#i used to be able to put 14 things in the queue (not exaggeration)

[thebad-lydrawn-sanses]

For a blog called the badly drawn sanses, your arts be improveing- at least in my eyes lol. Just saying I like your art <333!

i'm probably gonna go back to low-effort to curb burnout (posting twice a day and whatnot) but in the meantime, have a Killer in the less non-bad artstyle :D

[hufflepuffhollander]

5 and 14 for blurb. I kinda just want fluff or angst not smut pretty pleaseee

not to worry, anon, I can’t write decent smut to save my life anyway.

here’s #5 and #14!

college boy!tom x readercontains language and a good healthy dose of floof!word count: 883 (seriously, what is the cutoff between a blurb and a full on novel?)enjoy!

—————————————————————-

5. “Come on, you can sit on my lap until I finish.”

14. “Would you just shut up and listen to me for a second?”

You mindlessly flipped through your physics textbook, unable to absorb any more of the material. You couldn’t focus anymore, your brain was fried. You had been studying for hours and hours on end, with almost no breaks in between, stressing over your exam coming up, needing something, anything, at this point to take your mind off of gravitational pull and angular momentum.

The only thing keeping you grounded was the soft and steady breathing of your best friend sitting next to you on your bed, papers spread out around him, back against the wall. He was enveloped in his notes, copying formulas down from the text, writing and re-writing until he could quote them from memory. Just seeing him there, a still mass amongst all the mental chaos, brought you peace.

You audibly sighed, hoping it would propel him to look up from his work, desperately seeking out any distractions that you could get your hands on. He flicked his eyes up at you with a soft smile, without moving his head, so he could get right back into his studies. Refusing to give up after just one failed attempt, you sighed again, louder and more exaggerated than necessary. This caused your best friend to finally bring his whole head out of his textbook, swiveling to look at you, inquisitive look taking over his cute features.

Oh no, did I say cute out loud?

“Something on your mind?” he chucked softly and nudged your knee with his elbow, as you were sitting perpendicularly to him and this was the most playful thing he could do within a comfortable reach.

“If I dropped out of college, would you buy an old bus with me and just go cross country sightseeing instead?”

“You know we can’t do that, silly. Who would take our physics exam for us?” he shrugged his shoulders.

“Fuck the physics exam, Tom!” you shouted, throwing your hands up in exasperation, landing them back to either one of your cheeks, pulling your skin down with your palms and making a face at him.

“Hard pass; I have a feeling physics isn’t really my type.”

You laughed at his stupid joke, just happy to be hating on the subject together, blushing at the hint of flirting you heard in his voice.

There was no denying you had feelings for him – the guy you met at a residence hall meeting, sitting in the back of the room, doing crossword puzzles on his phone instead of listening to the RA’s house rules. He was brooding in a snug fit flannel, one leg over the other, staring intently at his phone, and the only empty seat left was the one next to him. He became your dedicated distraction for that long winded hour, your first exchange being your tapping his shoulder and telling him the answer to an across clue that he couldn’t figure out. Since then, you had become the best of study buddies, drinking partners, simply inseparable friends.

The memories of that first encounter flashed through your mind while you had aimless conversation sitting on your dorm room bed, loving the way your best friend’s nose crinkled up when he laughed.

He tried to go back to studying; you wouldn’t let him.

“Tom, I’m bored, I can’t stand any more of this physics shit,” you complained, having finished your practice problems before him, not being nearly as thorough in your methods as he was. He chucked his eraser at you. 

“Shut it, dude, I still have a few questions left.”

You decidedly did not shut it.

“But I’m already finished! And my head hurts, and I’m hungry, and my caffeine high is crashing, and-” he dropped his pencil on the book and put his head in his hands.

“How am I supposed to entertain you when I still have work to do? You might be a natural at this stuff, but I’m not – and I really, really need to pass this exam,” he said, starting to sound stressed at the amount that he still had to learn.

“You have all day tomorrow, and the day after that, c’mon,” you kept trying to persuade him to just take a break, continuing the whining-

“Would you just shut up and listen to me for a second? I’m not taking a study break.” He evidently sounded really pissed off.

Your best friend had never snapped at you like that before.

You sat up straight, taken aback, and swallowed the rest of your sentence, guilt welling up inside you for badgering him to focus on you when he had come over to get work done. You gave him a few minutes to simmer down, seeing his facial expressions relax eventually, using that as your queue to chime in again.

You decided to bite the bullet and just say exactly what you were thinking. “I’m stressed, too...I thought maybe we could just cuddle for a few,” you trailed off, secretly hoping he hadn’t heard you, but knowing he did by the light that flashed through his eyes at your sentence.

There was no denying it, he had feelings for you, too. The girl he met at that first floor meeting, the sweet face that was able to solve that crossword clue when he was stumped.

There had been some rainy nights where he was in your room studying and couldn’t leave during the downpour; where the two of you had ended up spending the night together, nothing but well-intentioned snuggles ensuing, his embrace and the sounds of the rain combined giving you the best nights of sleep of your life. And sure, maybe you wanted to feel that warmth again. Maybe you both did.

It took everything in him not to throw his books to the floor and abide by your request, throwing your soft blankets over the two of you and losing yourselves in the happiness of it all. But he knew he needed to keep working.

