke’s side with a small cuckle, brushing her blonde fringe out of the way. Both only roll their eyes, having forgotten about the Selection since the day it has been announced. There've been way more important things on Brooke’s mind - like how many additional hours she needs to spend in the lab to gain extra credit.

"How can someone be so excited about being objectified by the entire nation," Brooke mumbles to herself - very unimpressed by the whole ordeal, not really understanding the hype around the upcoming Selection. How come that her 20 something year old friends turned into 12 year old teenage girls dreaming about life as a royal within seconds? 

Hormones - I guess.

"Because this ass deserves to be objectified," Silky whoops, putting on an entire twerking show in the living room with Vanjie and A’keria hyping her up and joining the jelly shaking. Usually Brooke finds her friends intoxicating goofiness amusing without any alcohol in her system. Apparently, today is not the day. So she falls back into her seat, taking a heavy swing of her liquor and watches her friends chatter about the possibility of an average looking rich boy falling for one of them. 

An hour passes and the giggly girls still haven't calmed down, and since nearly everyone abandoned the food immediately - it’s between Brooke and Silky to finish the puerto rican delicacy. Tipsy Brooke doesn't mind that now even Nina joined the hype, seemingly having forgotten about her current boyfriend. The blonde keeps herself busy with alternating between online shopping for new pointe shoes and new plants she can add to her steadily growing collection. Not an ideal Friday afternoon, but at least this time around A’keria didn’t forget to buy vegan pork. 

A glance to her clock tells her that her favorite trashy TV show starts soon. A silent prayer escapes her lips in hopes that this will spark a different conversation among the girls.

However, her prayer stayed unheard.

Another glass of liquor in, she starts to enjoy the laughter and excitement laying heavy in the air - drowning out the TV. The beaming smiles of her friends slowly melt her cold exterior, making her forget why she is so bitter in the first place. A fuzzy feeling spreads in her chest at the mention of sparkly ball gowns and which jewels would best suit Silky’s and A’keria’s darker complexion. Glue stains might now cover the table surface, but all Brooke can focus on is the twinkle in her friends' eyes. Especially Vanessa’s golden orbs seem to gleam like amber in the late afternoon sun. Brooke can perfectly imagine the same expression on a much younger version of the Latina - sparkling child’s eyes opening neatly wrapped presents on her 6th birthday.

A cashmere-like grin settles on Vanessa’s lips once she catches the blonde stare, adding a wink for good measure.

Ohh no

“Brookey, why don’t you wanna join us and fill out your applic-, aple-, whatever - your letter?” Gold orbs now work their best puppy look, while Vanessa attempts to milk every cute asset she posses, which leaves her with plenty of choice. Her head now rests on her palms propped up on the table, indulging the other woman in a silent staring contest.

“Vanjie, you know how I think about the Selection,” Brooke adds once she's glanced away. Her words merely louder than a whisper, accentuating her naturally husky voice.

“Prince Arin has two sisters,” Nina promptly slides into the conversation. The sly smirk on her face resembles a cat waiting for its prey. 

“Yes, I know, Nina, but what does this have to do with me?” Blonde bushy brows are raised high, while her nervous fingertips play with the golden cross around her neck.

“Quit this shit, B! We all know you like girls,” A’keria shouts from across the room, head buried in the wine cabinet. 

Wait what? Brooke feels her mouth fall agape before shooting back, “I’m not gay!”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Nina retorts, which the blond pretends to overhear and checks the time on her phone again. An hour left before she has to catch her train.

“Well if you don’t wanna fill it out, me and Vanjie will have some fun.”

An eye roll from the blonde’s side is enough to make it clear that she couldn’t care less. Brooke Lynn takes a last swing to empty her glass, before grabbing the rest of the dishes littering the tiny table and bringing them to the kitchen. Instead of resorting to her usual weed abuse, she decides to clean the kitchen instead - hoping to take her mind off certain things. But with each scrubbed plate and cooking utensil the itch in her chest doesn’t seem to go away. What she would give for just a tiny puff- No, Brooke, you are going home tonight. Her shoulders slouch as she scolds herself, nearly missing the commotion going in in the living room. Nearly.

“I swear Brooke will end you if you note down ‘hiding in the closet’ for her special skills.”

“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

“Too bad I am not deaf, Silky babe.” 

The stern look on the blonde’s face is enough for Vanessa to hide behind A’keria, yet unable to suppress the cackle bubbling up in her throat. However, Silky hasn’t got the memo, and attempts to pick a fight with Brooke. Nina frees the application from A’keria’s grasp and silently finishes filling in the last details needed to complete the form. A tap on Brooke’s shoulder is enough to break the two brawlers apart. The tick paper with carefully placed gold details is placed in Brooke Lynn’s hands who doesn’t look too amused. She slams the neatly filled form onto the table, adding wrinkles to the thoughtfully crafted application. 

“Do me favour and just let me be,” Brooke continues with a deep sight, before leaving the common area to retreat to her room, tired of her friends for once. A glance at the clock hanging above her king sized bed tells her she needs to hurry up if she still wants to catch the last train going home, so she grabs her tiny suitcase from her bedroom, slips on a pair of vans, and grabs and olive toned coat. 

“Brooke?”

“What?” The annoyance in the blonde’s voice only increases as the blood in her veins starts to simmer. Her fingertips already rest against the cold metal of the doorknob. 

“Can you come over for a sec?”

Reluctantly, she turns around and struts towards the direction of the voice. Vanessa is seated alone on the living room floor, everyone else already getting ready for their evening plans - whatever they may be.

“You aren’t mad are you? We were just playing.” The brunette clearly looking worried - probably pondering whether or not she had overstepped a line.

“I know, Nessa, I know. It’s just a touchy subject. You know my parents-”

“I know, B,” Vanessa whispers, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. She signs grabby hands at Brooke, silently asking for a hug. 

With a loving eye roll, the other woman let’s go off the suitcase handle and envelops the shorter girl in a tight embrace. She sighs deeply as she inhales Nessa’s strawberry scented shampoo, taking a moment to just breathe.

But she can’t stay.

“I gotta go now, V. I don’t wanna miss my train again,” Brooke mumbles into the brunette’s wavy hair. But she holds on a tad bit longer, closing her eyes for just a second.

Vanessa buries her head a bit deeper into Brooke’s embrace cautiously slipping a sheet of paper into the olive coat pocket before letting go.

The blonde gives the smaller woman one last smile, before grabbing her suitcase and walking through the door. 

“Have fun in Dakota!” are the last words Brooke hears before leaving her flat behind. 

Once her feet collide with the gum littered pavement, she picks up her pace and barely makes it to the platform on time. With a little huff, she slides into an empty cabin, throwing her suitcase on the opposite seat and catches her breath. The train isn’t near its full speed yet when Brooke already opens the window, grabbing the cigarette pack from her coat, unable to resist the urge in her chest, needing to fix her itch. So she lights her last cigarette inside the vehicle in a desperate need for a calm moment in this chaotic week. Praying she will somehow survive the weekend at her parents' place without her bong. 

But honestly - how bad could it be?

[eldritchsurveys]

719.

What's something that makes you feel more creative? >> Drinking makes me feel more creative, but whether that’s a feeling based in reality or not is the question here.

What are the last three nail polish colors you wore? >> The last time my nails were painted, they were black and gold. That’s the only recent memory of nail-painting I have.

How often do you switch up your nail polish cover? >> I rarely paint my nails, period.

What's the last thing you binge watched? >> The Good Place, because Sparrow watched a season of it yesterday and I’m rewatching it with her.

Do you watch youtube videos or tv shows more? >> I think I watch TV shows more than I watch YouTube videos, although it might be more even-split lately because I’ve been watching a lot of Silent Hill videos and shit lately.

Who's the most shallow and superficial person you've watched on youtube? >> No one I’ve watched on YouTube strikes me like that.

What's the last magazine you've read? >> GameInformer.

What's a DIY project that you don't think actually works? >> Well, any of those 5 Minute Crafts on YouTube, obviously.

Do you collect Mason jars to use for crafts? >> Nope.

What are you tired of right now? >> I’m tired of getting so hot at night and waking up covered in sweat every couple of hours.

Do you have any rugs on top of carpet in your home? >> Sparrow has a rug between the couch and the coffee table.

What color is the last teddy bear you bought? >> The last plushie I got was a dog, and it is white. So expect it to be grey by this time next year.

Have you ever gotten rid of something and then regretted it? If so, what? (or what's one thing?) >> Yeah, mostly clothes (especially when it’s something I can’t find anymore).

How does your stomach feel right now? >> It doesn’t feel like anything. No news is good news.

What color is the zip-up hoodie you wear the most? >> Black.

Do you have a mattress cover on your bed? >> Yeah, it’s supposed to be “cooling” but of course nothing ever actually lives up to that label for me.

Do you live in an apartment that has inspections? >> I vaguely recall an inspection once. I’m not sure they do them regularly, though, because I feel like I should remember more than one inspection in 4 years...

Do you hate taking naps during the day? >> Yeah, I do. I have to be like falling asleep at the keyboard kind of tired to succumb to napping.

Who in your immediate family has the best natural hair? >> ---

Who has the best personality on youtube? >> I mean, everyone I watch has a decent on-screen personality. I don’t watch any jackasses or anything.

Which youtuber seems uber confident? >> Er... *shrug*

What is the funniest youtube video you have ever seen? >> The first thing to come to mind was that cat with the super-deep meow. I die laughing every time.

Would you ever audition for American Idol? >> Nooooo.

Do you know anyone who thinks they're more talented than they are? >> Nope. Most people I know have some level of impostor syndrome.

Do you buy gum? >> Sometimes.

What's your favorite dollar store? >> I don’t have a favourite.

How many cell phones have you had in your lifetime? >> Quite a few.

Can you play the ukulele? >> Nope.

Do you correct spelling and grammatical errors? >> Not other people’s, no.

DId you get a perfect SAT score in any subjects? >> I don’t know. For some reason, I don’t recall ever seeing my scores.

What is the origin of your last name? (i.e., Italian, French, etc.) >> I’m not sure.

Do you know the meaning of your first name? If so, what is it? >> The origins of my name are a bit ambiguous, so no one is sure what it means.

Have you ever been inside a Victorian mansion? >> Nope.

What was the most boring field trip you ever want on? >> ---

The last time you went, what were your favorite rides at Cedar Point? >> I’ve never been to Cedar Point, but Sparrow was just talking earlier about how she wants to go for her birthday (which is a week before Halloween). It’s kind of amusing how this question is worded as if going to Cedar Point is a common thing for people all over the world or something. I’d never even heard of the place before I moved out here.

Have you ever ridden a horse? >> No.

Do you enjoy watching videos of babies being born? >> That is not something I’d ever be interested in watching, thanks.

If you had a boy and a girl, what would you name them? >> ---

Which country do you have no desire to visit? >> ---

Which country would you most like to visit? >> Most of them.

What is your nationality/what are your origins? What is the stereotype associated with that nationality? And do you feel like you fit it? >> My nationality is American. I don’t need to list American stereotypes, everyone knows what they are.

What are your favorite types of videos to watch on youtube? >> Video game lore, film analyses, “edutainment”-type stuff, documentary-style, videos about music (like Polyphonic), music videos.

What's a DIY craft project you want to try? >> ---

Is your room clean? >> It’s fallen prey to a bit of entropy. I’ll have to do a big cleanout soon.

Are you a hoarder? >> Nope.

When you think of your past, do you hurt? >> Yep.

Is there a guy (or girl) that you wish things had worked out with? >> Meh.

Do you ever call yourself stupid in your head? >> Yes, and it’s awful, and I’m trying to stop.

What was your favorite Barbie doll? >> ---

If you were to start a collection, what would it be? >> ---

If you were rich, what things would you get done cosmetically? >> I don’t know, I can’t even imagine being in the position to just. afford that kind of thing.

How old were you when you got your license? >> I never got it.

Are you parents too controlling? >> ---

Do you think "Sarah/Sara" looks better with an "h" or without? >> I prefer “Sarah”.

