#colour ful text

[grizzlybearsarecool]

Thanks for da likes and follows from the beautiful (I had a little malfunction there I forgot how to write beautiful hehe..) people and.... My Todoroki one got likes a little fast so what's my hero academia without cinnamon roll deku right?

*SOFT SURFACE*

Spelling mistakes, wrong use of words sorry about those

This is FLOOF I mean simply Fluff! And a UNLIMITED CUTE IZUKU MIDORIYA!! Ahem... Carrying on....

•sometimes, you should thank the friend that exposed your liking towards someone•

It was a beautiful day.. the sun was smiling.., PERFECT temperature, the wind taking your hair on a ride, you didn't feel sleepy, and you were early .

You were peacefully sitting on your chair inside your class untill one of your classmates arrive. As you were zoning off staring into a Blank wall while imaging a fake scenario of you being a total badass. You saw Kirishima enter the classroom, you were quiet amazed "you were the last person that was on my mind to enter the class this early.. I expected bakugo!" You said joyfully "oh no! He's here he was here before me technically but he went somewhere else to do something he told me it was none of my business" he said as he smiled at you with his shark like teeth showing witch is supposed to be scary but it made you we warm. "OI! Shitty hair did you take my drink?!?" He screamed which made both of you jump at his oh so angelic voice (he's pointing a gun at me 😭) "oh, yea you left it on the bench I took it because I thought you forgot it! Here.." he handed it over "DO YOU THINK IM THAT IRRESPONSIBLE HUH?!?" he shouted, but yet sounded like those angelic high notes in choirs (hElp 🙏) "dude it isn't like that! I jus-" he got cut off by the handsome spik- (OMG IM SORRY DONT KILL ME HAVE MERCY BAKUGO!) gentleman " WHA-" now he got cut off by the REAL ANGLE "Shut up! My brain can't process a fight this early so shh don't you have stuf- nvm" you cut off mid sentence because you didn't want anymore chaos happening.

Soon one by one of your classmates entered inside the classroom totally not looking like dead corpses. But as the dead was entering the spotlight was taken away by the All Might obsessed Izuku Midoriya approaching you and slapping two movie tickets on your desk "PLEASE COME TO THE MOVIES WITH ME BECAUSE NO ONE ACCEPTED MY INVITATION TO WATCH YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIE... THAT DIDN'T MEAN THEY HATE IT OR SOMETHING THEY JUST DIDN'T-" you cutoff holy child's gibberish speaking and said "whoa dude, slow down are you ok and it isn't even that hot in here and you are sweating for a second I thought you fell into a pool!" You said as you tried to process everything he said "BAHAHAHAHAA, YOUR SO FUNNY BUT CAN YOU PLEASE GO WITH ME BECAUSE IM LONELY AND IM SCARES OF THE DAR-" he posed and thought about the words he said •they won't bully me about it right? I'm probably a definition of coward to them right now! But.. anything for Y/N-chan to come with me!• he thought in his clean mind "your scared of wha- nvm that but perfect timing Izuku because I wanted to got watch it really bad and I'm free too!" You said excitingly " OH REALLY!? Thank you so much!" He said as he started walking in a weird way...

You were done with your morning classes and now it's time for food ! You can't even remember what anyone said you don't even know what you had! You were still a little worried about Izuku's way of talking to you. You went to his women killing room mate and and scanned with your eyes around the lunch room to see if Izuku was near by so you can ask him and hopefully get rid of your curiosity " hey pokéball!" You said joyfully "oh hey Y/N, would you please consider not calling me pokéball I prefer icyhot or half-and-half" he said in his calm voice "oh hell no, besides I don't like copying you know? Never mind that but do you know what's up with Izuku?" You said curiously "oh, I think you mean the way he talked to you this morning right? He has a 'big crush' on you according to what I heard him say when he deflated himself on the floor as he regret saying he's afraid of the dark to someone..." He said "what!" You said as you formed into mina "yes, you should be careful.. I'll try talking him out of his thought of crushing you to death but lock your doors and windows before going to bed.." he said like a concerned father. "Huh? Never mind you and your thinking right Todoroki but are you sure he said ..'big crush?'" you whispered the two words "yes, oh look izuku's coming you should give him some space to sit we have important business to talk about-" he stopped as he saw your inner sonic appear as you ran fast. "Was Y/N talking to you?" Cinnamon butt cheeks said (oml what wrong with my simile's 😭) "yes, she asked me about you wired behavior and I said you have a big crush on her now you have no chance to crush her- Midoriya?" He said worriedly looking at his pale face "You- s-said w-h-what?.." he said dumfoundedly. "I said 'you have a big crush on he-" He was cutoff by a deflated balloon Midoriya on the floor.

TIME FOR THE MOVIE GURLLLL-

You were getting all dolled up to accept or confess or whatever to be izuku's "OMG IN GONA BE A GIRLFRIEND!" You said excitedly. You went to izuku's dorm since he was late to show up to yours and knocked on his door " hey! Izuku!" You heard clashing inside of the room you got a little worried and said "hey, is everything... Okay?" You heard more clashing. You got worried so bad you tried opening the door surprisingly it was open "Izuku?" You said concerned •dammit why do I always forget to lock the door• Izuku cursed to him self while hiding under his bed "Izuk- hey what are you doing under the bed, bro what?" You said confusingly •oh, I got caught I'll just act like nothing happened maybe todoroki was just joking with me• he got out from the hiding place "uh... H-hi!" He said nervously "hey izu, didn't you get ready!?!" You said as you were looking at his face which made him have butterflies "oh yea, sorry about that I'll be quick stay here" he clumsily walked to the bathroom with his clothes and everything while celebrating the fact todoroki joked at him which is sus but what else should he think right?.

After a while you both got ready and started walking to cinema peacefully untill you decided to be brave and hold his hand "this is okay right?" You asked while trying to read his reaction 'y-yeah it-its fine" he said as he was turning to a pink flower that just got some butterflies attention. He held his stomach as he felt the butterflies going crazy in there "sooo.... I heard you have a crush on me is... Is this true or Is it just a lie" he froze then and there •of course todoroki didn't lie that's totally suspicious of him-• "umm.. I know your too shy to admit so let me just say I like you too.. Izuku Midoriya" you said as you rubbed your neck nervously.

He's falling... not to mention he fell into a soft surface that was suspicious.. the ground is normally hard and he is supposed to be bleeding to death by now.. he looked up and saw you red face after a few seconds he has processed the fact that he was on y/n's soft cuddlable boobies, he turned into a beetroot as he started mumbling apologies to you and saying he should suffer himself for doing this to you "ARE YOU Crazy izu? It was just an accident besides you didn't tell me the answer... " you grabbed his face and made him get face you and said "you like me or not sweetie?" You said Izuku was internally dieing it was so damn hot "YE-yes i- I lov- like you v-veh-very muha-much.." he said as he was falling apart by being so close to your face. he successfully built his confidence to kiss you and he tried leaning in but.." so you just like me? I was told you loved me though.." You said dramatically you were technically the queen of teasing so it's your job to tease ya know? "Huh... Oh-oha-ohaky u-uh i-i l-loa-louw you vewy much" he said as you were squeezing his freckled red cheeks and then he finally received his price "good boy!" You kissed him gently and I took him to a trip to cloud 9 "thank you momm-" he said but the last word made you smirk "what did you just say?" You said smug "NOTHING" He shouted "okay then, let's move on shall we, I don't like wasting prescious money on movie tickets and not going to them" you said as sarcasm dripped down like blood. "Okay.." he said as you both held hands and made your way to you movie...

~THE END~

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[stillbornedprincess]

the long awaited Moby dick book review observation for the modern young lady.

do not open if you do not want spoilers

now. The novel is a very dated one, but with all renowned dated novels it’s timeless with at least one theme to touch everyone. Personally I enjoyed reading the novel so much but why it is I found it so beautiful would be untranslatable. Not that I won’t try, and with the first part of the title of this post, “a review”, this will not be a review. Nor will it be a summary: so for accuracy “observation” was coined. A unique aspect of the book, which also makes it notorious, is that is serves more or less like a mirror. What you’ll find in your heart, you’ll find in the text. A journalist would prove it to you in a neater way, but bear with me. There were plenty chapters that twinkled in its secret tongue to me but I’ll highlight two or three. I will start with chapter 85: the fountain. This chapter is about the enigmatic spout of sperm whales. In the olden days, people could only guess how those bodies worked. And even still today, suppose, we still do guess, guessing this time maybe not just with fickle mind but with machines as well. A photograph is a sacred thing. Anyways, here’s a quote narrated by the narrator ‘Ishmael’

how nobly it raises our conceit of the mighty, misty monster, to behold him solemnly sailing through a calm tropical sea; his vast, mild head overhung by a canopy of vapor, engendered by his incommunicable contemplations, and that vapor—as you will sometimes see it—glorified by a rainbow, as if Heaven itself had put its seal upon his thoughts. For, d'ye see, rainbows do not visit the clear air; they only irradiate vapor. And so, through all the thick mists of the dim doubts in my mind, divine intuitions now and then shoot, enkindling my fog with a heavenly ray. And for this I thank God; for all have doubts; many deny; but doubts or denials, few along with them, have intuitions. Doubts of all things earthly, and intuitions of some things heavenly; this combination makes neither believer nor infidel, but makes a man who regards them both with equal eye.

now, whenever talk of rainbows come up in art or literature, it’s bound to stick out to me. with colours, they make up my stillbornland, and with colours, they make up awe-ful greys. my arguments for the colour grey would be just as jagged as ‘Ishmael’’s arguments for the colour white in the chapter 42. But matters like this are never rational seeing the nature of colours. Maybe God the Painter was a postmodernist. Of course this is a joke, please take it as the joke it is.

and on the topic of jokes, the humour of Moby dick is wry as dried whale foreskin. Worn to take on scalding topics, not so different from try-working workers would put it on to shield from soot and fire. The narrator, who I’m not too sure whether or not he would be the protagonist; funny guy. We the reader are taken by the shoulder like the wedding guest and from then on the leaves of the book fly by like the wedding banquet happening indoors as we watch into the eyes of our ancient marinier with a brisk opening note of “Call me Ishmael.” And an immediate “Some years ago—never mind how long precisely, having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore. . ..”

the character of Ishmael is simple: he tells us about the time as a young man he dreamt up sweet nothings. It also happens that he is very lonely. He’s alone in the first few chapters, and alone again in the epilogue. Ishmael isn’t alone for the whole novel though. His weary heart finds rest in the manly arms of pagan queeqeg which kept him warm at the spouter inn. this gooey part of Ishmael and his friend isn’t really acknowledged again. but what I said about the text being a mirror, many reviewers as seen on Goodreads and jstor, and slate magazine, found it a little erotic. Erotic if you wilt. But personally, I understand why one would interpret that, and I suppose this novel, the watercolour fresco it is, in its washing shades, a layer inbetween touches on that human weakness. And on human weakness, another wash it is, can be traced from the tube that is moody captain ahab. The shade of “mood” as I’ll call it, its body will be taken from ahab. think how paints are mixed together to be darker or bluer or redder, that’s what I’m getting at, as I said about journalists. Ahab: the blue. Pipin: the white (a blinding, humbling white) (ironic cause Pipin is very very black. You could say even, Pipin represents the swallowing mythology of race within the ancient western order, made self aware.) And why it is I chose Pipin to be the lighter shade of mood, particularly white, is that he is pure. He holds no hate, only foreboding. If Pipin loves God it’s up to the reader, and, on that, Love of God is known by most theist philosophies by “forever search.” The Nepalese priests don’t know God, nor do the Sufis of Chad, they may know less about God then the laymen, but their hearts bleed on and on for Him.

Pipin knows God. He saw His foot in the Pacific, and never knew anything else. He saw the thread spindle by and never saw anything else. And that is where I will close on the character of Pipin for now. Ahab, as I was saying, is the mayonnaise of the story. He is described a lot how he’s perceived by readers. Old greek hero: learned, lined face. A line in his description that stood out to me was when his appearance was compared to a broken doll for the thick white scar that runs down his face and neck. It is unknown whether it ran through his whole form. On broken dolls, Ahab is wounded both in the spirit and in the body. He misses a leg infamously licked off by his nemesis, and many scholars write on how this symbolises castration, but, in my opinion, isn’t so necessary because it’s connoted enough that his, um, phallus, Excuse my language, was damaged one horrid time. His prosthetic leg was “so violently displaced, that it had stake-wise smitten, and all but pierced his groin.” He was found somewhere layed unconscious alone in a freak accident.

The madness was planted not the hour when he lost his leg, but I’ll say it was placed after how his coworkers treated him as he was sore. Of course he was distressed, he was just after getting maimed by a leviathan. Then they leave him in the ship basement in a straitjacket for three months. A believable 20th century psychology experiment. And on that absurdity on both his freakout and the funny treatment others follows with, all ahab did was poke a little knife into moby’s thick skin; what’s six inches to a whale? the calf of a man it seems. And on this, I’ll say, especially on the last five chapters of the novel, it really tugged at my heart. How many people go mad over silly things and how many of them sit in their graves, over something so silly. The sober portrayal of madness in Moby Dick was new to me, and poor ahab, nothing was holding him back. I’m sure one of you here have tasted madness before and you’ll know how it wraps the particles in the air. You’ll be right till you’re wrong and by then it’s too late and everyone hates you and what’s left then but to kill the White Whale. Lucid or not, a self fulfilling ‘prophesy’. If you are mad, I am sorry. I was planning to add some quote about how ‘people that don’t go mad after adversity are unlucky’ or whatever but I think this one will be more appropriate for my case.

