#but it's just... such a thrill to be able to illustrate what I've only ever been able to write about

[thefreelanceangel]

[assortedfruitsnacks212]

I've been thinking a lot about why I find art so hard to make at this stage in my life.

I haven't seriously picked up a pencil in two years. I made a little portrait drawing in 2021, just to see if I could still do it. And that's it. Since then, nothing. I've tried, but I can't describe the dread I feel when I get too close to the blank page.

I've asked myself why lots of times, only to remain just as confused as before. I've never been able to point to a specific thing I did to ruin art for myself. I've just known in my bones that I was on the wrong trajectory. I'd lost all the joy of it, but kept going much longer than I should have, until I had absolutely nothing left to give. And I've paid for it ever since.

It's a strange dilemma to be in. I know so many people who make a successful living at their art, who happily take commissions or otherwise leverage their skills into a career. Why, when I tried to do the same thing, did it go so wrong?

Well, after a long time away, letting the question simmer in the back of my mind, I think I've finally caught a glimpse of the answer.

I've been too scared to make the art I really want to make.

If you've followed my art over the years, you've seen a lot of portraits, some fan art, maybe a sci-fi illustration here and there. I'm good at portraits especially; there's just something about the human face that I enjoy capturing.

But I'll tell you a secret: I don't dream of being a portrait artist. Never have. I don't finish a portrait and feel the thrill of having followed my soul's calling. Instead I feel... underwhelmed. "Yes, yes, you've proven once again that you can make lines look like a face. Good job. Now when are we gonna get to the REAL stuff?"

The real stuff, the stuff I daydream about, is less concerned about accuracy and likeness. It's not about making lines look like That One Specific Face, it's about leaping out of reality and transporting you into mine. When I'm making it, I don't ask, "Is this accurate to the pictures I'm using as reference?" I ask, "Does this capture how I feel about it? Will a viewer looking at this see the worlds I carry in me?"

That's terrifying. I've always worried about people criticizing me, and I've used portraits as a shield. "Look at this, look at how closely this resembles the person you know! Aren't you impressed?" It's a party trick, so much safer than actually showing myself to you. What if you don't like what you see?

I carry colors in my mind. Stars and desolate planets. Stories about technology indistinguishable from magic, nightmare creatures, and dark oceans. As long as I keep all of that locked away, it's safe from critique... but it's also slowly suffocating to death.

I can't do that anymore. It feels like killing my own soul. And that's why, in 2019, everything in me revolted to the point that drawing made me sick. Even when I didn't consciously understand, my body knew.

I guess what I'm saying is... no more party tricks. No more trying to charm and impress. I have to chase what's real, or my art will never come back to life.

Wish me luck. It's going to be very hard.

[nohoperadio]

He set his china cup down in the fine dust and went to inspect his elderly record player. On it he found an elderly recording of some Vivaldi wind concertos, set it to play and sat down. He waited again to see what he would do next and suddenly found to his surprise that he was already doing it, and it was this: he was listening to the music. A bewildered look crept slowly across his face as he realised that he had never done this before. He had heard it many, many times and thought that it made a very pleasant noise. Indeed, he found that it made a pleasant background against which to discuss the concert season, but it had never before occurred to him that there was anything actually to listen to. He sat thunderstruck by the interplay of melody and counterpoint which suddenly stood revealed to him with a clarity that owed nothing to the dust-ridden surface of the record or the fourteen-year-old stylus. But with this revelation came an almost immediate sense of disappointment, which confused him all the more. The music suddenly revealed to him was oddly unfulfilling. It was as if his capacity to understand the music had suddenly increased up to and far beyond the music's ability to satisfy it, all in one dramatic moment. He strained to listen for what was missing, and felt that the music was like a flightless bird that didn't even know what capacity it had lost. It walked very well, but it walked where it should soar, it walked where it should swoop, it walked where it should climb and bank and dive, it walked where it should thrill with the giddiness of flight. It never even looked up. He looked up. After a while he became aware that all he was doing was simply staring stupidly at the ceiling. He shook his head, and discovered that the perception had faded, leaving him feeling slightly sick and dizzy. It had not vanished entirely, but had dropped deep inside him, deeper than he could reach. The music continued. It was an agreeable enough assortment of pleasant sounds in the background, but it no longer stirred him.

