#he likes to show everyone how he sees them and likes photography in general

[keylimeart]

snapshots of summer in Westchester

[spookierdeer]

my internet was down recently so i redesigned some miraculous ladybug characters from memory. details of this spur of the moment au below ⬇️⬇️⬇️

this is kind of off the cuff and wordy as hell, but it was what i was thinking about while drawing. i ran out of steam to draw anyone else but if i were to revisit i would probably do this in a different art style lol i tried to make them match but it's too samey to me and got boring working on this fast </3

marinette is 16-17ish instead of 13-15, most of the cast are this age except a few like luka who are 17-18

ignore that marinette isn't fully colored in the first image, i saved it before deciding to fully color everyone LOL

instead of general education, they go to an arts school the first akuma attack was focused on a private school nearby which adrien, kagami, and chloe attend with adrien and chloe being transferred afterwards to the art school (adrien and chloe both put in the fashion design course by their dads)

marinette is in the fashion track, alya in photography/video editing, nino, luka, and rose are in music, juleka and marc in writing, and nathaniel is in illustration/animation. other characters either fall into other tracks as well, attend the private school, or another nearby school that isn't arts focused. if a character fits something else better than what i said then pretend i said that instead 👍

marinette's interest in fashion design takes more of a front seat, i feel like it isn't brought up much in the show for how important it seems to her. instead of a 14 year old designing an album cover and whatever other insane opportunities she's gotten, i think those opportunities might come from businesses and celebrities working with the art school and marinette having a track record of lucking out in her work catching the eye of the people interested

kagami in canon is extremely autistic teen girl coded to me and therefore my favorite so i double down on that here

-her hair is short because in one of the only times she's actively rebelled against her mother's wishes, years prior to this au, she cut her hair short on her own because the feeling of it touching her neck and shoulders was constantly upsetting her. when her mom finally noticed she took control over this act of rebellion and took kagami to a hair stylist to get a haircut she found more appropriate; kagami has been getting it cut this same way since then.

-after moving to paris she had to give up a lot of the norms she found comfort in. i think she would have taken incredible care of the backpack she was given when she first started school and it's become somewhat of a comfort item. the private school would be pretty strict about dress code, but as long as the backpack didn't look sloppy and was in one of the allowed colors, she could use it- so even if she didn't use it much in middle school i could see her returning to it to have as a piece of home in a new place that's otherwise incredibly overwhelming.

-even if she isn't interested in it, she listens to her mom and does as she says which has her even more quiet and reserved than she would be normally. shes good friends with adrien, he's actually one of her closest friends, but she doesn't open up much more around him and he can tell. she meets marinette through him and while she doesn't magically blossom into a different person, she definitely speaks her mind more when around her and eventually adrien- marinette's personality connecting with her own just right and that makes her feel safe in a deep way.

-marinette inspires her to push boundaries, one of the first ways she rebels (considered so in her own mind) is wearing a friendship bracelet marinette makes for her despite her school not allowing jewelry like that. another is a "good luck" charm key chain she keeps latched to a zipper inside her backpack.

-i don't remember, but in the show i think kagami might model with agreste brand in some way? she might do that here too since her mom and adrien's dad are close, but she prefers modelling for marinette's projects even if she's shy about it at first. they're usually alone during this and kagami sometimes helps by wearing marinette's WIPs as she works and during those times kagami finds she laughs and smiles the most.

-i'm rambling now, but kagami reflects marinette in a lot of similar-but-opposite ways i didn't get into here and i need to stop talking about kagami and marinette or i'll be here all day.

idk what all to write for adrien bc i dont keep up with the show anymore so idk what his deal is rn, BUT here i would explore his experience with unspecified depression- he would have so much lust for life and joy but between his mom recently passing and his dad being a quiet megalomaniac with his only real parental support being his dad's assistant and his own bodyguard- he just doesn't feel much excitement with life despite how he might express himself in front of his friends. i think getting transferred would be, unintentionally on his dad's part, the biggest boon possible for adrien bc he would slowly regain that excitement in regards to just living his life- even if gabriel squashes it often with rules and tiring modelling work. becoming friends w nino, marinette, and everyone else would bring him out of his shell just like kagami even if it's in a different way.

luka is one of my faves too so he was one of the first i designed; he's not incredibly more important in this au, but i'd want to focus more on the eldest sibling in a single parent household stress of his character. a wonderful son and brother with a lot of skill and patience who's willing to lend an ear to any friend. lot of stress would pile up and i like thinking about him finally finding out who his dad is- that he's met the guy and it's one of his musical idols. and the man never said anything. and how that would upset him. and being the backbone of not only his family, but his friend group as he's stressed about going out into the world on his own soon in an unstable field and now he has to cope with that too...

instead of meeting alya at school, marinette and alya have been best friends since childhood which brings a bigger stress on marinette when she can't even tell the one person in the whole world her biggest secret- especially since alya IMMEDIATELY becomes ladybug's biggest fan and defender and they never would keep secrets before- and alya could tell she wasn't saying something. i like imagining the added stress of losing that confidant marinette would have had for years and years and having to handle some of the most stressful things she's ever experienced on her own save for tikki with alya slowly worrying more and she can't say a thing. alya got into photography in middle school during projects with marinette and ended up wanting to study it, but seeing ladybug only fuels her love of it- running the ladyblog and social medias about the hero while marinette watches on wishing she could tell alya for the longest time. eventually she does but that's down the line lol

nino is still adrien's first friend in the new school and he meets everyone else through him. i think nino and luka would be fairly close in this au with them working together whenever the other needed help on projects or just helping the other out with learning new skills. i'm not sure how to write it here but i like thinking about alya and nino's dynamic as a couple since what i remember of the show was mostly them together then talking about adrienette instead lmao

one of the biggest examples of missed potential in mlb to me is chloe, so shes rewritten as bully with hero worship of ladybug(/baby's first lesbian crush) only to have her dreams crushed when ladybug takes back her miraculous and says she doesn't think she'll be able to trust her with it again. not sure if she would let it fully go to her head here or if she just suddenly found comfort in pollen only to have ladybug take the kwami away without listening to her side of things. i have a whole thing written for her in my notes app that ill never share just know shes fleshed out here way more than in canon- i already rambled too much about kagami so i'll hold myself back here LOL

marc is such a fun character to me but i REALLY don't like his look in canon and he's one of the main characters i wanted to redesign so i let myself have a lot of fun with him to make up for the years of looking at his canon one

nathaniel is similar, i don't want to change too much about him but i think he's a fun character and his blazer/tshirt/skinny jeans/converse fit in canon pissed me off for years on the back burner lmfao... i think i might've leaned too far away from a style his canon counterpart might choose, but he goes to an art school and if his multiple of his friends being in the fashion track and his partner being an alt kid can't stop him from wearing a plain tshirt and blazer then idk what could

JULEKA..... why does her first saga design look like a sims 4 townie that's goth and into track? not even current sims 4, 2014 sims 4. sims 4 fitness stuff. i'm getting to the characters i wouldn't change a ton about story wise now clearly, i just think their drip is nonexistent, barren. i think her going from near full coverage purple and black goth to bright pink clown when akumatized is a fun dichotomy. i don't think i'll be redesigning any other outfits (or characters for that matter), but that drastic of a change is very fun. i could see her occasionally wearing a privacy mask like marc on days she feels too socially anxious.

i think a modern take on rose would almost inevitably lean into lovecore, but i tried to keep her more simple. i will always love purple/pink ships and the tall, dark, and broody looking juleka who's mostly just quiet and shy and rose who's short, bombastic, and kind with a huge heart is a very sweet and fun pair. in the show she has an unspecified illness which could be any number of things, so i thought maybe she would need to bundle up more than the others (granted there's a lot of long sleeves here lol)- more layers than usual to regulate in the cooler months and the opposite during the warmer ones. i kind of drew these with spring in mind, so she'd probably be wearing thicker leggings or something here- she still REALLY wants to look cute even if her body is mad at her (relatable).

i'm intentionally not getting into the miraculouses or akuma or kwami or the whole (gestures vaguely to gabriel and lila and everything else) here since i'm already yapping more than this justifies for an au i'm not doing anything with. just had a lot of thoughts while designing these. i didn't get a ton into ships here aside from the last few, but i also don't really know how i'd deal with the "love square" since i was never invested in that and instead liked lukadrienette and marigami more lol... i'd also want to explore marinette finding out about chloe's one sided crush on ladybug and her reaction vs chloe dealing with the fallout of hero worship. if you read all of this thank you ilu mwah mwah

[not-poignant]

What plots or characters did you not plan ahead to write and their time suddenly came when the next light bulb on the garland came on? UtB

I won't be able to remember them all but here's a few:

Anton deciding to be Gary's supervisor.

Me realising that's actually a terrible idea because Gary isn't an alpha companion and Efnisien isn't an omega

That making sense anyway to roll back lmao

Faber gaining his own story.

Faber becoming Efnisien's friend.

Flitmouse becoming Efnisien's friend.

Flitmouse calling Gary on the phone and having a go at him.

Efnisien's first corrupted heat being "solved" with a combination of a bunch of things but especially Gary spitting into his mouth.

Temsen just having so much chemistry that he ends up in a bunch more scenes than I planned.

The teacup. The teacup being broken.

Gary's office being destroyed by Efnisien in that methodical, deliberate fashion.

Size training before sex, I really didn't think Gary initially had the patience for something like this but he realised it'd be better if he did. Thank god.

Faber being attacked by Lludd

Faber disclosing that he's in love with Caleb to Efnisien

Flitmouse and Efnisien nesting together.

Efnisien nesting in general (though I had a faint idea? It was never a sure thing).

Gary joining Efnisien in his nest and actually really liking it.

Efnisien meeting Marikit (and it being Faber's idea). (And, Marikit in general).

The bit about 'choosing your own birthday' from Flitmouse

Efnisien loving photography

The bushwalking trail and Efnisien's agoraphobia in general

Cella visiting and Efnisien mounting the challenge immediately after and being smacked down with ardolphogen.

'Ardolphogen rage.'

Temsen calling out Efnisien's emotional abuse and telling him he expects better from an alpha even when it's hard and unfair.

Efnisien actually really responding to that.