“I like to feel something in this slippery world that can hold, man.”

... What people do for truth. Sigh. If only the reformation didn’t happen.

A short wedge away from crazy Ahab now, a character I will pull in front will be Fedallah, the formally secret pagan accomplice of the captain. While I was washing my hair thinking about this text straight after I completed it, thinking about how phallic it is. There also happens to be no female characters obviously seeing the setting, now I could write about how all the maces and harpoons and daggers and such all the sperm and domination castration etc and I sure will, maybe, but a tidbit I dreamt up under bubbles of shampoo:

I feel ‘Fedallah’ is a very feminine character, how Ahab is an archetypal wounded masculin. He kind of works though him, teaching him the eastern ways of blood magic and all queer ideas on how to defeat the whale. On my observation of Fedallah being feminine, many people critique that this ‘Fedallah’ is orientalist. Someone wrote a whole paper on it, but I didn’t read it, Said’s book on Orientalism is enough, and yes I suppose one can see why someone else takes that view. A phantom parsee whom ‘Stubb’ and ‘Starbuck’ call the devil well before it’s open to see that they were right. He kind of slithers in and out, like a veiled witch in some western story about those Moroccan seductresses, feasting on the woes of a madman just getting eviler and eviler. Fedallah, as a character, I will make a joke now, maybe it was that unnamed wife of ahab’s in a strap on beard. It makes sense seeing how Old Testament the novel reads, Wicked Jezebel. Now. What do I write that hasn’t been written by others. another chapter I quite liked. Say, chapter 96 was memorable to me, really all the chapters in the early 90’s. Here’s an excerpt from this ninety six.

“Nevertheless the sun hides not Virginia's Dismal Swamp, nor Rome's accursed Campagna, nor wide Sahara, nor all the millions of miles of deserts and of griefs beneath the moon. The sun hides not the ocean, which is the dark side of this earth, and which is two thirds of this earth. So, therefore, that mortal man who hath more of joy than sorrow in him, that mortal man cannot be true—not true, or undeveloped. With books the same. The truest of all men was the Man of Sorrows, and the truest of all books is Solomon's, and Ecclesiastes is the fine hammered steel of woe. "All is vanity". ALL. This wilful world hath not got hold of unchristian Solomon's wisdom yet. But he who dodges hospitals and jails, and walks fast crossing grave-yards, and would rather talk of operas than hell; calls Cowper, Young, Pascal, Rousseau, poor devils all of sick men; and throughout a care-free lifetime swears by Rabelais as passing wise, and therefore jolly;—not that man is fitted to sit down on tomb-stones, and break the green damp mould with unfathomably wondrous Solomon. But even Solomon, he says, "the man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain" (i. e. even while living) "in the congregation of the dead". Give not thyself up, then, to fire, lest it invert thee, deaden thee; as for the time it did me. There is a wisdom that is woe; but there is a woe that is madness. And there is a Catskill eagle in some souls that can alike dive down into the blackest gorges, and soar out of them again and become invisible in the sunny spaces. And even if he for ever flies within the gorge, that gorge is in the mountains; so that even in his lowest swoop the mountain eagle is still higher than other birds upon the plain, even though they soar.”

The sun doesn’t hide anything over ground, all encompassing to feed everyone vitamin D. The ending of this extract, narrated by Ishmael, suggests that some people get more vitamin D than others. This reads like a clever sermon and you’ll be sure to find other witty sermons, the one on Jonah ch.9.

I wanted to write about the character of ‘Starbuck’ now that I am thinking of preaching and morals. Starbuck is the yellow colour in the sandwich. He is the formal second-in-charge of the boat, and a pious Christian he is. His piety is seen in chapter 123 where he debates whether he kills his boss with his own musket in his sleep. He doesn’t kill Ahab, although he was noble to entertain it. I think the of Starbuck represents empathy. He worries for his friend’s soul, always telling him to come back to the Light but failing. A chapter where starbuck confronts Ahab once again, around the last 4 chapters, Ahab wept and admitted to his friend that maybe he didn’t want to chase on this suicide mission. Of course Ahab being Ahab he takes back his statement and goes back to being stoic but. Starbuck emphasised with the madman by reflecting what they both had in common; and we know most good holy people would brush a philistine off as a heathen with no humanity, and might even try to kill them not out of worry for their mortal soul, but from a sinister spot, hoping the wrongdoer burns in Hell. And on the topic of pagans, right and wrong, followers of old timey Nantucket christianity, presentations, we have a ‘Queequeg’ to stain the fresco with the shade of outsiders. I suppose Ishmael is an apparent outsider but only just to the reader. In the pretend word of Moby Dick he would had blended in just fine a tidy american boy. His name, like crazy Elijah and loony Ahab puts the nature of his background frankly. Not here or there, what morals he held, and geographical location, manhattan to God knows where. Ishmael bows down to his husbands idol goddess and seemed to want to do as he did until the idol goddess told him otherwise, and instead advised ‘queequeg’ to follow Ishmael.

Now, I could go on about how this character was ment to resonate to culturally Christian American western people, but that’s obvious and boring with “better a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian.”, But instead I will lend the map my meek mind interpreted while pondering ‘Queequeg’. I think maybe, if I were in charge of a modern adaption of the book, I would shift Queequeg into a “pointless migrant” from some place that isn’t war-torn or necessarily unpleasant but for some reason bleeds out immigrants like blood. Say, Albania. Excuse my rude language, it’s supposed to be wry. I say this not to make a geopolicical statement, it’s just, well, a modern Moby dick, surely a Polynesian devil worshipper would fain to be relevant. A hardworking young man from Timbuktu ready to die for his employers as long as he gets to mope around hostels, away from the oppression of his family. Something to think about, we don’t often hear the plights of these undesirables on euronews. In this modern Moby Dick the details of Queequeg’s past life would change but the structure would stay the same methinks. In the novel, he’s of noble stock. First in line to a barbarian throne to a cannibal kingdom. Dismayed with what he sees on his island he abandons its customs and goes abroad to see what life is like in the fabled new world. Poor fellow was in for a shock, turns out the Christians are so much worse than the pagans in daily life. While the cannibals may chop up and eat a person once every so often, Americans drink until they slobber and spit on others for being the wrong shade of brown. The story goes, the mere observation of it all makes ‘Queequeg’ feel so tainted to even return to what he escaped, so he put on the brimmed hat and linen and squawked how’de’ye’doo .. … that story was touching. as a younger girl the muslamic ways of my family made me sick. even now when I ponder on them too long the similar nausea manifests… but. I look out the window to see what the folk around me get up to. As much as culture and its rules may sting, imagine living without it? right now there’s a European girl finding this conclusion but vice versa. Fickle thing this all is. Now, that’s a theme touched on the text, how we really are all just copies of one another, shaped by circumstance. And on that, I’d imagine a modern Ishmael to look a bit like this:

art hoe kind of person.. r/redscarepod when it was still about art. And on art, this book, really, it’s nothing like how i describe it. It’s really beautiful. Maybe I’m a bad reader, I don’t know literature, but this one was different. Nothing washed over me like it before. And I know the novel isnt finished with me yet. Lord willing I’d be sure to pick it up again in a year. The text is thick with references and even though I might have caught the biblical ones, and the ones I did not understand were filled in via powermobydick.com. Maybe twelve months later I’ll be the wiser. On beautiful things, here’s a pick of three pretty book covers.

1. A unique rainbow. Oh! How come I wrote nothing about the whale! Wow. Here’s a excerpt that stood out to me about the creature.

“the White Whale tossed himself salmon-like to Heaven. So suddenly seen in the blue plain of the sea, and relieved against the still bluer margin of the sky, the spray that he raised, for the moment, intolerably glittered and glared like a glacier; and stood there gradually fading and fading away from its first sparkling intensity, to the dim mistiness of an advancing shower in a vale.”

a confession, picturing The Whale in my head while reading; it was not much like how it was described. Maybe its eye sockets were broader, but full of void. Misty, opaque poltergeist of pale pastels and whites. Kind of kawaii, but not so much a fish-mammal but an angel.

2.

Adore the paper cutout impression the colouring produces. not much distinction between the ‘sky’ and the ‘sea’. Moby Dick could be flying.

3.

Who’s the face supposed to represent? And the whale, that certainly cannot be Moby, because it’s hurt. I think the face is supposed to be Ishmael, the disheveled beard makes me wonder that it’s supposed to be him after a day or two floating in Queequeg’s coffin, after the Pequod sank. Look at those colours, those scraggly bruises look sore. Poor whale, I think it’s crying.

oh, sob, it moved me so much I wanted to make art about it, a collage was my first idea, but it occurred to me I don’t know how I’d execute that. Usually collages are reserved for art on different feelings. I was thinking maybe a video collage, a retelling of the novel though internet memes and pop culture moments. But what memes other than Dj Khalid clips would be added? So scrap that. A journalist would know.

useless note: this made me think of the character ‘Stubb.’ :

hardy harr harr, what were your thoughts on Stubb? Many reviewers found stubb a poopyhead, which he was, but an intresting poopyhead nonetheless. Unforgivable what he did to Pipin though.

This is the end of my observation. Thank you if you read all of this. Thanks. God bless.

“Heaven have mercy on us all—Presbyterians and Pagans alike— for we are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly need mending.”

[1984-in-newspeak]

One-Paragraph Four

Outwise, world looked coldful. Unupstreet, wind spiraled dust and torn paper, though sun brightful and sky hardful blueful, seemed nothing colourful except pictures everywhere-wise. Black-ful up-lip-fancy-hair-ful face, un-up-seeing from all charged corners. One frontful house crossful. BB SEE YOU, word-text read, darkful eyes seed far in Winston’s. Outhall-level-ful other picture, teared at corner, flapped in wind, cover-uncovering word INGSOC. Mega-distance-wise helicopter birded between roofs, hummingbirded secondwise bluebottlelike, shot away curveful flight. Was police patrol, seeing windowswise. Patrols unthing. Only thinkpol thing.

You. Feelwise free edit suggestion.

[ally-the-turtle]

I don't know if you still do stuff for Noragami.. But can I have Yato with a fem! S/O who has like FABULOUS legs. Like they dummy THICC but they are so beautiful! (Bonus if she can do a split!)

woop sorry for the late response-  i’m not very active in this account since I switched into my art account on my other computer xD 

But hey, sure! Y’know what, I might make this account a multifandom writing blog. 

Noragami’s my favourite anime but it’s been a while since I last watched it :”)) I hope he’s not OOC! 