It feels like it must just be me idealizing the thing I was obsessed with when I was 13, but every time I've ever gone back to Douglas Adams it's struck me as a bit sad that his cultural legacy is mostly a handful of one-liners and in-jokes that nerds of a certain generation like to quote sometimes, in the same bucket as Monty Python and the Holy Grail or whatever. Not that that's a bad thing to be, but unless nostalgia is making me very delusional--and I have put this to the test several times in my adult life--he's just one of the best novelists in general I've ever read. Most of the jokes are also wonderful pieces of poetry and/or psychology, on almost every page there's one or two moments where he's trying to make the English language do some new thing I've never seen before, his sense of what's ridiculous and also what's astonishing in the world, and his ability to hold both in mind at once, is unlike anything else I've been able to find.

(I get the sense he's often thought of as being roughly interchangeable with Terry Pratchett--I will admit to having only read Mort, but if that's at all representative I'm confident in saying they are not remotely interchangeable.)

For how very famous he is, I don't think the form his fame has taken is really communicating what's special about him at all. Which is probably true of all writers to some extent. I probably don't have much of a point really. Just that I bet a lot of people who would strongly vibe with this guy's stuff don't pick it up because they assume they already know basically what his deal is, and I can imagine a version of myself who wasn't lucky enough to discover him as a kid doing that, and it makes me sad.

[The passage quoted above is not actually an ideal illustration of what I'm saying and I'd probably take the time to search for something more apt if I thought anyone was going to read this; the chain of events was, I stumbled upon a photo I'd taken of this passage on my phone in December 2019, was struck with a sudden impulse to record it here, and then was struck with some thoughts about Douglas Adams in general along with the impulse to also record them here.]

[adleryoung]

"It's a lot easier'n it sounds," Burnside continued. "An' then, once you work yer way up to his brain you can-"

"ALL RIGHT," I interrupted, starting to get queasy myself. "Thank you, Raccoon Monster, for perfectly illustrating my point. That's enough now!"

"Hold on," Burnside objected. "I ain't finished yet. If you poke the brain in just the right spot, you can make him dance around an- OOOHHHHH!"

I applied a generous amount of Orgasmic Touch, and Burnside crumpled happily to the ground.

"So are you gonna teach us that move?" the mouse (bear?) asked.

"It's pretty advanced," I replied cautiously. "We'll see what sort of progress you make first."

I took a moment to compose myself and try to clear the gruesome imagery of Burnside's descriptions out of my mind. After a few deep breaths, I knelt next to Mother Didelphis and applied a few well-chosen Gramaryes to revive her. I also soothed the duck and offered the vixen a stomach remedy, which she politely refused.

"If you're all feeling better now," I declared after these ministrations were finished, "let's continue the briefing, or orientation, or whatever you want to call it. You've heard the Raccoon Monster's gruesome testimony, and I presume you know the old adage 'Elves do not lie.' This means her story is true. And yes, she is an elf, an Unseelie one," I added as the vixen raised her hand.

The vixen lowered her hand with a nod, and I continued. "What the Monster told you is an extreme example, yes, but this is ultimately what the Unseelie lifestyle leads to. It is a path of ever increasing violence and destruction. It may start small, but it ends with you crawling inside someone's ribcage and poking his brain. The first few steps you take, you can justify your actions: This person was mean to you, or he's just bad in general - but eventually the excuses melt away and you start hurting people just for fun. Where do you think this leads? Do you suppose the Raccoon Monster has any friends? Or do you think she sliced them all to ribbons and ate them years ago? Go Unseelie, and you'll truly learn what isolation is. You think you're outcasts now? How will you feel when villagers grab their torches and pitchforks and start hunting you? Will you be pleased with your choice while you're living in the roots of a dead tree, cold and alone? Will you be happy when you look at your reflection and only see a monster looking back?"

"He's got a point," the vixen murmured.

"I never thought of it that way," the duck quacked quietly.

"But how do I get even with that SHREW who took away my pie trophy?" Mother Didelphis objected.

"By being better than her!" Rebecca exclaimed. "Like all of you, I turned to witchcraft out of spite, to get revenge on the world. But success is the best revenge! Spite just breeds more spite. Instead of sabotaging your enemy's recipes, you can use magic to bake a pie so delicious, she will never be able to top it! That's the Seelie way! A positive, constructive way! I implore you to at least give it a try. Even though I've only just started, this is the happiest I've ever felt! It could work for you too."

As Rebecca gave her impassioned speech, a cluster of tiny sparkles flew around her head. When did she learn to do that??

"That makes sense," the bear (mouse?) admitted. "But a blood ritual still sounds pretty bad-ass. I didn't sign up to be nice and bake pies and crochet doilies. I am looking for thrills."

"Don't let yourself be duped into thinking Fuma is all goody-goody," I interjected. "That is the result of your erroneous lowfolk assumptions, which your cockamamie religion has instilled into you. Fuma has very different definitions as to what is good and evil. Fun is encouraged! A little mischief is expected! You can be as theatrical and broody as you want. Wear black! Be mysterious! Tie bones in your hair! Cackle fiendishly at your own private jokes! A little showmanship and mystique will go a long way."

