#i want to materially help people everywhere i can even though its scary and difficult

[chaosmenu]

sometimes i feel so bitter about how the usamerican trans community has essentially written off florida as unsaveable. like trans floridians really are just a model for what happens if The Bad Guys Win and theres no concern for the trans people living here. we dont get aid or support outside of ourselves. idk its just really disheartening

[everyothermouse]

Made some designs for my old superhero au for funsies, enjoy

I am going to take this as an excuse to talk abt this au, some backstories and design details under the cut :)

Tw: suicide attempt (peters backstory) and abuse (hash’s backstory)

Also, i gotta warn you that the backstory descriptions get longer as we go on, as the longer i write for, the worse i get at being concise. My apologies!

Peter

Power(s): control over the shadow realm

Power triggers: fear, depression, sadness, anger, focus

Relationships: hash (daughter/apprentice), genny (ally), ms. Garner (friend/ex nemesis), gabby (ally), prince (assistant/nemesis) princess (nemesis?)

Backstory: Tried to die in a vat of Poisonous Liquidtm but due to the nature of the experiments Done by damian at Unnamed Lab Owned By Damiantm, instead of dying his misery manifested through shadow powers. He was a shadow for a bit before he was able to start being a person again, and he was so upset about being alive that he decided he needed to consume the entire city in shadow so everyone else would have to be miserable like he was. He would be repeatedly thwarted by a superhero in the city named flower girl, who would eventually (over the course of like 3 years) forcibly found family him. He now has a job and uses his powers for good, and has recently taken up a superhero apprentice :)

Design notes: the heart clasps on peters cape and arms were originally by Ms. Garner before she retired as a superhero. They are tools used to help focus magic, making it easier to stay centered and to direct magical forces. The heart in the middle changes color based on the magic surrounding it/running through it, for peter it is black, but for Ms. Garner it was red/pink. Peters crown is made of the same material, but is not quite as strong. Peter mainly focuses his magic outwards using his palms and the soles of his feet, thus why they are uncovered. Villain peter looks a lot less alive than current peter partially because of being magically exhausted, but mostly just because he is in very bad physical health, having dipped himself in a vat of poison and proceeding to get 0 medical help, and then also not eating or bathing and living on shadow magic and depression. The boots previously used for villain-ing are now his work boots :)

Genny

Power(s): super strength

Power triggers: N/A

Relationships: nut (son), mellisa (friend), gabby (ally), Ms. Garner (friend?), hash (ally), peter (ally), damian (enemy)

Backstory: genny was a single mother and teacher living a normal life when she was caught in a catastrophic event as the city’s super villain the week was wreaking havoc in the middle of town. When a car came flying at her child, she had no choice but to rush forward and try to get him out of the way. Usually this would have ended in disaster, but thanks to a mix mothers hysterical strength and the strong magic energy radiating out of one of the destroyed buildings (it was U.L.O.B.D., because its always fucking damian isnt it) she was suddenly imbued with the strength to block the car and escape. Soon she would realize that this effect wouldn’t go away, and thus she decided to try and use this ability to help protect the city from all the dangers which threaten its safety.

Design notes: the knife on her leg is attached with a very strong magnet, it is difficult for others to remove but easy for her to thanks to her strength. Her body armor is all much stronger than the other three’s, as having armour that is lightweight isn’t a priority for her in the same way it is for the others, due to her strength. Genny doesnt actually have that much more muscle mass than a normal reasonably fit person, as her super strength is not connected to this. She wears contact lenses in her daily life, but after the event in which she got her super powers her eyes are entirely white (nut’s eyes are also lightened, but not to the same extent as genny’s, you can actually see them from more than 2 inches away.)

Hash

Power(s): control over earth/rocks

Power triggers: fear, excitement, focus

Relationships: Peter (parent/mentor), genny (ally), gabby (friend), prince (annoyance),

Backstory: Hash has had the ability to move the earth since she was born, but her parents always shunned her for it, saying it was destructive and evil, and so was she. She was forced to repress her powers and was often neglected (and occasionally hurt) by her parents, as well as frequently being forced to socially isolate herself from peers and teachers due to her being “too dangerous.” She tried to run away from home, feeling as though she was a danger to her parents, but when she was caught she freaked and accidentally used her powers towards her parents out of fear. Her parents called the police, making her more afraid and causing her to become more destructive. After a couple days of chaos and no one being able to defeat her, she would eventually be talked down by [whatever tf peters superhero name is], a superhero in the city who had previously been a villain but was changed through kindness and love and what not. It took a while after that to convince her that she wasn’t some horrible monster, and to get her a way from her previous household for good, but now shes a lot happier and has moved in with peter. She’s also started practicing using her powers, although its pretty hard for her given she spent all the time that her powers were developing not using them, and thus doesn’t know how to control them at their new level. She likes to tag along and try to help out on superhero missions, but honestly her main focus right now is trying to make friends and become accustomed to normal daily living, which is difficult when you’re constantly afraid of everything and have no idea how to talk to people.

Design notes: her small cape/cloak is an old one of peter’s. She hand painted on the rock pattern and the green inside, and its not perfect but she likes it. Just like normal hash, she cut the sleeves off of all her shirts, even the ones that weren’t damaged, back when she was at her old household. After moving in with peter though, shes started wearing more long sleeved shirts :) . Hash may lift rocks from the ground and stick them to her body as impromptu armour when shes distressed, although she usually doesn’t purposefully do this as its not actually very good armour, its just annoying.

Gabby

Power(s): fire manipulation, lizard stuff

Power triggers: lizard: N/A Fire: focus, anger

Relationships: peter (ally), hash (friend/ex-rival), Dario (nemesis/enemy/rival), Akira (friend/ex-rival), genny (ally), Ms. Garner (mom/mentor), Mrs. Harvey (ally/girlscout troup leader), the other Mrs. Harvey (Girl Scout troup leader/ally)

Backstory: ever since she could walk gabby was convinced she had the ability to control fire, But none of the other kids at her orphanage ever believed her, and neither did anyone at her school. One day though these powers were put to the test, when the orphanage took fire and she rushed in to help the local super hero evacuate the other kids while the fire fighters were still on their way. It was at that moment she decided that she could be a superhero too, and that the poor superhero present at the time, flower girl, would be her mentor. She followed her everywhere being the annoying curious child she was, but all flower girl wanted was her to stay out of danger and go home to her parents (which she would eventually realize gabby didn’t have.) But when gabby proved her worth and saved flower girls life, flower girl finally caved and decided to start training her, as long as she promised to try to be more cautious, and to stop skipping school to follow on dangerous missions. From then on they were an amazing super duo! Together they fought villains and used the power of kindness and pretty flowers to brighten peoples day :) and after a while ms. Garner would even end up adopting gabby, yay!

Eventually gabby’s lizard features started growing in, which was pretty scary. But her mom showed her that they weren’t all that bad, and gabby realized she could use them to help out on super hero missions! Peter, who was flower girls nemesis, would move in with her and her momma temporarily while he was getting better, as he was very sick while he was a super villain. She decided to adopt him as her new second parent, which he never agreed to, but I mean hes never denied it so its basically true. Several villains and other hero’s have also been added (and removed) from gabby’s growing list of parents. After her mom got hurt really badly in the hash incident, she decided to retire from being a superhero, deciding that she needed to put more focus on her safety so she could take care of gabby. Gabby has continued fighting crime, now taking up a more independent role as a superhero because she’s a preteen and thinks shes mature, but she usually works alongside other superhero’s in teams or as partners, as her mom requires she have adequate supervision (bcus shes LAME.) She still gets somewhat serious treatment from other superhero’s given that she technically does have more years of experience in the field than like half the cities heroes and she has had a major role in taking down multiple big villains, but she’s still a child and is generally not to be trusted on her own, as she is minority stupid and majorly reckless.

I’m sorry that was so long,,,,,, it could’ve easily been 1 paragraph but i have failed 😔

Design notes: gabby isnt wearing shoes under the legwarmers in hercivilian design, she likes the good grip her feet give her. Sidekick gabby’s stick can make fire just like her current one can, but it does not have the other functionalities. Her stick is not just for magic stuff, she also wacks people with it, and knocks them off their feet and stuff, its quite sturdy. The thick line on her face is just face paint for funsies and to make her a little bit less recognizable (only barely tho.)

[teddy-bear-surprise]

Chapter 2: The Brink of Darkness

|| Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 || Chapter 4 || Chapter 5 || Chapter 6 || Chapter 7 Part 1 || Chapter 7 Part 2 || Chapter 8 || Almost The End || Chapter 9 ||

WARNING: Mentions of death/murder and excessive drinking

It was nearing five o'clock when Ophelia wandered through the aisles of some random corner store in Downtown LA, picking up, examining, and adding items to her basket. She was thinking about what to do for New Years', only two weeks remained before she would enter 2018 and she could not wait to celebrate. She considered crashing a party in LA, staying at home and watching the ball drop on the television, or possibly even flying out to New York to see it for herself.

Ophelia had made a lot of money in her youth, showered in promotions and offers from some of the biggest engineering companies in the United States and beyond. Now, at the age of thirty-seven, she rarely had to work anymore. Her days and nights were generally spent in the solitude of her home, simply reading or researching novelties. It was rare for Ophelia to go out and travel, so visiting New York City on New Years' sounded like a swell idea. She nursed the idea as she walked, deciding to look into it further once she returned home and she continued her shopping.

The first items that she picked up were two fresh linen-scented candles, one bottle of acetone, and a nice bottle of cheap, red wine. It felt like just yesterday she had turned twenty-one and buying alcohol still felt like a crime... frankly, a lot of things she did felt like that. She was about to enter the snack aisle to look for some decadent snacks, but she heard a television chittering from the front of the store, catching her attention.

