#neil: i have literally n e v e r said that

[ravlykpavlyk]

so au in which andreil meet before canon:

andrew is still doe

abram is running for his life

but they still meet and they still fall in love

and everything is gay and happy until mary reminds that they need to run

andrew is devastated

abram is angry bc he has FINALLY found something good for him, someone good and kind (in his own way)

but andrew understands it, of course he understands

so he makes abram promise him to write as often as he can

abram agrees

yes andrew won't write back bc it's not safe, but at least andrew will know that the love of his life this idiot is alive

abram and mary run away

andrew stays and waits for letters

and

andrew is waiting for abram's letter

he's waiting patiently

and HERE it is!!!

a letter from abram!!!

after a few weeks of nothing

andrew is happy

andrew is making some kind of stupid happy dance and he will deny it for the rest of his life

BUT

here's angst

OF COURSE HERE'S ANGST

andrew is sent into another family

and then another one

so andrew is sending his new addresses to abram's old one bc he wants his letters from abram okay?

soon andrew changes his surname to minyard

which is ALSO mentioned in his letters

however andrews doesn't get any more letters

right after he was sent into another family abram stopped writing

and andrew ... andrew loses his shit

but he has brother, who is certainly in trouble, and cousin, and mother??? holy shit

andrew doesn't forget abram, of course not

but he tries to live and get at least something what is left from his family

andrew is moving on

kinda

but hey he is trying!!!!

until one day he goes to shit hole millport to get kevin some exy boy

and here is his abram

angry gay (andrew) hits him into stomach with exy racquet to stop! the love of his life! from! running! away! again!

abram, or neil now, is shocked

KEVIN is shocked!! andrew is holding a racquet voluntarily!! yes to hit new kid but still!!

but neil is having some kind of mental breakdown

andrew: so here he is

neil: andrew,,,,,, (with his usual 'i am in love with you' eyes) you are here

andrew: i am here

andrew: bc you forgot your own promise

neil is stunned, like wtf andrew????

neil: wtf andrew???

andrew: i. has. got. only. one. fucking. letter. for. all. these. fucking. years.

neil:

neil: wtf andrew????

neil: i wrote at least fifty of them???

neil, in his head: for half of them I got beaten to shit by my mother

neil, still in his head: and once nearly killed by my father

andrew: i. have. not. received. any. of. them. stupid. abram.

neil: maybe bc you've changed houses!! and your fucking name???

andrew: so what if I did?

andrew: i told you about it!!

neil: w h e n could you possibly tell me about it?

andrew: in my fucking letters!!!

AND here is SILENCE

and silence again

until neil says in completely low voice

neil: what letters?

andrew loses his shit bc wtf??? what does abram mean with this 'what letters'????

but then it hits him

abram didn't receive any of his letters

bc he probably sent his own letter right before moving to another place

and andrew didn't even think about it bc he's grumpy little gay

but once they solve their little gay problems neil signs with foxes

wymack can't care less about this gay drama (he cares a lot okay?)

and kevin 'it is easier to stay straight' day. is. crying.

bc HOW can EVERYONE be GAY IN THIS FUCKING TEAM? H O W

his father coach has the best gaydar in this world

andreil kill nathan, rescue jean and kevin and neil and win exy shit game (neil and Kevin are having heart attack at this line)

and andreil live their happy little gay life

[thespineoftherighteous]

foxes phrases

when you spend a lot of together with the same people, sometimes you start to pick up on each other's language and this just becomes like a level of normalized inside jokes with the foxes

firstly, they all have bits of The Riko Roast at least partially memorized and they all use parts of it here and there (ex: nicky is whining during his missing Erik hours and allison goes "aww are you having iNtRIcaTe aNd EndLeSs daddy issues?") but most frequently used is just "you know, i get it"

"i hate this fucking family". (I've seen this in sm tfc posts and i think it's wonderful) this is used over the smallest things: Nicky is outnumbered in what restaurant to go to, Allison is in pain when nobody can tell the different shades of nail polish apart, Aaron is called a simp when he gets off a phone call with katelyn, Kevin is horrified when neil messes up basic us history.. he later finds out he does it on purpose, matt is coerced into trying octopus at a restaurant, wymack is buried under a pile of sweaty kids after winning a game, etc.. and has lost any meaning

this isn't a phrase but they are athletic jocky jocks so they refer to each other by their last names to emphasize like...toughness (fuck off josten, look alive reynolds, what's the matter day) but specifically it's just "shut up [...]"

"what in the name of the everliving fuckity fuck"... or some variation of one of wymacks catchphrases (let's be honest the foxes have practically trademarked most of the things that come out of his mouth) Dan was once recording a video of aaron and neil arm wrestling and it wasn't until they watched it back that they heard Wymack in the background shout this from his office and from then on everybody uses it..and it works for more occasions than you'd think

"god damn it, neil". they've all heard this used more times than they can count and nobody even recognizes when exactly it is that the team starts saying it but they use it for literally e v e r y t h i n g. neil doesn't even respond to it anymore so matt has to nudge him to let him know when someone is actually talking to him because everyone around them uses it. neil himself uses it. Renee uses it. lord knows Wymack uses it. but the best is when Aaron uses it for the first time, at a point where he and neil are grudgingly building up their relationship. his head shoots up when he realizes what he's said and neil is already grinning at him. Aaron rubs at his forehead in self disappointment and the others burst out laughing

"no Kevin..you fuckin weirdo". (from that vine, you better know it) the foxes introduce neil to vine and he becomes so freaking annoying about it (he and Aaron will literally have conversations composed entirely of insulting vines) but when he first pulls this one out on Kevin (all poor Kevin asked was for Neil to pass him his textbook) everyone loses their shit and they all start using it. it was banned rather quickly tho when they were clowning around during a practice and Kevin shouted "CAN'T YOU GUYS AT LEAST PRETEND TO PUT IN ANY EFFORT" and, in horrifying unison, everyone on the court goes "no kevin..fucking weirdo" and Kevin nearly starts crying. he coincidentally had an appointment with bee and spends nearly fifty minutes going "i hate this fucking family"

[askthetotallynotcampcamp]

jaspvid for the s o u l

michael: oak aye

————

Jasper: *first day working at the camp 😳😳* *vIbES near the entrance lmao*

David: GOOOOOOD MORNING JASPER! READY FOR YOUR FIRST DAY?

Jasper: Totally!! Is the camp still the same as when we were younger?

David: yup! Obviously different kids, they can get crazy so be prepared!

Jasper: Oh jeez, okay.

The b u s: *i am alive*

David: ah! They're here, oh you're gonna love them Jas!

Max: *walks off the bus* who the hell is that?!

Nerris: yeah I've never seen him before! Hello sir I dont know!

David: well kids, this is your new counselor, Jasper!

Jasper: Hi kids-! I hope I can make your summer great!!

Neil: *😒😒*

Harrison: Oh cool! A new person to show my magic to!

Space kid: howdy do Jasper!

Max: okay just another person to make fun of!

-all the kids are in the mess haul now-

David: I told you to be prepared! Dont let max get to you, hes always like that

Jasper: he’s just a little, uh, insulting. kinda rude, I can handle it though! Don’t worry about it

David: alrighty!

-time skip bc I'm lazy-

David: *getting ready for sleep time* do do dooooo

Jasper: ughhh, I do not understand how you deal with those kids all day *😔*

David: I've gotten used to them, maxes words hurt sometimes but I'm fine with it. And you dont have to work here ya know, if it isnt fun for you

Jasper: I wanna work here because I miss being with you all the time, homeslice- I’ll get used to it eventually

David: awe that's sweet, but you can always tell me if you want to leave because this place can stress you out! Now you, should get some sleep mister

Jasper: *😳😳😳* ah yeah, you too homie *bed time bro*

David: goodnighttttt!

Jasper: goodnight-

Time: smellbert day time

The camp: i am going to burn down

David: OH GOSH THE CAMP!