Efnisien realising he's also an omega (again, I realised this one fairly early on, maybe chapter 3/4 that Efnisien might be genderfluid, but it wasn't a sure thing. There's a point early on in my comment responses where it's clear I'm like 'he's an alpha, he's not an omega' and then there's a pivot where in my comment responses I start saying 'actually, I don't know where he's going to land.')

Efnisien calling out Temsen for betraying his confidentiality and Temsen respecting that.

Efnisien and Enris reconciling. Efnisien apologising to him.

The story about how Kadek ended up at Hillview.

PACS / Gary's heart condition.

Some of these were also strongly influenced by reader response - people wanting to see Efnisien and Flitmouse meet, folks falling in love with Faber, people wanting to see Efnisien have more friends who aren't alphas etc. This is specifically what I love about serials. While I don't do everything everyone hopes for (that's a fast track to ruining a story) and I don't do things that don't make sense for the characters, the fact is that serials are made stronger by keeping your ear to the ground and seeing where folks are gravitating (this used to be true for television shows, once upon a time, as well).

ETA: It's wild to think of all the things we never would have gotten, if I adhered to a really strict chapter plan.

[seeker-of-stories19]

Hi! Not a request, but really curious to know what some of your Miguel/Robby head cannons are! :3

This is going to get long but I’ll try to list some below ⬇️

Sharing each others clothes 24/7, potentially to the point where this is how people find out about them

Learning to cook together

Miguel going to the skatepark with Robby just to watch and Robby trying to show off

Miguel always has his ringer on for Robby

Cuddliest sleepers ever

Robby being super artistic and crafty with everything, he’s one of those people who will figure out a way to DIY almost everything

Miguel being the only person Robby trusts enough to argue with without feeling like he needs to fawn to appease people

Miguel always being on Robby’s side and just being fiercely protective of him

Robby calling Miguel his sunshine

Miguel getting into photography (mainly to take pictures of Robby)

They definitely get a puppy together at some point

Robby always having anxiety about spending money when they’re older except for when it comes to spoiling Miguel

Robby having PTSD and a lot of other mental health issues and Miguel being super supportive and trying to figure out how to help him, he’s definitely done a lot of research, asked questions on Reddit etc.

Miguel being clueless about his sexuality for way too long, like to the point where everyone thinks they’re dating but Miguel still just thinks he’s checking Robby out platonically (not even denial just complete cluelessness)

Robby knowing he liked guys his whole life and just begrudgingly accepting his attraction to Miguel despite them being enemies and being hyper aware of that attraction turning into feelings the more they got to know each other

Miguel wearing Robby’s rings or fidgeting with them while Robby wears them

Lots of PDA but not making out, more holding hands and forehead kisses and stuff

Robby teaching Miguel the wheel technique

They both love playing with each others hair

Miguel is more extroverted than Robby but they’re both more inclined to chill dates where they spend quality time together

Not originally my idea but Robby having a bellybutton piercing

Generally just Robby being very fashionable and having multiple aesthetics he pulls off perfectly, especially exploring more feminine clothing

Bottom Robby and top Miguel but Robby can definitely get bossy and take over at times

Robby starting their relationship with a lot more experience than Miguel but also a lot of trauma they work through together

Robby is 100% that person who is impossible to phase with sex stuff, at first Miguel is bashful but eventually he tries to come up with stuff to make Robby blush but he’s always very nonchalant about it. Will probably try most things as long as they aren’t particularly triggering to him

Miguel being the first person who makes Robby feel completely safe and secure

They’re both really close with the girls but only Robby gets invited to sleepovers and stuff (Miguel is slightly salty about it)

I imagine all the main kids to have a very chaotic group chat after they all move out

Them not keeping alcohol in their apartment/house as adults and Miguel generally not drinking around Robby at all

Robby inheriting Sid’s money when he dies and probably selling his business so he becomes pretty well off and finally has financial security

This is a new headcannon but I was rewatching and Robby kind of looks like he had glasses as a kid so Robby needing glasses/contacts

Also no one really knowing that Robby needs them because he always wears contacts so one night Miguel comes over really late to surprise Robby and sees him in his glasses and freaks out

I think that’s all I have for now but I loved this ask and might add more later!

[sxorpiomooon]

RAHU

paid readings

tip me

Rāhu (राहु) is the name of an Asura (demon) whose head was cut off by Viṣṇu. When the gods produced the Amṛta by churning the ocean, he disguised himself as a god and drank some of it. But he was detected by the gods and produced before Viṣṇu who cut off his head. Sūrya and Soma (the sun and moon), when noticed him drinking it and realised what was going on immediately told Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu), who instantly cut off Rāhu’s head with his discus. As the head contained Amṛta it became immortal and came to represent the ascending nodes of the moon’s orbit. The body of Rāhu, according to the Puranic notion, was called Ketu, and represented the descending nodes. Rāhu is defined according to texts in dealing with śilpa (arts and crafts), known as śilpaśāstras. Rahu is spoken of as the chief of those who have possesing personality. In Buddhism, rahu is defined as a dark monster / planet who is responsible for the phases of the moon by swallowing it. Rahu is supposed to be a mighty and naughty child of maya(illusion) and thus has a lot of dualities attached to its illusory nature.All sorts of poisonous chemicals like fertilizespesticides, and disinfectants are also ruled by rahu. Wherever it sits in your chart it manifests itself exactly like that. Anything that can fool you is rahu whether it's photography or video games. The karma that you are going to create in this life in the future is rahu. The thing that everyone needs to understand about rahu and ketu is that they are both outcast planet they dont act in a certain expected way. They surprise you. Anything that is material and a short cut is rahu. Rahu always wants fame and attention. Rahu is addiction since its obsessed with things bc he has no stomach to see if it has enough. Rahu is always trying to show you the different realm whether its good or bad. Anything that shades out and protects you from the sun is rahu. Wherever rahu aspects it gives something foreign. Anything that explodes.

Rahu in our generation and day to day life

The Internet for me is the biggest rahu example in our daily life now think of something that tends to happen a lot with the internet, illusion whether it's of beauty filters or people lying and then getting caught lying. On the internet we get influenced so easily that also while knowing that things might not exactly be how they are shown. Every once in a while we see random people blowing up on the internet out of nowhere. One of the biggest examples is that the internet is often used to spread lies and misinformation regarding things which is what rahu is. The influencers or the people that get popular are unconventional in some way whether it's regarding their way of living or them just dropping out of college and choosing to take a career path(living as an influencer) that is not something that is usually done by the people in the society. Good and strong rahu placements are also seen in famous and successful politicians and businessmen and they are ALL clever people most of the time spreading lies(politicians). We also see cats being very popular or all of a sudden being loved by the internet and cats are rahu as well. We also see people that make good edits or take good photographs blowing up on the internet as this is also ruled by rahu especially when it's foreign places as that's ALSO rahu. In india, if you guys are familiar with the ancient history "baniyas" aka businessmen or traders were naturally seen by the society as people that were "unconventional" or "non traditional" because they were starting something that was unconventional to the society that's also rahu. People breaking traffic rules is also rahu. This generation is ruled by rahu, we break rules, lie, break the traditional norms, drink and smoke etc.

I hope this post helps in your understanding of what rahu is as it's a very interesting planet alongside saturn.

[eddiemunsonw]

Leaning Away

Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

Summary: Eddie has been avoiding you and you're starting to feel like he doesn't like you, in general, as a person. You're determined to find out why. CW/Disclaimer: A bit of angst, but this drabble is so short you'll be hit with good feels almost right away. Other than that: fluff, Eddie is awkward and cute. Author's note: Hope you like and if you do, please show some love! Likes, reblogs and comments are massively appreciated, it's what keeps me going. :) Words: 2445

You had been friends with the gang for a while now. While you weren’t sure exactly when it happened, you started hanging out more frequently when Steve, Robin and you started working at the same place after briefly being co-workers at Family Video. It was obvious that the group liked you around and you found that it became almost a weekly occurrence lately. At least, almost everyone. For whatever reason, you didn’t get that vibe from Eddie all that much.

He engaged in conversations with you, sure, preferably when drunk or high, but even during those times it was as if he would suddenly remember who he was talking to and he’d quickly cut the conversation in favor of going somewhere else or striking up a conversation with the nearest person aside from you. Not only that, but due to Jonathan being Jonathan, it wasn’t a rare occurrence that there was a camera on hand for someone to take pictures throughout the evening. Even Steve had taken up an interest in photography lately, liking the idea of having some tangible memories of good times. So therefore, pictures were being taken. At first you assumed that Eddie didn’t like his picture taken, since he always moved away once a camera came into view. But the more pictures you saw, the more you realized that apparently he only seemed to have a problem being photographed next to you.

There were a bunch of pictures with other people where he clearly didn’t have a care in the world for it, sometimes even posing silly for them. It wasn’t until this one night where you were all hanging out together and Jonathan gave everyone a copy of the group photo that had been taken sometime ago, that you reached your limit. 

It was the one photo where Eddie had stood next to you because it had simply been the better spot for him to stand according to the person who took the photo. You remembered vaguely how much closer you stood to Robin than Eddie did to you, but it became all the more obvious when you had the actual photo in your hands. His whole upper body was leaning away from you in a way that was simply too obvious. He never did that with anyone else.

Although this situation had been bothering you for a while now, you had avoided bringing it up with anyone from the group since you were essentially the odd one out and weren’t feeling like creating an awkward atmosphere. However, the longer you gazed at this photo, the more you felt like you didn’t belong anyway. Not if Eddie had a say in it.

So there you were, making your way over to Eddie who was already stuffing his copy in his back pocket. As soon as he noticed you, his eyes darted away and he looked downright uncomfortable. Great. Great start.

“Sup, Y/N,” he greeted you awkwardly while pushing his thumb through a belt loop. His other hand fiddled with an empty beer can that he was trying to balance on the bushes next to him.

“Hi, Eddie,” you started, glancing around to see if anyone was in hearing distance. Regret was already starting to seep in. “Can I ask you something?”

Everything about his expression told you that he’d rather be anywhere else than in front of you right now, especially with the way he avoided looking at you.

“Uhh, sure.”