"Could you wear pink and glitter if you wanted to?" the duck asked.

"I mean, hypothetically," she added sheepishly, as all the other witches stared. "If somebody wanted to do that, would it be allowed?"

[lokiondisneyplus]

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Loki episode 5.

The penultimate episode of Loki introduced several new variations on its titular mischief-maker — including Jack Veal's Kid Loki, Deobia Oparei's Boastful Loki, and Tom Hiddleston's ill-fated President Loki. But of all these new faces, perhaps the most memorable was Richard E. Grant's aptly-named Classic Loki — an older, world-weary version of the Asgardian god we know and love.

Decked out in the familiar green-and-yellow suit from the comics, Grant's Loki is older and perhaps a bit wiser than his younger counterparts. Years of isolation have left him disillusioned and lonely, missing his brother Thor, but that spark of mischief is still buried deep underneath — and he ultimately sacrifices himself to help Loki (Hiddleston) and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) escape the Void.

It's a delightful showcase for the 64-year-old Grant, who says he's thrilled to be able to carve out his own chaotic corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ahead of the series finale this week, EW caught up with Grant to break down his big sacrifice — as well as his newfound friendship with Owen Wilson and his pitch for a Loki spin-off series.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: To start, I have to ask about your costar: How was working with Alligator Loki?

RICHARD E. GRANT: Alligator Loki was fantastic because in reality, he was three stuffed sofa cushions that had been sewn roughly together to react to. [Laughs] The fact that I was the only person that could understand what he was saying was just fantastic. I think it's the perfect segue into having Classic Old Loki and Alligator Loki as a sub-series to go to next.

So it's safe to say that you would be willing to reprise this character down the line?

If I had a muscle suit, most certainly. I was denied that. I saw the costume design, and I was very familiar with Jack Kirby's original illustrations from the '60s, so I thought, "Ah, this guy's got muscles!" As I had been born without any, I was finally going to get in a muscle suit. I got to Atlanta [to begin filming], and they said, "There's no muscle suit! You're just wearing this!" I said, "But I look like Kermit the Frog!" They said, "Nope, you're not having a muscle suit." So I was very, very upset about that. [Laughs] Short-changed!

I was going to ask about your first impression when you first put on the costume!

That's what I asked: Where are the muscles? Where are the Stallone/Schwarzeneggers here? Because they're missing! This is what people will expect! This was in the costume drawing, and they're not here, and I don't have them! I was very upset.

When they first asked you to join the show, what was that initial pitch like?

I had known Tom Hiddleston socially for some years, and we'd always joked that we could feasibly play father and son because of our vague physical similarities and hairlines, certainly. So when I got this offer at the beginning of last year, before COVID, I thought, "Alright, this is that moment that I had hoped would come at some point." I thought I would play his father, but I'm playing a variant of him. So that's how that came about. I was thrilled.

Tom has been playing his version of Loki for a decade now. Did you get any guidance from him, or have any conversations with him that you found particularly helpful?

He is a walking Loki-pedia, so he was very, very informative about the whole etymology and the history of the Norse gods and Loki. He's also brilliant at imitating people. He goes on chat shows and imitates famous actors absolutely to the letter. I don't have that talent. So when I read the script of episode 5 that I was offered, I saw that [this older version of Loki] described himself in his backstory of being the god of outcasts — rather than the god of mischief, which is so absolutely embedded in Tom's interpretation of the role. So I thought, well, [if he's] the god of outcasts and is somebody who's been isolated for years and living on these planets and is willing to betray himself by going back and being arrested by the TVA and making the ultimate sacrifice, offering himself up to Asgard, I thought, well, this is somebody who is more in the twilight zone of his life, as am I. As opposed to a young man, who's full of mischief still.

So, I thought that was a way into interpreting this character, rather than trying to do — and something I couldn't possibly succeed at doing — a pale imitation of Tom Hiddleston.

I'd imagine that would be tricky, but it would also be a fun challenge: You're basically sharing scenes with all these different versions of the same character.

Exactly right. And I love the fact that he was the one person who could communicate with the alligator. I love that.

So would you now consider yourself fluent in alligator?

Indeed. I am the Doctor Dolittle of the Marvel universe when it comes to speaking to alligators. I speak alligator fluently. Put that in the contract of when I'm doing a series as Classic Old Loki, with muscles and the alligator. It'll have subtitles, so the audience can hear what the alligator is saying, and everyone else is saying, "What is he saying? What is he talking about?" That'll be the way.