-after they fix the camp bc I'm lazy and tired-

David: *collapses against a tree* now that, that was a workout

Jasper: *collapses nexts to mr tree* is that how it’s like everyday?

Neil: *a p p r o a c h e s*

David: yeah basically *jumps up* hello Neil!

Neil: Hey can I show you something I’ve been working on? *is neil*

David: ah yes of course! *grabs Jaspers hand and walks over*

Jasper: *😳😳😳😳*

Neil: Okay, so, this is my science stuff, and this right here is a calculator

David: very...interesting! Right Jasper!

Jasper: I like the uh, bottles?

Neil: The test tubes?

David: *tries not to laugh*

Jasper: I mean- I guess? I don’t know, I never did science

Neil: Literally everyone knows what a test tube is-!

David: oh come on Neil cut him some slack, hes not all about science

Neil: david, literally everyone knows what a test tube is!

David: well Jasper isnt everyone! Keep up the good work! *walks back to the cabin*

Jasper: *taps david’s shoulder 😗✌️* hey hey hey, quick question

David: hm? *turns around* yeah Jasper?

Jasper: Can I talk to you alone for a hot sec

David: yeah of course! What's up buddy pal

Jasper: uh, so, since I was a kid i thought you were super cool-?

David: wow really?! Youre really.. what's the word you use..radical!

Jasper: Wow thanks! Anyway, I was thinking and like- I like you??

David: well duh, we're best friends!

Jasper: yeah, but, like-like you homie

David: *very red* oh gosh- i- um-

Jasper: *😳😳😳* uh- yeah-

David: a-are you sure? Out of a-all people?

Jasper: *nodnodnodnod*

David: well uh- lucky for you- *kisses his cheek😳😳😳*

Jasper: *😳😳😳😳* oh dang-

David: *smiles at him*

Gwen: well that was lovely

Jasper: Wow gwen okay

David: oh h-hi Gwen..*v red*

Jasper: *😳😳😳😳*

Gwen: I saw the whole thing, it was WAY better than trash tv

David: well is this good for your trash tv? *kisses Jasperteehee*

Jasper: *is a red*

Gwen: *:0* Oh damn!!

David: oh wait I actually did that-

Jasper: jesus- *lmao covers his face or some shit*

Gwen: 👏👏👏

David: okay uh toodaloo! Bye! *runs to the cabin*

Jasper: uh, i’m gonna go too-! *fOLLOW*

Max: they're so gonna makeout

David: *in the bathroom* WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH ME

Jasper: *kNocKs oN tHe dOoR* uhh, davey are you okay?

David: AH! oh Jasper, hello! Uh yes I am completely fine why would something be wrong what

Jasper: you ran away really fast, are you sure you’re okay-?

David: yes of course! *comes pit of the bathroom and is like face to face w/ jasper bc he was standing right outside of the door??*

Jasper: *😳👉👈* *s smooch*

David: *😳😳😳😳😳😳*

Jasper: i’m uh, sorry *😔👉👈*

David: nononono it's okay! *hug*

Jasper: *hug 😔👉👈*

David: hey, you okay? *ruffles his hair and laughs*

Jasper: *:) 👉👈* of course!

David: that's great! *smiles at him*

Jasper: we should uh, leave and see what the kiddos are up to *walks out backwards???*

David: okay! *kicks the door open* owie

Jasper: oh dang are you okay-

Nikki: What SPICY DRAMA happened??!

David: nikki what do you mean??

Nikki: Max said you were gonna make out!

David: nothing happened! *😳*

Jasper: *holds onto david’s arm or smth lmao oop*

Nikki: hmmmm

David: nikki nothing- uh- nothing happened!

Max: Likely story DAVID!

David: fine, what do you think happened?

Max: you two made out or some gross shit and then you came out like nothing happened!

David: well you are incorrect!

Jasper: very incorrect!

Nikki: Oh damn it!

David: well anyways, since it's getting to sunset now, its campfire time! *skips over to the benches*

Jasper: come on children!! *follow*

Children: kk *follow*

Max: jasper I seriously dont understand how youre in love with HIM

David: *making a fire*

Jasper: I mean, he’s really nice, Max- I’m sure you’ll feel the same way about someone eventually

Max: pft- yeah, no

David: *stands up* okay and we are ready for action!

Jasper: oh come ON max, stop being so heartless *walks over to the f i r e*

David: *sits down on a log and puts on his sweatshirt* (I LOVE DAVID WEARING A SWEATSHIRT)

Jasper: *sits next to d a v i d* oh dang, are you cold?

David: eh, it's just summer night air

Jasper: yeah but i wanted an excuse to do this *puts his arm around david 😳*

David: *goes wide eyed 😳😳*

Jasper: *forehead smooch 😳😳*

David: *hides in his sweatshirt😳* Jasper not in front of the campers!-

Jasper: Oh dang i’m so sorry *n not*

David: *rests his head on his shoulder* hmph

Jasper: oh no, am i in trouble now? *hug teehee*

David: *shakes his head no*

Jasper: cool cool cool *😘😘😘*

Gwen: *👀👀👀*

David: *sleep*

Gwen: I think you need to go tuck your boy in

Jasper: Righto, Gwen make sure nothing burns down *picks up mr tree mans and cArRiEs hIm To tHe CabIn wOwIe*

David: huh..oh hi jasperrrr

Jasper: hola *drops mr tree mans onto his bed lmao rekt* you fell asleep

David: oh sorry *laughs tiredly?? Is that a thing??*

Jasper: go to sleep, you sound tired *forehead smooch 😳😳*

David: *pulls him down to....hug him duh*

Jasper: oh dang- *hug hug hug*

David: what? I love youuuuu (he ain't gonna remember this-)

Jasper: *😳😳😳* shoot- i love you too homie *s sits on the bed or smth*

David: *sits up and hugs him* thank you for working here, now I get to see your adorable face everyday

Jasper: jeez- calm down- *😳😳😳*

David: I'm just saying! *smiles at him*

Jasper: *😌😌* okay go to sleep now- it’s late, homeslice

David: okay *kisses him* goodnight *:)*

Jasper: goodnight weirdo *escape*

-morning-

David: *wakes up and sits up* best sleep I've ever had

Jasper: *uhh already out watching el children*

David: *gets dressed and walks outside* GOOOOOD MORNING JASPER

Jasper: hello hello, how did you sleep?

David: very good actually! I just dont remember anything from the camp fire

Jasper: oh great, you were hella tired last night man

Nikki: *f fire*

David: GOSH DARN NIKKI NOT AGAIN WITH THE FIRE!- *runs*

Jasper: *ahaha just vibes honestly lmao* righto children, who wants to go do something cool

Max: what do you consider cool

Jasper: dunno, what do YOU consider cool?

Max: I dont know that's why I'm asking you!

Space kid: how are babies made

Jasper: okay, we’re not going over that today- what if we uh, go to spooky island and find cool stuff

Nerris: david said we arent allowed over there!

David: I heard my name! Wassup

Jasper: we’re going to spooky island because i almost died there so we are allowed

David: *:0* ooooo adventures okay! Boat time! *walks to the boats*

Jasper: alrighty everyone get in groups of threes to go in the bOaTs and then don’t get lost

David: *gets in the boat in front of thy jasper* is Gwen coming?

Jasper: I don’t think so-

Space Kid: *is on their bOaT now because he asked how babies were made*

David: *starts paddling the boat* weeeeeeee

Jasper: *lmao also pAdDlInG*

Space Kid: David how are babies made?

David: uh well- *😳*

Space Kid: because neil told me that-

Jasper: okay okay okay let’s not talk about this today

Space kid: do you and jasper make babies?

David: NO *😳😳😳*

Jasper: *w heeze*

Space Kid: hmmmm, well do you want to make babies?

David: SPACE KID JUST STOP TALKING *😳😳😳😳*

Jasper: *literally sobbing* this is COMEDY

David: JASPER DONT ENCOURAGE HIM

Jasper: It’s so funny-!

