#i mean in this case i’m doing a freestyle showcase for the first time which is New and Scary

[sleepy-steve]

wish i could take my ability to be nervous and pop it on a shelf for a couple of hours

[yellraiser]

Sweet Love Soiree 2k21: The Piers Interview Originally by @kalosian-writer​

“Before we start, I want to make one thing clear: I’m not here for rumor mills or sensationalism. I want my article to be a proper reflection of what’s going on. So please don’t try to feed me rumors as truth, alright?”

“Of course, of course. No rumours or anythin’ like that here.”

“Tell me a bit about yourself, mon ami. Is this your first competition, or if it’s not, how long have you been participating, either competing or spectating? Have you participated, specifically, in a Trainer Showcase before?”

“This’ll be my first time, funny enough. Back in Galar, we don’t really ‘ave anything like this, so it’s all new fer me.”

“What sort of background do you come from-are you a trainer, a breeder, a coordinator, or perhaps something else? Do you see this giving you any advantage in the competition/do you think you’ll enjoy the performances more?”

“I mean... I’m a trainer, of sorts. Used t’be a Gym Leader, even, but that was never my preference. I’m more of a performer, an’ I’m hoping that’s gonna give me SOME way of evenin’ the odds, but if it doesn’t, then that’s fine.”

“What are your thoughts on the competition here today? It looks like we have quite a diverse cast of Pokémon fans present. Anyone you know? Rivals, perhaps?”

“Well, I recognize Leon, that’s fer sure. He an’ I go back a ways. But the one that worries me th’ most is Wallace. I figured this’d be a good entry-level bout to try something new, somethin’ fun fer the team, but the instant I saw that THE Wallace was involved... Yeeeeaah, there goes any chance o’ me winning.”

“How are you feeling about this showcase in general? Are you nervous at all?”

“Oh, of course, I’m nervous. I’m gonna go up on stage and make a gorgeous fool of m’self and my Pokemon. But whenever y’get the pre-show jitters, the only way to get rid of them is to just get on with it... And then maybe stay the night in someone else’s hotel room afterwards until the regret stops.”

“Were you here for the last Sweet Love Soiree, or did you tune into that? If so, has that affected any of your choices going into this event?”

“I can say with one hundred percent certainty that I have no [BEEP]ing clue what happened in the last one.”

“Which have you decided to pour more energy into: your Theme or your Freestyle? Why? Which do you feel more confident about?”

“I’m going with... Uh... I think it was Theme? The one about love. Feel like that’s more in m’wheelhouse than doing something about forgiveness.”

“Can you give us any hints about either of your performances? Without spoiling it, what do you think will make your entries stand out?”

“Prolly the aesthetic of it. It’s gonna be perfect.”

“How did you chose the Pokémon partners you’ll be using in this competition? Are you trying to pick Pokémon to stick with the themes, or going with Pokémon that have experience competing?”

“Y’could say mine’ve got experience, yeah. Jobber’s been with me since day one, an’ Serj is a member of his own band, back in Galar. Only odd one out’s Insky, but I figured if I need t’make a spectacle, who better t’bring than a Malamar?”

“Speaking of themes, what are your thoughts on them? They’re obviously tied too very strong feelings. If you care to share, are you going to play directly to either of them, or diverge?”

“I’m absolutely going t’play to the theme of love. I sing songs fer a living, love is one of the easiest things to do anything with, an’ I fully intend to play t’that because it’s the safest possible option here. Wallace is involved, so I’ve already lost, might as well lose with as much grace as possible.”

“Are you concerned about the scoring? With the three judges prioritizing different elements, it seems like it might be hard to appeal to all three. Do you worry about any drama erupting, or do you believe the talents of you and your Pokémon will shine through and make things go smoothly?”

“Look. We’re gonna go out there, we’re gonna do our best, we’re gonna be beaten by someone who held the title of Champion somewhere in the world, and then we’re gonna go home. This song may be new, but our dance to it remains the same, drama or nah.”

“To say there’s been drama in the past, both with All Hallow’s and the Sweet Love Soiree, would be a terrible understatement. How do you think things will differ this time around, given the circumstances? Do you think they’ll change at all? Are there any other changes you think should have been made for the sake of transparency or fairness?”

“Only change I c’n think of is that there’ll be an Obstagoon-lookin’ cadaver of an ex-Gym Leader wonderin’ what the hell’s happenin’ as it all comes collapsing down around ‘em. History may repeat itself, who knows, but this time I guueeessss I’ll be ‘round to see it?”

“What are your thoughts on the judges in general? Do you think we have a good, well-rounded group this time around? Do you think more judges will lead to more accurate, unbiased scores? Or are you worried about anyone playing favorites or holding grudges?”

“I don’t know the judges, but I bet they’ll hold grudges... Wait, hang on, can I change my answer there, that came out as a rhyme... I mean that they’ll likely be playin’ faves, everyone does. It’s just how humans are. Can certainly say that at least two of ‘em look the sort that I’d try t’play to, though.”