“I’ll meet you halfway,” he started, eliciting a small “huh?” from you. “I’ll try to make both you and my GPA happy at the same time.” He gestured you to come over to him, patting his thigh.

“Come on, you can sit on my lap until I finish.”

You happily obliged, situating his textbook on your lap so he could look over your shoulder, taking notes off to the side of you, your head happily nestled into his neck, watching him work, just being happy to feel your best friend again.

[natsspammityspamspamham]

1. Who’s your celebrity crush?

I don’t have celebrity crushes most of the time. I have people who I think are pretty and people that I admire, but I don’t have any of them that I crush on. Alongside my favourite voice actors (seiyuu), Emma Watson would definitely be up there. There’s something about intelligence that makes a person far more appealing.

2. Are you single or taken?

As single as they come! I haven’t even been in a relationship, and I don’t really have any interests in getting into one!

3. Rant. Just do it.

I’m nervous. I’m doubting. I hate this feeling in me. I feel so out of place, so uncomfortable, and it’s eating me on the inside. I wish I had friends in real life. I really wish I did, but it feels like I’m growing apart from everyone, and I’m pushing them all away because I can’t stand being reminded of my past, and I feel like every step I take is just a desperate attempt to get myself back on track, and I’m trying to be proud of myself. I really am. But I have a hard time acknowledging anything that I do. I never feel like I’m enough. I feel insufficient. I feel like I’m just a statistic. I feel inferior yet superior at the same time. My self-image is warped. I feel like I’m lying to myself and to others. It hurts. It hurts a lot, and I don’t want people to know but I do at the same time. It’s a pain unlike any other, and as much as I can say that I don’t feel lonely, I feel like there should be people in my life that I can call my friends, and I want someone that I can mutually call my best friend without them saying that they are just my “good friend”. I want to know that I mean the upmost to a person without feeling I’m burdening them. I want to be No. 1 at something. 

I dream about chasing dreams like becoming a medical professional, but I continue to realize and face my shortcomings that would prove that I’m not really fit for it. I want to do it, but quite frankly, I’m too stupid. 

I can’t even articulate what’s truly paining my mind. It’s difficult. I don’t know why my body and mind wants to destroy itself.

But sometimes, I think I fix myself better.

4. Do you think it's okay to separate the artist from the art?

Personally, I’m one of those people who usually say no to this question. Now, if you have weird kinks or like pineapple on pizza, that’s none of my business. I won’t hold it against you. However, I find it hard to separate when things are illegal or morally wrong.

Examples:

Net-juu no Susume was a really heartwarming anime, and it was one of my favourite anime that depicted a wholesome adult romance that unveiled many truths about the real world despite spending its time online, but I would’ve never watched the anime if I would have known that the director was a Holocaust-denier. The rest of the staff? I don’t know, but I felt extremely uncomfortable even reblogging content after I found out.

I was planning on watching Rurouni Kenshin, and to this day, I believe I’m missing out, but I cannot support or condone or even watch a series that has a creator as wretched as Nobuhiro Watsuki. If you don’t know, he was charged in February of 2017 for child pornography. He was fined 200,000 yen. It was a slap on the wrist. Even though Rurouni Kenshin wasn’t a reflection on his person according to fans, I don’t feel keen on watching a show created by such a man.

In regards to actors, this goes for them too. If they are not supportive of the LGBTQ community, if they are racist, if they have committed acts that are cannot be condoned, I wouldn’t want to watch them or anything. Again, I have a hard time keeping track of who’s actually clean in this world, and in Japan, there is a lot of covering up. It was recently revealed that a lot of Madhouse anime that people love were probably made at the expense of animators who are human beings.

5. How many accounts do you have?

I have a few.

@nsisbest385 - my main where I stockpile my music @natsspammityspamspamham - This one where I am really open and reblog everything that I want to reblog (no exceptions; if I don’t even think about it, I just reblog) @natsthinkitythinkthinkthonk - used to be for inspirational stuff/writing, but now it’s mostly seiyuu stuff. I post things for their birthdays. I should’ve made a separate account. @semitranslatedseiyuublog - Where I semi-translate stuff but mostly transfer seiyuu content from Reddit. @awkwardbsd - This account has more followers than all my other accounts combined. It’s for awkward screenshots, memes, and other stuff surrounding the Bungou Stray Dogs universe. @dragontypepropaganda - I didn’t tell anyone this existed until now. I’m generally not on it. I just queue and leave.

6. How many pairs of shoes do you have?

Let’s see... uh... 1 for outside, 1 for exercise, 1 for my house slippers, 3 for orchestra that I never use, 2 dress shoes that I really never use, and I’m supposed to get 1 pair of slippers for outside.

7. Opinion on…

I don’t think I can answer this.

8. How many accounts do you follow?

9. Favourite brand of clothing?

I’ve been wearing more Uniqlo lately, but my wardrobe has a lot of hand-me-downs despite being so sensitive tactile-wise.

10. Name a dog

Atticus (boy) and Haruko (girl)

11. What unusual talent do you have?

I can whistle. I haven’t tried in a while, but I can put my feet behind my head.