David: uh-uh! Its embarrassing!

Space kid: you guys have definitely made babies

Jasper: *FIDNKSNSKSK* OH MY GOD *teeheehaw*

David: OKAY WOW LOOK WE'RE HERE *gets off the canoe*

Jasper: *escaped canoe* kk kids stay in your groups and find something cool

David: I guess space kid went with harrison and his group, so that's leave us alone *😳*

Jasper: *😳😳😳* *👀👀* *smooch 😳*

David: *😳😳😳* *kiss:)*

Jasper: *:)))*

Nikki: GUYS IT IS HAPPENING

David: NIKKI I SWEAR TO GOSH IF YOU DONT GO AWAY-

Jasper: *😳😳😳* Woah Davey chillax

Nikki: Everyone wanted to know!

David: well I think it's pretttttttty obvious that I am deeply in love with Jasper!

Jasper: 😳😳😳

Nikki: WOAHH!! Like my mom and Carl!!

Neil: nikki pleeeeeease dont bring that up

David: oh god-

Nikki: Why not! That was true love Neil!

Jasper: what even- who?

Neil: that was sex! Theres a difference Nikki!

David: their parents hooked up on parents day-

Jasper: *elbow nudge ;))* *LMAO WHEEZE JK JKING*

Nikki: There is no difference!

David: JASPER NO

Neil: they only did it for pleasure!!

Jasper: I was joking homie!

Nikki: oh REALLY? how would you know!!

Neil: beacuseeeeee that's why people do it nikki!

David: okay....homeskillet!

Nikki: have YOU ever done it!!!

Jasper: oh jesus- we should stop that before something bad happens

Neil: NIKKI I AM 11

David: yeah-

Jasper: *picks up nikki or some poopoo* Nikki, just listen to Neil on this one

Neil: THANK YOU

David: *giggles*

Nikki: this isn’t over NEIL

Jasper: okie dokie kids- Nikki you’re coming back with me because I don’t trust you with neil

Neil: NIKKI YOU LITERALLY EAT DIRT SO I DONT THINK YOU WOULD KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SE-

David: OKAY ENOUGH OF THIS

Jasper: alrighty everyone we’re going back- david go back with neil

Nikki: *g rowels*

-when they get back-

David: *flops on to his bed* well that was a experience

Jasper: *s sits on david’s bed* oh god it sure was

David: *sits up and leans against the pillows* I haven't been that stressed in awhile-

Jasper: *😳😳👀* *smooch*

David: *smooch😳😳😳😳*

Jasper: *😳😳😳😳smooch*

David: *hug* hiiiii

Jasper: *hug 😳😳😳* hello hello

Dsvid: not to be that weird person but you are way better at kissing then I thought you would be- *giggles*

Jasper: *😳😳😳😳*

David: okay soryyyyyyyyyyy

Jasper: you’re so dorky

Space Kid: *knocks on the councelor cabins door*

David: ugh can we ever be alone! *opens the door* oh space kid! Why are you up?

space kid: i had a nightmare that space wasn’t real can i stay with you :(

Jasper: ughhhhhh

David: yes of course! *picks up him* where do you wanna sleep?

Space kid: uhhh in space

David: let me rephrase it, where do you want to sleep in the cabin?

[fakexface]

Dragon Age/Sally Face

Okay so, bare bones of a Dragon Age AU.

━━━━━━━━━━━━

•SAL

-Short for Salazar

-Human mage; sent to the Circle at age 12 after his magic appeared in a v bad accident that caused the damage to his face (Storm/Lightning Mage fight me). He has lightning strike pattern scars across his face/upper torso/arms.

-Spends the next... 8-10 years in the circle?

-Left the Circle after the Mage Rebellion and fall of the Kirkwall circle. Ends up meeting the Gang™ along the way.

•LARRY

-City Elf! He's a Rogue (dual wield, subterfuge); lived his entire life in the city. Shitty childhood (city elves live in alienages and are still considered v low on the food chain oof).

-Has a talent for painting!

-Meets Ashley when she comes to the city, having left her clan.

-Meets Sal when he comes to said city on the run from the Templars.

•ASHLEY

-Dalish Elf! (Mythal or June Vallaslin) She's a warrior class! (Sword & shield); she was a hunter for her clan.

-As all Dalish clans do, they moved from place to place.

-She leaves her clan after meeting Larry; wants to "see the world". V tearful goodbye. Cuts her hair & everything.

-Meets Sal the same time as Larry.

•TODD

-Human, mage, healer. (...coughAnderscough)

-Has his own clinic.

-Is v nice, but awkward.

-Larry & Ash bring Sal to him after Sal gets in a scuffle. Todd works his magic- literally.

-Todd may or may not have a spirit of rage attached to him that he calls Red.

•TRAVIS

-... Templar. Human.

-Same Circle as Sal.

-Was there for Sal's Harrowing.

-Lowkey has a crush on Sal; will never admit it.

-Father is a Lord from... Tevinter? Orlais? Probably Olrais.

-Leaves the Circle to "hunt Sal down"; actually aids in helping Sal escape.

-Becomes a rogue Templar; suffers from Lyrium withdrawal (Cullen, anyone?)

•NEIL

-Halfling! (I dont CARE what the lore says he does show some Elf blood via his ears and eyes)-

-Technically warrior class, but has a lot of rogue abilities. Dual wield/two-handed

-His family were farmers. When Sal+company begin to wander, they stumble upon their farm.

-Todd=Heart Eyes, Motherfucker.

-Neil + family offers to give them shelter if they can help around the farm.

-Neil ends up going with them bc he's good at hunting & protecting.

•CHUG

-Say it with me now: FINE DWARVEN CRAFTS STRAIGHT FROM ORZAMMAR.

-He's a surface dwelling dwarf. Has some attachments to the Carta.

-Runs into the Gang when running from said Carta.

-They all get along p well; he's good w daggers. Deadly aim.

•MAPLE

-Q u n a r i B A B E.

-She left the Qun; Tal-Vashoth.

-She is also Saarebas (mage).

-She sort of just... Falls into the group. No one can actually remember how she ended up w them.

-Chug loves his Tall Strong Girlfriend.

And that's all I got right now oof.

Feel free to offer up suggestions/CONSTRUCTIVE criticism!!

[ladyfl4me]

A,E,F,G,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z ;o

Okay *cracks knuckles* let’s go! F, M, and S have already been taken from this list, so feel free to send in... B, C, D, or H, I guess. Yeehaw. This is really fucking long.

A: How did you come up with the title to [TMWCIFTC]? -- It started, as many things do, as a bad pun. The novel The Spy who Came In from the Cold was a cold-war spy thriller, about a British spy who goes over to East Germany as an apparent defect, except he’s actually there to spread misinformation and fuck shit up. He falls in love, becomes disillusioned with his superiors, and is shot dead over the corpse of his lover after climbing over to the east side of the wall. Needless to say, this is nowhere close to what happens in TMWCIFTC. I chose it early on because of the literal meaning: there’s a moth(man), he’s coming in from the cold WV weather, boom shaka laka, we have a title. Over time, though, it’s evolved into another meaning. Indrid himself is coming in from an isolated, lonely existence: he’s rejoining the family that cut ties with him, he’s in love, he’s warm and safe. The moth sure did come in from the cold, and hopefully he stays that way.

E: If you wrote a sequel to [TMWCIFTC], what would it be about? -- Hm. Considering my entire TAZ fic career is a tangled hairball of sequels and prequels, I kind of have this base covered. At the moment, TCOS - aka The Children of Sylvain, the sequel to TMWCIFTC - is about three things: a Pine Guard road trip race against time and the feds, the Spanish Sylvan Inquisition That Nobody Expected (least of all Jake and Hollis, who have to set aside their differences and past conflicts to save Kepler - and who knows, maybe they’ll fall in love along the way), and Alexandra the Interpreter getting woke to Sylvan politics and doing what she can from the inside to change them. In other words, it’s going to be a massive sequel that is the finale of the Amnesty alternate universe I’ve created. It’s this series’ Endgame. (That reminds me, I need an actual title for this collection of stories I’m writing. The “Tin Cinematic Universe” doesn’t quite have the ring to it that I’d like.)