“’Forgiveness’ and ‘change’ are major themes surrounding this event at large, and for good reason. On a personal level, how strongly do you believe in these themes?”

“I’d rather not comment on this. Do come down t’Spikemuth sometime, though!”

“Similarly, what are your thoughts on the change of venue for this event? Do you think this will have any effect on what plays out? Why or why not?”

“I don’t think so. Why, was it somewhere else before?”

“Do you think, given the quality of assistance she’s had, Ursula is capable of change and growth as she wants us to see? Or do you think that faith is misguided? If you think she hasn’t changed, do you think Zoey, Tobias, and Ezra can keep her in line for the event?”

“I don’t really know this Ursula, but from what I’ve heard, an’ speaking from experience, I wouldn’t trust her to tell me the time of day. Good luck reelin’ that piece of work in, judges.”

“How would you describe the current atmosphere here, in light of these changes? Hopeful? Uncertain?”

“I dunno, just... An atmosphere? I’m not really here to read the room, I’m more just here t’compete and see how I do. Might even try this more regularly, depending on how it goes...”

“Is there anything else you’d like to say about this competition? I’m admittedly going to leave soon to get this article going, but I hope everything goes smoothly for you!”

“Not really? But thank you fer the luck, and your time. And look forward to seein’ me possibly bin it out on a major stage.”

“Do you have any other thoughts about this event, or any suspicions? I’m not going to publish them since, like I said, I’m not one for rumors. But I personally want to know what I might want to be keeping an eye on in case things do happen. Have you seen or heard anything suspicious?”

“There is... One guy I’ve seen around, with this green-ish hair... Isn’t he the guy from Team Plasma?? He kinda looks like how I remember seein’ him, but that was forever ago...”

[kalosian-writer]

Sweet Love Soiree 2k21: The Interview

Oh look, it’s a (possibly familiar) reporter! She walks down the hall confidently, a tall Furfrou close by her side as always, with an audio recorder in hand and a notebook under her arm. At the moment, she seems a bit distracted by a Holocaster call, although her settings prevent you from seeing who she’s talking to.

Once her call is completed, she looks up, and her eyes fall on you. Will you entertain a few of her questions?

--

Rules:

Repost, do not reblog, with a link back to the template.

Tag your post with ‘#ilwd2k21interviews’ so that everyone can see your answers.

To clear up some past confusion, please keep in mind that Jules is a writer for Lumiose Press, and not a television/Holocast reporter. This is important because she means it when she wants privacy for this interview-there’s no film crew or anything.

Jules is not a gossip monger, and places a high value on integrity and confidentiality, your muse can absolutely request anonymity, or for something they say to be ‘off the record’ if they decide they don’t want something to be published (for example, some detail that only they might know). Just make sure you mention the request so other muns are aware.

Some of these are going to be repeat questions for the sake of character development and not honing in on the drama right away. New(/edited) questions will be marked with a *.

These questions are open to anyone participating in the event! Some may be geared towards certain roles, like competitors, but if you can find a way to change up the wording so it works for your muse, go for it!

You’re free to cut out questions if you want; this is just meant to be a fun thing.

As a side note, for those muses who attended the last Sweet Love Soiree, you might remember Jules (under an alias) performed a very...questionable number. If you want your muse to recognize her (It probably wasn’t too hard to connect the dots), then by all means go for it. If not, she also ‘snuck in’ for interviews just as herself last time, too.

--

“Before we start, I want to make one thing clear: I’m not here for rumor mills or sensationalism. I want my article to be a proper reflection of what’s going on. So please don’t try to feed me rumors as truth, alright?”

“Tell me a bit about yourself, mon ami(e). Is this your first competition, or if it’s not, how long have you been participating, either competing or spectating? Have you participated, specifically, in a Trainer Showcase before?”

“What sort of background do you come from-are you a trainer, a breeder, a coordinator, or perhaps something else? Do you see this giving you any advantage in the competition/do you think you’ll enjoy the performances more?”

“What are your thoughts on the competition here today? It looks like we have quite a diverse cast of Pokémon fans present. Anyone you know? Rivals, perhaps?”

“How are you feeling about this showcase in general? Are you nervous at all?”

* “Were you here for the last Sweet Love Soiree, or did you tune into that? If so, has that affected any of your choices going into this event?”

* (For previous ILWD participants) “How have things changed for you since that February? Has anything exciting happened?”

* (For contestants) “Which have you decided to pour more energy into: your Theme or your Freestyle? Why? Which do you feel more confident about?”

* (For contestants) Can you give us any hints about either of your performances? Without spoiling it, what do you think will make your entries stand out?”

(For contestants) “How did you chose the Pokémon partners you’ll be using in this competition? Are you trying to pick Pokémon to stick with the themes, or going with Pokémon that have experience competing?”

* (For contestants) “Speaking of themes, what are your thoughts on them? They’re obviously tied too very strong feelings. If you care to share, are you going to play directly to either of them, or diverge?”

* (For contestants) “Are you concerned about the scoring? With the three judges prioritizing different elements, it seems like it might be hard to appeal to all three. Do you worry about any drama erupting, or do you believe the talents of you and your Pokémon will shine through and make things go smoothly?”