Would you ever give your daughter the middle name Marie? >> ---

Do you think "Ann/Anne" looks better with or without the "e"? >> I have no preference here. I don’t even like the name Ann/e.

Who is your favorite fictitious redhead? >> Dana Scully.

Name 5 fictitious redheads that you can think of. >> Aside from Scully, uh... hm. Annie, from the play? Uh... I don’t know.

Do you like musicals? >> I do.

What shows have you seen on Broadway? >> The only theater show I’ve seen is Phantom of the Opera.

What big cities have you been to? >> NYC, New Orleans, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston.

What other big cities do you want to go to? >> I’m interested in California’s cities.

Do you follow through with your new year's resolutions? >> I don’t make them in the first place.

Do you make bucket lists? >> Nope.

What's #1 on your bucket list? >> ---

Do you have a relationship with God? >> No.

Do you hate haters? >> I don’t really pay them any attention.

What's your favorite emoji? >> I use the cry-laughing one a lot.

What do you want to be for Halloween this year? >> I’ve never dressed up as anything and I don’t know if this year will be the year I finally get to or not.

Do you like unique spellings of names? >> Depends.

Do you trust anyone? >> Eh.

What kind of milk do you drink? >> I don’t drink milk.

Have you ever "fired" a doctor? >> No.

What's your favorite type of cheese? >> Any kind with pepper in it. Pepper jack obviously, but I’ve also had some specific ones like ghost pepper jack and habanero jack.

What store do you want to win a shopping spree at? >> I’m not sure.

What clothing store would you like to win a shopping spree at (if different)? >> ---

Do you wear heals or flats more? >> I wear neither.

Do you love shopping? >> Nope.

Who is the prettiest Asian youtuber that you can think of? >> ---

Do you watch a lot of youtube videos? >> I’ve been watching quite a few lately, but it’s not common for me.

What is the best news you've heard lately? >> *shrug*

Do you use a sunlamp? >> No.

What was the temperature where you live today? >> Sixty degrees Fahrenheit! Spring temps!

Is your sleep schedule all messed up? >> Yeah, it really the fuck is. I normally would be asleep or damn near there right now.

Do you keep up with trends? >> No.

Did you wear green last St. Patrick's Day? >> No.

Name three positive things about the Internet. >> It enables me to talk to a variety of people, it enables me to learn about whatever random subject strikes my fancy at any given time, and it enabled Viking Kittens to exist.

[jadehqknb]

Haikyuu Father’s Day Headcanons

I woke up feeling domestic today so in honor of Father’s Day I put together some random headcanons for some of the Haikyuu boys. I hope you enjoy them and happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there!

Karasuno

Daichi has been teased for being the “dad’ of his group for years so it’s no surprise he takes to fatherhood officially like a fish to water. He is the king of shoulder rides and tickle fights.

Sugawara is the best at bedtime stories, often coming up with “multi-chapter” renditions he continues one night after the other. It’s his ploy to get the kids to bed. “Well, if you want to know what happens to Marxa and Meddy, listen to your mother and get ready for bed.” Works. Every. Time.

Asahi cried when his daughter - the first born - came into the world. He couldn’t help it, she was just so tiny and perfect and a piece of you and him that he was overwhelmed. He was a bit afraid to hold her at first but once that sweet bundle was nestled in his arms it was over for him; he didn’t know he could love two people with an equal level of devotion in such different ways.

Tanaka loves all that being a dad entails. He’s there for his kids first bike ride, roller skate fall, getting stuck in a tree and needing daddy to save them. He chases away monsters from under the bed or in the closet and is always the first to kiss a boo boo and make it feel better. He’s their hero.

Nishinoya’s energy is able to keep up with his brood - four kids - rather well. He loves “tagfest” the most, running through the park as his kids squeal with glee and “daddy, catch me” sounding over the fields.

Ennoshita documents every little bit of his children’s lives that he can, for posterity (and a little practice). But he makes sure to set the camera down and actually be in the moment with them, frequently caught off guard when he’s editing later to find his wife sneakily grabbed the camera and got some scenes with him as the main star.

Kinoshita is the best breakfast maker and loves doing it with his kids. They make a mess of the kitchen but the end results are usually delicious. They horse around a bit during the cleaning and it’s a bit loud but the job gets done.

Narita enjoys reading with his kids. They’ll pile on his lap either in bed or on the couch and he’ll pop open the book of the day, reading aloud and doing voices and sound effects much to his children’s delight.

Kageyama wasn’t sure at first if he wanted children, afraid he wouldn’t be suited for the roll of “dad”. But once he does have them he does well. Unsurprisingly, when they’re old enough, he’s the first to encourage them to try out volleyball but if they don’t want to, he doesn’t love them any less. He just tries to understand whatever they are in to.

Hinata is another energy filled dad, able to play for hours with his kids without seeming to break a sweat. He’s frequently seen with his “little crows” at official matches, swelling with pride whenever he hears squeals of encouragement whenever he scores.

Tsukishima tried to be firm in regards to keeping his kid out of his and his wife’s bedroom; that is their sanctuary. But when his little girl came crying during a loud and violent storm, he simply lifted her up, kissed her cheek, laid her between himself and her mother and snuggled away her fears.

Yamaguchi frequently plans playdates for his kids and those of his former teammates, usually on Sunday mornings or afternoons when most of - if not all - of them are available to get together. Occasionally they’ll go to an amusement park or zoo or some place similar but most of the time the dates consist of the dads chatting over simple sandwiches while their children run about a park and play together.

Ukai wasn’t sure he wanted kids since taking care of his “little rascals” was already so exhausting but eventually he decides he does want to and when he does he’s never lacking for willing babysitters, all of “his boys” from that first year of him coaching offering their help to raise his twin boys. 

Aobajosai

Oikawa loves taking his two little twin girls shopping. Buying them cute, matching outfits just makes his day. They have way too many, but that doesn’t stop him from doing it. When they get older, they’re more resistant to it but will make sure to go at least once a year - on Father’s Day - and let their dad pick something for them.

Iwaizumi enjoys cooking and his Father’s Day tradition with his kids is finding a traditional dish - either from their country or another - and trying it out together. Whether it comes out right or they like it or not, it’s the experience of cooking together that they love. And if it doesn’t come out right, they just order take out.

Matsukawa frequently tortures his children when they are older with typical dad jokes, especially around their significant others when they start dating.

Hanamaki likes to do family outings / experiences with his kids on Father’s Day rather than have them buy him stuff he doesn’t really need. One year, when they were in middle school, he planned a volunteer day at a local shelter. At the end of the day he said, “Now that you have some of an idea of what it takes to take care of a dog, do you still want one?” When they all agree they did he told them to work together to pick one to take home.

Yahaba spends time with his kids doing art projects. They want to color? He’ll color with them. Paint? It’ll be outside with drop cloth and smocks but sure, why not? Sidewalk chalk and hopscotch? He’s there. Watching his kids be creative is one of his greatest joys.

Watari’s kids love to snuggle with him. They’ll crawl in his lap to watch a movie or beg him to lay with them during nap time when he’s home.

Kindaichi is rather competitive so he has to watch himself whenever he plays games with his kids not to get too into it. He won’t just let them win, though. They have to learn the agony of defeat, even in Mario Kart.

Kunimi - because of his dislike for loud, energetic beings - struggled through his kids toddler and young childhood years. He was there for them but it was a tough go. He does exceptionally well during the latter school years frequently being a source of help for them during homework time.

Kyotani is - unsurprisingly - fiercely protective of his kids. He can be a bit harsh with them but his attitude has mellowed out and they know above all else that he loves them. God help the boy who tries to date his daughter.

Nekoma

Kuroo is also fond of the dad jokes or science puns and frequently uses them to diffuse arguments with his kids, either between each other or with him.

Kenma - shockingly - loves playing video games with his kids. His proudest moment was when his son asked for his own PSP for his birthday.

Yamamoto, when they are old enough, teaches his daughters self defense to protect themselves from the numerous boys he just knows will be after them. They roll their eyes but do as told, teasing him with tidbits uncle Kuroo and Yaku told them about his own high school days. This only encourages him to increase the training, must to their chagrin.

Kai is the party planner for his kids’ birthday parties, taking whatever theme they want that year to the extreme and creating a wonderful experience for their guests and themselves.

Yaku loves baking with his kids. He’s always finding new recipes to try and they laugh their way through techniques they don’t understand, learning as they go and eating the fruits of their labor. After clean up, they go for a run or bike ride together to “burn off the sugar” before crashing for a nap.

Inuoka does finger puppet shows for his kids. He lets them make the characters out of arts and craft supplies then uses a stage box he built himself to put on productions for them. Sometimes they write the stories together and sometimes he makes it up for them to simply enjoy.

Lev is a master of hide and seek and his kids frequently challenge him in it. When his youngest managed to hide for over an hour it prompted him to put trackers on them, linked to their mother’s cell phone so he can’t cheat.

Other Team Favorites

Bokuto gives the best “horsey” rides, willing to get down on all fours and properly run about and buck, his children squealing with joy as they ride. It usually ends with Bokuto collapsed on the grass and his kids piling on top of him in fits of giggles.

Akaashi is a master at getting his babies to sleep. He rocks them gently, trailing his fingers over their forehead and down their eyelids prompting them to close. When they’re asleep, he lays them in their crib and watches them sleep for a little, a soft smile on his face.

Aone is a human jungle gym for his kids. They love to climb all over him, hanging from his strong arms or neck. They also love to wrestle with him, frequently ganging up to try to take him down. Aone just smiles quietly through it all, enjoying the time playing with his kids.

Koganegawa is just as entertained as his children watching animated movies. On Saturday nights, they cuddle together on the couch with snacks and drinks, pulling out of a hat what movie they’re going to watch from their massive collection.

Ushijima struggled in the beginning of fatherhood due to the unpredictability of children; babies in particular. But once he got the hang of the basics, he began to enjoy the experience more. The first time his son cuddled up and fell asleep on his chest he was a lost man; fatherhood, he decided, was the best thing to ever happen to him.

Semi is the dad whose kids can talk to him about and tell him anything. He takes their opinions, thoughts, ideas, worries, fears, arguments all in stride, allowing them to have their say (respectfully, there is no reason to be rude and it just makes you look stupid). When they’re done, he offers his advice, opinion or answer depending on the nature of the discussion. They may not always like what he says but they respect him because he respects them.

Tendo was quite nervous to have children to be honest. Would they like him? Would they think he was scary? Then, his daughter was born and all his fears melted. He might have shed a few tears, but he’ll never admit it. He gets her into manga when she’s older and the two of them will spend hours fanboy/girling over their favorites.

[higuchimon]

[fanfic] The King’s General:  Chapter 5

Wisemon gestured to the table in his laboratory, strewn with all manner of items, none of which seemed to have any connection to each other. Just as he’d been told, Taiki recognized random bits of trash and small items that looked like they could have come from anywhere and anyone. He started to reach for one of them, pulled back by Wisemon’s words.

“I wouldn’t if I were you. I don’t think they have any diseases attached to them but better safe than sorry.”

Taiki pulled his hands back right away, setting them behind his back and offering a quick grin. “You’re right.” He stared at the collection before him, trying to figure out if any of this made any sense.

Shoutmon peered at it all himself, but kept his hands away from it without any prodding. “What do you think?”

“I think I don’t know what to think,” Taiki admitted. He considered, starting to pat himself down as he did. He still had his Xros Loader and most of everything else that he remembered having in his pockets. Anything he didn’t have, he didn’t know if he’d somehow left it behind or if it had been taken from him when he’d fallen into this world.

At least none of it was anything that he would actually need right now. He had his Xros Loader and that remained his most valuable item while he was here, that and Xros Heart itself.

He stared down at the items a little more, trying to put it together with everything he’d already heard. Most of it seemed pretty simple: the stuff they had here had somehow been traded for the Digimon who’d vanished. But exactly how that had been set up and who arranged it, that he couldn’t figure out.

“Is there anyone around who might have tried something like this? Trading out Digimon for this?” He gestured at the table and everything on it. Wisemon shook his head slowly.

“There have been a few Digimon who haven’t accepted Shoutmon as the King,” Wisemon said. “For the most part they haven’t really caused many problems, but they also don’t seem able to do this. They seem to be more interested in crafting their own kingdoms than anything else.”