Warnings: You swearing like a sailor lmao Word count: 1467

~~~

No one would have ever thought that a girl with your legs could dance, let alone do the splits. 

It’s a stereotype, right? Thicc girl is too thicc to do anything blah blah blah

Well not you. 

You loved to dance. It was a form of art that you just connected with so strongly. Expressing yourself with just your body language was so extraordinary to you that you took on classes since you were just a child. Now a young adult, having just turned 19, you didn’t know what you wanted to do exactly. 

Future??? WHat’s thAT????

Currently, you were laying on your bed in your pyjamas which consisted of shorts and a tank top, under the sheets, looking up at the ceiling as random thoughts swirled in your head. Maybe you could go into the performing arts? Musical theatre performer? Dance teacher? 

“Ugghhh...” You groaned. “I don’t know what to dooo!” 

The performing arts was very physically demanding - that is, if you meant the requirements then you’re in. You had tried in the past to audition for dance classes and teacher positions but you had gotten rejected every time and all for the same reason:

Your weight.

What was most disappointing was that you had always been proud of your physical figure. You weren’t thin like a wire, you never were and unless you give up your happiness, you never will be. But you didn’t mind ‘cause fuck it - food is fucking delicious and people need to be more grateful of the awesome shit we get to consume. Ahem - anyway, you loved yourself. You love your body and you wouldn’t give it up for anything. You were beautiful. You had all the curves in all the right places. So many of your girl friends had told you they would give their soul to Satan to have your ass and legs. It was a weird way of complimenting you but you appreciated it either way. 

Still, you were upset. Just today you had auditioned for an elite dance class which fit your level. However you got rejected and even though they had told you that it was because you had come too late, you knew better, you knew it was because of your physical look which didn’t match their wants. 

“Beauty is so overrated.” You scoffed, thinking about how so many girls literally torturing their bodies just to fit society’s definition of beauty. 

wE LiVE iN A sOCiEty. 

“Societ...y...” 

“Huh?” You muttered, hearing a voice close by to you. 

“Beauti...ful...” 

“What the fuck?” You gasped, now fully aware that you weren’t alone in your room. Your eyes scanned the area and there in the corner, you saw floating eyeballs. 

“You’re not... beautiful...” It said. “We... can make you... beautiful...”

“Shut the fuck up! I AM beautiful!” You spat, getting your phone out to text your boyfriend, Yato, one word:

HELP.

You got up from your bed in a flash as the phantom grew larger and came closer to you. But how? You were confident with yourself, there was no reason why a phantom would appear right next to you. 

You were confident... right?

“Beautiful... Beautiful...!” It spoke again, its voice multiplying as if there were 500 children speaking at once. 

“Shut up!” You yelled, baking up against the wall until it touched your back. 

It attacked, sending black mist towards you. However, you lifted your leg high, a full 180°. Suddenly you had an idea. 

“You wanna dance? Bring it motherfucker!” You challenged. 

The black blob of eyeballs and mist multiplied and all began attacking you however, you were able to avoid them by lifting your legs and moving your legs in graceful manners, as if you were dancing. You even did a few gainer front flips (A/N: y’know those flips that ballet dancers do? yeah that.) You were skilled and it showed. You were cartwheeling around, flipping and twisting to dodge the attacks. However you were starting to feel tired and soon enough, one of your flips ended up with you hitting your head against the wall and twisting your ankle. 

“Ah fuck!” You cursed, holding your ankle and panting loudly. The blob grew larger and was about to launch at you until there was a flash of light. 

“Sekki!” A voice called.

Then, the blob exploded and on the other side was the all too familiar God in the light blue scarf. 

“Y/N!” He called rushing to your side. “Are you okay?!”

“Dude.” You panted, leaning against him. “It’s fucking 1 am, a Phantom attacked me, I sprained my ankle and I’m tired. What do you think?” You sassed. 

“Yatooo!” His regalia, Yukine called. “Release me!”

“Oh, right.” Yato said before releasing his regalia, causing the katana to glow and reshape itself into Yukine’s human body. “Get some ice.”

The blond boy nodded before leaving the room. Yato’s blue eyes locked themselves on your bruised ankle which was starting to change colour. His eyes then shifted over to yours, as if asking how it happened. 

“A Phantom was here and attacked me.” You briefly explained. 

“It wouldn’t just appear right next to you like that. ” Yato persisted, his voice growing softer. “Did something happen?”

You paused before sighing out. “They rejected me.”

“What??” Yato shrieked. “But you’re an amazing dancer! You’re the best one I’ve seen in centuries!”

That comment made you slightly smile. “Thanks... I guess I’m more upset than I initially thought...”

Yato frowned before bringing you in for a hug, wrapping his arms around your waist and yours were around his neck. You didn’t cry but your heart still felt heavy and having him by your side helped relieve the tension. 

“Why didn’t you call me sooner?” Yato asked, his thumbs rubbing against the thin cloth on your back. 

“I didn’t wanna disturb you. I know you’re a busy guy.” 

“I would’ve made time for you, honey. Nothing can ever be more important than your wellbeing.”

“Heh.” You chuckled, pulling away from him and caressing his handsome face. “Thanks.” 

Later, Yukine came back with a pack of ice and the two boys brought you to your bed with Yato holding the pack against your ankle. You suggested that they both stayed at your place since your parents weren’t home and they gladly agreed. Of course, Yato decided to sleep with you and Yukine took your parent’s bedroom. The idea of having a queen sized bed just for him made him so happy since he hadn’t been able to sleep properly due to Yato not having a proper shrine of his own. Sure, Yato’s “mini shrine” that Hiyori had made for him was registered but it was far too small for them to sleep in. 

Now, it was just you and the God of Calamity. 

“Did they tell you why?”

“They said that I came too late which was, in fact, not true, since I was one of the first to audition. They didn’t wanna say it to my face but it’s basically my weight. They think I’m too fat even though my skills are just as high as the other girls. Assholes...” You explained, furrowing your eyebrows. “Guess I’m far away from being in the performing arts...”

Yato frowned. “Don’t give up like that, Y/N, it isn’t like you.”

“How can I not?” You retorted. “I keep auditioning, again and again, and every fucking time, I get rejected! Why? Because of these fucking things!” You slapped your thigh in frustration. 

Yato’s hand was placed on top of your thigh, where you had just slapped and gently rubbed it. Then, he lowered his head and kissed it which made you blush, feeling awkward by the sudden affection. 

“Your thighs are beautiful, Y/N. They’re strong and yet so soft to lay my head on.” He smiled. “They can do amazing things. It’s just that no one is as privileged as me to see them in action~”

“Oh my God you perv.” You giggled, facepalming at the God. “Thanks.”

He smirked at you, moving his body closer to yours until his face was inches from yours. Yeah this was completely normal. You were 19, of course you’ve had sex with Yato. Hell, he was your first when you turned 18. It was not the best experience but you were glad it was with him. 

Yato’s hands moved upwards, his palms creating a soft sound against your skin, through the hems of your loose shorts until they reached your waist. His thumbs moved in circles which was pretty soothing for you. He rested his head against yours, smiling contently before kissing your head, then your cheeks and finally, your lips. The kiss started out soft but then it escalated quickly. 

“Your legs are beautiful, let’s see what they can do~”

~~~

Hope you enjoyed it!

[dreamings-free]

How Harry Styles Became A Modern Style Icon

by Phoe­be Luck­hurst - Evening Standard 15/11/19

A man wrought in the fires of teenage boy­band hy­per-stardom is not afraid of a lit­tle commotion. Still when Harry Styles — the One Di­rec­tion mat­inée idol turned lan­guid Gen Z icon — tweeted, at 1.01 pm GMT on Wed­nes­day af­ter­noon, that he would be tak­ing his up­com­ing album Fine Line on tour, you could, if at­tuned to the cor­rect de­mo­graphic fre­quency, hear the howl echo around the in­ter­net: gut­tural, hun­gry, ul­u­lat­ing. This was a pseudo-re­li­gious experience: one vi­ral meme de­picted the Pope hold­ing a copy of his al­bum aloft. The announce­ment has been retweeted al­most 70,000 times.

The 25-year old is a tour vet­eran — he spent five years and five al­bums strapped to the thunder­ing 1D jug­ger­naut — but this new tour is his first as a bona fide solo brand. The al­bum, his first in two years, is synth-soaked and soul­ful, the al­bum’s aes­thetic fever­-dreamy. Granted, he’s not the first per­son to go to So­Cal, try a few magic mush­rooms and de­clare him­self radically trans­formed, but the re­sults are be­guil­ing — and cer­tainly a world away from his years as a Simon Cow­ell Ken doll. Since his last record, he has co- hosted t he Met Gala and been reborn as an Alessan­dro Michele muse. This is your Styles crib sheet.

Melody maker

Styles’s new al­bum — writ­ten un­der a tie-dye mist af­ter tak­ing the afore­men­tioned psychedelics, which also re­sulted in a mishap in which he bit off the tip of his tongue — is “all about hav­ing sex and feel­ing sad”, which, granted, as a topline, does not wildly dif­fer­en­ti­ate the record from the genre of “al l other mu­sic ever”. Still, the early signs for Fine Line are encouraging. Its first sin­gle, Lights Up—which has been streamed al­most 100 mil­lion times on Spo­tify —is­ synth-y, soul­ful, un­der­stat­edly an­themic, very dif­fer­ent to, and bet­ter than, the lead sin­gle on his last solo record, the Seven­ties, soft-rock Sign of the Times( it still, of course, hit No 1), and very, very dif­fer­ent from any­thing he did with 1D. Many thou­sands of words have been writ­ten about whether there is a bi­sex­ual sub­text to Lights Up. It has been noted that the song was re­leased on Na­tional Com­ing Out Day, that Styles’s sex­u­al­ity has been sub­ject to fren­zied specu­la­tion be­fore, the video fea­tures an oiled-up, top­less Styles gy­rat­ing around men and women, and that the lyrics (“Shine, I’m not ever go­ing back/ Shine, step into the light”) could be in­ter­preted as a mean­ing­ful rev­e­la­tion of sorts. Cer­tainly, he has be­come a queer icon — especially with Gen Z — who are thrilled by his se­lec­tion of gen­derqueer singer-song­writer King Princess as his sup­port act for the Euro­pean part of his tour. Speak­ing of col­lab­o­ra­tors, Styles worked on the al­bum with pro­duc­ers Tyler John­son, who has worked with Tay­lor Swift, Mi­ley Cyrus and Ed Sheeran, and Jeff Bhasker, who has collabo­rated wit h Mark Ron­son and Kanye West, and his friend, Tom Hull, aka Kid Har­poon, who co-wrote Shake It Out for Florence + The Ma­chine. He has also been granted a fairy god­mother: Ste­vie Nicks, who called him her “lit­tle muse” at Fleetwood Mac’s hyped Wembley head­line gig i n J une. “S he’s a l ways there for you,” Styles has said in the past. “She knows what you need: ad­vice, a lit­tle wis­dom, a blouse, a shawl.” Sure.

Got Styles

Any young man raised in the white heat of a boy­band spot­light must be granted the space to find his fash­ion path; Styles has done so with no mis­steps and ex­u­ber­ant plea­sure. Once upon a time, he would sem­a­phore his in­di­vid­u­al­ity with a ban­dana; now, he turns up to a cover interview with Rolling Stone in a white floppy hat, blue denim bell-bot­toms and Gucci shades, his nails coloured pink and green. His favourite trousers, un­til he lost them on the beach, were a pair of mus­tard cor­duroy flares; this week, he wore a Lan­vin sweater vest with a sheep de­sign that sent a co­terie of Lon­don menswear stylists into throes of ec­stasy. He wears flo­ral suits and Cuban heels, ruf­fled, New Ro­man­tic shirts, Charles Jef­frey jump­suits and pussy- bow blouses. It is flam­boy­ant, self-con­sciously Bowie/Jag­ger, and in Gen Z par­lance, “very ex­tra”. His stylist Harry Lam­bert is par­tial to an ex­trav­a­gant col­lar, dra­matic neck­line and a vo­lu­mi­nous trouser.

Be­sides Lam­bert, an­other part of this evo­lu­tion has been his re­la­tion­ship with Gucci’s cre­ative di­rec­tor Michele, who has turned the Ital­ian her­itage brand into the ul­ti­mate post-gen­der lux­ury fash­ion la­bel, the first to merge their menswear and wom­enswear, and dis­patch male mod­els down the cat­walk in dresses and women in suits. A good look for a Gen Z idol.

With the brand

Notably, the brand­ing on this al­bum and its tour art­work is con­sis­tent with this new look Styles. The al­bum cover fea­tures Styles i n white cus­tom- made Gucci bell bot­toms and a Pep­to Bismol-pink shirt, open al­most to the waist, shot by mod-goth Tim Walker with a fish­eye lens (it is Walker’s hand in that S&M glove you can see in the left-hand cor­ner). In the dreamy video for Lights Up he wears a glit­tery suit and sus­penders, in a sort of hal­lu­ci­na­tory ver­sion of Satur­day Night Fever. Into it.

Stand up

Then there’s his voice — not the mu­sic, but the ac­tivism. Even as one-fifth of a boy­band manufac­tured by Cow­ell’s al­go­rithm, he was quick, quippy and itch­ing to go off-mes­sage; but now that he con­trols his own, he is am­pli­fy­ing causes such as Black Lives Mat­ter and End Gun Violence. He wore stick­ers for both on his gui­tar on his last tour, which might sound small, except that photographs of Styles gal­lop around the dig­i­tal world at hy­per­speed. At con­certs, he has waved pride, bi and trans flags, and a Black Lives Mat­ter flag. He once bor­rowed a flag from an au­di­ence mem­ber at a show in Philadel­phia that read, “Make Amer­ica Gay Again”. At a show on his last tour, he de­clared: “If you are black, if you are white, if you are gay, if you are straight, if you are trans­gen­der — who­ever you are, who­ever you want to be, I sup­port you.”

A vo­cal, en­gaged fan­dom of teenage girls minted his mul­ti­mil­lion-pound for­tune; he is loyal and ad­mir­ing of their zeal. “They’re the most hon­est — es­pe­cially if you’re talk­ing about teenage girls, but older as well,” he told Rolling Stone this sum­mer. “They have that bull­shit de­tec­tor. We’re so past that dumb out­dated nar­ra­tive of ‘Oh, these peo­ple are girls, so they don’t know what they’re talk­ing about.’ They’re the ones who know what they’re talk­ing about. They’re the peo­ple who lis­ten ob­ses­sively. They f***ing own this shit. They’re run­ning it.” Ob­vi­ously, he’s a fem­i­nist. “Of course men and women should be equal. I don’t want credit for be­ing a fem­i­nist. I think the ideals of fem­i­nism are pretty straight­for­ward.” An icon is born.

[aspiestvmusings]

WV PARALLELS

SPOILERS for WandaVision..up to ep 8

PARALLELS, CALLBACKS,  FORESHADOWING... DETAILS..

throughout WV & MCU: 

First look at Westview Wanda driving through WestView as she first arrives in reality - the town & the people seem in a non-happy state (people alone & depressed, town in ruins, she alone) in 1x08 flashback VS Wanda & Vision driving through WestView as they first arrive in the TV freality (everyone fake-happy & not alone, buildings & businesses flourishing  in 1x01

Wanda creating new "life" Wanda's birthing screams & energy spending: Wanda "giving birth" to Vision in ep 8 VS Wanda giving birth to the twins in ep 3. I feel like in a way her subconcious was reminding her of the "birthing pains"

Heart & abbreviating The heart drawn on the wall calendar on the date Friday, August 23rd was an abbreviation & was referring to Vision's boss & his wife coming to dinner in 1x01... when neither could remember the significance of the heart or date. Also... "Who needs to abbreviate?" (when theyre both superheroes) VS The heart Vision drew on the property deed of the land he bought for them. Next to the text "to grow old in" - V. (abbreviating his name) in the 1x08 flashback VS The heart on the calendar on the Date Wednesday the 10th in the opening credits for Wandas sitcom freality in 1x07 VS The heart on top of a building in the 1x02 episode sitcom intro

  Skeleton in the closet In 1x01 Vision tells his boss Mr. Hart that no, he does not have a skeleton, when he's asked if he has a skeleton in his closet VS In the 1x02 sitcom opening credits we see Vision go through walls & floor/ceiling. As he moves downstairs from the closet we see wht appears to be a spider & spiderweb there. And... bones.