"One more dead celebrity this morning, it's absolutely tragic. Rachel, what do you think is happening? These murders are scaring everyone, myself included."

"Well, Diego, it seems as though the perpetrator, or possibly perpetrators, are targeting rich, male celebrities. Why exactly, we do not know. More about the Golden Murders after this break–"

Ophelia was amused by their ignorance, "If only they knew who those men really were," she thought to herself.

An ad began playing and Ophelia's attention was once more drawn to her hunger. She found the popcorn first, stocking up on three boxes of the salty snack before searching for her other craving. Once she added a bar of dark chocolate to her now overflowing basket, she headed towards the checkout lines.

She acted incredibly nonchalant, her expression never faltered from its indifferent norm, even as the clerk conversed with her.

"You see what they just showed on the news? Scary stuff, huh?" The cashier looked up at Ophelia, raising his eyebrows.

"Uhhh, yeah. It is kind of scary, I guess. I'm not a man though, so I don't really think I have to worry," she did not want to divulge much on the subject, preferring to keep an ambiguous expression.

The cashier ignored her dismissive tone and continued rambling on, "Y'know, when the first one happened I wasn't that surprised, these rich people can get mixed up in some shady things sometimes so I was like, 'It's just one dead rich man, what's the big deal?' But now. Now, I'm definitely thinking that something's up. Either they're all in the same cult," he lowered his voice and leaned towards Ophelia who withdrew from him.

"Or they've all done something really, really bad," he straightened up again and finished scanning her items, "Your total is gonna be twenty-three dollars and forty-eight cents. Cash or card?"

His demeanor returned to normal and Ophelia shrugged off the odd tangent he had gone off on before replying, "Cash, exact change," and picking up her bag as she dropped her money on the counter.

She exited the store quickly and threw her purchase into the front, passenger's seat of her 1982 Chevrolet Citation. A classic, but somewhat ugly, light blue car. She inserted her key into the ignition, pushed down on her brake pedal, and twisted it a few times as the engine sputtered. Annoyed at her junk car, she smacked her hand against the key angrily. This time when she turned it, however, the engine started. She pulled out of the crowded, street-side parking spot and started on her way home.

Her brain was clouded and churning, both hating and loving all of the attention she was indirectly receiving on the news. Despite slightly enjoying the attention, she wished people would not talk about it as much, especially if they were spending most of the time idolizing the abusive men who were killed. Even opening the windows to feel the brisk air as she drove did nothing to clear her mind. She turned to her last resort, the radio. She cranked up the volume, which was not actually loud at all, and turned the station to one that was playing one of her favorite songs from the 2012 era. Ophelia sang along loudly, enjoying the rhythm and lyrics equally.

When the song ended though, the station's hosts brought up the Golden Murders once more, infuriating her and her grip tightened on the steering wheel.

"So, we've just received news that federal law enforcement will now be taking interest in this upsetting case. What do you think of this?"

"I think that it's a great idea. I have no doubt that our local law enforcement was doing their best, but these are celebrities we're talking about, their faces are plastered everywhere and people look up to them. It's scaring people, you know? The faster they can get to the bottom of this, the better."

"You heard it here first, folks. The FBI will be landing here in LA in two days, whoever is behind these murders, you better buckle up buddy. Until next time on 97.9, the station of your dreams!"

Ophelia rolled her eyes and clicked it off, so much for escaping her problems. She hated the way that these reporters always made her feel like the prey when in reality, she was the hunter. But she was not the only hunter in this game. Her partner, Catherine, was just as guilty and probably nowhere near as worried as Ophelia. She was almost certain that it was just Catherine's clinically psychotic tendencies that gave her the upper hand in situations like these, but she still felt a tinge of jealousy.

She had met Catherine 'Cat' Adams a few years ago on Tinder. Cat's profile surprised her, bringing all of the spunk of a younger woman, despite being only a year younger than Ophelia, but without the immaturity. On their first date, they went out to one of those silly drive-in movies and watched the worst possible movie in cinematic existence. It did not matter to them though because they talked the entire time, sharing their favorite and their most hated things about life.

Ophelia soon realized that she and Catherine were near mirror images of each other, in terms of ideologies at least. After only three more dates, the two became an official couple. Cat even admitted, two months into their relationship, that she never intended to make a Tinder account and said that it was much too irresponsible in her line of work. When Ophelia asked Cat what this line of work was, she received a very ambiguous answer.

"I'd love to tell you, hun, but I don't think I can. Not yet, at least. Maybe someday," she could remember Cat tucking her hair behind her ear and cupping her chin as she said this next part, "when we've been together for longer, I might even invite you to come work with me."

She never expected that a couple of years later, she and Cat would become a murderous duo, slightly resembling the women of the musical, Chicago. Though they had broken up the first time that Cat was sent to prison, they remained extremely close and it was not until she escaped in August that they began their moonlight endeavors.

According to Catherine, it had been 'shockingly' easy and 'way too fun' to escape, not even requiring her to employ her 'Plan B'. Ophelia did not even know that she would be seeing Cat again within the century, but when she showed up on Ophelia's doorstep in the middle of the night, her ex-lover could not help but let her back into her life.

Cat's slightly off-kilter and bold mannerisms were some of Ophelia's favorite things about her. Now, unfortunately, Cat was forced to be much more low-key. She drove the most average car in existence, a run-down 2008 Toyota Corolla; lived in an extremely average apartment with one room and one bathroom; and looked like the average Los Angelean thirty-year-old-woman with her now blonde hair.

Ophelia paid for all of Cat's expenses, like her apartment and groceries, and though it barely dented her pockets, she always made sure that Catherine respected the fact that she was spending Ophelia's money and not her own. They had an incredibly symbiotic relationship, of course, living apart did make some aspects more difficult. Ophelia took care of all of the necessities, such as materials and planning and Cat took care of the creative aspects of their 'activities'.

They could not fully remember how it all happened. It started innocently with some tequila shots and the celebration of Cat's return. Within an hour, however, the two were stumbling around drunk and preaching their hatred for their abusive fathers and men in general which, for a while, was fine. Suddenly things took a turn when Cat asked if Ophelia had ever considered killing her father. Ophelia laughed drunkenly for a few minutes before managing to spit out the fact that he was already dead. The two of them burst into a cacophony of drunken laughter that rang throughout her house. When they calmed down though, Cat asked again, this time even more serious. The rest, including a bit of an entanglement between them, was history because what happens on a drunken night, stays in the drunken night.

For some reason, thinking about her and Cat's history brought her a sense of peace. So much so that she was already pulling into her driveway when she switched her train of thought. The yellow-beige tones of her house repulsed her, but they were neutral and bland, practically guaranteeing that she would stay out of people's line of sight. Ophelia opened her car door, leaning her elbow on the top of it, and looked behind her admiring the landscape of the mountains that surrounded her home, because even if the home itself was ugly, at least it had a good view. She leaned back into her car to grab her purse and shopping bag before slamming the car door and heading towards its trunk. Inside, she retrieved a trash bag, which although very large and cold, was surprisingly light and easy to carry.

She carried all of these into her house, struggling to open the door with only one free hand, and set them down near her back door. After writing down a quick note to look more into the idea of going to New York, Ophelia began putting up her new purchases. She was incredibly tired and not entirely in the mood to do menial cleaning duties but continued anyway. The two candles each earned a spot on either side of her countertop, the wine went into her refrigerator, and the snacks got tossed into the pantry. The acetone, on the other hand, got a very special spot in her pocket. She carried it with her outside, picking up the trash bag on her way to her backyard.

Ophelia stopped in front of an oddly-shaped fire-pit, one of her own inventions from her time at MIT (it seemed useless at the time but now came in handy), and lifted its cover. It featured a thick, steel, rounded lid and a sturdy concrete body. She dumped out the contents of the trash bag into the strange pit, promptly followed by her pouring out the bottle of acetone and banging the top shut. After waiting a few seconds, enough time for enough of the acetone to accumulate inside the pit in its gaseous form, she clicked a small red button and heard a blast go off inside. It had been specially designed to withstand the accumulated pressure of an incredibly powerful flash fire, though the ones she was creating were not very large. A few more seconds later, following the activation of the pit's exhaust system, Ophelia opened it back up to reveal the ashes of her once bloodied clothing.

She coughed at the pungent smell and rushed back inside to where there was cleaner air. Even within her house, the smell followed her, so she decided to light her two new candles and take a shower.

When she exited, her stomach let out a low grumble which she felt deeply. Ophelia shuffled over to her refrigerator to grab a slice of cold pizza. She devoured it hungrily, still feeling unsatisfied. Now turning to her second plan, wine and popcorn, she pranced to her pantry, grabbing the popcorn, and then to her fridge to retrieve the wine. Ophelia carefully poured herself a glass of the red liquid as she waited for her bag of the unhealthy, salty snack in the microwave to finish popping. Once the microwave dinged, it was time for her to start the party.

She downed her first glass of wine in one continuous gulp and turned on some absurdly loud music, which, thanks to her somewhat isolated location, no one else could hear. Ophelia now danced with a hand full of popcorn and the bottle of wine in the other. It had barely been ten minutes and she was already drunk. She stumbled into her kitchen to grab some more popcorn from the bag when she saw her phone light up out of the corner of her eye. Ophelia tried to distinguish the name that had appeared on her screen, but her vision was much too blurred for her to tell.

"It's probably nothing, just a scam call... I mean, who else would call me at," She tried to read the clock on the wall, "I don't know, but it's late why can't they just leave me alone."