I also wanted to ask about your big finale, where we see your Loki conjure Asgard. What do you remember most about filming that final moment?

Huge wind machines, blue screen in every direction, and following a camera on a crane that was maneuvering around the ceiling of the studio, and then swooping down. I was having to shout at it, and then finally laugh in the face of my own immolation. So it was a great thing to do, with these huge air turbine wind machines that were blowing four tons of air at me from every direction. It was exhilarating.

Did you have any practical elements around you at all, or did you have to imagine and conjure it all yourself?

Most of it you had to imagine. The actual landscape that you walked on was real grass and this sort of rocky landscape, but all the other elements — all the ships and all that stuff — was put in afterwards. We didn't see any of that.

The Loki palace that looked like a sort of bowling alley, that was all for real. Everything that you see in that scene was actually built and practical.

Was it chaotic to film in the bowling alley with all those different versions of Loki, bickering and bantering?

Because there was so much action involved, it was paint-dryingly slow, because action takes much longer to do than five pages of dialogue. I prefer talking, as I'm not exactly an action man, as you can see. [Laughs]

Was there anything about joining the Marvel universe that you weren't expecting or that really surprised you?

I didn't expect to find true love with Owen Wilson. We're having a surrogate baby together in October.

Oh, congratulations!

He was just so hilarious to work with. He's just one of the greatest characters I've ever met. He is so open and curious and amenable, with this sort of dry sense of humor. There seemed to be no divide between Owen Wilson acting his part and then just being Owen Wilson. I don't know if he was scamming me, but he was an absolute delight. I loved him.

Was there a particularly memorable day on set with him?

Yes, when we conceived our twins. [Laughs] No, my daughter encouraged me to post this thing on Twitter and Instagram, where he said, "Richard, I'm going to give you some acting advice. Put your camera on." I said, "Yes, okay!" I owe him for that because it got like 640,000 views already in a few days, which on my Instagram feed is off the chart. It's nothing for Beyoncé, but for mine, I'm pretty gobsmacked.

[midnightstar-90]

Live Laugh Love ~ Pilot

Masterlist | Taglist | Request

Georgie Cooper x Reader

Summary: 9-year-old Sheldon Cooper learns that having a brilliant mind doesn't always help growing up in Texas.

Warning: None

A/N: I wrote 2,587 words! I loved being able to bring my creations to life. I hope to do more in the future.

Y/N and Georgie are in Georgie's room when Mary calls the two teens down for dinner. They head down the stairs and into the kitchen. As they sit down in their chairs, right next to each other, they hear Mary yells towards the garage, "Shelly, dinner's ready!" Mary starts serving the table as we wait for Sheldon. George yells out to Sheldon after a couple of minutes, "Sheldon! Don't make me come in there!" Y/N and Georgie sit there engaging in a hushed conversation about the movie they watched together earlier that week. Missy soon gets tired of waiting for Sheldon, and yells to Sheldon, "Sheldon, if you don't get in here, I'm gonna lick your toothbrush while you're sleeping!" Sheldon quickly responds with, "Coming" before rushing into the house to eat.

Sheldon enters the house, and he quickly sits down with the rest of his family, who are all sitting around the table. George waits for the boy to sit down before saying, "What the hell were you doing in there?" Mary calls George's name with a calm yet angry voice. George notices and responds with, "What?" Mary gets onto George for his language. "What language?" George asks Mary before turning to Sheldon, "So?" "I was having fun with dimensional kinematics", Sheldon says responding to his father. Hearing this, Y/N and Georgie look at each other and roll their eyes.

"Just at admit it, he's adopted," Georgie says to his parents after turning his attention away from his food. Sheldon turns to Georgie and says, "How could I be adopted when I have a twin sister? Think monkey, Think." Y/N chuckles at Sheldon's insult towards Georgie. Georgie gives Y/N a glare. Mary breaks the fight between the boys by telling them that no one was adopted, but Y/N. Mary realizes what she says and sadly looks at Y/N. Y/N just shrugs and goes back to listening to the people she called family. Y/N was sad about the reminder of the situation that occurred when 11 years ago but didn't let the comment affect her.

"I wish I was.", Missy comments under her breath. "That can still be arranged.", Mary tells Missy before telling the family that it is time to pray. George expresses his irritation with a groan, causing Mary to give George a very stern look. Right before the family starts to pray, Sheldon puts on a pair of mittens. George groans again which makes Y/N chuckle. "Leave him be," Mary says defending her youngest son. George argues, "He can hold hands with his family, it won't kill him."  "We don't know that." Sheldon says before looking at Georgie and asks, "Did you wash your hands before dinner?" "Shut up," says Georgie defensively. Y/N finally speaks up, "Hey, I have to hold his hand to pray every night, whether his hands are washed or not." Georgie glares at Y/N again, and Y/N and Missy laugh and high-five each other under the table. "I hold his hand Y/N, hence the mittens." Y/N playfully rolls her eyes at the comment. The family holds their hands together and prays.