He frowned slightly and decided it was the perfect time to light a cigarette. As you tried to build up the courage, Eddie gathered his lighter and busied himself trying to get it to work. You wondered if anyone else could see the tension oozing out of you the way you felt it.

“Did I ever do or say something to make you dislike me?”

You watched as his frown deepened, still flicking his thumb over the striker in slight frustration and you could tell the moment he registered your words, as his eyes immediately flick towards you.

“Huh?”

A soft sigh escapes your lips, cheeks flushing from embarrassment for making a big deal out of this. He probably couldn’t care less whether you were around or not. He was probably just indifferent to it all. Still… you just wanted to know.

“I mean that, uhm, you kind of avoid me whenever you can? And… I don’t know, this?” You showed him the photo, your finger easily fitting between the gap between you two, whereas everyone else is very much huddled close together. You were almost certain you heard him swear under his breath and you immediately feared that you had annoyed him even more. Wasn’t it a fair question to ask, though?

“I don’t dislike you, Y/N,” Eddie mumbled, his cheeks tainting a little pink. “That’s the whole problem.” Finally, he managed to get his lighter to work. He took a drag of his cigarette while continuously fumbling with the lighter so much to the point of it dropping onto the floor. He huffed around his cigarette, smoke leaving through the small gaps near the corners of his mouth. Wordlessly, you picked it up for him and your fingers briefly brushed each other before he snatched the lighter away from you so he could stuff it back into his pocket.

“What do you mean?” you decided to ask when you realized he wasn’t going to elaborate. He was once again avoiding your gaze and it became harder for you to keep your patience.

“Means I— like you. And I kind of don’t want… things to get in the way of, y’know, this,” he mumbled as he gestured around. “The group. Everything.”

You crossed your arms, vaguely registering that he just confessed something to you but you were too annoyed to let it linger in your brain for too long. Apparently, you had been feeling bad for weeks, months even, because Eddie Munson had decided it was better to avoid you.

“Well that’s a pretty shit reason to treat someone like garbage.”

Eddie, who had been avoiding your gaze up until now, looked up with big eyes, concern in them wide and obvious.

“G-Garbage? I didn’t mean to—”

“I’m sure you didn’t, but you did. In fact—” You held up a finger and walked back into the house wordlessly, leaving him standing there. Argyle gave you a nod as you passed him while he was getting him and Jonathan another beer. You fished out some tape and scissors from a drawer, decided that you didn’t need the latter as you ripped yourself and eddie off the picture, only to tape it back together horribly so that you disappeared and Eddie stood next to Robin instead. Without a gap. Eddie met you halfway on your way back to him, blocking the doorway as he spread his hands across the doorpost.

“Y/N—”

“Here. All fixed.” You pushed the photo into his hands, gave him no time to respond and walked away. To your surprise, you ran into Steve near the front door as he just came downstairs.

“Oh, leaving so soon?” he asked you curiously, “weren’t you gonna get a ride with someone?”

You shook your head and gave him a weak smile.

“No, change of plans. Gonna get picked up in a moment, so… I’m heading out. See you soon?” It wasn’t meant to be a question, but suddenly you weren’t too sure if you were going to see him or anyone for that matter anytime soon.

“Oh, alright. Yeah, soon!” He gave you a quick shoulder squeeze and one of his warm smiles and you knew that if he hadn’t drank that much, he probably would have waited to see if you actually had a ride. Lucky for you, that meant you could grab your jacket and slip out quietly.

Eddie was busy chewing his bottom lip away from stress as he tried to come up with something to say to you, to make it up. It had never been his intention to hurt you at all, he was just… protecting himself. Which was apparently the stupidest idea because now he hurt you of all people. He looked up, already stumbling over his words as he heard footsteps approach him and he was eager to grasp onto his second chance when he realized it was Steve instead.

“Where’s Y/N?”

“She went home,” Steve shrugged, grabbing a beer and waiting for Eddie to let him pass.

“Wasn’t she supposed to get a ride with Jon and Nance?”

Steve shrugged again.

“She said she was being picked up in a moment.”

Right. As if. Despite his disbelief, he nodded and gave Steve a pat on the shoulder.

“Alright, thanks dude.”

Without announcing his departure, he left through the front door and took a left. The plan had been to stay over at Steve’s place, so he had consumed beers with that in mind and didn’t feel like driving would be a smart idea right now. But man he hated walking. Or jogging, which he was actually doing. He knew the quickest road to your home, he wasn’t stupid. He paid attention. Not just for reasons. He totally hadn’t sat in his van at the corner of your street, wondering if he should just spontaneously ring the doorbell since he couldn’t get a word out whenever he tried to phone your house. Ever since you had brought up “this creepy anonymous caller who keeps hanging up after some noisy breathing” he hadn’t dared to try again. Needless to say, he never gathered the guts to go over and actually act out his plan.

This however, was different. And with shortness of breath, his band tee sticking to his torso already due to the humidity this summer, he finally caught up to you.

“Y/N!”

You turned around at the sound of your name and your eyes widened when you spotted Eddie, hunched over, hands resting on his knees as he huffed short breaths. Mind you, you had only just rounded the corner of the street Steve lived on. Which wasn’t that long.

“Jesus… H— Christ, I hate running,” he groaned, wiping the sweat off his forehead and messing up his bangs in the process. A little annoyed, he lifted his t-shirt to ruffle through his hair a bit to fix it, exposing his stomach in the process. Not the point, you forced yourself to think as your eyes dragged over his happy trail.

“Then why’d you run?” you asked dryly, hands on your hips because your brisk walk had gotten you a little out of breath as well, with all the emotions running through you on top of it.

“Because I couldn’t let you leave like that. Also— Getting a ride? My ass. I knew that was bullshit when Steve said it.”

“Must be because I’m so unlikable, right? Who in their right mind would offer me a ride,” you mumbled as you rolled your eyes.

“Me! Did you not hear what I said before?” Eddie asked slightly exasperated. “Where does this fucking sweat keep coming from Jesus Christ—”

“Yeah, you like me so much that you go out of your way to make me feel unwelcome and act like I’m some sort of repellant you want to stay away from. Nice.” Eddie sighed softly and took a few steps towards you, making him close enough for you to have to look up to meet his eyes. Your heartbeat was deafening, and it had nothing to do with being a little out of breath.

“I never, ever meant to make you feel unwelcome, Y/N. I get why you feel that way, I do, and I’m sorry. I don’t want this,” he mumbled sincerely, grabbing the ripped up picture you taped together. You glanced down at his hand holding it and followed it all the way down as he let it drop onto the pavement.

“You shouldn’t litter,” you mumbled weakly.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll— Fine.” He crouched down, picked it up and stuffed it back into his pocket. “I still don’t want it though,” he said pointedly. His eyes met yours briefly and it was easy to drown in those stupidly beautiful eyes of his. You followed his gaze as it wandered down to his hands, empty now. 

“I want…”

His hands hesitantly took hold of yours, slightly calloused thumbs rubbing the back of your hands gently.

“This.”

You gave his hands a soft squeeze and dared to look up at him only to find his gaze fixated on your hands, his cheeks giving away a subtle flush in the dim light around you.

“Y’know what the problem is, Y/N,” he added softly, thumbs never breaking their circling pattern as he spoke, “when we talk, or when you’re close to me, all I wanna do is kiss you. And I don’t think you’d be into that, not like that, anyway. ‘Cause you’re like… fuckin’ perfect, y’know? And then there’s me, acting like I just fished my brain out of my ass and am still trying to figure out how it works. I’m an idiot.”

A soft giggle escaped your lips without your control and he smiled softly.

“You are an idiot, Eddie,” you agreed and realized you needed to speed up your words when you saw the slightest hint of acceptance in his eyes, as if your hurtful statement held any truth to it in the way he expected it to be. “For thinking I wouldn’t want to kiss you like that.”

“I know I— What? Don’t fuck with me now Y/N or I swear to fuckin’ whatever,” he pressed, eyes large and actually, kind of hopeful.

“Or what, you’ll be a dickhead and avoid me?”

“Y/N, come on, I—”

Sometimes, actions spoke louder than words, right? In this case, you were certain it would speed up the process of a mutual understanding between the two of you. In one move you released your hands from his grip and wrapped them around his neck instead, pulling him downwards until your lips met in a sweet kiss. Eddie didn’t kiss you back right away— but once he realized what was happening he melted against you and kissed you back as eagerly as any guy would kiss a girl during spin the bottle. 

Except this wasn’t spin the bottle. This wasn’t based on chance and both parties wanted to kiss each other just as badly, without any coincidental circumstances. And so what if Steve and the others were a little confused with your sudden return? There was always the next day.

Tonight was about you and Eddie.

[berryz-writes]

Grayson Hawthorne Headcanons- when he was younger

He took ages to sleep. Playing chess games with himself, trying to draw the world map by memory literally did anything to fall asleep faster

Sometimes when he had nightmares he would just lay in bed knowing that Jameson would come to his room first. Once he did they would talk about things (never about their nightmares) but just in general. Once he knew Jameson was asleep he would finally sleep as well

Always took care of Xander even if it meant being the uptight brother

Wanted his mothers attention so would draw her cute cards and gave her flowers that he had dug up from the gardens

When he was bored, if his grandfather was at home he would follow him around sometimes discretely to see what he did and how he acted (he wanted tips on what to do once he got the fortune)

Being super young, Grayson sometimes wondered down corridors, just so he could get lost and then maybe he would get a little attention and someone would come find him

Instead he just found his way back to his room because obvs he's extremely smart

He also made up a lot of games for him, Xander and Jameson to play when they were younger

Always asked Nash for advice before doing anything because he didn't want to do it wrong

Never or barely cried in front of everyone because he didn't want to be seen as weak

He was a quiet child in class but always put his hand up to give the answer

Liked it when Jameson joined his school because Jameson was able to make friends in a heartbeat with literally everyone

Didn't trust his friends completely but he did enjoy spending time with them

His favourite extra curricular was Photography which he had joined because he had wanted to create memories that lasted forever

He is naturally good at drawing/art.