Her drunken thoughts slurred together as she ignored her phone, only inciting her to increase the volume of her already blaring music. Popcorn, in her drunken state and time of night, tasted extra good and Ophelia finished the bag almost immediately. She rounded the corner, into her living room, and continued to dance to the beat of the music with the bottle in her left hand. Her clumsy feet stumbled slightly, leading her to bump into a bookshelf.

Ophelia looked up at the bookshelf angrily, almost as if it was a real person that she had bumped into, but her eyes softened when they settled upon a picture frame. "'Germs'", she recalled lovingly as she touched the glass gently. It was a framed photograph of her and Spencer at their first Science Olympiad competition.

They were the only members on their team, but it did not matter because they still managed to garner themselves a shining, first place trophy. She remembered how difficult it had been to convince the teachers at her school to let them start the club, how they spent hours going over budgets, fundraising, and game plans. More than anything though, she remembered how happy Spencer had been to take home his very own prize.

A feeling of sadness and longing welled up inside her, wishing she could be as innocent as that girl in the photograph, wishing that she had not lost contact with her first 'best friend'. Alas, the night was coming to an end and she could not bear the pain of her sorrows, so with another prolonged swig, Ophelia finished the bottle of wine.

She gave it a few minutes to act, turning off her music and sitting herself down on her couch awkwardly, before feeling its sedating effects. Quietly, she placed the bottle on the ground and looked up once more at the picture on her bookshelf while her heavy eyes closed for a night of dreamless sleep.

[yeenybeanies]

Murophobia 

here be a couple of ocs i just kinda made up yesterday on the spot. i thought about that uncommon  “ giant is afraid of tiny ”  scenario & then thought But What If Werewolves? 

Thor Regals ( oc ) & Lusavren Lace ( oc ) 

2376 words

mild language warning

feel free to leave comments in the tags!! thanks!! 

Chaos. 

Glass shatters, furniture skids, and tiny feet and large claws skitter across the hardwood floor. Between the two beings in the room, neither is calm. To put things most aptly, both are scared shitless of each other. One just has far more destructive capabilities than the other, hence the chaos. 

The smaller—far smaller—of the two covers her head and zigzags, trying to avoid the clattering calamity above. What the hell happened? She doesn’t quite know. She was gathering materials from the kitchen when the bean came in unexpectedly. As soon as the light flickered on, their eyes met, and then all hell broke loose. 

The larger, not even a second after spotting his unusual guest, lurched from where he stood, knocking into the china cabinet and sending its contents cascading to the floor. That isn’t where it all ended, though; no, he’s still causing quite the ruckus. With every movement the little being makes, he moves as well, trying to go in the opposite direction, so as to stay as far away from it as possible! 

Big bad bean, over six feet tall, is afraid of mice and rats and roaches and most anything that’s small and crawly. 

 Poor Lusavren, on the other hand, at her four-and-a-half inches tall, is afraid of mice and rats and roaches and most anything bigger than her. This bean, as with all beans, fits into that last category. 

 And so, there is chaos. There is danger. Lucy tries her damnedest to duck for cover, but she’s been trapped on the counter. All of the thrashing about dislodged a cookbook, which fell none-too-conveniently in the path of her escape, effectively trapping her up on the surface. She could perhaps brave the jump from the countertop to the floor far below, but that comes with great risk of broken bones ( or worse ). Never mind the shattered glass that’s now littered everywhere. Lucy desperately curls into a ball, protecting her head with her arms. 

 After what feels like hours, though it only amounts to a few seconds, the crashing and thrashing stops, but Lucy remains still for several seconds more, just to make sure. When she finally does uncurl and peek over the countertop edge, she’s met with quite the sight: broken plates, upturned tables and chairs, and, most curiously, torn clothing. That’s . . . bizarre. Her tiny features scrunch in confusion. Tentatively, she brushes her hair aside and leans further, trying to get a better look at the shredded clothes. They look like the remains of a shirt and shorts—the shirt and shorts she thinks the bean was wearing ( though she didn’t exactly have time to get a good look ). More curious still, there appears to be golden hair scattered amongst the scraps. She’s seen some of this hair in her initial exploration of the place, but saw no other signs of a dog or a cat . . ..

 Movement from the hallway the bean had first appeared from ( and presumably disappeared into ) draws Lucy’s attention. Her blood runs cold. A pair of large, golden eyes stares at her from the shadows, the pupils shining back a faint green. She can make out a very not-human shape, too: big, pointed ears, a long muzzle, and shaggy hair . . .. Her first thought would be that it is a dog, but she quickly realizes, as the would-be dog steps further out, it’s standing upright, and it has hands ( tipped with very sharp-looking claws ). 

 Lucy skitters back from the edge, and the dog-thing’s ears flatten. A low growl rumbles in its throat as its lips part, showing a mouthful of big, scary teeth. The borrower does as she did before: she covers her head and curls up, trying not to shake or cry out. Not seeing the dog-thing is just as terrifying, though; its claws click on the hardwood with every step closer it takes. The worst part is feeling the beast loom over her. That wet nose bumps her back, sniffing, and Lucy can’t keep the frightened squeak in. What she doesn’t expect, though, is to hear it stumble backwards again and . . . whimper.

 What? 

 Slowly, tentatively, Lucy lifts her head to see the dog-thing backed up against the opposite counter. Its eyes are big as saucers, and its ears twitch, swinging back and forth between pointing at her, and lying flat on its head. 

 It almost looks . . . scared. 

 But that can’t be possible . . . can it? How could this monster be afraid of her?

“ Please, I— “  Lucy pushes herself back against the wall, shivering like a leaf in the wind. Despite her fear, though, she can’t help but notice how the dog-thing flinches every time she moves. It whines again, most bizarre.

“ I just want to—I’m—I’m sorry. I’ll leave. ”  She stammers over her words, finding it difficult to produce any in the presence of something so menacing.

The beast tilts its head one way, and then the other, still looking nervous, but, much to Lucy’s dismay, it steps closer. She presses herself to the wall, watching it lean forward with its hands now on her counter. 

 Oh, it’s going to eat her! 

 Lucy squeezes her eyes shut and braces herself, but nothing happens—not to her, anyway. She hears a crackling sound, and opens her eyes again to see the dog-thing . . . less dog-like, and more human-like, and still changing. It’s almost grotesque, yet fascinating. Lucy can’t look away. 

 By the gods, it’s the bean! 

 He bows his head, panting. Is the change . . . painful? It doesn’t look particularly pleasant . . .. 

“ I’m . . .—whew, okay—you’re—are you . . .— “  he lifts his head, those same golden eyes falling onto Lucy once more,   “ are you . . . real . . .? ” 

What?  

Lucy blinks, staring back at the bean. 

“ I mean—I’m not . . . hallucinating, am I? ”  He lifts a hand, no longer clawed, but still scary enough to make Lucy shrink back. The bean flinches.  

“ No, I’m—no, I’m not—I mean . . . I am real . . .. ”  When was the last time she had to admit that? This is so incredibly weird.  “ Um . . . please, I just want to go home . . .. ”  The hunger that made her go out in the first place has long-since been forgotten. Despite her legs feeling like jelly, Lucy stands and, back pressed to the wall, tries to shimmy away. 

“ Wait! No! Hold on a sec, hunh? ”  The bean raises his hands as if to surrender ( not that the gesture is particularly comforting to Lucy ). He still looks nervous, but he does appear to be calming down. That makes one of them, at least. He glances down at himself, then back at the borrower.  “ Uh, look, let me go put some new clothes on, okay? Please don’t leave. If I see you skittering across the floor or the counter again, I, uh—well, I don’t wanna freak out and accidentally hurt you. ” 

 Lucy nods, first just thinking she’ll appease the bean and make her escape while he’s gone, but then she pauses. He said he didn’t want to freak out and hurt her . . .. This day is so strange! 

As she’s mulling over the happenings of the past few minutes, the bean quickly picks his way through the mess of broken glass on the floor and runs back down the hallway, presumably to get new clothes. It occurs to Lucy that he’s been clad only in his boxers this whole time. Oh boy . . .. She feels her cheeks heat up. 

He’s back fairly quickly, pushing down his new shirt as he enters, once more fully clothed. Lucy, perhaps against her better judgment, opted to stay. It isn’t like she had many good options to escape the countertop anyway. Still, she stiffens as he approaches. Blond, shaggy hair partially obscures his eyes, but Lucy can still see the gold through it. 

He lifts a hand to her, which makes her squeak and look away. “ My name’s Thor. I really am sorry for . . . ”  he glances around at the disaster that is the kitchen,  “ this. I thought you were a rat and I kinda panicked . . .. Oh—uh, sorry. ”  It seems he was after a handshake, but now he’s realized that someone of Lucy’s stature might not be able to return the gesture so easily. Never mind that she’s still pretty damn scared of him. He pulls his hand away, and instead brings it up to rub the back of his neck, bashful. 

“ You . . . you turn into that . . .—that thing, and yet you’re afraid of a rat? ”  It comes out a little more rudely than she intended. Then again, she was also mistaken for vermin. Thankfully, the bean—Thor—doesn’t seem to be too offended. He smiles, though seeing his teeth, still long and pointy, doesn’t ease Lucy any. 

“ Guess I’m not the bravest of werewolves, hunh? ” 

Werewolf? He just said werewolf. Lucy gasps, eyes wide. She’s heard of werewolves in children’s stories and fairytales, but there’s no way that—that— 

“ Werewolves aren’t real–– ”  It comes out before she can stop it. Immediately she claps her hand over her mouth, fearing retribution. 

