#finch wanted absolutely zero part of this

[togepies]

who are you swiping right for? 👀

[template by @arcandoria ♡]

[planet4546b]

signoise questions!!! feel free to ignore as many as u want, sorry there are so many i am just very 🙇 (emoji of person leaning on folded arms and looking interested if it doesnt load right- just looked this up and it is actually a person bowing??? i have always parsed it as like a more restrained :eyes: emoji. huh) abt all of the parts its very cool!!!

-decade: have u read the city & the city by china mieville? whatre the inspirations for this if u have any off the top of yr head? was this like a rogue architect (i am thinking of the cartographers without borders post about a flat and level kansas watch out for the 900ft cliff bisecting kansas city post) or was it an official govt project or something?

-twins: i really like the name lariat for a city thats v cool also since theres a bunch of plays, are they all extant in their entireties or is it like a classical texts situation where we have fragmentary records? im really interested in the mixed media part of signoise & how different parts might be told, are u thinking of adding video or audio or anything?

-bell expedition: SO interested in how a caver becomes "disgraced." excited to see a bunch of cave content about the mar.

-pareidolia: a) VERY cool name i love it b) are u going to make the photographs they take?

-pepper's ghost: i dont have a specific q about this one i would just like to register my extreme excitement to see what happens w it.

& i guess just a more general q, do u have a rough idea of what media(s) each story is going to be in? also i am really really liking the name choices youve made for places etc.

i misread bowing as bowling and my confusion about that emoji only grew. but ozzy hi!!! thank you for the questions im gonna try to hit all of them :D

1. i HAVE read the city and the city (really enjoy it) although it ironically inspires a different city on the map (primary and meridian, which is where the playwright stuff mostly takes place). decade’s primary inspiration is pretty explicitly superstudio’s continuous monument, as well as a handful of other postmodern avant- garde architecture concepts, like constant’s new babylon. visually also something like blame, though i have yet to actually read blame i know not by reputation alone. the vibes of it are actually very much that pefectly level kansas post LMAO

decade’s architect is a supercomputer (also known as decade) that produces the plans that the people then construct (also very invisible cities, i’m just blanking on the name of the city itself that’s constantly building). a lot of decade’s story is pure mystery for this reason: how did they build a supercomputer? how and why does it create its plans? what is it building for? why is it that the only records of the city are from decade itself, and next to no records from its citizens exist? what was their form of government, who did decide to build, who led this project? much to uncover!!

2. mairzy finch was a relatively minor playwright during their life, and had one play that really became well known and four or five other less known ones. the bulk of their history is about a massive series of plays that are in fact fragmentary and were all found after their death and are being ‘completed’ and published by almas verrier. so there is a lot of classics to it in how those plays are reconstructed, published, and continually found (and the controversy around all of that), though this is not a project that gains a lot of scholarly attention, its pretty much only verrier and samira that are interested at all.

i would absolutely LOVE to add audio especially to these plays, within my ability as a single creator. although i will likely needle my sibling who used to act to get notes on things like stage and audio design (the entertainment interlude in kentucky route zero is a HUGE inspiration here).

3. quite simply, eric has previously led groups in which multiple members died, and while it is generally understood that that’s a bit of an occupational hazard, the general caving community has concluded those specific deaths could have been avoided if eric was not pushing the group to fuel his own ego. Oops! and glad you’re excited for the cave content because ohohoho so am i!!!!

4. my favorite thing about the name pareidolia is that when i’m researching other things i ALWAYS run into this word and go oh cool and go to its wikipedia page and forget one of the first images on the wikipedia page is a cave formation LOL. and yes i almost definitely will be!! i will at minimum be recreating them via digital art, but i have So many cave photos i can use various ways, and im thinking about getting some cheap ass camera to print physical photos as well. i have in my mind what his most famous photograph is and im so excited to recreate it GAH

5. i’m also SO excited about this one so glad to hear it!!! these two are characters that are close to my heart but have been at the fringes of signoise’s main story for a while, getting to spotlight them is super exciting for me. and there’s some weird late game plot developments with them that are fun. they also are the mechanism for my favorite Samira Realization and a catalyst for her downward spiral. woohoo!

6. the mixed media aspect of signoise is BRAND new and a lot of that i’m still brainstorming to figure out what’s even possible for me to do, but what i do know is the general format for each:

playwright: play scripts and academic papers (possible audio recordings/set plans)

decade: architectural plans, radio transmission transcripts

bell: interviews with bell and everett (god i would love so bad to make and photograph minis for specific cave scenes here)

pareidolia: photographs, research notes (?) i need…something else here but im still figuring out what (largely photo manips and limited animation. hopefully via physical camera)

peppers ghost: radio broadcast transcripts (i have the least wiggle room for other media in here i think, iltheres too much of it to be voice acted via just like dragging in family and friends and it’s pretty limited to radio. but i’ll find something im sure)

and thank you!!! naming things is difficult (the like…7 hours i spent trying to find names for all the new characters. god.) but i have quite a bit of fun with it. i like sounds ^^

[thewormsarchive]

PSA: Scam "Donation" Warning:

Kathleen "Finch" Ladd AKA "Galahawk" AKA "Shining-Latios" (& other alts) has, for the past several months, appealed to many people for an accident fix via GoFundMe. In previous years, they also operated another GFM account aimed towards their student loan debts. *edits below*

They have shown that coasting off the hard work of others and indulging in simple pleasures is what they care for most. To hell with improving their own situation, KFL would rather be co-dependent on many other people with their own problems in life.

2023 was a very busy travel year in private for KFL; multiple trips all around several cities/states in the USA. A new residence is being setup along with their partner later in 2024. Appealing to others for financial help in the meantime. Choosing pleasure over being responsible yet scolding others for not helping enough so many times... not like KFL has actually truly thanked anyone outside of canned pre-written messages, mind you. Going so far as to trash gifts given to them because it was not to their personal liking is such a terribly selfish action. Indeed, it has been shown that KFL will trash those that have DIRECTLY DONATED MONEY to their various online accounts. Willingly tossing people under the bus, but KFL expects everyone to bend the knee to them.

Oh, well, there was the anon that dropped 4000 USD (!) on the second GFM. I suppose there was a very brief response to that...? It's a funny thing though: As those around KFL suffer, KFL ends up taking resources that could've gone to their "friends". It's okay to take from those lesser, apparently... as long as KFL is comfortable, no one else matters.

X X X X X

KFL is truly not living down the self-centered WASP allegations.

--

I advocated in the past for people to donate to their GFM, thinking that it would somehow lead this person to a more positive giving mindset after their car accident. Expecting those who already do not give towards others to suddenly do-so is also foolish, isn't it? Sadly, KFL has chosen to only give to themselves & take greatly from others. I can only apologize and offer this warning as a way to make up for such a terrible error of judgement.

In good conscience, I cannot recommend anyone else to give this person any money as of this post. They have declined not only to work their way thru life via online commissions, but also turned down an actual paid graphic position their military father found for them. Part-time at the grocery store was far more viable to them, yet they claim struggle. The art degree that was obtained with that large amount of debt is also rotting away. I'd imagine there are so many teachers out there so eager to have that document - eager to improve the lives of children currently growing up in worsening conditions.

If KFL is not choosing to improve their own life, why should others contribute their own livelihoods for someone that does not care? So many chances to find a way to thrive outside their current environment ... Hell, KFL insists on using their govt name for mail, not even having the strength to use their wanted name. Being an abusive lazy narcissistic thief isn't really a great look to have no matter how many lies they hide behind. The lies will be interesting, I'm sure, given how much someone like myself likes quiet/privacy after my own child abuse survival stories. It was easy for them to get away with it for so long; taking advantage of people who have private lives thinking they wouldn't say a thing.

--

Karma comes for everyone, so keep laughing while you can. It will come to each and every person involved with such selfishness - and there's a lot it seems! Each of them may keep hiding behind 'activism' (irony of that) and nonchalance all they'd like. While karma will not be swift, it will be brutal; best prepare for it.

--

E:::

Zero growth. Absolutely no remorse in their actions; almost sociopathic. "We're not a good fit" is all they've said to stealing from others; from stealing from those in far worse situations than they've ever experienced. ... Don't think they actually realize there are more people involved in the issue, too. Indeed, there were quite a few people to offer help - those are the people I speak of with this. ... If I were to actually count up the offensives & the WASP rudeness from KFL, there would be a lot. Not wanting to center myself though, because, well, there's such a thing as a ripple effect. Many other people feel down and awful because of this one completely toxic self-centered person.

The things KFL complains of is 100% the problems they face about themselves. They are their own worst enemy. Such a terrible pity to see so much waste as KFL has created. A total crybully created from a military couple from the USA - from the start they lie and ruin themselves immensely.

I suppose though, when those in charge create such a system for its people, what can be expected from such fruit they've bore?

(Ko-Fi mirror)

[brntout]

any mention of marie never fails to make kennedy advert their gaze from santiago. it's subtle, usually under the pretense of being occupied with something else, like inputing a password into a laptop. "thank you." they say, not willing to comment on the two reminders that passweord held. 3126— the house the two grew up in. marie—that house was never meant for kennedy and their mother to begin with.

it takes them back to one of their earliest memories as a new 'family'. at the time kennedy was certain their mother's attempt of uniting their two families was just a ploy to make her own father jealous. a classic move: mom and dad split. mom and dad introduce new partners. mom and dad get back together again. but suzanne's affinity with jonathan herrera was of a different beast. when suzanne wasn't with him, she was daydreaming about him—his wealth, his gifts, his home—3126. the future he would provide her and by extension, his daughter... and kennedy absolutely hated it. so the first time santiago mentions his mother and how she was not coming back, kennedy responds with. 'well my father isn't dead so he is.'

an apology had been given. indignantly. from behind her mother's legs. an 11 year old who knew the cruelty in their words but was too overwhelmed by their own emotions to worry about anyone else's. though the years had slowly managed to mend the bad foot in which the two started their sibling relationship, there is a part of kennedy that still replays that moment. they can still picture santiago's expression—the hurt in his brown eyes, raw and clear in their memory. he deserved a better apology and maybe tonight was the best night to finally give it—

"that's so depressing, santi. don't say that." they say instead, brows pinching together both at his words and at their own internal cowardice. "the city could suit you too, you know." now that they secured access to a laptop, kennedy's shoulders visibly relax. "you know what? after crashing in that disgusting dumpster fire that june, finch, and avery like to gaslight everyone into believing is an actual apartment... the guest room doesn't feel too bad." they say with a chuckle. if a zombie apocalypse hits kennedy swears that their apartment will be ground zero. "i was thinking of renting something closer to work for the time being." closer to santiago too.

then maybe jon's requests to 'talk some sense' into santiago would lessen to the occasional text or phone call. kennedy knew coming back to town would revert them back to the role they often played within the family— the devils advocate. if the oldest can't lead by example, they're expected to play the role of a third parent. "he doesn't mean it." there they go. "he’s just saying that cus he thinks it’ll... i don’t know. stir something in you.” a sigh escapes them then as they go pinch the bridge of their nose, the wright of the night settling in. "sorry, i know i brought it up but... can we not talk about our parents tonight? i don't want to fight." not when their chest still aches from the panic that gripped them earlier—the panic at the thought that the body found tonight might have been his.

⁑ he rolls his eyes at the comment, all in good fun. ❝ yup. i'm, uh, so well - versed in it, didn't even open the laptop to clear it out. ❞ all said while the dust on the laptop cover tells an entirely different story. as it hums to life, he presses the back of his hand to his temple – like added pressure could stop the pounding in his head. as an afterthought, he adds, ❝ password's marie three - one - two - six. ❞ ( small reminders of his late mother are constants throughout his daily life, if one was to look close enough. )

❝ sorry, freshly accepted i'm doomed to red creek livin' forever. the city suits you, though. ❞ a tired laugh escapes him. just 5 years ago, santi would've shrunk away from the thought. now, it's met with bittersweet acceptance. a life in red creek is— well, it's exactly what he deserves. a small sting ignites in his chest at mention of his own father's excitement. for all intents and purposes, kennedy was his child too. she probably saw his fatherly side more than santi ever would. ❝ noooo. just makin' sure they haven't roped you into a permanent residency of the guest bedroom or somethin'. ❞ he exhales sharply through his nose at the invitation, not quite in him to have a laugh over it. ❝ tell jon he can ask me himself. last i heard from him, i'm not welcome at the table. ❞

[bouwrites]

And Your Bird Can Sing: Chapter 8

Step 4-1

First, Previous, Next.

Ao3.

Story under read-more.

As they get older, Derek only grows busier. Still, he sees Jamie, Cove, and Ryer when he can, and he stays in contact even when he can’t.

After the summer they spend together, all the parents do follow through on the process of reporting Ryer’s parents for abuse. The process is unfortunately slow, and the agency that deals with that kind of thing has to investigate, but by the new year Ryer is removed from the Finch home for his own safety.

Not long after that, the Lasts get approval to serve as foster parents and take Ryer in. It’s a complicated affair that most of the kids don’t know much about, but even though they do manage to get him away from his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Finch never lose parental rights, and fight constantly for Ryer to return to them.