Shoutmon nodded, twirling his microphone as he spoke. “We’re going to talk to them about alliances later. Don’t want to do it right now, they’d probably think we didn’t take them seriously. So when their places are set up and as settled as we are, then we’ll see what we can do.”

“Look for things that you need that they have, and things that you have that they don’t,” Taiki suggested. “That would be the best way to do it.” He was pretty sure he remembered that from some of his classes.

He ran a hand through his hair, avoiding his goggles out of habit, tilting his head back to stare up at the ceiling. They really needed to figure this out, if only to have an idea of how he would be able to get home. He couldn’t stay here forever – though it wasn’t going to be a bad visit.

I need to at least tell Mom I’m okay. He hoped he’d be able to get in touch with any of the others – Kiriha or Nene or Yuu – and they could pass it along, if he couldn’t speak to her directly. There was a time difference between the worlds, wasn’t there? He remembered something to that effect.

“Maybe we can ask them if they know something now, though?” Taiki asked. “If they don’t know anything about it, they should know something about people that you don’t know.” He thought more about what he’d seen during the Xros Wars. “Is Lucemon still around? Maybe he’d know something.” After all, he did spend all that time reading in the library. He had to have picked up something!

Shoutmon considered that for a few moments. “I think he might be, but I haven’t seen him since the war ended. But we can get in touch with Shakkoumon and find out. I’ll send someone.”

Taiki nodded; if Lucemon wasn’t around, then Shakkoumon might know himself, or know someone who knew. There would be answers somewhere. The trick remained in uncovering them.

For now, they needed to figure out what else could be done here. He still wanted to touch base with the other friends who hadn’t made it back yet – Blue Flare would probably take their own sweet time showing up – and it wouldn’t hurt to see what else was going on in the Digital World. He really wanted to see everything that Shoutmon had going that he hadn’t been able to yet. What he saw now was so much different from what he’d seen before.

Something else occurred to him. “Is there a list of all the Digimon who have vanished? Maybe we can find out something that they have in common.”

“I can create one,” Wisemon offered. He looked around for a moment before clearing his throat. “Witchmon? I need your help!”

Taiki blinked at that. “Witchmon?”

Wisemon’s scarf tinged ever so faintly. One thing Taiki learned during the Xros Wars was that his scarf often showed Wisemon’s emotions as clearly as his face would have, if his face were visible.

Or maybe the scarf was his face. He didn’t know and he’d never asked.

“My assistant. My other assistant, at least.” Wisemon looked as if he were about to say something else when a cloud of reddish smoke filled the air without warning. Taiki squawked in surprise; nothing had exploded, but the smoke was there anyway.

“I’m not just your assistant.” A female voice spoke from the depths of the smoke. “I’m your sister.”

There was a motion only barely visible from the depths of the cloud, then the cloud itself vanished. There stood a tall female Digimon, garbed in a tight-fitting red dress and a pointy scarlet had. On her shoulder there perched a small black cat that peered curiously at Taiki in near perfect unison with its mistress.

“And who is this?” Witchmon asked, tilting her head. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before.”

“This is Kudou Taiki,” Shoutmon introduced him. Taiki waved at her and Witchmon nodded, blue eyes skating up and down him. “He’s my General.”

“Oh, yes, I have heard such interesting stories about you.” Witchmon chuckled softly, a thread of amusement winding through her voice that set Taiki a little on his guard. “I’d like to hear more about them, too.”

“Sure.” Taiki hadn’t ever backed down from any sort of opponent and didn’t see a reason to start now, even when he didn’t know if Witchmon was an opponent. “But we sort of need to find out what’s going on with these disappearing Digimon first. That’s what Wisemon wants you here for.”

“Is that all?” She sniffed briefly before raising one hand and snapping her large fingers together. A sharp spark of sound echoed throughout the room as a roll of paper appeared in her hand. “Here you go. Someone has to keep track of all of this chaos.” Her lips curved into a brief, wicked smile. “After all, chaos isn’t any fun if everyone ignores it.”

She tossed the paper to Wisemon, who handed it over to Taiki. “Don’t start your tricks, Witchmon,” Wisemon admonished her. “There’s too much that we have to do.”

“I’m sure, I’m sure. Call me if there’s something important. Or if there’s something fun to watch.” Another movement of her hands and a long broom appeared that she mounted. “See you around, General.”

Wisemon sighed as she soared out the window, laughter echoing. “One day I should study families,” he muttered. “But not today.”

To Be Continued

Notes: In fairness, the idea of Witchmon & Wisemon being siblings originally came (so far as I know) from SilvorMoon. When I decided to include Witchmon into the story, I decided to use that concept. And yes, for those of you who remember a minor mostly background character, this is the Witchmon who appears in episode 68 & is partnered to Haruki. Why should I turn down the chance to create angst for characters, right? When do I ever turn that down, anyway? Also, this could mean Haruki and Witchmon will appear in stories of their own. We’ll see what the future holds. I get to create Haruki’s personality wholesale if I do!

[insarations]

these are actually hella fucking cute y’all

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? more cereal

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? oh yes :) but gotta  get me some hot chocolate or blanket

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? usually just a scrap of paper or whatevers close

4: how do you take your coffee/tea? i put soy milk and sugar in my coffee....just sugar in tea

5: are you self-conscious of your smile? ya :/ well at least if my mouth is open...I have terrible teeth

6: do you keep plants? no

7: do you name your plants? noo lol

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? painting/drawing/crafting..sometimes writing or poetry

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? very much

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? usually side, sometimes back

11: what's an inner joke you have with your friends? too many to name

12: what's your favorite planet? hmm...never thought about it strangely. saturn for looks. but mars cause idk..it holds the most possibility

13: what's something that made you smile today? my cats

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? uhhh....idk

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! A day on Venus is actually longer than a year on Venus... wrap your head around that ;)

16: what's your favorite pasta dish? ooooh all of them lol but probably lasagna... ooh or alfredo

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair? just darker...dark brown or black

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up when i made us play hide n seek in a hotel room and i hid behind a curtain. or when i peed on my friends foot cause she got stung by a jellyfish XD

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? I used to :/ I dont' really anymore..probably should

20: what's your favorite eye color? um idk really it depends on the person..I usually like brown or blue. not that green isn't nice but again depends on the person lol

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that's been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. ugh I really don't use bags or purses or anything like that much. currently my black vans drawstring

22: are you a morning person? nah, never will be. i'm used to getting up early but still hate it

23: what's your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? SLEEP

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? yes..a few people

25: what's the weirdest place you've ever broken into? umm i dont think ive broken into anywhere

26: what are the shoes you've had for forever and wear with every single outfit? i got rid of all my own shoes but the ones ive had a while i wear the most are my black slipon vans

27: what's your favorite bubblegum flavor? mint

28: sunrise or sunset? sunset

29: what's something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? only she could do it, cant even explain lol

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? more than a few times

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. I LOVE SOCKS lol absolutely not all white socks. I like fun patterned socks..especially my vans no shows... sometimes sleep with them on

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. oh gosh dont let me start

33: what's your fave pastry? uggghh too many. recently something amazing I tried... lobster tails from carlos bakery. but really..any pastry lol

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? lots of them. the main one I can think of is a small little grungy horse named Wickee lol...got him at this amusement park called Wickee Watchee... idk where he is atm :/

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? ooooooh yesssss...from time to time

36: which band's sound would fit your mood right now? 21 pilots

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? I mean I like it clean.... but it's messy most the time anyways lol

38: tell us about your pet peeves! ugh so many. the #1 thing probably is when I'm walking like in a store and someone just stops right in front of me..like i'm tryna get somewhere please move haha but otherwise I just had selfish spoiled people and attitudes and people who think they're better than everyone else

39: what color do you wear the most? black and gray

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what's it's story? does it have any meaning to you? um honestly I don't have any jewelry besides my liprings. There is this necklace that was my grandmas but I don't really wear it anymore

41: what's the last book you remember really, really loving? It's called Pawn by Robin Roseau

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! Starbucks. it's amazing. it's life. that is all.

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? this girl

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? um hmm on and off lately and I think i'm getting there again...but probably really completely like...last spring

45: do you trust your instincts a lot? as much and often as I can

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of. oh you don't want me to do that

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? donald trump. oh food. hahahahah omg. i thought it said thing. hahahaha. i cant even answer now.

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? roaches. yes still same. I HATE THEM

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? eh neither like or dislike..rarely ever buy cds never records. But I did recently buy the Gwen Stefani Christmas album ;)

50: what's an odd thing you collect? nothing really odd. oh well.... unique boxes. I guess thats strange lol

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? so many songs.

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? uh hmm.. probably the spongebob mocking one lol

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? honestly..dont kill me...no

54: who's the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face? myself XD

55: what's the most dramatic thing you've ever done to prove a point? gotten out of the car and walked a mile home XD

56: what are some things you find endearing in people? just being genuine and truthful and sweet and trying to be funny even if you're not really

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? BEAUTIFUL. I didnt actually listen but I did in my head. BEAUTIFUL SONG

58: who's the wine mom and who's the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? uhhhh..... dont really have a group of friends XD

59: what's your favorite myth? hmm too much thinking

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? depends, most the time...the Footprints poem

61: what's the stupidest gift you've ever given? the stupidest one you've ever received? given um...idk I used to get a buncha stuff from the dollar store for my fam every year lol received? a rock from my ex bf -_-

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? nah not really a juice person

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? yes organized

64: what color is the sky where you are right now? black

65: is there anyone you haven't seen in a long time who you'd love to hang out with? yesss....

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? uhhh eh..not for me

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? either calm or sad or sleepy or a combo

68: what's winter like where you live? it's florida. not usually cold. this week is as cold as it gets...low is like 38 but usually it doesnt even get there

69: what are your favorite board games? clue, monopoly is alright too

70: have you ever used a ouija board? no

71: what's your favorite kind of tea? not huge on tea but I like mint, or something fruity like berry or lemon or peach

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you'll forget it? with certain things

73: what are some of your worst habits? leaving drinks or bottles half finished out or like letting my room get messy

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. funny. sarcastic. sometimes an asshole. good time. gorgeous. fun.

75: tell us about your pets! They're two cats, sister, Lamb and Rue...they're 2 and 1/2 years old..and sweet and mischevious and fluffy and soft and cuteeee  and I love them more than anything

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren't? not really

77: pink or yellow lemonade? dont really like lemonade much but they dont make much a difference to me

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? fanclub :)

79: what's one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? wrote a song for me

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? white..nah I didnt choose

81: describe one of your friend's eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. honestly my minds going black lol im tired

82: are/were you good in school? yes for the most part..had my moments but overall good

83: what's some of your favorite album art? so many I could name. coldplays is always really colorful and abstracty. and imagine dragons.

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? already have two. want a lot more..too much to name and i dont even know still what all i want

85: do you read comics? what are your faves? nah

86: do you like concept albums? which ones? YAS. many. but first came to mind, Skillets Rise

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? Silver Linings Playbook. Paper Towns. Shrek. All the disney movies. Avatar. Wizard of Oz. many more

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? all of them haha... pop art, impressionism, renaissance..just all of it all special in they're own way

89: are you close to your parents? eh idk i cant explain..neither close nor distant. like we live together and talk alot but not really the close relationship as some do..im very different from them

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. Knoxville. the city I went to college in... interesting place with lots to do..best of both worlds. beautiful mountains and hills and views. but also the downtown areas are cool..lots of fun stuff

91: where do you plan on traveling this year? going to savannah ga for my bday. not sure where else yet but i'm sure there will be other places. i'd really like to go to phoenix..boston..new orleans..california..portland ugh so many places

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? CHEESE AF

93: what's the hairstyle you wear the most? just up in a bun which is boring but its too messy and long to put up with lol

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? my dad

95: what are your plans for this weekend? nothing really so far. probably will go to lunch or something with my friend

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? procrastinate

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? myer briggs- INFJ (advocate) sign- aquarius house- ravenclaw

98: when's the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? legitimately...like 3 years ago...hated it...too much walking and pain XD

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them. ugh sooooooooooo many. pretty much any song by skillet or gwen stefani/no doubt recently..dusk till dawn by sia, new rules by dua lipa... also songs by ben howard..lots of indie stuff

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? 5 into the future... i've already lived my past, and i've made a lot of progress...wanna jump to even more progress hopefully

[script-a-world]

Pylon Bios (An Update, with New Pylons)

Hello, lovely followers of script-a-world!