“ I could say the same about tiny . . . people. ”  He lowers himself down, crouching before the counter, his arms resting on the surface. He gestures towards Lucy, approximating her height between his thumb and forefinger.  “ So, what are you, then? And who are you? And what are you doing in my apartment? ” 

While no longer needing to crane her neck is nice, the increased proximity is not. Lucy tightens her jaw, very aware of her size and how she has nowhere to run. Still, though, Thor hasn’t reached for her . . . yet. She’s counting her blessings. Blessed be, she’s met a bean that is patient and relatively respectful of personal space. 

“ I’m, uh . . . my name is Lusavren. I’m a borrower. I, uh—I was borrowing. I didn’t think you’d be up this late at night . . .. ” 

“ ‘ Borrowing? ’ ”  Some habits persist from the dog to the bean: Thor tilts his head to the side. Lucy can picture how the ears would be pricked up, were he still shifted.  “ Borrowing what? ” 

“ Uh . . . well—I mean, I was looking for food . . .. ”  She can’t look at him. She doesn’t want to see his face change from this strange curiosity to anger. 

But it doesn’t happen. Thor is actually rather confused. 

“ How do you borrow food? That’s not really something borrow-able. ” 

Here it comes. Lucy sucks in a breath, waiting for the rage, and whatever horrors it entails. 

“ But if you want some food . . . I can give you some. I was up getting myself a midnight snack anyway. ”  Thor stands, pushing himself off of the counter. He looks over his shoulder at the mess he’s created and grimaces.  “ Looks like I made myself a bit more than a snack, though. I’ll be up for a bit cleaning this, but I can still get you something to eat. ” 

“ I’m, um . . . I’m not really . . . hungry anymore . . .. ”  Lucy admits, eyes downcast. She just wants to go, wants to vanish into the walls and never be seen again. What a nightmare this has been.  “ I need to leave. ” 

“ Oh. Uh . . . sure. No, yeah—no problem. I guess this is all kinda freaky, hunh? Not every day you meet a werewolf. Or . . . a borrower. Don’t let me keep you. ” He steps back further, suddenly aware that he might be crowding the borrower.

When she doesn’t move, though, his brows furrow. 

“ Um . . .— “ 

“ Could you move that book? ”  Lucy points to the book in question—the cookbook that fell in her way and blocked her exit, forced her to stay on this countertop and endure the gaze of a big, scary werewolf. 

“ Oh. Sure. No problem. Here— ”  Thor sidesteps and rights the book to it’s original position, thereby exposing the little gap in the wall that Lucy had used to get up here. He tilts his head.  “ Hunh. Never noticed that before. Hey, are you sure you don’t want any— ” 

Nope. Before he can even finish his question, Lucy darts across the countertop and slips into the crevice. She immediately presses her back to the inner wall, hiding herself from view. Outside she can hear Thor moving, and peeks to see him leaned down, eyeing her escape route. He hums. 

“ O-kay then. Uh . . . get home safe, alright? And, uh, I won’t make a big mess next time I see you, ‘kay? ” 

 Oh, Lucy does not intend to be seen again. No way. She pushes off of the wall and runs, wanting to get back to the little space she calls home. After all of this, she needs to sleep, and needs to figure out her next move. Being seen means she needs to leave and find another place to live. She doesn’t have much to begin with, since she’d just moved in here . . .. 

But Thor hadn’t grabbed her or intentionally trapped her. He’d had ample opportunity to capture her ( or worse ) if he’d wanted to . . .. 

Lucy shakes her head. What is she thinking? None of that matters. Of course she still needs to move. It’s too dangerous to stay. 

But . . . she can start moving tomorrow. Right now, all this borrower needs is to sleep.

[bigfan-fanfic]

What I’ve Learned from Disney Princesses

Sorry - super long post that isn’t a fic and doesn’t have anything to do with much. Just a rant - something I thought about and had to write down.

I firmly believe that in life, we are always learning. And from a young age, I have been learning from Disney - I think that my rather large vocabulary comes from learning Disney songs by heart at a young age - there are some pretty complicated words in there, people!

I was born and currently identify as male, but the Disney Princess movies have taught me valuable lessons over my life. The Princesses espouse admirable qualities, teach life lessons, and introduce us to the harsh truths of life. I’d like to share with you what I found the message these characters send to be, and maybe see if anyone feels the same?

So, under the break, I’m going to discuss all 12 of the official Disney Princesses, as well as Elsa and Anna, because I feel they have a lot to offer as far as life lessons go.

1. Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

Snow White does teach valuable lessons. She is just a young girl during the movie, but she shows remarkable fortitude in her ordeals. She does put herself in a servant role to the Dwarfs, but think about it -she’s been made a servant by her stepmother, so it’s likely the only thing of use she knows how to do. Not to mention she’s paying for her lodging and food by working. Snow is a princess, but she shows remarkable humility by being willing to work and earn her keep. 

Snow’s story also teaches us the downfalls of seeing the good everywhere. A little bit of cynicism is healthy, and keeps us alive. Snow’s willingness to see the good is what allows her to be so cheerful and loving towards the Dwarfs, but also makes her an easy target for a certain apple salesperson.

Be humble. Be fair. And don’t be so trusting.

2. Cinderella (Cinderella)

Cinderella might seem to be a passive, submissive example of a princess who “needs a man to rescue her.” But I think differently. Cinderella shows courage and strength in doing the only thing she can: surviving. Think about it: Cinderella has basically no other option but to be slave to her stepfamily. Her mother and father are dead. But does she complain? Does she give in to the idea that there might not be a single human left in the world who cares about her?

No.

Cinderella teaches us the quiet strength of endurance, of compassion and love even when we don’t receive any. Cinderella remains positive and hopeful in the face of adversity, and she is rewarded. 

Cinderella teaches us the harsh truth that sometimes, we have no other option but to muddle through and hope. Dreaming and wishing can be our refuge, and we must not let ourselves be broken by our circumstances. We must always show compassion and love where we are shown none, to those that need and deserve it. Cinderella cares for her animal friends, even though they can not conceivably do anything for her, and this “paying it forward” is rewarded.

And yes, Cinderella does have to depend on the kindness of others. But this in itself is a lesson. We, like Cinderella, do not always have agency over our lives. Sometimes we are kept from the ball. Sometimes the spell has to end at midnight. But Cinderella’s endurance and spirit is what sees her through.

Be strong. Be kind. Be like Cinderella.

3. Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)

True, there isn’t much to take from Aurora’s actions, due to her getting little screen time. But, Aurora teaches us the power of intent. She has been sheltered all her life and cut off from contact. And yet, she is unafraid to dream of finding more. And she does, though probably not how she expected to.

Aurora teaches us the harsh truth that we can be punished for something we had no control over. She was cursed to effectively die for an insult her parents gave! (Incidentally, a lesson I learned from Sleeping Beauty was to show respect at all times, to avoid grudges) 

Aurora may not teach us much directly. Her lessons involve having no control, and just having to deal with it.

So, yes, there will be times when your life won’t be fair. And, sorry, but you’ll just have to hope for the best. Hold on to your dreams for when life hits you hard.

4. Ariel (The Little Mermaid)

For a long time, Ariel was my least favorite Disney Princess. She’s the “girl who has everything” but can’t appreciate it.  She’s got material goods, family who cares, friends, a killer singing voice, but she takes it all for granted. Not to mention she skips out on prior commitments for selfish reasons. But Ariel teaches us a lesson about parenting that we would do well to remember:

Share with your child. Ariel’s curiosity about the surface world stems from her father’s insistence that she should never come in contact with it. Triton could’ve avoided a whole lot of trouble by maybe showing Ariel the human world a little at a time, or told her about why Ursula was so bad. 

Ariel also a lesson of her own: that it is okay to depend on others. Yes, she needs Sebastian to help her romance Eric. Yes, she needs Eric to help her defeat Ursula. But these do not make her weak. Ariel’s pure love and curiosity for whatever she happens to come across is her strength, and is what charms everyone around her. She is willing to selflessly defy her father in order to save a surface person from almost certain death. We all need to realize that we are not alone in this world, and it is okay to rely on those we can trust. When, like Ariel, we are voiceless, we should be able to count on our loved ones for support.

So, parents, share and be honest with your children. Kids, know that you aren’t alone, that it’s okay to rely on your parents and friends for stuff. You aren’t weak. We all need each other.

5. Belle (Beauty and the Beast)

Belle is possibly my favorite Disney Princess of all time. She’s got it all: brains, confidence, beauty. But the real virtue she shows us as people does not come from her book learning. It comes from emotional intelligence. Belle’s greatest quality is her understanding. 

Belle lives in a small town full of “little people,” and she is insecure about how different she is from them. The repetitive life they lead is not enough for her, and she wonders if anyone can understand her. There’s “no one [she] can really talk with.” And later, the villagers will state in “The Mob Song” that “we don’t like what we don’t understand; in fact it scares us, and this monster is mysterious at least.”

She is the only one who can see through the facade that Gaston puts on for all the villagers. She is able to see through the Beast’s posturing and get him to become the man inside. Belle sees Cogsworth’s pride and uses it to get him to show her the castle, and recognizes that the Beast won’t hurt her. Her understanding of people, and her ability to look past the outer shell is her greatest power, and ultimately allows her to break the curse by recognizing her love for the Beast, despite how mean and vicious he may appear. Belle shows us the value of attempting to understand those that may look and behave differently from us, and how reaching across that divide may not be as difficult as we think.