12. What’s the most interesting school's gossip you’ve ever heard?

Keep in mind, I was only in school until grade 9-10. One of my PE teachers Ms. Snow had really scary eyes. When she got mad at me (which is pretty frequent considering she didn’t know who I was and kept calling me by other Asian people’s names because “we look the same”), I swear her eyeballs would extend from her sockets a little. They looked like they were about to pop out of her head. My sister said that urban legend states that she once fell down the stairs and both eyeballs popped out. She put them back in and carried on.

13. Ever prank called a store?

I think I almost tried once until I got a scolding or something (wasn’t even my parents).

14. What’s your coffee order?

Don’t have one. I don’t like coffee. I’m generally open to tea.

15. What’s a question do you constantly get asked?

“How are you?” I usually choose the easy route to answer to this question. I just say “good thanks”. You want the truth? I lie to myself.

“Why did you leave school?” It was a living hell. I didn’t feel safe. I was breaking down years ago. School nearly broke me, and if I stayed there any longer, I would’ve died (not an exaggeration).

“What are your hobbies?” I usually just say music and watching cartoons* (anime). They usually ask what else, and I just stare blankly.

16. If you had to get a tattoo right now, what would you get and where?

I wouldn’t want one.

17. Google the top song from the year you were born

Apparently, it’s How You Remind Me by *gasp* Nickelback.

18. Rant about your favourite musician

I seriously wish I was able to go to Sara Bareille’s version of the Waitress. I wish I was able to see it on Broadway. She’s such a talented individual, and she deserves all the attention she gets.

19. What’s your favorite teacher you’ve ever had?

All of my best teachers have been outside of school. I would say that my favourite teachers are my current bass teacher and my taekwondo master who has taught me for over a decade.

20. Describe your blog in 3-5 words

Fando(o)m, ranting, anime, seiyuu, random

21. What’s a conspiracy you believe in?

I believe aliens exist. I don’t think it would be logical to assume that Earth is the only planet that has “intelligent” (I say that very loosely) lifeforms.

“But they don’t have water or oxygen” Bold of you to assume that said aliens would need such a thing. I would think they can adapt like humans and all that. I just think it’s dumb to close ourselves off to believing that there are people other than ourselves that exist in this wide and expanding universe.

22. If you could see any concert tonight what would you choose?

I would really want to see the Waitress. If that doesn’t count, I would want to see some seiyuu singing live. It would depend. Hosoya doesn’t sing much anymore, Maaya Sakamoto has a waitlist longer than my lifespan (I have no luck with lotteries), and Saori Hayami has the same issue. I would want to see Sphere live too, but I don’t know all of their songs.

23. If you could break one of your bad habits which would you choose?

My depression... or my anxiety. Actually, those aren’t habits. I guess the closest I will get is doubting myself and beating myself up.

24. Can you dance? Sing?

A strong no to both.

25. What’s something you can’t stop buying?

Uh… I don’t go out and buy anything. I don’t make money so I don’t buy. However, if I did, I would really want to treat myself to good food and anime stuff.

26. Crowds or small groups?

Small groups... obviously.

27. How long before a trip do you pack?

Depends on where. When it comes to the Philippines, weeks for the Balikbayan boxes and less than a week for my actual clothes (usually pack a ton of clothes because I sweat a lot and “we’re not doing laundry!”)

28. What celebrity would you rate a PERFECT 10?

I feel like I don’t have a good grasp of the culture so I actually can’t say anything about my favourite seiyuu. We don’t even know if that’s their true personality. However, I feel like my perfect 10s are Emma Watson and Robin Williams. They might not be my “crushes”, but they are perfect 10s. 

29. What quote or inspirational setting do you think is bs?

“When you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up!” Nah man, you just don’t know what rock bottom looks like. It’s gonna get worse.

“Don’t fix what isn’t broken!” All because you can’t see what’s wrong with it doesn’t mean it isn’t broken. Yeah, I’m talking about the school system.

“Pain makes you who you are. It makes you stronger.” I can say that my trauma gives me anxiety.

30. If you had to dye your hair an unnatural colour right now, what would you choose?

I go by “Purple Dino” online so I’d have to say dark purple.

31. You can change one thing about your life right now. what are you changing?

I wish I could breathe properly. My allergies make it so hard for me to exist. It affects my breathing, sleep, dental care, and so much more. I think that’s the one physical thing I would change.

32. How old do you get mistaken for?

Apparently, I look like I’m in middle school even though I’m almost a legal adult.

33. What do you think about a lot?

Anime, seiyuu, my own shortcomings. 

34. Do you like your Hogwarts house or do you wish you were a different one?

I like Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. I haven’t done my test in a while. 

35. What does home mean to you?

Home is where you live. It’s where the heart lives. It’s where you feel safe, and it’s where you can take off the mask that you live in during the day. It’s the place where I don’t have to lie through my teeth. I can cry, I can laugh, I can scream, and I can finally be me.

36. What do you think you’d be arrested for?

I feel like I would be caught for pirating anime even if I don’t profit off it. 

37. Have you ever been called down to the principal's office?

I’ve been there, but I haven’t been called down there because I really wasn’t important in school.

38. Post a picture of the outfit you would choose if you could have any outfit you wanted

Probably a dark coloured hoodie with sweatpants. That’s my default during the winter anyway.