Please allow us to introduce ourselves! We haven’t had any sort of about-the-bloggers page available before, and now that we’ve added more to the team, we’re seeking to remedy that!

First of all, we call ourselves Pylons. What the heck is a pylon? Well, outside of this blog, it’s an upright structure for holding up something, usually a cable or conduit. When this blog was started more than a year ago (whoa), the group chose the word Pylon to describe ourselves collectively, as a fun little nickname. Whee!

Without further ado, meet the Pylons (and Mods)! (in alphabetical order)

Brainstormed: Hey there, call me Brainstormed, and you can find me at @thunderin-brainstorm. Any pronouns will do. I'm a student, illustrator, and world traveler. My home is in America, but I'm rarely there for more than a month at a time, so feel free to ask where in the world I happen to be! Worldbuilding has been my hobby for quite a long time and I'd love to give you some tips and tricks that I've learned, or take your idea and turn it on its head to perhaps show you a new perspective. The many projects I've developed have been lifesavers for me, as they allowed me to harness my Maladaptive Daydreaming Disorder and use it as a positive tool for creativity. Aside from drawing and daydreaming, I spend a lot of time biking, hunting for cool rocks and bones, binge reading any scholarly article that catches my eye, and memorising completely useless random facts that I spout at any given moment in lieu of remembering actual important information.

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Constablewrites: My name is Brittany, and I'm a California girl living in the Midwest. I use she/her pronouns. I've always loved stories with rich and detailed worlds, whether in movies, books, games, or something else entirely. I'm the kind of writer who will spend hours researching to confirm a minor detail. Naturally, I not only write SFF, but my recent projects have all required worldbuilding on more than one axis (like multiple types of magic, or time travel on top of historical) because i am apparently something of a masochist. I'm a walking TV Tropes index and a whiz at digging up random useful knowledge, both of which come in handy as a Pylon. Other random facts: I'm a trained actress and singer, I used to work at Disneyland on the Jungle Cruise (among other attractions), and a laptop held together with duct tape is responsible for my day job in tech support. I blog about writing as @constablewrites and about random things that amuse me as @operahousebookworm.

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Delta: Hi! I’m Delta and I can be found @dreaming-in-circles or @thedeclineofapollo (writeblr), and I love sci-fi. Like, a lot lol. I work in NEPA compliance for a civil engineering firm in the USA, and have a lot of experience with infrastructure, bureaucracies, biology, and space (for unrelated reasons). I spend a lot of time haunting the astrophysics wikipedia pages, and my current all-consuming project is a novel that is angling to be about 150,000 words (at current projections). Can’t wait to hear your questions!

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Ebonwing: Hi, I’m Ebonwing. I’m currently studying IT in university. I’m a writer and worldbuilder, and sometimes a worldbuilding writer or a writing worldbuilder. I gravitate towards fantasy, though I’m not going to say no to the occasional stint in scifi, and as I’m also a giant language nerd, I enjoy making conlangs for my creations. Other than that, I’m also an artist and indulge in any number of other crafting hobbies, and if I’m not doing any of those things, I can probably be found playing video games.

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Feral: Hi! I'm Feral, and you can find me @theferalcollection (if you enjoy feminism, socialism, or over-analyzed fiction) or on my writing blog theferalcollection.wordpress.com. I'm a Southern girl who likes fancy dresses, mint juleps, big hats, and using being-underestimated to my advantage. I work in the interior design industry and am currently in school for industrial design. I have previously earned degrees in comparative literature and theatre & drama. I'm a big nerd who really likes school. I've been world-building since before I knew it was a thing and writing almost as long. I’ve written mostly fantasy but the past couple projects have been science fiction. I'm ridiculously in love with the idea of being an astrophysicist but don't feel like learning calculus, so I just read about science a lot. My hobbies include martial arts, drinking too much coffee, and tabletop games.

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Lockea: Hello! I’m Lockea. You can find me all over the internet as @lockea or LockeaStone. I’m a leaf on the wind who currently enjoys the SoCal sunshine in Los Angeles where I work as an engineer and data scientist. I love street fashion (especially Lolita) and making jewelry. I have two kitties, Theodore and Cecelia, and I volunteer at the local animal shelter as a cat handler and adoption counselor. I know way too much about cat behavior, honestly, and will yap your ear off if you let me.

Worldbuilding wise, I have a deep affection for science fiction and I’ve consulted professional science fiction writers on developing technology and worlds through the explanation of science and engineering. My engineering specialization is extra-terrestrial  robotics, so if it has to do with space, planetary science, or robotics -- I got you. I’m also a fan of politics and really like developing political and socio-economic systems in fantasy and sci-fi worlds.

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Miri: Miri here, with my main tumblr @asylos and my writing tumblr @mirintala. I am a Canadian Pharmacy Technician by day and a small time ePublisher and gamer of many types by night. Mostly wandering around the Internet helping to organize events in the FFVII tumblr fandom (modding at @ff7central and @ffviifandomcalendar), and stumbling around within the Borderlands of Pandora. I use she/her pronouns.

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Symphony: Hey, I’m Symphony! Use whatever pronouns you feel like, any work. I’m currently living in Michigan with my fiance, and in-between jobs but I want to go to nursing school ASAP.  My favorite genres in fiction are horror, sci-fi, and really anything that holds my interest. In my own worldbuilding I've always felt myself most interested in developing societies on the macro level (politics, diet, customs, stuff like that), and the more esoteric, strange parts of my world. I like to make a place feel lived in, with secrets that may never be found and people who seek them out.

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Synth: I’m @chameleonsynthesis on Tumblr, but that’s a mouthful, so just call me Synth. Any pronouns work. Born and raised in Canada, but living in Norway as of autumn 2007. Looking back, I’ve been worldbuilding since at least the age of four (in my early thirties now, so yeah), with a predominantly science-fantasy bent. I’m of the artsy creative type, with way too many projects on the go at any given time, and enjoy long walks through Wikipedia and getting caught in TV Tropes. The best thing is when I stumble across some strange factoid that can justify aspects of my many weird alien species. Stupid Synth facts: I have dual Canadian and Norwegian citizenship. My legal name contains a letter that does not exist in the English alphabet. I can curl my tongue into a cloverleaf shape, and wiggle my ears. My day job is musical instrument repair. I play French horn in a concert band, trombone in a jazz band, and don’t practice my flute or piccolo near as much as I should. Outside of band rehearsals and my job, I volunteer at the local cat shelter, work out at a gym, and attend events at my city’s newly established makerspace.

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Tex: I'm Tex, and you can find me on tumblr @texasdreamer01. Most of my hobbies are centered around fandom and worldbuilding for it, though I also like cooking and reading up on fiction and non-fiction whenever I have the time. I'm currently studying biochemical engineering, with a slant in nanotechnology and its medical applications, so I need to know a bunch about the different types of sciences, as well as projecting for the development of future fields.

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Utuabzu: Hi, I’m Utuabzu, I previously was part of ScriptMyth (RIP) where I tended to take the lead on Mesopotamia and Egypt related asks. I’m most of the way through a Bachelor of Linguistics, e parlo italiano und ein bisschen Deutsch. I have a deep and enduring interest in the history of the ancient world, particularly the ancient Near East, and I’m also a bit of a nerd for politics, which is helpful when it comes to worldbuilding. My random 2am research binges have resulted in my knowing a lot of odd things. I enjoy travelling and experiencing other cultures, however as I am Australian this unfortunately requires flying, which I hate a great deal. I expect to one day be crushed beneath a pile of my books. It is a demise I am ok with.

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Wootzel: Hi, I’m Wootzel, or @wootzel-dragon! I use she/her pronouns. I’m a recent college grad trying to figure life out. My favorite thing about worldbuilding is making things as realistic or pseudo-realistic as possible, and finding a justification for everything. Sometimes, this is also my least favorite thing about myself, because it can make things very hard! But, it can also be really rewarding when I get things to work out in a way that I enjoy.

My other hobbies include reading lots of fanfic while neglecting physical books, starting ambitious sewing projects on a whim, and wondering where all my time goes on a daily basis. I have changed major a few times, and I am still unsure about what I want to do with my life, except that it’ll always have writing in it somewhere.

[aylamoenwyb]

In-depth Profile, Ayla Moenwyb

Note:Stolen/taken from @subetei-noykin 

♪Through all the tumult and the strife,I hear its music ringing, It sounds an echo in my soul. How can I keep from singing? ♪

IDENTIFICATION —

·         Full Name: Ayla Moenwyb Solaire

·         Pronunciation: Eye-la

·         Pseudonym: none

·         Nicknames: Moon, Queen, Mistress 

·         Age: Twenty-Five Cycles (Immortal)

·         Name Day: 1st Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon

·         Birthplace: Tumet Winter Tribal grounds, Azim Steppe

·         Guardian: Menphina, the Lover 

·         Residence: Goblet Crewhouse, Lavender Bed Home, Crimson Phoenix

REFERENCES —

·         Motto:  “My Mother had taught me to be nice first, because you can always be mean later, but once you’ve been mean to someone they won’t believe the nice anymore. So be nice, be nice, until it’s time to stop being nice, then destroy them.” –Laurell K Hamilton

·         Theme Song: How can I keep from Singing (linked above)

·         Face Claim: Ayla wasn’t designed to look like anyone specific.  Still, this image overall is roughly her build, look, and aesthetic

STATS —

·         Gender: Female

·         Race: AuRa, Xaela, formerly of the Tumet Tribe

·         Height: 5’3’’

·         Weight: One-hundred and three ponz

·         Eyes: Jade green with Crimson Limnal Rings 

·         Hair: Platinum Blonde with Honey streaks highlighting her face 

·         Skin: Alabaster skin set off against obsidian scaling.

·         Build: A soft, slender athletically curvy frame.  Petite.

·         Scars: She is ‘unmarkable’ due to her vampire regeneration and healing.

·         Tattoos/Marks: A paw shaped brand on the inside of her left ankle that                 only remains due to being burned into her skin during a rare loss of her               vampiric powers.

At First Glance (+5)

A Siren: Her skill with a bow is only triumphed with her beauty and grace upon the stage.  She can weave songs and stories into spells that enchant and entice and has been known to be able to tame even the strongest inner demons and beasts with the power of her voice and dance.  A quick-witted flirt, who isn’t above using her sex appeal to catch the eyes and interest of her next meal…err ‘dinner date.’  Though while both her songstress and vampire sides rely on her ability to enrapture and capture, she is, not predatory by nature.

 Maternal: Wife of a seafaring Captain with a crew filled with powerful pirates ranging from succubus to void mages to monster inside me types, it is seldom quiet around their home or group hangouts.  Someone has to be the voice of reason, the mediator. And so while she wants typically nothing to do with brawling or scraping or stepping in between two raging xaelic men, someone has to and often the responsibility to maintain the peace falls upon her. On the other side of the coin, she is often the most informed member of the crew, and the one they are most often willing to pull aside for a soft heartfelt conversation or advice.  She’s quick to give a hug or verbal lashing in equal measure.  

 Vampire: As a young, naive new actress, she fell in love with the company’s tall, dark and handsome bodyguard.  Over time, they would marry, and to spare him the pain of watching her grow old and one day die as he remained ageless, she agreed to be turned.  A vampire she became.  But unlike so many of her contemporaries, her pure-hearted reasons for turning, and her lack of power lust in general did not create in her a dark, predatory killing machine.  Yes, she still needs to drink blood to feed, avoid the sun and other typically vampire like things, but her power and over charged aether, instead of being transferred into might or destructive power, is instead used to cast potent healing spells, time and escape magic.  She is protective, and while she has killed some victims in her feeding, she now has the control and self-assuredness to simply incapacitate them, take what she needs and then leave them with a hell of a headache to wake to the next morning.