When he was small and the boys had a maid he would tell her "Please could you style my hair so it looks neat?" Cared about his presentation when he was like 6 years old

Also was always so so polite. His teachers always complimented his manners in parent meetings

Great at sports especially cricket but he's not really a fan of how long the game is

Whenever he wanted something he would whisper it at first "Could I please have the crayon?" He had to repeat himself like twice before the other children could hear him

Wasn't necessarily a shy child but he was quiet compared to Jamie

Jamie and Gray always get compared by teachers "You sure he's your brother? He's the complete opposite"

Anytime any child made eye contact with him he would give them the sweetest smile his dimples showing.

He didn't have very close friends but everyone in the class liked him so he was voted for class president quite a few times

His uniform was always so clean like there would not be a spot of dirt on his clothes. He was a clean child.

Unlike Xander who always had paint splotches down his shirt

When Xander was super young like 4 years old, all 3 of them would go to Nash's room and make him read a bed time story on Saturday nights

Slowly this tradition changed to Grayson also getting a part in reading. Xander and Jamie would fall asleep and so whenever it was Jameson's turn to read he had fallen asleep

Nash would ask if he wanted to sleep here as well but because Grayson likes to be independent he would leave to his own room- half an hour later he would creep into Nash's room and sleep next to Xander

Also still liked spending time by himself. Finding a comfy corner in the library to read his favourite book to escape for a bit- he would usually find Jamie here as well seen as though he loves reading

When he was quite young he insisted on having an opticians appointment because he thought people with glasses were smarter. Of course he turned out to have 20-20 vision.

He is the most hot fucking person in the whole of Hawthorne house

[bg3-ficrecs]

The Wilted Dreams of Baldur's Gate series - BG3 Fic Review

Review by Apollo (@apollo-stories)

Good news, dear readers, after taking it outside and fighting the other reviewers in a Wendy’s parking lot, I have won the rights to review this wonderful collection with our favourite vampire, Astarion. 

Wilted Dreams Of Baldur’s Gate is a seven-part collection examining Astarion and Tav’s relationship across the game and post-canon written by author emicha on AO3. You can also find emicha here on Tumblr at @wilteddreamsofbaldursgate.

There’s something for everyone in this series with some fluffy slice of life here, a little angst there, and a generous portion of smut. The series beautifully explores the ups and downs of a relationship between two traumatised individuals trying to find healing and hope.

A note from the BG3FicReviews team: As always, mind the tags! Our review is continued below the fold due to the NSFW nature of the content in some of these works.

This incredible virtual photography of our favourite vampire spawn was taken by @astarielx over on Twitter. Shared here with her permission.

This collection reminds me of a Studio Ghibli movie. If you’d like, you can read it once and enjoy it for the warmth and romance of the domestic, mundane life. That said, However it speaks to the talent of the way the author has that they have managed to create a story that feels so effortlessly natural, yet still includes weight and depth to both the characters and the plot is truly remarkable.

The series begins with You, Blinding Like The Sun. 

We dive into Astarion’s feelings and conflict in the early days of his relationship with Tav. The feelings are new, and difficult to manage. We can see some initial comparisons with Cazador here as Astarion sees Tav as some perfect being he cannot hope to emulate, someone superior to him. He creates his own power imbalance because he doesn’t know any other option. Astarion has been shoved into the sunlight both literally and figuratively. Overwhelmed by the situation he finds himself in, his immediate response is to lash out. 

As their journey progresses, however, this balance shifts. The author shows the reader the imperfections in both characters and how their relationship adjusts around those personal flaws. 

Astarion decides that Tav is someone he wants to have alongside him through the blinding difficulty and the imperfections. It’s a wonderful beginning to a well-rounded relationship. 

The following two works - Steady Hands, Frame My Love and A Gift That Keeps On Giving - focus on the developing relationship between Astarion and Tav. More specifically, the author demonstrates how the pair navigate complicated situations together. 

The reader sees Astarion’s flaws and Tav’s love for him because of them (rather than in spite of them), with Astarion mirroring the sentiment about the ever imperfect Tav.

You can also see Astarion’s healing with the way he views Tav. There is little focus on appearance, more on the smaller inflections and imperfect edges. After Astarion was used for his good looks so many times, this is a refreshing contrast. The reader can see this in several of the works; as the relationship develops, we can see how they prioritise each other over appearances every time. 

This collection was surprisingly relaxing to read. The work Darling, Mind if I Enjoy Myself? is a lovely smutty treat with no small amount of teasing and fluff. It’s easy enough to enjoy for the smut alone, but a deeper read reveals the depth of their affections for one another and just how much the pair enjoy being together. They are in love, and every moment is drawn out as they relish every moment.

Starlit Skirts is the end of the timeline of this series, but it is not the final story. It’s a beautifully sweet climax, with a lovely surprise at the end. 

The sixth work in the series, The Scent of Missing Buttons, is actually a prequel to the previous five, and touches on the night Astarion was taken by the nautiloid. 

In the prequel, the author shows us Astarion’s life as Cazador’s spawn. Astarion’s trauma is made manifest, reflecting how deeply he has been dehumanised, even to himself, to the point that he scolds himself for not grovelling enough in front of his abuser and tormentor. We are introduced to a version of Astarion that has been shattered into a thousand different pieces over the past two centuries. 

Once you’ve read The Scent of Missing Buttons, the entire story unfurls like a flower in bloom. The writer has sewn links and connections into each work like the pearls on a wedding dress, and you can enjoy finding each Easter egg on your re-read (which I highly recommend). For example, you’ll find a change in sentence structure and shorter paragraph length in The Scent of Missing Buttons. It reflect Astarion’s dissociation and disconnection while under Cazador’s command, his mind numb, focusing only on what is necessary to his survival. In contrast, once Astarion meets Tav, the author’s writing becomes increasingly descriptive and poetic as Astarion starts to see the world with new eyes. The Author’s work is a fascinating example of how even something as simple as formatting and sentence structure can convey depth and nuance. 

As a character, Astarion is remarkably malleable, and I’ve yet to find an interpretation of him that I don’t enjoy. His journey towards a healthy romance with Tav makes for a beautiful story with a great deal of depth, akin to a thousand fragile threads linking together with the strength of steel and creating a beautiful tapestry of their love for one another. 

With the work’s excellent depiction of Astarion’s struggle to survive, his panic in a new relationship and the active choice he makes to choose loving Tav over fearing Cazador, I would happily read each chapter again and again.

Not to be outdone with the already excellent six works I've already mentioned, emicha has now added a seventh work (published only a few days ago) that I have yet to read, namely Springtime Caresses. If it is anything like its predecessors, I absolutely can't wait to sink my teeth into it.

We have included a snippet of the first work in the series below for your enjoyment. As always, please remember to support the author's work with comments and kudos. 🫶

----------------

You, Blinding Like the Sun

He despises you.

From the moment Astarion first laid eyes upon you—confident, selfless little elf, blinding like the sun—he has despised you. You with your dazzling golden eyes, the sweet flush on the tip of your pointy ears. Your artfully arranged hair, kissed by the sun to make it shine like fine silk. The cute little freckles sprinkled all over your unmarred skin—skin that has never been touched by undesired hands. You who lived long enough to choose a name for yourself—to make a name for yourself.

How he despises all of it.

The way you win anyone over with nothing but an honest smile; the sheer purpose in your every step. That nasty confidence of yours that isn't some skill you ever needed to acquire because, to you, it comes all-natural, of course—you were born with it. Astarion can tell it's true because he’s spent two centuries mimicking the behaviour of people just like you.

And he despises you for it.

Before you were even born, the gods have bestowed their gifts on you, and here you are, not even knowing what power you hold, how very blessed you are. You wouldn’t even care if you knew, because the fact of the matter is that you have no need for gods nor gifts nor skills. Not when people gravitate towards you as if you have hung the stars. And how dreadfully inviting you always are, so very accommodating.

You can find the entire series here on AO3.

Review edited by Aivu (@aivuthedragon).

[just-xylia]

Ok, so the thing is I very much feel like Castorice could very easily be paired with every member of Starchfly. So time to go through each person one by one and explain how. Of course, spoilers for 3.0 main story quest so please don’t read ahead if you haven’t finished yet.

So Stelle seems like the easiest option here. The hug from the music video just feels like a good starting point cause like what the heck is up with that and when are we going to get into that in the story? Also like, Castorice the adorable girl who always acts all formal with everyone using proper titles and all who always follows Aglea’s orders actually went behind her back to try and get Phainon to save us. Also you know the genuine giggles we get out of her when feeding the cute Dino’s? Goodness so so good. I’m sure there’s more but I feel like StelleXCastorice is the one I need to spend the least amount of time proving. (And no, none of this applies to Caelus as well, Caelus doesn’t exist)

March is an interesting one and honestly is based more in theory than anything, (but it’s theory with evidence so bear with me) One point that I don’t need to go theory brain for is their shared love of cameras and photography? Like goodness I can imagine the two of them having a super long discussion about cameras in general and photography and yeah. It’d be cute. Also like, if you find and talk to Castorice after the main story quest, she says that she can’t remember anything from before a certain point when she entered the city she came from I guess? I don't remember the names of places but the point is, there is a chunk of her life she doesn’t remember, something that is very similar to Stelle and March’s situations. 

Now to take a deep dive into some theories about where the plot of AMphoreus is going to better understand potential for MarchXCastorice, we have to take a look at what the heck is up with March and what exactly her deal with Amphoreus is. I honestly feel like it’s pretty obvious that March is the Mother that Oronyx mentioned. (Given how the titan reacted to Stelle taking a picture with March’s Camera.) So, then who is Mem? Well, we see with Nikador that it is possible for at least a Titan to split their soul, I think that’s what either happened to March or what March did to herself. And Mem is one of the missing parts of March’s soul. Or maybe the only missing part of March’s soul. Regardless, Looking at how Oronyx reacted to the Chrysos heir's prophecy and how they reacted to Stelle having met their ‘Mother’ I genuinely think that the mother, who is most likely March, must have set up some plan that goes against the prophecy that Aglaea seems determined to follow. Basically, I do not think that the Titan’s will be the end game and I think the only character currently truly beginning to question if the way Aglaea is pushing is the only way is Castorice. Castorice seems to truly be the only one who is showing true pity for these titans, by saying sweet dreams to Oronyx and giving Nikador a peaceful send off. Heck, she even starts to question it out loud before cutting herself off. Genuinely I feel like March’s condition is going to worsen for some amount of time until we reach a critical point in the story where Dan Heng and Stelle finally get back in contact with the express and find out what is going on with March. Then we’ll have to reunite Mem with March, get a potential 5 star March form, and she’ll lead to the true end game where we dismantle this prophecy and make a better world for the titans and Humans. And the first native of Amphoreus to be on board with that plan? Most likely Castorice, as she already has a soft spot for these titans. Yet another thing to make Castorice loyal to March and Stelle. Of course I’m sure Phainon would join to cause he’s the main support this time around for some reason, but he’s boring and we aren’t talking about him so ignore him, he doesn’t get a role in Morning Glories. Basically, I don’t know if Aglaea or the Council of Elders or hell, maybe even Phainon will be the end game final Amphoreus fight, but Castorice will be team March and Stelle if I’m right about this. 