Belle’s story also teaches us the harsh truth that talent and wisdom often go unappreciated compared to beauty and looks. No one believes “Crazy Old Maurice” when his word is against Gaston, the village golden boy. None of the villagers see anything other than a scary, mysterious castle with a vicious beast in it. Even the Beast himself was cursed due to his inability to look past the Enchantress’ disguise. 

So seek to understand those you meet, both their flaws and qualities. And don’t judge a book by its cover. 

6. Jasmine (Aladdin)

Jasmine is pretty cool. She has a pet tiger, so... 

Anyway, Jasmine shows us how to be free. She doesn’t want to be wed to someone she doesn’t love, and so she tries to escape her life. She has Rajah attack suitors who try to get too close. She doesn’t take anything from anyone. Jasmine is generous and righteous, and although she might get into trouble due to her sheltered upbringing, Jasmine teaches us that we can’t let people deny us our freedom.

But Jasmine’s story teaches us the harsh truth that there are people out there who will stop at nothing to get what they want. Jafar resorts to manipulation, mind control, and then outright force to get what he wants. Even Aladdin uses the Genie’s incredible power to deceive his way to Jasmine. But even though Prince Ali seems perfect, Jasmine doesn’t really start to like him until he semi-reveals himself as Aladdin by asking her “do you trust me?” And Jasmine defies Jafar, even when he has the Genie’s power, even when he has her father under his power.

So, even when the greedy and selfish seek to use you, remember to hold on and exercise your freedom. It’s your life.

7. Pocahontas (Pocahontas)

Pocahontas is possibly the most controversial on the list, but I think that she is important in the lessons she can teach.

Pocahontas is independent and true to herself, but she also wrestles with tough inner conflict from duty. She wants to hope that something “waits just around the riverbend” but is in conflict with her tribe’s mantra of keeping steady and not rocking the boat. But her greatest virtue is her commitment to peace.

 Pocahontas not only promotes peace between cultures, but peace between man and nature. “We are all connected to each other/in a circle, in a hoop that never ends.” Pocahontas believes in this value of peace so much that she is willing to sacrifice herself for love rather than live in a world where war has broken out among the two sides. Her main adviser is not a human, but a spirit of nature itself. 

And the movie reveals harsh truths about how people treat those they do not understand. The song “Savages” is especially poignant, as Pocahontas deals with her inability to save John Smith while both sides abandon any hope for peace/cooperation and prepare for war. A strain from “Listen With Your Heart” plays before the second part of the song, showing that Pocahontas will either prove that peace is possible or die trying. As the end of the song arises, Pocahontas throws herself onto John Smith, forcing her father to either choose to back down or to kill his own daughter. 

Yes, Pocahontas sanitizes a lot of the struggle of the period. But the idea that one selfless act has the power to affect change is a powerful one. Pocahontas shows us that peace is an ideal worth dying for, even when it seems that no one will listen.

8. Mulan (Mulan)

Mulan starts her film chafing against her society’s constraints, unable to be herself and attempting to force herself into the mold of “perfect porcelain doll” that she is expected to be. Mulan’s love for her father is what motivates her to join the army in his place. Ironically, as her story deals with deception and deceit for the greater good, Mulan teaches us to be true to ourselves.

While she masquerades as Ping, Mulan is largely ineffectual, starting a camp-wide brawl on her first day and earning enmity from her comrades by adopting an overly-macho facade. It’s only when Mulan uses skills from her true personality that she thrives. Her ingenuity is foreshadowed in the way she does her chores by setting up Little Brother to do them, her sense of fairness is shown when she gives a little girl back her doll, and her incredible persistence is shown in the way she steadfastly goes through with the matchmaking ceremony, even when she has to resort to cheating to get through it. 

Mulan’s creativity allows her to climb the pole to retrieve the arrow, and her victory against Shan Yu in the mountains is brought about by her creative use of the cannon to cause an avalanche.

Mulan teaches us the harsh truth that there are things in life that we will just not be good at. Mulan does not excel at the memorization and graceful movements that other girls in her society are expected to use. But she does excel at tactics, thinking creatively, and adapting to situations as they come. And though her society prevents her from using her true talents, she finds a way to break out of that box and use her abilities to their fullest extent.

We all have our strengths and talents, and we must find a way to use them rather than be constrained by the norms of society. “The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all.”

9. Tiana (The Princess and the Frog)

Tiana is different from the other Princesses because her best quality is also her flaw - she is focused and hard-working. Tiana is so diligent towards achieving her goals that she doesn’t allow herself to enjoy life. Tiana mostly teaches others how to focus on what they really want, but she’s got her own lesson to learn. 

“I remember Daddy told me/”Fairy tales can come true,/ But you’ve got to make them happen/it all depends on you.” Tiana has learned this lesson that blood, sweat, and tears are dependable - fairy godmothers are rare. It is hard to determine what Tiana needs to learn because she has so many good qualities - responsibility, self-sufficiency, diligence

“Blue skies and sunshine” are what Mama Odie recommends to her, and Tiana realizes that she doesn’t have to deny herself fun to achieve her goals. She starts out with several jobs to save up for her restaurant, and it all turns out to be for nothing. Tiana already knows that she must rely on herself to make her dreams come true, but she needs to learn to stop and smell the roses. She learns that she doesn’t have to solely dedicate herself to one thing. She can take time for fun, time to dance with her mother before getting back to work.

But Tiana’s story also teaches us the harsh truth that people are often far too open to temptation. “This whole town can slow you down/People taking the easy way...” Dr. Facilier and the Friends from the Other Side take advantage of what people want but don’t want to work for in order to manipulate them. “You got what you wanted/But you lost what you had.” Tiana, however, recognizes the value of hard work and does not give in to the Doctor’s manipulations. Even when Facilier gives her her restaurant, where she is loved and respected and dressed up, she quickly realizes it is nothing but an empty offer. Tiana does what none of the other characters tempted by Facilier have been able to do - say no.

So, work hard, but don’t forget to play sometimes. And know that your dreams won’t come true overnight - hard work is often needed.

10. Rapunzel (Tangled)

Rapunzel’s story teaches us perseverance. Every year, the king and queen send up lanterns for the lost princess - never losing hope that their daughter is out there. And it is these very lanterns that draw their daughter back to them. Rapunzel perseveres in her tower, waiting for her life to begin. And when opportunity finally strikes, Rapunzel seizes it. She doesn’t just grab the bull by the horns, she swipes it upside the head with a frying pan!

Rapunzel teaches us the harsh truth that trust is never to be taken for granted. Even the people who are supposed to love us and care for us might not always have our best interests at heart. Rapunzel spends much of the movie fearful that she is betraying her mother, only to find out she was lied to her whole life. The folks at the Snuggly Duckling encourage her to chase her dreams, but also inadvertently set Gothel on her trail. And Gothel is easily able to manipulate Rapunzel into distrusting Eugene.

So never give up, and be sure that those you place your trust in deserve it.

11. Merida (Brave)

Merida, like Mulan, struggles with societal constraints. Like Ariel, she can be flighty and irresponsible. But ultimately, Merida teaches us about the give and take of relationships, even among parents and children. Merida feels her mother lacks understanding. And her mother feels the same. Their relationship, once so close, is broken by the divide between them, represented by Merida’s damaging of the tapestry her mother made.

As Merida and Eleanor go through their journey, Merida learns about her mother’s strength and power, which comes from calm words and the bearing of a leader

12. Moana (Moana)

Moana is a really great addition to the lineup. She’s strong, funny, and smart, and she is wise. Moana, unlike Mulan, does not struggle with fitting in to society. She is able to competently assume the role of chief under the guidance of her father. And it is important to note that when Moan first tries to go to the sea, she fails. It is only when she does so in order to save her people that she succeeds. 

So, Moana’s virtue is also her tough lesson. There are things in this world more important than ourselves. Maui’s need to be loved is also the source of his great insecurity, and led him to steal the heart of Te Fiti. Te Ka’s anger nearly prevents Moana and Maui from restoring her heart. Moana’s grandmother and mother teach her the power of selflessness. Moana’s grandmother is the one to teach her about their people’s past as voyagers, and Moana’s mother - though she may fear for her daughter’s life - allows her to go and helps her pack for her journey. And Moana teaches Maui about doing things for others, not for gratitude, but because it is right. 

And Moana leads her people into voyaging once more. Not because she desired to go to the sea, but because it is the way of her people that was forgotten. Because it was the only solution to save her people when they began to overfish and helps spread them across the world. Moana’s motivation grows from a selfish one to a selfless one. And in a weird way, this comes from self-acceptance. “I Am Moana” is what she learns, that she can do things, and her talents are to be used to help her people, not just herself. 

Be yourself. Use your talents and follow your dreams. But never forget to use your abilities and gains for the good of others.

13. Elsa (Frozen)

Elsa is forced for much of her life to live in isolation, even from her beloved sister, which practically destroys their relationship. “Let It Go” may be a song for accepting herself, but it also occurs in isolation. Elsa feels the only way she can be herself is through this isolation. “Yes, I’m alone, but I’m alone and free.” She’s not really accepting who she is, but rather accepting the idea that she’s a dangerous monster, but when no one’s there for her to hurt, she can be happy.

Elsa learns through her sister’s love that she isn’t a monster. And she learns that love is how she can control her powers. Her parents worry that her powers will make her a target, but the fear of herself instilled in her makes them more uncontrollable. After all, if Elsa’s had these powers all her life (and shows remarkable control over them at a young age), the loss of control is directly linked to self-suppression. It is only when Anna sacrifices herself that Elsa regains true control -  because Anna repeatedly shows that she loves her sister, no matter what. And this unconditional love makes Elsa truly believe that she isn’t a monster.