* “To say there’s been drama in the past, both with All Hallow’s and the Sweet Love Soiree, would be a terrible understatement. How do you think things will differ this time around, given the circumstances? Do you think they’ll change at all? Are there any other changes you think should have been made for the sake of transparency or fairness?”

* “What are your thoughts on the judges in general? Do you think we have a good, well-rounded group this time around? Do you think more judges will lead to more accurate, unbiased scores? Or are you worried about anyone playing favorites or holding grudges? ”

* (For spectators) “What are you hoping to see in the contestants’ performances? What makes a Theme or Freestyle stand out as extraordinary in your eyes?"

* (For spectators) “What made you decide to come out and witness the competition firsthand verses watching on TV? Is there anyone in particular you have your eye on?”

* “What other changes do you hope have occurred since the previous Sweet Love Soiree that will make for an overall better Showcase experience, be it for performers, voters, or spectators?”

* “’Forgiveness’ and ‘change’ are major themes surrounding this event at large, and for good reason. On a personal level, how strongly do you believe in these themes?”

* “Similarly, what are your thoughts on the change of venue for this event? Do you think this will have any effect on what plays out? Why or why not?”

* “Do you think, given the quality of assistance she’s had, Ursula is capable of change and growth as she wants us to see? Or do you think that faith is misguided? If you think she hasn’t changed, do you think Zoey, Tobias, and Ezra can keep her in line for the event?”

* “How would you describe the current atmosphere here, in light of these changes? Hopeful? Uncertain?”

“Is there anything else you’d like to say about this competition? I’m admittedly going to leave soon to get this article going, but I hope everything goes smoothly for you!”

* (Off the record) “Do you have any other thoughts about this event, or any suspicions? I’m not going to publish them since, like I said, I’m not one for rumors. But I personally want to know what I might want to be keeping an eye on in case things do happen. Have you seen or heard anything suspicious?”

[jebazzled]

Primary Sources: Journal Apps Done Right

Hello, gang, and welcome to another tutorial on character applications and development! Today we're going to be discussing one format sometimes used in building a freestyle application: journal applications. We'll be talking about what these primary source-focused applications are, their pitfalls, and how to make them work to your advantage.

Primary Source Applications are a structure rarely used in site-standard apps, but are relatively common in the world of freestyle applications. This structure usually takes the form of a character relaying events in a diary or journal, or sometimes in letters to another character.

The pros of this structure are the same as the pros mentioned in my tutorial about optimizing interview applications:

PRIMARY SOURCE APPS: PROS

don't need to worry so much about transitioning between scenes in a freestyle

can move through a lot of information very quickly

easy venue to showcase character voice (in theory)

The cons are largely the same as well:

PRIMARY SOURCE APPS: CONS

character voice almost never comes across as authentic, prioritizes exposition over context or authenticity

mechanisms to cover all important information can read as contrived and corny

In most situations, an app will cover a character's personal history, interpersonal relationships, and other sensitive information - things that may or may not realistically make it into a diary. Almost every journal app I've read has led with a child writing something to the tune of "Dear diary, my name is Susie. I was born on June 6, 1996 in Plainfield, Illinois, to Sally and Sam. I have three brothers..." This reads as stilted to a cringeworthy degree, both in the sheer graceless regurgitation and in the utter lack of character voice. As a side note, writing in the voice of a child is difficult, and adults often write children as either too simple or too grown-up. My best advice - barring "read a lot of fiction for 8-12 year olds to get a sense for how a child's voice is done well "- is to skip writing in a child's voice at all. 

especially on "literate/advanced" sites with a big culture around freestyle apps, it's very easy for primary source apps to come off as more beginner. (tips for overcoming this perception are later in this tutorial)

If it sounds like I don't like primary source apps - you're right! I hate them! Or more accurately - I hate them in practice. I think there is an argument for the use of primary source apps, as a stylistic choice to communicate characterization. And the truth is: I almost never see anyone put in the work to use primary source apps in that context.

WHEN TO USE A PRIMARY SOURCE APP

Primary source apps can be interesting and helpful when written for character-based reasons. If your primary reason for choosing to write an app in letters or journal entries is to be able to blow through a great deal of exposition quickly:

STOP. DO NOT PASS GO. DO NOT COLLECT $200. 

If your primary reason for choosing to write a primary source app is because it seems an easy way to unload information, your application is going to read as underwhelming and stilted at best, and at worst, cringeworthy to the point of masking all of your hard-earned writing skill.

Your application is your writing sample. Your application is one of the few data points people have on you as a writer - particularly if you are new to a site - and it is in your best interests to put your best foot forward, even if it is more work and more time-consuming, so that people will want to write with you. What's the point of getting an app up in record time if it's only going to get pended for being below the writing level of the rest of the site community, or if it's going to be largely ignored by other writers because it's not compelling prose?

I understand that folks hate writing apps and I do not care. You need to write good apps. Even if your threads are incredible, you need to be able to write solid apps.