G: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order? -- eh, it kind of depends. It’s like a buffering bar on Youtube videos. I outline what I can until I run out of ideas, then start writing, then add outlines to the end, until the outline is complete and I just have to keep writing.

I: Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)? -- I don’t have one for reading, but for writing, I fucking love structuring chapters around songs. Classical or otherwise, I love music. All my stories play in my head like a movie screen, and I just do my best to describe what I’m seeing in my head with an accompanying score. It’s not so much a guilty pleasure as it is a writing process. Frankly, I don’t think I actually have a guilty pleasure; the act of writing itself is all the happiness I need.

J: Write or describe an alternative ending to [insert fic]. -- An alternate ending for The Devil Went Down To Georgia would be... interesting. It ended with Boyd-as-Jersey-Devil scaring the pants off some poor broke college kid, who stole his worthless fiddle; then he changed back, and he and Ned went on their merry way to go break into Aubrey’s house and send everything down the drain. If there was one thing that I could change in there, it would be how fast Ned ran. If he ran a little faster, he would have seen the alley; he would have witnessed Boyd turning into the Jersey Devil, or at least turning back into himself; and he’d get a very rude awakening as to what Sylvans are and that his partner (in crime, and everything that mattered) was a fucking cryptid. God, that’d be a fun AU to write. Who knows, I might go do that someday.

K: What’s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with? -- At the moment, the only angsty idea that I’m actually conceptualizing is a Hollis/Jake angsty breakup for TSG. (Spoilers, I guess.) I once wrote a very grimdark ending to TMWCIFTC where everyone fell through the ice and drowned. It wasn’t fun. I’ve also mentally killed off each Amnesty protagonist and NPC in various ways, but I never felt comfortable writing them down. I only write angst with a happy ending because those are the kinds of stories I need to hear.

L: How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting? -- 9 times out of 10, I just throw it into the void. I write as much as I can in big chunks, and then kind of hope for the best. TMWCIFTC, for example, is a completely unedited, unbetaed vomit draft. I usually do a quick reread of my oneshots to catch grammar and spelling errors, but other than that I just trust myself that it’s fine.

N: Is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you? -- Can I get some kind of resolution for To the Edge of Night? Can I please get some kind of resolution for To the Edge of Night??? I was 14 chapters into that bastard before I a) became a more casual MCU fan and b) discovered TAZ. It was such a niche fic with such a niche structure - LOTR as galactic Asgardian propaganda to cover up Odin’s mistakes - that at some point I lost interest in it. I just saw Endgame though, so now I might get some inspiration for stuff to bastardize.

O: How do you begin a story–with the plot, or the characters? -- Characters. When coming up with character backstories, I can usually find ways to slot their lives together that necessitate a plot. I love character-driven stories, where their actions actually do shit and their words actually mean something, in favor of getting dragged along behind the plot like tin cans behind a car.

P: Are you what George R. R. Martin would call an “architect” or a “gardener”? (How much do you plan in advance, versus letting the story unfold as you go?) -- I’m definitely an architect, but in a really messy way. My friends can attest that I do an insane amount of planning for each story - often in their DMs, sorry about that, Fae, Cro, Indy and Aline 😬 - and all that usually ends up in a stream-of-consciousness rant outline on Google Drive. Knowing where the story is going helps me a lot, but the planning I do is definitely just building flower beds in which to sow seeds. Or building a greenhouse. I plan the bare bones of a story, and things get really wild within it, but it does follow a logical plot structure.

Q: How do you feel about collaborations? -- I have a lot of respect for the people who can successfully pull it off, but idk if i’d ever want to do one myself. I get really possessive of my stories and ideas and like to be the one in charge of their execution. That being said, some collabs have produced amazing stories. I don’t mind reading collab fics, but actually being in a collab grates on me more than it should.

R: Are there any writers (fanfic or otherwise) you consider an influence? -- I’m definitely influenced heavily by Neil Gaiman. I read American Gods and Good Omens a lot while I was trying to write TMWCIFTC; not only was it a good brain break, but I was able to pick up a lot of tips on scene pacing, concise yet expressive language, and character interactions. My creative wriitng professors have always told us to read so we know what to steal - not in terms of content, but in execution. 

On the fanfic side, @miamaroo is a huge inspiration for me. I’ve been reading Northern Migration a lot recently, and I love how its canon divergence is so worldshaking and so complex, but is still familiar in nostalgic yet terrifying ways. I read it back in October, went, “Huh, I wanna do something that wild. And if miamaroo can do it then I sure as fuck can too,” and I started planning TMWCIFTC during that one month dead zone the McElroys took last year. Northern Migration is one of the best, most coherent, most stunning, and most incredibly written TAZ Balance AUs I’ve ever read, and if I hadn’t read it, I wouldn’t have been inspired to take the fuckall huge plunge into TMWCIFTC.

S: Any fandom tropes you can’t resist? -- Bed sharing and cuddling, hand kissing, wrist kissing, whump, sympathetic villains. Canon divergent AUs are my absolute favorite things to both read and write. Anything that would turn me into Charlie Kelly slamming his finger on a bulletin board screaming, “CAROL,” is a fic I would give my life for. 

T: Any fandom tropes you can’t stand? -- Not a fan of a) woobification and b) flat villain characterization, to the point where the story is riding on villain tropes instead of an actual person or plot. Character nuance is always something I look for when I read. I don’t usually get bitter about tropes, though; some stuff, when subverted, works really well. I fully subscribe to don’t like, don’t read, don’t write, which is why I don’t write anything that warrants AO3 content warning tags or an Explicit rating, in favor of focusing on plot. Every author has a reason for what they write and how - be it their level of experience, personal preference, or simply the joy of writing something and getting it out there - and I respect that. Within reason, of course.

U: Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much. -- 

@miamaroo, for reasons I’ve already discussed. My favorite TAZ Balance author hands down. Read Northern Migration and give it the love it deserves, or I’m replacing all the faucets in your house with silly straws.

@transagentstern. Fae has a bunch of absolutely incredible fics and an amazing grasp on characterization. We come from the same place with AUs, in that canon is but the bare planks on which we put the drywall of our plot an characterization. They structure AUs and character backstories from the ground up in believable and emotionally raw ways. Also they have great music taste. I especially like their interpretation of Indrid in Moth to the Flame; he, like all the other characters in the story, is far from perfect, and his character arc is explored in relatable ways that I love to read. 

@keplersheetz. Aline - theneonpineapple on AO3 - researches like a motherfucker and has a wealth of knowledge/experience/viewpoints to draw on, making author-author interactions with her an absolute delight. She’s also doing the lord’s work with rarepairs. Spin a wheel, find a ship, and she’s probably written for it or at least conceptualized it. Reading her character studies and stories of the old Pine Guard - aka Mama’s original crew, before the current PCs joined - is always a delight. I’ve also hashed out a lot of details for The Children of Sylvain, especially for Mr. Boyd Mosche, guilt-wracked Jersey Devil extraordinaire, with her help. 

V: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose? -- Not gonna lie, I’m fine with a lot of stuff that’s out there right now. It’s been a hot few months since I’ve actually stopped to read fic, but from what I recall, most of the fics I’ve read have done a good job of keeping things intact.

W: Do you like more general prompts, or more specific ones? -- The vaguer, the better. With really specific prompts, it usually feels as if the story’s been written for me already; with vague, general prompts, I have more agency to explore my own ideas. Some accompanying detail is usually nice, though. For example, the coffee shop/college/flower shop AUs that @transagentstern​ wrote are my ideal prompt for drabbles: premise, a little bit of open-ended detail, clear explanation of what’s going to happen while leaving the rest up to the imagination. Good stuff. If it’s for a long-form piece, though, I prefer full agency, or even just some time to lie facedown in the dirt and wait for an idea to strike me.