After prayer, Sheldon takes off his mittens and starts eating with the family. Mary asked everyone at the table if they were excited to start school on Monday. Sheldon is the first to respond with an "I am". Missy then responds to Mary's question with an "I guess so". Y/N is third to respond with, "I guess. The only thing I like is hanging out with Georgie and the fact that I am in Art this year". Ever since Y/N moved into Cooper's household, Mary noticed that the one thing Y/N loved more than hanging out with Georgie was how creative she was. At church, Y/N would sing like angel. When Y/N thought Mary wasn't looking she would dance her heart out. Y/N also had a sketchbook full of really cool art and a notebook full of wonderful poems and stories. Mary knew Y/N was gonna have a successful life, and she hoped and prayed that Georgie wouldn't mess it up for her.

Georgie was not happy about starting school. "How can I be excited when he's gonna be there?!" Georgie complains. Sheldon boasts, "Don't worry, I won't be in the ninth grade for very long". George tries to help Georgie by saying, "Never mind him, you and Y/N just focus on your practice". Georgie is on the football team and Y/N is on the cheer squad. "How am I supposed to do that when he's in the same grade as me?" "Just ignore him. At least you'll have me there, except for 5th period. I have art" Y/N reassures her best friend.

"All I know is he's not in the same grade as me anymore, and I am thrilled," Missy says before getting a kick in the leg and glare from Y/N. Sheldon sarcastically says, "Good luck with your finger painting."Missy responds with, "You're gonna get your ass kicked in high school". Mary yells at Missy about her language. Sheldon says, "I'm not going to be assaulted- high school is a haven for higher learning". Y/N and George both respond with a quiet, "oh, dear God".

"Speaking of God, who's going to church with me tomorrow?" Mary asked. George says he can't make it because he has to meet with the other coaches. Mary asks if they could meet after church which George responds with a, "no, we can not meet after church". There is an awkward pause before Mary asks Georgie. Georgie tells his mother, "I have to study my playbook." before looking to his father for approval. George nods at his son, while Y/N looks down at her food with a sad expression, wishing that Georgie would have gone with them. "I have to practice my cheer performance, but I can do that after church. It would be nice to go back," Y/N tells her godmother, which puts a big smile on Mary's face and a frown on Georgie's. Sheldon also decides to go with Mary. Y/N's face grew a wide smile hearing that Sheldon was going. "Oh! Cheer practice can wait! Sheldon at church will be more fun than any cheer performance! I can just see it now. Sheldon and science versus Pastor Jeff and God." Y/N jokingly says while laughing. Missy brings the conversation back to Sheldon by asking why he's going to church when he doesn't even like church. "No, but I believe in mom," Sheldon said putting a big smile on Mary's face.

When Mary asked Missy if she was going, Missy tried to get out of it, but as I said she tried. "Son of a bitch.", Missy says under her breath. Mary flicks Missy's head and Georgie laughs. George smacks Georgie's head and Y/N laughs.

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Y/N's Pov

Mary, Sheldon, Missy, and I were all in our church clothing, sitting in a pew. The church was full. Everyone except for Sheldon sang Onward Christian Soldiers. Sheldon whispers something to Mary, that I couldn't hear.

Pastor Jeff starts the sermon and Sheldon is still asking Mary questions. "Do you have evil thoughts?" Sheldon whispers to his mother. Mary shh's him but he still keeps going, "I just don't think this part applies to me". "That's fine, be quiet and listen," Sheldon says something else about puberty, causing an older woman to turn towards the boy and his mother. When the woman turns back toward the Pastor, Sheldon asked Missy and me if we had evil thoughts. I respond with a "Not really" but Missy said the opposite, " I'm having one right now". When Sheldon asks what it was, Missy said that she was going to kick him where the sun doesn't shine when we got home. Sheldon tells missy that his balls haven't dropped yet and then asked his mom when his balls would drop. The older lady turns back towards the family and Mary threatens the woman.

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We get back from church and Sheldon instantly goes for the student handbook. I pass Mary and Sheldon to go change. I go into Georgie's room after I change. Georgie is in his normal wear, a t-shirt, and jeans, reading his 'Sports Illustrated' magazine. "You know you have no chance with any of those girls in that magazine, right", I say leaning against Georgie's door frame. Georgie instantly looks up at me and says, "You look good. Maybe more than those girls in my magazine." I'm wearing a black jean skirt, with a nirvana shirt tucked in and a black and white striped long sleeve shirt under it.

