#ipod shuffle challenge

[partiallypearl]

ipod shuffle challenge

wanted to write, but couldn't figure out how to start anything, so i figured i'd bring back the ipod shuffle challenge and see what i could write for btr characters! if anyone else wants to try their hand at it, the rules will be below, and my drabbles will be under the keep reading!

IPod Shuffle Challenge Rules: Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like. Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle. Write a ficlet related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble; you start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards! No editing! Do ten of these, and then post them.

What do ya miss? - Matt Storm

The box in the back of his closet holds everything Kendall’s too scared to look at. All the things Jo gave to him. The light blue beanie. Tickets from when they went to watch Varsity Vampire 3 together. The friendship bracelet she made for him while Big Time Rush went on their first tour. 

It’s a sad graveyard of sorts of his ex girlfriend. He hates it. It’s like no matter what he can’t escape her. 

And the sadder part? He doesn’t really want to. 

&

Scatterbrain - Emei

Logan’s never been very scatterbrained. He’s always had his head screwed on pretty well. But Camille makes his head go all fuzzy, and his heart feel like it's going to pound out of his damn head. 

She smells like vanilla cake, and her lipgloss sticks to his cheeks and lips no matter how much he wipes it off. She’s everywhere. He sees her in the Palm Woods, and around LA, and when they’re on, it’s great, but when they’re off, it sucks. 

She’s not vindictive of it either. Though she definitely could be. 

&

get a grip! - caroline dare

“I thought it was common sense to not break your promises?” Lucy asks, and Kendall gives her that stupid sheepish smile that makes her always forgive him. 

She had told herself, when she first got to LA, that she wasn't going to pull the same shit she did in Georgia. She wasn’t going to let a boy get her hopes up again. She wasn’t going to allow another boy to make her think she was his whole world, when in reality she wasn’t. 

But here she is. Watching as Kendall flounders for an excuse, knowing damn well that she knows the truth. That Jo is back, and that even if he won’t admit it, he’s already made his choice. Truthfully, Lucy never stood a fucking chance.

“Get a grip on it.” She tells him. He looks at her, green eyes flaring up. “Like you really want it Knight. Because I’m not waiting around to be disappointed again.” 

&

you don’t know me - allison iraheta 

Lucy’s album goes viral as soon as it’s released. Kendall does his best to avoid it. You Dumped Me For Her is scathing, and he’s well aware how badly he fucked up. Besides, he’s happy with Jo. He doesn't need to keep up with what his sort of ex is doing. Right? 

Nonetheless, he’s pretty damn good at avoiding Lucy’s music until she releases her second single, You Don’t Know Me. The song is pretty similar to You Dumped Me, but the lyrics haunt him even more. 

“You don’t wanna know what’s real,” the song says, and Kendall remembers the Asian rockstar telling him that at one point. They’d been hanging out in Lucy’s apartment alone, and he had asked her why she never talked about her past. 

“Boys like you typically run away from girls like me.” She had told him, sipping on the wine coolers she’d snuck in. Kendall had disagreed with her, and he had protested. “No. I wanna know everything about you.” He had said after a long sip of his beer. Lucy had shaken her head. 

“You don’t wanna know what’s real Kendall. It would scare you away. Trust me.” He had wanted to protest, but he decided not to. 

Now, nearly 6 months later, he thinks she may have been right. He didn’t know her. And now, he wasn’t exactly sure if he wanted to.

[myloveforhergoeson]

hello. in usual ash fashion i want to write but i don't want it to be any of my current works. so i'm taking a crack at @partiallypearl 's ipod shuffle challenge! though im cheating by using spotify, i'm just going to put on my liked songs playlist and see what comes up :) continue reading if interested <3

hayloft - mother mother

pairing: rames

james knew sneaking into roxy's bedroom was a bad idea. her father had been clear about that from the moment they'd started dating.

but he didn't care. it's not like declan would actually do anything to him, considering how that would affect the daughter he'd give the entire world to.

james would give her the world too - declan just couldn't tell that from the incriminating position he'd found the two teenage lovers in under her bright red duvet.

good thing james had left the window open, considering he'd scrambled out of it as quickly as he could.

roxy was screaming, so was declan, as the man crammed himself through the doorframe and began to take off after james. he chased him all the way down the block and into the forested trail, yelling some of the scariest threats the teenager had ever heard.

-

i never told you what i do for a living - my chemical romance

pairing: rames (rockstar roxy au)

"what brings you around here?" he asked, gazing out at the palm woods pool as he finally managed to catch the girl's attention. "i thought you already had a place with your dad."

"i do," she said, buffing her nails on her shirt. "he's hard to live with, rockstar lifestyle and all. figured it was time i flew the coop and got a place of my own."

"and you can... afford that? aren't you my age?"

"you know how well performing pays the bills."

that caught james' attention. "what...?"

"oh, come on," roxy laughed, a hand reaching out to brush his arm. it reminded him of their little encounter of the rocque records conference room. "i never told you what i do for a living?"

the boy shook his head, confused.

"i'm a performer, just like you," the girl shared. "time to forge a rockstar lifestyle befitting me, not him."

-

older - five seconds of summer

pairing: kaisy-ish. if you squint. more like mae walker x jasper walker lol

daisy didn't think there was anything better than watching her grandparents together. they had a bond that endured all; happiness and heartbreak and everything in between.

the two of them had been through so much together, it was almost hard for her to fathom.

the two of them sat in the study, next to each other on the worn out couch they'd had in there forever and ever. her grandpa had a world war 2 book cracked open for the two of them to read. while he was focused on the pages, his hand cradled hers.

he knew that she was starting to fall asleep on his shoulder, but kept as normal anyway.

daisy wanted something like that. something real. natural. as easy as breathing.

she didn't want to get older without a love like that, she decided, pouring over the sketchbook in her lap. just as she decided what to begin to draw - the scene in front of her - the chime on her laptop went off to alert her of a new message.

-

driving through a dream - andrew mcmahon in the wilderness

pairing: rames

one of these days, roxy was going to force james to get his driver's license. it always stressed her out so bad when he drove without one, but tonight they'd had no choice as they headed back into la from santa monica.

the songwriter was literally falling asleep on her feet after their jam packed day of fun, hardly able to keep her eyes open long enough to focus on anything in particular.

the radio was on, a tape of her favorite songs blasting through the stereo of the old pontiac gto, and the music mixed with the sound of the rustling wind as she laid her head on james' shoulder as they soared down the highway.

he always looked so cool, even with the wind whipping his hair wildly. he knew it too; she didn't need to peek at him to know the smirk growing across his face as she cuddled closer into him as the fall air chilled her skin.