 Healer: Combining her Song-weaving skills with the surplus of aether she gains from feeding, she is a potent and skilled healer.  Her caring and soft-hearted nature also lend to being concerned about the well-being and safety of others.  Because she is immortal and hard to truly kill, she has been known to sacrifice her own well-being and safety to take a shot or blow or risk for someone else.  She also has skill and knowledge of the stars, alchemy, and plants from her tribal and nomadic upbringing.

 Insular/Private: She married probably one of the most gregarious and charismatic men one could meet in her Captain.  And in doing so, and her constant presence at his side, she has been pulled out of her shade and shadows literally into his orbit and sun. Sometimes, errr often, it gets too loud and noisy for her there and she has to rush off to one of her spots of solitude where she can unwind, think and create and find her focus.  Most people who meet her, see her performance persona or her authorities shades she needs to don to share her craft or stand at her Captain’s side, assisting with the running of a large crew.  She can be forceful, and loud and domineering, but it’s out of character for her naturally and drains her quickly.  Still, people thinking she is bossy and proud works in her favor as she’s not one to quickly speak of her own personal concerns, focusing instead on those of the people around her and their needs.  Being invited to chat with her over port and snacks in front of her fire is a rare invitation indeed.  

FACTS —

♪They tell me he’s poor.

They tell me he’s young.

I tell them all, to hold their tongue.

If they could part the sand from sea,

They ne’er could part, my love from me. ♪

·         Occupation:”Queen” Right hand of the Goldbrand,                                              Songstress/Performer, Musician, Healer

·         Specialties: Healing, Archery, Escape, Listening, Music, Storytelling,                  Soothing, Bunny Magic

·         Skills: Singing, Storytelling, Instrumentalist, Medicine, Natural Healing 

PROFICIENCY —

·         Education: Her Tribe (Tumet), Adoptive Mother, Self-taught

·         Favored Weapon(s): Her wit. Bow.

·         Secondary Weapon(s): Bite

·         Magic Abilities: Healing, Time Magic, Escape Magic

·         Magic Strengths: Healing

RELATIONS —

·         Sexual Preference: Bi-sexual with a preference for men

·         Romantic Identification: Loyal

·         Relationship Status: Mated

·         Sweet on: Kuro

·         Alignment: Chaotic Good

·         Allies: Goldbrand, Spies in different Grand Companies, Mercenaries,                  Tavern Owners, Patrons.

·         Enemies: Vampire Hunters, Rival Pirates

FAMILY —

·         Maternal: Her adoptive mother, Byldalona, a Roegadyn woman who                    rescued her when her tribal trial went awry.

·         Parental: Shona and Batu were her birth parents. She was born a                        member of the Tumet tribe, part of the ‘Rose’ Clan.  Her birth father and              mother are but distant memories to her now, but she carries still the tribal            dagger her father gave her.  

·         Mentor: Her adoptive mother, Byldalona, and her husband and Captain,              Kuro Soliare.   

·         Associates: People of the Alliance with the Goldbrand and Contacts.

          Kuro Soliare (Husband, Lover, Protector, Mentor, Adored)

          Crew(Friends)

♪Easy silence that you make for me It's okay when there's nothing more to say to me And the peaceful quiet you create for me And the way you keep the world at bay for me The way you keep the world at bay♪

MENTALITY —

·         Social Level: Exotic, Charming, Seductive, Witty, Mentor, Soft, Sensitive

·         Optimistic View(s): We all have the power to make the world around us              a  little prettier.   

·         Pessimistic View(s): We are often heard but seldom listened to.

·         One  Positive Personality Trait: She speaks truthfully….even the truths            we don’t wish to hear.

·         One Negative Personality Trait: Her straightforward nature and need to            keep others in good health and spirits can be mistaken as pushy and                    overbearing.  She can be relentless. .

·         ·One Personality Warning: Threatening her Captain’s Safety (so crew                 typically by default here too) or her sister’s. She’s also defensive of those             she keeps in her care.  

·         Random Quirk: She often bites her lip. It happens for various reasons,                but commonly, amusement, shyness, unsureness, worry or pain can lead            to catching her biting her lip.  

·         Hobbies: Writing, Singing, Studying and learning, Collecting rare herbs              and flowers.

·         Addictions: Blood-aether.

·         Habits: Lip biting, fleeing if pressured. Hiding in the Shadows.

·         Pleasures: Port wine, Cuddles by the fire, fine music, dancing, Captain,              Knowledge, Cool Starlit Groves, heart-felt gestures

Appreciates (List 5+)

Port Wine Discipline Flowers especially Sakurasou Flowers and Roses Pets Wildlife Bunny’s Stuffies  Praise Culture Lions Love  Music Learning/Knowledge  Teaching  Companionship  Order Mysticism Magic Poetry Rules

 Dislikes (List 5+) Arrogance Discrimination Loneliness Harm to Loved Ones Threats Mice

Strengths (List 5+)

Immortal Kindhearted Honest and Loyal Focused Supportive Resilient Kuro

Weaknesses (List 5+)

Relentless Opinionated Sunlight Kuro Maahes Self-doubt Emotional Flight Risk

Fears (List 5+)

Losing Kuro or his ‘real’ death.   Harm to Saya or another in her protection Not being able to bear a pain that would cause Maahes to be harmed. A naked honeymoon on a deserted treeless isle ;) Sha, the Lurker Champion kidnapping and torturing her once again. Mice

FAVORITES ––

·         Favorite Food(s): Captain Crunch ;) Port Wine, Chocolate, Berries,                    Steak, Whipped Cream.

·         Favorite Drink(s): Blood, Port.

·         Favorite Scent(s): Flowers, the woods after it rains, Campfires, her                    Captain when he returns from sea.  

·         Favorite Colors: Red, Black, Silver, White, Pink.  

TRIVIA - - None currently.

OOC -

Server: Balmung

Timezone: EST

Mun: Female

Experience: Roleplay Experience of 1.5years Writes in any format, matches length and complexity where possible. Will scene In-Game (When possible), Discord and other mediums as requested. I also am irl an actress and performer and teacher/mentor.  

Type of RP: Any/All, Mature and R-Rated themes included. Long-term Story-lines or One-shot scenes. Enjoys interacting with Canon and OC alike.

Looking for:

 Friends, Partners, Employers, Brothers or Sisters in Arms, Privateers and Pirates, Rivals or Antagonists. Performers, Bards, Entertainment Venues.

Tagging: @bryterbythenight @captainkurosolaire @renni-razormane @ayane-mayuzuma @shinji-calar @smolcatte 

-Or anyone.

[carrotcouple]

I wish you would write LILEA FLUFF!! Please, my girl needs flowers and laughter. I need to see her smile.

This ended up a lot longer than I intended it to be but I swear it’s good!

“Lileeeeaa?”

Lilea’s eyes widened and she sat up. She had just heard the most impossible thing in the world. The sound of Rhys charging up the stairs at a pace that would usually make him cringe, him calling out her name when he could just walk to her room and knock on the door, stretching his vowels in a way that he could probably butcher himself for and was he using a playful tone?

She swung open the door as soon as he knocked.

“Are you drunk?” She asked him pointedly. His hair was ruffled and messy, but it always was like that at the end of the day. His tie had already been loosened and his blazer was hanging off of his arm. His eyes glowed with what she could almost call excitement. Despite the unusual behaviour, Rhys was completely sober.

“Huh? No, I’m not drunk.” Rhys quickly clarified.

“Sorry, first conclusion I came to when you ran up the stairs shouting my name like a teenage girl.” Lilea shrugged.

“I was not like a teenage girl!” Rhys sounded scandalized. Lilea couldn’t help but chuckle. It had become increasingly easy to talk to Rhys, to just let down the walls. There was no way that he was there to keep an eye on her. Perhaps it had been pure coincidence and the fact that she looked like Freya. For a moment, that irritated her. Well, it always irritated her.

“Alright then, whatever you say, Mr. Griffin.” Lilea tried not to very obviously grin. “What has you of all people excited?” Because really, that was the only explanation she could come up with. He had to be excited about something to make him behave in such a way.

“Uh, just something I ordered a couple of weeks ago came in and I think it’s something you might like.” Rhys quickly blabbered out and Lilea stared in wonder. The always collected and rational Rhys was showing her a completely new side of him.

“Something I would like?” Lilea asked in interest. She had of course noticed how he seemed to be really trying to make their marriage work out so she knew that it wasn’t the usual ‘new book I bought’ thing going on which had often seemed like the only similarity between them.

“I’ve been kind of wondering what to do with the shed behind the house for several months and so I ordered special wood and tools to make a special loft bed in the shed and clean it out so that it could become a really nice reading place and fortress, you know…I kind of like building things and…thought it seems like your kind of thing too…” Rhys trailed off, mumbling. Lilea’s eyes widened.

“Building a loft bed?!” She screeched in excitement. “Yes, it is completely my kind of thing! I didn’t know you liked building things! You’re not so boring after all!” Rhys had been nodding, beaming almost just as brightly at her.

“W-wait! Boring?” Rhys cried out in protest.

“Is everything already in the shed?” Lilea rushed back into her room and pulled her hoodie off. She noticed Rhys glance at her messy room - covered in books, thrown aside hoodies and the occasional pair of socks - with distaste.

“Yes, everything is already there.” Rhys nodded, picking up a yellow hoodie nearby the door. Lilea snatched the hoodie from his fingers and tossed it onto her bed and Rhys’ eyes watched it sail through the air in horror.

“Then let’s go!” Lilea ignored how bothered he was by the state of her room and instead grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the house. The shed smelt of fresh packaging and rich forest. Lilea’s eyes sparkled as she took in all of the tools and building materials. “I have never built anything with serious stuff like this. I always had to use random scraps I found in the orphanage.” Lilea whispered, giddy with delight. She turned when Rhys remained silent. He was staring down at the ground, an uncomfortable look on his face. “What’s wrong? Do you actually not like building things?”

“No, not that…just…things I’ve heard from you about the orphanage…are those really true? I didn’t know they were that bad.” Rhys sounded guilty. “I should do something to change it, shouldn’t I? It is my duty after all.” Warmth bloomed in Lilea’s chest and she found herself smiling fondly at him.

“You can try, really, but I don’t know if it would change.” Lilea softly told him, surprising herself when she heard the utter affection in her voice. Rhys looked up at her in question. “You can’t find many people who would look after scores of children, that are not their own, twenty-four seven as if they were their own. Even normal parents would try to discipline their own children and those manning the orphanages have to discipline so many on their own. It’s true that the orphanage staff are unnecessarily cruel and unjust, but you can’t change their mindset overnight and it doesn’t change the fact that there are several children in the orphanage that are more than what the average person can handle. You can’t blame the children of course, they’ve all watched their parents die, or abandon them, or abuse them and they grow up in the orphanage without any parental love and only scorn and indifference to their suffering.” Lilea shrugged. “Rhys, I think it’s a great idea to want to try and change the orphanages and I think you should really start working on it, but…I don’t know if it will change, or if it does, how long that change will last.” Rhys was staring at her.

“You have a mind for politics…” he said quietly. Lilea grinned.

“There’s a reason I was put on the marriage draft! I spoke out of turn for what was right!” Lilea said brightly and only realized a second later she had just said something she did not want him questioning. Rhys’ face slowly transformed into a grin that matched hers.

“I can see you doing that.” There was amusement in his voice and Lilea’s eyes widened and the warm feeling in her chest spread to her fingertips. “I can’t see why I never saw it, but since you have graduated at the top of your class at the age of sixteen, how about I give you some political control? You can dig out the injustice in places that I don’t see. I’ll leave the orphanages in your care and you can use my staff when you need and you can always discuss proposals with me when you want to.” Rhys’ eyes were sparkling as if he had just come up with the best idea. Lilea felt as if she had gone numb. Her entire brain was screaming in amazement and she felt as if her soul had left her body. “After all, you are my wife and therefore, First lady, Lilea Griffin.” Heat rushed to Lilea’s face and she resisted the urge to clap her hands against her cheeks.

“I…would like that…” Lilea whispered breathlessly.