Georgie and I laugh at his comment and walk over to his bed. "So, how was church?" Georgie asked while going back to reading his magazine. "It was ok. Your mom almost beat up an old lady for calling Sheldon weird, after he talked about his balls dropping. Other than that, it was like any regular church day." I tell Georgie. "So!", Getting Georgie's attention, "How was your playbook?" I ask Georgie knowing he was lying. Georgie looks at me then back at his magazine. "You know that was not the main reason I didn't go to church. I'm not as invested in church as much as you are, so don't give me that look." Georgie says knowing I was going to get onto him for lying to his mother. I dropped that conversation, and we went downstairs to watch tv and talk.

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When I get downstairs, I see George and Georgie talking, so I walk over to them. On my way there, Mary stops me and asked me if I've to saw Sheldon's bowtie. I shake my head no and continue walking. When I get to the table where the boys are talking, they are talking about football. Mary comes up and asks if the boys have seen Sheldon's bowtie. George tells Mary, "Leave it alone Mary, he doesn't need a damn bowtie." Mary argues back, "It's his first day of school, let him wear what he wants." Sheldon yells down the stairs that he still can't find his bowtie. "Oh dear lord, why's he gotta wear a bowtie?" Mary says walking away.

"Can Y/N and I ride in with you", Georgie asked his father. I sit there eating my breakfast quietly, before looking up when hearing my name. George contemplates the situation, then says "sure". "Everybody's gonna know he's your brother. You can't hide. It's gonna be awful for you." I didn't even know Missy was at the table before she said something. "Tell her to shut up." Georgie defensively tells his father. Georgie tells his son, "She's not wrong" earning a light slap on the arm from me. George mumbles sorry and goes back to his coffee.

We're all eating when Mary storms into the kitchen. "George Junior, give me back that bowtie right now!" She yells. "I didn't take it!" "Don't you lie to me!" "I'm not lying!" "We'll see about that!" The pair go back and forth. When Mary walks back upstairs, he yells for his mother to stay out of his room. Missy smiles and says, "She's gonna find your dirty magazines." "Shut up." "You are not having a good day." I shake my head at Georgie, agreeing with Missy.

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Georgie and I are sitting in homeroom when we see Sheldon walk in. Sheldon calls out, "My father's a football coach, my adoptive sister's a cheerleader, and my brother's a football player!" When Sheldon sees us he yells out, "Oh, 2/3 of them are over there! Hi, Y/N! Hi, Georgie!" Georgie and I put our heads down in embarrassment.

Ms. Macelroy introduces herself and the class. She makes a joke about having some of our family members in her class, which causes a few students to chuckle. She introduces Sheldon and Sheldon raises his hand. When the teacher calls on Sheldon, we hear Sheldon tell Ms. Macelroy who is breaking the dress code. Georgie and I sink in our chair lower and lower as Sheldon keeps talking. She dismisses Sheldon, but he puts his hand up again. Sheldon tells his teacher that she is also breaking the dress code because she has a mustache. Georgie and I sink as low as we can in our chair while the rest of the class laughs.

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Georgie and I are on the football field but on opposite sides. I am with the cheerleaders practicing my moves, and Georgie is with the football players practicing blocking drills. I knew Georgie was having a hard time with starting school with his younger brother, so I kept my eye on him. When I see the fight between him and Albert Stinson, I excuse myself from my squad and follow Georgie to the boy's locker room.

I walk in to see Georgie angrily tearing off his equipment. When he accidentally throws something at me, I quickly dodge it. "You know, if you threw like that on the football field this year, we would win playoffs for sure," I say jokingly getting Georgies attention. "What are you doing here? This is the boy's locker room." "I don't care if the whole team was in here naked, I would do anything to help my best friend when he is down." Georgie sits down next to me. George is watching the whole thing play out. "Do you remember when I was 5, and I missed my parents so much that I had that tantrum?" Georgie nods his head. "You were there for me when I needed you, now it's my time. I've seen how upset Sheldon going to school with us has made you. You have held in your emotions for too long. I know you get jealous when Sheldon gets special treatment. I want you to know that you are not the only one. Missy and I feel that way sometimes, but I have you. I don't need anyone to but you to make me feel special. I guess what I am saying is..." Georgie looks up at me, and I take Georgie into a side hug, "When you feel emotional don't take it out on your team. You have me. Talk to me. We are always together and I don't want to see you tear your life apart over something stupid like going to school with Sheldon."