39. Describe your aesthetic

Tired dead eyes with existential dread and depression. That’s how I see myself.

40. Answer with one of your ‘school memes’ (inside jokes you have with your class/grade) with no explanation 

I’m not sure how to say this, but I was really not in the “right crowd” at school, and I was never let into any of these things. I can’t answer this, and it pains me just to read this because I’m missing out on so much of my youth and “high school life”. 

I’m tagging @caratheillustrious who reblogged the questions!

[hymn2000]

Freeze - MCU AU Fanfic - C19

Previous chapter(s): 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Story synopsis:- When a burst gas main destroys everything and leaves Peter with nothing, the Stark’s take him in. Thrown together by necessity, they then need to try to keep it together and build a new life. Devastated by loss, Peter doesn’t make things easy for them, and Loki and Tony struggle with their own grief and the responsibility of having someone completely dependant on them.

Chapter description:- Life takes another turn as the rest of Peter’s classmates rejoin the class after their trip

Story warnings/themes: character death, hurt/comfort, trauma, grief, depression/mental health issues, bullying, corporal punishment

Relationships: Frostiron (Loki x Tony) (romantic), Tony and Peter (platonic), Loki and Peter (platonic)

From the same AU as Called To Be A Rock

Chapter 19 - And They Call Themselves Friends

-

True to his word, Peter slept most of the weekend. He was wiped out, physically and emotionally. Malaki hadn’t been back on Friday, so he had another tired, lonely day at school. Taking his school uniform off on Friday after school felt great. He flopped down on his bed and slept soundly until 9am on Saturday. He got up and had something to eat and went down to the lab with Tony, but by 1pm his head was nodding and Tony told him to go and have a lie down.

On Sunday, Tony was out, so Thor came round to keep an eye on him, which was easy work, as the boy was asleep for the most part. 

It ended up feeling like a bit of a wasted weekend, and Monday morning came as a bit of a shock. Peter hid under the covers, hoping that if he was found all hot and sweaty, and if he put on a croaky voice, Tony might let him stay home. All the kids who had been on the Spanish trip were going to be back today. Peter just knew they’d all be Nigel’s and Wendy’s, and he wasn’t prepared to deal with that. He wasn’t strong enough.

-

His plan of pulling a sickie didn’t work. Tony just shook his head and said; “Nice try”, and made him get up and get ready for school anyway. 

“The rest of your class will be back, won’t they?” Tony said. “You should be able to settle into the routine a bit better now”

Peter didn’t bother telling him that that was exactly why he was dreading going. He decided he’d just have to grin and bear it - but he didn’t feel much like smiling.

-

Peter sat on the end of the front right hand row in the form room, pretending to be really interested in his white board. The classroom was already fuller than last week, and the new voices and noisy chatter were most off-putting. He fiddled with a dry-erase marker, picking at the sponge on the top of the cap. He had horrible heart palpitations. He was just waiting for one of these new voices to start scoffing about Common Muck with Scholarships.

-

Three girls entered the form room, arms linked, talking together. The girl in the middle stopped, spotting Peter. 

“Oooh, new kid” she said, glancing to either friend. “He’s cute, don’t you think?”

One of the other girls laughed. “You really have no filter. Well, go and say hello then!”

The girl unlinked herself from her friends, jumping forward, planting her hands on the desk in front of Peter, making him jump.

“Hi! You’re new, aren’t you? I’m Millie!” she looked over her shoulder at her friends. “That’s Florence and Macy”

“It’s Flo” Florence said. “Everyone calls me Flo”

Peter blinked at them, unsure how to react to their sunny, friendly personalities. A voice behind him piped up:

“That’s Peter. He doesn’t talk much”

“Oooh” Millie tapped the white board on the desk. “Is that why you’ve got this?”

Peter nodded, and jumped again as Ms Hathersage appeared.

“Quiet now, you lot! You have exactly four minutes until the bell, and I want absolute silence”

No one else seemed phased by her. Flo tapped Peter’s desk.

“This is our row”

Peter’s heart beat faster. This was it. They’d turn on him now.

“I always sit at the end” Flo said. “Do you mind moving up one?” 

“Honestly Flo, you are so particular sometimes” Macy said, scooting past the back of Peter’s chair and taking the seat at the other end of the row, up against the wall. 

Millie sat next to Macy, and patted the chair beside her. Peter obediently moved over, and Flo took his place. She smiled gratefully at him.

“Thank you” she put her bag down, and spotted Peter’s satchel. “Oh wow, I love your bag! It’s brand new, isn’t it? Where ever did you get it?”

“Flo! Stop badgering him!” Millie laughed. “Ignore her, Peter. She’s got about a million bags already - she doesn’t need to copy you”

“Amelia, quiet now” Ms Hathersage said, and started to take the register.

“She thinks I talk too much” Millie whispered to Peter. “Flo talks lots more than I do, though” 

“Amelia, I’ve already asked you once!”

Millie put a hand up in apology, but as soon as Ms Hathersage’s back was turned, she rolled her eyes. Peter smiled slightly. He liked her.

-

Peter did worry that they were all just being polite, but when the bell rang, Millie and Flo linked arms with him while Macy danced ahead. In Geography, they insisted that he joined them on their table, and Mr Tucker didn’t object. 