Now FireflyXCatorice was honestly a bit trickier to find a connection for, well, until Castorice started talking about how over all she valued Life over death. An approach that Firefly seems pretty close to. Hell, if anyone in the universe has a viewpoint similar to Firefly’s, it’s Castorice. Castorice says that even if death can’t be avoided, at least she hopes there is beauty to it. That sounds pretty similar to what Firely says about Fireflies. Honestly both of them seem to value life above death, but don’t fear death, at least that's how I see them. So I can at least see a deep connection form from that alone. Also I can’t help but wonder if Firefly would be spared from Castorice’s death touch if she was in SAM. Basically, can Firefly touch Castorice in SAM and live? These are the questions we need to ask. Also, both Castorice and Firefly react to Stelle buying out an entire store in front of them (Sure in Firefly’s case we are spending her money), but they both do tend to have relatively negative reactions to you over spending which is a pretty cute similarity.

Anyway, that’s where I’m at so far. Maybe as Amphoreus continues we’ll get more tea. I’m willing to hear out any other thoughts on this as well. :)

[accio-victuuri]

BJYX - Thursday Madness ( 12/7/23 )

I don’t know what’s with this date that they both decided to attack us with updates. We were prepared for WYB, because the event was planned tho he still surprised us with some bits. I swear when I saw the alert on my phone for XZS update I was 🫢🫢🫢. They are both feeding us so well.

Here’s my attempt at doing a recap of the candies ( and other things ) we got today. This may not be all inclusive, I only added the popular ones being talked about.

let this lovely boy invite you in….

Our day started pretty early when WYB posted on his Weibo. All of the attendees of the event were actually sharing some pre show photos on their accounts and some of us were waiting what’s he gonna post. Everyone else were sharing professional photos but then WYB goes ahead and shares a b&w photo that tells us he is still in bed 😂😂😂 this bitch. I also feel like he didn’t want to shoot outside the exclusive “town” cause there are people going around and they may crowd if he does opening shooting. The night he arrived, 12/6, everyone saw Lele / Yanyan around but no WYB. So he was really trying to not be seen unless it was time for the show.

The photo itself is kinda mysterious tbh. It’s like something you can send to your s/o and be — “im waiting for you” HAHAHAHAHA! Tho I think for WYB he can send a more explicit one to XZ 🫢🫢🫢 So we get the PG version. What we noticed is the channel he is tuned in is CCTV 5. He said this in an interview with XZ, that when he is alone, he keeps the TV open with CCTV 5 and Volume 3. So he’s still doing it! Also, this was taken using his Leica M11 b&w. I feel so happy knowing that! He is still on his photography hobby. Too bad he couldn’t go around the venue cause i bet there are lots of sights to see. The Leica CPN is only getting stronger. ☺️ ( I have already talked about the Leica CPN at length, so just search it on my blog ). Side note, even if the photo was so simple it went on HS #7 lol. His power.

Then it was time for WYB to make his appearance and he didn’t disappoint. First of all, he was in YELLOW. BXG color. Yeah, it could be a stylist choice or whatever. But this is a clowning space and I think we are free to interpret it as a sign for us.

But what’s more glaring is his hat. It looks so much like the one he wore at CQL concert & fan meet. Also reminds us of the whole One Piece CPN between them ( the post i’m linking is a starter but there has been more examples since like this one ).

To be fair, WYB is someone who loves a good old hat/cap. from his bucket hats & caps — that is more for anonymity. It also extends to his performances like 11/11 finesse or the initial photoshoot for ROMW. What i’m saying is, we should not forget the fact that this is his personal preference as well and not entirely because of candy. Tho I have to say that the style is interesting. Why does it have to be so close to that? It’s like he is bringing us back memory lane.

WYB is honestly so beautiful today. He always is but there was something about his aura. He is chill. He was genuinely interested and i found it sweet of him, during the boat ride, he was clapping for Rocco, like applauding him for the event i guess. In the meantime, on Weibo, the top hot search were people criticizing the “boat” thing on GQ ( literally something like GQ boat embarrassment was the tag ) As soon as the live started it went on 1 or 2. I don’t know if Bobo saw that but I just like how he showed his appreciation to Rocco, and by extension, his team. That’s just my interpretation and it could be a completely different thing but knowing WYB, he is very generous with acknowledging people.

I also want to address another “candy” some cpfs are laughing about, it’s a fancam where Rocco moves to sit with WYB before the boat sailed and WYB smiled and said no. They were interpreting that as WYB doesn’t want Rocco to sit with him. Speculating that as he doesn’t want to get close cause ZZ will be jealous. But if you look at it, he was asked if he wants to switch seats. WYB declined. He was okay with his position. I guess some people have some beef with Rocco & GQ and that’s fine. However, what we feel about certain things is not the same as what the boys would feel. I also think that at this point, It’s in WYB’s best interest to have a good relationship with people in the industry. For example him attending 10c Starlight, even if a lot of his so/os hate Tencent ( and with good reason ok sure ). He is only extending his reach and it’s better to not burn bridges.

That got serious, so here, have some comparison between the gremlin in 2018 to now. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

I was cackling at the comments that they should have invited XZ so they can be paired up and quarrel for 9 mins 😂😂😂😂

NEXT UP IS GG’s VLOG. I don’t know why it slipped my mind, they usually post on Thursdays, but anyway —

The first thing is the BGM for the exercise section of the vlog Hans Zimmer/Richard Harvey《Preparation》 which was used in the 2015 movie The Little Prince. A favorite CPN symbol among us. Another glaring one is Uptown Funk. Hello. Bruno Mars? That’s WYB’s thing. Yes, ZZ has his own team who edits these but I am one of those that believes ZZ approves the final cut. He is also asked about certain choices cause let’s be honest — his suggestions matter cause he knows what looks good. He is a professional in that aspect too.

Next is his hand held fan! It’s the same brand but a different design. They finally upgraded!!!! 🥹🥹

This scene (p1) with ZZ’s fondness for leaning on railings and balconies. It reminds me of the fake rumor before that WYB hates it when he does that.

XZ has a habit of lying on the balcony guardrail in a daze. Sometimes on a higher floor, WYB feels unsafe and won’t let XZ get close to the guardrail. Except for shooting, XZ is prohibited from approaching the balcony guardrail.

I would have loved to get some more day to day bits of his vacation cause there is usually more candy in that. I want to see him roaming around, like this part, these two love to mimic what they see and take a photo beside it. Tho this is mostly GG’s thing. They really have the same braincell.

LASTLY, Let’s discuss XZS 🤝 YBO.

XZS starts talking about the hot wind, which is most likely talking about the weather in Singapore. But then minutes later, here comes YBO talking about a comfortable breeze. Lol. The the hot could also allude to that “summer” since WYB decided to remind us all with his photo and hat. Then YBO’s caption, drawing more attention to his hat, knowing that CPFs are clowning over it.

and what time did they post their last set for the day?? 00:38. These clowns. Zhan Bo. 🫢

Some are saying it’s out of character for XZS to post stuff like this when there is an event going on. For example today, the hot search is filled with talk about GQ. Which I can agree on to some degree, but his team have been posting mostly on Thursdays and they are already “due” for a vlog. However, when they have a vlog ready, the fans can usually see it on Weibo, we know that there will be something coming and i didn’t see any talk of that today. Or maybe i missed it? Others are clowning that this is his “answer” to WYB’s strong candy today, i personally don’t think so but it’s all good for us cause we have so much content!!!!! 💛

BONUS: this transition 👀👀👀👀. Their editors are dating!!!!!!

[taruchinator]

☔ General Audiences

☔ 1.7k Words

☔ Day 1 | Rainy Day for @flufftober

It had only been a couple of weeks since everyone made it safe and sound to the Human Realm.

Leaving nothing but pain and destruction in the place they called home, Luz was determined to make her friends feel welcomed, and at the very least somewhat happy during their impromptu visit.

So when the opportunity of showing non-boiling rain to Hunter presented itself, how could she possibly resist?

Ladies and gents, I'd like to welcome you to something I've never done before, which is trying a challenge I've always been too scared to do: Flufftober! :3

I can't promise I'll do all the prompts, but I definitely have a few things already stashed for everyone's fluffy enjoyment! This one goes to you, Huntceda nation! 💜💛

“Man, I can't wait to get this to Amity when we get home! I really hope she likes it…”

Luz happily waltzed down the sidewalk past the bookstore she'd just come from, all the while never letting go of the paper bag that contained her precious treasure worth a good twenty dollars.

Hunter let out a chuckle, easily keeping up with the brunet’s brisk pace. “I doubt that'll be an issue considering you two go nuts over anything Azura related. Not sure what makes this book any different from the others, though.”

The human girl let out a fake gasp, already knowing her companion was just teasing and decided to play along. She lifted her bag and extracted the tome from inside, instantly waving it in his face as if that would be enough clarification. “This is no ordinary Azura book—It's the five year anniversary collector’s edition! It includes never-before-seen artwork, interviews with the author, and so much more! I got mine when it first came out, but when I heard it never made it to the Boiling Isles, I'd say it's the perfect gift!”

It had only been a couple of weeks since everyone made it safe and sound to the Human Realm. Leaving nothing but pain and destruction in the place they called home, Luz was determined to make her friends feel welcomed, and at the very least somewhat happy during their impromptu visit. Because of this, she prepared special gifts for everyone to hopefully cheer them up a bit.