If your only reason for choosing to write a primary source app is because it seems an easy way to unload information, you should be writing an anecdotal application. You can check out my guide to writing freestyle applications in the anecdotal style here.

An anecdotal freestyle application will almost always do a better job of illustrating your character's perspective and voice than a primary source app, because the style of writing is more similar to what you will use in threads. The exception is when a primary source app serves a specific purpose in developing the character

I'm not talking about "developing" in the sense of "relaying information, explaining backstory." I'm talking about "developing" as in: communicating something specific about this character, something fundamental and foundational, that cannot be better communicated any other way. Something that needs to be shown in practice to come through.

MAKING A PRIMARY SOURCE WORK

The best place to deploy a primary source app is in situations that depend on an unreliable narrator. A character who is manipulative, deceitful, or otherwise untrustworthy can offer a compelling use of journal entries and letters.

In the case of using primary sources to define an unreliable narrator, the purpose of the journal entries should not be to describe events for the sake of it alone, but should be to illustrate a potentially unfaithful description of those events. In this use case, entries should build a composite of our character that calls their accounting into question. Is Delilah's record of the night her boyfriend was attacked by a tiger believable, or are there gaping holes? Does she have a tell - for instance, a specific way she constructs sentences, when she is not telling the truth? Does she change details between entries, exaggerate her own importance, or otherwise lean into subjective points of view?

Unreliable narrators need not always be villainous: a high schooler filled with self-loathing might write in his journal with the voice of someone who considers themselves a hero or an underdog. Someone experiencing a crisis of faith might write devotionals that sound half-baked or otherwise weakly felt, despite their insistence otherwise. A time traveler's journal might cross its own path and predict its own future, for example, in the case of the journal of Doctor Who character River Song. A character experiencing memory loss may only be able to communicate how she sees the people around her caring for her, without being able to communicate who they are to her specifically, or being able to honestly communicate similar care for them.

To figure out what to cover in your primary sources, it might help to create two lists: a list of things you need the reader to understand about the character, and a list of things as the character understands them. These may not always come into conflict, but often will: for example, a Death Eater character should be understood by the reader to be a genocidal fascist, but the character might wholly be convinced that they stand on the right side of history, which is a perspective the reader should see coming from the character as well.

If it sounds like this use of a primary source app takes masterful plotting and is a lot of work: you're correct! The primary source app fails when used for reasons of speed or convenience. It is when it is chosen for deliberate artistic messaging that it shines.

If you've decided that a primary source app makes sense for the development of your character, the next step is navigating the writing. It is easy for journal entries to become expository, stilted, and bizarrely formal - to so plainly diverge from the character's voice despite being written in the first person that the app becomes cringeworthy and painful to read. This final section of this tutorial will cover do's and don't for writing your primary source application.

PACING

DON'T feel the need to describe the character's life from birth to present. Remember that journals are written for the writer, which means that background information is already known to the journal's in-character intended audience. Susie isn't going to write to herself to tell herself her age, address, and how her parents met.

DON'T start too young. Important events from childhood can be obliquely mentioned by a teenager or young adult as they relate to more contemporary events, which saves you from writing years of filler and from trying to write years of filler in a child's voice.

DON'T include every detail. Remember: journals are written for the writer. Every time you are about to explain something, ask yourself: did the character already know this, prior to the events of the journal entry? If the character already knew this, do I need to explain further? 

For example: instead of writing, "there is a crawlspace behind the empty china cabinet in the dining room. I read in there all afternoon and pretended it was the land from my favorite book, The Chronicles of Narnia," try: "I read in the crawlspace all afternoon and pretended I was in Narnia." The character knows where the crawlspace is and what her favorite book is.

DO foreshadow. Think of experiences in your own life that had a major impact on you, or that in retrospect began a pattern in your life. When they happened, you may not have recognized the significance, but you recognize that significance now. Lay similar groundwork for discovery in your character's journal, and allow them to slowly come to similar realizations.

VOICE

DON’T write in a child's voice unless you are already comfortable doing so. An application is where you put your best foot forward, and if you aren't yet comfortable writing in a child's voice, it is going to read painfully awkward if you do it now. If you're looking to get comfortable writing in children's voice, I recommend reading a lot of middle grade novels; otherwise, trust me when I say that 9 times out of 10 your attempt to write a kid is going to come off as weirdly Victorian.

DO consider dialogue. How does your character speak, in a thread context? How does that compare to the way their voice sounds inside their head? To the way they put together sentences and tell stories for their own consumption?

DO show a bias. The point of a journal is to honor that character's perspective- which means that their observations should be biased and subjective. If you want to highlight inconsistency or other flaws in a character's logic, the way to do this is by showing those flaws and letting the reader realize them themselves. You should always show rather than tell - but in a first person context, telling becomes particularly egregious.

DO consider audience. A journal's audience is only the character, which means the character might use shorthand or reference things for which the reader lacks context. That's fine. Consider a journal app as writing that starts in media res: in the middle of things. If the material is a letter, consider what a character is willing to tell someone else as well as how they would present that information. Do they admit to wrongdoing or try to save their own skin? Do they acknowledge multiple viewpoints or color a story in their own favor?

