#nor does it really do anything too unique except being very heavy handed with the suffering the girl's go through

[magicalgirlmindcrank]

I'm 100% on board with you for your disdain for makoda

We are making out

[aetherschreiber]

The Cycle of Fandom

I am an early Millennial.  As a 1982 baby, I literally came of age in the year 2000.  A lot of hay has been made about how my generation does things differently from our parents.  And by now, plenty of it has been made about why, as well.  I won’t rehash the talking points, but it comes down to how much things changed in our formative years.  Our parents went from vinyl to 8-tracks.  We went from cassette tapes to CDs to MP3 players to streaming over our phones.  That’s a lot to have to adapt to and as a result adapting is just what we do.

But when it comes to fandom, the human condition really hasn’t changed that much.  People like things and when they like things they obsess, collect, analyze, and sadly they eventually eventually gate-keep.

Now, let me preface all of this by saying that I don’t really have any citations for any of this.  But, as someone who was thoroughly raised in fandom, I also have a tendency to get hooked on things a lot of my generation would scoff at for being old.  I love the original Lost in Space and Man from UNCLE, the very first Mobile Suit Gundam is my favorite, I’m fascinated by the puppetry in Thunderbirds, and I’m a complete sucker for just about anything with Cary Grant.  I will binge-watch classic Doctor Who as much as I will the new stuff and love every moment of each for what it is.

For most Millennials, this isn’t the case, for whatever reason.  It’s neither a good thing nor a bad thing.  It just is.  Most folks in my generation have heavy nostalgia for the 80s at the oldest and just don’t really concern themselves with very much from before that.  It’s not that they don’t have an appreciation, but they don’t have the resulting fangirl crush I have on David McCallum that I will commiserate with my mother about (Illya Kuryakin is an adorable badass and I will die on that hill).

I like to think that this has given me a bit of a unique view on fandom, in general.  I participate in some older fandoms, where things move a bit more slowly and where the average age is usually at least one generation removed from me and therefore a bit wiser in a lot of ways.  They’ve just sort of... already covered this ground, so to speak.

The difference is the pace at which they did it.  But the cycle is the same.

It’s never anything that starts maliciously.  No fan I know of has ever set out to point-blank keep someone else from liking the thing.  Rather it starts with a sense of seniority.  “You like this thing, now, too?  Great!  I was there for the beginning and let me tell you, back then...”  It’s always like a fandom big sibling who wants to show their younger counterpart the ropes; get them proper caught-up and versed in the lore so that they can better participate.

I love fandom when it’s at this stage and it’s the type of fan I strive to be at all times.  I don’t like setting conditions for fandom.  I think it’s partly because I am such a late-comer to so many.  The idea of being a fan of something that was made 30 years or more before you were born is a hell of a thing, but I’ve never let that stop me.  And for the most part, these fandoms that are much older than I am have reached the point where they are welcoming and just sort of stuck in the big sibling stage.  Sure, you have the occasional troll, the guy that scoffs that I can’t understand because I wasn’t there at the very beginning.  But they’re usually slapped to the ground pretty quickly by everyone else.

There is the occasional exception, of course.  But one of the things those such fandoms have in common is that there is still new content being made for it.  Doctor Who is a prime example, as is Star Trek, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings (yes, I do count the upcoming Amazon series and other non-book content as new content, deal with it).  There’s something about new content being made for a fandom that causes an odd anxiety that thing that the fandom loves is going to be somehow ruined.

I’m going to use Doctor Who as an example for a lot of this.  The show turned 56 years old this last November.  56 years!  And the fact that it had a couple of decade-long breaks in there, which were themselves only separated by a single two-hour movie, only serve to highlight the changes it went through.

My second-oldest memory is of Doctor Who.  I remember the regeneration from Tom Baker to Peter Davison.  Now, Whovian historians, before you freak out because that change-over happened in 1981, before I was even born, remember that back then the US got episodes around two and three years later than the BBC, in syndication on public television channels.  So for me, that change happened when I was two.  I remember there being some Big Thing (tm) that my dad was anticipating.  I remember the burgundy and red outfit that Tom Baker was wearing while laying stricken on the ground, surrounded by his companions.  And I remember him suddenly turning into a blond and sitting up, wide-eyed and mystified.  I didn’t understand any of it at the time, of course.  And so I also remember turning to my dad, who was watching with excitement, while the credits were rolling and asking why the man turned into another man.  Oddly, that’s where the memory ends.  I don’t remember the response.  In fact, it’s only having since seen that episode as an adult that I have been able to identify it for what it was.