“Oh and would you like to apply for college courses? I can assume the orphanage never offered you that option.” Rhys beamed at her and picked up the building manual next to him. Lilea nodded violently, feeling as if her heart would burst out of her chest in joy.

“I would really like that! I really would!” Lilea cried out happily. She paused as a sudden thought occurred to her. “I can ask you for these kind of things?” She asked hesitantly.

“Huh? Of course you can, you’re my wife aren’t you?” Rhys told her pointedly. “Come and take a look at this manual.” Lilea shoved aside all her worries. Her worries of Danya and Freya and the rest of the world and hurried over to Rhys side, peering over his shoulder.

“Eh, so that’s what the loft is supposed to look like! Well then, let’s get started!” Lilea excitedly remembered they were building a loft bed and quickly bounced towards the the wood and tools.

“Wait, we should read this first!” Rhys told her and he almost look like he was pouting.

“Come on, follow your gut! That’s how you should build things!” Lilea shot back at him good naturedly.

“You can’t build a complicated loft like this with just your gut, Lilea.” Rhys sighed.

“Fine then, you read that while I start measuring how much space we’ll need in here and therefore how we should set up things~” Lilea sang, picking up Rhys’ notebook, pencil and a measuring tape off the floor.

Both of them bickered on how they should arrange things and then they finally started to set things up.

“Oh! Let me set up a some music!” Lilea pulled out her phone. “There’s a playlist that we always listen to while doing work!” Lilea looked at Rhys.

“‘We’?” he asked curiously.

“Yeah, me, Tristan and Dan…ya…” Lilea froze as the girl’s name escaped her lips. How could she have forgotten Danya? What was she doing building a loft bed when she could be doing serious things? Lilea’s thumb slowly hit the play button and she sat dully on her heels.

“Something on your mind?” Rhys asked her in concern. Lilea shook her head.

“I’m fine.” She reassured him. She blinked when he put his hand on top of her head and warmly look down at her.

“If you ever want to talk to me about something, I’m here.” He told her. There was no lie in his eyes. He genuinely wanted her to know that he was there for her. The warmth from earlier spread down to her toes. The man in front of her was either the best actor she had ever met or the best person she could have ever accidentally married. And it didn’t matter if he was lying to her and he was actually acting and keeping an eye on her. She had never trusted anyone other than Tristan, Danya and Freya so much until him. He made her feel safer than she had ever felt before in her whole life. He understood who she was without having to dig around much. He didn’t care what kind of things she might have done in her past.

He was stiff, stuck up, boring, a hopeless romantic with cheesy ideas and a politician in a world filled with the worst kind of leaders. But he was also a bookworm, a history nerd, kind, logical, excited about wooden crafts and the best leader Lilea had ever seen.

“Oh, I haven’t heard this song in almost ten years!” Rhys exclaimed as he attempted to settle down his hair but only messed it up more. Lilea watched him as he started to sing ‘You Raise Me Up’. He turned and grinned at her.

Ah, Lilea thought as she smiled back at him. I’ve fallen in love with this dork.

Lilea turned back to the tools in front of her and sang with him as they started to make the loft bed.

[zukadiary]

Bakumatsu Taiyouden / Dramatic “S”! ~ Snow Troupe 2017

nngg…

I always feel this weird sort of out-of-body sense of detachment in the Tokyo theater. It’s not home, I’m not grounded… you leave and it’s just Tokyo, no bowl of homemade oyakodon and sympathetic conversation waiting for you with open, friendly arms. I wound up watching Sou’s taidan here too, also in blistering heat. I so wish I’d seen this in Takarazuka, more times, and without such a vast sea of heads in front of me (although having the opportunity to read the July GRAPH talks first added some lovely nuanced depth to the pain).

I did not expect to be this invested in Chigi when my much-loved Sou left. The evolution of my interest in Chigi went from “I wish Kaname was still here” to “eh, I guess” to shattering my personal record for in-theater crying (and I’ve cried in *a lot* of theaters). She lasted longer than I expected, and no one leaving with her is a huge shock, but this taidan is gutting me. I love this Yukigumi so much. I’ve loved a lot of Yukigumis, but this one has its hooks in me real deep. And it feels like its soul is being torn out. 

At my first viewing my friend flawlessly described Bakumatsu Taiyouden as “distilled essence of Chigi ft. Miyu’s beautiful voice.” It’s a perfect, lovingly crafted tribute to the Chigi-est parts of Chigi, which also means it’s an amazing troupe show.  

::insert 7 minute crying break::

Koyanagi-sensei transformed what I thought was a really mediocre movie (that had me particularly worried Miyu would get shafted) into such a playful, fun, well-orchestrated musical. There are so many opportunities for ad-libs I think I could have gone every day of the run and not gotten tired of it. Even though I’d seen the movie, it was a bit difficult to follow at first; Chigi uses a silly voice and a lot of slang, and it’s kind of a slice of life story with a lot of random happenings going on as opposed to one continuous plot line… but it gets easier once you have a general picture of the character relationships. EVERY CHARACTER’s personality comes across so clearly even with no background (which was soooo refreshing after three viewings of Yamataikoku no Kaze), and I adore Koyanagi-sensei for how well she executed that. 

Chigi’s character, Saheji, has contracted tuberculosis and has come to this inn/brothel by the sea to live out the rest of his life (I thought tuberculosis was highly contagious, but *SHRUG*). He winds up meddling, mostly hilariously, in all of the brothel’s drama. The best parts should be seen fresh so I won’t spoil them, but in general, this was so on-brand for Chigi’s comedic abilities, and it looked like she was having a TON of fun. Saheji and Osome (Miyu’s character) aren’t romantically involved, but they play off each other so well and there are so many opportunities for primarily MIYU TO TEASE CHIGI that it’s just beautiful. 

Miyu is so heartbreakingly good in this show. Her growth over her tenure with Chigi has been incredible, and her Osome is overflowing with sass and confidence. She’s also dancing the best I’ve seen her dance and singing like an absolute angel; the last time I saw her live was in Kenshin when her voice was broken, so I was beyond happy to hear this. I’m so glad she’s going out on such an amazing performance, but also IT HURTS SO BAD. Lord I hope she continues a career on stage, because she is really blossoming right now… and depriving the world of the full bloom would be such a travesty.

The other taidansha: Anri landed the role of a lifetime with Koharu, Osome’s rival (and almost equal in terms of importance), and she slayed. Dai and Gaori don’t have a ton of stage time, but they each have their own very funny and memorable scenes, so charming that they don’t feel slighted. MomoHina and Miki are primarily dancers, but they get their time up front.

Daimon is the calm and collected leader of a team of hot-headed isolationist samurai comprised of Kiraha Reo, Tachibana Kou, Kanou Yuuri, Hinata Haruki, Suwa Saki, and Manomiya Rui (interestingly, Kari may have had more stage time than anyone other than Chigi and Miyu). And Shou I guess?? She seems to be part of their team but not 100% on board with their plans, which are to blow up the foreign traders’ living quarters. It’s definitely an amusing group; Daimon’s character is all SERIOUS BUSINESS, but between the ridiculousness of their plot and the buffoonery of her comrades it’s just as silly as everything else going on.

I was fawning over Saki after my jet lagged, unfed live viewing of Takarazuka senshuuraku. Unless she was particularly on fire that day, I’m not sure exactly what hit me quite so hard then… BUT, I DO really like this character for her. She’s the spoiled, kinda flamboyant, completely useless son of the two kumichou innkeepers, and she wore that really well. Since Kenshin was the first place I saw her start to level up, it was nice to see her do such a good job with something that could not be more different. 

HIME was used properly, which is REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. 

My heart’s not really in summary and analysis… I just want to gush. Spoilers ahead.

Dramatic S is a roaring river of tears. 

It doesn’t have a flashy theme; it reminds me of My Dream Takarazuka in that way, all soul-crushing lyrics and simple but sharp, passionate dance numbers. I find myself referencing most of the scenes by the color of the suit, versus “the pirate number” or “the gigolo number” or, you know, “the passion of the christ number,” etc. There isn’t a scene I don’t love, and all the music is beautiful; I’m excited to cry my eyes out at work while listening to the CD. 

The part choreographed by Bryant Baldwin, in particular, was a spectacle. It wasn’t a flashing lights and glitter spectacle, but the dance was cool, aggressive, and visibly challenging, and it was full of little Chigi things—a Lupin heel click, a kizuna fist pump…

My kangeki schedule last year included HOT EYES!! and The Entertainer, both of which featured breathtaking special top star numbers: Maakun’s barefoot dance to Chopin under blue starlight, and Micchan ascending from the floor singing while playing a glass piano. I’ve had my fingers crossed since leaving The Entertainer that Chigi would get hers. At first I thought she didn’t, but she completely did. You’ve probably at least seen the mint green outfits in pictures floating around if you haven’t seen the show; they’re from this cruel, devastating Kizuna number. Everyone is in it, everyone is gushing Yukigumi pride… everyone lines up and Chigi looks at them one by one. Chigi’s masterpiece is this close-knit family she built, and they showed it off absolutely spectacularly. I have no idea how they’re going to be able to do it the last time without breaking down.

The kuroenbi is also devastating. Every otokoyaku (except for the newly assigned 103rds) is in it, because that’s what Chigi wanted. I lost it every time they knelt down on the stairs in her direction.

It’s hard to decide whether the Kizuna number or the duet dance is the most awful part. The dance is so stupid and tender and terrible, I need them to stop touching foreheads and looking at each other like that on loop in my memory so I can stop crying and see my damn screen. 

……….

But as if that’s not bad enough, the song is so incredibly beautiful… Chigi starts singing it up on the stairs, and when she meets Miyu to dance Daimon’s voice takes over from the kage box. I was hoping that would happen… in her personal book’s Special Talk, Tomu mentions how much she loved dancing to Daimon’s voice, because it created a whole world she could get lost in. It did, and it was a lot… arguably too much. Honey and silk and love and admiration and maddeningly soft at times…

On a personal note, whoever thought of giving first Miyu and then Daimon to Chigi is an absolute genius. Not only did they support her in the exact way she needed to be supported, but she took these two insanely talented but somewhat shy/awkward ladies and nurtured them until they bloomed into something so BEYOND… And I seriously can’t think of a top 3 whose collective chemistry I love more. 

And on an even more personal note, as a Daimon fan, I watched Fancy Guy in my despair on Tuesday night and was struck anew by how awkward Daimon was when she came here, and how despite my JOY at my FAVORITE coming to MY TROUPE of all places I couldn’t help but think “Oh honey, I’m so sorry…” And now I get choked up looking at this bit of a photo…

…because look at how fully entrenched she is in our warm beautiful family, I’m so overflowing I genuinely can’t stand it. 

I remember Lupin shonichi too clearly for it to have been 2.5 years ago, even though I wasn’t there. It was New Year’s Day and snowing. How fucking perfect is that?

Chigi, I really can’t thank you enough for this ride. 

[erinye]

Two More Times the Gods Bothered Icarus at Work

The library doesn’t actually pay, per se, but if he volunteers a given number of hours, it does give him vouchers for select items purchased at the campus shops – class supplies, food and other sundries.  Icarus did the math and determined that the value of the vouchers was nearly as good as actual money, with the added benefit of the convenient location where he could stop by between classes easily and rack up hours for the week. 

And it’s fairly peaceful work.  Running the checkout desk; entering returned books into the computer; shelving books; light cleaning.  And Icarus is free to do some of his own homework as well, as long as he gets the list of tasks done, while still earning credit for being there.  Hard to complain about it.

He enjoys the tasks, and enjoys the hush of the narrow aisles, packed with books on either side, higher than his head.  They have a good section on aviation: old and new books; practical and philosophical; aeronautical and astronautical.  Icarus likes to sneak back to steal a few browse through them whenever he can.

Icarus is on his way back to the front counter with two books in hand, when he hears a yelp of surprise, two feet to his left, where there are a couple small steps leading up to the study carrels and tables. 

He whips his head around and has enough time to register a mass of bright red hair, on a figure that is falling, armloads of books already dropping around them.  Icarus drops his own books and just barely manages to catch the figure before they bite the floor hard.