Seeing the struggle he causes, and still uncomfortable in his new home, Ryer begins working not long after he moves in with the Lasts, offering services as an instrumentalist. It’s during this time that he meets Mathias in person, and the rest of the band Archetype, who often commissions him for tracks to back their own music, or to hop into the studio with them to record live.

When he finishes high school, Ryer uses the money he saves throughout his teenage years and the business he’s built thus far to move into a small apartment in Prism Vista City and attend a local community college.

When it’s Derek’s time to find a college, he attends an out-of-state one on a sports scholarship, and it gets even harder to see his friends.

That’s why, when he finally returns to Prism Vista City to help his dad with his business and figure out his own career prospects, he’s so ecstatic that Jamie visits. Even if it’s only three days, it’s three days of just him and one of his best friends that he doesn’t see almost at all for four years.

And Ryer even longer.

In fact, it’s as Jamie gets ready to leave that he reminds Derek of that very thing. Jamie is unusually quiet, pensively clutching his old, tattered suitcase and not-so-subtly eyeing his phone.

“Something wrong?” Derek asks. They’ll be seeing each other again soon. Jamie is resolved to move back to Sunset Bird, and even if he doesn’t move soon, he’ll be back to visit again near the end of summer along with Cove this time.

But Jamie isn’t thinking about Cove, or Derek. He sighs, frowning. “I’m so glad Liz was able to make it, but… Ryer never came back. He was supposed to be here two days ago.”

Ah. Derek rubs his neck. “They stopped in Vegas. He said they’d managed to book a show there last minute and decided to go for it since it was on the way back anyway, so they’re postponed until Tuesday.”

“Yeah…” Jamie sighs. “I know. I’m happy for him and all, I just… Ever since he moved out, I’ve hardly seen him. And part of that’s my fault since I moved so far away for college, but… I was really hoping he’d be in town.”

“Hey,” Derek says gently. He takes Jamie by the shoulders. “You’ll be moving back soon, and he’s not going to be going on tour again for a while at least. You’ll have plenty of time to catch up. Just- soon.”

That pulls a smile from Jamie. “Soon,” he echoes. “Yeah. You’re right! We’ll be seeing each other again in no time! That goes for you, too. I’ll see you again soon, so wait for me, alright?”

Derek laughs. “Always. I’ll be here.”

“And when are you finally going to ask him out?” Jamie teases. Derek’s face pinks. “I mean, he’s off traveling with Archetype right now. Think about the groupies! If you don’t get on that, you might lose your chance! People are probably throwing themselves at the super-cool musician!”

“So you want me to be one of them?”

“I want you to finally be my step-brother! Then we can all finally be official family!”

Officially, Ryer was only Jamie’s foster brother and now that he’s an adult has absolutely zero legal ties to the Lasts. So, marrying Ryer won’t make Derek and Jamie step-brothers anyway. Jamie doesn’t care. Derek doesn’t blame him, though. Living under the same roof, cared for by the same parents, even if it’s only for a few years, it’s not at all surprising that Jamie considers Ryer his brother.

(Liz feels the same way. When Derek brings her to the city for Jamie’s visit, she asks after Ryer as well, but though Derek does reach out to him, Ryer just informs him about the extension of their tour. There’s no way he can make it back to the city before Jamie leaves.)

The sour note hanging over it all is that Derek thinks Jamie is probably right about the groupies. Ryer isn’t the front man or anything. It’s technically Archetype’s tour, and Ryer is along as a hired instrumentalist, not even technically part of the band, and to occasionally perform as part of a pre-show.

But Ryer has a close relationship with Archetype. Even though their music is quite different, with Archetype generally having a metal-leaning rock sound and Ryer as a soloist prefers folkier tunes, they work together, collaborate, and mention each other publicly often enough that most people aware of one knows of the other.

Archetype’s big break coincides, therefore, with a rise in Ryer’s popularity as well, and now that Archetype is relatively well known, at least within their genre, Ryer is undeniably successful, even if he’s not some superstar.

Actually, it’s a collaboration, one of Archetype’s songs that feature Ryer as a singer rather than just an instrumentalist, that hits the charts and gives them their big break. So, even though it’s Archetype’s song, technically, Ryer’s name is right there in the title.

Derek still remembers how shocked – and proud – he was the very first time he walks through the supermarket and suddenly hears Ryer’s voice on the radio.

Ryer’s not a household name or anything, but he’s successful, especially for how young he is. Palling with the more established band in Archetype really gives him a boost. He is certainly popular, and cool and handsome and mysterious (mostly shy) enough to have ravenous groupies on a tour like this. It twists his gut, but Derek knows better than to let something like that bother him. It’s not like he ever finds the nerve to actually ask Ryer out, even after ten years.

And their promise… well, it’s dependent on Ryer not finding someone else of his own accord. It’d be dishonest to get in the way of that, and more than that, Derek will he happy enough so long as his friend ends up happy, too.

“Come on, Derek,” says Jamie teasingly. “You know you’ve always wanted another brother. And I’ll even throw in a sister to sweeten the deal for you.”

Derek snorts. “I have more than enough brothers, thanks. They’re already little punks. I don’t need a third one on top of that. Liz, though… I might be able to handle a big sister.”

Jamie gasps in mock offense. “Betrayed by my best friend! For my own sister!”

“Seriously, though,” Derek snickers. “Try tying down Cove before you worry about us all being family. Even if I do marry Ryer. If you don’t get married we’re still a man down.”

“Hey, at least we’re dating. Besides, I’m so past done just waiting for him to put together my very obvious hints.” Jamie rolls his eyes. “He’ll literally never notice. I’ll ask him when the time is right. With the move and all that, though, it’s better to wait until we’re more established. Not just together, but… you know… in Sunset Bird. Or maybe the city, I don’t know yet. I’ll talk it over with Cove.”

Jamie huffs. “You, though…”

Derek rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. “Yeah, yeah, I know.” The truth is the date that time is up on their deal is rapidly approaching. And Derek…

Just three days ago, he would probably panic and wait silently, then awkwardly try to avoid Ryer and forget all about that stupid, childish agreement. Never bring it up, never put any pressure on Ryer to make good on it.

But he’s done with that. He’s done letting opportunities pass him by. Sure, he’s not going to hold Ryer to a deal he makes ten years ago, but this is a chance that Derek is going to grab by the horns.

When Ryer returns from his tour, Derek is going to talk to him about it. He’s going to give Ryer every chance to back out without a fuss if he doesn’t want to be with Derek like that, but he’s not going to be the one to push this chance away.

“Don’t worry,” Derek says. “I’ll talk to him about it soon.”

Jamie blinks. “Wait, really? You know I was just teasing, right?”

Derek laughs. “I know. But… I’m done waiting. I can’t put this off any longer.” And time is up, anyway. Even if Derek wants to, it’s sort of an unspoken part of their deal that asking each other out is a bad idea. The deal is supposed to give them time, and cutting that time short ruins the whole idea of it.

But Derek doesn’t care anymore. He’s tired of holding back. No more waiting to be good enough. No more moving the goalposts. And this close to the ten-year mark, he thinks he’s okay on disrespecting the deal, anyway.

Jamie still doesn’t know about the deal. Derek doesn’t tell a soul about it, and the very idea of Ryer doing so is… hilariously unlikely. So, he’s pretty sure that he and Ryer are still the only ones with any idea that the deal exists.

With that in mind, it is a little surprising for Jamie that it takes Derek this long. Or maybe not, considering everything that happens during this visit of his. And the better part of five years that they barely see each other.

Actually, even with hindsight, Derek thinks now is really the better time to be doing this. A lot of their separation before college is self-inflicted, which Derek is still angry with himself about, but he doesn’t regret his college years or choices at all, so that time of being in long distance is still there.

Or, at least, he doesn’t regret going to college, anyway. The whole sports thing falling through and turning all his effort for more than ten years into little more than a waste of time is… definitely still frustrating. But going out of state to college, making his life on his own for the first time in that environment, even the people he befriends and the team he plays with… he doesn’t regret any of it.

“That’s the spirit,” says Jamie. He gently squeezes Derek’s shoulder. “I know you can do it. And I expect you to call me as soon as he agrees to a date.”

Derek blushes. “We don’t know that he will. We don’t even know if he likes guys.” Derek knows he considers it. Ten years ago. And has some kind of feelings for Derek at that time. But it’s been a long time since then, and Ryer never brings up the topic ever again.

That makes Jamie hesitate. He sighs. “As much as I’d like to say, ‘I’m his brother; I know he definitely likes you back’ I… He’s always been kind of closed off from me. I think it actually got worse when moms started fostering him. You’d think he’d be comfortable sharing that much with us. I mean… moms, plus I’m dating a guy. But… the truth is he hardly talks to us about anything. There was never any chance he’d tell us.”

Derek’s heart melts because Jamie actually lets the hurt onto his face. It’s a long-standing complaint from Jamie, that from the moment Ryer enters the Last home he seems to act like he’d rather be anywhere but. Like he avoids bonding with them any more than strictly necessary. Avoids spending any unnecessary time with them, even.

And from what Derek can tell, he does. Ryer is always busy when the Lasts come around. Jamie is so happy to have a brother, foster or not, especially one he already likes so much, but Ryer actually puts distance between them once their status is confirmed.

And since he moves out… well, Derek isn’t around much, either, but he doesn’t ever hear about Ryer visiting, or even allowing them to visit, and he lives in just the neighboring city. In Jamie’s words, Ryer stays the closest to home of any of them, but he feels the furthest away.

“I’ll let him know you miss him,” Derek says. It’s weak, a pittance of an offer, but all he has to cheer Jamie up with.

It’s enough. Jamie straightens, sighs, and shakes his head, casting away the mood. “Yeah. Thanks. I’ll be waiting for your call. Whichever way it goes. But… I do think you’ve got a good chance.”

Derek sure hopes so.

“I need to go,” Jamie says quietly. “God, I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too, Jamie,” Derek says just as softly, stepping forward to hug his best friend. “Have a good flight. And I’ll definitely call you as soon as I have news.”

Jamie’s arms wrap tight around Derek’s ribs. “Can’t wait,” he says. “I’ll text you when I land, too.”

“And when you get back to your apartment.”

Jamie snickers into Derek’s chest. “And when I get back to my apartment.”

Reluctantly, they peel apart. Jamie takes a deep breath. “Alright. Time’s up. Until next time, Derek. See you later.”

Derek stands there, watching Jamie turn and walk away, consoling himself with the knowledge that Jamie will be back soon, and eventually for good.

And once he’s out of sight… Derek finally lets out the breath he’s holding and slowly shuffles away.

He stuffs his hands into the kangaroo pocket on his shirt and trails his eyes on the ground. He’s all alone again. It’s nice having someone else in his apartment. Having a roommate. And Derek knows that it’s a temporary thing and that even when Jamie comes back he’s going to be getting his own place with Cove, as he should, but…

Derek still misses having someone just down the hall. Someone to put away groceries with, or to leave a note for when he goes out early in the morning.

All the little things that only happen when cohabiting with someone else that remind Derek of all the times he does those exact same things with, or for, his family.

Now that Jamie is gone, Derek’s apartment feels so much lonelier.

And it’s a lonely few days indeed. There’s not much but the mundanity of everyday life and quiet anticipation for what he plans to do once Ryer is back.

Derek takes advantage of the time to plan, because of course he does, but he’s still not exceptionally confident. It’s a hard thing to do, to put one’s heart out there, but Derek finally feels strong enough to do it.

Plus… it’s a little embarrassing. It’s not like they lose contact or anything, but ten years is a long time to hold onto a crush. It’s just that from the start Derek always hopes that they’d run out of time and have to fall back on their deal. That’s why he proposes the deal in the first place. He’s long over his crush on Jamie, probably because that’s actually resolved.

With Ryer, though… one way or another, resolution is coming soon. Derek can finally move on, or get a boyfriend, depending. And that’s a good thing, because either way, Derek isn’t just watching life pass him by anymore.

Derek smiles at his smartphone, at Ryer’s contact there. He stamps down the fluttering in his gut and taps the call button.

“Yeah?”

It’s still strange being on the phone with Ryer. Hearing his music all the time means Derek hears Ryer’s voice all the time, so hearing him through the phone is at once too similar and oddly different. “Hey!” Derek chirps, summoning all his enthusiasm. “You’re getting back tomorrow, right?”

A soft hum. “Yeah, we’re actually already back in California. We should be back around four-ish.” Ryer sighs. “Last night on the road. It’s going to be weird being home again.”

“But I bet you won’t miss being surrounded by old people all the time.”

Ryer snickers. Distantly, a shout of, “I’m not old!”

“Sorry,” Ryer laughs. “Should’ve told you you’re on speaker.”

Oops. “Sorry!” Derek says, not really feeling sorry at all.

“Tell us how you really feel, you little punk!” Mathias shouts.

Ryer adds, “There’s no privacy here, anyway, so I didn’t think it’d matter. Sorry again for not telling you.”

“That’s alright,” Derek says quickly. Knowing there’s an audience does spike his nerves, but Archetype is cool. The worst that’ll happen is they’ll tease a little. And it’s not like Derek is actually asking him out right this moment. “It’s not a big deal. I just wanted to ask you something.”

“Sure. Shoot.”

Derek grins. “Have you been eating properly? I bet you’ve been eating out a lot, haven’t you?”