After that, I don’t have much in the way of Doctor Who related memories until the Paul McGann movie in 1996.  I was 14 and not well-steeped in Whovian lore at the time and I thought it was great.  My dad was more luke-warm to it because it just wasn’t the same as what he grew up with.  It was a sentiment shared by many, unfortunately, which meant that Paul McGann’s wonderful take on the Doctor was relegated purely to audio adventures until the 50th anniversary in 2013.  Sadly, in the early days of the internet, those of us who liked it weren’t quite able to find each other yet.  In the days of Usenet and mailing lists, it was still only the most hardcore fans of a thing who got together to geek out.  Meaning that most of the conversation was “oh, that’s all wrong.”  Lurking in those conversations, I saw pretty much every tremulous young person who dared to say that they liked it get slapped to the ground and told they weren’t a fan of “the real thing.”

Gate-keeping.  It’s nothing new.  And in 1996 Doctor Who fandom ran smack into its pad-locked closed barrier.  Around that same time other old but still active fandoms were starting to manifest the same thing on the internet.  It was when Trekkies suddenly separated into Trekkies (who had seen the original as it aired) and Trekkers (who came long later), for reasons I have never understood.

No, that’s not true.  I understand it.  Us humans tend to get possessive about our stories.  We have a sort of emotional ownership to them, even if not a legal one.  And when you feel an ownership of something, there is an instinct to protect it, keep it pure.  And to do that, it’s natural to try to set oneself up as an authority on the subject.

It took another decade for Doctor Who to come off the shelf again, in 2005.  I was 24 by then, the age that marketers tend to target.  A friend got his hands on a digi-copy of Christopher Eccleston’s first episode, “Rose,” that had been leaked to the internet in its entirety about a week before it actually aired.  We watched it before our D&D group met and I was instantly hooked.  And the friend that was responsible for the new addiction was only too happy to have new fandom friends.

The pendulum had swung.  Gate-keeping was out and welcoming people to the fandom was the MO.  Of course, there were and still are to this day old school Whovians who deny that anything past Sylvester McCoy exists, calling the 1996 movie and the current series a different show entirely.  There will always be those people.  But for the most part, Whovians welcomed new fans with open arms throughout all of Eccleston’s and David Tennant’s runs.

Now, that one cycle, from welcoming to gate-keeping, and back to welcoming, took 42 years.  Most things don’t last anywhere close to that long.  A show might be on for five years or a movie and its sequels be around for ten and after that, for the most part, it’s done.  And in the pre-internet age of fandom, the pendulum swung slowly enough never to hit a repeat in the cycle.

The internet has sped up everything about fandom.  The airing of just about any show in any country might as well be a world-wide premiere these days because it all just travels that quickly.  It has to if it wants to maintain any sort of surprise in its story lines, otherwise internet chatter will spoil it.  These days, things move so fast that even the few hours between an episode of Doctor Who airing in the UK and in the US is enough that one can be subjected to spoilers.  And the swing of the fandom pendulum has sped up accordingly.

For Doctor Who, it started swinging back again when David Tennant left the show and Matt Smith took over.  Tennant’s Doctor had a lot of fans who desperately didn’t want “their Doctor” to leave, many of whom took to the internet, swearing off the show.  They said it would never be as good because David Tennant was just the best Doctor ever.  By then, there were a number of us Millennial Whovians who had dug into the lore and were comfortable with the concept of regeneration as a part of it.  After all, it had already happened nine times.  And there was a bit of a tendency to call those people who swore off Matt Smith’s episodes as being fans not of Doctor Who but of David Tennant.  Meanwhile, of course, old school Whovians were patting us all on the head going “aren’t you cute.  Now you understand why Tom Baker leaving was such a thing.”