"try to get some sleep," he told her, barely audible over all the other highway noises. "i'll wake you at home."

-

miss you - louis tomlinson

pairing: olive & roxy (college au)

"everything is great," olive assured her best friend, cradling the half-drank mug of beer in her palms. "everything is fucking great."

roxy knew this was the furthest thing from the truth, however. olive always got like this when her on-off relationship with the boy from her psych 101 class was going downhill.

"it will be," the other girl promised. "after one more pint... or five..."

olive snorted, looking out at the others hanging out around the sleazy bar 20 minutes away from their dorm. without saying anything, she got up and ordered four shots from the bartender.

not too long later, she and roxy were the only ones on the makeshift dance floor, singing along to the justin bieber tune roxy had begged the dj to play for them.

-

INFATUATION - i don't know how but they found me

pairing: kaisy

if kendall didn't have his phone on him, it made him anxious.

what if daisy-mae sent him a message and he wasn't able to reply to it?

would she think he had better things to do than talk to her?

he didn't think he ever would for the rest of his life.

besides, she said she didn't have a good way of reliably communicating with him until the laptop she'd ordered arrived. the laptop she'd bought just to talk to him.

how crazy was that? was it crazy to be crazy about her crazy decisions?

talking to her was his only repeive from the mess of his current state. no need to worry about hockey, or his knee, or anything else.

his friends said it was infatuation... katie had called it obsession... and kendall had no idea which term he preferred.

-

lost my cool - stand atlantic

pairing: roxy & mag

waiting was all roxy did. for the right time to share the song. for mag to indicate he liked her as much as she liked him. for any sign brand new day had a gig. for an excuse to hang out around the boy she might have been falling in love with.

what a fat lot of good that did her, considering she was running down the halls of her high school, face in her hands trying to hide the tears streaming down her face.

normally, she prided herself in being able to control her emotions well, but after mag had laughed in her face at the thought of them being together... anyone in her position would do the same.

she'd always thought it was so cliche when that happened in the movies or tv shows she watched, but now, living it in her own reality, she felt far more sympathetic to the plight of protagonists like kat stratford. maybe she should take a page out of her book and tell mag to eat shit, but the thought of ever seeing him again made her begin to cry even harder.

-

yellow - coldplay

pairing: kaisy

kendall wished being able to play the guitar turned him into songwriter he wanted to be. it wasn't enough that daisy liked the music he played, he wanted her to like the music he made.

he'd tried everything, scratching out all his thoughts onto the pages of his school notebook before tearing them out and crumpling them into a ball to trash in the corner of his room.

just as he went to write again, the chime on his computer went off. daisy was online.

look at the stars she sent aren't they exceptionally beautiful tonight?

he didn't think twice before he opened the blinds to his room, looking up at the same night sky as her, despite being thousands of miles apart. the streetlights outside his house doused his vision in a pale yellow.

and the lyric he managed to come up with then was just as stupid as the rest of them, but he wrote it out any way.

look at the stars. look how they shine for you.

the corner of his mouth perked up. that was a pretty good start, even if he could never put into words how much daisy meant to him.

-

one less lonely girl by justin bieber

pairing: roxy & logan (wag au), lolive if you squint

"you're not understanding me, hockey head!" roxy practically yelled at logan, taking his shoulders in his hands and shaking violently. "it's non-negotiable. you're singing this to her at the reception or else."

"we're not even engaged!" logan cried right back. not that he hadn't thought about it before...

"i don't care!" his friend continued to shake him. "there's no way i'm giving her to you unless you tell me right now - swear to me - you're going to do it!"

"she's not yours to give away," logan pointed out, starting to get a headache.

"do i need to get wren on the phone? because she'll be on my side!"

that threat did hold quite a lot of weight; when it came to olive's best interests, roxy and wren did tend to see eye to eye.

"...fine," the hocky player conceded, cheeks growing a firey red. "and not just because you're threatening me..."

-

when you need a man - the driver era

pairing: pre-relationship rames, dak x roxy

it was infuriating to see dak anywhere in the vicinity of roxy. james didn't understand how she couldn't see how miserable he'd made her over the last few weeks. standing her up at the party, getting all up in her shit for hanging out with other guys, a whole list of things he could think of off the top of his head.

but it didn't matter, at least not to him, because he'd be there for her regardless. that was what a good friend did, even if he desperately wanted to be more.

when she needed a man, she'd call on him, and he'd be ready to swoop in and take care of her. show her what a real relationship looked like. turn her entire world upside down.

--

hi! if you made it this far, you deserve a medal. these are so embarrassing. now you know why it takes me so long to get my chapters out LOLLL. writing with brevity is literally my worst nightmare!!!!!! but anyway i hope you enjoyed <3 ty for reading ily

[ladyhallen]

Raise a finger if you:

1. Had to manually type out the disclaimer on not owning the story of every chapter of every story

2. Understand what Ipod Shuffle Songfic challenge is

3. Had imagined out arguments/conversations with your OC/characters in the author notes

4. Have written about the Greenette or Bluenette or Pinkette.

5. Have written about Orbs. Cerulean orbs.

6. Had to use the citrus rating system

7. Had an author note in the middle of the story because you had to clarify something

8. Have used sites other than Wattpad or AO3 to start

9. Had to print out fics to read at home/school

10. Had to hand write fics in notebooks to type out later.

If You have Six fingers raised up and higher, congrats, You are an Old Fanfic writer. You've seen the wars.

[aesethewitch]

Shufflemancy 101: A Brief History & Analysis

Hey! If you like my work and want to support me in my quest for divination theory, digital tools, algorithmic quandries, and research into niche divination tools, consider throwing dollars at my Ko-Fi tip jar! Every contribution helps me keep making posts like this one. (You can also read this post over on Ko-Fi!)

The difficulty with researching something like shufflemancy is that it's a relatively modern phenomenon. I haven't yet found anyone (online or in a book) specifically talking about the origins of shufflemancy as a term or where it might've come from.

So, we start from square one.

What is Shufflemancy?

According to Wikipedia, shufflemancy is divination "by the use of an electronic media player such as an electronic playlist, iPod, or other medium wherein one skips a certain number of songs and the lyrics and/or tune of the song is the answer to the divinatory question."

Simple enough. Use an electronic collection of music that's been shuffled to divine.

This did lead me to the question: What counts as shufflemancy? Does tuning into a radio station count?

It's my opinion that radio divination does not count. There's no shuffle function. Yes, it has an element of chance, and that's what makes it divination. It certainly falls under the wider umbrella of divination via music, too. But it isn't shufflemancy if it doesn't make use of a shuffle function.