Willow had gotten a new polaroid camera, seeing how her interests had grown into that of photography and capturing special moments in time.

Gus got the surprise of a lifetime when he awoke to a box set full of Cosmic Frontier novels, courtesy of the one and only Camila Noceda.

Hunter got a handmade birdhouse for Flapjack—albeit a bit smaller than Luz had intended, even though the blond told her it was fine—, along with a bird watching kit, with everything from binoculars to bird seed to even a notebook to document his findings. Maaaaybe she'd gone a bit overboard on his, but those were the boyfriend-girlfriend privileges!

So after today's purchase, that would knock everybody off the list. If early signs were any indication, the tokens of appreciation were working, at least for a little bit. It was the least she could do for them…

Trying to push herself out of the mental fog that wanted to trap her, Luz clung to Hunter's arm and snuggled into it with a content sigh. His warmth always seemed to soothe her no matter where they were, and the cold weather was definitely giving him extra points. “Thanks for tagging along, by the way. You could've stayed reading with Gus all afternoon…”

The blond pulled another paper bag from behind his back, all the while grinning from ear to ear in the way that made Luz's heart melt. “Are you kidding? And miss the chance of getting our own special edition copy of Cosmic Frontier? Gus is going to lose it when we show this to him! Although we might keep this to ourselves for a bit, right Flap?”

The palisman chirped in reply from his resting spot on Hunter's shoulder. Luz giggled at the display—this boy would be the death of her one of these days, and she was more than okay with that.

“Alright you bookworms, it's time to head back before—”

Cutting her sentence short, a low rumble emanated from the sky, and it was only then the duo realized how it'd changed from blue to light gray. It was definitely clear when they'd left the house earlier.

After a droplet landed on Luz's nose catching her off-guard for a moment, she finally realized what was going on: it was starting to rain. Now, it wasn't like she didn't know this would happen—the weather forecast mentioned the chance of light showers in the afternoon, hence the brunette hoping against all odds that they'd make it back before the sky decided to open up.

Hunter on the other hand, was a different story.

“L-Luz! We have to find shelter! Boiling rain's coming!” The teen reached for the girl's hand and didn't give her a chance to reply before he started bolting back to the bookstore. Despite her protests, the blond didn't stop until they were under the protection of the building’s roof. His voice was laced with concern as the grip on her hand never wavered. “You okay?”

As she was catching her breath, Luz gave him a warm smile and squeezed his hand in reassurance, hopefully conveying her appreciation through the simple gesture. “I'm fine Hunter, thanks. Although… you do remember that rain doesn't boil in the Human Realm, right?”

A beat of silence.

Flapjack chirped between them once more as he ruffled his feathers to rid them of the moisture. Hunter's ears turned a light shade of pink as he batted his palisman away in annoyance. “F-Flapjack, cut it out!”

Luz giggled once more and raised an inquisitive eyebrow while reaching into her backpack. “I'll take that as a no?”

“I-It's not really my fault, you know! Humans run from rain here too, so it's not exactly easy to remember it won't melt our faces off!” The blond pointed at the display in front of them in exasperation, most definitely trying to save any dignity he had left. It wasn't working as well as he hoped.

“Well, you're lucky you have such a resourceful girlfriend, then!” As she finished uttering those words, Luz revealed a medium sized umbrella she'd brought with her to their errands—a gift from Willow, sleek and black and designed after a cat, with little ears on top and everything. It quickly became one of her favorites.

After opening it up, the brunette walked away from the safety of the bookstore's roof until she could hear the relaxing sounds of water splashing above her head, yet it was keeping her completely dry. A hum escaped her lips as she turned to look at her surroundings, only then realizing the streets were completely empty. Maybe Hunter had a point about humans running away from rain, too.

Speaking of the blond, Luz turned back to find him staring at her in complete awe, as if she were walking through fire and not just a simple splash in the park. With a little spin that would most definitely leave her sneakers soaked thanks to the puddles underneath, the girl gave him a smile as she waved him over. “Come on! It's safe!”

Even though Luz knew Hunter believed her, the skepticism in his eyes was evident as he eyed his surroundings warily.

With a fond roll of her eyes, the girl walked back until she was face to face with her boyfriend, this time extending a hand towards him. Water splashed against her open palm, and it was nothing but refreshing. “It's okay… I promise your face won't melt off. It'll stay as cute as always.”

Another blush spread across the blond's cheeks, but this time determination seemed to shimmer in his eyes. His gloved hand began to slowly make its way outwards, trembling slightly but moving steadily in Luz's direction. With only an inch of distance between them—

“Ow!”

“W-Wah!!!”

Before she knew it, the brunette's back hit the concrete with a wet ‘thud!’, almost knocking the wind out of her if not for Hunter's hands reaching out to cradle the back of her head before impact. How he'd managed to do that in the milliseconds they'd fallen, she'd never understand. Golden Guard training was all that popped in her mind.

Speaking of which, they'd indeed fallen to the ground, with Hunter holding his weight with one hand to avoid crushing Luz, while the other slowly let go of her head to look at her with concern. “Are you okay?! I-I tried to stop but Flapjack got in the way so I could only kinda cushion the fall with my hand and—”

“Hunter! I'm fine, really! I mean aside from my back… oof, that's gonna leave a bruise in the morning…” As she sat from her position on the floor, Luz was finally able to see what happened. Flapjack was holding onto Hunter's noodle strand with what could only be described as a satisfactory expression that almost seemed to say ‘you're welcome.’

Despite Luz finding it amusing, the blond was not having any of it as he eventually tugged the palisman away and pointed a finger at his feathered chest. “You can't keep doing that, mister! Someone could've gotten seriously hurt!”

“Hey Hunter?”

“Not now Luz, he's gotta learn! You can't keep making excuses for him!”

“I was actually gonna ask if you've noticed where we're sitting.”

At that, the blond's eyes turned from his bird companion to look around. Water splashed against his clothes, leaving them completely soaked and exposed to the elements. But none of it burned. It was actually rather… peaceful?

Luz's umbrella lay discarded to the side as she opened up her arms in earnest. The smile on her face was infectious. “Told you you'd be safe! Maybe we cut Flap some slack since I'm sure he was just trying to help you get over your fear!”

The playfulness in her voice didn't go unnoticed to Hunter, and all he could do was sigh in defeat with a tired smile gracing his features. “You guys are lucky I love you. I swear I would've thrown you in a dungeon a long time ago…”

“Aww, see Flapjack? I told you he'd be forgiving!” Luz cradled the bird in her arms with a wide grin spread across her cheeks.

She was sure to get an earful from her mom once they got home—asking her how she could be so careless and that they'd catch a cold and ‘por esto no te dejo salir con tu a solas con tu muchacho!’

Still, her heart felt full and that was truly all she could ever ask for.

“WAIT LUZ WHERE ARE OUR BOOKS?!”

… Well, hopefully Amity didn't mind getting a kitty souvenir for Ghost from the pet store instead.

[sploopyghost]

The idea I had was what if Adrien had his own Lois Lane type character

Line Divider

Adrien doesn't know when he started to like Jade, one day he just noticed that he always looked for her whenever he walked into a room. It was their senior year in high school and the class were separated. They still met up to catch up and talk about what they missed being apart. It was in his elective photography class he met Ashton. He and Ashton instantly clicked becoming attached at the hip. He talked about how he often gets roped into taking pictures and helping with whatever story his friend Jade is covering at the time. Adrien remembers reading some of her articles, they were well researched and some even exposed people in power of corruption. Despite Jade's age she was well respected and often sited as a credible source. It was through Ashton inviting him to lunch that he met the rest of his friends including Jade

Jade was laid back and easygoing but he knew from Ashton that when it came to getting a story she was nothing but determined. He found hanging out with them was fun even when they found themselves in a situation you would only see in cartoons. During one of their hangouts Jade had talked about getting an interview with the hero's. She wanted it to be chat noir since in her words "there are a million and one interviews with ladybug, a couple with both of them, and next to none with only chat noir". Adrien was flattered, he never thought of the interviews or the lack of solo interviews before but he was determined to help Jade get her interview

Being interviewed by Jade reminded him of when he would be interviewed as Adrien except he wasn't rehearsing lines. He couldn't help but make a comparison to Alya. While Ayla often asked questions about their identities or theories, Jade wasted no time getting to the point and asking serious questions like what progress has he and ladybug made to discovering hawkmoth's identity. That question in particular made him pause because he didn't really know. Ashamed, he realized he hadn't put any effort into finding him and he didn't know what progress ladybug had. He gave a vague generic response that he and ladybug were working on it but he could tell that Jade wasn't satisfied with his answer. She moved on and asked what he thought about the people fighting for the right for affordable therapy for akuma victims and akuma shelters. He also didn't know what to say to that because he had no idea what she was talking about. The confusion must have shown on his face as she went on to explain that a lot of akuma victims need therapy but can't afford it and that people want shelters to evacuate to instead of being left on their own

As he thought about it, it was actually a good idea. During attacks there's only so much they can do since their attention is split between evacuating people and the akuma. People are left finding their own hiding spots and unfortunately sometimes they still end up dying. Even after the cure is cast and they're brought back he can see the haunted look in their eyes. He responds honestly that he thinks it would be a great idea and it would help prevent akumas. After the interview he lays in his bed wondering how much he's missed because he was so wrapped up in himself that he didn't know that people were protesting and fighting for the right to basically survive. Determined, he wanted to do something more for the people. Over the next few weeks he started keeping track of akuma attacks and what time they happened as well as possible suspects for hawkmoth

By the end of the month everyone had noticed a difference with chat noir. He still joked to ease the tension but he seemed a lot more confident and sure of himself. It showed best whenever he did interviews with Jade. He no longer answered questions like he was unsure of himself, His answers were clear and eased the public that he was actively looking for hawkmoth and was making progress. He went to protests and even talked to public officials about helping victims. Chat noir was quickly becoming everyone's favorite hero. Sure, ladybug had the cure to reset everything but it did nothing to erase the feelings and the memories they felt watching their loved ones die or slowly bleeding out because you were too slow to get to a safe place. Both hero's fought the akuma's but they saw only one hero fighting for them to have akuma shelters, to have evacuation protocols and drills

Adrien always looked for jade for an interview. Alya was great and all but he like a lot of people quickly grew tired of questions that they couldn't give answers to because of secret identities and theories so outlandish you wonder how she came up with them. Jade had worked on and is actively working on different stories. She didn't just do stories about the hero's, even before they became hero's she was already an established journalist who was credible. He admired how driven she was and witnessed first hand as Adrien how she works when he was roped into helping her with one of her stories. The story she was doing was actually exposing the mayor of corruption which she and every student and teacher knew since he had no problem abusing his power to keep Chloe from consequences. The only reason it hadn't been publicly known how bad he and Chloe were was because he often threatened people's jobs and to have them blacklisted. Unsurprisingly, when the article came out every news station picked it up and tore the mayor apart, even playing videos of Chloe bullying people and the mayor using his authority to cater to Chloe. Adrien should have felt bad but Chloe contributed to a good chunk of akuma's and it didn't help she never got punished for anything because of her dad. Overall, Adrien felt good, he was making progress in his investigation, akuma shelters were being built, akuma drills were being planned, and he gets to spend a lot of time with jade. He did have to save her a couple of times when she got caught up in something but for the most part she could handle herself

[opercot]

OCTOBER BIONICLE POST (PART 3)

HOLAAAAAA, hope everyone's having a great day. Here the last part of the challenge called BONKTOBER.