The figure is a woman, as it turns out – Icarus’s hands are wrapped around her torso, narrowly missing an accidental feelski.  The woman is gorgeous, the mounds of red hair tousled from her stumble, and bright green eyes wide with alarm.

Icarus helps her upright again.  She stands a little taller than him and has guns to rival Linda Hamilton, he notices.  The green eyes turn to him and narrow just slightly.

“Jeez – are you all right?  Did you turn your ankle?  I’m sorry about that, those steps are the most pointless safety hazard in this building, I seriously see people trip over them hourly.  Are you hurt, though?  Do you need to sit down?  Or I can get somebody.  Or a glass of water, or something?”  Icarus is aware that he’s babbling a little, but now that the woman is standing tall with the stance of someone who does not suffer bullshit lightly, and considering him with those fierce green eyes – it’s a little intimidating, okay?! 

But thankfully, the frantic babbling must have worked, because the green eyes soften and a faint smile touches her lips. 

“I’m all right.  Thank you for asking.”  She seems bemused by the concern, and amused as well.

He grins, relieved, and awkwardly sticks out his hand.  “Glad to hear it!  I’m Icarus,” he says, inwardly cursing himself for being such a huge fucking dork, but now that the danger is over he’s not sure how he’s supposed to proceed.

The woman meets his awkwardness with a queenly grace, shaking his hand.  “My name is Athena.  I’m grateful for your assistance.  I don’t often need it,” she adds, as an afterthought.

“I can tell.  Uh.  You seem like a very capable lady.”  Icarus is not very eloquent today, apparently, and decides to stoop and help her gather her books instead.  There are tons; seriously, why would she carry this many all at once?  It would surely be easier to bring them a few at a time?

She chuckles to herself.  “You risked your life, just to spare me from indignity.  I don’t often see that these days.” 

Risked his life?  A little excessive… well, maybe.  There were a lot of huge, heavy books to get smushed under.  Icarus is even more impressed by the lady’s strength, that she could carry so many of them - 

All at once it hits him.  Athena, she’d said her name was.  Was she… *that* Athena?  She had to be!  That’s why she had so many books!�� Nervous again, Icarus glanced over at the possible goddess.

Athena is crouched next to him now.  She fixes her hair, in a brief, utilitarian gesture, revealing a side-shave, before she also begins gathering her books again.  The books are nearly all printed in the letters of ancient Greek, even though he’s sure this library doesn’t carry that language – yeah, it’s *that* Athena, all right.

She smiles at him, which helps him relax slightly.  “You said you see people come up against these stairs hourly – you must spend a lot of time here?”  Her books are stacking effortlessly in her hands, tall and heavy.  “I’m a little biased, but I think people who spend more of their time in libraries are cooler to be around.”

Icarus blushes a little and grins, pleased.  “Well, I can’t take that compliment completely – I work here too, but yeah, I love spending my free time here when I can.  They’ve got a great aviation collection.”

Athena pauses, her hand near one of his fallen books – both of which, of course, are about rockets and aviation and astronautical engineering.  “You can only be Icarus,” she says softly, before looking at him with recognition in her eyes.  “Am I right?  The mortal the two sun idiots keep bickering over?”

“I… they bicker over me… like, there, too?  In – in Olympia?”  It’s strange to say that sentence aloud.  All parts of it.  Apollo and Helios: acknowledging that they’re in some competition to gain his affections, which is crazy.  It’s also crazy to acknowledge that they’re immortals from another realm of existence. 

“All the time,” she assures him, eyes twinkling.  “It’s a pleasure to meet you at last, Icarus.”  They carry the books over to the table where she’s set up camp.  Another strange thing: a tiny, seriously adorable little tabby kitten, black stripes on brown fur, is batting pencils off the table.  It goes without saying that the cat shouldn’t be in here.  Literally, it goes without saying – Icarus isn’t going to mention it.

“So, uh… who’s this little guy?” is all he says, unable to keep from reaching out to pet the kitten.  It pounces on his hand.

“She,” Athena corrects.  “This is Nike.”  She says this matter-of-factly, and Icarus can’t remember if Nike was supposed to be a god or if she really named her cat after a shoe or something.

“Can I ask what you’re researching here?  You’ve got a lot of books,” Icarus says politely, as Nike shreds the cuff of his shirt.

“Oh, a little bit of everything,” Athena says brightly.  “I couldn’t decide which project I wanted to work on today, so I brought all the books over – though, I was leaning towards toreutics.”

“Toreutics? That’s… the study of artistic metal?”  Icarus has been stocking shelves in the library for a while now; he can’t believe he remembers that title from a book.

Athena claps her hands together and beams at him.  “Right!  It’s not my usual area of focus – I generally dealt with womens’ crafts, and toreutics would have been Hephaestus’ area – but of course, nowadays, women are much more able to create anything they please.  As they should have been from the beginning.”  She sniffs; clearly this has been a sore point for her for centuries. 

Icarus smiles.  “For sure.  I took a shop class a few years ago… one of the girls there was better than anyone else.”

“You don’t look like much of a metalsmith sort of guy.”

He shrugs sheepishly.  “Nah.  I mean, I was curious, so I tried it out.  Never know when I’ll find something new that I’ll enjoy learning… but yeah, I’m kind of a one-obsession sort of guy.  I guess – I guess you already what that is,” he says, gesturing to the aviation books on the table.  “Though I also follow cynology pretty closely,” he says with a grin. 

“The study of dogs,” she laughs.  “Yes, I heard about Cerberus.  Oh, but you know –“ she begins digging in her bag, laid on the table and also filled with books.  “Here’s one you might find interesting.”

She removes and sets aside random books – more than should fit in her bag – about the most random assortment of topics, all with slips of paper printed with notes in Greek letters.  After a moment she says “Aha!” triumphantly and presents Icarus with a slim hardcover book.  As he takes it, the Greek letters transform into English:

“Heliology with Special Focus on Helioseismology,” he reads.  He looks up at her.  “I guess – the study of the sun?”  He can’t quite keep a blush off his face. 

Athena looks amused.  “Yes.  And helioseismology is the study of the interior of the sun, as ascertained by studying its surface.”  She says that with a faint tease to her voice, and Icarus clears his throat.

“’Heliology’ I guess they got the name from Helios?”

“Right.  The original sun god.”

“Original doesn’t mean best,” comes a familiar voice unexpectedly from directly behind Icarus.  Icarus jumps approximately ten feet into the air with a startled gasp, and whips around to see Apollo coolly glaring at Athena.

“Oh, hello, Apollo.  I didn’t see you there.”  Athena smiles at him.  “And of course, original doesn’t mean best.  Just that he was first.  And he’s been doing it the longest.”

“Ahh, you mean the way that Hephaestus, God of Crafts, was born earlier than you?  Legend says he was the one who helped you spring from Our Father’s divine skull,” Apollo suggests sweetly.

“He was first?  But wasn’t Hera the third wife…?”  Icarus asks tentatively, mostly to himself, trying to remember.  Of course, from what he remembers of Zeus, the matter of who he was married to when he had his children was irrelevant.  Case in point: Apollo himself, child of an illicit affair, and one who is currently leveling a glare at Icarus.

Icarus swiftly holds up his hands placatingly, trying to think of how to backpedal.  Athena looks smug. 

“Yes.  I am the firstborn of Our Father, Lord Zeus, and the original Goddess of Crafts, as well as the original Goddess of Knowledge, for that matter.”

Apollo, the second-generation god of the sun and knowledge, glowers.  Nike the cat is wiggling its butt while staring up at Apollo; clearly ready to try to jump for his temptingly swaying locks of hair.  Icarus has a feeling that wouldn’t end well for the cat.

He intervenes, shooing Nike away and taking Apollo’s hand in his own.  “I know I’m biased, and I don’t know what makes a better God or Goddess of Knowledge, but I do know which one is my favorite – even though I’m really glad to have met you, Athena!”

Icarus smiles up at Apollo, and is shocked to see that the sun god is blushing.  Blushing!!  Discreetly, of course, and looking no less stoic than usual, but yes, his face is definitely heating up.

Athena has made a little squealing gasp and is grinning at them, eyes darting back and forth between them.  “Is Lord Apollo… blushing?!  Like a besotted schoolboy!  Oh, wait until I tell Artemis!”  She laughs, and any tension from before is broken.  “All right, that’s cute.  I’ll forgive the disrespect from both of you.”

“Erhm.  Yes.  Thank you for your loyalty, Icarus.”  Apollo coughs embarrassedly but doesn’t drop Icarus’ hand.  “But really, Icarus, we’ll have to address your etiquette in dealing with gods.  Choosing someone else over Athena is exactly how Troy happened.”

Athena waves her hand.  “We’ve all come a long way since then, Apollo; it’s all water under the shattered bridge of your humiliating defeat.  Anyway, Icarus is your lover, I’d hardly expect him to choose otherwise.  The really interesting thing would be to see who he picks out of the sun gods courting him.”

They both turn to look at him, and Icarus has just enough time to feel his heart stop, when the bell dings at the front counter, indicating that someone wants to check out the book, and he flees in a red-faced panic while the gods’ laughter follows him.

——————

And yup, there’s also the retail job.  Another soul-sucking position as stocker, cashier and general drudge; but it’s a consistent paycheck that he can’t turn down. 

It’s at a regional supercenter store, with groceries as well as departments for housing goods.  The place thrives off of desperate college kids to keep its business running; the management cheerfully denies promotions or pay increases on the premise that the students’ schedules will only change next semester, so there’s no use in investing in them for more than menial labor.  Icarus keeps applying for a position as a third-shift stocker, where customer service is minimal and you get overnight pay, but it’s a competitive position.  Lots of applicants.

But he gets lucky one weekend, and he’s called to help cover a shift because one of their regular guys is “in court again,” which Icarus chooses to interpret as meaning jury duty.  But, great news!  He looks forward to three shifts of mindlessly stocking shelves and racks, for slightly better than his usual pay, and with no (or at least, very few) customers to bother him.

“It’s not that great,” explains Amelia, the shift lead, when he comes in almost skipping in delight to be there.  Amelia is a gruff lumberjack sort of lady (lumberjane?), with a tattoo of Ruby on one arm and Sapphire on the other (Icarus wonders if Garnet is tattooed somewhere in the middle but it seems impolite to ask).

“It’s really hard to coordinate time to hang out with your friends and family on this shift.  Or get stuff done out in town.  Your sleep schedule is all messed up, and you have to take Vitamin D pills, which naturally isn’t covered on insurance,” she goes on, as they drag out two pallets of dry groceries to restock.

“I’ll trade you jobs,” Icarus offers.  “We can talk to Mark on Monday and do an even swap, day shift for night shift.”

“Pfft!  Nope, not that desperate,” she grins at him.

Night shift is everything Icarus hoped for.  They companionably stock shelves and chat occasionally.  Shenanigans abound on night shift, as the workers have learned by now that the video monitoring is solely concerned with theft during these hours, rather than professional behavior, as there aren’t many customers to impress.  The workers joke and chat and it’s like heaven.  Icarus would buy industrial-sized containers of Vitamin D if that’s the price of this kind of peace.

Of course, the peace doesn’t last too long. 

A guy comes in around 1am… someone that looks… familiar to Icarus.  He’s got blue hair, a cap with wings printed on the sides, and possibly the most hideous clothes Icarus has ever seen in his life, which is what tugs on his memory.  He has definitely seen this guy wearing a similarly outlandish outfit somewhere before.  On campus, maybe?  He can’t remember. 

The guy wanders around a little bit, occasionally putting clothes and accessories into his basket that match his aesthetic of “random, ugly and colorful.”  Icarus tries to ignore the red flags going up in his brain and carries on stocking.  He’s in the household goods section, stacking a few novelty coffee mugs, when the inevitable happens and the guy approaches him.

“Icarus, right?” comes the voice, inquisitive and bright.  Icarus flinches and turns.  Blue-haired guy is watching him from a few feet away, peering through the ugliest sunglasses Icarus has ever seen.  There’s a small smile on the guy’s face, and that’s what finally clues him in, where he’s seen him before.  He’d been talking to Helios, once, near the alley where he’d first run into the sun god.  He’d been smiling then, too – actually, Icarus gets the distinct impression that this guy is probably always quietly laughing to himself, at a joke that only he gets.