Peter felt almost comfortable. These girls were kind, and they didn’t act weirdly about him not speaking. They included him in their conversation and gossiped about the teachers and other students. 

Peter looked at them.

Millie was definitely the leader of the pack. She was a conventionally attractive girl, with shoulder-length dark brown, almost black hair, with sparkling green eyes in her round face. She radiated confidence. 

Flo was definitely the most attractive of the group. She was sweet and bubbly, with porcelain skin and long blonde, almost white hair all the way down her back. She seemed happier daydreaming and doodling in her notebook than paying attention in lessons.

Macy was a bit of a mix. She was calm and collected in class, a little mad outside of it, and she knew exactly how to manage her friends. She had short, medium-brown hair, mostly covered by a headband. She seemed distracted, somehow, but happy.

Peter thought they were all very real people.

-

The three waited at the end of the lesson, making sure Peter didn’t get left behind. They all sighed in an exaggerated fashion as soon as they’d left Mr Tucker’s classroom.

“Thank God for that! I hate Geography more and more every day” Millie said, linking Peter’s arm.

“Me too” Flo said, linking Peter’s other arm. 

“What? Geography’s a laugh - it’s the teacher that’s the problem!” Macy said, prancing ahead.

Peter suddenly realised that she might be a show-off. She seemed to perform her part of the conversation as they went down the corridor, spinning on her toes and clapping and somehow managing to never crash into anyone. 

Peter decided he might like her best. 

“Hey, Peter!” Macy said, stopping suddenly. “Have you had the bagels yet?”

Peter blinked at her.

“Aww, no way! You must try one: they’re the best! I’ll buy today, ok?”

Peter nodded. He didn’t see the need to protest.

-

Macy went off to join the queue in the dining hall, while Millie and Flo took Peter over to a round table at the back of the hall by the coffee machine. He still felt a little nervous. These girls all had big personalities, and he still couldn’t shake the feeling that they were just taking pity on him. 

“So, why have you joined in the middle of the term?” Flo asked. 

Peter didn’t really want to share his story with them. Still, he got out his whiteboard. 

I moved house and my old school was too far away to keep going to. 

Flo nodded. “Oh, right. That’s a bit rubbish”

Peter nodded slightly. Millie smiled at him.

“Are you cold? You’re shaking”

He didn’t want to tell her that he was scared, so he just nodded.

“Aww. You’ll warm up after you’ve eaten”

At that moment, Macy appeared and handed them all cheese and tomato bagels. 

“The food here is great, trust me” she said, taking a seat. 

Peter didn’t feel hungry, but didn’t want to seem rude, so he took a bite when the others did. He was pleasantly surprised. These bagels really were good. He was quite content sat back eating and listening to the girls talking. 

Once he’d finished, he wrote them a question.

Are you all boarders?

Millie shook her head. “Flo and I live with our families not too far away from here. Macy boards though, don’t you, Mace?”

Macy looked up from filing her nails. “Yes, I live Bay Laurel. That’s the girls house. I go home during the holidays though. What about you? Are you boarding?”

I live with my guardians

“I wish I did” Macy said. “But they live in Canada. It would be a long daily commute”

How long have you been boarding for?

“Since I was six. I was at the sister school, and then I moved into Bay Laurel when I was ten, going on eleven. I had some friends moving up with me, so that was nice. We helped each other pack and it made the move easier”

“I used to board” Flo said. “When I was really little, I went to a boarding school a few states over. But it didn’t work out, so father brought me over to St Hendricks so I was closer to home”

“Well” Millie said. “I’m glad I don’t board. We all know the boarding master in Scotts-Pine has a cane”

“Don’t get into trouble and it’s not a problem” Macy said, grinning. “I love how you say it like your father doesn’t own one! Peter? What are you looking so worried about?”

Peter didn’t respond. He knew they might think he was weird if he started asking questions of the corporal-punishment-in-schools variety. 

“You know, I hope I’m not overstepping the mark” Macy said. “But I heard Nigel talking in the queue. He said your family are all gone and that’s why you moved here”

Peter was horrified. How did Nigel know about that? He sighed deeply, looking down at his whiteboard. Millie squeezed his hand.

“You don’t have to tell us”

Peter nodded, but decided he did. If he got it out of the way now, he wouldn’t have to do it again.

My parents both died when I was little, so I lived with my aunt and uncle. My uncle died years ago, and my aunt died in January. I couldn’t stay in Queen’s on my own, so a family friend and their partner took me in. 

Tears filled his eyes, and he looked away quickly. The girls exchanged shocked looks, and Millie took control of the situation.

“Aww, don’t cry! Oh Peter!” she hugged him tight, and he hugged her back. “How awful! I’m so sorry to hear that”

The other two joined in the hug. 

“I’m sorry for your loss. I know it’s hard” Macy said.

“It really does get easier” Flo said. “Thank you for telling us. You didn’t need to do that. We didn’t want to upset you”

Peter couldn’t help crying, not only because of what had happened, but also because these girls were being so kind to him. 

-

The three looked after Peter, getting him a drink and making him laugh to take his mind off it all. Peter appreciated their efforts, although his tears of sadness were very nearly replaced with ones of happiness. Everything that had happened with Ryan and his gang at the other school had left him so isolated and hopeless, so much so that it felt as though kindness was a thing of the past. These girls had proved that theory wrong. 