Flourish! Vision as the magician Illusion using the phrase "fllourish!" for his magic tricks (that Agatha messes up & Wanda corrects) in the TV-freality in 1x02 VS Wanda after seing the state of the town & people (that to her seem like her own experience) making the place flourish (alive again)! 1x08 flashback

Stop it! Ms. Hart keeps saying "Stop it!" (with more & more concerned voice) as Mr. Hart chokes in 1x01 VS Wanda keeps saying "Stop it!" (with more & more concerned voice) when she sees Visions body being dismantled...like a machine in the 1x08 flashback.

  To grow old in... Vision's plan was for them to move from big city to a small town, build a house & start a family/life together. Grow old together (even if he as a synthezoid presumbly doesn't grow old like Wanda as human would. Though maybe his human form could & perhaps she as  Nexus being/witch can/will live for centuries..but they didn't know it back then?) as he had planned their life together in IW (making me suspicious if they got engaged or something...) as revealed in WV 1x08 flashback to the property deed that lead Wanda to WestView VS Wanda creating a sitcom world where decades change...she literally created an alternate reality where they live his plan for them..they grow old together..in a small town... as seen throughout the WV show...

  Watching sitcoms on TV: Wanda & Vision family watching TV  every night before going to bed in Wanda's TV freality on WV VS Wanda watching TV with her family in Sokovia - the last happy memory before trauma hit her (1x08 flashback scene) VS Wanda & Vision first bonding at the Avengers compound while watching TV together (1x08 flashback scene). He's learning "being human" with her help & she's learning about dealing with her trauma with his help.

  Traditional Sokovian greeting In 1x01 Vision saves the day by calling Wanda covering the bosses eyes with her hands " a traditional sokovian greeting" when she thinks she's welcoming her husband home VS in the 1x08  flashback to her childhood we see that her mother covers her eyes with her hands the same way. Yet another subconcious detail from her real life.

Made-up superhero names: Hayward asking JImmy in 105 is Wanda has an alias or nickname “No funny nickname?” VS in 1x08 Agatha giving her a “nickname/alias when she says "...and that makes you The Scarlett Witch" ... Only...in this context it seems more like  royal title than a superhero nickname.

Shakespeare Vision quoting Shakespeare in WV 1x02 VS Shakespeare mention related to Trevor Slattery in IM3

 Universe of Colour

The paint cans that Wanda & Vision use to paint the nursery in WV episode 1x03 are Simser brand (crew member), but they also feauture other text, like "universe of color"VS the colours of each charactes magic...will make up a whoe spectrum/rainbow...especially in finale battle...

All these colours combined...give you the colours of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet)...so  do expect there to be a rainbow above WestView...at the end of WV, cause that would tie into the coours of the different magic + it never raining/always being sunny in sitcom reality as it does rain outside the reality...and the spectrum (Monica's powers) of colours of a rainbow appear to us when sunshine + rain are combined

Wanda's magic powers are red (like aether/reality stone...and she can warp reality, even though her powers were amplified by the yelllow mind stone).

Vision's magic powers are yellow (just like the Mind Stone that gave him life)

Monica's magic powers are blue ("thanks to her connection to Captain Marvel, who got her powers form the blue space stone?")

Agatha's powers are purple...with a bit of black mixed to it (like the power stone is...but she seems to absorb others powers that are other colour: the blue magic of the other witches in her coven & the red magic of Wanda's)

Billy's/Wiccan's powers are ???

Tommy's/Speed's powers are ???

Fietro's/Quicksilvers powers are ???

Dr.Strange's powers are orange (like the soul stone, even if his task is to protect the green time stone)

Dottie's colour is yellow...it seems...based on her flowers.

Mind-reading & Visions of the future/past Wanda reading Tony's mind in &  showing him a vision of the future trama...amplifying his deep fears about not being able to save the world & Ccommenting how she didnt need to do much, because he was so ful of self doubt, fear & all that.. in A2: AoU VS Agatha reading Wanda's mind & showing her visios of her past trauma...amplifying her deep sorrow & commenting how she is so full of self doubt & hope that it didnt take much to trick her with Fietro.... in WV 1x08

I just (can't) feel you

When the Mind Stone keeps "hurting" Vision, Wanda "reads the stones mind" says "I just feel you" to Vision in the beginning of A3:IF VS As Wanda is destroying the Mind Stone & Vision is dying, too, he tels her "You could never hurt me. I just feel you" at the end of A3:IW VS When Wanda is trying to connect to/with Vision on the table at SWORD, she cannot & she says "I can't feel you" in the 1x08 flashback scene.

Visions of the dead Wanda seeing Vision dressed as the WV character, but looking exactly like when he died in A3: IW w. the mindstone ripped out... in WV 1x0? VS Wanda seeing Fietro dressed as the WV character, but looking exactly like when he died in A2AoU w. the bulletholes in the shirt in WV 1x06 VS Peter seeing Tony as an Iron-Zombie rising from the grave in the illusion Mysterio created to play tricks on him in SM2: FFH

  Hammers Wanda giving Vision the meat tenderizer (it looks like a small hammer) & him holding it in WV ep 1x01 VS Vision lifting & giving Thor's hammer (Mjölnir) to Thor in A2: AoU

  Plants When Agnes introduces hersef to the new neighbours she brings a plants as a housewarming gift in WV episode 1x01 VS This is the first things that glitches in episode 1x07 as Wanda "loses control" of reality

The fallen pose Vision in A3: IW after Thanos killed him VS Vision in WV ep 1x06/1x07 after exiting the hex & faling apart VS Monica in WV ep 1x03 /1x04 after being thrown out from the hex VS Nat in A4:E after falling on Vormir...

Half of the universe When we see Wanda drive through Westview as she first arrives we see that she sees only half of the people - everyone she sees is alone... it's like half of the people are still missing (even if the blip happened & the missing are returned). Westview looks like the world during the 5 years she missed, half of everything gone, people missing their otehr half. This is excty how she is feeling & exactly what happened to her in A3: IW...Thanos first took half of her away by kiling Vision, and when she returned her world was still in the same state...she did not get the happy ending (that Tony talked about in his goodbye message & what the news report on screens...about happy family reunions)...her worls is still in ruins...figuratively & literally... as is WestView...at first glance...to her. The state of WV in the flashback represents the state of the universe during the five years she was gone.

  SNAP "Sugar Snaps" - the name of the breakfast cereal Wanda eats in 1x07 VS word SNAP is on a billboard for Lagos towels in WV 1x08 flashback VS  Thanos snapping his fingers in A3: IW & wiping half of he universe "out of existence" VS  Agnes snaps her fingers in 1x08 as the illusion fades..and she sits in audience VS Agens’ line “this menu can be done in a snap” in ep 1x01 

Life under a dome/hex (bubble): Wakanda is located inside a giant protective dome/bubble - an "invisible" energy field protects it & the barrier stops intruders VS Wanda creates a giant protective dome/bubble (hex-shaped) around WestView - an "invisible" energy field that stops people from entering or exiting...

STAGES OF GRIEF The show is abotu the past, and the future. About different realities. About grief, loss & moving on. About the stages of grief. If you pay attention  you can see references to eaach stage in Wanda’s behaviour throughout the episodes... 

10 = X The age when Wanda's powers manifested... probability hex...was age 10  VS When Billy & Tommys powers manifested... mind reading & speed they were 10 VS 10 = X (roman numerals) = X-gene (mutants)

Hero or Villain "Be good" - Vision to Wanda, WV 1x06 VS "I can be good" - Agatha & "No, you cannot" - Agatha's mom, WV 1x08 flashback

Wanda VS Tony "Don't let them make you the villain" - Monica & "Maybe I already am" - Wanda. WV 1x07 = The world sees Wanda as a villain (after Lagos, during the Hex), & she's struggled with this all her life. She is afraid of her own powers, just like regular people are. She doesn't fully understand them either. Vision was the only one who didn't see her as the villain. She is punishing herself for her mistakes. In many ways her backstory, and story arc, and mental state are very similar to Tony's. 

  Grief Monica & Wanda - their experiences are similar. Both blipped, lost loved one...twice. Both grieving... The way Monica describes the feeling she felt when under Wanda’s mind control = is the same as Wanda explained her feelings to Vision in the Flashback to Avengers compound “drowning...” 

Control vs Chaos Wanda can & does control everyone & everything within the hex, except: Vision (though she cerated him & he is essentially part of her, she can't control him), the Twins (she can't control them with her powers, and they have powers of their own, separate from hers and Visions), Fietro (who is under Agathas spell...in a way) & Agatha (who plays along), and later on Monica. Everything & everyone follows her script & directions...exctly, but not these superpowered individuals.

People think that order & chaos are opposites - Vision, A2: AoU

Wanda & Vision are connected in many ways. They've been connected even before they met. Both got powered up by the Mind Stone. Which awakened the magical powers in Wanda & gave life to Visions corporal form. They are also connected via Tony Stark: Wanda's trauma was caused by Tony's past mistakes & Vision's humanity was created by Tony’s attempts to build a better future. They are so much of the same MIND STONE. He's science & order and she's magic & chaos... two sides of the same thing... Vision started out as Jarvis & was supposed to be all about order (he started out as pure science...trech). Jarvis is in many ways Tony's best creation - he's all good. But Wanda is chaos..that she needs to learn to control (Agatha didn’t find a teacher, Wanda should...)

It’d be too long if I’d inlude also the commercials & the group chants “this is all for the children” (not expained yet, will be ...soon) So a lot is missing from this list... 

[otonymous]

Author Interview 📝

Thanks so much to @dear-mrs-otome​ and @alloveroliver​ for the tag!  I loved reading your interviews; it’s so interesting to learn about what goes on in the minds of lovely and talented writers such as yourselves!

Name: Otonymous

Fandoms: Now: MLQC, Mr Love: Queen's Choice, Love and Producer, 恋与制作人…lots, as you can clearly see 🤣 Oh, and Got7 (Kpop) too.

Want to do in the future: Depends on which shiny new otome game catches my eye (and wallet).  I also have some original work planned 😱😆

Where You Post: Tumblr and AO3!  You can also get updates on when I post new fics on my Twitter and IG account (if you’re interested, links to these accounts can be found on the sidebar of my homepage).

Most Popular One-Shot: On Tumblr: A Moment In Time, featuring Good Ol’ Victor from MLQC (I’m noticing a trend here, ladies 😆).  On AO3: Afternoon Delight (MLQC Lucien).

Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story: Hmm, this is a difficult question to answer, seeing as I’ve written all of ONE multi-chapter story thus far 🤣  It would have to be Served, featuring — once again! — Victor of MLQC fame.

Favourite Story You Wrote: To be honest, my current WIP, featuring this lovely gentleman: Park Jinyoung.

Colours (MLQC Lucien) is a very close second.

Story You Were Nervous to Post: Promises (SLBP Kansuke).  This story was the very first fanfic I had ever written IN MY LIFE, let alone the first one I ever posted.  It featured supernatural elements, major character death AND no smut (so, you know, anathema to fanfiction LOL).  Hence, to all the good folks who actually read that fic and encouraged me: a giant THANK YOU!  I love you all 💕😆

How You Choose Your Titles: I actually begin the process of writing my fics by choosing the title.  It sets the tone for the piece, and you’ll typically find the title tucked somewhere within the text of the story 😉With respect to the ‘how’ part, I just sit there, sense the mood...and it comes to me (mind-altering substances are not involved, istg LOL)

Completed: 41, as per AO3's count.  Plus a few that I've completed but never posted for one reason or another 🤷🏻‍♀️😆

Incomplete: A few (please see below, under "Coming Soon"!)

Do You Outline? ALSO flying by the seat of my pants like the lovely @dear-mrs-otome​.  I typically set up a playlist, slip on my headphones, and let my mind and fingers meander (that bit about the fingers sounded dirty, didn’t it?! Totally unintentional on my part, if you can believe it LOL!)

Coming Soon:

Park Jinyoung (Got7) NSFW fic (crawling my way to the finish line)

MLQC NSFW fivesome fic (I haven't forgotten, y'all!  It's half written LOL)

A SUPER COOL PROJECT COMING THIS FEBRUARY…stay tuned!

Do You Accept Prompts? I do!  But I typically only complete the ones I feel comfortable writing or am inspired to write.  I also tend to generate ideas on my own, so I balance those with the prompts I receive in my Ask box.  Furthermore, it can sometimes take me a while to finish fics.  So thank you in advance, lovely readers and requesters, for understanding 💕💕

Upcoming Story You Are Most Excited to Write/ Complete: Finishing up my Park Jinyoung story!  I’ve been working on this bad boy for over a month now, and it’s probably the most complicated fic I’ve written yet.  I am also experimenting with a new style in terms of story structure, so we’ll see how that goes!  

ALSO: the big surprise that's coming in February!!!