So, to make things simple, for something to be shufflemancy, it must:

Use an electronic medium

Involve a randomized shuffle function

Be something the shufflemancer can interpret to answer a question (pretty much anything)

Early Shufflemancy

The earliest form of shufflemancy as we understand it today, using the above requirements, would probably be tape players capable of shuffling music. With the nature of tape, it would take a while for the thing to wind and rewind to find the cue on the tape which signaled the start or end of a song, but it'd work.

With that said, shuffling as we understand and recognize it today would've started with CDs in the 1980s. There were CD players that could hold three to five disks at a time. They could shuffle songs between all disks held in the player, creating a random mix of tunes for listeners to enjoy.

Using either of these methods for divination would work, technically. The results would be somewhat limited, but that doesn't mean it's a bad method to use. Especially if your CD player could hold 5 disks, you could easily put in 5 albums from different artists with all different vibes for a wider variety of outputs.

I certainly remember using my little blue radio that held two CDs at once like this. I'd put in two albums and hit shuffle, and the first song that played would be my vibe and advice for the day. It was divination -- some of the earliest I'd ever done consciously, at the young age of nine. And when I got the bigger one that held three CDs? Game changer.

So this puts shufflemancy's origins somewhere around the mid-to-late 1980s, when Sony put out the first CD player with shuffle. As we moved into the 1990s, CDs became more popular and cassettes faced obsolescence.

The Shuffle Revolution & Early Modern Shufflemancy

In 2005, Apple changed the game again. It had already debuted the iPod in 2001, providing an easy, pocket-sized music experience as a direct challenge to the CD's cultural domination. On January 11, 2005, nearly 20 years ago, Apple announced the iPod Shuffle.

And oh, boy, did it change everything.

I could talk forever about the iPod's impact on the music industry, the death of the in-order album, and the eventual rise of music streaming services. But others have done that to death, so I'll focus in on our topic of shufflemancy.

This is where we start seeing shuffling music as it is now, in the modern day. In my digging, I found mentions of the term "shufflemancy" as early as 2007 -- just two years after the iPod Shuffle was announced. Someone proposed the concept and terminology of "shufflemancy" as we understand it today on a Halfbakery Forum "Idea" post on October 3, 2007.

It's difficult to say whether this is the first instance of the term. In reality, shufflemancy seems to have emerged as a natural by-product of the evolution of music technology. Where there is innovation, witches and diviners will mold it to their purposes. We're a resourceful bunch like that. It grew organically as we moved from buying albums to buying singles to streaming music without buying at all.

People were offering public shufflemancy readings as early as 2009 in places like TarotForum.net. It's spoken about during this era as a "silly" and "new" form of divination that people were trying out. There aren't any dates in that link, but according to the website's data, the first post in the thread was published on June 16, 2009.

From there, shufflemancy saw a gradual rise in popularity. It evolved from using iPods to iTunes, Napster, and eventually Spotify as these new applications emerged.

Shufflemancy Now

If you look up "shufflemancy" using Spotify's search function, you'll receive dozens of results. Many of the top playlists are public ones curated by shufflemancers for themselves and others to use. Options range from general playlists to "mega mixes" containing upwards of 200 hours of music from all different genres, artists, and eras. There are some with a paltry five hours of music, while one that I've seen goes up over the 600 hour mark. (If I can find that one again, I'll reblog it, because... damn.)

Select a "messages from your guides" option from the search or curate your own -- the choice is yours. For one-time shufflemancers, using a pre-made option may be the best, most economical choice. But dedicated shufflemancers sometimes boast multiple hundred-hour playlists for different purposes, all personally curated.

Clearly, it's popular. There are shufflemancers on Tumblr and Etsy offering free and paid services using their specially curated playlists. A quick search is all you need to find someone receiving a divinatory reading via song lyrics, meanings, and vibes. And it seems to work -- sellers on Etsy boast hundreds of positive reviews. Some even offer playlist curation services for personal shufflemancy or messages from deities and/or spirits.

It all begs the question, how does shufflemancy work?

Shufflemancy Methodology

Finding this is significantly easier than pinning down the history of shufflemancy. This post from Tumblr user orriculum, sums it up fairly well. So does this one by the-daily-diviner.

To do shufflemancy, the basic steps are:

Create or find a playlist of songs. A large collection seems to be the most favorable option for a wide spread of possibilities.

Ask a question. Divination 101 -- figure out what you want to know and ask it. Simple enough.

Pick a number. Choose any number and shuffle that many times or skip that many songs.

Listen to the song. Write down lyrics that stick out, messages that come through, and anything else that seems relevant (genre, tempo, vibe, etc.)

Interpret. Take the information gathered during the song and use it to draw conclusions, just like any other form of divination.

Simple enough. Shufflemancy is the sort of method that requires a high level of intuitive thinking. It's very mutable and suits a good amount of personalization.

This is both good and bad, I think. It would be incredibly easy to create a bias in your shufflemancy playlists by selecting songs with primarily one genre, artist, album, emotion, or through-line. The ideal playlist really does have a wide variety of music, and this means selecting songs that the shufflemancer doesn't necessarily like. We all have a genre or artist we hate; excluding an entire genre skews results. Impartial selections of music are critical to the success of good divination. Otherwise, we risk interfering with the outcome.

And speaking of interfering...

The Algorithm Problem

(Note: I'm focusing in on Spotify since it's very commonly used and because it's accessible to me. Shufflemancy can be (and is!) done with plenty of other apps like Apple Music.)

When Spotify was originally launched, it used a version of the Fisher-Yates Shuffle to perform its shuffling of music. In essence, this algorithm takes a finite sequence of data, picks an option from that selection of data, and removes it from the pool. Then, it picks another and another until no more options remain.

At first glance, this seems great! It creates a fairly random output. But as is the nature of randomness, there were clusters. The same artist would play four or five times in a row from a large playlist, and Spotify users complained. It was random, but it didn't feel that way.

The human brain is wired to find connections and patterns. When the same artist plays over and over again despite a playlist being on shuffle mode, it creates a pattern that the brain recognizes. Therefore, the "true" randomness of clustering outputs was unsatisfactory.

So, in 2014, Spotify updated it. Their new algorithm would detect and remember the song it just played and, in shuffling, account for the artist and album to provide a more random-feeling result. The new algorithm detects what's already played and selects accordingly to prevent the same artist from playing twice in a row, just as it prevents the same song from playing twice. It spreads artists out evenly (though not perfectly, to maintain the illusion of randomness) to provide an enhanced listening experience.

What does this mean for shufflemancy, then? If Spotify's algorithm is interfering in the output provided from a playlist, does that mean it's not a reliable form of divination?