And so, the pendulum started to swing back.  You started having people call other people “not really fans of Doctor Who.”  That only got worse when Peter Capaldi took over and there was a significant portion of the fandom upset that the Doctor was now an older guy instead of the 30-something Doctors we had grown accustomed to.

Gate-keeping reared its ugly head for most of Capaldi’s run and, sadly, I think that kept a lot of people from the fandom and from really appreciating the 12th Doctor.  That cycle has started to swing back with Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor, but the gate-keeping is in a stage where it is desperate to hold on to what Doctor Who was when they became fans and therefore is very toxic right now.  It’s not pretty.  But those asshats are starting to be slapped to the ground on social media thanks to a new influx of fans who are now once again more comfortable with the idea of regeneration and its possibilities.

Similar swings are happening with many other fandoms.  The Star Wars fandom is a really ugly place right now, quite frankly.  Star Trek seems to be on the welcoming end.  There are always the exceptions to every generalization, of course.  There will always be “that guy” in fandom.

This swing has always existed.  Millennials are just the first generation for whom it has swung multiple times in the life of the show.  The internet is probably the biggest contributing factor to that.  What that means is that we’re the first generation to really have the chance to see the pattern for what it is.  A few of us have even been able to extrapolate back and understand that, no, this is how it always has been, just slower.

The hopeful part of that is this; by virtue of being the first to recognize the pattern, we are the first ones with the opportunity to learn from that history.  And now we’re starting to see fandoms that actively abhor gate-keeping and just want more people to come in and play.  But those tend to be very young fandoms.

The one that comes to mind for me is Critical Role.  This is a fandom that was wholly born on the internet, as the series is streamed live on Twitch.  It’s really unlike anything that has ever had a fandom this size before.  It’s only been around for four years or so.  But the cast is on its second D&D campaign which means it’s already had the opportunity to have the elitism gate that could be closed.  But something different seems to have happened.  The very moment that people started saying “I’m a real fan because I watched the Vox Machina campaign, not just the Mighty Nein,” they were told to shut the hell up and let people like things.  A foot was stuck into the gate and wrenched it back open before it could close.  And you know what?  The fandom has absolutely exploded in the last two years.  And I have yet to run into a single instance of someone gate-keeping for it that didn’t get an overwhelming and harsh rebuttal from the folks who welcome people to the fandom.

Sadly, the Critical Role fandom is distinct from the Dungeons & Dragons fandom on this point.  But therein lies the difference.  D&D is over 45 years old, ten times and more the age of Critical Role.  And the “satanic panic” over it in the 80s made a lot of D&D players very protective of the hobby, only amplifying that.  The age of your average Critter is only mid-to-late 20s or so.  At 37, I’m a little bit of an outlier, I have found.  The Critter fandom is big on TikTok which I... don’t grock, frankly, because I’m turning into an old fart.  But I’ve never, ever, been made to feel unwelcome because of that difference.  It’s been a refreshing experience, frankly.

In contrast, I really feel like I’m only now starting to be considered a “true Whovian” by the old school Whovians.  It took me 15 years and required me getting hooked on the classic stuff (which I was all too happy to do).  People who have never seen any of the classic stuff and don’t care to are often still looked down upon.  That needs to change.

The Critical Role fandom is still young and all of this may prove to be overly-optimistic in the end.  But I think it has the opportunity to be the first big fandom not to go through the gate-keeping cycle.  I sincerely hope we can hold on to that.  The cast and crew are a big part of that, with how they always hammer on the idea of inclusivity and engage so directly with the fandom.  “Don’t forget to love each other” is Matt Mercer’s sign-off at the end of every episode and serves as a constant reminder.  And if more casts and crews of more fandoms do that sort of engaging in the future, it will help break the cycle of fandom gate-keeping all the more thoroughly.  This is a fact that production companies are starting to awaken to as Millennials, comfortable with social media, age into positions of authority.

So, welcome people in, gate-keep, almost cause the whole thing to collapse, repeat.  That’s the cycle that fandom has engaged in for three generations and more.  But I think we’re on the cusp of breaking that cycle, for the most part.  The idea that you can be a fan of something without knowing absolutely everything about it has been gaining very visible traction in the last five years or so and it is wonderful to see.

Now, please, people.  Don’t prove me wrong.