Ryer makes a strange noise. “We’re not children, Derek,” he says, though it comes across amused. “Well, most of us. We have at least one responsible adult here.”

“Not you!” Mathias shouts.

“I mean Alex, obviously!” Ryer shouts back.

“Not me!” the somewhat less familiar voice of Archetype’s drummer, Alex, carries from somewhere further away.

Yeah, he says that, but he’s absolutely the band’s mom. Even Derek knows that much.

“Anyway,” Derek says. “I figure you can use a home-cooked meal. Call it a welcome home. Want to come to my place for dinner tomorrow? I’m sure you’re tired, too, so you’re welcome to crash here. I’ve got that extra bedroom.”

There’s a moment of silence, then, “That sounds great.” And there’s legitimate relief and gratitude in Ryer’s voice. Derek hums softly. As much as he knows Ryer loves being on this tour, it must be so exhausting. Coming home to a warm meal and a quiet place to sleep… is the least Derek can give him. “I’d love that.”

“Great!” Derek says. “I’ll see you then?”

“For sure.”

“Awesome. Well, that’s what I wanted to ask, so I’ll let you go. Good night!”

“Yeah, night.”

As Derek drops his phone, he can’t fight the grin spreading across his lips. He’s still absolutely terrified to bring up their deal and ask Ryer out for real, but he’s also ecstatic to have plans to finally see him in person again.

It takes him a while to fall asleep. His mind races with what to make tomorrow and what he needs to get to prepare. Nothing fancy, no need to go all out. He’ll have time for that if Ryer agrees to go on an actual date with him. Just something that he knows Ryer likes.

But in no time at all, tomorrow comes. Derek is excited all day for it, nervously cleaning and organizing and preparing even though he knows he doesn’t need to for Ryer of all people.

Then, in the early evening, a knock comes at his door.

Derek flings the thing open. He barely spares the time to confirm it’s Ryer in front of him before he throws his arms wide, grinning and inviting.

Ryer rolls his eyes. He adjusts his weathered backpack for just a moment before he steps into Derek’s space and accepts the hug.

They part. Ryer brushes the dangly bit of his hair out of his face – it’s still there, and is actually longer now, though Ryer can’t bring himself to let his hair get long enough that he can tie it back with the rest. (He can’t keep it tied up for long, since he never gets out of the habit of running his hand through it. He always ends up knocking any ties out of his hair by accident. But he does do so on occasion if he has reason to.)

“Long time no see,” Ryer says passively. “How’s everyone?”

“Everyone’s great!” Derek eagerly reports. “Come on in. Make yourself at home.” He vacates the doorway so that Ryer can obey, which he does graciously, dropping his bag and kicking off his shoes in the entryway and beelining for Derek’s couch.

Derek can only chuckle at him. He must be exhausted. “How’re you?” Derek asks.

Ryer lifts his head. It’s all there on his face. Not the kind of tiredness that comes from lack of sleep, but the kind that comes from a busy, busy day. Or many of them. Derek can’t even imagine being on the road for as long as Ryer is, and that’s not even counting the actual shows he participates in and helps set up.

But even with the tiredness, Ryer smiles. Content is the best word for it. Nothing less.

“Good,” Ryer answers simply. “I’m going to sleep for a week, but I’m good.”

“The tour was fun, then?”

“Oh, yeah. Tons. And I heard you had fun, too. Is Jamie still doing alright?”

Derek pauses in the kitchen, just for a moment. “Yeah, he’s good,” Derek says. “He was kind of sad that he missed you. Liz, too. She managed to visit for a day when Jamie was here.”

Ryer hums. “So, the Lasts were all back together? Good for them. Must’ve been nice.”

…Is Ryer actually ignorant, or…? It’s a hard thing for Derek to bring up, especially right now, but if Ryer isn’t just avoiding it and actually doesn’t realize how the Lasts feel about him…

“…Yeah,” Derek says carefully. “Though… it didn’t feel like… everyone.”

“Ah…” Ryer sighs. “Was Jamie upset?”

“A little,” Derek admits.

“Sorry. It really was just a last-minute opportunity,” Ryer mumbles. “I didn’t mean to miss Jamie’s visit.”

“He understands,” Derek says. “Don’t worry. It was a good opportunity. None of us would’ve wanted you to miss it.”

“Still,” Ryer says, “I should try to make it up to him. Hey… do you know what he’s doing on Saturday?”

Saturday? “Uh? I don’t think he’s doing anything? But he can’t come back so soon.”

“Nah, not to come back, but Archetype and I are planning a kind of… celebration? For finishing our tour. Since the tour couldn’t have happened without the fans, we thought it’d be appropriate to do a little livestream for everyone. Jamie could listen, if he has the time?”

Gathering the food up on the plates, Derek grins. “I think he would’ve listened anyway. What’re you doing? Just a concert, basically?”

Ryer grins, and it’s mischievous in a way that sets Derek’s heart. “No, we just did a whole bunch of those! You can find video of a lot of them. Nah, we’re going to record a kind of special cover album together.”

“Yeah? How’s that work?”

Ryer, seeing Derek with the plates, gets back up to join him at the counter, even taking one of the plates so Derek doesn’t have to serve it himself.

“Remember when we were kids and we’d go to the beach and sing around a campfire?” Ryer asks, smiling. “I was telling the others about that, and somewhere along the way we had the idea to do a sort of… campfire session. Go down to the beach, just us, some instruments – only things anyone could bring. A guitar, a ukulele, some kind of shaker, maybe? Things like that. Really strip down the music and have an acoustic session. Unedited, or very lightly. Just friends around a fire having fun. We think our fans would like that.”

“That sounds awesome,” Derek breathes. “I’ve always loved when you do that kind of thing.”

“A lot of people do.” Ryer shrugs. “Acoustic sessions are more… intimate. Mathias and I were even talking about doing a studio session with just us two. Really strip it all down. But Saturday is a celebration, so it’ll be the whole band just enjoying themselves.”

“What are you going to play?”

Ryer winks. “That’s a surprise. I picked half the setlist, Archetype agreed on the rest. Should be ten songs total. We’ll be going back and forth. Ironically, one of the ones I’m most excited about is one of their picks.”

“Really?” Derek leans in. “Come on, you got to tell me at least that one.”

Ryer grins. “I’ll give you two,” he says. “The one I’m super excited about is going to be mostly Mathias. You heard, Slow, Love, Slow by Nightwish?”

“I haven’t.”

“Honestly, Nightwish has such an incredible lineup, but that’s got to be one of my favorites. And then Mathias is taking advantage of this to do a duet with me that we’ve been teasing each other about for a while. That’s Battle Cries from The Amazing Devil.”

“Isn’t that a love song? With that old geezer?”

Ryer snorts. “Sort of? It’s sort of a breakup song. But our personalities are perfect for it, so… just be glad he didn’t choose Fair. And he’s not that old.”

Derek laughs. “Well, be sure you let Jamie know when you plan on streaming that. I’ll have to watch, too.”

“If you’re free, you’re welcome to come,” Ryer says casually, shrugging into his meal. “The whole stream should only be an hour – an hour and a half or so? We’ll just be hanging out for at least some time afterwards, and honestly, we’ll probably sing more, too, so you’re more than welcome to join.”

“I’d love to. That sounds like so much fun. That’s Saturday?”

“Mhm. Probably in the evening. Towards sunset, or even at night.”

Derek bites his lip, thinking hard. There’s still nearly a whole week until Saturday. He has Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday completely free… And he doesn’t think Ryer’s up to anything really except maybe rehearsal for this campfire session livestream.

“I’ll be there,” Derek says. “What are you up to in the meantime?”

“Not much,” Ryer admits, stretching languidly. “I’ve got to do some social media hyping, make sure everyone knows this campfire session is happening, but other than that it’s just the usual practice.”

“Then,” Derek says, “want to do something tomorrow?”

“Like what?”

Good question. Derek’s plan to go to the water park with Jamie falls through for the business luncheon for his dad, so he does still want to go sometime. Ah, but, “Well… You probably don’t want to go out and do some big thing since you just got back, so… we could settle in and watch Disney movies?”

“You want to have a lazy day in?” Ryer raises his brow.

“I can have a lazy day in if I want to,” Derek protests proudly.

“We’ll see about that. Sure, I’m down. Maybe I just shouldn’t leave tomorrow.”

Oh, please. In an effort to not sound desperate as all hell, Derek keeps that pleading thought to himself. Still, he rubs his neck awkwardly and bites his lip, wondering how to approach the next topic.

“By the way,” Derek says eventually, “Jamie reminded me of something.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. This summer is… ten years since that first summer when we met.”

“Ten years, huh?” Ryer hums. It takes a second. Just one second where he turns his attention back to his food and takes another bite, then his eyes blow wide. He chokes down his mouthful, then stammers, “Wait… ten years?”

Now blushing, Derek slowly nods.

“Holy shit. You’re talking about… that, right?”

Again Derek nods.

Ryer runs a hand through his hair, then nervously tugs at the bandanna tied tight around his neck. “The deal…” he murmurs. “Shit, you’re actually still single?”

“…What?”

“How the hell are you still single?”

“Uh, Ryer?”

Ryer closes his eyes to measure a breath. “Sorry. No, I’m fine. Totally fine. I just… didn’t expect we’d actually end up here. I guess we should… talk about it?”

That would be for the best. “Yeah,” Derek says, releasing his own held breath. “I-”

“Hold on,” says Ryer suddenly, shifting in his seat to fully face Derek. All sincerity on his face. “Just- you don’t have to, you know. We were teenagers and… honestly pretty stupid when we made that deal. I’m not going to hold you to anything.”

Derek blinks, then he laughs. Loud and clear. “I was just about to say that to you!”

“Wha- huh?”

Swallowing down his nerves, Derek steels himself. “Actually, I want to say something first, if that’s alright.” Ryer tensely nods. Derek breathes in. “So… yeah, the deal was really stupid. I think that goes without saying now that we’re actual adults. But… I’m glad that we made it. I think we made it for the right reasons. I’m… kind of proud of little me. Even though I know he was just running away and buying time… he might’ve done it for stupid reasons, but it was the right thing to do at the time.”

“I agree,” Ryer says, surprising Derek. Ryer laughs a little weakly. “Again, I never thought we’d actually have to face up to the terms of the deal, but… putting a date there, even one so far away… respecting both of our time and our feelings… it put things into perspective for me. It made it easier. I think I told you once that where I grew up, and when, I guess – things have changed so much – things like two boys dating just… didn’t happen. I didn’t know it was an option. Then, even when I met the Lasts and started figuring all that out, even after I’d realized I’m attracted to guys, it still never occurred to me that it was an option for me, if that makes any sense.”

“That makes perfect sense.”

“So, yeah. I’m really glad we made that deal. I’d never had anyone… respect my feelings like that? I guess? And… and honestly… it’s kind of embarrassing to admit, but… there were times throughout these ten years that I’ve thought… ‘Is this the kind of person that I want to stick Derek with?’ The deal sort of inspired me to be my favorite me. One I’d be proud to present to you when the day came like, ‘This is it. This is what was worth ten years.’ You know?”

Derek doesn’t know how to feel. Partly he’s so beyond flattered and flustered to hear Ryer admit all this, but also… he knows exactly what Ryer is saying. “Yeah,” Derek says. “I do. There were times that I thought the same. Knowing there was someone waiting for me inspired me to be better. To be good enough for you.” Derek might even have taken that too far, but regardless, he knows the feeling. “And, Ryer… what I really want to say is… I still like you. I never stopped. And teenage me passed the buck on this one – and I can respect that. I do think in hindsight it was a smart move, even though my reasons were stupid. But I’m not going to move the goalpost again.”

Derek breathes deeply and looks into Ryer’s dark eyes. “Our deal says that, at the end of the summer, we should get married. I say… forget the deal.”

Ryer’s eyes widen. Derek doesn’t give him time to express whatever flashes across his face, or even figure out whether it’s good or bad.

“Ryer Finch,” Derek says, forcing a smile, and feeling happy even beneath all his nerves, that he’s finally doing this, “with absolutely no deal, or pact, or obligation to do so… will you go out with me?”

Ryer sucks in a breath.

“I want…” Derek admits hesitantly. “I want you to choose me. Not to run out of time and end up with me. And I want you to be honest. I want you to choose what you’ll be happy with, not suffer through some attempt at something because of a deal. So…”

“Yeah.” Ryer sounds like he’s run a marathon. A little stronger, and with a surprise reappearance of his accent that he’s mostly rid of (and which, shamefully, kind of does things for Derek) he repeats, “Yeah, I, uh… yes. Honestly… I figured out my feelings a long time ago.” His eyes go everywhere but Derek. “Surprise! Kissing you back then definitely meant I liked you. Like you. Still, that is. Uh… Hm. I’m horrible at this.”

Derek laughs. “Does that mean tomorrow can be a date?”

Pink colors Ryer’s cheeks. “…Sure?”

Derek leans in closer, so his face is near Ryer’s. He might not ordinarily be so forward, but he’s learning to allow himself to do things he wants to, plus… Ryer is the one that crosses this line first. At least Derek will do it properly. He grins giddily, exuberant, and asks, “Does that mean I can kiss you?”