At first, I wasn't so sure. I adjusted my thinking -- if a tarot app was preventing certain cards from being drawn (or from being drawn in a particular order) because I'd already drawn them that day or week, would that render the app unreliable? And the answer was yes. It would! It removes the random element from the method, therefore making it not true divination by my definition.

So shufflemancy with Spotify isn't (good) divination, then. Right?

My Opinion & Theory

In thinking about this further, I think it comes down to personal opinion. People certainly have success with shufflemancy via Spotify, or else they wouldn't do it. They definitely wouldn't offer their services (free or otherwise) if they weren't confident in the results it provides.

Thinking that way, I believe there's a way to off-set the algorithm's interference. With enough songs in a playlist, the random element is enhanced despite the algorithm. Not by having the same song multiple times (Spotify would surely detect this and prevent it from playing), but perhaps the same song covered by different artists. Songs with the same vibe, the same meaning, similar lyrics... AND songs from a wide variety of artists and genres, regardless of whether the shufflemancer likes the songs or not.

The person with that 600+ hour playlist for shufflemancy has it right, I think. That's the key. Variety and volume to make up for Spotify's algorithmic shuffler.

Additionally, in listening to my many, many Spotify playlists, I noticed something. If I'm listening to a playlist on shuffle and decide I want a specific song, I can choose to play it immediately. Afterwards, songs I've already heard might play. It seems as though doing this resets the shuffling algorithm in some way. Doing this in combination with a large and varied playlist might be the key to making shufflemancy in Spotify truly, fully reliable.

My Next Steps

Obviously, scholarly research only goes so far in situations like this. In order to properly gauge the accuracy of shufflemancy, I'll have to do it myself.

First, I'll need a playlist. I have a handful of playlists that sit in the hundred-hour range, but they're curated with friends for specific vibes. They're not really suitable for shufflemancy. So making one for myself is step one. I'll use premade playlists as a springboard for ideas, but the end result will be my own. For transparency, I'll make the playlist public and share it as part of the next edition in this series of posts.

The next step is to just... do it. Do the divinations, and do them regularly. Instead of a daily tarot card, I'll do a daily shuffle. I'll form "spreads" and put together a more in-depth methodology that fits my style as it develops.

Then, finally, maybe public ones? For reviews and feedback, obviously. It's one thing to do divination for myself -- confirmation bias and all -- but to do it for others and to be open for immediate feedback is entirely different.

Last, it's a matter of compiling my findings into a coherent document. Easier said than done, but done it must be.

Resources

I pulled from a lot of places for this one. Massive thanks to the Crossroads Discord for listening to me yell about divination for the last several weeks. It will continue.

In any case, here are all the resources I referenced for this leg of research:

Wikipedia - The Fisher-Yates Shuffle

Wikipedia - Methods of Divination

Wikipedia - The iPod Shuffle

PopSci - History of Shuffling Music

Engineering at Spotify - How to Shuffle?

The Verge - The Mixed-Up History of the Shuffle Button

Auntie PanPan (YouTube) - Shufflemancy - What IS It?!?

Halfbakery - Shufflemancy Idea Post

Fox and Faith Wordpress - Radio Divination and Intentional Living in Your Day to Day

Scientific American - How Randomness Rules Our World and Why We Cannot See It

PC World - The CD Player Turns 30

Make Use Of - How Spotify's Shuffle Feature Really Works

Orriculum on Tumblr - Post on shufflemancy technique

The-Daily-Divinre on Tumblr - Post on shufflemancy technique

Empirical Zeal - What Does Randomness Look Like?

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

Song Shuffle Challenge

I don't know if anyone remembered these since it's been a while since I saw them around but those old challenges where you would put your iPod on shuffle and write a short for each song?

Yeah I did one.

Gilded Lily - Cults

 The blood on his teeth felt tacky as Izuku swallowed his own spit. He looked up at Bakugou who looked down with a sneer. Izuku felt his hands clench. 

 Four times. It had been four times he went back and tried to change Bakugou. The first time, he thought, foolishly, he just needed to show his strength because that was how Kacchan changed his mind in the first time line. Yet it did nothing. All it did was piss Bakugou off. He hated Izuku being stronger then him, hated the fact Izuku would not bow. 

 It kept happening, kept occurring. Bakugou was angry at him, always angry. 

 Why did Izuku keep trying? Why did… why did he care? He had promised Kirishima the first time to try and save Bakugou, but… was it worth it? 

Which Witch -Florence and the Machine

 Izuku looked out at the crowd of people all eager to see his demise. He held the red eyed gaze of Bakugou who ended up having to look away, refusing to even acknowledge that Izuku was looking at him. Izuku sneered, closing his eyes. 

 “We find the guilty-” the jury was saying, but Izuku felt his mind turn from the moment. Back to what had happened.

 When Bakugou had tried to shove him off a bridge, angry the Quirkless boy had saved him, angry that the boy had gotten praise from the heroes while Bakugou was only pitied. Izuku had fallen, landing wrong on his spine. He was paralyzed. And few gave a fuck.

 Other then Shigaraki, who heard what happened at the hands of a hero, and offered a way out of the situation. A way to get back at Bakugou who was allowed into UA to be a hero.

 Izuku had taken the man’s hand. And he would not regret it one second.

 Never would he regret his revenge.

Sweater Weather - The Neighbourhood

 Tenya cupped Izuku’s face to kiss him gently, Izuku reaching up to grasp the other’s wrists. “I love you,” Tenya said softly, almost to softly for Izuku to hear.

 “I love you to,” Izuku said.

 “Then come with me,” Tenya begged. Izuku bit his lip, green eyes welling with tears.

 “I don’t know if I can Tenya,” Izuku whispered. “This…”

 “Would you be happy here?” Tenya asked. “Would you be happy under your mother’s thumb? Forced to obey her wishes?”

 “No,” Izuku replied, closing his eyes as he leaned his forehead against Tenya’s throat. “I wouldn’t be.”

 “Then come, please. You won’t be happy.” Tenya said. He kissed Izuku’s forehead, hoping the other man would agree.

 “...Okay,” Izuku said. He pulled away to smile up at Tenya, unable to look away. “Let’s go.”

 Tenya kissed him again.

Love From the Other Side -Fall Out Boy

Izumi was about to snap. Her hands dug into her desk as she tried to ignore the mocking laugh from the others in her class. She was sick of this shit. Sick of everything. 

 Going back in time sounded like a well thought out plan in it’s own way, but she forgot how utterly fucked her childhood had been. The countless moments of bullying, the frequent taughts and assaults. How everyone looked down on her. 