When done well, a primary source application can be a compelling look into a character's interior world. it takes work, deliberation, and careful plotting, but the results can be very rewarding! I hope this tutorial helps you in trying this method of application development on for size. Happy writing!

[ofreborngods]

ILWD2019 Interview- Sky

@inlovewithdisaster @kalosian-writer

Template: X

"Well, hello again, Ms. Jules... yes, I can do another interview."

“Before we start, I want to make one thing clear: I’m not here for rumor mills or sensationalism. I want my article to be a proper reflection of what’s going on. So please don’t try to feed me rumors as truth, alright?”

"You know me; I've not been one to tell a lie that often."

“Tell me a bit about yourself, mon ami(e). Is this your first competition, or if it’s not, how long have you been participating? Have you participated, specifically, in a Trainer Showcase before?”

"Actually, no. This is my fourth competition I've been to overall; The first being All Hallow's in which I voted, Second In the Winter Solstice, which I competed in, and third was the Reborn Contest, which I hosted."

“What sort of background do you come from-are you a trainer, a breeder, a coordinator, or perhaps something else? Do you see this giving you any advantage in the competition/as a judge/ect.?”

"I've always been a Trainer, but a recent Pokémon of mine has been in the spotlight for many years. She's actually competing in the contest with me, and I trust her judgment."

“What are your thoughts on the competition here today? It looks like we have quite a diverse cast of Pokémon fans present. Anyone you know? Rivals, perhaps?”

"Ohh, yeah. I know a lot of them... especially our judges. Lotor competed in my Contest a bit back, and he did a fairly decent job... kinda pissed off Alyvia, though."

“How are you feeling about this showcase in general? Are you nervous at all?”

"To be honest? It's likely that this place is gonna turn into a shit show ever since All Hallow's staining the Derosier's reputation. I'm not nervous about either that or my appeal."

* “Were you here for the All Hallows Faire, or did you tune into that? If so, has that affected any of your choices going into this event?”

"If you remember, I was one of the voters, and one of the lead investigators of said rumors and scandals. And believe me... that's had a BIG influence."

* (For AHF participants) “How have things changed for you since October? Has anything exciting happened?”

"Well, my wonderful Annalise has come to her final trimester of her pregnancy with our child, and I've won Second Place in the Winter Solstice Contest. Not only that, but I got a new Pokémon like I said before; a Gardevoir by the name of Alison."

* (For contestants) “Which have you decided to do first: your Theme or your Freestyle? Why did you chose that order? Which do you feel more confident about?”

"I decided to do the Theme first, just for the Freestyle afterwards. I've chosen that order because I'm feeling more confident in the latter.

* (For contestants) Can you give us any hints about either of your performances? Without spoiling it, what do you think will make your entries stand out?”

"Oh, I think that my performance is simply going to be heavenly... Or if you look at it another way, it could definitely be hell. Who knows, of course, but me and Alison..." The Trainer and Gardevoir gave cheeky grins to each other at that.

(For contestants) “How did you chose the Pokémon partners you’ll be using in this competition? Are you trying to stick with the Valentine’s Day theme, or going with Pokémon that have experience competing?”

"It's kind of a mix of both, really. I've picked a topic that relates to love in general, I'm gonna say, and Alison has had many a year practicing many routines that never went anywhere while she was in the wild."

* “I know there was a lot of drama regarding scoring during the Derosier’s last event, to put it mildly. How do you think things will change now that there’s a second main judge? Are there any other changes you think should have been made for the sake of transparency or fairness?”

"Sure; if I were the Derosiers I should've just NOT done another contest to save them some face... but knowing that they HAVE to be in the spotlight just puts them out there for this kind of drama. People are going to exploit the mess-up for their benefit, I'm sure."

Including himself... but that's a detail he's going to keep to himself.

*“It’s pretty clear from AHF that Ursula struggles with personal biases in judging. Does this raise any concerns for you? Or do you think that your/ the best performers’ talent(s) will shine through enough to keep you/them safe from any bribery-boosted scores?”

"I'm positive that my appeal will leave Ursula something to remember, sure enough. Hell; anyone in her position would remember what I'm going to perform."

* “Speaking of, I know that Ursula brought Lotor on as a judge in hopes of leveling the playing field, so to speak. But that brings their own relationship into play. So…what do you think as them as a couple? And as judges, do you believe they’ll be able to judge independently of each other?”

"Part of me thinks that she's just got him there to boost the Derosier's own publicity. His face in all of the promotions just scream "release me" to me... believe me, I've had that look on my face many-a-time. Regardless, if he truly does love Ursula, then more power to him; may he actually make her a better damn person. I'd better hope they judge differently from each other, lest there be a bit of a talk to the both of them."

* (For contestants and spectators) “Do you think more judges in general will lead to more accurate, unbiased scores? Or are you worried about judges playing favorites?”

"More Judges usually means more unbiased scores, but considering this is the Derosiers I can't say that for certain."