He feels an unreasonable burst of pride as he watches Ryer’s eyes dart down to his lips. “Yeah,” Ryer says, soft and quiet. “Please.”

Derek wastes no more time in doing what he wishes he’d been doing for the last ten years.

[darling-i-read-it]

Can you please do a hc character when reader gets hurt with Jay Gatsby, Tony Stark, Jack Thompson, Atticus Finch, and Stephen Strange? Thank you, and it’s fine if you say no! :)

(Also I’m pretty sure the limit was five, if it’s not I’m sorry and you can cut off like Stephen or Jay or something)

I haven’t written for jack since I watched the show years ago to bear with me if it’s bad lmao

- literally had zero chill

- is screaming at everyone to make sure that they get you to a hospital

- drives like a madman to get you there

- his only highlight is that his voice is always calm to you, without fail

- the whole way there he’s reassuring you that everything will be alright, that you will be alright, that when this is all over he can get you a new car or something

- but to everyone else he’s throwing hands

- if you have surgery he paces around like he’s the one who may die

- Nick knows not to try and calm him; there’s no use

- he brings you back home as soon as he can and sets up a whole room for you

- bribes everyone he can

- you end up having to tell him to calm down which is the only time he can

- peak worry

- he acts very chill and most people probably can’t tell that he’s so worried deep down but he IS

- it’s high key very sweet when he trips over his words, reassures you, tries to keep himself in check and help you

- does everything in his power to fix it immediately

- literally you could have a paper cut and he’d pull something out of his suit to fix it

- he was always worried about you working with him regardless because you could get hurt

- so when you did it was the most insane he’s ever been

- doesn’t let anyone else help you unless he knows they are qualified (highest doctors he can find and such)

- he’s your advocate in every instance

- Jack is very concerned which surprises literally everyone around him

- no matter how little it is he gets immediately concerned and goes into mother hen mode which he would do with no one but you

- because he was in the war and he’s seen his partners die in his current job it made him considerably worried

- and he was also semi able to help you

- he had an understanding about how to keep you safe and that made him feel better, having control over the situation

- you’re never able to feel unsafe with him despite the fact that he is losing his shit

- stays with you the whole time

- makes sure that you’re okay and gets you everything you need

- but prepare for him giving a couple sarcastic quips because he will give them

- c a l m

- absolutely calm

- it calms you and everyone around you also which makes the situation held very well

- he acts like he knows what to do and he’s so convincing when he speaks

- he is so worried internally

- tells scout or calpernia to call for help and stays by your side

- he’s able to negotiate with everyone to make sure you get the best treatment

- when you come out of it is when he expresses his concern and only then

- but still puts on a brave face for you

- every time

- looks calm and is calm

- he cares about you deeply but he’s a doctor first and foremost so he knows how to handle this situation

- it’s when he can tell it’s looking fatal when his composure shakes

- he can only help you so much with his magic and his doctorate

- he’s so worried that you are just gonna die in his care and while he’s watched people die before you would tear him to pieces

- the thought of it makes him want to throw up

- so part of him wants to hand you off to someone else but he knows he would die if you died under someone else’s care

- so he does everything he can and it works

- every time without fail

- afterwards he will stay with you and take care of you and chastise you

- but you knew he was scared

[nosignalformiles]

GET TO KNOW THE MUN

name: Seamus

nickname: Shay

faceclaim: I don't use one atm, but the last one was Bagpuss, and before that Steve from Blues Clues

pronouns: He/him (Chill with they but not for constant use)

height: 5ft5 Short king.

birthday: 20th December

aesthetic: At the moment? Agoraphobic gay wizard. (Leopard print robe.)

last song you listened to: Viðrar Vel Til Loftárása - Sigur ros

favorite muse(s) you've written: Out of past muses: Raum. He was a remake of an OC I made up when I was 13. A guilty by association fallen angel who had been young and couldn't really remember it. He was a weird thing. Yeeted people, stole things constantly, bothered everyone, got really attached to a tank of seamonkeys. Just a fun no brain needed to write character. Current muses: Cyren.

GETTING TO KNOW THE ACCOUNT

what inspired you to take on this muse?

Lockdown and boredom and isolation. This blog specifically, though? Wanted something completely new, I like creating settings and connected narratives. Originally this was like stepping past my long running connected universe and making something new, but now it's sort of part of it.

what are your favorite aspects of your current muse?

I like Cyren’s contradictions. He wants to make things miserable, but he’s drawn/under a compulsion to help and protect. He acts like he doesn’t give a fuck while clinging violently to the people he sees as family.

Issa’s absolute certainty that THEY'RE FINE while everything is coming apart.

Nish’s absolute riotous anger at what’s in his way, zero filter, suffers no fools attitude.

Favorite thing with Aster is how lost he is, how young and floundering, and desperate.

Valentine threw away a life of relative ease and comfort for someone he loved, to prove he can make a difference against a tyrant, without realizing that his focus on revenge and control will twist his aims and desires into something awful. What’s not to love about that?

Tadhg is fluffy baby.

Oriol is like... waiting. He’s waiting for something to make sense enough to him to ditch all the shit he doesn’t care about but has to do. He’s the person who’d kill and be killed for even the chance at more. That Potential yall

Favorite thing wth Wynn is when his like cheeky shit head stuff comes out in an argument or conversation. Cause he’s had to ignore and hide so much of that to get by.

Finch! Oh my god. He’s awful. I love him. Best bit by far is how fucking childish and unaware of other people he is. It both sucks to write and is great, cause it’s like you know what a reasonable mature adult would do. He’s doing the opposite, and you get to watch it go to shit.

Jay. My boy. So fucked up. Favorite aspect by far is that he’s the softest mother fucker. Sweetest little bastard who learnt to be anything but because he had to be.

Felix. Favorite aspect of this fucker? The adaptability. Yeah he’ll always have some of the same attitude, but he can and will play any role and act any way. Chameleon muses are fun.

who is your current fc?

I don’t like writing it in posts cause it makes them show up in tumblr searches! All of that’s on the muse bios

what's your biggest inspiration when it comes to writing?

Genuinely think everything you consume will influence your writing in one way or another, and pinpointing a single inspiration is very difficult. But Wellspring I can give an answer for. The village I live near atm is also a big part of the visual inspiration, and the maypole in the town center that Cyren’s body is buried over was inspired by the village I went to primary school in.

Favorite types of threads?

Any where Big Things are happening. Which is so vague, but it’s the best I can do. I ike big character moments and big plot moments. The inbetween is awesome, but the big is my favorite. The cathartic break down, the first I love you, the survival in a dire situation, the discovery of something about their world or themselves in thread form, for either muse but preferably for both. The Big Things.

Tagged by: @ofmagicallonging

Tagging: Anyone who wants to do this but hasn’t been tagged yet! Tag me in it! :D

[abigail-abridged-summaries]

So about the All the Bright Places Movie

Yikes that was legitimately one of the worst book to movie adaptations that I've ever seen. I was actually really excited to see the movie; I made plans with my friend to watch it with her because she read the book and I reread the book in anticipation.

Literally from the beginning it was bad. Why couldn't they find a bell tower? That is such an iconic part of the movie. Scene one and we were both already screaming at the screen.

Uh so aparently they couldn't use the quotes mentioned in the book that they sent to each other. That annoyed me so much.

The fact that they went to the shoe tree before Finch dies and that they have the audacity to mention the drive in but never show it and then use the "I was here - TF" from the drive in in the book at the church, which let me mention was not there and was actually at the paint ball.

So instead of going to the Purina tower and we get to hear all about the Jovian-Plutonian gravitational effect and Bookmarks where they real Oh the Places You'll Go and discuss the word "lovely" no we get none of the most iconic things to come from this book.

Sending Finch to the suicide survivor group didn't really make sense since he barely mentions suicide and his facination with methods and suicide notes is never mentioned. Also he never takes the pills and runs to the hospital. I understand not wanting that to be in the movie, it would be very upsetting but still he seemed really out of place there. I understand it was mostly to bring Amanda into the suicide conversation. One good thing I will give this movie is that they have Violet talk to Amanda and it is a good way of starting a conversation.

I can't think of a nice way to say this since I'm hella ranting right now but there was absolutely zero build up to Finch killing himself. Like they had a pretty small fight and he took off for what seemsd like a couple days and then killed himself. There was almost no wondering where he is or thinking he might come back.

But the real nail in the coffin was when the credits started rolling. The fact that the author was credited as a coauthor of the screenplay horrified me. This movie on so many points missed the book. Maybe as a stand alone it may have held but not in comparison to the book. Considering my friend (that read the book, though was a year ago) was confused by plot points, it may not work on its own. In conclusion, I hated the movie.

[oceanwaterheart]

* I’m not sure if this will be my last post on the matter or not, so for anyone who follows me and isn’t interested in seeing anymore of my rambles about Grey’s, I will be tagging every post so feel free to blacklist “Grey’s Anatomy”.

I read somewhere on Twitter that the writer of this individual Grey’s episode was Elizabeth Finch and not Krista Vernoff, therefore they anger and frustration many fans are feeling shouldn’t be directed at Vernoff.

It was also noted that Finch also wrote “Silent All These Years”, which many agree was an absolutely brilliant episode.

So here’s the thing. Vernoff is the showrunner. She is responsible for coming up with and greenlighting overall plot arch’s and content. Individual episode writers like Finch simply flesh it all out. They’re responsible for the actual scripts.

“Leave a Light On” was a technically brilliant episode. It was written beautifully. It wasn’t the writing that was the source of frustration, it was solely the fact that Alex went back to Izzie. That plot point would absolutely have been Vernoff’s decision. Hence why she’s the target of all the frustration right now.

This being said, no one should be threatening her or calling her disgusting names. She is a human being with a job, and just because she’s not doing it in a way people are loving at the moment, doesn’t mean she deserves death threats.

However, fans also deserve to express their frustration (as long as it excludes threatening violence and being unnecessarily rude). What she created went completely against a character 16 years in the making, and that’s why it comes across as such a betrayal to fans.

I myself am furious with what happened. I think Grey’s lost their minds in hiring Vernoff back, and I think she ruined the show.

But one area I do have to give her credit in is that she hasn’t responded to a single frustrated fan with a defence on why their opinion is wrong. (Not to my knowledge anyway.)

The whole point of having a fan base and thus the whole point of having content is so that said fan base can interact with it. That’s where reviews come in. As a writer, you have zero control over how your audience interprets your content, and part of the job is just sucking it up and dealing with that. And that’s what Vernoff has been doing from what I’ve seen.

But she absolutely is the one that made this plot point happen. It’s not on Justin Chambers for leaving, it’s not on Shonda Rhimes for creating the show, it’s not on Elizabeth Finch for being the writer of this individual episode. It’s on Krista Vernoff, as the showrunner.

I think something a lot of people need to stop doing, is telling each other how to feel and how to react. Short of reminding each other not to threaten Vernoff (or anyone else for that matter) with violence, we’re all pretty much entitled to feel however we want.

It’s taken me a few days (and I’m in no way over it, not will I ever be; I don’t think I’m gonna watch any more episodes of the show, personally) but I am glad that there are some fans who are happy with the episode. Before she left him in such a despicable manner, I was a pretty big Izzie/ Alex shipper myself (even though I never liked Izzie as an individual). The fact that for those fans that stayed shippers all this time got what they wanted is at least something.

But then in turn, those of you that are happy with where things ended, have to try to understand why so many of us aren’t. Why this feels like a betrayal, why it was ruining years of character development, etc.

[lyntendoswitch]

At the tail end of 2020 I discovered the video content of Tim Rogers who has inspired me to also voice my game opinions in an unnecessarily verbose and personal way. I don’t recommend clicking on the read more, but if you’d like to read a little bit about the best games I played this year, go on ahead.

10. What Remains of Edith Finch 9. A Short Hike 8. Disco Elysium 7. Personal 5 The Royal 6. Persona 3 Dancing In Moonlight 5. Vestaria Saga War of the Scions 4. Ring FIt Adventure 3. Final Fantasy 7 Remake 2. Hades 1. Animal Crossing New Horizons

2020 found me with an unprecedented amount of free time. I spent most of this year working for the government (a job with a very small brain effort that left me with evenings and weekends free to do whatever the hell). Additionally, I spent most of the year in quarantine with video games as my true, real friend and life companion. Compiling this list gave me more titles than ever to choose from, so I feel better about my list than ever. So here are the best games that I played this year.

Before I get into the top 10 I want to give 4 honourable mentions.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim This is the most recent game I played since making this list. I loved so many things about this game - the soft art style, the harsh music, the convoluted crazy plot. I love the aesthetic of this game and loved the characters - I believe it is rare to have an anime game where none of the characters irritate you. I even loved the combat, although I did not think I would. Something about shooting so very many missiles is so satisfying even when you don’t exactly know what is going on in the screen. The final battle in this game was definitely my favourite moment in this game - it was stressful, it was engaging, it was so extremely fun. The tragedy of this game comes down to personal taste. All time travel stories with complex timelines are bound to fall apart eventually, because no writer can keep all the threads together in a logical sense. 13 sentinels had so many story beats, plot twists, betrayals, and sci-fi tropes crammed into their storyline that I knew halfway through the story that there was no way they would be able to resolve all of it in a fulfilling way. I was, unfortunately, right - the ending explanation for all the chaos is, in my (correct) opinion, extremely lame. However, I certainly had fun on the journey.