George comes from behind the locker and tells me to go back to practice. I let go of Georgie and give him a sad look before doing as George instructed.

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We get home, and George stops me at the door. "Thanks. You stopped your practice to help out Georgie. I appreciate that.", George tells Y/N sincerely. "Georgie is my best friend. Now, if he managed to hit me, that conversation would have gone a whole other direction." I say jokingly. George chuckles and lets me go.

I go up to Georgie's room. Georgie looked like he was in a better mood. I went in and talked with Georgie until time for dinner.

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Narrator's Pov

The whole family gathers around the table to eat, but first, pray. When it's time to pray Sheldon surprisingly doesn't wear one of his gloves. No surprise when it wasn't the hand Georgie held.

Later that night everyone was sleeping peacefully, except for Y/N who would find laying right next to Georgie, like they have been for the past 11 years when someone was upset.

[squirenonny]

Thoughts: what Knights Radiant order would the paladins of Voltron belong to? I've been trying to place them. It's not easy considering how little we still know about the various Orders. I lean toward Lightweaver for Lance. Windrunner for Shiro, maybe, though that could be just because his backstory makes me think of Kaladin.

Ooooooooh, I’m so glad you asked, because I have Thoughts post-Oathbringer. I’ve done something like this before, but I’m not sure I totally agree with how I sorted the paladins in that post anymore. First, the tl;dr version with no explanation, because several of the explanations get into Oathbringer spoilers. We don’t know a lot of stuff about a lot of the Orders, and I think most of the paladins could very easily go a different way, so I’ll put my full thoughts, including alternate Orders, below the cut.

My ideal sorting:

Lance - Bondsmith

Shiro - Elsecaller

Pidge - Dustbringer/Releaser

Hunk - Windrunner

Keith - Stoneward

Allura - Lightweaver

Oathbringer spoilers begin below.

Lance - Now more than ever, I see him as a Bondsmith, especially because we’ve seen that Bondsmiths are able to manipulate Connection. I already liked Bondsmith!Lance because he’s the glue that holds the team together, and because I really, truly see him as someone who could lead the paladins, but everything we’ve seen from Dalinar’s progression as a Radiant this book strikes me as something that would really fit with Lance’s character. The insight he gains through the visions, the way he can pull other people into them, the way he and Shallan used their powers in conjunction. (I’m not sure if that last one is a Bondsmith-specific thing or Radiants in general, but Dalinar definitely gave Shallan something that let her make better illusions.) And let’s not get into the whole climax thing with Dalinar, Odium, the Thrill, and that powerful moment of, “No, I’m not going to hide and blame my mistakes on other people. I’m going to own them, and I’m going to do better.” Frick. I will say that I don’t think Lance would bond the Stormfather, but I’m not sure about the other two. I’d really like to know more about the Sibling, because I have an inkling that’s where Lance would fit best. But just. Lance as the person who promotes unity, who leads by understanding and supporting the rest of the team, y/y?

Alternatively... Lance as a Lightweaver would be interesting, but I don’t quite see him having powerful enough Truths to speak or walking the right line between truth and lie to progress in his Ideals. Now, assuming we were doing a full AU and giving Lance the kind of backstory that could provide those Truths, Lightweaver!Lance could be very interesting, but as far as canon Lance goes, I’d lean more toward Edgedancer. He’s so open and caring that I think he’d naturally fall in with their worldview. Also I want to see him team up with Lift. That would be adorable. (Though I do lean very strongly toward Bondsmith!Lance.)

Shiro - I think he would fit in pretty well as a Windrunner. (And yes, he is very much like Kaladin omh. I swear one day I’m either going to do a swap AU one way or the other, or I’m going to somehow get the two of them in the same place so they can bond.) But yeah, Shiro definitely has that protective nature that I could see attracting an honorspren–though I would be very concerned about him if his memories of the Arena came back after he’d sworn a few Ideals, because holy shit talk about an identity crisis. 3

On the other hand, I have to say I’m still very attached to Shiro as an Elsecaller. I maintain that the astral plane is essentially the Cognitive Realm of Voltron canon, and Shiro clearly has some kind of connection to it. From what we know Elsecallers are also something like ambassadors to the spren, and that’s something I could see Shiro being very well suited to. He already is making more of an effort to communicate in concrete terms with his lion than the other paladins. And I mean, Elsecalling is basically the only acceptable explanation for Shiro’s disappearance at the end of season 2. :P

Pidge - Prior to Oathbringer, I’d suggested either Truthwatcher or Lightweaver for Pidge, but I’m slowly leaning away from those. I could still see her as a Truthwatcher, especially if Feather (@renarinkholin)’s theory is right and Truthwatchers’ Resonance is the ability to see through lies. Especially-especially given the episode Reunion, where Pidge saw through the secret of Matt’s grave. I don’t think they’re the ideal fit for her–Illumination is a good Surge for her, but I don’t think Progression is quite her style. (I mean, okay, plants, but she really needs something offensive or she’s going to scream.)