* “What other changes do you hope have occurred since AHF that will make for an overall better Showcase experience, be it for performers, judges, or spectators?”

"I'd've HOPED the rumor mill would've stopped by now, but..." Holds up the Tabloids. "...apparently the Media is starving for news. Though, I'd prefer it if nobody from the Judge's corner did any sabotage to any one of the appealers."

* “How would you describe the current atmosphere here, in light of these changes? Hopeful? Uncertain?”

"I'd honestly say... it's uncertain in more than one way. I'm honestly uncertain that the Derosiers have even learned their lesson from last time, and it's an uncertain mixture between hope, uncertainty, and cheatiness, if you catch my drift."

“Is there anything else you’d like to say about this competition? I’m admittedly going to leave soon to get this article going, but I hope everything goes smoothly for you!”

"Thank you, but no other comment."

* (Off the record) “Do you have any other thoughts about this event, or any suspicions? I’m not going to publish them since, like I said, I’m not one for rumors. But I personally want to know what I might want to be keeping an eye on in case things do happen. Have you seen or heard anything suspicious?”

"Surprisingly, no; I haven't seen much about any other rumors other than the tabloids that've come in. I just know the Fabien and Ursula one is fake, that's all, because I know that one of them doesn't swing towards Crazy."

[napsfoodandpets-blog]

The Faux Vacation

Pairing: Dean/Cas

Word Count: 1,738

Warnings: Swearing

Rating: PG13

Prompt: Fireplace

Summary: A few months after Cas comes back from being stabbed by Lucifer, Dean takes him on a vacation to make a move after Sam’s endless prompting. Major fluff. Hope you like it!

It was October 15th, 2017. It was a mild autumn day out, and the colors of the leaves on the trees were vibrant. In Lincoln, Michigan, in the heart of the woods, a black ‘67 Chevy impala pulled up beside an old wood cabin. The rock music blaring from its stereos was shut off, and the engine was brought to a halt. Two men stepped out of each side. The taller of the two was clad in a pair of jeans, a basic black t-shirt topped by a red flannel and a brown leather jacket. The other wore a suit and tie covered by a tan trench coat that went down to his knees.

The taller man opened the trunk of the car and grabbed two bags, hoisting them over his shoulder. He slammed the trunk closed and followed his companion into the cabin. Once inside, he set down the bags and collapsed on the couch in the center of the small living room.

“Dean, why are we here? I know there isn’t a hunt, and Sam is still at the bunker.” The man in the trench coat joined Dean on the couch. He sat on the opposite end, recalling what Dean had told him about personal space all those years ago.

“Cas, it’s called a vacation. Sam didn’t want to come, so he stayed back in Kansas. But we’re getting away from the week. Away from monsters, angels, demons, BMOL, and everything.” Dean closed his eyes and leaned his head against the back of the couch, regretting the little white lie about Sam not wanting to come. Sam wanted to go on vacation alright, but Dean told him to stay back lest the moose ruin his plans.

Unbeknownst to Castiel, Dean had brought him here for more than a vacation. Sure, it would be nice for them to get away for the week, but that wasn’t the main goal of the trip. See, a few years back, Dean had realized just how hard he had fallen for the fallen angel. However, he hadn’t had the chance to act upon those feelings before Castiel’s death, so once he came back, Sam made him promise he would make a move before Halloween. So, this was his move.

After Dean explained exactly what a vacation was to Castiel, they decided to go out and explore the area. Dean grabbed a small backpack, filled it with a couple water bottles, some snacks just in case, and a first aid kit, also just in case, because Castiel was no longer an angel after his return. He was human for good this time.

About a half mile from the cabin, they found a lake. Castiel decided to sit on an abandoned dock and watch the water, seemingly astounded by the waters beauty. Dean, not caring for sitting still, stripped himself down to his underwear and jumped off the dock into the still water. When he broke the surface coming up, He emerged to see a wet Castiel standing at the edge of the dock, smiling slightly at the hunter floating in the previously calm lake. Suddenly, an idea popped into Dean’s head. He scrambled onto the dock, a wide grin on his face.

“Cas. Take everything but your underwear off. I’m teaching you how to swim.” Castiel immediately began to comply with Dean’s instructions, a childlike grin growing on his face, showcasing his excitement. Once he was only in his underwear, Dean led Cas around the dock and onto the sandy shore of the lake. They went out until they reached waist depth, and Dean pushed away the memories from all those years ago.

“Ok. First thing you’re gonna do is move your arms like this.” He demonstrated the freestyle swimming motion, and Castiel imitated him perfectly. “Yeah. Just like that. Now, at the same time you’re doing this, you wanna kick your legs so they help you move forward faster.”

20 minutes and lots of getting splashed later, Castiel was swimming like a fish and Dean was laughing at his friend, sharing in his enthusiasm. Dean looked around, a small sense of panic developing in his chest when he couldn’t find Castiel.