X: A character you enjoy making suffer. -- Yes.

Y: A character you want to protect. -- Tim.

Z: Major character death–do you ever write/read it? Is there a character whose death you can’t tolerate? -- I do read lots of major character death, yeah, though not always for TAZ. There’s something cathartic about seeing a character die, but sometimes it sits wrong with me in ways that I don’t like. As for writing, I’d rather kill a character for a reason rather than for shock value/for the Feels, though said Feels can accompany the reason. 

[hawkinspostbite]

𝐵𝑒𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝐵𝒾𝓁𝓁𝓎’𝓈 𝒴𝑜𝓊𝓃𝑔𝑒𝓇 𝒮𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇

So please tell me how often we see PLATONIC Billy Hargrove things? Not very often :) so here you go !!!

PS: Billy Hargrove is a SHIT person and I’m not gonna ignore that, but sometimes there’s parts of people we don’t see. So I didn’t erase his shitty parts, I just added some better ones. :)

MASTERLIST

A/N: I do not claim to, nor do I own Stranger Things; the concept, characters, plot, etc.

- ok let me just start off by saying you two would FUCK SHIT UPPPP at Hawkins

- Anyway let’s start from the beginning Billy was born before you so he had a whole year to himself to soak up being an only child but when you came along he HATED you

- So about the first three years of your life he hated you

- Until you started to actually walk and talk and then you two were inseparable

- When you guys were in middle school he gained his rep as the resident badass and you were right there beside him

- “Oh there go the Hargrove kids” literally Raising HELL in Cali

- It was around that same time when things started to fall apart with your parents

- Your dad never really came after you but you didn’t know it was because Billy would purposely take the fall for you

- You stayed out too late at a party? Billy said it was his fault

- You snuck out to fool around with a boy? Billy took the blame

- In high school you became a little more tame, ya know actually caring about school and stuff

- But ofc you still went wild on weekends

- Finally your parents split for good and within like six months you had a new stepmom and stepsister

- And tbh you didn’t hate having Maxine around (although you could do without her mom)

- But just like Billy you still acted like a little shit to her, but you’d never scream and belittle her just like agitating and being rude sometimes

- You threw a royal temper tantrum when your dad announced you were moving to Indiana

- “What do they even have there? COWS?”

- That was the first time your father ever scared you

- Conveniently Billy was out and it just got bad, you were screaming and Neil was screaming and the second his hand came down onto your face you immediately shut up

- You didn’t speak to your father for days

- When you finally moved to Hawkins you didn’t hate it

- Sure you missed it being warm and sunny, and your first worry was losing your tan you worked so hard for

- You tried your hardest to make Hawkins seem like home, which meant spending as little time at home as possible

- Somehow within like the first week you two had already had reputations

- You didn’t have your own car so you were always riding with Billy and taking max places didn’t bother you

- You went to parties pretty much every weekend, and you made your way around with boys (just like your big bro)

- And you two were soon raising hell in Hawkins

- Now it comes to the Halloween party

- You and Billy had always been competitive which means that ofc you had to challenge him on the keg that night

- You did not beat him but you sure did try

- You got worried when him and his friends went up to Steve and Nancy because you didn’t care that your brother was a complete drunken mess as long as he didn’t kill anybody in the process

- So you were quick to break that up

- And so began your frenemy-ship (?) with Nancy

- You didn’t hate her but you also didn’t like her so

- After a month or so you’d become used to Hawkins, it was nothing like Cali but you managed

- But you hadn’t really noticed that Billy had become progressively worse than normal until that one day he grabbed max

- And so you two had your first real real fight in sixteen years

- “Billy what the hell is wrong with you? Neil will literally kill you if he finds out you touched max? Do you even have a brain? Or has it completely left your head since we got here?”

- “Ah What the hell do you care? All you’ve been focused on is school and whatever dick you’ve been sucking”

- Then you two started screaming at each other just delivering low blow after low blow and then you just couldn’t take it anymore

- So you got out of the car, and just walked home

- You didn’t speak to Billy for days

- Then there was that day you saw max sneaking out and usually you would’ve snitched to Billy but instead you jumped out your window “Hey! Wherever you’re going I’m coming too” Lucas’ jaw dropped bc he didn’t put two and two together (he always thought you were Billy gf, gross)

- So you followed them to the junkyard where you met Steve once again and a cool kid named Dustin

- And somehow you ended up barricading yourself inside a bus and you received the entire story of like the whole past year with the upside down and eleven and the demogorgon within two minutes

- So then you heard really loud roars and gurgling sounds and Steve decided to outside of the bus which was dumb but what was even dumber was the fact that you followed him

- You went HAM on those demo-dogs and saved Steve’s life like 15 times

- After that was over you went to the byers’ house where you met mike (who was pretty cool), will (although he was possessed...), Joyce who was lovely, Jonathan didn’t talk much, Hopper was awesome, and Nancy was there, and then el who was pretty badass for a kid

- Then it came to the infamous fight

- You heard the camaro from like a mile away and instantly went into fight mode

- “Stay away from the window guys” you stood right inside the door, watching through the little peephole as Steve was pushed to the ground. great

- Billy burst through the door “shit y/n I didn’t expect you to be here, with Harrington” he was actually surprised

- You put your hand on his chest as his eyes locked on max and the other kids “ok Billy I know you’re pissed but let’s not get out of hand here” and he shoved you out of the way and you were in shock

- Billy had never, N E V E R laid a hand on you and you were not having that so you stood up and while he was on the ground from Lucas you pushed the kids behind you and just cracked him right on the face

- “You PROMISED me that you would never turn into dad! You fucking pushed me Billy! Who the hell are you? Where is my brother ?!”

- But he just glared at you with pure evil in his eyes and shoved you out of the way, you stumbled, which led you to fall, smacking your head against the counter on the way down and then you were out cold

- When you woke up you had no clue where you were

- Turns out you were in Billy’s car, sitting practically on top of mike

- Steve was freaking the hell out and Dustin was yelling at him, Lucas was yelling at max who was driving ?! Holy shit

- “Somebody please tell me what the H E LLLLLL is going on?!” You screamed but before you could get an answer the car stopped

- at the tunnels max quickly explained how she stabbed Billy with a needle and while he was your brother you were never prouder of Max than that moment

- And you guys torched the tunnels, and el closed the gate and Will became un-infected

- You and max and Billy never mentioned that night

- After that tho you became so close with max it was awesome and you spent a lot of time with the other kids too it was pretty fun

- You didn’t make the first move to make up with Billy surprisingly it was him

- He came into your room one day when you were doing some work “what do you want?”

- “I wanna apologize. For pushing you around that night. I didn’t mean to break that promise but I was just so pissed and you know dad and-“

- “Ya know what bill it’s fine. Just don’t worry about it. “

- He didn’t believe you at first but then you didn’t say anything and he knew that you really meant it

- So it was basically back to normal after that

- You and Billy got messed up at parties on weekends, didn’t take any shit from anyone, and during the week you went to school and hung out with max and her friends

- For the first time in your life you were actually happy

BONUS

- Sitting in one of your rooms and sharing a blunt (shhhh we all know Billy blazed it on the reg)

- Laying on the floor of your room and just listening to music together

- Party pregames we’re always lit

- “Two shots for me, two shots for you”

- “Ok bill you’re not driving then we’ll have to walk”

- “I’m not fucking walking to a party y/n so let’s just hope we don’t die”

- if there wasn’t a party you two would go get ice cream and drive to a random spot and just sit quietly

- You’d always patch him up after fights with your dad

- Helping each other sneak out

- Rolling up to parties together

- Billy can be the best brother or the worst it’s really your choice

[angelickomaeda-archive]