What do you use to edit?: I pay for Bear Pro.  Because of pretty themes.  And Cloud syncing.  And the Bear icon.  Am also not getting paid to say this LOL.

I also use Apple’s built-in dictionary to look up super common words that I use all the time, because there’s no better way to make you suddenly feel like you don’t understand a language you’ve spoken your entire life than writing fanfiction 🤪

Writing setup: I have a dedicated writing space in my home, but the essentials really are: headphones, the perfect playlist (Spotify baby - once again, not an advert), my laptop and privacy.  I absolutely cannot write without the right music, and any extraneous noise throws off my concentration.  Also, a giant tumbler of green or oolong tea nearby.

Do you use a beta reader?  My husband.  He has read every single fic I’ve ever written.  He has no choice.  I also like to stare at him for every minuscule reaction while he reads...not intense at all 🤣  

Where do you get your writing inspo?  I daydream A LOT 🤣  I tend to get my ideas while doing random things like showering, walking on the street, doing chores or just as I’m falling asleep.  I also find inspiration in films with particularly beautiful cinematography and listening to soundtracks.

Can we get a quote from an upcoming WIP?  [For she was nothing if not authentic.  This, Jinyoung knew...from the very first time he saw her — the moment passing with the silent grace of clouds moving overhead.  Steady and unobtrusive, she had slid into Jinyoung’s heart the way one barely notices an overcast sky.  And by the time he found her there, it was already too late.  He could neither move forward nor turn back.]

Tagging: @lin-ful​, @pseudofaux​, @pickled-girlfriend​, @maanawa​, @assomoir​ and anyone else who’d like to try! (Only if you guys want, and sorry if you’ve already done this!)

[lawrenceop]

Holy Land Retrospective - Day 6

Reminder: clicking on the link for each photo (links are all in red text) will take you to the Flickr page where you can see the photo in larger sizes.

Start with DAY 1, or catch up with DAY 2, or DAY 3, or DAY 4, or DAY 5. Or just read on!

PHOTO 26: It was Saturday; the day of the Jewish Shabbat, a holy day when the highlight of the whole pilgrimage took place: we would have Mass at the Empty Tomb of Christ, in the church of the Holy Sepulchre. Appropriately, we made our way to the church in silence, processing through deserted city, and the church, too, was nearly empty when we arrived. After all, it was shortly after 4 a.m. (!) when we entered the city through Herod’s Gate and walked through the silent Muslim Quarter to the Franciscan monastery. 

Moving some 250 people in silence through the uneven streets of an ancient city, before daybreak, is an impressive feat! But this silence and secrecy was entirely fitting. For the Gospels, too, are silent about what happened on the Saturday, the day of the Passover, after Jesus was crucified. St John says the following about the Friday on which Jesus died, the “day of Preparation” but concerning the Sabbath, nothing is reported – it is only alluded to:

“Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away... But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water... After this Joseph of Arimathe'a, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him leave. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who had at first come to him by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds' weight. They took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb where no one had ever been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, as the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.” (Jn 19:31, 34, 38-42)

From the Franciscan Monastery of the Flagellation, we began our quiet journey on the Via Dolorosa, sleepy but alert, praying the Stations of the Cross as best as we could. Somewhere in the crowd, Jim Caviezel walked with us, as together with him we walked the path of Jesus through the streets of Jerusalem. 

At around 5:30 a.m. we prayed the last three stations of the Cross in the courtyard in front of the church of the Holy Sepulchre; in the distance, a cock crowed. 

This photo was taken shortly after everyone had entered the church, looking back towards the way we had come; the minaret of the mosque of Omar looms overhead. For many of our group, it was their first time visiting Calvary and the Empty Tomb so I remained outside and I savoured the cool air of the morning; and soaked in the silence of the holy courtyard, traversed only by a cat or a monk; and I observed the colour of the sky change as the light of the new day came. Dawn at the Holy Sepulchre on an Easter Saturday: what a blessed moment!

PHOTO 27: We had a good hour and a half before the time allocated to us for Mass: time to explore, time to pray and reflect, time for Confession and spiritual preparation for Holy Mass. Ahead of us, saying Mass inside the Empty Tomb with a small group of pilgrims, was the Bishop of a French diocese, hence the doors are closed. During this time, one of our group took photos of these closed doors and she came and showed me the photos. One of them had the clear figure of a man robed in a white Jewish prayer shawl standing in the doorway, even though none of us had seen the doors even open! Take a look here and see what you think!

"I saw the risen Lord appearing to His Blessed Mother on Mount Calvary. He was transcendently beautiful and glorious, His manner full of earnestness. His garment, which was like a white mantle thrown about His limbs, floated in the breeze behind Him as He walked. It glistened blue and white, like smoke curling in the sunshine.” - Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich’s vision of the Risen Lord. 

The photo above was taken very shortly before we went into the sacristy to prepare for Mass. I had been watching the sunlight of the new day penetrate the darkness of the Holy Sepulchre church. The rays of light enter through the smaller dome of the ‘Catholicon’ (the Greek Orthodox sanctuary in the centre of the building), and then it strikes the little onion dome and cross of the ‘Aedicule’, which is this structure that envelopes and protects the Empty Tomb itself. As the sun ascends in the sky, the rays of light then travel downwards until it reaches the doors of the Aedicule, and penetrate into the Empty Tomb. 

An hour after this photo was taken, I was standing inside the Aedicule, concelebrating the Holy Mass with my brother priests, standing around the very spot where the angel of the Resurrection had hailed the holy women that first Easter morning. And then, stooping to go into the Empty Tomb itself, I received the Eucharistic Body and Blood of the Risen Christ that was lying on the Altar, on top of the stone where Jesus had been laid and from which he had risen from the dead, alleluia!

This single moment, this sun-lit morning, all we had experienced so far on the 4th of May 2019, was probably one of the most unforgettable and spiritually intense moments of my whole life.   

“Do not be afraid... He is not here; for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead”. (Mt 28:5-7)

However, in every Mass, we encounter the Risen Lord, and we are then sent forth wherever we may be, as though from this Empty Tomb in Jerusalem, to quickly announce the Good News: Χριστός Ανέστη! Surrexit Dominus vere! Christ is risen, Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

PHOTO 28: The focus of this photo is the olive tree, for we are on the Mount of Olives, looking towards the Holy City with the iconic Dome of the Rock, the Muslim shrine built on the very site where the Temple of Jerusalem once stood until the Romans destroyed it, as Christ prophesied, in 70 AD. 

After Mass in the Holy Sepulchre, and after breakfast, we went to the top of the Mount of Olives to take in the view of the city, and then we descended the hill, waving palm branches and singing ‘Hosannas’ as we went; in a few hours we had gone from Easter morning to Palm Sunday! We made our way to the little church of Dominus Flevit where Jesus had beheld the city of Jerusalem, foretold of its destruction, and wept for its people. 

Looking towards the city, one takes in its long and complicated and turbulent history; full of human strife and violence as the One the city had once hailed with ‘Hosannas’ was rejected, taken outside, and executed as a criminal. But, as St Paul says: “In him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Col 1:19-20)

In this photo, therefore, I wanted to show the city in its splendour and in its divided history, and also to take in the branches of the trees which the people had cut and waved to hail the coming Messiah. But above all, I wanted to focus on the olive branch, not just because it indicated our location, the Mount of Olives, but because it is a universally recognised emblem of peace. 

“For the peace of Jerusalem pray: "Peace be to your homes! May peace reign in your walls, in your palaces, peace!"” – Psalm 122:6-7

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: dona nobis pacem. 

 PHOTO 29: Continuing to mark Holy Week in one day, we went to Mount Sion after lunch, to the site of the Upper Room, the cenacle, where Jesus had celebrated the Passover with his disciples, instituting the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and the Priesthood. In the same room, the Holy Spirit had came upon Our Lady and the disciples at Pentecost so that “out of Sion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem" (Isa 2:3). 

So, that Saturday afternoon we stood in a 14th-century structure built on various iterations of a church building that has stood here since the earliest days, although it is now sadly just an archeological space, a museum since beneath it is the tomb of King David, a holy shrine for the Jews and I suppose they did not want a church right above. But in the 5th-century, this holy place was called “Sion, Mother of all the Churches”. 

This name is fitting since it is here that the Church was born. As Pope St John Paul II wrote shortly after visiting this place: 

The Church, while pointing to Christ in the mystery of his passion, also reveals her own mystery: Ecclesia de Eucharistia. By the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost the Church was born and set out upon the pathways of the world, yet a decisive moment in her taking shape was certainly the institution of the Eucharist in the Upper Room. Her foundation and wellspring is the whole Triduum paschale, but this is as it were gathered up, foreshadowed and “concentrated' for ever in the gift of the Eucharist. – Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 5.

The photo above is focussed on a carved stone capital from c.1335 that is part of the canopy over the platform where, perhaps, the altar would have once stood. This carving is interesting because of its Eucharistic symbolism. Over the past few days we have seen some other early Christian symbols such as the anchor, and the peacock. Here in the cenacle, in the place where Jesus gave us the Eucharist, we have the pelican. To be precise, two pelicans are shown plucking at the breast of the central pelican, and this symbol is known as the ‘Pelican in piety’. It was believed that pelicans would feed their own young with their own flesh and blood, and so this became an image of Christ feeding the Christian people: the Church receives its life from the Eucharist which is the sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood; Ecclesia de Eucharistia. 

So St Thomas Aquinas prayed in his hymn, Adoro Te devote: 

Pie Pelicane, Jesu Domine, me immundum munda tuo Sanguine: cujus una stilla salvum facere totum mundum quit ab omni scelere.

Lord Jesus, Good Pelican, wash my filth and cleanse me with Your Blood, one drop of which can free the entire world of all its sins.

PHOTO 30: Standing at the doorway that leads up to the cenacle, we look back towards the tallest building in the area, built on the summit of Mount Sion. This is the Benedictine Abbey of the Dormition, which commemorates the fact that Our Lady, the “Daughter of Sion” fittingly ended her earthly life somewhere nearby on Mount Sion. Psalm 87, therefore, although it refers to the holy mountain of Sion has also long been regarded as alluding to Our Lady. For the Lord has preferred her to all others and has dwelt within her; like a city whose walls are never breached, so has she remained ever virgin yet is the abode of the great King: 

On the holy mountain is his city cherished by the Lord. The Lord prefers the gates of Sion to all Jacob's dwellings. Of you are told glorious things, O city of God! – Psalm 87:1-3

Saturdays, of course, are dedicated to Mary, so within the Dormition Abbey, we had gathered to sing glorious things concerning the Mother of God.  As we headed back to the Old City of Jerusalem, passing by the Sion Gate, I stopped to marvel at the many beautiful roses that bloomed here. They were another fitting tribute to Our Lady, and a glorious end to our tour on Lady Day in the Holy Land. 

Tomorrow: Reliving Easter Sunday at dawn by the Empty Tomb; Bethesda and Mary’s birthplace; Bar Mitzvah celebrations.

[solasan]

your seemly voice that you so delicately bring forth / make my thoughts, in joy and bliss, abound

no i will not stop thinking abt aloth and poetry, thank u for asking (it’s chaucer babey)

It’s been a long, hard day.

All days, he’s beginning to think, are long hard days. They have been for years, now, since before he’d ever set foot in Gilded Vale. Around Runa, though, they seem all the more frequent; they’re always running from one settlement to another, the sea wind caught in their hair and salt flicking across their skin, some message or quest or other spurring their steps onward even when fatigue draws them backward.

He’s learned rather more of how a ship works in the past few months than he’d ever learned in sixty years. A glutton for knowledge he may be, but even Aloth has his limits.

So it is that, the night of their departure from Neketaka, he finds himself stumbling into Runa’s quarters only half-awake, the moon bathing the deck in silver light to guide his way.

Her lantern is on, as it usually is at this time of night. She’s like as not poring over a map, or the latest message from Onekaza, or else troubling herself in some other way sure to keep her up half the night.

Runa does not sleep enough. Lately, it oft feels as though Aloth doesn’t, either.

But when he cracks the door open – hesitant, still, feeling half an interloper for the crime, because this intangible thing between them is still so very new – she isn’t at her desk. She isn’t on the floor, either, surrounded by papers.

She’s on the bed, in fact. Her knees are tucked up so he cannot see his face, and for a moment he fears she’s finally given in and fallen asleep, and that he’s disturbed her, but then she hums in inquiry.

Aloth’s too tired to return it in words, and he sways towards her, stumbling into the bed and knocking his chin on her hip hard enough to bruise.

He grumbles. “That hurt.”

“You knocked into me, you lummox.” There’s a smile in her voice, though, so she can’t really be angry.

He doesn’t dignify that with a response, instead huffing and rearranging himself to be more comfortable. She has a good bed, Runa; a featherdown mattress, plusher even than the beds she’d purchased for Brighthollow, and several thick blankets and furs for the cool nights of the Deadfire.

Once he’s settled, he blinks. From this angle, he can see the logic of her position; there’s a book spread out on her thighs, text too small for him to bother attempting to read it in this state, but bookmarked and clearly well-loved.

Despite himself, he feels a rush of warmth. Pride. He remembers the early days, years ago now, when she could not even read a map. When he’d met her in the library on cold nights at Caed Nua, helping her learn the alphabet and sound out words by candlelight.

How far she’s come.