“Cas? Where did you go?” Suddenly, Castiel popped up next to the hunter and splashed him, causing Dean to fall backwards into the water. He resurfaced, spluttering, to see a laughing Castiel. God, he’s so gorgeous when he smiles, he thought. Unable to keep it inside, Dean smiled and splashed the ex- angel in retaliation. Soon, they were splashing and laughing, forgetting about everything that had happened. For the first time in a long time, they were both happy.

About an hour later, they pulled their worn- out selves from the water, pulled their shoes on, and headed back for the cabin. The smiles they wore lingered as they chatted about nothing in particular, with no threat of monsters or angels or demons hanging over them. For once, they were relaxed; for once, they were themselves. All too soon, they arrived back at the shack.

They went inside and headed separate ways; Castiel to his room, and Dean to the fireplace to both give some warmth and set ~a mood~. Once Cas came back out in one of Dean’s old t-shirts and a pair of baggy sweatpants, he sat in front of the fire. Dean quickly went to change, them came back out and joined Cas on the couch. He turned on the tv, and settled for some random movie called “The Princess Bride”. The title sounded chick- flicky, but when he turned it on, he saw two men fencing on top of cliff and pulling some awesome stunts. He left it on, and moved closer to Cas.

Not even 15 minutes later, Castiel was asleep on Dean’s shoulder, the hunter’s arm slung around him. The poor guy was tired, and the mere sight of it was weighing on Dean’s eyelids. He was about to leave Cas to sleep on the couch when, to his surprise, the man wrapped his arms around Dean’s waist and snuggled in closer to his chest. Dean saw an opportunity, so he shut off the movie and shut his eyes, not wanting to move too much lest the blue eyed, messy haired man sleeping on his chest wake up.

~~

The next morning, Dean woke up expecting a pain in his neck from sleeping in such an awkward position. However, he found that he had migrated so that he was laying on the couch, his arms wrapped around Cas. He was still asleep, his legs intertwined with the hunter’s and his face buried in his neck. Dean smiled at the ex- angel lovingly, before he realized just how close they were. He didn’t dare move, but he felt a blush creeping his neck and -ah there it was- an uncomfortable ~tightness~ down below the belt. Suddenly, to Dean’s simultaneous joy and dismay, Cas woke up. He subconsciously snuggled closer to the heat source, which, unfortunately happened to be Dean, and groaned. Then, he slowly came to his senses. He opened his eyes, looked up to see Dean’s tomato red face, flushed a scarlet red, and proceeded to fall off the couch and out of Dean’s reach.

“Dean! I- um- I’m so sorry- I didn’t mean-” He cleared his throat and looked at the floor, trying to compose himself. Fuck, that’s cute, Dean thought, and flushed an even brighter shade of red. “I’m sorry Dean, I broke the personal space rule. If I made you uncomfortable, I sincerely apologize.”

“No, Cas, it’s fine. You don’t have to apologize.”   At this, Cas looked up, confusion written all over his face.

“I don’t?” Dean laughed a little, his blush finally fading.

“No, Cas, you don’t. I understand it was a mistake, but there’s no need to apologize when it was both of our faults.” DAMN IT YOU FOOL, THAT’S NOT WHAT I WANTED TO SAY! “Plus, I don’t really think the personal space rule exists with us anymore.” Cas chuckled, and the room seemed to immediately get a whole lot brighter.

~~

Apparently, Cas loved the water, because he had decided they were going to go back to the lake from yesterday. Which, Dean was very much alright with, because how often does he get to see Cas shirtless? Not often enough, that’s for damn sure. Once they arrived back at the lake, they stripped down to their bathing suits, which were actually bathing suits this time, and dove in. Well, Dean dove, and Cas did a cannonball that made a larger splash than any Dean had ever made.

Once Cas came up from under the water's surface, Dean grinned. The temptation was just too great- and so he splashed him. Cas spluttered, laughing at the hunter’s actions. Jesus christ, he’s so pretty, and the water just makes it worse, and holy shit his eyes are so blue and- he was interrupted by a sudden weight pulling him into the water. Cas had launched himself at the hunter and pulled him under the surface in retaliation to getting splashed.

When they both came up, they were a laughing mess. Once Dean was able to stop, he couldn’t do anything but stare at Cas. The way his hair fell, the way his eyes crinkled up when he laughed, the way the water glimmered on his shoulders under the sunlight. Fuck, I can’t take it anymore.

Once Cas was done laughing, he looked at Dean and smiled. And with that smile, something inside the hunter broke. He moved closer to Cas, throwing away any bit of personal space between them. He grabbed Castiel’s face and pressed his lips against the ex- angel’s. To Dean’s surprise, Cas didn’t even try to fight the kiss. Instead he just melted into it. Like this was what he had wanted for years.

They only pulled away when Dean couldn’t stop smiling. Dean rested their foreheads together, inspecting Cas’s eyes. They’re even more beautiful up close, he thought.

“Dean, can I ask you a question?” Dean nodded, not too concerned with whatever words were going to come next. “What the hell too you so long?” The both laughed forgetting about everything else.