Camp Camp Headcanons

uhhhhh this is really stupid but my friends said they're good so uh here (i wrote most of these while watching the episodes so i just typed them really fast) - neil is gay and trans - david is a smol - he's also a stronk - he's also bi - gwen is a lesbian - so is nikki - max signed up for music camp - david is a literal puppy - bonquisha(? is that how you spell it??) and gwen probably start dating at one point - quartermaster is immortal - bonquisha is demipan, (masculine leaning) - daniel is gonna come back and be like 'haha hey remember when we were singing and you said let's end this in the finale? well guess who's here binch' - preston is musical fandom trash and he isn't afraid to show it off - dolph claims to be german but he's actually austrian - space kid probably has the worlds strongest lungs jfc - nerris is a demi girl - max is neglected at home (i'm a fucking sucker for this shit i have no clue why) - after like 3 years of being dumped at camp max's parents leave him and he gets fostered then adopted by david (i m s u c h a s u c k e r f o r t h i s s h i t) - if jasper hadn't died he probably would say radical and tubular unironically - the platypus gets spoiled by gwen - gwen and nerris are sisters - neil's parents are v e r y tall like idk bout you but i don't think that kind of height can come from short parents - erin is gay - max still fucking cuddles the bear when no ones looking and when he's really comfortable in an environment or with the people around him he'll just walk around with it - qm is probs immortal from incest (maybe???? honestly idk) - david is actually really aware of how cynical and mean hearted the kids are to him, but ever since that day when he realized how much he liked camp campbell, he believes that the kids can see it too - in ep one when they go to the area with all the main activities, nurf is hanging out by a bunch of tomatoes, and maybe he gardens as a hobby?? idk maybe it like calms him or some shit - max either had music camp or sewing camp, because 1. max made a full size max doll in like 5 seconds or he just?? had it in his hoodie i don't fuckin know, 2. mr. honey nuts is like super worn and old, and max probably picked up sewing to make sure that he never actually fell apart or broke, and 3. have you imagined this kid playing violin idk about you but fuck i'm all on board for the music camp theory - max is super skinny underneath the hoodie [david is seen like picking him up and carrying him like he's a feather] (parent neglect and that shit) and it doesn't help that the food served at camp is like radioactive horse shit - max is demipan too (feminine leaning) - NEVERMIND MAX IS A FUCKING KNITTING MASTER HE MADE ANOTHER MAX DOLL AND A NEIL AND NIKKI DOLL WHEN DAVID DIDNT EVEN FINISH THE FIRST FUCKING PART OF THE CAMP CAMP THEME - neil's hair is a stick, bug, leaf, and any other camping item magnet. he probably found a bass in there once (ew) - david knows all the police by a first name basis - and he's like best friends with all the hookers and strippers and stuff. he actually goes there and hangs out, simply because the ladies are so nice - um,, i'm 90% sure this is canon,, but neil's parents are divorced - preston is a complete sugar junkie, but his parents don't let him have any sugar because he will destroy the place if he gets even a grain too much - max watches south park - space kid is actually really smart??? like he knows all of the dwarf planets and a lot about our solar system - even though nerris is like, a huge dork with cards n shit, they probably took a lot of fighting classes??? like holy shit can that gal kick ass if people like this i'll come up with more :,0

[relevy]

A-Z Book Recommendations.

What a great idea from my friend at @macrolit :) Had to give it a go. I’ve omitted “A’s” and “The’s” from most of the titles for sake of flow.

A - American Gods by Neil Gaiman - A wandering modern “fantasy” that felt keenly poignant to me having grown up in the midwest. You’ll need patience for this one but this book is truly about the journey not the destination.

B - Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer - I’ll be honest, I never finished this series. It got a little overblown but the characters are so genuine that I held out a lot longer than I would expect of myself. This first book though is the definition of a classic middle reader. Lot of Adventure and a lovable, fierce, albeit flawed, female protagonist. 

C - Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess - I used to read this book every summer. It’s a rough read with some explicit violence (sexual and otherwise) but an important one I think. I recommend reading the “British” publishing which has 21 chapters (the publishers took out the last one for American audiences, because apparently we don’t like character redemption and growth *eyeroll*). The real genius of this book is the vernacular Burgess created from scratch that is truly like reading another language at first. 

D - Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab - Not to be cliche but I find that a lot of the titles Booklr obsesses over in the YA genre to be par-baked at best. Not the case with this series! Well developed characters that exist beyond their actions and exhibit real emotional complexity without relying on tropes and a plot that kept me turning and turning pages!

E - East by Edith Pattou - This is a remnant from my scholastic book fair days. It’s a frightfully easy read, however, her love for the folktale on which it is based (East of the Sun and West of the Moon) shines through. Each chapter is told by a distinct alternating voice and though the plot leaps about a bit you do not lose any sense of forward motion. 

F - Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge - At this point you’ve probably realized I love middle-reader books. There is also a pattern of relatable well written female protagonists in all of them. Not to be outdone the lead of this book is a stubborn young girl named Mosca and her equally prickly goose, who live in a fantasy setting based loosely on 18th century Britain. I won’t give anything else away except to say READ THIS BOOK!

G - Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson- I don’t exclusively read fantasy children’s books and here’s the proof. All of Larsson’s books are difficult to get into. Which can be put down to the fact that the first half of his reads are laying the complex groundwork for the gripping, fast paced, second half that will leave you gasping for air. 

H - The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - If you go into The Hobbit expecting the verbose grandeur of LoTR you’re going to be sorely disappointed. This book was aimed much more at a younger audience and is far more light-hearted and comical than its more mature follow-ups. Nevertheless it still has the grand beauty of Tolkien’s imagination and I quite like the whimsy of his narrative style in this prequel. 

I - It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini - This book helped me understand aspects of my own struggle with depression and anxiety. It is heartfelt, raw, but most importantly not without hope. Vizzini committed suicide a few years ago, which leaves a bit of a cloud over the book but it is an important read for both those who struggle and those who care about them.

J - Jerusalem by Sami Tamimi and Yotam Ottolenghi - But Rachel this is a cookbook! Yes! Yes it is! But it’s also so much more than that. The entire thing is a love letter from the two authors who grew up, respectively, in the Jewish and Arabian communities of this complex city. Beyond the delicious recipes there is mouth-watering photography more akin to photojournalism than a traditional cookbook. Each section and almost each recipe is accompanied by an explanation of the historical and political machinations, tragedies, and cultures that led to its creation.

K - King Lear by William Shakespeare - Far and away one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. I dream of someday playing a gender-bent Lear. I find that this play in particular asks a lot of tough questions of its characters and they answer in frighteningly frustrating ways. “Tis the times’ plague, when madmen lead the blind.” 

L - Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt - This book is a cult classic. Originally published in Dutch in 1962 it has since been translated into twelve languages! This is a classic hero’s journey written in a loving, nurturing hand. 

M - Maresi by Maria Turtschaninoff - Maresi is a relatively new book that has flown totally under the YA Booklr radar. It has a vivid comparison to The Wizard of Earthsea series by Ursula K Leguin but is not a reproduction. The plot centers around an island of “sisters” in an intensely patriarchal world. The second book was just released so I suggest jumping on this bandwagon soon!

N - (The) Naming by Allison Croggon - I’m in the middle of rereading The Books of Pellinor series and I vividly remember now why they were the favorites of my High School years. Crogon writes in a simple elegance that must have been lovingly honed by years of reading Leguin and Tolkien. Another complex female protagonist in this one but written in 3rd person Omniscient (not fixed) narrative which is hard to find these days.

O - Once and Future King by T.H. White - I am an Arthur scholar and I will admit this is not my favorite Arthurian book (That’s Sword at Sunset by Rosmary Sutcliff). However, it is a necessary read for anyone who has interest in how modern fantasy came about in the US and the American obsession with King Arthur.

P - The Plucker by Brom - This is more of a graphic novel than a book. If you are a fan of Guillermo del Toro YOU WILL LOVE THIS. Imagine Toy Story except as a horror movie instead of playful animation. Brom is an exquisite illustrator and it’s worth it for the art alone. 

Q - I have literally nothing for this one! Ah!