-

The girls stayed with him throughout the next two lessons, and all through lunch. His appetite still wasn’t great, but Millie introduced him to the pasta queue, and somehow a bowl of pasta and cheese was all he needed. He’d never known it taste so good.

Peter had to see Miss Marns in fourth period, but they came and found him just before fifth so they could go together.

“This is literally a dream come true” Macy said, rereading the brief. 

“Snakes don’t often feature in my dreams” Millie said. “Why are we making snakes? Textiles should be dresses, skirts, maybe even bags!! Not snakes!”

“Make a snake wearing a dress then” Macy said, as though it were an obvious solution. “I’m totally tattooing mine”

“How can you tattoo something made of cloth?” Flo said. 

“By drawing them on! Honestly Flo, stop asking silly questions” she shook her head, and looked at Peter. “What are you thinking for yours?”

Glass eyes

“I don’t think there’s any in here. Maybe you can use buttons?” she said. “Are you any good at sewing?”

Peter shrugged. 

“I’m rubbish at it” Millie said. “At least, I’m rubbish at sewing machines. I can hand-sew ok”

Peter looked down at the brief. He wasn’t sure he’d be any good at sewing, and he didn’t have any ideas about how to design it. He kept thinking about Loki. A part of him wanted to make it for him, but the overwhelming reality that no one knew where he was right now was enough to stunt his idea. He sighed. 

“What about this?” Macy said, shoving an IPad under his nose. “Do you think you could make one like this? I like its little fangs”

“That snake would destroy you, given half the chance” Flo said, peering at the cobra on the screen. She took the IPad and started typing. “You want a cute snake for a toy, surely. Something like this”

She showed them a photo of a corn snake. 

“It’s got massive eyes” Millie said. “We could always use Marlin for inspiration”

Peter looked at her.

“Marlin is my brothers snake” Millie said. “It’s a ball python. I don’t see it often because it lives in his room, but sometimes we put it in the paddling pool just to watch it swim”

“It wiggles” Macy nodded. “I’m not making a boring snake. I’m having a king cobra-type tattooed snake. Can snakes have piercings? I might make a gangster snake”

She looked so serious that Peter couldn’t help but laugh. She glanced at him, and then nodded triumphantly at the other two.

“Peter likes my idea” she stuck her tongue out at them.

“Macy!” Ms Castleton snapped. “Don’t be so rude! That was very unladylike”

“Sorry, Ms Castleton” Macy said, but she crossed her fingers behind her back. 

Peter saw this, and looked at her fondly. 

“What are you staring at?” she said, and stuck her tongue out at him when Ms Castleton’s back was turned.

Peter hesitated and returned the favour. Macy grinned, moving her chair closer to his and pretending to look at his work over his shoulder.

“You’re gonna be just fine here”

-

Tony watched out of the car window as Peter was hugged goodbye. A minute later, Peter opened the passenger door and climbed into the car. 

“Hey kiddo”

Peter pulled the door closed, flopping back in his seat.

“I’ve gotta go to the shops to pick up a few bits before we go home, ok?”

Peter nodded. 

“I’ll try to be quick” 

-

Peter fell asleep in the car after they’d been to the shops. Tony was worried, as he hadn’t said a word since he’d picked him up. Sure, Peter didn’t really talk to strangers any more, and he didn’t speak at school, but he’d mostly stayed talkative with him and Loki. 

He gave him a little shake when they got back to the house, and they went to the kitchen together.

“So” Tony said, switching the kettle on. “How was school?”

Peter just shrugged.

“I saw those girls hugging you. Friends of yours?”

“Oh” Peter didn’t realise he’d been seen. “Um”

“Are they some of the people who were away on the Spanish trip?” Tony pressed.

Peter nodded. 

Tony sighed. “What’s up with you today?? Cat got your tongue?”

Peter just shrugged again. Tony sighed again, and shook his head.

“Go and get changed, and then get your homework done”

-

Peter sat doing his homework in silence. Tony gave him a poke.

“Hey, do you want a snack?”

Peter shook his head. Tony watched him working for a minute.

“Are you ok?”

Peter shook his head again. 

“Talk to me?”

Another shake of the head. Tony didn’t know what to do. He tried to give him a hug, but Peter leant away from him and wouldn’t let him. Tony sighed and left the kitchen, going downstairs and checking the post. He sighed heavily and threw the letters down on the cabinet. Nothing of importance. Still no word from Loki. It was a worrying development, or lack thereof. He didn’t know what to think.

-

Tony caught Peter on the way to his room.

“What’s the matter? You know you can talk to me”

Peter shook his head and tried to wriggle free. Tony held on tighter. 

“You can’t bottle it up forever, kiddo”

Peter pushed his hands away and darted into his room, shutting the door behind him. He wasn’t in the mood for an ultimatum. 

-

Tony kept his distance for a while, but soon time was getting on, so he knocked on Peter’s door. 

“Peter?” There was no reply. “I’m coming in now”

He opened the door and found the boy fast asleep. He sighed and gave him a good shake, waking him up.

“We need to think about getting you fed”

“...’m not hungry”

Tony seized him under the arms and sat him up. 