Fire Emblem 3 Houses: Ashen Demons DLC I did not place this on my ranking since it is not really fleshed out enough to be considered its own game (unlike in previous years, where I have confidently but the Splatoon 2 Octoling Expansion as a separate title from Splatoon 2). However, this blog is, above all else, a Fire Emblem stan account, and I will not NOT talk about Fire Emblem. I do not care for the Abyss house. I think the characters are too close to being plucked out of the Fire Emblem Fates universe for comfort, and I mean this to be as profound an insult as possible. These characters are gimmicks above all else. I also do not care for the expanded lore that the sewer city brings to Garreg Mach. The idea of a centralized church school army is already so unstable, and to have a population of rat people living under it makes the whole foundation of the world crumble a little. However, the story and gameplay of the Ashen Demons DLC added something that the base game did not, which is challenge. (As an aside, I play on normal mode and am aware that there is challenge available to me if I wish for it.) FE3H offers you so many characters, so many paralogues, so many opportunities for training and stat increases, that eventually plot missions become completely boring. Ashen demons limiting everyone to new and interesting classes, limiting your available units, and preventing any sort of training made the chapters fun again. I found the chapter where you were supposed to outrun a golem before some gates closed fun as hell - it was my favourite part of the entire side story. 

Kentucky: Route Zero I played this game in February, and I remember not liking it at any point. It is confusing, disorienting, and lacked a clear goal. However, it has now been 10 months and I still think about it constantly - both the vignettes presented in it, and the way it made me feel. The Besties podcast made an excellent point about this game when they said that no one who plays this game ever compares it to other games - only books, movies, or paintings. The whole game is so fascinating and sticks with you - the wretched circle of a highway, the horse funeral. My favourite part is the live performance you attend at a run down diner with your party of four as the only audience. It is so quiet and contemplative and melancholy, and the scene is absolutely perfect. Kentucky Route Zero might be my favourite high concept artsy abstract artwork ever.

Blaseball As with everyone, it is difficult to call Blaseball a game. As the website says, it is a cultural event that I am so happy to participate in. I am so happy to have found a piece of media to fill the aching void that left by Homestuck when it ended, then re-opened the wound with their awful post-epilogue novel. I deleted my Twitter account this summer because I was tired of being angry and doomscrolling. And then, after Chris Plante on the Besties told me about Blaseball, I happily remade a Twitter account that only followed the official Blaseball account, the devs, and the numerous RP accounts. The quality of life improvement that having simulated, pleasant, hilarious social media to check every day is indescribable. It helped me cope with a rough life transition. Thank you, Blaseball. My favourite moment of 2020 is the 11pm boss battle of Shoe Thieves vs The Shelled One’s Pods.

And now....... The List.

10. What Remains of Edith Finch The start of 2020 was incredible because games journalism websites were churning out endless top 10 lists for both the end of 2019 as well as the end of the decade. I religiously picked through all of these lists and wrote down a list of 30 best indie games of this past decade that I missed out on for whatever reason. It was my first and last experience with a backlog - previously, I would simply impulse purchase games I really wanted to play, and I would not rest until the game is beaten. Having a backlog of things to try stressed me out endless and it dampened the impact of almost all of these quirky 1-6 hour indie experiences. However, not even the stress of meeting a self-imposed quota could dampen the impact of What Remains of Edith Finch. Exploring this house and playing through its various scenarios was so fascinating and beautiful. For me, the most impactful moment of the game was playing as the little girl who became an owl who became a sea serpent. That was when I realized I was not playing something that I would be thinking about for a very long time.

9. A Short Hike A Short Hike was the very first game I played off my backlog list of Best Indie Games. And boy, is it ever. This game takes 2 hours to finish but is absolutely saturated with heart and the exploration makes those 2 hours feel like you have been on a much longer and more fulfilling journey than you believed possible with so few hours. It is Animal Crossing and Legend of Zelda combined, condensed, and polished into a beautiful pearl. I was so instantly in love with the characters and loved doing the little side quests. I also loved getting totally lost because I wanted to see how far I could swim and ended up on a different part of the island. The most impactful moment of this game is its finale, which I won’t spoil, but it is absolutely incredible.

8. Disco Elysium Many people more eloquent than me have said great things about Disco Elysium, and they are all correct. As someone who loves character building and creating a character to roleplay instead of playing as myself in a game, I have never been more enabled to do just that than Disco Elysium. The mystery was so cool, the mechanics are exactly what I like, the exploration is great. The one drawback of this game is that I literally cannot remember a single song from it. Maybe it had an amazing OST? Every game that is released nowadays has to have an amazing OST. There is so much reading in this game that the music really has to be unintrusive, and so it faded right into the background and out of my memory. I love that you could create your own persona in the game, but that you find your identification later and discover who you were before. Also, I would die for Kim Kitsuragi. The finale of this game also kicks ass - I will not spoil it but there is a moment that is so quiet and intimate that it took my breath away. What an amazing experience.

7. Persona 5: The Royal In 2017, I did something that is not the deciding factor, but definitely contributed to, my being sent to hell after I die. I was in an unhappy relationship and really wanted out, but my boyfriend at the time had a PS4 and I did not, and I really wanted to play Persona 5. As such, when he got the game and I borrowed it, I tried to finish it as quickly as possible so that I could give it back and break up with him. To my dismay, Persona 5 is upwards of 80 hours long, and I was burned out long before it was over. I finished the game with such resentment in my heart that I could not fathom why anyone would like it. As someone who is older, wiser, PS4-er, and in a better mental state, I decided to give P5R a try. Playing the remake at a much slower pace and really contemplating the story and characters made for a totally different and much more pleasant experience. I finally was able to shed my dislike for these characters who held me hostage 3 years ago and really appreciate them. Additionally, the new content they added to the original was SO good. The new music in Mementos makes that whole section bearable!! Akechi’s entirely reworked social link!! Maruki is one of Atlus’s most interesting characters, and the final dungeon was so so so interesting!! I am profoundly sad that I can’t recommend this game to anyone because 120 hours is just prohibitively long. Most impactful moment: when Akechi joins the party and he is like, totally feral, lol

6. Persona 3: Dancing In Moonlight Every once in a while my palms start to itch because it has been entirely too long since I’ve played a rhythm game. This palm itch feeling sunk me deep into Theatrhythm Final Fantasy back in 2017, and this feeling forced me to impulse buy Persona 3 Dance. I am furious that I liked this game so much, because I know it was created simply to extract money from fools like me. The story was so blatant about it! “It’s a dream, ok? We’re all dancing because it’s a dream and none of this matters. Go play a song, idiot.” I’m not even angry at this - I almost respect the hustle. Additionally, it was so wonderful to hang out with the Persona 3 crew again. I did also play Persona 5 Dancing in Starlight, but since I had already spent a hundred and twenty hours with the phantom thieves, there was no feeling of being reunited like with P3D. Also, in my mind palace, I consider P3D to have “actually happened”, and P5D to be the money grab hustle. S.E.E.S. is a cohesive unit. If Mitsuru Kirijo says it is time to dance, then dance we shall. I cannot be made to believe that Ryuji, Futaba, or Makoto will be compelled to dance even in a dream. Finally, having Elizabeth as your velvet room attendant did wonders. If there is a line between being a loveable eccentric and being annoying, Elizabeth tiptoes just around the former, whereas the twins are squarely located in the latter. The remixes in P3D also all kick ass (Burn My Dread Novoiski Mix? Deep Mentality Lotus Juice Mix?? Neither had any right to go as hard as they did), and I loved how they personalized the dance styles to the characters’ personalities. Even if this game was a money grabber, it was still made with love and respect for the series, and I loved playing it.  Most impactful moment: That first king crazy ranking on all night difficulty... god damn

5. Vestaria Saga: War of the Scions I had mentioned earlier that I appreciated the FE3H DLC for adding challenge back into 3 houses, but then I played Vestaria Saga and I realized I simply did not remember what challenge actually was. Vestaria Saga, the game by Fire Emblem’s creator, is the hardest Fire Emblem game I’ve ever played. This game honestly rules - it closes its door to the waifus of modern fire emblem games and is a return to form with political intrigue and smart tactical decisions and well-rounded characters. Every single chapter has these wonderful and deeply stressful plot twists and you always have to scramble to get all of the objectives complete without dying. There is a moment in this game where the main Lord, Zade, scolds princess Athol for being so reckless, how he had to force the army to fight a losing battle to rescue her, and look at how exhausted everyone is. He gestures to his army, and for the first time in a tactical RPG, I felt it. In all the fire emblems I play, my units end up being able to dodge and tank any hits they receive, but in Vestaria Saga finishing a map was a stressful, long, and sweaty process. I loved every second of playing this game - it is so rewarding in its gameplay and so rewarding in its story. Most impactful moment: the kiss!!! And how all of them face consequences immediately afterwards!!! I adore this game.

4. Ring Fit Adventure Ring Fit Adventure is the most fun I’ve ever had with a gimmicky fitness game. This game finally understands that they key to continuing with the game and building good habits is the ability to unlock and equip beautiful athleisure clothing. I actually got gains from Ring Fit Adventure, and I know this because I stopped playing it for a month, came back, and was unable to finish the reps at the difficulty I set for myself. This game make gym stuff so genuinely fun in a way that no one else has been able to do. I also really like the feel of the ring con! I have a few moderate complaints about it (a fitness game will never be perfect, unfortunately): you always start reps on the same side, and if you kill enemies then you don’t get a chance to try the other side at all, the motion sensor on yoga poses is wack, and FUCK the robot baseball minigame game to hell. Despite this, I absolutely adore this game and what it stands for. I may never beat the campaign, but it will always have a place in my heart. Most impactful moment: the first fight with Drageaux

3. Final Fantasy 7 Remake I was so so so curious about the hype surrounding this game that in the month before its release I manically played through the original Final Fantasy 7 so that I would have enough background information to be able to play and enjoy the remake. I was very glad I did. FF7R kicks ass. It is my favourite Final Fantasy game ever, and maybe it will always be so. I take a lot of issue with most FF games because they get too cosmically big and ridiculous and nonsensical by the end and that ruins the immersion of the story for me. Since FF7R only covers the Midgar portion of the original, it is forced to create grounded characters and a grounded, smaller scale story. And it is AMAZING. I loved every single minute of this game. The OST is incredible, and the art in it is absolutely unbelievable. I love how they incorporated random encounter enemies in this more realistic version. Also the dialogue!!! The way these characters banter with each other is so life-like and true to character that it boggles my mind. Even the NPC side conversations - never has a city or town felt so alive and filled with people than in FF7R. The ending of this game filled me with PRIMAL fear for the future, but it is so clear that the team making this game loves the world and its characters so much that I cautiously say I trust them to take the story further in the later remakes. Most impactful moment: Cloud saying “bring it on bitch” to an enemy made me black out laughing

2. Hades I generally stay away from rogue-likes and from real-time combat because for a game-liker I SURE am bad at video games. However, everything Supergiant Games ever makes seems tailor made for me, so when Hades came out of early access I bought it, and then I didn’t stop playing it until 80 hours later when I had unlocked everything ever. This game is SO good. The voice acting and storytelling is phenomenal. They did a spectacular job blending the story with the core gameplay elements. They made dying in a rogue-like fun and rewarding. The music is (as always) transcendent. I cannot say enough good things about Hades. Most impactful moment: a tie between the first time you watch the sunrise after your first successful escape, and the romance social link between Zagreus and Thanatos

1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons Of course... Death Stranding may have prophesized the pandemic, but Nintendo created it to sell copies Animal Crossing New Horizons. This game saved all of us. The experience of having so many people I knew playing the same game all the time for the entirety of March and April was so incredible. I have plenty of quips about ACNH with relation to old games in the series (I loathe crafting, I loathe printing out Nook Miles Tickets one by one, and I worry that the sandbox landscaping feel of this game makes me less inclined than ever to actually talk to my villagers), but while they are all valid criticisms, they certainly did not stop me from pouring 350 hours and counting into this game. I have loved slowly, carefully crafting my island into a replica of Garreg Mach. I have loved collecting furniture and making turnip money and completing the museum. There is simply no other game that can be 2020′s game of the year. Most impactful moment: checking your mail and having one of your friends mail you an item that reminded them of you

[kedreeva]

@gallusrostromegalus I have to assume you are talking about birds outside of psittacines (parrots, keets, cocktiels, etc), passerines (canaries, finches, etc), or   columbiformes, because those are all caged birds and would a) provide all the same benefits as a caged reptile, as they all have daily routines and cage cleaning and b) have social requirements for the most part. ESPECIALLY parrots or other highly intelligent birds like mynahs, who can often have intense daily care routines, to the point where they’re basically children... but children you can close in a cage and go out to dinner without, among other things.