R - Runaways by Brian K Vaughan - This is a graphic novel series about a group of teenagers who mistakenly find out their parents are part of a super-villain society. Being a Marvel comic there are cameos by familiar goodies and badies and the series itself takes many surprising twists. Characters of color and female characters are prominent! 

S - Seraphina by Rachel Hartman - Imagine if Dragons could take human form but were required by law to wear a bell to mark their otherness. Rather than set in a typical medieval setting, Seraphina takes place in a pseudo “classical” Europe setting with heavy emphasis on music. The characters and plot in this are flawless and I found it a refreshing, fun read.  

T - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - This is one of the few books I was required to read in High School that I actually enjoyed. There’s a lot to be said for this timeless classic but the fact that it still remains relevant is really all that needs to be.

U - Under the Black Flag by David Cordingly - Albeit I read this book back when pirates were much more a pop culture phenomenon than they are now. However, if you like history, and pirates this is a great read for notable and notorious seafarers. 

V - V for Vendetta by Alan Moore - a graphic novel but truly a novel in its own right. I honestly prefer Watchmen but I feel Alan Moore is at his most Alan Moore-y in this one. No contest better than the movie.

W - Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Leguin - The mythic style of these books can turn some modern readers off. Keeping with that there’s not as much character “development” as modern readers are used to. However, that being said these are some of the most compelling characters and books you will ever meet.

X - I came up dry on this one as well :(

Y - Y the Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan (Again!) - Imagine if all the men on earth died instantaneously except one slacker and his capuchin monkey. This graphic novel series could have gone way off the rails (as far as imagining what an all female dystopia would look like) yet Vaughan writes his female characters with a surprising nuance and depth. 

Z - Zel by Donna Jo Napoli - I read this in elementary school and WHOOO BOY I don’t know who approved that one for children’s shelves but it is definitely a mature retelling of the Rapunzel fairytale. Distinctive voices and no making it less gruesome than the original here. 

[the-bookler]

A-Z Book Challenge

I decided to take on the A-Z Book Challenge by @macrolit 

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe- Benjamin Alire Saenz; this is definitely high on my list of favorite books!

Butcher Boy- Patrick McCabe; I read this for Eng. class and the narrator is a young Irish boy and he’s a really unreliable narrator. He has some form of mental illness, it’s not said explicitly in the book because we see his POV but I believe it’s schizophrenia and it’s a really sad poignant read. 

Crooked Kingdom- Leigh Bardugo. Currently reading so jury is out on it so far!

Duchess of Malfi, The- Christopher Marlowe. This is just gas, and really everyone doing a drama course or English lit course should know it.

Everything Leads To You- Nina Lacour; this is honestly one of the most beautiful books i’ve ever read and it means a lot to me. Lacour has a really soft, honest way of writing that I appreciate a lot.

Fangirl- Rainbow Rowell; I like this as a light fluffy YA read. 

Good Omens- Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman; I mean everyone loves this. C’mon.

Harry Potter- J.K Rowling; I think that POA, GOF and OOTP all tie as like my favorite but also I really love PS and COS because nostalgia <3 fun fact, I bought my Deathly Hallows in an airport in Hong Kong and it’s my only hardback of my series. 

I’ll Give You The Sun- Jandy Nelson; this is a change-your-life kinda book and everyone should read it.

Jerusalem- Jez Butterworth; this is actually a play and I hope to direct it in the future so keep your fingers crossed for me! It’s dark and fascinating and you should all read this too actually. 

Kings of Clonmel, The- John Flanagan; this is book 8 in the Ranger’s Apprentice series which I read when I lived in Australia but never got to finish and they’re too expensive to get over here so they’re my ultimate goal to finish reading!

Les Miserables- Victor Hugo; Confession; I haven’t read this fully, only the first like 500 pages or so. But I plan to finish it!

Midsummer Night’s Dream, A- William Shakespeare. We got to fuq with this in a module in semester 1 and you haven’t seen AMND until you’ve seen it done as an acid trip or a hipster poetry recital. We also saw Lyric Hammersmith’s production and it was groundbreaking. Breathtaking. Flawless. Hysterical. Crazy. Just... so, so good. 

Narnia, Chronicles of- C.S. Lewis; did y’all think i’d choose one?

Oedipus Rex- Sophocles; I do 3 subjects in college. I’ve studied this in 4 subjects in college. Yeah you read that right. 

Perks of Being a Wallflower, The- Stephen Chbosky; will hurt you in a good way.

Queen of Shadows- Sarah J. Maas; honestly i’ve become a bit disenchanted with Maas’s writing but this was the only Q book I could think of. 

Raven Cycle, The- Maggie Stiefvater; This definitely isn’t cheating shh. I love these books so much I reread them the most frequent of what’s on my shelf and i’m going to annotate them the next time I read them!

Secret History, The- Donna Tartt; This was so good when I read it first that I just have to reread it this summer c:

The Time Traveller’s Wife- Audrey Niffenegger; this is so so so so so good like I know people brush it off as airport reading or whatever but honestly! so good and it can be found literally everywhere for so cheap!

Upside of Unrequited, The- Becky Albertalli; this is on my to-read, I can’t afford it right now though.

Vicious- V.E Schwab; on my TBR.

Wonder- R.J. Palacio; kids in first year of my old high school read this and I think it’s a very good lesson to have at a young age. I’ll always be bitter I have the blue copy and not the red one, I love the red one’s cover illustration.

Xylophone... no really im stuck sorry

You mightnt believe it but im stuck on this one too!

Zen colouring books lol (Also stuck)

Guys this  was fun and really difficult everyone should do it! I’m gonna tag @bookishbae, don’t feel obligated though!

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#Blog New Post has been published on http://www.titoslondon.com/askhermore-to-zac-posen-gowns-galore-instyles-a-z-of-awards-season/

#AskHerMore, To Zac Posen Gowns Galore - InStyle’s A-Z Of Awards Season

A is for…#AskHerMore

A is all about the feminist #AskHerMore red carpet movement. Pioneered by Reese Witherspoon and Amy Poehler in 2015, it’s all about changing the way media (that's us too) talks to women and encouraging them to ask better questions than just ‘'Who are you wearing?'. Because quelle surprise women have views on politics and current events as well. B is for…Bliiiiiing

And a whole lot of it. From the now infamous $2.5 million 115-carat Lorraine Schwartz emerald drop earrings that Angelina sashayed down the Oscars 2009 red carpet wearing, to Cate Blanchett’s Chopard earrings, bracelet and ring combo that cost a whopping $18 million, when it comes to standing out at an awards ceremony, it’s all about the bling. The winner of our Ultimate Bling Award? Elizabeth Taylor, obvs. The queen of more is more, Taylor’s then husband Richard Burton bought her a 69.42 carat diamond ring for $1 million but, as Elizabeth puts it, ‘Even for me it was too big. So we had Cartier design a necklace.’ Well, as we always say, when your diamond’s too big to wear as a ring, whack it on a pendant and wear it to the 1970 Academy Awards around your neck instead. Understated, who?

C is for…Charlize Theron

Who knew that Charlize Theron was such a babe? Well, we did. An epic actress (she won an Oscar for her terrifying role in Monster), a style chameleon and repping on the red carpet for taller ladies everywhere, Charlize is the ultimate awards badass and we’re obsessed.

D is for…Diversity

With Meryl Streep’s Golden Globes speech addressing immigration straight on, and the 2017 Oscar nominations finally making progress against #oscarssowhite with a black actor being nominated in all four acting categories for the first time EVER, the awards diversity drought is officially over. Hooray!

E is for…EE Rising Star Award

Arguably the most exciting award of the year (because it involves majorly hyped new talent like Ruth Negga and Tom Holland aka Spiderman) the BAFTA EE Rising Star Award is so snazzy we throw a party for it every year. Check the deets HERE.

F is for…Fancy Dress

Bjork’s swan moment, Cher’s 1986 ‘Mohawk year’ and Rihanna’s Britney-meets-Egyptian bejewelled bodystocking – yup, when it comes to red carpet dressing there’s always one that takes it to that bit too far to the realms of fancy dress. And we look forward to that one every year, natch.