First, before that, i made a Día de la Canción Criolla inspired Opercot and Fear of the Dark.

Well, let's start the last ones:

Day 21: Speed

Did one of the 2001 story beats, that is Pohatu vs a Nui-Jaga, and i imagine him doing a cool entrance :v. Hope ya like it

Day 22: Skull

Got the SUPER HYPER REALISTIC PROGRAM: Photography :v. I saw that in the version of studio, i don't have the skull guys, so i put the one i have to do a scene, with some of my other figures i have :v (y'all see mah house :v)

Day 23: Lost

Did a recreation of the 2003 storyline moment when the Toa Nuva lost their elemental powers, so they need to rely in the powers of their mask

Day 24: Aquatic

Made with one of my own Toa, to do a normal day in the oceans in that world. I think the Rahi in general are really chill, or better said, like normal animals, so, i love depicting them chilling in their environment (Toa of Water-M'hara Swimming with some Tarakava and fishes)

Day 25: Krana

Made one of the scenes that the entirety of Le-koro got infecte with the Krana, even it's protector, Lewa

Day 26: Titan

Made 2 of my favorite titans in all Bionicle, Axon and Brutaka, hope y'all like it (made 2 versions of it :v)

Day 27: Death

Made the scene where Lhikan passes away after the attack of Makuta. I really love how this scene is made of, so, i wanted to do a tribute of it, hope y'all like it

Day 28: Tall

I find it funny the height difference between the tallest and shortest member of my Toa team, so i exagerate it :v (Toa of Ice-Gwyri; Toa of Earth-O'truca)

Day 29: Fusion

Did the part in 2001, where the Toa mata did the Kaita, to at least have an oportunity against the Manas, hope y'all like it

Day 30: Village

Did a small chat between Nuju and Kopaka (Matoro is translating all the insults that he tells the poor toa), while the other are hearing it. Hope y'all like it

Day 31: Makuta

"I am the ground you walk on ... the air you breathe. No longer must I fight you to rule a Universe. I AM the Universe!"

And that's all, hope y'all really liked this series, hope there's another for the next year, to show more of this cool scenaries, Thx to the creator of this challenge, and thx to all of ya for this. Have a great 31 to y'all

[iheartchv]

hello !! im so unsure if ur matchups are open— so if they aren’t, feel free to delete this 😅

may i request a 🌿🍒 cod mw2 matchup?

mbti : enfp-t

zodiac : virgo

——————

preference : male lean

(my) gender : nb, they/them

——————

personality: do lean more on the extroverted side of things, since i am more of a people person! i’m usually really easy to talk to, i don’t really get angry easily. if anything, i dont really take things that seriously and i think more optimistic. that said, i like to talk.. a lot. if i were to be in a relationship, i’d probably be the person who talks a lot lol. i just like sharing my interests and just simply share my thoughts with people. if my brain wont stop then my words won’t as well LOL.

i do often overthink, since my thoughts race so often. sometimes if i do go quiet, it’s most likely that i’m zoning out — simply being in my own thoughts and having my head in the clouds !! i simply enjoy just being.. well, me!

i’m an artist by heart, often painting in my room. while i do enjoy being with people, i also need to recharge often! since i do get tired a lot, it’s either laying on my bed or paint my free time away! it generally messy so.. i hope my partner wont mind lol.

likes : art, photography, the clouds, milk tea!! sweet things in general

dislikes : heights (they SCARE me), being embarrassed (esp in public), extremely spicy food, conflict and arguments

———————

aah thats all!! thank u so much in advance and im sorry if this is long 😭 thank u!

//sure thing 😊

I match you with...

Simon "Ghost" Riley 💀

I think your Ghost would end up falling for you

Though it would take him a little while to realize it

You knew however that you were falling for him

You wouldn't stop staring at him from time to time

When he'd look your way, you'd quickly look away

As Ghost got to know you, he'd find himself feeling more comfortable around you

He'd listen to you talk, whether its about random stuff or just rambling on about something back in your hometown

And whether he is listening intently or not, he's hearing your voice

Sometimes he just likes listening to the sound of your voice

....

If he would visit you, he'd look around and see your painting(s)

You show him one you've been working on for a while

It was a painting of a familiar battlefield with uniformed soldiers, and he spots him in the painting...

And you...

Flashbacks of this particular moment played in his mind

This was when you had gotten wounded, then he found shelter to patch you up

"I don't know why but... this day, this moment has just stayed with me... I just had to paint it..."

Ghost is silent for a moment

He doesn't know how to exactly describe what he's feeling now

"... it's nice. You're really good... I mean that."

Butterflies fluttered inside you

It was nice being complimented by Ghost

......

During Christmas time, TF 141 would have a little party of their own

After talking a bit with everyone you would make way toward Ghost

You felt relaxed around him even though you liked to get away from people when you wanted to be alone

Without noticing Soap would sneak up behind you both with a mistletoe, teasing mostly you

Soap had picked up that you liked Ghost

He'd unconsciously smirk and shake his head, give a small chuckle

Ghost didn't say anything, he just watched you chase Soap around, your cheeks dark pink and threatening to hurt him

.....

[carpemalik]

As mental health charity Mind have reported, research has shown that people working in the music industry are “more prone to mental health problems than the general population”, with “musicians being up to three times more likely to suffer from depression”. Financial pressures, isolation, lifestyle, hectic schedules and addiction are often named as factors.

Lockey, also a member of Yourcodenameis:milo and formerly Mastersystem with the late Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit, explained how his decision to take a break from touring was “about knowing that you have limits”.

“It is a completely different life, and a lot of people who aren’t in bands or in the music industry think that touring is this non-stop party of just waking up in different cities, after-shows and great gigs – but it’s not,” he said. “It can be a very isolating, lonely and strange existence. You’re not in the same routine as most of the rest of the planet.

“No one outside of music understands your routine. You tell them you’re in Rome and they think you’ve got such a cool life, but they don’t see the 14 hour bus journey to Rome or what the constant travel does to you. It’s like cabin fever times a thousand.”

Lockey described touring as “an ordered chaos of a life” with “a lot of the time just sat around waiting to do something” among the pressures of performing.

“It’s so cliché but you can see why so many bands throughout the ages have turned to drink and drugs – because there’s nothing to do and that’s really available,” he said. “For anxiety and mental health, it’s an absolute crusher. Especially if you’re on a long haul tour, like a five weeker around Europe – imagine it’s winter, dark, freezing cold, you’re halfway through your tour, you’re playing pretty much the same set every night.

“The only thing that might change is the language and the currency, but everything else is the same. Soundcheck is at the same time, dinner is at the same time, shows are at the same time, it all becomes like a black hole.”

He continued: “A lot of bands – especially young bands – they hang out together, they live together, then they’re in the studio, then they’re on tour, and there’s no separation so you get sucked into this weird bubble. It’s not a real life. Time moves at a different rate to everyone else. You come home and it feels like everyone else’s lives had moved on but you didn’t realise because you were away in this mad bubble.”

The musician described how his anxiety can “flare up” and lead to issues with eating and sleeping. As well as his hiatus from the road, Lockey said that he’d been managing touring life much better now that he had find “elements of life away from music” – leading to the creation of his new sci-fi podcast drama The Salvation, starring Ariyon Bakare, Rose Leslie and Toby Jones

“A few years ago, I started spending all my spare time on script-writing and photography, so that when I was trapped in hotels day in, day out, I just wrote scripts,” he said. “Now I’ve got a series on the go, and that’s the rest of me trying to fill the gaps in my brain where anxiety would have taken me. Make use of your life and time outside of the band. When you come into the band, you’re in it.”

He continued: “Eventually I realised that you had to find something that wasn’t the band to dip into. You need an obsession that’s not a career. Find a hobby that can be just as much of a creative outlet and obsession as music is, but it isn’t music. There’s no manager, record label or agent there, and you don’t have to do press about it. You’re just going out to do something for yourself: walking, swimming, drawing, painting.

“In music and when you’re in a band, you do feel like your identity belongs to this big travelling circus. You struggle to find your own identity because you spend so much time being lumped together with other people. We’re all very close and we love each other, but there has to be your individual self.”

That extended to Lockey deciding to “take himself out of the touring party” and travel alone between shows, “turning the anxiety into excitement” of what the journey will bring. Another thing adding to the “pressure cooker of a very strange life” however, was the influence of social media.

“You can keep scrolling and there will always be something new to see,” he said. “You can’t complete it, and it just stops you from doing things. Being in a band, they might tell you that you need to be on 17 different forms of social network for people to know you exist – but take a break.

“Being sucked into that world can really harm you – especially if you’re young and coming into it. Now you have to work twice as hard to get out of it what you would have done 10 years ago, so you’re twice as likely to slip into this feeling of exhaustion and not knowing who you are or where you belong. Nobody starts a band to be on social media – you start a band because you love that feeling of feeling the reaction to your music in a room.”