“Read to me,” he requests of her in light of this fact, quiet, his crown pillowed on her stomach as he blinks blearily at the pages.

Runa’s fingers find his hair, nails scratching over his scalp as though he were a particularly well-trained dog. He tries his utmost not to sink into this touch overmuch, for fear of proving such an analogy right. “Must I?”

“Mm. You must. I demand it of you.”

She tuts; when he angles his head to look at her, that lovely mouth of hers has quirked upward on one side. “Demand? So merciless.”

“Yes, well.” She’s still playing with his hair, lower now, twining the strands nearer the front, usually fastened by his hair ties, over her knuckles. It’s quite distracting, actually. Fye, thought yeh were too tirt fer any’a that nonsense, yeh little— “Ahem. I’m quite merciless, you know.”

Runa’s stomach flexes with a laugh he can’t hear. “That you are. How do I put up with you?”

“I suppose I’m not without my charms. Am I?”

She snorts, tugs lightly on his hair, but doesn’t answer. Instead, she begins: “Nas never pyk walwed in galauntyne, as I in love am walwed and I wounde—”

“Wait.” It’s a great effort to lift his hand and tangle his fingers with hers, but it’s worth it when she stops her stroking to squeeze him. “Is that— Eld Aedyran?”

Runa pauses for one very long moment, before clearing her throat. Her fingertips twitch against his palm. “Maybe.”

He chuckles throatily, turning his head so he can nuzzle his cheek against her belly. “‘Nas never pyk’— I know that. It’s a poem.” He peers up at her through his eyelashes, making no attempts to hide his toothy grin. “You’re reading Eld Aedyran poetry.”

Her cheeks have flushed a becoming pink, the kind he so rarely sees. It leeches across her pale skin, colouring even her nose, the tips of her exposed ears, but she meets his eyes as though it doesn’t. “Shut up. I’m reading.”

“Aye, lass, an’ yeh’re readin’ the lad some class poems.”

Runa’s nose wrinkles. He’s never told her this, but every time she does it, it’s perhaps the sweetest thing he’s ever seen. “You too, Iselmyr. Hush.”

She takes a moment to wait for any other interruption, then continues. “For whych ful ofte I of my ſelf devyne, that I am trew Tristam the ſecunde, my love may not refreyde nor affound, I brenne ay in an amorouſe pleſaunce, do what you lyſt I wyl your thral be founde, thogh ye to me ne do no daliance.”

Aloth hums, playing loosely with their knotted hands. “Your accent is atrocious.”

“Your accent is atrocious.” But she notches her fingertips in his knuckles anyway, pulling their joined fists up to her mouth so she might press a kiss to the back of his hand, like he were a maiden in a song and she some vaunted knight.

His cheeks flare. If he weren’t so damnably tired— well. No matter. He hums again instead of— that, his eyes slipping closed without his permission. “Is not.” Then, around a yawn that cracks his whole jaw open: “You should do this more. Poems.”

He feels her smile spread across his skin, still cradled against her lips. “I should?”

“Mm. S’nice.”

Runa laughs; a low, hoarse sound that buzzes beneath his cheek. It’s a nice laugh. He hears it more, now, than he used to. He likes it.

“Go to sleep, Aloth.”

[eldritchsurveys]

734.

Have you ever read the Hunger Games series? >> I have, finally! Read it during my trip to Texas in January. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would; my quibbles are few. I want to see the movies but I also don’t want to see the movies -- what I want are... not those movies, pretty much. I’ll probably give the first one a shot at least, just so I know for sure exactly what I’m protesting against, lol.

When was the last time you ran into something? >> I don’t remember, I don’t do that often.

Do you enjoy dressing up? >> Yes, absolutely, mostly because I don’t get to do it often so it’s a novelty.

Do you live in the city or a rural area? >> I live in the outskirts of a city. So, kind of the suburbs, but not quite.

Would you say you have a sense of style? >> I mean, yeah.

What’s your biggest fear? >> Being terribly aware of my every dying moment and carrying that awareness into another life or something.

Have you ever been bitten by a wild animal? >> No.

Are you close to any of your cousins? >> No.

Have you ever been lost in the woods? >> No.

Where did you last travel? >> For any significant distance? Houston, Texas.

Do you enjoy driving? >> I don’t drive. I enjoy driving being a part of my mythic self, though (my mythic self is called the Driver, you see).

What song did you last listen to? >> Sunlight by Hozier. Which was, of course, written specifically to call me out.

If you have a job, how often do you work? >> ---

What time do you normally go to sleep at night? >> Anywhere between 10.30p and 1a.

Do you watch a lot of movies? >> I do.

Do you like Tom Petty? >> I don’t.

Would you rather have snow or rain? >> Rain. Absolutely rain.

Do you own a lot of sweaters? >> No. I’m not sure I own any at all, actually -- oh, wait, I own exactly one. It’s a Hot Topic Christmas sweater and it says “Sleigher: Reindeer Blood” on it. I love it and I would live in it if I could.

Have you ever tried rock-climbing? >> Nope. Except on that small rock wall in the Museum of Science & Industry (pretty sure that’s where it was).

Ever ridden in a police car? >> Yes.

Favorite decade of music? >> I don’t have a favourite decade. I prefer listening to music from as many decades as possible.

Have any of your best friends been your best friend longer than a year? >> ---

Ever witnessed a murder? >> No.

Do you care what people think of you? >> I care what some people think of me.

Does your room have a ceiling fan? >> Nope.

Would you consider yourself poised? >> Not particularly. I never put any effort into it.

Have you ever tried blogging? >> Of course, lol.

Favorite television channel? >> I don’t have cable.

Have you ever lied under oath? >> No.

What are your religious views? >> Nebulous and subject to whim.

Are you a romantic person? >> No.

When did you last change your bed sheets? >> About an hour ago, actually. And I showered afterwards, so now I’m a clean boy in a clean bed. Livin’ the dream.

Would you consider yourself a flirt? >> No.

At what age do you plan to be married? >> 32, apparently.

Do you eat a lot of junk food? >> No. I really just don’t like a lot of the foods that are widely considered “junk”.

When did you last go on vacation? >> I guess the trip to Texas was kind of a vacation? But otherwise I’d say my wedding/honeymoon in October.

Are you resilient? >> Yeah. Like, I know I am. It’s been proven that I am. The fact I feel so fragile and wounded so often isn’t a contradiction of that fact.

Have you ever failed a subject before? >> I don’t think so.

If so, what was the class? >> Like, I should have failed English III because I got a zero on the midterm and the final, but I think the teacher gave me a D out of pity or whatever.

Do you wear more bright or dull colors? >> I don’t really wear colours at all. It’s not even an effort anymore, it really just seems that all of the clothing I’m willing to wear comes in black...

Do you know anyone who has attempted suicide? >> Yes.

What’s your favorite quote? >> DAMMIT. I totally forgot about that quotes file I was going to keep on Evernote. I gotta work on that so I have answers for this question.

Would you consider yourself mature? >> I mean, I suppose I do okay. Being post-traumatic means I have some pretty child-like responses to things sometimes, but, you know. I’m doing my best.

How many clocks are in your house? >> There’s one on my wall, although there’s no battery in it because I can’t abide the noise. It’s just a decoration. (It’s one of those records that someone cut a design out of, it’s really cool.)

Do you play any sports? >> No.

What is your biggest life regret? >> ---

Have you ever been injured in a car accident? >> Nope.

If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be? >> My mind went a lot of places with this question in 5 seconds flat, and I don’t even know how to unpack any of it. Half the shit I thought of didn’t even have anything to do with this lifetime.

Have you ever had highlights in your hair? >> No.

Favorite fast food restaurant? >> Meh.

In what country were you born? >> USA.

Are your eyes more than one color? >> Nope.

Have you ever caught something on fire? >> Accidentally? Yeah, a couple of times.

What would you consider your biggest flaw? >> I don’t know.

What do you think your best quality is? >> Curiosity and open-mindedness.

Do you enjoy listening to others’ problems? >> I’m not sure “enjoy” is the right word in this context, lol.

Do you keep any plants in your house? >> Yeah, Sparrow’s really into plants. I like them, but I tend to enjoy them more when they’re outdoors. Kind of like animals.

What is your mother’s occupation? >> ---

Do any of your friends like your musical style? >> At least some of it, I’m sure. I like way too much shit for me to have no music preferences in common with the average person.

What are you most looking forward to? >> That glorious day when I can just. Walk into a bar and have a drink and some lunch again.

What was your favorite television show as a child? >> I don’t think I had one.

Are you afraid of insects? >> Not as a rule.

Are you cold-natured? >> I don’t think so, but my 485745 defense mechanisms often make me appear so.

How old were you when you got your first pet? >> I was a toddler.

Did you / do you enjoy high school? >> I did not.

What would you say was your favorite age? >> ---

What annoys you most about social networking? >> The way it’s engineered.

Are you the center of attention most of the time? >> No.

What are you currently reading? >> Staring at the Sun: Overcoming The Terror of Death by Irvin D Yalom. It’s... not really giving me anything I can use, mostly because it doesn’t address the things I actually fear (like, no, I don’t fear not leaving behind a good legacy or whatever, I literally fear the awe-ful, terrible knowledge of my organs shutting down and shit like that, the helplessness of being pulled into the abyss. Literally. Not figuratively. This is a literal visceral thing I believe in. Also, I fear persecution by cosmic forces because I have internalised the idea that I am Bad and I will be Punished. Where is my book? I do like the title, though.), so I don’t know if I’m going to finish it. I might skim through it for a few decent nuggets like that one Nietzsche quote he used, “when we are tired, we are attacked by ideas we conquered long ago”. That was a good one.

When did you last go to the library? >> It’s been a while, since I usually just check out ebooks. Oh, wait, we went to the branch for a Black History Month event, so, February.

Are you ill at the moment? >> No.

Do people tease you about anything? >> I mean, Sparrow does. And some tumblr mutuals tease me about various aspects of my Brand, hah.

How late did you stay up last night and why? >> I think I dropped off at around midnight, idk. Because that’s just how it happened.

Have you ever written poetry? >> Sure.

Curtains or shades? >> I’m not sure what the difference is.

How many people have you spoken to in the last hour? >> One.

Do you tend to text a lot? >> No.

Ever lost a great best friend? >> ---

What is your favorite kind of flower? >> Sunflowers.

Do you own any guns? >> Absolutely fucking not.

What would you say is your favorite book of all-time? >> ---

Do you think you’re living a good life? >> I am doing my best with the life I have.

What’s your least favorite part of the day? >> I don’t have a least favourite part of the day.

Are you an over-achiever? >> No.

Have you ever won an award for a speech? >> No.

Do you tend to curse a lot? >> Sure.

Have you ever played on the Ouija board? >> Nope. I’ve never even seen one in person, except for seeing the box in a store or something.

Do you sleepwalk? >> No.

Have you ever slept on the floor before? >> Yeah, I did for years. I should probably have worse spinal alignment or something now, but I guess them’s the perks of doing shit like that while I was still young.

Are you a fan of public displays of affection? >> I don’t do well with physical affection whether in public or not, so, you know.

When did you last attend a yard sale? >> A couple of years ago?

Do you wish your life were simpler or more interesting? >> I like the level of simplicity I’m at right now.

What goals do you wish to accomplish tomorrow? >> ---

When is your birthday? >> 28 May.

Which is worse: going blind or deaf? >> How would I know, I haven’t experienced either.

What was the best part of today? >> Visiting a mutual’s house in FFXIV, signing the guestbook, and then turning around and there was her character (and her girlfriend’s character) right behind me, lmao. We didn’t get to chat long because their dungeon queue popped, but it was still nice.

Do you attempt to stay away from drama? >> I don’t have to stay away from it, it’s never anywhere near me in the first place.

What liquid did you last drink? >> Gose.

Do you ever prefer to be alone? >> Often.

Have you ever had a deadly animal as a pet? >> No.

Favorite Disney movies >> Lilo & Stitch, Moana, and Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Have you ever been to the beach? >> Sure.

If you have, how many times have you been? >> Like... a few dozen? I don’t know.

What was your dream occupation at age ten? >> ---

Are you terrified at the idea of weight-gain? >> I don’t know if terrified is the right word, exactly, but something similar to that.

Do you drink a lot of water? >> Not a lot. I drink when I feel thirsty, and that just isn’t that often? I don’t know. Maybe I’m not good at recognising thirst cues, that’s a possibility.

Does your room have carpet or hard-wood floors? >> Carpet.

Do you take naps daily? >> No.

Who were you named after? >> I wasn’t named after anyone.

Do you plan on traveling this spring or summer? >> Well, we had planned...

Do you know anyone who is colorblind? >> Maybe?

Have you ever been a teacher’s pet? >> When I was a child, I guess, because I was precocious and nerdy and adults are obsessed with that sort of thing for some reason.

What is your absolute favorite hobby? >> *shrug* What’s a hobby.

How many times a day do you brush your teeth? >> One, provided I remember and have the executive function.

Ever been to a tanning bed before? >> No.

Are you satisfied with your financial stability? >> No matter what, I still have more financial stability than I did when I was literally penniless and living on the street, so I can deal.

Who is your favorite actor / actress? >> When it comes to people I’m always excited to see in a movie, Javier Bardem is one.

Are your nails painted? >> Nope.