G is for…Gaga

When she’s not being carried along the red carpet in an egg, wearing yesterday’s beef tartare as a dress or performing an epic ode to David Bowie with glam rock costume changes to match, Lady Gaga’s generally stealing the limelight at any and every awards show. Case in point: accepting her 2011 MTV awards in character as her male alter ego Jo Calderone. Lady Gaga going method? Groundbreaking.

H is for…Hosts (The Weird, The Wonderful And The Awkward)

The fun part about awards shows? They inevitably have to be hosted by two celebrities that would never normally talk to each other but now have to share a stage and present funny quips and bits for hours on end. A recipe for success, non? Well, if you’re hilarious comedians and besties Amy Poehler and Tina Fey presenting the 2015 Golden Globes, then yes. But if you’re Anne Hathaway attempting to present the 2011 Oscars with a possibly stoned but either way totally out of it James Franco, then alas, no.

I is for…Insta Madness

If only Bradley's arm was longer. Best photo ever. #oscars pic.twitter.com/C9U5NOtGap

— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) 3 March 2014

If you didn’t see THAT group selfie at the 2014 Oscars, then what hole were you living in? Ellen’s celebrity studded Hollywood selfie broke the internet and started a new A-list obsession with Instagram. Just try and get through awards season without liking Chrissy Teigen’s adorable backstage pics with John Legend or Lily Collins asking your opinion on what Zuhair Murad gown she should choose. It’s all about the BTS (that’s behind-the-scenes) pics babe.

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J is for…Jennifer Lawrence Falling Over

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Doing a damn good impression of a weeble, Jennifer Lawrence can’t help falling head over heels for awards shows, literally. Tripping over her massive Dior gown on the way to receive her Best Actress Oscar back in 2013, J-Law’s tumble was surely the most Tweeted about awards moment that year. That, and her tripping over a cone. And every other time she’s totally stacked it. Jennifer, we salute your ability to power through embarrassment.

K is for…Kisses

Remember that time Angelina Jolie said she was ’so in love’ with her brother before kissing him smack on the lips at the 2000 Oscars? Well, we do. And tbh, it’s still weird. Between that and John Travolta’s surprise attack on Scarlett Johansson, awards season always seems to bring out the awkward affectionate sides of celebs (and their siblings).

L is for…Loser Face

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Some people can nail the perfect Joey from Friends gracious loser face, and others…well they don’t keep it together so well. Take Samuel L Jackson who, when losing the 1995 Best Supporting Actor Oscar to Martin Landau, could be see mouthing ‘Oh shit’ on screen. Or when Kanye, in true Kanye fashion, took things one step further by crashing Taylor Swfit’s VMA award win to defend losing nominee Beyonce’s honour thus beginning an A-list feud of epic proportions. A polite clap would have been fine.

M is for…Meryl Streep

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Officially the most nominated person EVER. That is all.

N is for…Novel Adaptations We’ve Never Read

Let’s face it, every year there’s a bazillion films nominated that are actually super intellectual novel adaptations that we’ll pretend to our ridiculously informed and cultural friends we’ve totally read but in reality we’ve just watched the movie and googled some original quotes. Soz, not soz.

O is for…Opening Numbers

Hugh Jackman’s adorable, if slightly awkward, dance number with Anne Hathaway at the 2009 Oscars, Andrew Rannell’s all singing, all dancing rendition of ‘I Believe’ from The Book Of Mormon at the 2011 Tony Awards and Neil Patrick Harris’ arguably best ever Tony Awards performance in 2013 are just a few of the awards show opening numbers to go down in history for the right reasons. We won’t mention the wrong ones.

P is for…Poor Leo

2017 aka the year Leonardo Di Caprio finally won an oscar. It’s fair to say a few people may have given up on it ever happening, including Leo himself. #poorleo.

A photo posted by Angel (@bri6427) on

Jun 30, 2016 at 8:40pm PDT

Q is for…Queen Bey

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If anyone else can announce their pregnancy on stage at the Grammys and bring a tear to our eye quite like Queen Bey we’ll eat our jauntily tipped purple fedora Destiny’s Child style. Lest we forget THAT game-changing Country Music Awards performance of Daddy Lessons with Dixie Chicks that we’ve listened to like 300 times. Ok fine, 500.

R is for…Red Carpet Hype

Fact – you can’t have an awards show without a red carpet, but where did it even come from? Why not a blue carpet? First thunk up by LA showman Sid Graumman in 1922, the red carpet made its debut at the first ever Hollywood premiere, Robin Hood, but didn’t make an appearance at the Oscars until 1961 when film enthusiasts watching on tv couldn’t even tell it was red because of the black and white picture. The epitome of you had to be there.

Fun fact – the carpet outside the Dolby Theatre where the Oscars are held is 500 ft long. Incidentally, just enough room for Jennifer Lawrence to fall over in.

S is for…Speech Cock Ups And General Weirdness

Part two of the awkward hosting section of our A-Z, it’s not an awards season if someone doesn’t mess up an acceptance speech, mispronounce a celeb’s name or send a worthy cause to accept the award on their behalf. Check out Miley Cyrus sending a young homeless dude called Jesse Helt to pick up her 2014 MTV Award (which he’s appaz now auctioning off, that’s gratitude for you), John Travolta classically messing up Idina Menzel’s name and Tom Hiddleston, god bless him, attempting to tell an inspirational anecdote and totally missing the mark. Oscar fails are our fave.

T is for…The Leg

Need we say more? Winning our award for best dressed at the 2012 Oscars, Angelina Jolie’s right leg made such a statement it even had its own Twitter account.

U is for…Ugly Crying

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Yes, it’s an emotional time for everyone, but there’s some that handle the sitch better than others. Gwyneth Paltrow was not one of them. We won’t even mention Halle Berry. Let’s just say we’d give them the Oscar for ugly crying.

V is for…Valentino

That iconic black and white dress Julia Roberts wore to win her Oscar back in 2001 that you always remember every time the Oscars rolls round again? It was Valentino. Cate Blanchett’s timeless one-shouldered yellow dress she wore for her 2005 Best Supporting Actress Oscar win? Yup, Valentino.Scarlett Johansson’s seriously major red dress that put her on the map? You guessed it, Valentino. When it comes to dressing like a winner (or dressing a winner, should we say), Valentino have got it down.

W is for…Wardrobe Malfunctions

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From Chrissy Teigen’s NSFW leg split to Geri Halliwell’s 1997 Brit Awards boob slip, a well-placed (pardon the pun) wardrobe malfunction gets you more column inches than actually winning an award. Our fave? J-Law’s gravity-defying dress tear that magically reattaches itself almost instantly. We geuinely don't know what happened there.

X is for…Exes

There’s nothing better than proving how totally fine you are about an overly publicised breakup by revenge winning an award literally in front of your ex. On the other hand, bumping into an ex on the red carpet isn’t exactly ideal. Oh Hollywood, you’re so small and incestuous and adorable. Brad and Angelina, we wish you good luck.

Y is for…Yellow

Black is so blah. If you want to make a statement on the red carpet it’s all about wearing yellow. Take notes from Reese Witherspoon’s post-Ryan Philippe break up LYD (little yellow dress) and Rachel from Friends fringe that was TOO good or Michelle Williams winning at life in a yellow custom Vera Wang dress that we’ve basically never got over. Nabbing the canary yellow torch and carrying it into 2017, Emma Stone’s red hair, pink lips, yellow dress combo is so chic it’s insane.

Z is for…Zac Posen

Bringing an air of mid-century couture to the often pedestrian fashion proceedings, you can bet your money on Zac Posen dressing the most dramatic, and high fashion celebrity on the red carpet. Noteworthy moment – Christina Hendricks wearing the widest emerald green skirt you ever did see before whipping it off to reveal a fitted mermaid tail gown underneath. And our girl crush hit new heights.