While also admitting that there was a comedown and adrenaline crash after coming off tour, the artist said that a musician’s life “is governed in campaigns rather than time, but there are ways you can plan for it”. Lockey said that he was comfortable that his life is now “completely changed” having “totally changed the balance and put my interests up to a point where I can be cognitively focussed when I’m not doing music, but the other disciplines make you more excited about music”.

“Even my bandmates have commented on how much better I am at touring,” he said. “I’m just a lot more comfortable and doing what we do. It has taken me a decade to get to that point.”

While hailing the number of services that are now at hand to musicians struggling with mental health and how it’s now “a lot easier to talk this about than it was a decade or two ago”, the musician and writer said he felt that there was “still a stigma”.

“This could end people, and the bottling up on emotion is too old-school,” he said. “The ancient English cliches of ‘get over it’, ‘move on’ or ‘man up’ are so dangerous. They make people afraid to ask for help. We need to reassess how we do things. The sliding slope of mental illness is very steep. You can get to a very dark place very quickly.”

Lockey added: “I’ve lost a few friends who have taken their own lives over the years, and things could have been so much different. Conversations could have been had, and that bothers me. As much as music is brilliant and life-affirming, it’s not worth more than your health and never will be. What have you got at the end of it?”

Tamsin Embleton is a psychotherapist and former tour booker, as well as the author of the acclaimed book, Touring and Mental Health: The Music Industry Manual – a 600-page book that provides “touring guide for musicians will help artists, tour managers, production managers, crew, and artist teams to identify and cope with the various psychological difficulties that can occur during or as a result of touring”.

Written alongside psychotherapists, performance and vocal coaches, dieticians, psychologists, and sleep, sexual health, and addiction experts, the book features interviews with the likes of Nile Rogers, Four Tet, Radiohead’s Philip Selway and more while providing “practical guidance, resources, psycho-education” and more for those in the industry looking for the best ways to handle life on the road without suffering burnout, anxiety or depression.

“This is an industry that attracts quite complex, interesting, quirky people; many of whom are grappling with stuff behind the scenes,” Embleton told NME. “I sent so many artists out on the road and I was working in venues, day in, day out. To be on tour is really intense, it’s a bit of a pressure cooker. Underneath the surface, what you’re already struggling with is going to intensify. You’ve got no personal space, and it hits you biologically, psychologically and socially.”

Admitting that by a large “artists aren’t prepared” for the realities of touring, Embleton said: “They’re sold a bit of a dream about how it’ll be, and all the exciting stuff is true and real, but those highs are quite a lot for your body to process and come down from. You don’t get great sleep, you’re eating party food most nights, then there’s the abundance of substances, and the mentality that every gig needs to be a party.”

Describing the nature of “every show being marked with booze”, Embleton explained how alcohol and substances were “embedded in the culture” of live music; something that will always “have an impact on your anxiety the next day”.

“We talk about how venues can provide dry dressing rooms and better alternatives for people that don’t drink, or don’t want to drink,” she advised. “It has all of these secondary impacts, and a lot of addiction forms on the road. As long as you can do your job, as long as you’re high functioning in one area, then the rest of it is often overlooked. It’s a coping mechanism, but it’s not the only one.

“Artists tend to be more reflective and responsive to things in their environment. We need them to be like that in order to create, but it also may leave them more vulnerable in certain high stress scenarios.”

The writer agreed with Lockey that touring could be made much easier without an onus on social media as well as “placing importance on relationships outside of music”.

“Music can be bit of a one-stop-shop,” Embleton explained. “It’s obviously a workplace and, and relationships are usually informal. You build a lot of friendships, but that can you very vulnerable if you leave the industry or just step away. Often that’s quite a shock.”

She continued: “Then of course, there’s the very modern social media aspects of being an artist – constantly being either under the microscope or feeling like they need to engage. That’s probably quite a new concept to the music industry. There’s always been press, but there’s not been this level of needing to share your every day.”

Citing a chapter in her book by Peter Robinson from Pop Justice – also a therapist and a coach on dealing with the media – Embleton advised artists to have “boundaries in place in order to feel separate from the online self and the real self”.

“What can you do with the time off?,” she began. “Don’t tell people about it via social media, otherwise this is going to become content. It’s a very distorting thing when your life becomes content. It has become measured with the metrics that we measure all things with these days – streams, shares, likes, numbers and engagement.”

Embleton added that while the crisis “needed addressing”, music was ultimately “a stressful industry”, one that’s “turbulent, unpredictable”, “exposes you to a lot of criticism”, and not often willing to change.

“It also challenges to your relationships because your job is front and centre,” she said. “You’re not taught how to navigate that. The industry tends to focus on saying, ‘Let’s make this individual more resilient so that they can cope’, rather than say, ‘OK, well, maybe we can change some work practices’. The truth is we need a bit of both.”

While touring remains “unregulated” in terms of the intensity of schedules and what’s expected of artists, Embleton said that she wanted her book to help those managing tours be able to better steer the ship to avoid catastrophe.

“Touring is a rollercoaster and we’ve got to help people navigate the highs and the lows and kind of understand the stress response in the body,” she said. “We talk a lot about pacing, capacity and duty of care. I interviewed about 80 people for the book, including a lot of tour managers. Looking back a lot of them thought, ‘I facilitated some addictions’ – including sex and porn addiction, which is quite big on the road – or they’ve not dealt with stress well.”

She went on: “I was talking to like Jim Digby, who used to look after Linkin Park, about how they navigated the fall-out of Chester Bennington’s suicide. They set up a group therapy session: it turned out somebody else was feeling suicidal, so they were able to get them help. That shows how we can be helping people navigate the emotional world of touring and being in a band while being practical.”

While also pointing out the number of services that are now available to struggling musicians alongside her own therapy group ran alongside music industry professionals, Embleton said that she hoped the growing community voice would help spread awareness of better coping mechanisms, as well as advocating for better mental health in live music.

“We’ve got really high rates of, addiction, suicide, anxiety and depression, in artists, crew, and touring people,” she said. “I’ve had so many people around the world say to me, ‘We’ve needed this – I wish I had this 20 years ago’. Hopefully we’re going to help a lot people recognise early warning signs and get people help and slow down a little bit.”

[iamjessemccartney]

hi hello you already know exactly who i wanna know about i read about him once in wahmar and fell in love hello kaolin clay

🎮💍🐷💙🍝🤔

for caolan! (hi midnight :3)

🎮 three hobbies?

1.) photography! he is a photojournalist by trade- and he just likes doing photography for fun. he develops his own pictures in his own "darkroom-" the living room of his apartment that he rigged with blackout curtains and lamps fitted with red bulbs specifically so he can do this on his own time and his own terms. he actually went to school for this, now that i think about it, so he has extensive knowledge of how to do everything himself

2.) he doesnt necessarily practice in radio or music at all, but he likes them a lot. his dad used to work at a radio station before he was drafted, and caolan used to Love listening to him on the air whenever he could (he loved being in the booth, too, on the special occasions where his dad would take him into work). he knows the general things of what it takes to produce a good radio show, thanks to things his dad had taught him. his dad also used to play guitar, and taught him a bit, so he has some lingering knowledge of the basics (along with his dad's favorite acoustic model), even though he doesn't really play.

3.) fashion and makeup, i guess! he is goth through and through, and loves playing around with his looks. he goes out to clubs a lot, and will switch things up to match the atmosphere (and fit certain dress codes)- but of course he always comes out looking Pretty. all in all, though, his fashion is an extension of who he is, and he takes his presentation very seriously.

💍 any piercings?

So Many. multiple ear piercings- classic lobe piercings, but also multiple helix piercings on each ear. tongue stud. there has been speculation on whether or not he would have/get his nipples pierced. i'm also realizing now that he would look cute with an eyebrow piercing... he should have more.

🐷 favorite animal?

cat, most likely! he likes all animals, honestly (depending on the circumstances, anyway), but he has a soft spot for cats. there's a stray that comes around the apartment that he used to live in, and he would feed her and spend time with her whenever they crossed paths. there was at least one occasion where the family that runs the restaurant under his apartment had come to open up shop in the morning, and found him sitting on the sidewalk outside the building with the cat in his lap, having fallen asleep petting her after coming home drunk just a few hours prior.

he named her Amoretti.

💙 any powers or abilities?

well! he Is a vampire. however he is just a baby vampire, technically, so he doesn't have much to write home about aside from the fact that now he needs to drink other people's blood to survive (and he hates what he's become with every fiber of his being💖). i will be real with you i kind of forgot what Vampire Powers are in the constraints of his reality but i do remember that he will, at one point, get Strong, and. have hypnosis-type powers.

🍝 favorite food?

any of his family's recipes, or anything that reminds him of home. he was the family freak, but his family was always pretty supportive of him and his choices (the ones that he made public, at least). his mother, father, and nonna had the best cooking skills out of everyone, though, if you ask him. (he misses them a lot)

🤔 any specific quirks or mannerisms?

he's a bitch. and a slut.

longer answer- he almost always had his sights on getting laid when he went Out somewhere. everyone was always so beautiful, and there was always at least one person that really caught his eye- and who could blame him for being so cute and good in bed? one thing, though, is that if he didn't really see it going anywhere after one night- he was usually the one to leave. (he would also, sometimes, pick between his mother's irish or his father's brooklyn accent (as opposed to his own queens accent) based on who he was sizing up to flirt with, for the thought that one might land him more success than the others)

in relationships, though, he's incredibly committed and devoted. he did have the desire to settle down at one point (and maybe even have kids)- and would have already, honestly, had his last long-term relationship wound up going sour.

caolan is also a bit superstitious (as a result of being raised by a Very superstitious mother), and would claim he really doesn't buy into it too much, but he never leaves the house without the lucky rabbit's foot his mother gave him when he was a little boy. coincidentally, the final nail in the coffin with his last relationship was that his boyfriend had been getting way too invested in the occult and playing around in certain things that shouldn't be messed with, with no regard for caolan's feelings on the matter. (caolan stole this ex's prized engraved flip-top lighter while storming out of the house after their last fight. (that was not the first time he'd ever stolen from someone just to punish them))