[heartslogos]

newfragile yellows [724]

The cells are all well lit and clean, but they are unfurnished. None of the are in chains.

Kaaras, Skinner, and some of the Valos-Kas have been taken away for medical treatment. That is not something you do with people you are going to execute. Unless you’re going to torture them first and want them to really feel it.

But the air in these cells is not one of malice. They aren’t even chained. The manacles that the Wolf’s Acolytes and Emerald Knights had placed on them as they were being pulled off the transport were removed as soon as they were behind bars.

The elves in their brass and copper tinted armor lean against the opposite walls, hoods and scarves covering their faces as they murmur to each other.

“I apologize for the accommodations, and the lack of them,” one of them says, coming into Bull’s field of view and tossing a water skin through the bars. “But it would be most suspicious and bring a great amount of risk upon us if it were to be anything other than austere. There are certain images to be projected. Especially here.”

Bull doesn’t understand what that means, but he nods anyway.

“I am Tahne,” the woman says, “Those among your people who were injured and unwell have been taken to see a trusted physician. It may mean little to you, but I give my word that they are being tended to with utmost sincerity.”

“Do you expect a thank you?” Herah rasps from the cell to Bull’s left.

“No,” Tahne says, turning to look at one of the elves leaning against the wall. “But I hope it will earn a slight suspension of disbelief, and perhaps encourage you to listen. Abelas.”

“She’s late,” another elf says, also turned towards the elf standing directly across from the Iron Bull’s cell. “Abelas, do we send for her?”

“She has already been sent for,” Abelas says, “She arrives when she arrives.”

“But what if —“

“Do not tempt fate with your what if’s,” Abelas cuts in. “Silence is the only prayer we can offer.”

Whatever prayer silence amounts to must get through to something.

He isn’t able to mark time down here very well, not with his head pounding like this and with no other indicators. The only thing he has to measure is his own breath and the increasing anxiety building off of the elves on the other side of the bars.

And then as one they all turn to Bull’s right. Bull can’t fit his head through the bars to look, and there isn’t enough room for him to find an angle he can see down the hallway.

All of the elves stand at attention, fists to their chests as they bow their heads in solemn silence.

“Princess,” Abelas says. “And my Prince.”

Slowly, the sound of cloth over stone and slow footsteps — five? Six — draws closer.

The first two figures to come into Bull’s view to stand with Abelas can only be the Prince and Princess. He’s seen them from afar before, during festivals, and once or twice during parades or when they’ve toured through the city. But the memory he has of them then and them now is — stark.

They look wan, gaunt, sick. Their eyes are shadowed, and their already fine features have been whittled away making their faces look too sharp. Mahanon Lavellan is dressed darkly, his brilliant hair tied back from his face making his features even more severe. He leans heavily against the wall, arms crossed over his chest as he scans the cells.

Ellana Lavellan, he’s seen a few more times. She’s been known to frequently give alms to the poor, attending mass with the common folk, walking among the markets and attending city fairs. He’s seen glimpses of her during tourneys, throwing flowers into the ring and waving ribbon streamers. She had looked sanguine and joyous.

She looks drained. Frail.

And most curious, for a Princess with access to the coffers of a nation as rich as the Dales, as known for its color and vibrancy and unique fashions, is that she is completely covered from chin to foot in heavy fabric. During summer.

The cells themselves are cool for they are underground, shielded from the sun. But he doubts Princess Lavellan has been spending her entire day down here. Why is the Princess of the Dales dressed for mid-winter during the hottest months of the year?

And despite being dressed for colder climes, why does she not look flushed at all?

“This is he?” the Princess asks. Her voice is low, quiet, and ragged. She sounds sick, too. He’s heard her speak before. She did not sound like this.

“The Iron Bull and his Chargers,” Abelas answers. “As well as the remains of the Valos-Kas.”

The Princess nods, slowly turning as her brother did to examine the cells before letting her eyes rest on Bull.

She walks towards his cell, not stopping until the hem of her dress is pressed against the bars.

“Princess,” Bull greets her. But he does not bow.