So assuming you do not mean cage birds (and maybe a little even if you do), some reasons I keep peafowl:

someone to scream with

soft

so many feathers to collect and decorate with

they are idiots, and this pleases me greatly

they are clever little shits sometimes, and that pleases me greatly too

absolutely cannot predict them, which means Many Stories

beautiful

warm

basically dinosaurs, and sometimes you just need a dinosaur, emotionally

they are assholes, like cats, except if cats had wings and were bigger idiots

they are often extremely long lived, which means they are gonna be around to be assholes for a very long time, unlike some animals that go away after a few years because hearts only beat so long

they have social drama when kept in groups

the moment someone finds out you have peafowl, you become 85% cooler

following the above, you will always have something to talk about when someone wants to know how you are/what you’ve been doing; things which have absolutely nothing to do with your personal life, like who you are or are not dating, or what smutty gay fanfiction you are writing, or anything. It’s like a free pass out of conversations you don’t want to have

following the above- if someone knows you have birds, especially fowl, they will always feel secure in getting you items with that bird on it. This seems weird, but i feel like it reduces anxiety in others, which makes me feel better.

Following the above again, basically no one knows anything about birds, so if you ever need out of something, you can just be like oh man. oh no. I have to do x for the birds today, it’s gotta be today, so sorry about that, can’t do the thing, and people don’t even question it, they’re just like Yes that sounds reasonable birds are probably like that. which is, some might say, deceitful but also sometimes you just don’t want to go to a party that’s super loud with a lot of people or to go see 50 relatives that are all bigots that will drink a lot and talk about sports you don’t care about at all.

they will judge you for 100% free, no charge. you don’t get to know what the criteria or results are, tho, but who doesn’t like free stuff

They will also inspect anything you show them, and judge that too. One of my peacocks will walk to the mailbox with me, and inspect all of my mail for me every day. Again I don’t know what criteria he’s using, but it’s definitely judged “mail”

eggs; but like, not all the time

if you don’t eat the eggs, they turn into babies, which are SUPER cute

birds have Zero reason to befriend you, but sometimes they choose to do it anyway and unlike humans (who can be nice for many reasons and not all of them are nice) or dogs (who come pre-programmed to love basically everyone) or reptiles (who don’t really have the capacity), you know it’s because they genuinely want to do so.

you can just watch them doing their thing. you can come home from work and sit in the yard and watch them walk around and they don’t even care, it’s so peaceful

you instantly become the most amazing and interesting person in the world if you have their favorite treat, but you also can’t get away with teasing them for it because they will 100% ignore you and the treat if they believe their dignity is being compromised

there is something about watching a bird come running over to you to say hi that dogs just cannot compete with, it’s just not the same

no fur!

i cannot overstate how many feathers there are, if you like feathers you just really have to get a bird, there’s no other animal that will give you as many feathers to put in vases

and to answer your question for real though- they force you to chill. If you interact with a bird and you are high-strung, They Know. and unlike other animals that have been bred to domesticity to want to try to fix it, and unlike animals who cannot tell and don’t care, birds are big dumb mirrors. If you’re not calm, they’re not calm. So you learn to be calm. You learn to slow down for them. You have to learn their body language in order to interact with them, which I think in some ways is... I don’t want to say humbling, but it sort of is like that. You can’t really dominate a bird the way you can a dog, you can’t discipline them nearly the same if at all. You... i dunno. you have to be kind, and patient, and listen to them when they are telling you something (however they are telling it to you), or you lose their trust and cooperation and they hold GRUDGES. You have to work with their rules, you have to find middle grounds. You have to respect their boundaries. And they’re very clear about when you haven’t- you always know exactly where you stand with birds, which is kind of a relief after dealing with humans.

also u can do this: 

which I think is very important

I have a theory, that when people choose an animal to keep as a pet, they choose an animal whose personality and care routines complement and support a need of the human. Like getting a prescription for a psychosocial vitamin deficiency.

For example, I am a depressed and reclusive bitch, but taking the dog Charlie out for four walks a day is a great way to meet people and his outgoing little ass does most of the introductory small talk for me. Husbeast is a gregarious person who has difficulty maintaining his living space but the cat Mochi's housebound nature has kept him company during WFH and helped him figure out how to organize the living space to suit his needs (small mammals like rats and guinea pigs have much the same benefits). Everyone I know who keeps invertebrates and reptiles has self-care and time management difficulties but having to be responsible for a tank animal helps that.

The people I don't understand are Bird People. What psychosocial vitamin does bird provide?

[kyberled]

11. In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been? and 9 but instead of discussing his socioeconomic status while growing up, talk about the difference between how his upbringing with the jedi is different from his potential upbringing with his birthfather

Character Development Questions: Hard Mode

11. In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?

See, here’s the thing that’s really giving me trouble with answering this question: Braig is letting me know that he’s been afraid a few times, but it’s different kinds of fear. He’s been faced with the fear of his own death a number of times, though the biggest times he’s been faced with this so far have been in the battle he fights alongside Finch, and probably Order 66, though how much mortal danger he himself was directly in depends on the verse (though it’s never exactly a good position for him to be in). He’s had to face the fear of failure/not being good enough, which was at its strongest when it was getting close to his thirteenth birthday, and he still hadn’t found a master. He also had to face the fear of abandonment and being alone, which was strongest during the period of time when Obi-Wan was ‘dead’, in the Deception arc.

He was confronted with a fear he didn’t even know he had when the Geonosian parasites happened - the fear of having his autonomy taken away. Not being in control of his movements or speech was absolutely terrifying for him– And, I have to say, I think this is why he hasn’t actually used the Jedi Mind trick over the course of this blog (That, and the fact that he has so far been able to charm his way out of any situation aside from those involving Fox)? I mean, I’m quite sure he’s been trained in its use, and he’s done it before, but it almost never crosses his mind as a solution to problems - and it’s always a last resort for him (just above killing). He knows what it’s like to have your agency ripped away, and he wouldn’t wish it upon his worst enemy.

So, yes, he’s faced utter terror a few times. He always comes away thinking it’s his fault.

9. Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up? Tell Alex to break out the team jackets again folks

(WARNINGS FOR: Child abuse (verbal/emotional), suicide [Not graphic, just mentioned, but still], mentions of child death)

So I feel like the best way to really get the point across between how absolutely horrible his life under Eadric would be, is by comparing hypothetical scenarios to actual threads, headcanons, and interactions Rodi and I have done with Braig and Obi-Dad. It’s like night and day, really.

When Braig was a baby, Obi-Wan went out of his way to visit him. After long missions, Obi would make a beeline to go snuggle the bab as a way of therapy/cool-down, and has rushed through chores to get more smol time. Eadric, on the other hand, was barely around, even when Braig did live with him. He had a brand-new little son at home, and he spent most of his time either at work or shut away in his office at home. Braig didn’t even really have many memories of his father to lose when he came to the Jedi.

Adding on to that, Dadawan Obi would take Braig out of the nursery to go on little field trips relevant to kiddo’s interests, and go as far as to hide from nursery workers so as to not have to take Braig back before their field trip was properly completed. By the time Braig was still learning to walk and talk, and just getting the hang of toddling around, Obi knew Braig liked stars, and flowers, and being read to, and that one of the best ways to get him to sit still would be to read him a brand-new book he’d yet to see, and he knew what Braig was like with staff he didn’t like and the best way to get a grumpy bab to settle. He’d take Braig to the Temple gardens, to the archives to look at/play with holographic star charts, and has on at least one occasion sneaked the little one onto a starship so they could go stargazing without having to deal with the massive amounts of light pollution Coruscant puts out on the daily. When Braig was getting his first kyber crystals from Ilum, Obi made sure to comfort him before sending kiddo off to the caves and to wrap Braig in extra scarves and giving him a mug of tea to help him warm up. When Braig first made his sabers, Obi made time to give the kiddo a sparring match, though of course taking it easy. By the time Braig’s a teenager, Obi also knows that having his hair brushed/braided helps calm Braig down after  rough days/nights, and that when he gets anxious on missions or even just when they’re walking together it’s grounding for Braig to hold on to Obi’s sleeve, and there have even been times Obi will just hold his arm out to Braig cause he knows things are going south and Jedi or not this is a small child in very much not ideal conditions, so someone should probably make sure he’s at least a little bit okay for a change; He knows Braig likes riddles, and so will write them down in Braig’s journal for the kiddo to find and mull over on his off time; He knows Braig still likes flowers, and has taken the time on missions to let Braig look at, make notes on, and even find locals to ask if he can pick some flowers that they come across, though this is, of course, typically after missions where they haven’t been roughed up too badly and don’t need to rush back to Coruscant; He knows that Braig likes tea, and so will take him on trips to the tea shop to pick out a new flavour for them to try together…

The long and short of all of this is that Obi makes time to spend with Braig, and as a result knows what his interests are, and makes an effort to validate those interests. Those are two things that Eadric absolutely will not do. He comes home from work tired, irritated, and in a generally foul mood, and he does not have time to entertain every single flight of fancy his son happens to vomit in his direction. He’s actually said, to little, say, eight-year-old Braig that ‘[he’s] busy, and [has] far more important things to worry about than that– The Republic relies on [him], Braig. Open your eyes and stop being so selfish.’ And little Braig apologises with a mumbled ‘yes, sir, sorry, sir,’ and left; He’d wanted to show his father the flowers that had grown in some of the parks he saw on his way to school, but he can see why Eadric’s work would be more important than that (One of the nicer family droids asked, later, if Braig would like to go to the park with them, but he said no, and spent the rest of they day in his room. By the next day, the temperature had dropped, and the flowers were wilting, and he wondered if that, too, had something to do with his being selfish). Eadric and Braig hardly know each other, and when Braig gets older, they’ll go days, if not weeks, without speaking a single word to each other. Eadric doesn’t even know how Braig takes his caf in the morning (Doesn’t even know that Braig hates the taste of caf, but needs something to get him through the day). Braig, under Eadric, grows up learning to keep his eyes down and mouth shut, with literally no self-esteem and seeing Eadric as a terrifying stranger who just so happens to have complete control over Braig’s life.

Once, when Obi was brushing Braig’s hair to help him cool down from either a nightmare or a mission, I can’t remember which, he told Braig that he liked the length of his hair, and that it framed his face well and made him look ‘elegant and refined’. Braig’s hair is his favourite part of his appearance, hence why he grows it out, so he was quite pleased that Obi-dad thought it looked good, too. When Braig grows it out even longer (to the ridiculous length it is when he’s a grownup), in a verse where O66 never happened, Space Dad says that it not only suits Braig, but also reminds him of Qui-Gon, and goes on to say that he thinks Qui would be proud of Braig, too. And as you can imagine, kiddo (who was a grown man) was walking on air. He was thrilled.

When Braig, living under Eadric, started growing his hair out, he was told it made him look unkempt and ridiculous, and was made to sit while a droid shaved his head into a very close-cropped crew cut, so that he might ‘manage to be somewhat presentable’. Braig was absolutely miserable, he hated how it looked, it was awful and itchy and just another thing he’d managed to screw up. He wouldn’t grow it out again until he started rebelling for attention, and that just led to shouting matches and arguments and more forced-shavings (to the point where one droid would have to hold him down while another cut his hair - he got shaved nearly bald for that one). 

I actually posed this question to Rodi just for this ask, but I asked her, “If baby Braig told Obi-Wan all he wanted to do when he grew up was plant flowers, what would Obi say?” And she told me he’d ask what kind of flowers they’d be, and Braig said ‘I don’t know, pretty ones,’ and Obi replied that he was sure they’d be the prettiest flowers in the galaxy. 

When Braig said the same to Eadric, his father had said ‘Don’t be ridiculous, you’re going to be a soldier. Just like I am, just like my father was, and so on. We don’t need people to plant ‘flowers’, Braig - we have droids for that.’ And Braig had apologised as best he could, and thrown out the little cup of dirt he’d tried to plant a dandelion in.

Braig has absolutely zero problems coming to Obi-Wan with his problems, thoughts, or interests, because Obi-Dad has always made him feel safe and welcome to do so; Even as a teenager, he felt no shame in curling up next to Obi when nightmares get bad. He just feels safe with Dad. 

With Eadric, when nights get bad, Braig sleeps on a park bench. He doesn’t feel safe in his own house; He sneaks out at night and figures the Senate district is safe enough. If any of the Guard do tell him to move along, he might mumble out an apology, but he’ll go ‘loiter’ at a different park. He usually takes his time getting home, too, since he knows he’ll be in trouble when he gets home. He starts sleeping outside when he’s about thirteen/fourteen, starts getting kicked out of the house for ‘poor behaviour’ (the only way he can get any sort of sentient interaction, some days) when he’s late fourteen/fifteen. He has a pretty regular cycle of where he goes, but he always winds up going back home because he has nowhere else, nobody else, and no idea how to take care of himself. There are times he looks forward to sleeping in the park, just because sometimes one of the nicer clones will be on patrol and he can say hi to them without getting yelled at, and it’s pretty much the highlight of his week(s). If they tried to bring him back before he was ready, he’d bolt. Best he could, at least. He’s not in as good shape in any sense as he is in the canon verses, so they could probably catch him. 

(Speaking of lacking training, he’d be almost constantly overstimmed by the Force, since he would have no idea how to control it/throw up shields, and he’s probably gotten in trouble for accidental Force-mishaps before and just be very confused). 

if the guards found him after he bolted, and had to take him back by, say, airspeeder, when he’s older? He’d throw himself out. He’d rather become fast friends with the distant ground than be dragged back to Eadric. 