“Uh – yeah, that’s me.  Icarus.  Do you… know me?” he asks, a little uneasily.  He’s not sure what to expect, here.  Sure, his gods (is it all right to call them that?) seem to be generally positive towards him, but if more gods start showing up….

“Sure do!  Apollo and Helios talk a lot about you.  The rest of us are starting to get curious.”  The guy’s smile deepens a little and Icarus is sure there’s some secret joke there.  “I’m Hermes.  Everyone’s favorite.”  He winks at Icarus, who returns the smile nervously.

Hermes appears to notice the mug still in Icarus’ hand all at once, and lights up.  “Oh, that looks great!  Let me have that!”

Icarus looks at it.  The novelty mug is hideous.  It’s a model of the ancient view of the world: a turtle forms the base, with four elephants as pillars on top of it (apparently you’re supposed to keep cookies or something in there?) and then the flat earth, which is a saucer for the actual mug which is on top of the whole mess.  “This?  Uh, yeah, here you go.” 

Hermes beams at him and places the monstrosity in his basket. Icarus discreetly peeks inside: among other things, he can see lavender hot pants, and a pastel-colored sleeveless shirt with a Peter Pan collar and large printed donuts covering the material.  God, is he really planning to go out in public wearing – oh.  No, there’s worse.  He sees a pair of… rhinestone-covered clunky-heeled boots on roller skates.  Does this store even sell those?

He blinks at the sight and gestures weakly at the wall of novelty mugs behind him, as *Hermes* admires his find (How is this Icarus’ life now?).  “Uh – well, H-hermes, I guess – I would have thought you’d like this one more?”  The mug he’s pointing at is simple, and comparatively non-ugly: it’s white, and the handle is made to look like wings, and the words “Speed Limit: ∞” are printed on the front.  “You’re the fastest god… right?” He asks, suddenly anxious that maybe he’s remembering wrong and he’s about to offend one of the gods, but Hermes only grins.

“Yup.  Objectively true,” he says, plucking this mug and putting it in his basket also. 

The sound of hushed whispering and muffled giggles reaches them, and they turn to see Amelia and Joey (the tiny-framed red-headed girl who works in grocery most of the time) watching them from the end of the aise.

“Is this your boyfriend, Icarus?”  Joey sounds breathless, probably squeeing internally.  Joey does that a lot.

“Oh.  I thought you’d be the twink,” Amelia observes with a grin.

“Ah-ha.  That’ll bring him down here,” Hermes says softly with a chuckle.

Icarus goes crimson and starts waving his hands.  “Nononono, we’re not – I’ve never met this guy before today!  We’re definitely not dating!”

“Damn right you’re not!”  Icarus tries hard not to groan at the familiar voice as it floats down the aisle towards them. 

Helios scowls mightily at all of them (eyes glowing where only Icarus and Hermes can see them) and drapes himself very possessively across Icarus.  “I’m the boyfriend, here!”  he jabs his thumb at himself before giving Icarus an aggressively demonstrative kiss and cuddle.

Both girls look impressed and make suitable aww-ing noises (Amelia also mumbles something unintelligible about a three-twink scenario).  A couple other employees are wandering over to see what’s going on.

“Well, one of them, anyway,” Hermes notes cheerfully, earning another death glare from Helios.

“The best boyfriend,” Helios asserts, latching on to Icarus with fierce jealousy.  “What are you doing here, anyway, brat?”

Hermes holds his hands up in a universal ‘Who, me?’ gesture.  “Just here shopping!  No harm, Helios!  Icarus was just recommending a product to me – ah, here it is – ”  he holds the winged mug aloft.  “Since I’m the fastest of us.  Winner of every race and so on.”

This proves to be a sufficient distraction from his jealousy, as Helios bristles at this clear challenge.  “You cheated in that race!  Everyone knows you did!  Your stupid floppy sandals wouldn’t have stood a chance against my chariot!” 

Hermes hums a little and shrugs.  “I mean, except for when I totally did win.”

Helios steams and detaches one hand from latching onto Icarus, in order to point accusationally at Hermes.  “Cheated!  You probably rigged the whole thing!”

“You up for another challenge?  For the right to drink from this mug?”

“Ohmygod,” says Joey, eyes lighting up; “We can settle this.  Supermarket Sweep!”

“NO WAY,” Icarus attempts to protest, but he’s drowned out by cheers of approval and shouted challenges from the two gods.

It’s only after several display stands have been knocked over, and the store aisles look like a hurricane blew threw, and Apollo has come down to yell at Helios for missing a solar event that was supposed to be visible in the Western European Time Zone, and Hermes wins the contest and has held his prize mug aloft in triumph and Helios is consoled by everyone (including Hermes) that at least he still has the cutest boyfriend… only after all this, that it occurs to Icarus that Hermes absolutely didn’t pay for that mug.

The mug turns up as missing on the inventory that week, along with a few random items, all unrelated to each other except for the fact that they’re all aesthetic failures. 

The video feed for that weekend shows nothing but footage of all the workers doing their jobs innocently.  None of the employees says a word about the contest, but Icarus get winks from them all for months afterwards.

[conorjamesmacdonald]

A visit to ‘Beyond Fortune: The Life and Legacy of Doris Duke’

at Rough Point Museum, 680 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI; March 20 - November 17 2019.

Rough Point is a little different than other mansions-turned-house-museums along Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island. Rather than offering the chance to wander through gilded parlors, awestruck by the glamor and excess of the Robber Baron era, Rough Point exists as it did in the last days of Doris Duke. Duke came to Newport not as a New York socialite bent on crafting an American aristocracy in the late 1800s, but in 1957 as a daughter looking to stash a bunch of stuff in her parents’ vacation home. That’s who I’ve come to learn about this evening--Doris Duke the person, as the exhibition title promises, beyond her fortune.

I found myself gifted a ticket to the preview of ‘Beyond Fortune: The Life and Legacy of Doris Duke,’ curated by the Newport Restoration Foundation, which operates Rough Point. Winter had released its grip and the mosses and lawns were green, but spring had not yet lured the crocus and daffodils out of their slumber. It was a few degrees colder than I anticipated and the museum a few hundred yards farther from town than I remembered, and the gentleman at the gate was surprised and amused as I wheeled my bike, gravel crunching under tires, through iron gates flung wide open from brownstone piers. He suggested there might be a good place to park a bike at the side of the house (there wasn’t; I left it leaning against an ancient yew tree).

Rough Point offers us a break from the high gloss gilded age fantasy of Bellevue Avenue and an opening into a bigger and also a more personal story. Of the estates on this bluff, the house is among the most spectacular and also uniquely contemporary and personal--the furnishings seem less staged, less preserved. Rooms--especially the second floor spaces--feel lived in, almost dingy in corners, and therefore somehow more intimate. Frozen in time at a point when modernity, income tax, and wartime had swept away the aspirations of the Robber Barons and anxieties over European Aristocratic superiority, when art and culture were moving past the representational and the classical, perhaps the house offers us the opportunity for a more complex experience, more human and more telling.

The 1950s and 60s can be seen as a denouement of sorts for the Gilded Age. The jet age brought those seeking better weather to places like Hawaii, where Duke herself spent lots of time, in the same time or faster than a trip to Newport from New York or Chicago. Bellevue Avenue and the lifestyle it represented faded. Duke’s story is one of the fading of an era when aristocratic impulses blossomed and the rising of another, more modern one.

The majority of the house is as Duke left it in 1993. In 1957, at 35, Duke landed on a solution for keeping her collections together: Rough Point, which had been cleared and shuttered since 1954, could hold everything. An eclectic mix of mostly traditional furnishings which hint at various eras--golds and avocado greens of the midcentury, modern square-armed lines of a sofa fill the spacious rooms. Interpretation is discreet and it is easy to wander without being interrupted by it, or, with the evening’s cocktail party atmosphere, without even noticing it. In many places the house has the feeling of a very grand rendition of a comfortable and long-inhabited suburban home--the untrained viewer might not find many pieces out of place at a yard sale. Certainly, Duke’s belongings are of a higher quality than the average American household, but they seem representative of the era; a previous exhibition, After the Gilded Age (2006), used the house’s furnishings to illustrate American hospitality and entertaining during Duke’s lifetime, 1930-1980. It’s the first hint that we aren’t here to marvel at a decadent life, but to begin to know a modern person, a woman of her time.

The determined exhibit-goer must navigate a lovely-but-complex series of vestibules, halls, reception spaces, winding stairs and velvet-roped doorways before finding the familiar glow of gallery lighting spilling through the second floor exhibit entry. A grand, high-quality vinyl rendering of the exhibition logo, in the familiar font and colors from the website, facebook event, and your e-ticket, fills the wall, washed in elegant, soft light: Beyond Fortune: The Life and Legacy of Doris Duke.

The exhibition fills two main rooms, connected with a breadcrumb trail of exhibits down a short hallway. The first room orients the visitor to Duke’s origins: her father’s success in tobacco and hydroelectricity leading newspapers to herald her as “the richest little girl in the world” at birth, according to the exhibit, his early and unexpected death, her inheritance of his fortune at the age of 12. It’s primarily biographical. One section is dedicated to the origins of rumors about her life, which seem less scandalous when explained. Images and text describe some of them: a vehicular accident in which she killed her chauffeur and current partner, possibly from rage, intoxication, or mechanical malfunction; an unusual circumstance where Duke adopted a woman in her 30s and later disinherited her; the unpopular influence of her butler in her later years. The viewer is left to draw conclusions, however the collection of known facts, displayed impartially, makes it possible to see these as a collection of tragic and complex relationships in a sometimes-lonely life under public surveillance.

One section of the connecting hallway shares the reflections of diverse members of the NRF staff: curatorial assistants intrigued by the complexities and potential contradictions in Duke’s life, accounting directors enamored with the history and beauty of the collections. Another is actually an exhibition of a youth project and not part of this show. A few stairs midway through the hallway separate the two--I can’t figure out exactly how someone on wheels would see the whole exhibition, testament to the challenges of programming in even the most well-endowed historic homes. The exhibition resumes in a cluster of spaces at the end of this hallway.

The second room simultaneously indulges the senses with dozens of mannequins dressed in Duke’s glittering, exotic wardrobe, and deepens the viewer’s understanding of Duke’s actual, chosen work and the ways she spent her days through photos and text. A wide array of causes that seem random listed on paper are unified by Duke’s striking face, smiling, listening, exhibiting concern. Animal welfare, horticulture and agriculture, Islamic art, European fine and decorative art, historic preservation and Native American oral history don’t hang together easily around a theme, but they do seem to make up a portrait of a person.

At the final moment of the exhibition, we are invited to leave a post-it note with what we want to know more about in Duke’s life. It does seem like each of these philanthropic pursuits could be unpacked to fill this exhibition space, and reveal the issues of the time.

It's possible for the viewer to leave with the overall impression that Duke was a collector of many things beyond art and objects, including a diverse array of causes and experiences, and some may even include a 30 year old woman, adopted then disowned, among the collection.

Attendees wander through the exhibit in small groups and solo, much as they did in the entry spaces on the first floor, chatting and reading. Rooms are small--perhaps fifteen or twenty feet square--and so each word seems to be spoken directly to everyone in the room. Both joining and ignoring other guests’ conversations seem equally unexpected. Some move quickly through, trying unsuccessfully to pass discreetly by those reading the panels. Overheard banter, however, makes it clear the exhibit succeeds at bringing Duke, a complex, flawed and compelling personality, to the fore, past the glittering gowns and splendid surroundings.

Throughout the late 20th century, a woman lived nearly alone in a house on a cliff in a neon-yellow room with drapes as purple and heavy as a priest’s Easter robes, full of mother-of-pearl everything. She was, as the wall decals list, a philanthropist, collector, preservationist, surfer, musician, world traveler, and fashion icon. She was also called a recluse, a murderer, and an eccentric. Sixteen years after her death, it seems she’s become part of her own collection--you can get to know her a little more at Rough Point, through November 17.