 She’d been Mistress, the brain behind the Leauge of Villains, who held the leashes of the most powerful villains in the world. All because they were her soulmates and they obeyed her command because they loved her. She’d been the one to turn Hawks to their side, had raised her and her own to the top, only for it to be foiled by All for One who had no more use of them so he got rid of her soulmates. Got rid of Tomura, and Dabi. Who’d told Toga to have fun claiming her, because he had no more use of his pathetic Quirkless daughter.

 Izumi came back to fix it. She would save her soulmates, and she would murder her father, she just had to deal with this first. And it sucked.

Wild Horses -Grace Power

 Click, boom. Izuku slid the chamber open to shove a new clip in, falling into step with Keigo. The winged hero smiled, waving a hand at the other heroes, utterly calm despite how they both knew that Izuku’s most recent kill would need to be covered up. 

 Izuku slipped his gun into the holster, lighting a cigarette a second later.

 Keigo didn’t mention it. He was to young to smoke, but wasn’t he to young for? 

 When the Commission bought Izuku, they stripped him of a childhood. Izuku had lost everything the day his mother died, and his father gave him up.

 Keigo could afford him a damn smoke.

I Wanna be Yours -Arctic Monkeys

 Izumi was so beautiful. Her head thrown back as she laughed, eyes twinkling in the low light as she discussed something with Kurogiri. Tomura could barely look away. Ever since he’d found the analyst, sobbing and shaking after her classmates attacked her, angry at something she hadn’t done, he had known she was important. He just never knew how, not until she had laughed, wild and free while coated in the blood of her worse bully. He had never been able to look away. 

 He wanted her. Wanted to be hers. Wanted her to be his. He just wanted her, and he wanted to be hers in any way she wanted to.

Before the Devil Knows I’m Dead -Adam Jensen

 Izumi pulled the trigger, not even flinching as she held the eyes of her mother. The woman stood there, unable to move in her shock, opening and closing her mouth as Izumi turned around and kept shooting. 

 “Izumi-” Inko shouted, diving for her daughter but a harsh elbow to the nose made the older woman stumble back, covering her face in pain. She stumbled back, and nearly slipped in the blood forming under a corpse. Izumi laughed, throwing her head back, eyes shinning. 

 “Oh I’ve wanted this for a while,” the Quirkless girl laughed. She pulled the trigger, grinning as she eyed the fleeing people. 

 They deserved it. They all deserved it. 

 She was so sick of this. So sick of everything, and she wasn’t about to keep playing along with the old timeline. 

 She wanted her soulmates, and she better get them before her dad found out first.

My Money - Holy Moly & The Crackers

 “You really don’t know how the world looks,” Izuku told Tenya, raising an eyebrow. The bafflement of the rich kid over how Ochako had to scrimp and save every single thing, how she constantly second guessed herself and bought low quality things confused the boy. 

 “I may have been sheltered-” Tenya began hotly, but Izuku interrupted him. 

 “Money is what makes the world goes round. Ochako and I don’t have the same sort of affluence you do, and Ochako even less then I do. We can’t afford quality items because we don’t have enough. So things break down, and we have to replace them. We can’t keep to a specialized diet because that costs money,” Izuku listed calmly. “You’ve never had to worry about that.” Tenya shook his head. “So please Tenya, think next time you comment about our diet.”

As It Was- Harry Styles

 Izumi rubbed her face as she tried to ignore the looks from Tomura. “This isn’t the same,” she forced out. 

 “No, but isn’t it better?” Tomurai asked honestly.

 “No… yes… I don’t know!” Izumi looked at at Tomura who looked baffled. “Dad is dead. I love it. But…. it doesn’t feel like the league any more. It feels… less.” Izumi wrapped her arms around herself. “It doesn’t feel like home.” Tomura hugged her, leaning a cheek on her head.

 “It won’t be the same. We’re the only ones who remember how it was,” Tomura muttered.

 “Kurogiri…” Izumi whimpered, and Tomura hugged her back. Things weren’t the same this time around, and it sucked for them.

 But they had each other. It… it hopefully would figure itself out in the end.

Geronimo- Sheppard

 Izuku grabbed Tenya’s had, laughing as he began running.

 “Where are we going?!” the taller male shouted, staring at Izuku.

 “Anywhere,” Izuku said. “Seize the day Tenya! We’re alive!” he beamed at the taller man, who felt his own face begin to break open in a smile.

 They were alive. After everything, the various time loops as they tried to make things right, they had finally done it. Finally killed All for One and destroyed any chance of him coming back. Shigaraki and Dabi were ash. Toga was brain dead. The doctor dead four years running. 

 They were free. They were alive-

 Tenya swept Izuku up, twirling around and laughing, only for Izuku to do the same once he was on the ground, the boys tumbling into the grass with laughs. They looked at one another before moving in, kissing for the first time in all their centuries of looping.

[aroaceleovaldez]

I'll complain about this until the end of time, but I cannot stand the characterization of nico listening to emo music. please give this kid some metal to listen to, if you wanna keep the silly level of darkness that people try giving him with emo music let him listen to some pretentious black metal or something, but there's no way in hell nico would listen to fucking fall out boy

I respect you anon but I am so sorry, I am the exact opposite.

I love the idea of Nico listening to normie emo music cause it's just easiest to find and he's technologically challenged and also he almost definitely got into it because Thalia handed him her ipod one time when he was 10 to get him to shut up for 5 minutes and he ended up binging MCR's entire discography. Also, he's too nice to be pretentious about anything and he's a huge nerd. All that + Rick saying Nico likes technopop, Nico definitely has like a solid couple hundred plays of Rolling Girl on his probably stolen ipod and if you hit shuffle it's a weird combo of emo hits of the early 2010s, Porter Robinson and Mika, and anime OP jumpscares. If circumstances were slightly different he'd be a scene kid.

[doublesunsets]

Song Poem Challenge

Starting a new post, put your entire song collection on shuffle, then write down the first line from each of the first ten songs that pop up to create a poem. You must then dedicate the poem to the blorbo or OTP that it most reminds you of! Then tag or send asks to others that you think might enjoy the challenge!

@ithillia darling, you were right! It was fun! I pulled out my old iPod so they were really *my* music and oh, boy, what is this witchcraft???