So, Elsa teaches us that to truly accept ourselves, we need to accept others. You don’t have to be as cheery and personable as Anna, but isolation isn’t healthy.

14. Anna (Frozen)

Anna, meanwhile, learns a similar lesson. Also forced into isolation, Anna desires to have experiences, to live life. “For the First Time in Forever” really indicates Anna’s longing for connection and experience. Part of why she’s so willing to love Hans and believe he loves her is because of this isolation. In her point of view, Elsa rebuffs her one day with no warning, and practically never even sees her again for years. “Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?” shows Anna’s regret and sadness as the years pass, and is heartbreaking as she slowly stops trying to communicate with her sister.

Anna teaches us about trying to communicate, about showing unconditional love. “Please don’t shut me out again,” she begs Elsa. And even though her sister has (accidentally) hurt her, Anna consistently tries to bridge the gap. 

Anna’s arc shows us the tough truth that relationships, even close ones, can decay. The close sisterly bond has all but faded between them. But Anna also shows us that no matter the difficulty. At the final scene, when the tune of “Do You Wanna Build a Snowman” plays, it signifies that Elsa and Anna have finally repaired their relationship, that they finally can be family again.

So, we learn from Anna to give our love unconditionally. Because forgiveness, trust, love, and most importantly the desire to make a connection all help us repair our broken relationships.

[orangewritesstuff]

Tfp megatron,starscream, knockout, and breakdown turned into dogs and human!s/o taking care of them,petting them, and hugging them. I love dogs.

I love dogs too! But I’ve never ever had a dog due to my allergies. And I don’t know that much about how to take care of them. I mean, I have some ideas, but I had to ask Google for help, lol. 

Oh, shoot, it came out more like general mech-to-dog headcanons, isn’t it..? Still hope you’ll like it, love!

Prologue

You woke up early at morning because of strange sounds you had heard. It sounded like… panting? Very heavy panting. Almost as if it was… dog? You almost laughed — yeah, a dog. No way. This is Nemesis and you were in your mech’s berthroom. You giggled a little, then rolled over to get up from the bed…

And barely held back a shriek. In front of your bed stood Soundwave, silent as always. “Soundwave!” You tried to calm down. “Stop sneaking up on people like that! Especially at morning…” He barely nods, still looking at you. It was uncomfortable, mostly because you didn’t know why is he here this early. “Is there… something you need? And did Megatron already left.?” Soundwave shook his head. “But he is not here?” He shook his head again. You raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. And then you heard weird sounds again. They sounded like… like some animal was scratching something metal with its claws. Only then you noticed Soundwave’s hand, his slim digits positioned as if he was holding something, very delicately… Or someone? You heard barking, and your eyes widened in realisation. That was indeed a dog in there!

You looked at Soundwave bewildered. “Why… is there a dog here?”. In a few long minutes, Soudwave told you something about weird experiments with organics material, something about holoforms decepticons were trying to make to be on one level with autobots, something more… He explained to you, very shortly, that there was an accident, which resulted in this situation: your mech is now a dog for an unknown amout of time. “Can you… show me him?” You carefully asked. Silent mech nodded and lowered his hand near you, then slowly let your mech… er, dog… out. It (he?) seemed disoriented for a moment. This moment gave you a time to observe it. You saw…

Megatron

…a very obviously irritated rottweiler. Yep, this is Megatron. Definitely. Actually, he looked kind of cute, being a dog and all of this… You’ve always liked dogs, and he was intimidating, but still somehow very adorable in his irritation. It made you snicker. Megatron glared at you and got off Soundwave’s hand, coming to you. He sat in front of you, and you saw, that he was actually pretty big for a dog. And still, it didn’t scare you. You reached out to his head, wanting to pet him. He growled at your hand, but you weren’t going to give up, so you kept going. Then Megatron tried to bite you. You gasped, then frowned. “Megz! Behave!” You said as you lightly flicked his nose. That made him calm down, looking at you almost shocked. You just smirked, petting his head, now that he was calm. “This is going to be very interesting…” 

Most of the time you spend on teaching Megatron how to behave. He actually bit you a few times, when you tried to stop him from doing something. Like, this one time when he was so disgusted by dog’s food, he made a mess by scattering everything in the bowl on the floor.

He found out that couch in your corner of room is very comfortable and now he is on it every time he wants. With dirty paws. Whenever you try to wash him, he tries to bite you yet again.

Megatron never ever whined. Never ever. At least, till he bites you too hard. You cried out in pain, and he got scared. He whined while you treated your small wound. He actually never bit you after that.

Hate baths. And dog food. And when you try to pet him (at least he tries to, but you saw how relaxed he becomes). Pretty much hate everything.

Ok, he does not hate everything. Remember the couch? When you read something, he comes to you, lay down on the couch with head on your lap. He still “don’t like” petting, but he definitely likes when you read to him.

Very boring dog, because he doesn’t want to play with you, even on your rather short walks :(

Never wents too far on walks. Calm and observant, always smells something. He likes waks. That’s good, right?

He is also the smatest dog, but just because he somehow keeps all of his instincts under control. HOW.

Eats meat like a wild animal, it’s almost scary. 

Once he is back, he will never mention this incident.

Starscream

…a very lost black poodle. Starscream is poodle now. This is not exactly what you expected, but he looked so adorably confused. You started to laugh at his expression, and he made a weird high-pitched screech. You’ve never thought that poodle can sound so peacock-like. Starscream ran to you, rather clumsily, with his claws loudly tapping on the metal floor. He buried his head in your stomach, whining. You think this was something caused by instincts, because he would never act that way if he was himself. You hugged the poor thing. For some reason, he was scared, and your heart filled with pity. Poor seeker. Can’t even fly now. Well, since no one knows for how long it’ll stay that way, you can at least try to make him comfortable. 

He would be in some kind of depression for a few days. Starscream clearly couldn’t get used to his present state. He won’t eat dog food, so you have to find a way to feed him. He actually liked some pork and plain yogurt. You double-checked if they’re ok for dogs, though, you don’t want him to get sick.

Starscream is a very anxious poodle. He whines and cries when you are not near him, got scared by other mechs easily. Probably because he is so small.

Megatron tried to step on him, no one knows if it was an accident. You saved poor seeker, and he clung to you all day.

Adore hugs. He is very anxious and restless, almost trembling when you are hugging him. Sleeps with you all the time.

You found out why he is so nervous when you went to a walk. Once he is outside, he is running around like a mad…dog. Turns out, he needed more air. He is still a seeker and being grounded, and inside of the ship — it scared him and was highly uncomfortable. Since then, you try to walk with him as long as you can.

WELL, YOU KNOW, HE WAS CUTER, WHEN HE WAS NERVOUS. Now he is very picky! Won’t eat a pork with too much lard (or how do you call it), won’t lay with you if you are asking. He will even act like he doesn’t like hugs and petting!

Don’t like baths, but looks so cute when he is wet. But he likes when you try to use fan to dry him. Probably, because of air.

Once he is back, he is sooo embarrassed. Won’t talk about it either, just because he is very uncomfortable with how he acted when he was scared. Tsundere-mod full on. (Still thanks you for your help. Though, very hesitantly).

Knockout

…the smuggest papillon you’ve ever seen in your short human life. You could FEEL Knockout’s smirk. Even if he is a dog. He is not going to get down, you realized, so you came to pick him up. Knockout nuzzled into your neck, tickling you with his fluffy ears. You chuckled. “No, Doc, I won’t carry you around. You should walk by yourself.” You settled Knockout on floor, and he huffed, running somewhere else, somewhere towards kitchen corner. You shrugged and turned to Soundwave. Not even a minute came by when you two heard something fell and broke to pieces in the kitchen. Smug Knockout ran out of there. You sighed. It’s going to be difficult. 

SO. PICKY. Won’t eat a lot of things that he should eat, would always steal something he wants even if he can’t eat it. 

He loves sitting on your lap. And he loves petting and he loves when you stroke his fur. He is getting soo relaxed and calm, this is the only way to stop him from being naughty and moody.

Hates all sorts of dirt, due to this, loves bathing. But only with the shampoo he likes. Probably will try to make you use your own, but nope! You want him to be healthy!

Doesn’t like to play, but sometimes plays with... ribbons. Are you sure he is a dog and not a cat?

CLIMBING EVERYWHERE. Only if there is no dirt, lol. You have to save him quite a lot. You think he likes it and that’s why he does it more often.

No, really, you sure he is not a cat? Because his favorite things is salmon, tuna and milk. Luckily, he doesn’t have lactose intolerance.

He is definitely likes to make you worried. Whether it means being in danger or trying to break some of your stuff. You realised that he is teasing you only after he fell from shelves and you caught him. You were worried sick, but he looked soo pleased! 

You just can’t stay mad at him, because he makes the best puppy eyes.

Pretends that he is not watching when you’re changing for sleep.

He is watching.

When he is back, he tease you a lot like the asshole he is. Lovingly, of course. But you almost hit him, when he started to talk about your striped underwear in front of Breakdown.

Breakdown

...probably a hapiest Saint Bernard you’ve seen. Breakdown ran to you instantly. But he is definitely forgot that he is a big boy. Bigger than normal SBernard for sure. You are lucky that you are still on the bed, because you needed something soft to land on, when he charged himself on you, licking your face. You giggled, trying to push him off. “Ok, ok, I love you too, good boy, just get off, Breaky, you are heavy!” You think time you’ll spend with him will be very enjoyable!

He LOVES to play! Outside, inside, with everything and everywhere. And he always licks your face or hands after you done playing. 

Eats everything. Steals food. Kepp an eye on him.