“Hissrad,” she replies and Bull feels like he’s been slapped. Not a painful slap. Just a…surprising slap. “Cut the formality. There isn’t the time for it, nor is this the situation. There is not the time for it. Our absences will be noticed, and if we do not come to a conclusion before then, there shall be a most undesirable one for all of us, you and yours in particular.”

“Lavellan,” Bull says, “I feel like you’ve cut out a greater portion of a conversation that you seem to think we’ve already had.”

The Princess turns her head slightly over her shoulder and Abelas jerks his head. Someone from out of view — an elf, not dressed as Abelas or these other guardians. She’s dressed more appropriately than the Princess is for the weather, more familiar to what Bull is used to seeing on Dalish elves during summer. She wars a light green tunic loose on her, but gathered at the waist and cinched with a wide leather band studded and stitched into a pattern resembling flowers. Her leggings are a darker shade of green, woven and plaited with chevrons. Her arms are bare except for a single bracelet on each wrist.

She holds a bulging coin purse and she opens it, tilting it in her hands to show the contents to Bull.

Gold.

“My brother and I are in need of your services,” the Princess says, “We will hire you for one job and one job only. The gold is the funds you will need for this assignment.”

“And what is the payment for actually doing it?”

“Your life,” Prince Mahanon rasps bitterly. Princess Ellana holds her hand up, silencing him.

“Your life,” she says, much softer but no less firm, “The lives of your men, the lives of the Valos-Kas, and the lives of an entire nation. Perhaps, if we are very lucky, the lives of all of Thedas.”

Bull can’t help but let out a burst of laughter at that.

“What, are you hiring us to stop the war?”

The Princess’ expression of solemn determination doesn’t even flicker.

“Yes, the Iron Bull. That is exactly what I want to hire you to do.”

[spacetimewraithwrites-archive]

Requested by @pen-in-hand, all the even numbers of this ask game. The rest is under the cut!

02. What is one of your character’s biggest insecurities? Are they able to hide it easily or can others easily exploit this weakness?

Warren struggles with his self-worth in general. He often feels like he has no place in the universe, that he doesn’t belong, and he’s pretty good at hiding it from people who don’t know him really well (or, you know...those who can read his feelings just by touching his skin UWU lol)

04. What are their favorite traits about their lover? (one psychological and one physical)

It goes without saying that Warren is enamored with almost every part of Thrive mentally and physically, but his favorite physical trait would probably be his eyes (that’s something I include in a lot of my writing...I have a thing for characters with things for eyes lmao. mostly green and blue, too....huh). He loves their color and the fact that he can read him pretty darn well despite the fact that Thrive is very good at masking his true mental state.

I know it said one of each but I’d say he loves Thrive’s hands as much as he favors his eyes. He’s quite fond of their shape and bone structure, as well as the fact that when they’re not completely upending the laws of physics they’re twitching or flexing as if he’s not sure what to do with them at any given time.

Psychologically, the biggest thing that attracts Warren to Thrive is his intelligence. Over eight thousand years of knowledge exists within him and he’s extremely adept at putting that knowledge and wisdom to good use, and that’s a big turn-on for Warren lmao.

06. Do they have any hobbies that their lover finds unusual, odd, or otherwise annoying?

Hmm...Warren’s only real hobbies are coding/programming and dancing, and I think because Thrive comes from a planet and culture that never discovered the impact of dance, he finds it a bit unusual. More intriguing than annoying, I believe. He’ll humor Warren with a slow dance sometimes (twice in the books so far, once during a pretty emotionally heavy scene in...Eternal? maybe? maybe Aurora. I dunno yet. and once leading into their first big love scene in Rebirth).

08. What is, perhaps, their biggest flaw? Are they aware of this or oblivious to it?

Warren’s biggest flaw may be a little bit subjective but in my opinion, it’s the fact that he’s so willing to throw himself into the fire for good causes. His jumping headfirst into being on Thrive’s side before they even met, running headlong into the Milky Way war, going against Thrive’s explicit wishes (orders. they were orders.) and ███████ ███ ██ █████████, that kinda thing.

10. Is your character more feminine or masculine?

He’s more masculine in the “traditional” sense, but he’s not ashamed of his more “feminine” qualities. He’s been brought to tears on a few occasions and it’s important to him to maintain a good channel of open communication and honesty when it comes to emotions within any kind of relationship.