I see the bad moon risin', I see trouble on the way They told him, "Don't you ever come around here" There ain't no grave can hold my body down Do you know the enemy? If I was young, I'd flee this town Welcome to your life, there's no turning back Drink up, baby, down Weep for yourself, my man Con cuidado, se levanta de mi lado Feels so good being bad, there's no way I'm turning back

It has some Boyd Crowder vibes, but then it hit me and I'm gonna say it feels like brainwashed clone Tech, I mean CX-2, if you think about it... 👀 aaand I made myself suffer

NPT: @wolveria @karasong @motte-the-goblin

Playlist Under Read More in case there's anyone curious

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising Michael Jackson - Beat It Johnny Cash - Ain't No Grave (Can Hold My Body Down) Green Day - Know Your Enemy Beirut - Elephant Gun Lorde - Everybody Wants to Rule The World Frou Frou - Let Go Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man Los Piratas - Te echare de menos Rihanna - S&M

[icegirl2772]

My iPod Shuffle Challenge Response

@partiallypearl and @myloveforhergoeson Saw you guys do this, so I thought I'd (finally) do my own.

To the surprise of no one, my list is Jaelyn (James/Kaelyn - yeah, I gave them a ship name). I am cheating a bit, though, and using Spotify. Specifically, my playlist that's created from my Top Songs from 2023 (I'm more likely to get songs that won't make me go WTF). (Considering I don't have an iPod anymore.)

But down below are the rules for anyone who wants to do it:

IPod Shuffle Challenge Rules: Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like. Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle. Write a ficlet related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble; you start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards! No editing! Do ten of these, and then post them.

Song One: The Thing About You by Chloe Agnew

The thing about Kaelyn was how happy she made James.

It was something he had noticed when they were kids. Even when they were five years old, he was always so excited to see her. He was excited to see all of his friends, but there was something different about Kaelyn (aside from the obvious of her being his only female friend). And it was something that only grew as they did.

Eventually, they weren't children anymore. They were teenagers. And James was able to name that thing about Kaelyn.

That thing was love.

It still took him a long time to say that thing. For so many reasons. But when he did and he walked into her arms, he decided he had come home.

--

Song Two: I Won't Let You Go by Switchfoot and Lauren Daigle

Kaelyn was one of the few who saw first hand just how much James struggled with his parents' divorce. She was one of the few he would let his guard down around. Drop the façade he had worked so hard to perfect.

Both of his parents were strong-willed. Career-driven. Never willing to back down. Many would say it was amazing his parents lasted as long as they had. But at least he could say his mother loved him in her own way. James' father seemed eager to replace his family with his quick remarriage. (He's waiting for the day his father announces his wife's pregnancy to really solidify that feeling.)

The night the divorce papers came through, James was on the phone to Kaelyn in tears. Because that was also the day his dad decided to tell him he was remarrying to a woman fifteen years younger than his mother. He was barely waiting for the ink to dry.

The next time Kaelyn saw James after that phone call, she held him. Comforted him through those fears that only she knew about. They were only 13. Too young to deal with this.

But old enough for Kaelyn to understand the gravity of the promise she was making to herself:

I won't let you go.

--

Song Three: Livin on a Prayer by Bon Jovi

When all the members of Big Time Rush got their open license, they all started taking turns taking their Big Time Rush Mobile out for a spin. Really relishing in the freedom that came with having an open license rather than a leaner's permit.

Admittedly - especially since they all embarked on romantic relationships - most of those drives involved dates.

And that was where James and Kaelyn were. They were driving through Los Angeles with the top down. Taking in the ocean breeze it afforded them. Sunglasses covering their twinkling eyes. Smiles as bright as the sun that shone down on them. Hair blowing in the wind. Kaelyn had her hands reaching up to the sky in jubilation every once in a while.

It was a beautiful piece of freedom.

But the best part of what they were doing was singing along to the radio. Between the two of them, the teens had a rather eclectic music taste. So, one of their favourite pastimes while driving was finding a radio station, turning the volume up and singing along at the top of their lungs. (Okay. Maybe exchanging a quick kiss when it was safe somewhat topped that.)

But right now, they were singing along to a classic that had to be sung at the top of their lungs.

Oh, we're halfway there! Oh! Livin' on a prayer!

--

Song Four: Gotta Be Somebody by Bucky Covington

When Big Time Rush did eventually go on hiatus (they never wanted to say parted ways - because they always knew they would come back together), it felt like the natural decision. Nobody told them it would happen.

They both just came to the natural conclusion that they wanted to take some time to pursue solo opportunities away from Big Time Rush.

It did not surprise anyone that James immediately went to work on a solo album. Kaelyn and Gustavo were right him every step of the way. Like they were with the other three when they said they wanted to release solo music.

James' solo album was a massive success. His songs were all over the radio. He was being nominated for all of these awards (even winning a few of them). It did not surprise him when Griffin immediately had him go on an international tour to really capitalize on this success.

And it was on this last night of the tour that Kaelyn - her belly rounded as she entered her fifth month of pregnancy - approached James with a big smile and a scrap of paper he had written as a child.

I'm gonna be somebody.

--

Song Five: Time of Our Life by Big Time Rush

Kaelyn laughed as she twirled the dance floor in her white dress. Her groom, her husband - it felt so natural to say - dancing alongside her in his tuxedo.

Their wedding day was beautiful. Gustavo officiated. Jennifer walked her down the aisle. Kelly was the wedding planner. The boys collectively shared the role of best men (because there was no way James was choosing between them - although, Kendall was the witness who signed the marriage license with them) while Katie served as maid of honour.

It all led to the reception. After the food and the speeches, the couple shared their first dance. And once that was over, the dance floor was open for everyone else, with James and Kaelyn opting to not have spotlight parent/child dances.

Unsurprisingly, Big Time Rush somehow made its way onto the DJ's playlist. It was something that amused everyone to no end. But nobody complained. In fact, it made the night even more perfect.

Especially as the chorus of a certain song played that highlighted a promise:

We're gonna party all night Have the time of our lives, girl

--

Song Six: Stay the Night - Zedd and Hayley Williams

It really was a bad idea. Starting out like this. They had to know.

But James and Kaelyn couldn't stop themselves. They didn't want to catch each other as they fell onto the bed. They didn't want to end the kiss that seemed endless. They didn't want to stop their hands from wandering. They didn't want to stop their bodies from acting on feeling and instinct.

And they didn't want to stop everything they did next.

That included laying there. Skin to skin. Arms wrapped around their flushed bodies. Saying everything and saying nothing.

"I probably shouldn't stay," James stated.

And deep down, Kaelyn knew he was right. He really shouldn't stay. It increased the risk of them getting caught. It complicated things.

But they had broken so many rules that it made her wonder if breaking one more would really matter.

"I know," Kaelyn sighed. "But I want you to stay."

And at the end of it, James wanted to stay too.

So he did. He stayed the night.