“Oww! That hurt!”

“Sorry. Right, you need to tell me what’s going on with you” he said. “Are you just tired? Is that it?”

Peter shrugged. 

“Peter, stop being so evasive”

“I don’t want to talk to you! Leave me alone!”

“Peter-”

“No!”

“Oh fine then, be that way” Tony snapped. He checked his watch. “Ok, it’s half seven now. If you’re not in the kitchen by eight o’ clock, you’re not having any tea tonight”

-

Peter went into a sulk. He decided he didn’t care, he didn’t want to speak, and he wasn’t hungry - certainly not for anything made by the likes of Tony. 

But, sulking was hard work. He was determined not to show his face, but he started clock-watching, and at five to eight he cracked. He rushed to the kitchen and buried his face in Tony’s chest.

“I need to talk to you!”

He told him about Millie and Macy and Flo, and his fears that they were just hanging out with him out of pity. He told him everything that had happened that day, and started talking about textiles.

“-so I thought, y’know, I could make it for Loki, but he’s not here any more, and so there’s no point, and I was so horrible to him before he left and now I feel so guilty and a miss him so much and, and-”

“Ok, ok, sweetheart, shh” Tony hugged him close. “It’s ok, chick”

“I want him to come back!”

“I know. I know you do. He’ll come back when he’s ready”

“No he won’t! He won’t ever want to be near me again! I was so hateful to him”

“It’s not your fault he left. He will come back; he promised he would” Tony said firmly. “When he’s ready, and not a moment before”

Peter rested his forehead against Tony’s shoulder, breathing deeply. He knew he needed to believe Tony. After all, he knew him better than anyone else. 

“I just want him to hurry up”

“I know. Try not to think about it. You’ve got other stuff to focus on. School, for a start, and your new friends”

Peter stood back slightly. “Do you really think they’re friends?”

“Sure” Tony said. “They’ll come running up to you tomorrow morning, you’ll see”

“What if you’re wrong?”

Tony smiled. “What if I’m not? Come on, lets get you fed”

*

[usernamefiaren-blog]

Reflective blog Media Interview

Our final assignment for the module It’s Not all Rock ‘N Roll we had to do a media interview. We got given 4 scenario’s and for each scenario we got given 4 questions but we only knew two of them. We had to pretend that we were the spokes person for that scenario and talk to the media about what had happend and defend our client in the interview.  I thought this was going to be really difficult, but with a bit of fantasy and a lot of research I managed to figure it out. 

I will write out my research and the stories I made up for each of the scenario’s.

scenario: Timing - The headlining act at your show on Friday night went on stage at 10.45pm, more than 90 minutes later than advertised. This caused problems for the audience, many of whom had to leave before the end of the show in order to catch public transport. 

research: (source Dailymail) Justin Bieber shows p 2 hours late, to his debut show in the O2. He was 19 years at the time and locked himself in the dressing room to play video games. Justin says he was only 40 minutes late and blames it on technical difficulties. O2 staff: ‘’He was arguing with members of his management; his family’’  Backstage source: ‘’His lateness was because he didn’t get out of bed until late and sat in his dressing room playing games - even though his door was being knocked’’ A closer source is saying te accounts were ‘wildly exaggerated or just untrue’-> denying Justin’s tweet: ‘’Last night I was scheduled after 3 opening acts to go on stage at 9′35 not 8′30, but because of technical issues I got on at 10′10...so...’’ Digital Spye also reported that the star is being askef to pay a 300.000 pound fine to Greenwich council for causing the gig to run past the 11pm closing time. (source Hollywoodlife) Justin apologized on twitter ‘’ I was 40 minutes late on stage, there is no excuse for that and I apologize for anyone we upset[...]’’  Kanye West (source The Sun) West was an hour late, had a 17-minute rant and played three songs and then left.’’

Story: Client name: Clinton Eccleston, Genre: pop He is a diva, and was late because he didn’t like the way his hair looked and his clothes weren’t ironed properly. He was also angry because the lights at the venue were too bright. Yes, we were aware of the curfew, but wanted to make up to the fans by still playing a full show and to accept that there was going to be a fine for the venue that we will fully compensate. We have also given the venue 100.000 pounds compensation, this way fans can send their concert ticket and taxi receipt, or bank statement, to the venue and get the money back from the venue. What’s left of the money is for the venue as an apology.  Mister Eccleston has apologized on social media to his fans and has come up with a idea himself. He wants to have a free concer, if the council is still willing to work with us, in the same town, people will only have to sign up to a guist list. He has stated on twitter: ‘’ I realize that my fans don’t care about my appearance and that bright lights are just part of the job. I will try my best t be there for my fans in the future and think about them and their feeling before my own.’’ 

Scenario - Sponsor You are running a new festival in Lincolnshire this Summer and have agreed a sponsorship deal with BP. This is a new venture for them and they are underwriting all of the costs for your event. However, local environmental groups are unhappy with BP’s involvement. 