Except, you know...with Brayden when it comes to Thrive lmao WHOOPSIE

12. Is there some particular talent, skill, or attribute that they simply could not give up?

His gift with computers and tech has always kinda been expendable to him, he loves doing it but if he woke up one day and forgot how to do any of it he wouldn’t be as torn up as, say, one day he woke up and forgot how to dance. He got through his teenage years (though he almost didn’t) because of dance, and he could never in a million years willingly give that up.

14. Do they live alone or with family? How do they feel about their family/roommates?

If you were to get smartass-y, for like 99% of the first two books he lives with the entire universe since he technically is homeless. The once-uninhabited Tournaltis becomes his home in book 3, and while he doesn’t spend much time there over the course of the next books, it’s always an option in the background.

He ends up with seventy-one roommates and while I can’t say...well, anything about them (other than Thrive obvs), I can and will say that he isn’t sure what to make of them, in the most affectionate way possible lol.

16. Is your character the athletic type or more of a couch potato? What are some sports/games that they like?

Warren isn’t much of a sports guy, but he’s also not really a couch potato. He loves the outdoors and doesn’t like being cooped up in one place for too long, which is why being put up in the Destiny is especially hard on him. He doesn’t mind spaceships so much since they’re always moving from point A to point B.

18. What kind of home would they want to live in? Where would they place this abode?

To be true, his dream home is his grandparents’ cabin in Alaska. Off the grid for the most part, deep in the forest, right by the lake...’kay maybe not the lake so much, but he’s a loner at heart and always will be.

20. Does your character like animals? What are some of their favorite animals? Would they want pets? What about mythological creatures?

Warren doesn’t mind animals, but he’s not a big pet person. Interestingly, I think his favorite animal is the desert lights that come out at night over the beach on Tournaltis. They’re phosphorescent orange glowing insect-like creatures that float in the air over the shore, stretching from the water all the way back to the cliff face. He thinks they’re so interesting and they create a beautiful landscape, especially when the sky is clear and the Milky Way makes an appearance.

22. What kind of tattoos, piercings, birthmarks, freckles, and other such unique physical features do they have?

He’s still got a hole in his right ear (I think, yikes) from when he was fourteen and got it pierced, though he hasn’t worn an earring since, and he wouldn’t mind a tattoo if he ever came across a memorable or one with enough meaning. He’s got various freckles on different parts of his body, but no birthmarks.

24. In their own words, how would your character describe what their lover is like?

“Full of love and passion, unbelievable wisdom and an overwhelming sense of spiritual righteousness that only doesn’t come off as arrogance because he himself does not seem to be able to cope with the fact that he can’t save everyone in the universe.”

26. What is their lover like sexually? How do they feel about their lover’s quirks, needs, etc?

Thrive is not a sexual being normally. In fact, he’s only interested in the act when he’s physically interacting with someone who’s feelin’ some type of way, but he gets enjoyment out of Warren’s satisfaction and his unique emotional signature, so truthfully he only does things for him as they both equally benefit.

Warren feels a little guilty about this since he’s hardwired to believe that it’s important to make sure all parties are left feeling taken care of during intimacy...it takes a bit for him to get used to the fact that Thrive gets his kicks from him getting his kicks, lmao

28. If your character became a celebrity, what would they be famous for?

Well...he kinda is a celebrity? At least in the year 2272. I mean...he helped save the galaxy for cryin’ out loud. Truthfully not as well-known at Thrive, but the textbooks all mention Warren at some point.

30. When it comes to the arts (music, film, theater, etc), what does your character like?

He likes mostly indie stuff and some hip-hop and rock, both residual from his middle- and high-school years. He surprisingly doesn’t watch a lot of movies. He can appreciate art and actually dabbled a bit in painting when he was a kid, but he ultimately decided it was better left to those with a talent for it.

32. If your character’s lover offered to take them out on a dream date, what would they want to do?

Warren is pretty classically romantic in the sense that just some time under the moon(s) and stars is perfectly fine with him.