In light of the tidbits we learned in Oathbringer, I actually really like Pidge for Dustbringer/Releaser. Three things: (1) the new tidbit we got was that Releasers like to take things apart to figure out how they work, which holy shit, that’s Pidge. (2) Abrasion and Division are such good Surges for Pidge. Let her skim around the battlefield, completely untouchable, and wreck shit with a single touch. (3) The fact that ashpren on the whole apparently hate humans and want to kill them is a little worrisome, but I could see Pidge attracting the odd rebel–or attracting one who initially hates her but gets to know her and ends up liking her, against his better judgment.

Hunk - See, I still stand by my Windrunner Hunk theory from that old post. Especially in light of his vlog? This boy had a protective streak a mile wide, and even though he’s scared out of his mind by everything that wants to kill him, he’d still choose to be out here fighting and helping people. I just. Ugh. Windrunner!Hunk and Bondsmith!Lance are the hills on which I die, okay?

Alternatively, I think there’s a solid case to be made for Truthwatcher Hunk, again, partially on the basis of Feather’s lie detector theory. Hunk is very good at spotting deception, and I think it would be cool to see him with powers that augment that. I also think the Truthwatcher Surges compliment him better than they do Pidge. He’d definitely appreciate being able to heal people, and while Shallan-style illusions don’t seem to be something Hunk would care about, I have a suspicion that Truthwatchers employ the Surge of Illumination in a different way. Less espionage, more… I don’t know. Communication or illustration or something. I feel like (a) they’re more attuned to sound than light and (b) they’re less likely to attach it to themselves as a disguise. But maybe that’s just me. I could see Hunk using illusions to create 3D models of machines he’s working on, or of planets/bases to help with strategy sessions.

Keith - Keith is a tough one for me to sort. There’s something about Willshaper!Keith that tugs at me, but we know virtually nothing about Willshapers, so I don’t know that that’s a valid theory. He could also go the way of Releaser, though that isn’t as immediately gripping to me as Releaser!Pidge. I’m actually completely discarding my old ideas about Keith’s Order in light of new information from both canons. On the one hand, I could see him make for a pretty good Lightweaver. Boy obviously has some secrets he’s trying to keep hidden, and “I’m part Galra” would be a damn powerful Truth to speak as his second or third Ideal. (I guess it would have to be Third, wouldn’t it, cause facing that Truth is what let him activate his Blade. :P) Since he’s now working with the Blade of Marmora, he’d also put that Lightweaving to good use, am I right?

Still, I think I moreso come down on Keith as a Stoneward. In particular, the two epigraphs we have about them are quite telling. From Words of Radiance: “They thought it a point of virtue to exemplify resolve, strength, and dependability. Alas, they took less care for imprudent practice of their stubbornness, even in the face of proven error.” (Can we say Black Paladin Keith, omh child.) Even more telling, from the gems in Oathbringer: “As a Stoneward, I spent my entire life looking to sacrifice myself. I secretly worry that is the cowardy way. The easy way out.” Keith is self-destructive and has strong self-sacrificing tendencies (season 4… >.>). I worry for him as a Stoneward, but damn it all if it doesn’t fit.

Allura - Again, here’s a good candidate for Lightweaver. We’ve seen her keep a lot of secrets in canon–Zarkon’s connection to the Black Lion, the whole story about Zarkon, Honerva, and the rift, ect. Thematically, the episode Crystal Venom is also really poignant as Allura gets caught up in an illusion and has to cut through to the truth beneath the lies to save the team. I think she has a lot of deep Truths she could speak–her desire to be a paladin, her insecurity… The Hunted honestly feels like Allura speaking a Truth. She’s been trying to fake her way through piloting the Blue Lion, hoping if she shows enough confidence it’ll work out, but then she admits that she tries to control things but can’t, and that deepens her bond with Blue. I mean.

She’d also make for a great Edgedancer, especially because she quite literally remembers the people the universe has forgotten. I get the impression from Wyndle that Edgedancers are supposed to be stately, graceful people, and Allura could definitely live up to that, while still having that playful side we’ve seen from Lift, and Allura did basically use Regrowth on the Balmera…. Yeah, she could go either way, honestly. I’m not sure which I prefer.