Research: (source telegraph.co.uk) 2010 BP oil spill killed 11 workers and lasted for 87 days. How is BP restoring their image? (BBC News) Massive spill in Gulf of Mexico. They say they have taken resposibility, made a new safety division and lessons were learned and are being applied globally. ‘’A silver lining of the event is the significant and sustained advance in industry preparedness[...]’’ (telegraph) BP has spent 14 billion dollars clearing up the oil spill and agreed to a 7,8 billion dollar settlement with local businesses and individuals. (2005) BP Texas refinery explosion kills 15 people, they sold the refinery. (BP.com) Greenhouse gas emissions is being reduces, energy use is reduced through increase of energy efficient ways, manage arir quality issues, reciewing water risks annualy, oil spill preparedness.

Story: The value of a sponsor for our event is obviously fiinancial firstly. BP has offered to underwrite all of the costs for this festival and without that, this event wouldn’t exist at all. But the value of a sponsor also comes from brand relation. We want our sponsors to be proud of us, but we also want to be able to be proud of them. Therefore we will not agree to this sponsorship deal, because after extensive research we have decided that their unintended destruction of our planet is not what we as a brand want to be linked to. So we have decided to work on a sponsorshipdeal with campanies that have an environmental friendly production process. Our new main sponsor will be IKEA they have already signed and we are looking into it with Coca-Cola as well. With IKEA we have got the same financial benefits as with BP, and they get their own area which they can turn into a furnished VIP lounge. We will also offer greenpeace their own stand if they want to, to raise awareness for environmental issues in the lincolnshire countryside. They will have to work together with local environmental groups. Name of the festival: Summer in the Shire location: Lincolnshire wolds date: 17th June - 22nd June Price: 130 pounds + campsite.  scenario - The residents whose homes overlook your venue have complained to the police that groups of youths are gathering behind your venue and they believe that drug deals and drug use is taking place. Syringes have been found in the car park during the daytime. research; (cityoflondon.gov.uk)Drugs at the door PDF file Amnesty boxes and a special risk assasment. The venue manager and the police each have one key, the box has two locks, so the box can only be opened if both of them are present. The box will be in sight of the entrance and the queue with CCTV camera’s pointed at it. It will say 3 things on the box: Drugs are not allowed on these premises, All costumers will be searched and If you are concerned you have an illegal substance, please place it in the amnesty box provided. They are allowed to enter with prescribed drugs but have to prove it by answering these questions: Is it in a proper container? What is the reason for the medication? Where were they prescribed? What is the date of issue?

story: We have decided to take advice from a guide procided on the cityoflondon webstie about safer nightlife and drugs at venues. We will start implementing the suggestions from that guide. This means we will instrall an amnesty drugs box at the entrance and all costumers will be searched upon entering the venue. We were not aware of this issue because we didn’t have CCTV at the back of our venue, we will install that next week. We will start workgin with the local police force and start supervising the area around our venue more. During our opening times this will be done by security employed by the venue. During the night it will be done in collaboration with the local police force. We have already started cleaning the car park from drugs related mess and would like to ask the public to call the police if they see anything suspicious.

scenario - The artist you manage made a statement from the stage at last night’s show where he stated that the Pope was ‘probably’ aware of child abuse by priests in his own country. That has been picked up by the media who now want to question your artist about that statement.

research: all of the research for this scenario comes from watching the documentary about the dixie chicks in Alan’s lecture. Story: With all the recent controvers around the chruch and child abuse my client was sick of it when he heard just before the show that someone dear to him had been sexually abused by a priest as a child. My client himself was very cose to this priest as well, but was never abused in any way. He was already furious when he went on stage and then seeing someone holding a sign that said ‘’Pope Francis rocks’’ just made him snap. He has apologized on all of his social media saying that he can’t hold one person responsibe for the actions of one of his subjects, when the majority of them has never even thought about touching a child. Therefore he would like to come back on the stagtement he made yesterday and withdraw it. He is currently writing a letter to the Pope, personally apologizing. He has also donated 5.000 pounds to help research the psychological consequences of child abuse and another 3.000 to the child protection services of the metropolitan police.  He hopes that his fans can forgive him and his rude statement and admits he shouldn’t have said that. Further stating that he does fully support Pope Francis’ progressive approach to the church.

I was really happy that I got asked about the BP scenario, because I could easily remember all of my stories for each scenario, I was the most comfortable with this one. I feel like the media interview went really well. I was really nervous but the peptalk that Neil gave me before he turned on the camera really helped. He told me to admit it if I didn’t know something and to not make something up.  When the camera was turned on Neil changed in some sort of ruthless media machine, which was actually really nice, because it made it feel so real. The only thing that I regret is that my research wasn’t good enough. He asked my about the actions that IKEA undertook which made them such an eco-friendly company, the only thing I knew which I had already told him was that for every tree that they cut they put a new one back. I should’ve done more extensive research into my ‘new sponsors’ and if I had done that I feel like my interview would have been  a good 90% satisfying, the only thing I’d like to change is that I feel like I start stuttering as soon as I’m talking to a group of people or a camera, but that is something that I will hopefully learn during the 3 years on this course.

I really liked this assignment, and the research that we had to do was really interesting and for future Music and Live students I hope they will continue using this assignment, because it genuinly is a very good exercise. P.S.: if my research seems a bit unclear that’s because I’ve handwritten everything in a note taking way that I understand and I had to put it in words for this blog, which was a bit unclear.(just know that in my head all the strings are connected.....)