What’s the meanest thing you’ve ever said to someone? >> I don’t know, I’ve said a lot of mean things.

Do you ever accidentally talk to inanimate objects? >> Not accidentally, no. I do it on purpose, because it pleases me.

What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream? >> Vanilla bean and matcha are the only flavours I actually like and don’t just. tolerate.

Have you ever kissed someone of the same gender? >> I don’t think I’ve ever kissed another agender person.

Do you receive any hate mail? >> No.

Have you ever sent a letter in the mail? >> When I was a kid.

If you could, would you have a pen pal? >> I don’t think I’d make a good penpal.

What color are the pants you’re wearing? >> Black with lime green print.

Have you ever had a stalker? >> No.

What is your life philosophy? >> I don’t have one.

Who last sent you a goodnight text message? >> ---

Do you own any clothes that are your favorite color? >> I don’t own any gold clothing, no.

Have you ever been in a hot tub before? >> I tried a hot tub once, at Easton Mountain. Five seconds in, I felt faint and like my heart was going to burst out of my chest, so I had to get out.

What’s your favorite comedy movie? >> Blazing Saddles and The Producers come to mind.

In which year were you born? >> 1987.

[alexwinfield-blog1]

Digital Footprints: Put YOUR stamp on it.

It’s Monday morning. A new day. Another week of school. You turn off your alarm and head straight over to Twitter. “Monday already !!!!!!! (Crying emoji X10) Can’t w8 to get back into bed”. Your phone pings. It’s Lizzie. Your BFF. She never lets you down. Except not today it seems. “Soz bbe. Sooooo ill. Grab any hw sheets for me plzzzz (blowing kiss emoji) xxxx”. Mum shouts up the stairs “Are you getting up at any point today? The dog needs walking and you need to take your brother to school!” You slam your phone into the duvet, roll your eyes and take a deep breath. You’re annoyed and the day has only just begun. Toast in one hand and dragging your brother out the door by the other, you smile at the postman. “Morning”, you say. Knowing full well he loses your packages ALL THE TIME.  Be nice mum always tells you. Manners cost nothing.

You get to school. The mean girls stare you down as you walk to your English lesson. You try to look cool. You tell yourself that one day they’ll take you in as one of their own, but maybe today just isn’t that day. You find your seat, unpack your books, your pencil case, tucking your phone under your hideous plaid skirt. Silly really. Illuminating skirts aren’t exactly the school uniform market’s latest innovation. You’re top of your class. You know you shouldn’t be scrolling through Instagram in a lesson, but everyone else does, and you for sure don’t want to stick out any more than what you already do. You get A’s in nearly every assignment and you compete in nearly every extra-curriculum sport in the school, but you can’t help but fantasise about that Instagram #gymbod. Your parents are immensely proud, and your teachers? You can’t do enough to please them. You love school. Never too shy to raise your hand in class, never too eager to stand in front of the WHOLE of year 11 to deliver a speech about the school’s litter policy, and never too embarrassed to admit to your friends that you’ve not even kissed a boy.

It’s lunchtime. You and your best friends of 12 years gather around the canteen table.They tell you about their exciting weekends. How their heart throb boyfriends distracted them from getting any work done. How they got ridiculously drunk at a family party and how their mum grounded them for coming home at 10:33 – 3 minutes later than expected. And you? You just listen. For the most part, you spend your break and lunch times talking in the hockey team WhatsApp group chat. They’re a laugh. Sometimes you tell the girls about your boring weekend, or even fluff it up slightly by telling them you actually got out of your pyjamas. They would never believe you. You’re well and truly the plain Jane out of the bunch. The new boy in your year asks if the seat next to you is taken. The girls think he’s a nerd but you think he’s quite cute. You say no. The girls sigh as if to say “you’re such a loser”, but you don’t care. You have to pretend you don’t know his name, that you don’t have an unhealthy obsession with checking his Facebook. You know his cat goes by the name of Clive, but you pretend you don’t know that. You know he plays for the local rugby team, but you’re not supposed to know that either. You don’t know that his birthday is the 6th of June, and most importantly, you must NOT show any bitterness towards his girlfriend of 3 years.

Home time at last. You’re loosening your tie as you get closer to the front door, eager to jump straight back into bed. PING. It’s the girls group chat. “House (girl dancing emoji) Sat nite. 8.30. B there or b (square emoji)”. NOOO. You promised mum you’d have a film night with her. Saturday night rolls around. You’ve been plotting all week how you could get away with this one, but she’s a mum. They find out everything. Not this time. You divert from the party situation. It’s now a revision sleepover situation with the girls. You ask to go and of course you’re allowed. School first, partying second. It’s 10pm. You’re having the best time but you assured mum updates on the revision sesh. So, as promised, you load up Instagram stories. On your second Instagram account, obviously. By second, you mean the only Instagram account your mum thinks exists, right? You locate the photo album named “revision”. You browse this until you find the most colourful, most mind-map-ful, most hard working-esque photo you can find. And voila! A little later, in comes a text from mum. “Wonderful stuff. Looks like you’re really working hard. See you in the morning :)” . Little does she know, over on what might as well scream @yourerliar101, several stories and photos were posted of your amazing night with your besties. In the morning it seems the party was a huge success. Tweets and Instagrams raving about the night – “Can’t believe Josh taught every1 to do the (worm emoji) (cry laughing emoji)”. “Had the best nite EVAAAAAA (tongue out emoji)”. “Me and the gals last night!!!!!!! (cocktail emoji) (heart eye emoji) #lovethem”.

Sound familiar? Well, this may not be too dissimilar to a day in the life of your late teenage years. (Millennials, this one is for you!) Through this artificial account, we learn that in just 24 hours, you are likely to perform a variety of different roles. You’re a reliable friend and a caring sibling. You’re also studious, a potential lover and occasionally a liar. But sometimes it’s for the best, right? So, quite literally, how can these personalities become transparent online?

Just like this teenager, the average social media user, whatever you may define this to be, can be traced online. Social media can speak volumes about a person. Not just what they get up to on the weekend, but the finer details. For example, they’re obsession with their house rabbits, how much they can’t stand their boss, and more recently, how they’ve jumped on-board Facebook’s latest bandwagon, “rate my meal”. 

Social media, such as Instagram and Twitter allow me to present the most favourable, or sometimes least favourable, versions of myself.  If you were to rewind to old school Alex on Twitter, you would definitely find tweets containing homophones, such as “u”, with my favourite acronym, still to this day, being “lol” – only used sarcastically of course. As well as this, I was a sucker for, and admittedly still am, a cluster of exaggerated punctuation, but mostly “!!!!!!!”.  Although Crystal (2008) claims that young users of social media, especially in SMS, will use abbreviations such as “GTGMIW” (Got to go, mum is watching), this wasn’t necessarily the case when I was growing up with social media. Nowadays, it’s all about filtering what you put online. This screening allows you to hide your online activity, for example by disguising your wild Friday night shenanigans by deselecting your mum from viewing your Snapchat story. Or, creating a separate Instagram just for your friends’ entertainment. You can be as embarrassing as you like and you won’t have 800 followers judging you.

Goffman (1974) refers to this online social interaction as “audience segregation”. We ultimately filter aspects of our lives from certain people in order to curate and maintain a multitude of personalities depending on the context we are in. So, for me, this means presenting a sensible, family-friendly Alex on Facebook, an interesting and good-humoured Alex on Twitter, and an exciting, adventurous Alex on Instagram. Let’s take a look…

So, 2017 A-Level Results day. Here, we’ve got a definite exaggerated use of punctuation and excitable capitalisation. Not only this, I clearly thought the use of the extreme smiley emoji X2 wasn’t enough, resulting in going the extra mile with a #. What am I doing here? Looking back on this, this for sure could have been Facebook worthy. This could have bagged me a gushing army of comments from overjoyed family members bursting with pride. But why Twitter? My friends would see this. People I know, but don’t really know, would see this. Those 23 likes - those 23 people thought this was worthy of a tweet and that’s all that mattered. In this moment, I. Was. Clever.

Evidently, over the years, I desired to either be desperately funny or desperately embarrassing. You decide this one.

Would I have found any of these tweets to be bland if I weren’t to use homophones? Or exaggerated punctuation? Or hashtags? Were these attempts for me to moan about how busy my life was? Did I want sympathy or just someone to relate to?

Here’s Instagram Alex. Holidaying in the Dominican Republic, Lanzarote and Greece. Eating Wagamamas at least once a week. Being overly obsessed with a French Bulldog, attending fancy-dress parties and the occasional festival. This is what I choose to share online. Not very exciting, but a fairly accurate representation of me. You can guarantee nearly every other caption incorporates an excessive use of emoticons, sarcasm and most definitely a little too much of this “!!!!!”.

What do these linguistic features allow me to achieve?

If I asked a complete stranger to read my Twitter, browse my Facebook and scroll through my Instagram, they would probably argue that my presence across these social media platforms doesn’t really differ that greatly. You could say that for the most part, I present the most authentic version of myself online. I’m not one to shy away from no-make up selfies, or tell the world about how groggy I feel after waking up from that 3- hour nap, or in fact how much I moan about going to my 20 hours a week part-time kitchen job.

However, for some people, this is not the case. Without audience segregation there would be a context collapse. Employees would start saying “lmao” when their boss asks for a coffee. Students would use inappropriate emoticons to sign of their “sorry I can’t make it to the lecture today, I’m ill” email. Parents would text, or even worse, tag you in their FB status announcing “#DINNERISREADY” instead of actually calling you down for dinner, and we definitely don’t want to live in a world full of parents who hashtag EVERYTHING.

So, what can we learn from this?

For both professional and personal matters, it’s important to present yourself online in a way that is consistent. You don’t want people to think you have 25 different personalities. Keep this for the real-life stuff. No one likes a catfish. After all, if 70% of employers screen candidates’ social media before they consider hiring, it’s important to avoid branding yourself as a fool online. Keep those drunken night out videos OFFLINE and maybe consider deleting those 2012 “Like for a rate <3” cringey Facebook statuses. However, don’t go erasing yourself offline completely in fear that you’ll never get a decent job. After all, 47% of employers argue that having an online presence allows them to learn a bit about who they’re hiring. So, be open, but not TOO open. Be YOU. However, if “you” means writing Facebook statuses about how much you love playing Angry Birds at work, or how you’re easily persuaded to go clubbing on a Monday night, maybe it’s best you don’t share the real you online. Be mindful about the digital footprint trail you’re leaving behind. 

References:

Driver, S. (2018, October, 7). Keep It Clean: Social Media Screenings Gain In Popularity. Retrieved from: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/2377-social-media-hiring.html

Jones, R. H., & Hafner. C. A. (2012). Undersatnding Digital Literacies. London: Routledge.

[snickletastic]

The Macarena (Drunk! Jason Todd x Reader)

warnings~drinking, drunk! jason

a/n~i know that jason is out of character, but he’s drunk,so i wanted him to act it :)

Roy had invited you and Jason to a party to celebrate his new apartment. You didn’t really know Roy all that well, but you knew that him and Jason were close friends. Jason warned you not to talk to Roy when he was drunk, though, because he gets far too handsy with women regularly, he’s even worse when he’s drunk. 

You finished applying your lipstick that matched your red dress, then grabbed your brush to do a final touch up on your hair.

“Will you hurry up, Y/N? We’re gonna be late,” Jason called out from behind the closed door. “Give me a minute!” you replied. Hurriedly, you put on your heels and picked up your clutch. When you opened the door, Jason was leaning on his shoulder against the wall with his arms crossed. He looked up from the floor and immediately smiled the second he laid eyes on you.

“Wow, Y/N. You look amazing,” he said as he scanned your outfit. 

“Thanks, Jay,” you winked, “you don’t look too bad yourself.” He was wearing a plain white dress shirt and black trousers. It may sound plain, but Jason could make anything look good. He walked over to you and tugged on the hem of your dress, studying it.  “What’re you doing?” you asked.

“Nothing. It’s just a bit short, don’tcha think?”

You crossed your arms and groaned, “You’ve never had a problem with this dress before. I’m not changing.” 

Jason shrugged aloofly then smiled at you, “I wasn’t asking you to. Now let's get outta here.”

You weren’t sure what you expected of the party, but this wasn’t really it. Over 200 people were jammed into the apartment, music was blasting, and people were drunk out of their minds. The sound of glass smashing came from every direction. One guy even tried to light the carpet on fire because he, “didn’t like the colour.” The party was hectic, and you just wanted to go home.

After about an hour and a half, you had lost Jason to the crowds. You hadn’t even seen Roy since you and Jason arrived. The couch was full of people making out, so you just stood by the kitchen instead, sipping soda out of a solo cup. About 8 drunk guys had hit on you so far, and those were the only moments you had been relieved Jason wasn’t next to you. It was easier to just shoo them off instead of Jason threatening their lives. You just texted Dick the whole time, giving him advice on his relationship with Barb.

“Red solo cuppp, duhduh-duh Iah full you upp, letss have a parrtyyyyy!”

You turned around to get a load of whoever was drunk behind you, but it turned out to be Jason and Roy. Roy had his arm around Jason’s shoulder as Jason poured the whole cup of booze onto his own face. You instinctively groaned, and Jason recognized it.

“HEEeeeEeEyyy! It’s myyyy girlfrrieeennnnd!” Jason slurred. Roy cheered his cup at you as they tumbled over. “Jason, no more drinking,” you said as you took the cup from his hand and put it onto the counter next to you. He whined and pouted, “You can't tell me what to do,” he continued to slur his words.