His ‘sweet sixteen’ with the Jedi/Obi-Wan involves waking up early to watch the sunrise with Space Dad, getting treated to some fancy tea, and then going about his day, perhaps getting well-wishes and even the odd gift from his friends/chosen family.

His sixteenth birthday with Eadric involves a closed coffin.

[luirlar]

HOLY SHIT. Kara has John, John has bombs attached to his chest, they have a virus of some sort. Flashbacks and present time events introduce a new big bad while sending off an old one. Everything looks very big and very bad in this episode, and it is great to watch. And I get a lot of John x Harold feelings, which is great to witness, I hope. This one is long but I am pretty happy with it. Buckle up.

I have watched the whole show before, so SPOILERS MIGHT HAPPEN. Big spoilers will be blanked out but references and irrelevant spoilers are going to be out in the open.

Last bits on POI: After months of looking for The Man in the Suit (I cannot ever overstate how ridiculous this nickname is to me), Donnelly finally catches on and catches up with Carter and Reese. He is ready to bring them to jail and then Kara Stanton rams a literal goddamn truck into the plot (and my heart), shoots Donnelly, and sedates John.

The episode opens exactly the moment where we left off. Carter’s phone rings: it’s Finch. Carter tells him that she thinks the woman who took John used to be his CIA partner, and just as she says this, Finch enters the latest number he’s received from the Machine: Kara Stanton’s. So what the hell is up? A fucking ride that awaits us in this episode and the mess that it triggers, which directly and indirectly carries on till the series’ end. It’s that big of a bad, friends.

John wakes up in a bus, next to Mark Snow (who we last saw warning Joss about a Big Thing “She” Has Planned), opposite to Kara, and he strapped to a bomb vest.

Kara: I know you don’t care about yourself, John, but you’ve got enough semtex strapped in you to spread a lot of misery around.

Gosh. Kara Stanton makes me melt every time she opens her mouth. So cold, so evil, so calm and certain about the absolute havoc she can wreck.

John: So what’s this really about? Kara: This is about three dead little spies in a brave new world. It’s about the afterlife, John, and us negotiating our places in it.

Well, that sounds like a good, wholesome time.

Carter is called to the crime scene where Donnelly was shot, where she was but isn’t telling. Fusco suspects something is up, but Joss can’t tell him squat. I always feel a special appreciation for Fusco. He knows the least about what’s going on at all times, and he knows people hide shit from him, and yet he always helps. He has faith in the team, and I love him for it. They all set out to find out more about Kara and what she might be up to, which is difficult, what with her being declared dead a few years back and all.

On the first stop of their #assassin #throwback tour, John and Mark are supposed to pick up a hard drive, but the sellers try to get smart about the payment, so Kara gives out a kill order. Both Mark and John hesitate, so Kara shoots the sellers for them. Wait, she was in the room with them? No, no. From a rooftop, across the street, with a sniper rifle. She gives no shits whatsoever.

*fans self*

[2010] We are taken back to a scene we’ve seen before, where Alicia Corwin and Mark Snow send Kara and John to Ordos to retrieve the laptop, and where Mark tells both Kara and John separately that their partner has been compromised and needs to be killed. We also get a repeat of the scene where John refuses to shoot Kara, Kara shoots John, and John connects the dots about them being set up. We again see John running away from the building just in time to escape the missiles sent to bump them both off, but then… we see Kara wounded, and being picked up by some sort of uniformed squad. She wakes up in a hospital-looking place, and an Ominous British Man (not yet named) greets her. He tells her that he knows who she is and why she’s there and he doesn’t need her to talk, and that they’ll get along great. Not creepy at all.

John and Mark’s second stop is knocking out some ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms) agents and impersonate them. In what? A fake bomb threat in an office building. Because Kara couldn’t resist the joke, apparently. I too love joking around while strapping explosives to my former coworkers. John sends a text to Finch indicating he is carrying explosives, and the text allows Finch to know where he was, and who the phone belonged to.

Once inside the building, Kara tells the bomb bros to go to a super secured floor that doesn’t exist in the building’s public records. We know this because Carter, Finch and Fusco are good at detective-ing. Because the episode was not stressful enough, Kara informs us that the signal might be bad inside whatever super secured secret place the boys are headed to, so she puts a timer on their bomb vests.

[2011] We’re back in the hospital-looking place, but some time has passed (I hadn’t noticed the time stamp! This episode and plot point makes more sense to me now!).Ominous British Man babbles about the Titans – Kara’s bosses are the old gods, Kara is part of the new gods, the old gods wanted to eat her because they were afraid of her, or something – and Kara is done with his shit.

Kara: If I break your neck, can I go back to watching TV? She may be tired and is probably being tortured, but she can still sass people out like a champ.

Ominous British Man clarifies that he doesn’t work for any government, and that money is not his business, information is. He offers Kara the name of the person he labels as responsible for the state she is currently in, the person who sold the laptop Kara and John were sent for. (How badly did they psychologically torture and manipulate Kara for that to make sense to her, that the person responsible for her misery is not who gave the kill order, but the person who sold a laptop that she knows nothing about?! Anyway.) In exchange for what, Kara (and we) ask?

Ominous British Man: Do you remember how the Titans were finally killed? Before they could eat their youngest child, Zeus, he wrapped a boulder in his swaddling clothes, then watched as his father choked on it.

What the hell is this Brit on? It’ll all become clear in time (or not, I had to think really hard and read some wikipedia shit to get it, but I’m not a greek mythology buff so maybe you know exactly what this means right now.). He speaks in very obnoxious riddles. I wish Kara would have broken his neck to be honest.

Carter and Fusco are at the building where John and Mark are, but downstairs. John manages to quickly call Finch, and they both figure that since theyre basically in a DOD cyber weapons lab, Kara is probably trying to steal a virus that would shut down the entire internet, or specific networks, or something. She’s stealing something big, that’s for sure.

Unless… Unless John is the most predictable broody white knight in the world and Kara is a cold-hearted bitch who knows him too well. Kara knew John wouldn’t follow orders, would assume Kara wanted to steal something, and would erase all the drives with all the Very Bad Viruses.

Kara didn’t want any of the Very Bad Viruses, because she had a Very Very Bad one. Or at least, a very specific one that she needed to delete the others for. I don’t know how any of that works, can you tell? In any case, she unleashes the virus into the world, sets the timer of the bomb vests to 5 minutes, and skedaddles. But not before John tries his usual emotional “you don’t have to do this, we can hold hands and make the world better together” shtick, and Kara stares dead in his eyes with zero emotional response. Yikes, John, your white knight moves are starting to rust or something.

Mark tries to make a run for his life, with less than 5 minutes to do whatever he can. And then, then All Of The Feelings happen: As John is trying to head to the rooftop (cause his broody white knight redemption arc has to end in a fucking rooftop, right?) to try to hit as little civilians with his explosion as possible, Carter gets to his floor.

Carter: You don’t have to do this. John: You know I do. ‘Cause you’d do the exact same thing.

I mean, I mock his broody self-sacrificing shtick a lot, but it is absolutely the thing to do when you know you’re in all likelihood gonna blow up. And I think it’s because John’s character rarely shows emotions in his face, on purpose, but when he does, it cuts through my misandrist soul and makes me want to hug him and then punch him for making me Feel Things. Between that, and the amazing score as per POI usual, and Taraji’s always amazing performance, I am More than a Lil’ Stressed™. John heads to the rooftop, ready to die. Show’s over folks. But then again…

Finch: So I see I’m not too late…

So, you see, when John warned Finch over the DOD phone to stay clear of the building, what Finch actually heard was, “get as close to me and the building and the fucking bomb as humanly possible”. John tries to stop Finch by… pointing a gun at him? Which, for one, is rude, and more importantly, ridiculously useless in this context.

John: This is my past catching up to me. This doesn’t concern you. Harold: But this moment does. I’m not leaving you, John. So can we please stop wasting time?

Husbands that hang ’round bombs together, stay together. Unless their remains are scattered by the explosion. Sorry. Finch has 3 attempts at one of five combinations. Yikes. And the first one fails.

John: … Sorry.

In the meantime, Kara is making her way out of the building and calls Ominous British Man, who is still not given a name, a purpose, a boss, or a plan. Just a vague creepy Big Bad feel. He carries on speaking in riddles, making grand empty statements, and Kara cuts him off and asks for the goddamn name of the person who sold the laptop and indirectly sent her to Ordos, the name she went through all this trouble to get. Ominous British Man tells her a name is all he has, since this person apparently doesn’t exist in any known database. She jots down a name in a piece of paper. *INTRIIIIIGUE*

Back up in the rooftop, everyone is about to cry. Except me, I’m already crying.

John: I’m pretty sure I’d be dead already if you hadn’t found me. Harold: It’s hard to say. John: Not really.

This is a beautiful moment, except… why does Harold say it’s hard to say? It’s pretty straight forward to say, no? (Except… wait for it.) Harry looks like he is about to cry, which I guess one would if a bomb was about to blow up literally on the face. Goddamn, though, Michael Emerson is an acting champ. This is, on paper, a super contrived moment, but they make it work for me. In a completely unrealistic cliche moment that is only made bearable because the alternative would have been Captain America and his sugar daddy dying, Finch deactivates the bomb on the third and final try, 7 seconds before it is set to detonate.

We’re taken back to Kara’s car, and something is beeping. Her backseat. That has Mark Snow in it. He decided to do something positive (in-universe, negative for all Kara fans like myself) with his life for once, and take Kara with him to the sweet sweet afterlife. Goodbye, you sexy Big Bad motherfucker. John gets back to the library where Bear greats him happily, and John thanks Finch, all teary eyed. At the precinct, the FBI tells Carter that Mark Snow must have been the Man in the Suit, so they close that case. All’s good and right and there are no mysteries left to solve here. Ta-dah!

  What, you thought that was all? Sweet summer child. Did you forget Kara got the name of the guy who sold the laptop and started a whole trainwreck of events that brought us to this very episode, and in a way, brought this whole series into being? Maybe you don’t care. That’s fair. Who cares. Fuck The (Ominous British) Man.

Unless…

Mother of HECK. Yes, you read that right. Harold Finch! How? Why? When? What was that latop, then? (Sure, *now* you wanna know..!) WHAT THE FUCK?! *INTRIIIIIIGUE*

I know, I know. But the whole history of the laptop will not become clear until the second half of season 3, so you’d better get comfy with that unsettling feeling in your stomach. Aaaaand the virus Kara activated is set to go off in five months and change. *INTRIIIIGUE*.

  ** A note on Kara’s time with Ominous British Man: BIG SPOILERS FOR SEASON 4 AND 5 AHEAD ** Why do I say she was in all likelihood tortured? And that the time stamps make this episode make sense to me? Well, the first (and second) time I watched this episode< I wondered how come Kara turned so easily on her country – because remember, she always did her job, or said she did, for her country. Why would she do a job for a dubious mysterious man, a job that could endanger a lot of people? She asked zero questions for a man who was in no way her boss, or shouldn’t have been. I suspected some torturing or intense indoctrination might have taken place, but I didn’t think much of it other than “really? that easy?” But then season 5 happened. And we see how Shaw gets tortured and gaslighted and manipulated. On the one hand I’m glad we don’t get to see that, but on the other the blanks that aren’t filled make Kara seem like a godless spiteful easy traitor. Not because your bosses sending to kill you isn’t good reason to be vengeful, but it shouldn’t be for a trained, hardcore agent. Unless extreme measures were used, which they probably were. Anyway, I love talking about Kara Stanton and I love her.

Today I (re)watch: Person of Interest, 2.13 HOLY SHIT. Kara has John, John has bombs attached to his chest, they have a virus of some sort.

[emilyemcnabb]

Carly and Griffin’s Belle Meade Plantation wedding

“I’ll give you the moon.” For a couple who wasn’t very interested in a wedding theme, Carly and Griffin sure picked an awesome one for their big day at Belle Meade Plantation. It’s a Wonderful Life served as inspiration to the bride during trying times and as inspiration for the details of their day including a large calligraphy banner by Olive Juice Press with the famous movie quote. Event planning and design was by Kelly Dillinger Events and stunning pink and red florals were by Rosemary & Finch and Christy Wilson Photography  was on hand to capture it all.

What made the wedding special and unique?