“I love you, Castiel. You’ll always be my angel, human or not.” Cas blushed a deep shade of scarlet, and Dean pressed his lips to the ex- angel’s forehead.

“I love you too, Dean Winchester.”

[kalosian-writer]

Sweet Love Soiree 2k19: The Interview

Oh? It looks like a certain reporter may have snuck into the event, and isn’t pleased with all this skeevy press. Time to write a proper article on this mess.

Jules Saint-Michelle stands tucked away off to the side, adjusting her scarf. Except…her Furfrou isn’t by her side. Instead, a Hawlucha sits on her shoulders, head poking up from behind her own. After finishing with her scarf and a visible deep breath, she looks up-and her gaze falls on you. Despite her obvious tension, her eyes and smile are warm and inviting as she waves at you, beckoning you over.

Will you entertain a few of her questions?

--

Rules:

Repost, do not reblog, with a link back to the template.

Tag your post with ‘#ilwd2k19interviews’ so that everyone can see your answers.

To clear up some past confusion, please keep in mind that Jules is a writer for Lumiose Press, and not a television/Holocast reporter. This is especially important for this one because she means it when she wants privacy for this interview-there’s no film crew or anything.

Due to the residual drama from AHF, a little reminder that because Jules places a high value on integrity and confidentiality, your muse can absolutely request anonymity, or for something they say to be ‘off the record’ if they decide they don’t want something to be published (for example, some detail that only they might know). Just make sure you mention the request so other muns are aware.

Some of these are going to be repeat questions for the sake of character development and not honing in on the drama right away. New questions will be marked with a *.

These questions are open to anyone participating in the event! Some may be geared towards certain roles, like voting, but if you can find a way to change up the wording so it works for your muse, go for it!

You’re free to cut out questions if you want; this is just meant to be a fun thing.

As a side note, Jules is not currently in disguise as Mireille, but chances are that any other time your muse sees her during this event she will be in disguise. If these two similar women seem suspicious to your muse at all, you’re free to pursue that via thread or anything. As long as Jules gets a chance to do her freestyle I’m game for most stuff, maybe just run it by me first so I know.

--

“Before we start, I want to make one thing clear: I’m not here for rumor mills or sensationalism. I want my article to be a proper reflection of what’s going on. So please don’t try to feed me rumors as truth, alright?”

“Tell me a bit about yourself, mon ami(e). Is this your first competition, or if it’s not, how long have you been participating? Have you participated, specifically, in a Trainer Showcase before?”

“What sort of background do you come from-are you a trainer, a breeder, a coordinator, or perhaps something else? Do you see this giving you any advantage in the competition/as a voter/ect.?”

“What are your thoughts on the competition here today? It looks like we have quite a diverse cast of Pokémon fans present. Anyone you know? Rivals, perhaps?”

“How are you feeling about this showcase in general? Are you nervous at all?”

* “Were you here for the All Hallows Faire, or did you tune into that? If so, has that affected any of your choices going into this event?”

* (For AHF participants) “How have things changed for you since October? Has anything exciting happened?”

* (For contestants) “Which have you decided to do first: your Theme or your Freestyle? Why did you chose that order? Which do you feel more confident about?”

* (For contestants) Can you give us any hints about either of your performances? Without spoiling it, what do you think will make your entries stand out?”

(For contestants) “How did you chose the Pokémon partners you’ll be using in this competition? Are you trying to stick with the Valentine’s Day theme, or going with Pokémon that have experience competing?”

* “I know there was a lot of drama regarding scoring during the Derosier’s last event, to put it mildly. How do you think things will change now that there’s a second main judge? Are there any other changes you think should have been made for the sake of transparency or fairness?”

*-ish “It’s pretty clear from AHF that Ursula struggles with personal biases in judging. Does this raise any concerns for you? Or do you think that your/ the best performers’ talent(s) will shine through enough to keep you/them safe from any bribery-boosted scores?”

* “Speaking of, I know that Ursula brought Lotor on as a judge in hopes of leveling the playing field, so to speak. But that brings their own relationship into play. So…what do you think as them as a couple? And as judges, do you believe they’ll be able to judge independently of each other?”

* (For voters) “What are you looking for in contestant’s performances? What makes a Theme or Freestyle stand out as extraordinary in your eyes? If drama does erupt, do you have any thoughts on how you’ll keep yourself unbiased?”

* (For contestants and spectators) “Do you think more judges and voters in general will lead to more accurate, unbiased scores? Or are you worried about anyone playing favorites?”

* “What other changes do you hope have occurred since AHF that will make for an overall better Showcase experience, be it for performers, voters, or spectators?”

* “How would you describe the current atmosphere here, in light of these changes? Hopeful? Uncertain?”

“Is there anything else you’d like to say about this competition? I’m admittedly going to leave soon to get this article going, but I hope everything goes smoothly for you!”

* (Off the record) “Do you have any other thoughts about this event, or any suspicions? I’m not going to publish them since, like I said, I’m not one for rumors. But I personally want to know what I might want to be keeping an eye on in case things do happen. Have you seen or heard anything suspicious?”

Image source: [x]