--

Song Seven: Rhythm of the Night by DeBarge

Mr. X was a peculiar character, but he was arguably one of the best choreographers in Hollywood. And someone who could put up with Big Time Rush's antics.

In fact, he knew how to use them in his favour and deliver great results.

But today was an off day. For all of them.

No matter how hard they all tried, the choreography did not want to sink in. Their muscles refused to commit it to memory. In fact, some would say their bodies would outright refuse to cooperate.

So, Mr. X suggested they call it a day. They were getting nowhere fast.

James may have been aching by the time he returned home after the rehearsal, but those aches seemed to be forgotten when he saw Kaelyn. She was cooking dinner, having finished her work with Gustavo early. She had the radio on in the kitchen and was dancing to whatever song came on.

Despite the aches in his body - despite the source of his frustration being dance - James found himself joining her.

He let loose. Laughing and smiling as he twirled her around the kitchen. Kissing her smile as his hands rested on her abdomen (he really couldn't wait for the twelve-week mark) before moving on to do his skincare regimen before dinner.

Sometimes, he needed to be carried away by the rhythm of the night.

--

Song Eight: How I Go by Yellowcard

It was their impending parenthood that made James and Kaelyn really reflect on their parents.

Mama Knight was the type of parent they aspired to be. She wasn't perfect, but she was the best they had.

Mrs. Diamond... she definitely loved her son. She didn't go about things the best way, but James had to admit. The love was there. And she wanted the best for him (even if she was misguided in what that best was).

Their dads weren't worth talking about, both men seem to be more interested in shirking their responsibilities in parenthood than stepping up.

The words did not need to be spoken between the couple. They both knew they were making the same promise to their unborn child. (For a brief moment, they regretted deciding to wait until the birth to find out what they're having.)

That would not be how they go. They would be as good as the best parent, and better than the bad.

--

Song Nine: We Are by Big Time Rush

When the teenagers graduated from the Palm Woods school, there were celebrations all round. Kaelyn and Logan had put in the hard yards to make sure that everyone got to pass and graduate with their friends.

And the graduation party was much better organised than the school dance they had put together at the last minute during their first year in Los Angeles. Gustavo went all out for his dogs.

Kaelyn stood amongst the sea of graduates - cap and gown and a proud smile - watching Big Time Rush perform the song that had been chosen by the cohort. Apparently, there was only one song that was perfect for graduating teenagers.

It was We Are.

And it worked perfectly for them.

--

Song Ten (the author breathes a sigh in relief at finally having made it here): Crash and Burn by Savage Garden

Kaelyn sniffled as she buried her face into the pillow. She and Neil were never meant to be. They were too different. Some would say their relationship was doomed from the start.

But that didn't ease the pain of dealing with her first heartbreak any easier.

"Bunny?"

Kaelyn lifted her tear-stained face from the pillow when she heard the nickname she loved so much. The nickname only one person used on her.

She saw James standing there.

She chose to ignore the scraped knuckles and the bruises on his body. She chose to ignore what she knew James had done to Neil. She did not want to deal with that right now.

She just needed her best friend. She needed to crash and burn.

And James sensed that. He laid down on the bed next to her (above the covers, for the sake of everyone's sanity) and opened his arms to Kaelyn. She immediately nestled herself into his chest, her tears staining the fabric.

He promised her several things. She deserved better than Neil (anybody who tried to force a woman into doing anything she didn't want to made James' blood boil). She would find better (he didn't say that better was right there waiting for her).

Instead, he stayed true to a silent promise he had made to her.

If she crashed and burned, she would never be alone.

[treehuggeranonymous]

Remember when we all used to do alphabet challenges and iPod shuffle challenges? The connection could be practically nonexistent

fanfic speedrun: write the scene you want to write and skip the rest of the fic

(same goes on the reader side of things)

[ozma914]

Casting For the Pod You Love

 I listen to a fair amount of podcasts, which is interesting considering ten years ago I didn't know what a podcast was.

About that long ago Emily bought me my first iPod, to listen to music while walking or doing chores.

 It was called an iPod Shuffle and it still works, despite being over two hundred in electronics years. But it sits in a desk drawer, because although you can play music in order or shuffle it at random, there's no way to better pick what to listen to, in what order. That became a big deal when I started with podcasts, basically radio shows you can download off the internet. Since I have an eclectic list of interests, I wanted to be able to pick the order.

So for my birthday several years ago Emily bought me an updated model. It gives you much better control of the what and when, plus you can load it with photos and videos and other stuff, something I've never done. Although the battery is fading, it still works.

But now I mostly listen to podcasts on my phone, because why carry two devices when you can carry one?

There's a danger in running your brain 24/7; sometimes you need to stop the input and let it rest a little. Just the same, I've found listening to something makes chores like lawn mowing go faster, and helps out when I walk or run. Oh, who am I kidding? Walk.

So, what kind of podcasts do I listen to? I thought you'd never ask.

There's something called podcast fade, and some of the ones I used to like have faded away in time. But plenty others are still going strong, and most of my favorites--of course--involved writing:

I Should be Writing is by SF author Mur Lafferty, and is aimed more at beginning writers. Lafferty shares her own struggles with writing and publishing, not to mention depression and other related challenges.

Ditch Diggers: Lafferty is joined by author Matt Wallace for a more advanced writing podcast, which covers more of the business end of the industry. As their theme song says, they pull no punches.

Writing Excuses: It's fifteen minutes long, because "You're in a hurry, and we're not that smart". A group of authors goes over every aspect of writing. Sometimes they spend too much time on the politically correct for my taste, but it's not a bad thing to hear what people have to say on various issues.

Shipping and Handling: Two literary agents sip wine and discuss their industry and their jobs. Sometimes they spend too much time on national politics, but otherwise it's a great look into the minds of agents and how the business works from their end.

The Writer's Digest Podcast They don't seem to be podcasting anymore, and neither does Harlequin: Meet the Editors, but you might still be able to glean interesting tidbits from their older shows.

Smart Author with Mark Coker: This one's about book marketing and self publishing, which isn't surprising when you realize Coker is the founder of self-publishing powerhouse Smashwords.

Of course, there's more to life than writing, although you wouldn't think that to talk to me.

ID10T with Chris Hardwick is a talk show with uber geek Hardwick, who has far ranging conversations with, well, everybody--actors, authors, comedians, singers, you name it. One of my favorites was Max Brooks, author and son of the legendary Mel Brooks, who's just as fast on his feet as his dad. I don't spend a lot of time on pop culture, but Hardwick seems to be a genuinely nice guy and a joy to listen to.