What made our wedding unique is that we made it to it. Kidding, sort of. Griffin and my love story is full of ups and downs. Mainly downs and more downs, in our case, though. Our relationship started with him knowing that I was not in a healthy place and I hadn’t been so in a long time. I’ve struggled a lot with my health for years and he knew that right away coming into it. He was like a breath of fresh spring time air in the dead of winter. He stepped right into not just my life at a moment when I needed him, but also when my parents needed him. They had been taking off time from work because every few days I was needing to go to an appointment with the doctor or to treatments. He took a large burden off my family. He was a blessing not just to me but to my family. For the first 5 ½ years this unique love story it was like we were trying to constantly push a boulder up a hill, through multiple issues. We take care of each other. We always have and always will. We truly have lived out and shown our vows to each other before even our wedding day. What made my wedding day special and unique? That day I got to marry my guardian angel and not everyone gets to do that.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

The day I went to get my dress wasn’t a really exciting experience it was more of an overwhelming experience. I decided to take only my mom and my future mother-in-law. I was never ever one of those brides who wanted attention. We only went to one store when we were looking for my dress, Olia Zavozina. Every dress was beautiful, every dress had something special, and every dress kept coming and coming. I got overwhelmed. I didn’t know how to do this, my anxiety was off the wall and I had a terrible anxiety attack. I knew what I wanted but I couldn’t figure out how to tell them. I don’t think I could have made it through it without my MIL. She stepped up and helped me through it. She made it easier for me to show the ladies of Olia what I saw myself wearing on my day and after I was able to sit down with those fabulous ladies at Olia Zavozina to design with them exactly what I always dreamed of.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

It’s A Wonderful Life has never been just a Christmas movie in our house. It’s been my favorite movie for as long as I can remember. When I became sick I saw the movie in a different way. It meant something different to me. Griff knew this and we’d put it on every time I was having an anxiety attack and needed to calm down or my depression was bad. Many, many, many sick days were spent watching that movie. I would sometimes question Griff as to why he would want to be with someone like me. Someone sick and broken and he would just reply, “I’ll give you the moon.” When our wedding came around we were pretty set on the fact that our wedding wouldn’t have a wedding theme but somehow we ended up having an It’s A Wonderful Life wedding. We were able to tie in personal touches in the groom’s cake. We recreated the cross stitch Mary goes for George, but George didn’t lasso the moon, Griffin lassoed it. Around my bouquet I had water colored onto silk, “I’ll give you the moon” and behind our wedding cake we had custom water colored backdrop with the quote, “What is it you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I’ll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Say that’s a pretty good idea. I’ll give you the moon.” In the movie George learns to remember that no man is a failure who has friends. I was marrying my best friend and it’s true he’s kept his promise. He still always gives me the moon.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

How do you pick just one moment from such a perfect day? But it was hands down the first dance. When we first started dating I was playing him a song by my favorite band of all times, Big Star, when one song came on. Thirteen, it was simple, it was perfect. We both just looked at each other and knew that it was our song. Naturally it was our first dance song. After having been so overwhelmed with the wedding ceremony that moment looking into the eyes of the man I love dancing and singing every word to each other. For us at that moment no one else was even there. I’m not even entirely sure we were dancing with the music at times.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Griff and I met his senior year of college. Fall of 2008 we both started as freshmen at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Our two dorms shared a lobby, but we never met. At the end of the first semesters we both went to a mutual friend’s birthday party at P.F. Chang’s and we sat at different tables, so we still never met.  Fast forward 3 years to the day, we FINALLY met at that same friend’s birthday party. I showed up early to vacuum. I was in my sweatpants; an extra large ‘I love Qdoba’ tshirt, zero makeup, a messy bun, and I can’t 100% promise that I was wearing deodorant at that exact moment. Our friend went around the kitchen table introducing me to everyone. But he completely skipped over introducing me to Griffin, who was sitting the of everyone at the table. So, Griffin stood up and introduced himself to me and asked if I was coming back for the party later (uh, of course I was, he was a cutie.) A few hours later I showed back up for the birthday party looking, of course, as hot as possible. He asked me out for the next night and I said, “ ABSOLUTELY”!

We got engaged on our 4th anniversary. It was, well, not a dream. It was actually entirely the way that for 4 years prior to that day I had told him over and over that I never, ever, EVER want to be proposed to. Opryland Hotel at Christmas. I love Christmas but growing up in Nashville my whole life I’ve always hated those proposals I had seen there a million times over the years there. On our 4th anniversary he books us a room at the Opryland Hotel, we got there and the room wasn’t ready just yet so they gave us a buzzer and said they would page us as soon as it was ready. We sat in the lobby for 4 hours waiting on our room. Our room had been ready 10 minutes after they had first told us they would page us when it was ready. They just forgot about us and as their gift they updated our room to a suite. I wouldn’t call it an ideal suite our room was right at the entrance of the bridge into the main area of the hotel and our curtains wouldn’t close all the way so all night we  had light shining right on us into the room. We were getting ready for dinner when Griff goes, “I can’t take this anymore.” He stormed to his bag and pulled out the ring, almost got onto his knee to ask, pops up and tries to put the ring on my finger. It didn’t fit. His anxiety was so high from worrying about proposing that he couldn’t make it out to dinner. So we spent our engagement dinner eating $15 cold grilled cheese and watching Bob’s Burgers. 2 weeks later I got my ring back from being resized and I put it on myself. It was not the proposal any girl dreams of but I got the man of my dreams so it was well worth it.

Photography: Christy Wilson Photography // Planning: Kelly Dillinger Events // Stationery & Calligraphy: Simply Jessica Marie  / Olive Juice Press // Florals: Rosemary & Finch // Venue: Belle Meade Plantation // Dress: Olia Zavozina // Videography: Matt G Video // Makeup: MHD Beauty // Cake: Dulce Desserts // Lighting: Bright Event Productions // Catering: Flavor Catering // Rentals: Southern Events / 12th Table  / Rentals: Please Be Seated // Linens: BBJ Linens // Band: 12 South Band

  The post Carly and Griffin’s Belle Meade Plantation wedding appeared first on Grey Likes Weddings | Wedding Fashion & Inspiration | Best Wedding Blog.

[jeremystrele]

How to Put Together the Perfect Kid’s Room (That Your Little Ones Will Love)

Kid’s rooms need to meet both the parent’s and child’s needs. Image: Fastighetsbyrån

Designing a kid’s room can seem like a daunting task at first glance. After all, there are so many factors to take into account. On the one hand, the room needs to be a space where the child feels comfortable and believes his or her personality is reflected. On the other hand, the space needs to be functional and have elements that will stand the test of time.

That said, checking off all of these boxes is far from impossible. With a little planning, you can absolutely put together a room that feels appropriate for today, yet still has the potential to grow with your child. Keep reading to learn how can find the ultimate middle ground.

A theme can be excellent design inspiration. Image: Studio Peck LLC

Consider a theme

When you’re not sure where to start designing a kid’s room, choosing a theme can be a great first step. First, it will help you cater the room to the child by connecting to his or her individual interests. Then, it will provide a ready-made template for you to follow as you make your aesthetic choices.

If you decide to go this route, keep the theme fairly general. Zeroing in too much on specifics — for example, catering to a favorite team, TV show or toy — runs the risk of shortening the room’s relevance. Broader topics like animals, sports or even fairies have a better chance of keeping the child’s favor over the years.

Once you’ve decided on a topic, build the room around it. Let that dictate your color palette, your choices for wall coverings and your bedding. Then, add specific nods to the theme throughout your accessories.

Keep the furniture neutral. Image: Sand Bar Contractors

Keep furniture neutral

Whether you’ve decided to go with a theme or are just looking for some design inspiration, one rule of thumb holds true: Keep your furniture as neutral as possible. In the grand scheme of things, furniture is your big-ticket item. Since it’s an investment, you want to make sure it can be reincorporated if you redo the room as your child ages.

Your best bet is to choose pieces that come in either a plain white or wood finish. Stay away from any extreme colors or detailed finishing that may lend itself to a particular design style. Look for pieces that can be easily matched, if need be, at a later date.

Make sure there’s plenty of storage. Image: Finch London

Don’t forget storage

If there’s one truth about kids of all ages, it’s that they come with a lot of stuff (and “a lot’ might be an understatement). Parents should make sure children have plenty of room to store their belongings. Plus, ideally, those storage solutions will continue to be useful to them as they grow and their interests change.

Every room setup is different, so we hesitate to give hard-and-fast rules here. As you determine which storage solutions will be appropriate for your space, we encourage you to err on the side of more-is-more. Take the photo above, for example. In that single frame you can see an armoire, a set of drawers, a desk, shelving and a bookcase — plenty of opportunities for your child’s things to find a home other than on the floor.

For practicality’s sake, we also suggest that you steer clear of using too many open storage options, where the items are not concealed. Open storage only works if the display is consistently kept neat, and sometimes parents may want to have the ability to hide a mess from plain view.

With kid’s rooms, accessories matter most. Image: Christopher Burns Interiors

Accessories, accessories, accessories

In truth, kid’s rooms are all about the accessories. They are the great equalizer. These items pack a huge punch of visual interest and infuse a sense of your child’s personality into the space. They’re also pretty cost-effective; it won’t be too much of a hardship to replace them out as your child’s tastes mature.

As for what counts toward this category, textiles are a natural choice. Bedding, extra blankets, throw pillows and area rugs play a big part in pulling the room together, yet can be swapped out in seconds. Wall art, smaller lighting elements like table lamps and desk lamps, as well as any strict décor items also fit the bill.

Selecting accessories together is also a nice way to involve your child in the design process. If your child is old enough, letting him or her choose the items that will decorate the room helps foster a sense of independence and ownership over the space.

Keep these tips in mind as you design your kid’s room. Image: Workshop Design + Architecture

Believe it or not, creating the perfect kid’s room can be harder than it looks. The challenge is that these spaces need to please both the kids and the parents, who more than likely have two different sets of priorities. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Keep these tips in mind the next time one of these rooms is on your design to-do list. We’re sure they’ll help you find some common ground.

Have you ever decorated a kid’s room? What helpful hints can you share from your experience? Leave them in the comments below.

The post How to Put Together the Perfect Kid’s Room (That Your Little Ones Will Love) appeared first on Freshome.com.

[mariacedano-blog-blog]

How to Put Together the Perfect Kid’s Room (That Your Little Ones Will Love) Kid’s rooms need to meet both the parent’s and child’s needs. Image: Fastighetsbyrån Designing a kid’s room can seem like a daunting task at first glance. After all, there are so many factors to take into account. On the one hand, the room needs to be a space where the child feels comfortable and believes his or her personality is reflected. On the other hand, the space needs to be functional and have elements that will stand the test of time. That said, checking off all of these boxes is far from impossible. With a little planning, you can absolutely put together a room that feels appropriate for today, yet still has the potential to grow with your child. Keep reading to learn how can find the ultimate middle ground. A theme can be excellent design inspiration. Image: Studio Peck LLC Consider a theme When you’re not sure where to start designing a kid’s room, choosing a theme can be a great first step. First, it will help you cater the room to the child by connecting to his or her individual interests. Then, it will provide a ready-made template for you to follow as you make your aesthetic choices. If you decide to go this route, keep the theme fairly general. Zeroing in too much on specifics — for example, catering to a favorite team, TV show or toy — runs the risk of shortening the room’s relevance. Broader topics like animals, sports or even fairies have a better chance of keeping the child’s favor over the years. Once you’ve decided on a topic, build the room around it. Let that dictate your color palette, your choices for wall coverings and your bedding. Then, add specific nods to the theme throughout your accessories. Keep the furniture neutral. Image: Sand Bar Contractors Keep furniture neutral Whether you’ve decided to go with a theme or are just looking for some design inspiration, one rule of thumb holds true: Keep your furniture as neutral as possible. In the grand scheme of things, furniture is your big-ticket item. Since it’s an investment, you want to make sure it can be reincorporated if you redo the room as your child ages. Your best bet is to choose pieces that come in either a plain white or wood finish. Stay away from any extreme colors or detailed finishing that may lend itself to a particular design style. Look for pieces that can be easily matched, if need be, at a later date. Make sure there’s plenty of storage. Image: Finch London Don’t forget storage If there’s one truth about kids of all ages, it’s that they come with a lot of stuff (and “a lot’ might be an understatement). Parents should make sure children have plenty of room to store their belongings. Plus, ideally, those storage solutions will continue to be useful to them as they grow and their interests change. Every room setup is different, so we hesitate to give hard-and-fast rules here. As you determine which storage solutions will be appropriate for your space, we encourage you to err on the side of more-is-more. Take the photo above, for example. In that single frame you can see an armoire, a set of drawers, a desk, shelving and a bookcase — plenty of opportunities for your child’s things to find a home other than on the floor. For practicality’s sake, we also suggest that you steer clear of using too many open storage options, where the items are not concealed. Open storage only works if the display is consistently kept neat, and sometimes parents may want to have the ability to hide a mess from plain view. With kid’s rooms, accessories matter most. Image: Christopher Burns Interiors Accessories, accessories, accessories In truth, kid’s rooms are all about the accessories. They are the great equalizer. These items pack a huge punch of visual interest and infuse a sense of your child’s personality into the space. They’re also pretty cost-effective; it won’t be too much of a hardship to replace them out as your child’s tastes mature. As for what counts toward this category, textiles are a natural choice. Bedding, extra blankets, throw pillows and area rugs play a big part in pulling the room together, yet can be swapped out in seconds. Wall art, smaller lighting elements like table lamps and desk lamps, as well as any strict décor items also fit the bill. Selecting accessories together is also a nice way to involve your child in the design process. If your child is old enough, letting him or her choose the items that will decorate the room helps foster a sense of independence and ownership over the space. Keep these tips in mind as you design your kid’s room. Image: Workshop Design + Architecture Believe it or not, creating the perfect kid’s room can be harder than it looks. The challenge is that these spaces need to please both the kids and the parents, who more than likely have two different sets of priorities. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Keep these tips in mind the next time one of these rooms is on your design to-do list. We’re sure they’ll help you find some common ground. Have you ever decorated a kid’s room? What helpful hints can you share from your experience? Leave them in the comments below. The post How to Put Together the Perfect Kid’s Room (That Your Little Ones Will Love) appeared first on Freshome.com.