Love hugs and literally any affection. Petting? Awesome! Hugging? Th best! Just laying near you? Great!

He is one of those oversized dogs, who doesn’t realize that they are big. That’s why he broke a few cups while running around. 

Breakdown is the softest big dog you’ll ever meet. He is so comfortable to hug. That’s why you let him sleep with you, even though he is a little bit too big for your bed.

Loves everything. Bath, walks, food, games. Especially you.

Following you around the ship everywhere. Knockout snickering at you two and tease you a lot. That makes Breaky growl at him. 

Loves to get under your covers while you are watching movies or something. Somehow, you never notice until his cold wet nose is touching your hand.

After he is back, he tells you, that it was fun. He actually enjoyed it, though, he would never want to stay like this. 

[thequagmirenotebooks]

The Beleaguered Bank

From the desk of J-------------- My dear friend L. once asked me, should he ever mysteriously disappear, to access a hotel safe that is not his in order to find and publish the remains of a story that is, for the most part, also not his. While I always imagined I would have to fulfill this request, the manuscript I have found strikes me as temporally incongruous, being the fifth-and-a-half work in a long-concluded project. But here it is, plain as my nose or my glasses or my ring. O! How I have missed my days as a publisher. It is sad, leaving a beloved career and being relegated to simply watching. Ring in the new, though, I always say, and it certainly is a new development in my life, publishing a manuscript written by an old friend. L., I do not know if you will ever see this, but I will attempt to execute your wishes as quickly and accurately as our enemies did my husband. Regards, J--------------

Very few things are less pleasant than being forced to remember several bad memories all at once. For example, if you were petrified of thunderstorms and also disliked cilantro, you might find yourself making several bad memories if a group of villains forced you to eat a plate of cilantro during a particularly vicious thunderstorm. Even if you then escaped from this harrowing - a word which here means “scary and unpleasant” - situation, you would still not enjoy being forced to remember the noise of the storm and the taste of the cilantro and the laughter of the villains the next time you ate at a Mexican restaurant which went rather heavy on their garnishes.

   One of the few things less pleasant than being forced to remember several bad memories all at once is reading the book which you are holding at this very moment. While this book does not contain any cilantro, it does contain a great many villainous people and a particularly vicious thunderstorm, as well as an account of the misfortunes of three orphans who deserve much better than villains, thunderstorms, and cilantro. In fact, this book is so unpleasant that the act of writing it brings back a number of bad memories for me, and if you persist in reading it, it will certainly give you a number of bad memories to be forced to remember later.

   As the Baudelaire orphans rode into the city in the back of Mr. Poe’s car, they found themselves in the unpleasant situation of being forced to remember several bad memories all at once. This was, of course, the same city in which they had once lived in a large mansion, which had since burned down. They lived with their parents, whom they loved very much, and who had since died in the same fire which claimed the Baudelaire mansion. After this, they were sent to live with Count Olaf, an evil man and a mediocre actor, who had since followed them everywhere in an attempt to steal their fortune for himself. Most recently, he had kidnapped the Baudelaires’ good friends, the Quagmire triplets, both of whom had been very kind to the Baudelaires during their time at boarding school. Duncan and Isadora Quagmire were a reporter and a poet, respectively. The third triplet, Quigley, had died in a fire along with Mr. and Mrs. Quagmire. The Baudelaires had felt a sense of kinship with the Quagmires, a phrase which here means that they could relate to each other because all of their parents had died in terrible fires and left behind enormous fortunes which Count Olaf was trying to steal. The Baudelaires missed their friends, especially because Duncan and Isadora had tried to give them a message while they were being kidnapped. “V.F.D.!” Duncan yelled as Count Olaf took him and his sister away.

   Because of events like this, the Baudelaires often felt as though the hundreds of eyes which decorated Count Olaf’s house and the single eye tattoo which decorated Count Olaf’s ankle could still see them, even though, up until that morning, they had been far from the city which contained his house.

   “I’m sure you children are just delighted to be back in the city,” Mr. Poe was saying. “After all the unpleasantness with Count Olaf, it must be nice to return home and forget all about that horrible man.”

   “Actually,” Klaus began to say, but Violet put a hand on his shoulder, and he fell silent. Violet was the eldest of the three Baudelaire children. She was fourteen years old and an accomplished inventor, and anybody who knew her well could tell when she was coming up with a new invention, because she would tie her hair up in a ribbon to keep it from distracting her while she planned. Her hair was not tied up at the moment. Violet knew from experience that Mr. Poe’s car had very few inventing materials and very little space to work. She also knew from experience that it was little use arguing with Mr. Poe because he, like many adults, did not care to hear the opinions of children, even when those opinions were very important and concerned the villain in whose care Mr. Poe had put them. About the only thing Mr. Poe could be reliably counted on to do was cough.

   “Klaus, were you -” Mr. Poe cut himself off by coughing loudly into his handkerchief. “Were you saying something?”

   Klaus thought for a moment before he spoke. “I only wanted to ask how much longer we’ll be on the road.”

   In addition to being a phrase which here means “driving in Mr. Poe’s car,” saying “on the road” can refer to a book by Jack Kerouac. Klaus had not read this book, but he had read many, many others. He was the middle Baudelaire sibling at twelve years old and the only boy, and he had a great appetite for reading. He hoped whatever guardian Mr. Poe was sending them to live with had a library in which he could pass the time with a book.

   “Not very long,” Mr. Poe assured them. “I am bringing you to the banking district, which is just a few minutes away.”

   “Marvo!” Sunny exclaimed. Sunny was the youngest of the three children. She was a baby and, despite what the unusual size and sharpness of her four teeth would suggest, she was still at the age when she mostly spoke in a way that was difficult for adults to understand and was not strictly English. Her siblings understood her perfectly, however. In this case, they knew she meant something like, “Not the bank again!” and, though it was true that Mulctuary Money Management had not been very helpful in the past, Violet and Klaus thought it was wiser not to translate.

   Instead, Violet asked, “Does our new guardian live in the banking district?”

   “Well, it’s a complicated situation,” Mr. Poe said, not answering Violet’s question at all. “Someone offered to be your guardian, but due to complications which he did not specify, he is unable to do so at the moment. Perhaps his wife doesn't want children, or perhaps -”

   He began coughing again. The Baudelaire children looked at each other. Unspecified complications are rarely a good thing, and it seemed as though Mr. Poe was not going to specify why their guardianship situation was so complicated, either.

   “Anyway,” Mr. Poe continued, tucking his handkerchief back into his pocket, “you will be staying temporarily with an acquaintance of mine from the bank until this man resolves his complications and can care for you. My acquaintance is named Mr. Hume, and he is a teller at the Twelfth First Bank of the City.”

   The name sounded familiar to the children. “I think our parents had an account there once,” Klaus said. 

   “Many people do,” Mr. Poe said as he slowed the car to a stop. “Ah, here we are. The Twelfth First Bank of the City is the crowning achievement of the banking district.” He sighed wistfully, a word which here means “as if he very much wished he could work at the Twelfth First Bank of the City.”

   When the Baudelaire orphans exited the car, they were confronted with one of the largest, roundest, goldest buildings they had ever seen. The entirety of the Twelfth First Bank of the City was constructed from what appeared to be dark yellow stone, and the wall curved away from the children in both directions. The wall stretched up toward the sky, higher in some places than in others, forming pointed turrets. There were large round windows every few feet, each tinted a different color, like jewels. The entire building was shaped like a very large crown.

   “There is a rumor that this bank was originally chartered by the Duchess of Winnipeg herself,” Mr. Poe breathed, looking up at the turrets.

   “Originally?” Violet asked.

   “Yes,” Mr. Poe said. “The bank has lost its charter and reopened a number of times. Sometimes, large groups of democratically-minded people enjoy shutting down banks when there is nothing else around for them to shut down.”

   “Jaxin,” Sunny agreed with a solemn nod.

   “And Mr. Hume is employed here?” Klaus prompted. He enjoyed admiring the crown-shaped building, but he got the feeling that Mr. Poe would admire it forever if somebody gave him the chance.

   “Yes, he works here, and he also lives here,” Mr. Poe said. “The tellers have apartments in the upper floors of the bank, although not everybody chooses to use them, so I am sure there will be some spare rooms for you children. Now, I would like to accompany you inside to meet Mr. Hume, but I am a very busy man, and I am told I may be in line for a promotion at Mulctuary Money Management, so I really must get back to work.”

   By this time, the children were used to Mr. Poe dropping them off with a new guardian and scurrying back to the bank, but that did not prevent them from feeling some small pang of loss as he drove, coughing furiously, away from the Twelfth First Bank of the City.

   “Hotep?” Sunny asked, and her siblings knew she meant something like, “What if this Mr. Hume is actually Count Olaf in disguise?”

   “I don't know,” Klaus admitted.

   “I don't know, either,” Violet said, “but I suppose there is only one way to find out.”

   There is rarely only one way to find anything out. If you want to find out the weather, for example, you could step outside, or you could watch the meteorological section of the morning news, or you could telephone your friend who recently received a coded message about the weather and ask her about its contents. Some of these methods are more reliable than others, of course, but they are all ways of finding out the weather. Likewise, if you want to find out whether your new guardian is Count Olaf in disguise, you could check for the presence of shiny eyes or poor personal hygiene or an eye tattoo on his skinny ankle, or you could offer him three children with  a vast fortune and observe how he treats them. However, Violet was correct in this case. If your new guardian is inside the Twelfth First Bank of the City and you need to go inside to determine whether or not he is Count Olaf in disguise, there really is only one way to find out.

   The Baudelaires went inside.