Nutty Bites: My first podcast experience was with my friend Tabz of Strangely Literal, and she led me to Nutty and her husband Tech, and don't Canadadians have strange first names? You boot, they do. Nutty holds fourth with her friends on various nerd subjects, and this is where I go when I just want to have fun.

Planetary Radio: I love space stuff. This, the podcast of the not for profit Planetary Society, looks into the tech, politics, and science of space exploration, very much one of my earliest interests.

The History Chicks: Two ladies talk about history--specifically, women of history. I love history, and women ain't too bad either. Sometimes they're surprisingly squeamish about how things were done back in the day, but they don't pull any punches--and by the time they're done, you'll be squeamish about the good old days, too. But you can learn a lot in a fun way, about women ranging from Queens of England, to a Chinese pirate (yes, female), to authors, inventors, and murderers. You probably won't be surprised about how seldom the ladies get the historical credit they earned.

The Bladtcast: Christian Bladt was Dennis Miller's sidekick on Miller's podcast, and when Bladt started one of his own I moved over there with him. Not literally. He and his cast of friends basically nerd out (often obscenely) about various fandoms ranging from movies and comics to sports, and it's another one I listen to for the fun of it.

How about you all? Any favorite podcasts to recommend? There are a million of them out there.

  http://markrhunter.com/ https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0058CL6OO https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/"Mark R Hunter"

[partiallypearl]

Music Shuffle Challenge - HOO EDITION

IPod Shuffle Challenge Rules:

Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.

Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle.

Write a ficlet related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble; you start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards! No editing.

Do ten of these, and then post them.

SONG: Iris - The Goo Goo Dolls

The wound is deep when Jason reaches her. “Reyna!” He calls out, running towards her. She’s being carried away by one of the first legion’s Apollo kids.

“I’m fine.” She grunts as she shitfs on the makeshift bed they have her stabilized on. “Who?” He asks and she looks at him, with the look that let him know she meant business.

“Michael Kahale. Do not go after him Grace. He’s not worth the fight.” Jason shakes his head. “He hurt you.”

“And you have a war to fight. He would have gone after you instead. We cover each other’s backs. Remember?”

Her words sink in. She took the knife for him. She let herself get stabbed to keep him safe.

“I remember.” He says. The legionnaire, a sheepish redhead looks between them. “I’m sorry. She’s losing more and more blood by the minute. I need to get her to the infirmary.”

Jason nods, pressing a quick kiss against Reyna’s forehead, ignoring the sweat and caked on blood and mud that rested there.

“Take care of her for me?” He asks the legionnaire, who nods.

He watches her go off before he turns back to the battlefield, his jaw clenched. Electricity flows through every inch of his body. He’s a living breathing livewire, ready to destroy everything in his way.

Michael Kahale, and anyone else who got in his way would be sorry they had ever messed with him. He’d show them exactly why he was called Juno’s Champion.

[myloveforhergoeson]

ash's october 2024 reading round up

find all the books and fics i read (or didn't read...) this month under the cut with a link to the synopsis and my reviews/ratings attached :)

this is just for fun! i'm not a professional, i just like to read <3

booklist:

The Veiled Kingdom + The Hunted Heir by Holly Renee

it's a series this time folks! i read them one right after another, and unfortunately these are the only two in the series currently out, but i loved both of them so much! i'm not typically a fan of romantasy, but these were recommended to me by a friend so i decided to give them a shot :) this series follows nyra (lost, runaway princess of the kingdom) who is captured + taken hostage by the rebel faction of her kingdom who have been working to bring down the tyrannical rule of her father, the king. they don't know she's the key to their rebellion plan, so she's forced to hide in plain sight among their ranks to ensure she doesn't end up back in her father's clutches. now that she's forcibly part of the rebellion, the leader's son, dacre, takes a special interest in her... he can't stand her and he doesn't know why! usually, im not a fan of enemies to lovers (boo me later) but their story was done in a way that didn't make me want to pull my teeth out lmao. the worldbuilding in the first book was so interesting, renee did a very good job of setting up the high stakes political climate from both sides + it was very apparent why the rebellion means to much to dacre and his family. much of the first book was spent in the veiled kingdom and many chapters were just training montages, which i didn't super love, but i do understand how that showed nyra's improvement over time... also lead to a lot of good hurt comfort moments hehe. the twist at the end was pretty predictable, but it was still written well enough that i wanted to come back for the second!! the second book was great too! i just didn't love the explanation (mostly, lack thereof) of the magic system in the world. it was barely touched on in the first book, and some of the events in the second book left me really confused as to what the characters could actually do... but dacre and nyra are so funny to me. i love their fucked up little relationship + can't wait to read the third

rating: both earn a 4/5 times i thought "huh, i should read more romantasy"

fic list:

assorted works of @ceruleanmusings <3

Blood Diamond; Year Five

2. assorted works of @partiallypearl/ @praetoravila <3

adorable kaela blurb

lolive ghost blurb

mighta found the one (but i need you too)

'cause i don't wanna keep you guessing

ipod shuffle challenge

3. assorted works of @selangkir <3

promptober one-shot!!

4. assorted works of @inkameswetrust <3

date night

5. assorted works of @naquey / @ithinkyouhealedmyheart <3

ghostwriter ch 3-8

6. assorted works of @icegirl2772 <3

Take A Shot In The Dark Ch. 16

7. assorted works of @fiyero33053 / @fiyero0533

promptober one-shots!!

8. assorted works of @bunnyfern

a field of blooming tulips

[eienvine]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Thor (Movies) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Loki/Sif (Marvel) Characters: Loki (Marvel), Sif (Marvel) Additional Tags: Sifki Week 2020, Drabbles, Shuffle Challenge, iPod drabble challenge Summary:

Over the centuries, they have loved each other and they have hated each other; they have been friends, enemies, and everything in-between. Maybe, in the end, they will be allowed to just be happy.

[gothicthundra]

MUSIC CHALLENGE

It’s been a good while since I’ve seen any around and frankly, I can’t find any right now. So let’s make a new one.

MUSIC CHALLENGE: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 GO!

Put your playlist on shuffle, random, whatever platform you use... just mix it up. Skip 5 times. Choose that Song. Skip 4 times. Song. Skip 3 times... you get it.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

You have chosen five songs at random. For each song write a short story or draw a small picture that inspires that song! Have fun and tag some friends! If you don’t want to write or draw... tell us what you see when you listen to it!

So. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 GO!!!

[dizzylovervisionplays]

[walkingshcdow-a]

((Did anyone else ever do one of those rare pair generator challenges in the early/mid 00s where two halves of a ship were generated for your and you just had to write... whatever ship was generated for you?

I kind of miss that chaotic joy.))