“Roy, thanks for the party invite,but Jay and I have to go now,” You took Jason’s hand and attempted to drag him to the door, but he dragged his feet along the carpet. Roy laughed as you and Jason practically played tug of war in the middle of the room. Finally, Jay lost his footing, and you were able to lug him out of the room. 

When you got into the hallway, you slammed the door then hit Jason’s arm, which clearly didn’t hurt him. “You said you wouldn’t get drunk tonight! That was so embarrassing! And in front of Roy? Seriously? I barely even know him and now he probably thinks I’m a nagging type of girlfriend.” you ranted at Jason, who was dazed out.

“You’re so beautiful when you're mad,” Jason stuttered.

You rolled your eyes and held onto his arms, leading him down the stairs of the apartment building. When you got to the parking garage, you knew you forgot where the car was. Frustrated, you checked to see if Google Maps remembered where you parked. 

Jason started dancing in front of you. As soon as you started to lose your shit, he started doing the macarena. 

“How much did you have to drink?” you giggled.

“Only a few cups,” he slurred as he put his hands on his hips and wiggled.

“A few cups of what?” 

“Vooooooooodka”

“Are you serious, Jason?!”

You looked back at your phone and it showed you where you parked, “We need to look for 5B.”

You started to wander throughout the parking garage, looking for signs and hitting the lock button on your keys, trying to make the car stand out. Eventually, after a lot of dragging and pulling on Jason, you found your car.

“Okay, get in and put your seatbelt on,” you coaxed Jason to sit in the car.

“I don’t wanna,” Jason pouted. You have got to be kidding me. You pushed him into the car and shut the door. When you got into the drivers seat, Jason started to sob uncontrollably. 

“What’s wrong, Jay?” It broke your heart to see him cry, even if it’s a drunk cry.

“I-I love you so much. You’re so perfect. I don’t deserve you,” Jason cried. 

You brushed his hair out of his face and gave him a kiss on the cheek, “You deserve so much more than me Jason. I love you, too. Now let’s get you home and get some sleep.” 

masterlist

[bennybbabba]

Rules: Answer the questions and tag how ever many blogs you want to get to know them better.

Tagged by: @michelletrinhhh

Nickname: Benji, Ben-Ben, and Benners

Gender: Dude

Star sign: Libra

Height: 171cm

Time: 1:19AM

Birthday: - October 7

Favorite band: When I was in high school I was mainly into The Used, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Taking Back Sunday. However, I’m “low-key” K-boo trash and I really like BTS and EXO

Favorite solo artists: Other than Beyonce I really like Dean and Shawn Mendes

Song stuck in my head: Monsta X - Dramarama because I’ve been working on that dance these past couple of days

Last movie I watched: The Greatest Showman

Last show I watched: Altered Carbon

When did I create my blog: Uh idk sometime during my first year in uni so like...back in 2010? But I didn’t actually start using it until my second year

What do I post: I used to post hella weeb shit like ulzzang shit, kpop shit, and other trash like that, but now it’s “thot”ful text post, food pics, hot guys/girls, cute animals, and scenery

Last thing I googled: “Chase Sapphire sign up”

Do you have any other blogs: My personal blog which I haven’t updated in like idk 3 years 

Do you get asks: Not as much as I used to :/ 

Why did you choose your URL: Lol some cute boy “sang” me Narsha’s Biri Bba Bba for my birthday, but he changed the lyrics to “Benny Bba Bba” instead so yeaaaa I decided to use that

Following: 200

Followers: 982 lol I lost so many people 

Favorite colour: Black, grey, and white lol

Average hours of sleep: 4-6

Lucky number: 7

Instruments: Piano, guitar, bass guitar, and flute lol

What am I wearing: White tee and pyjama bottoms 

How many blankets do I sleep with: 3 lol

Dream Job: Owning my own cafe/bakery 

Dream trip: A trip to Europe. Probably Italy, France, and Germany

Favorite food: Sushi, burritos, KBBQ, and fried chicken 

Nationality: Flip/Taiwanese

Favorite song right now: BTS - Mic Drop, but the remixed one by Steve Aoki 

Tagging: @gumpykims, @dereksvg, @princeofseattle, @kongnamulmuchim, @haiiikane, @suzy-bby, @dieskii, @ecchigoflavored, @lucky-icecream-cakeu, @rawritsdanny lol literally just tagged whoever reblogs from me 

[baadfabrykittyadv170]

.13.10.18

RESULT // Ford Figo Ad ‘Re-do’ // Assignment  1

3 variations. One with a solid grey luggage set, and two that simply change the colour of there “go” copy to show slight variation in what could be included in the campaign. I would not change much of the look for the sake of variation, as this quick change is just enough to capture attention. This said the copy in general, including the “Fi” beginning is good, represents the name and the essence of the product in a memorable way. The gradient on the text looks good and I hoped it to bring a sense of ‘effortlessness’ to the vehicle and suggest the way it runs being the same. My friend in the visual arts really helped me come up with this outcome for the copy in particular by showing me an example of something he saw online. He gave some really fantastic points and this style/layout is one I will really keep in mind for feature projects. “The Ful bit (Fulham) is in red and the Force bit is in another colour, but they’re clearly the same word but two words in it”. “Maybe it’s cuz it’s al caps? Maybe it’s because it’s more readable as it’s next to each other? Maybe it’s cuz the words are next to one another”. 

I find it difficult to discern whether I like the gradient fill or not for the luggage so I have included a version without and two versions with (alongside different colour text). I asked the opinion of the same friend and they assisted me in the level of the gradients hardness to try and better the ‘viewer experience’. This involved adjusting the gradient level “Have you tried starting the gradient a bit lower on the picture?” - which worked better in involving more of the luddage bags making it clearer to what it was. As well as this they questioned me on the faintness of the gradient in general from earlier and pushed me towards really thinking about where this ad would be published “If it’s a bus stop you could probably get away with it being fainter but yea, just gotta consider how readable it is from meters away”. 

The outcome is what you can see above, much like my previous ad ‘re-dos’ I think the next step, as with all of there development is seeking reactions for more friends, peers and people generally ‘in the know’ for advice on what is the most effective form of presentation. In speaking about this campaign in particular I may even go back and try to develop some of the earlier ideas I had, because I still think that those concepts had strenght to them and should have at least been trialed and tested in the flaws further. 

UPDATE

I prefer the solid grey luggage, so have decided to choose that design as my final.  

References:

Fabry, K. (2018). If you have a moment?. [email]. 

****(a transcipt of the original Facebook Messenger conversation).

[dontlookdown]

Nick’s Favourite Music of 2016

Good evening.

The problem with being compelled to publish a list of your favourite music of the past year is the time commitment. There’s a small window for you to join in the conversation and if you hesitate (or have more important things that need to be done), it gets harder and harder to justify the effort.

...And then you find yourself with some free time (and nothing to fill it with) and realise that this compulsion isn’t going away any time soon. I am, after all, the man who procrastinated on my 2015 list until the end of 2016 (at the time of typing, that last post is still on my front page. LOL).

So, yes, I’m back on my grind. Feels good, y’all.

As always, I’ll be posting about 20 songs in total, one per day. Previous entries can be found easily using the tag “best+of+20xx”

First, some honourable mentions:

Paul Simon – “Wristband”

There’s a wonderful bounce to this that we haven’t heard from Paul Simon since, well, Graceland. There’s also something wonderful about one of our greatest songwriters writing a “fuck bouncers” track at the age of 75.

The Strokes – “Threat of Joy”

I’ve come to terms with the fact that The Strokes have no interest in being the same band they were when they first appeared on the scene, much like I previously did with Kings of Leon. It helps that they made this abundantly clear with an EP titled Future Present Past this year. The third track, “Threat of Joy”, is a classic Strokes joint, and presumedly the last one the band will make. It’s a heck of a closer for their first act. Julian Casablancas perfectly mixes the vocal stylings of Iggy Pop and Jonathan Richman, and the dual-guitar work of Albert Hammond Jr and Nick Valensi remains as sharp as ever.

Kevin Morby – “Beautiful Strangers”

Singing Saw didn’t quite do it for me, but this one-off single did. Wins bonus points for having the balls to rhyme “Sleep easy” with “baby Jeez-us”. That shit is wild.

Chance the Rapper – “No Problem”

Speaking of critically-acclaimed albums that didn’t quite work for me… I really, really wanted to like Colouring Book more than I did. Don’t get me wrong, I love that Chance has broken through to the mainstream, and I love that he’s done it with a streaming-only mixtape that is essentially one big party. But it’s also a further indication to me that hip-hop seems moving further away from rapping, and I’m not sure what to make of the shift.

Please note: I’m not having some sort of “rap used to be better” rant. My final list for 2016 features more hip-hop tracks than any of my previous years. I feel like I just had the wrong expectations for this release. That’s on me. For what it’s worth, I look forward to being surprised with whatever Chance does with his first proper album (his words).

Oh, and I’ve got no problems with “No Problem”. That song is a god damn ray of pure sunshine.

Noname – “Yesterday”

And, you know what?, so is this one! Like Chance, Noname hails from Chicago, and released her debut mixtape this year. “Yesterday” was the warmest piece of music I heard in 2016 (and there was some stiff competition for that title), with its Super Mario-esque beat and reflective musings on materialism.

Metronomy – “Back Together”

Metronomy continue to confound me with the sheer range they display on every record. This electro-funk song wins a special one-off award for Best ‘Impression of the Singer’s Lover’ Since “I’ve Been Tired”.

Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool

I never imagined that Radiohead would somehow make a record quieter than The King of Limbs, but that’s what we got. With the exceptions of “Burn the Witch” and “Ful Stop”, this album is like a big duvet. Specifically, it’s comfortable, spacious, and I will fight you if you try to take it away from me.

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree

There’s absolutely no words I can type here that could sum up just what a tragic achievement this album is. A must-listen for anyone familiar with Cave’s previous work.

Travis – “Idlewild (feat. Josephine Oniyama)”

This just goes to show what a difference small changes to your listening habits can make. If you’d told me this time last year that a song by the somehow-even-blander-than-Coldplay Travis would be one of my favourite songs of the year, I would have given you the hardest of stares. (Although, after that Miley Cyrus incident, anything’s possible.)

This is a song that was played regularly on BBC Radio 2, which was a constant fixture in the office I’ve was working in for the back half of this year. It’s a station for people who have out-grown Radio 1, but aren’t comatose enough to listen to Heart. It’s where you hear the latest singles from long-running acts that don’t trouble the charts like they used to, such as this one.

The reason this succeeds where previous Travis songs have failed to connect with me is the chorus. Fran Healy has, to my ears, never really been suited to the type of belting that he always reaches for. So, by handing the chorus over to a much stronger singer in Josephine Oniyama, and keeping hushed on the verses, he allows the band as a whole to really set up a mood. A relaxing mood! And they’re good at it!

(this new text editor is so much fun)

And we’re off to the races! The first instalment of this years’ list will be tomorrow. Oh, and if you’re concerned about the usual stalling, don’t worry. I took the time to write out all of the posts ahead of schedule this time! God knows why I didn’t do that in the past…

See you tomorrow!

[kinlochhold]

DAO save edit #1 (fix that GUI portrait!)

Ain’t nothin’ more annoying than creating a bee-yooo-tee-ful and perfect new Warden (or, in my case, a hideous and grotesque monster) and realizing after a while that the in-game GUI portrait is wrong in some way (the expression is ‘off’, the background colour is unbecoming, it’s too close or too far, or that silly face you chose isn’t as amusing as it seemed at the time:

Luckily, editing a save with pyGFF (download here or here) to correct the deficiency is a simple matter.

1 - The first step is to create or obtain a save with a more desirable portrait. (I’ve used saves from previous runs, and created new characters just for the portraits... I do recommend using a save for a character of the the same race and gender, though.)

My source portrait, in game:

Then, create a new save for the character with the portrait that needs to be fixed (or a backup of the save that is being edited), just in case something goes wrong. (My save-to-edit is called ‘portrait’, so I know I have the right one.)

Open both saves (source and target) with pyGFF.

2 - For each save, use the ‘+’ to expand the nodes once. Then expand

SAVEGAME_PLAYERCHAR SAVEGAME_PLAYERCHAR_CHAR

Source:

Target (portrait.das):

3 - Next, scroll down a bit to

SAVEGAME_PLAYER_PORTRAIT_PITCH SAVEGAME_PLAYER_PORTRAIT_YAW SAVEGAME_PLAYER_PORTRAIT_TINT SAVEGAME_PLAYER_PORTRAIT_EXPRESSION SAVEGAME_PLAYER_PORTRAIT_DISTANCE SAVEGAME_PLAYER_PORTRAIT_POSITIONH SAVEGAME_PLAYER_PORTRAIT_POSITIONV

Source:

Target (portrait.das):

3 - I want to edit all seven options, but I could just replace the background colour, or the expression, or any combination of options. So, in the ‘Edit’ text box at lower left, I’ll copy/paste the values for each field from the source save to the target save, hitting the ‘Save’ button at the bottom after each edit.

Edited target:

4 - Then, when all the editing is complete, do File>Save As, and close out the editor.

 5 - Open that save in-game, and viola! Better than new!