   The interior of the bank was just as round and gold as the outside. Directly in front of the door was an imposing front desk with a plaque on it that said “front desk” in large gold letters. Taped to the plaque was a handwritten sign which read “no attendant due to budget cuts - please attend yourself.”

   “Attend ourselves?” Violet repeated aloud after reading the sign. “I suppose that means we will have to find Mr. Hume on our own.”

   The hallway within the bank curved both to the left and to the right behind the front desk, and the Baudelaires chose the left. The outer wall of the passage contained the large round windows they had seen from the outside. The inner wall was much more interesting. It contained a variety of slots, doors, and openings, all of which were labeled in small gold letters. As they walked, moving at a leisurely pace - a phrase which here means “slowly, so they could examine the slots, doors, and openings” - Klaus read all the labels aloud to his sisters.

   “Student account deposit. Fruit-sellers’ fees. Linguists’ fees. Vegan bakers’ fees. Account transfer area. Invoice transfer area. Transferred money deposit. Global business fees. Local business fees. Tellers’ rent deposit.”

   “Why do they need separate slots for all of these transactions?” Violet wondered aloud.

   When someone wonders something aloud, they are generally not expecting an answer to their question. Sometimes I find myself wondering aloud how on earth I ended up here, hiding my manuscript under the second-softest pillow in an ill-decorated hotel suite, not because I believe anybody has the answer to that question, but because saying it aloud makes it feel as though I am less alone in my confusion.

   This is why Violet was understandably startled when somebody answered her question.

   “There's a rumor that these halls were designed for maximum banking efficiency by J. P. Morgan himself!” crowed a voice. “Of course, I don't believe it myself. Never believe anything you hear without proper evidence, I always say.”    The voice belonged to a very round man with a very round face. He stood at the top of a short flight of stairs which emerged, quite abruptly, from the flatness of the hallway. He regarded the children for a moment before descending the stairs to shake each of their hands in turn - first Violet, then Klaus, then Sunny.

   “You must be the Baudelaire orphans,” he said. “I don't believe we've met. I will be your guardian for the time being. My name is Mr. Hume.”

Read it on AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11043645/chapters/24617739

[smartworkingpackage]

5 Surprising Ways Creative Minds Use Evernote

What’s your biggest goal for 2018? Finally writing that book you’ve had inside you for years? Launching a podcast? Performing stand-up comedy in front of an adoring crowd? Whatever your aspiration, this can be the year you take positive steps toward making it a reality.

As scary as it might be to think about what lies ahead, big goals don’t always demand big actions. Often, all you need to achieve your dreams is a series of small, incremental steps, a firm belief that you can do it—and the right tool to capture moments of inspiration.

Henry Ford famously said, “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.” One way to ‘fail-proof’ your dreams is by identifying and removing some of the familiar excuses that have held you back for so long. Self-defeating words like “I’m too busy,” or “I can never remember my good ideas” do nothing but rob you of your power and place obstacles in your path. Making Evernote your place to stay on track and keep yourself accountable can help.

  Special offer: 40% off Evernote Premium* »

  To inspire you to make your 2018 happen, here are some unexpected ways that creative minds use Evernote Premium to help them capture brilliant ideas, no matter where they are in the world.

  Superfeel finds inspiration in the everyday

  Musicians Androu Boudreau and Jordan Bradley, the two halves of up-and-coming New York-based pop/R&B duo Superfeel, use Evernote as an integral part of their creative process. As Androu says, “Evernote is critical to our creative brainstorming process. It helps us capture ideas at all times, no matter where we are. We capture ideas through voice recordings, notes, pictures, and more, and can come back and bring them all together to make music.”

The magic of Superfeel is the way they can find inspiration in the most unlikely of places. An image, a sound, a thought—any snippet of an idea can later form the basis of a work of art, so being able to capture it all in Evernote is vital to the duo. “Every song we have ever recorded, Evernote has had a hand in the process,” Androu explains. “This app has literally changed the way we make music.”

Pro Tip: Record audio interviews ‘on the street’ for your podcast.

  Nisha Harish conquered the desert and captured her journey in Evernote

  Author Nisha Harish

In 2015, Nisha Harish completed the grueling six-day, 156-mile (251 km) annual race across the Moroccan desert known as the Marathon des Sables. Competitors must carry everything they need with them, so there’s no room for luxuries. Despite this, Nisha made sure to pack her iPhone so that she could take notes in Evernote at the end of each day. Upon completing the race, she turned those notes into a successful book, Big Steps, Long Strides, about her experience.

Nisha explains, “I wanted to write a book, but it needed to fit into my lifestyle. Evernote gave me that flexibility.” And considering that she had to carry her note-taking device across the burning desert with her, it’s fair to say that, without Evernote in her pack, Nisha might not have realized her goal. “It would be too simplistic to say that Evernote allows people to make notes because it has allowed me to achieve a major life ambition.”

Pro Tip: Jot down story ideas for your novel while you’re commuting to and from work.

  Chris Hardwick connects ideas while on the road

  Photo Credit: Joe Pugliese/AMC

Chris Hardwick is everywhere at the moment. He has a media empire (The Nerdist), a TV show on AMC (Talking Dead), and a festival-headlining stand-up act. He clearly doesn’t stay in one place for very long.

As a busy, successful performer, one of Chris’s biggest challenges is not coming up with new material, but keeping the inevitable flood of ideas organized. Joan Rivers, the legendary comedian, and mentor to Chris, had a multitude of note cards which she organized in little drawers. “Some people use notebooks; other people use cocktail napkins,” Chris says. “I will mostly write big ideas and work my stuff out in Evernote.”

Chris organizes his ideas into notebooks, adding tags as he goes. This allows him to spot connections between different thoughts that were not apparent before. “I realize there’s a through-line that I didn’t consciously intend, but my subconscious brain was trying to express. All these ideas are actually weirdly connected, as disparate as they might seem.” Sometimes Chris even uses Evernote when he’s performing: “I have gone on stage when I’m trying new stuff, and I just have Evernote open in presentation mode and I have the phone down on the stool.”

As Chris readily admits, though, the key to making it all work is capturing your ideas in the first place. “In the same way that you would organize a closet,” he says, “it allows you to do that emotionally with your life in all the intangible things that you can’t see, but you experience. But you can’t do that unless you really start tracking all that stuff.”

Pro Tip: Scan the business card of a contact you meet at an open-mic night or writing seminar.

  Aaron Mahnke turns research into creative inspiration

  Lore author and star Aaron Mahnke

Aaron Mahnke is a best-selling author and the host and producer of Lore, the critically-acclaimed series which began as a podcast and has now expanded into television, a book series, and a national live tour. Aaron’s many creative projects take up an enormous amount of his time; that’s why the ability to capture ideas in Evernote is vital to his success.

“Writing is creative, yes, but it’s also work. It’s just a task,” Aaron says. And to complete any task, you need the right tools. For a long time, Evernote was the place where Aaron stored links, images, notes, scraps, and ideas in clearly-labeled notebooks. It was what he called a “someday box.” Now, however, it fuels his ongoing creative process.

To produce Lore, Aaron uses a gamut of Evernote features, from Web Clipper, marking up PDFs, and tagging, to multi-layered, interconnected notebook stacks that tie together all the elements of his research and writing.

“It’s a process that sounds simple on paper,” Aaron says. “I pick a topic I find interesting, and then research every aspect of it that I can. I read for hours, taking notes and highlighting pieces of story or information. And when I’ve filled my head with everything, I find a quiet place and think through the outline. A lot of that happens in Evernote.”

Pro Tip: Save a PDF or doc in Evernote, annotate it, and search the text inside it later.

  Forrest Dylan Bryant is always ready to write with Evernote

  Forrest Dylan Bryant

Full disclosure: Forrest is more than just an Evernote Premium customer, he’s also our Director of Marketing Content. So, if anyone understands the true creative potential of Evernote, it’s Forrest.

In his spare time (what little of it he has), Forrest is an accomplished author and an avid participant in the National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, held every November. NaNoWriMo challenges participants to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days—a difficult goal, certainly, but not an impossible one, although it demands a disciplined and highly organized creative approach from writers.

Forrest muses that over the years he has experimented with many different writing tools. “Word, Scrivener, Google Docs, Ulysses…I’ve used them all. Each has its strengths, but I couldn’t find a system that suited me.” So, when he was preparing for NaNoWriMo in 2015 (and again in 2016), Forrest made the decision to create his novel entirely in Evernote.

While you may not want to make it your sole writing tool, you can still take advantage of Evernote’s many templates and shortcuts to make the planning process considerably easier.

The work of preparing to write, including creating character histories and story timelines, can stymie even the most seasoned writer. Templates simplify this process by giving you a convenient home for all the material you collect while researching your story. Then, when the time comes to create your ‘magnum opus’—using whatever tool you choose—you’ll find it easier to stay on track when you refer back to the research you’ve stored handily in Evernote.

If writing a novel is one of your 2018 goals, NaNoWriMo could be the perfect place to start—to ‘dip your toe in the water’ and see if the writer’s life is really for you.

Pro Tip: See Forrest’s advice for using templates to write your novel here.

So, what will you achieve this year? As you can see, there’s no stopping a great idea—at least not when you have the right tools to help you.

  Special offer: 40% off Evernote Premium* »

  *Evernote Premium offer good only with Evernote Premium purchase. New or Evernote Basic users only; offer expires January 31st, 2018 at 11:59 PM PST. This offer has no cash value and cannot be combined with any other offer. This offer can only be redeemed with Evernote direct payments. Offer not able to be applied to third-party payment services such as iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon or to extend current subscriptions.

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