I’ve been thinking of including a scene in like, Eternal or something that likens to Mass Effect 3′s Citadel DLC...I kinda wanna put Warren and Thrive on a dinner-and-activity sort of date on the Node and play with how uncomfortable or surprisingly comfortable they may and/or may not be in that situation. Also kinda for a purpose as they’d be discussing the goings-on and their next plan or whatever.

34. Does your character have favorite foods? (breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snacks, etc)

Warren likes all food at all times. Really, that’s truly it lmao

36. Does your character have any medical conditions? Are they serious or minor? Do they affect their day to day life?

He doesn’t have any medical conditions that I can think of off the top of my head...well, I mean...there may or may not be some stuff after Rebirth....

38. What kind of weather does your character like? Cloudy skies, rainy days, sunshine, etc?

He’s particularly fond of cloudy, snowy or rainy weather where you just wanna curl up under a blanket and sleep.

40. Does your OC have any guilty pleasures they enjoy? Hobbies, past times, music, etc that they wouldn’t want known by others?

Not really. Warren feels (like I do) that anything you enjoy should be done without shame, within reason.

42. Is there anything in your character’s past that they regret, haunts them, or they wish they could change?

He does regret how he could’ve left his grandparents. He regrets putting them through the horror of almost losing him, especially not that long after losing their son and their daughter-in-law to illnesses.

Not saying goodbye to the rest of his family, or anyone really, before the end of Destiny is a big one. Everything that happened on the Destiny, definitely.

44. Is there a particular event that would emotionally devastate your character?

WELP. I can’t quite...HUH. I can’t exactly...well, I can’t talk about it lol

Maybe losing Thrive somehow????????? and I cannot confirm nor deny that this happens. lmao

46. What is some random affectionate thing that your character always does to their lover?

He calls him “babe” a lot, which like...always makes my knees weak ngl lol

Also, he likes to try to get ahead of Thrive’s needs, waiting in their room to give him neck rubs after a stressful day on Tournaltis, for example. Or letting Thrive reach into his mind to be reassured or comforted or whatever it is he’s looking for at the time.

He also loves to flirt with him because his reactions are amusing lmao

48. Is there anything in particular that would ignite your character’s jealousy? Or does your character not get envious?

Warren is the most jealous before he’s officially in a relationship with Thrive. After that threshold’s crossed, not so much. His feelings toward Sussa in regards to Thrive before fully understanding the nature of their situation is uhh not great.

I mean sure, if he saw Thrive mackin’ on someone else right in front of his face he’d have QUESTIONS....

But he trusts him and knows that they could talk through anything if feelings shifted or began leaning a certain way.

50. If your character confessed love to their crush, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc, what would they say?

Warren would say, “I’m crazy about you. Insanely, tragically in love with you.”

And Thrive would say nothing. Cuz that’s canon lmao

[freykja-blog]

weight loss

Very first somewhat of personal track record.  I come from a household of massive individuals. My father was six ft 6 inches (195cm) tall and weighed close to 300 lbs . (136 kilograms). Myself and 3 of my brothers also are about the 6 ft mark and weigh around the 260 kilos mark. I was not an awesome sportsman at school. I only began taking part in rugby in the last two several years at college As well as in the military the calendar year immediately after. Then followed a split for seven several years, right before I performed my past season. I used to be a decent head prop, and rather unbeknown to me, I wounded my base two vertebrae.  In my job I traveled a great deal, drank a whole lot, smoked quite a bit and exercised tiny. Resultantly, I gradually but certainly acquired fat. I did go to health club for two brief stints, inspired by my brother who was a championship bodybuilder. Each time I had sensible outcomes, but then my operate would transfer me, and I'd personally halt yet again. 

With the age of forty I stopped drinking, and two yrs later I finished using tobacco. And I grew to become as big like a property. My excess weight went nearly 301 pounds. I was obese, unfit and unhealthy. When my daughter advised her mom I seem like I'm nine in addition to a fifty percent months Expecting, I decided to do one thing over it And that i joined a gymnasium. Simply because I needed to vacation an extended length in really weighty website traffic, I decided to utilize the fitness center to my benefit also to journey to your gymnasium near to my operate, work out and after that go to operate. 

I did not have cash for a personal coach. Right here in SA they charge all over $200 for twelve classes. I see in the United states of america, they charge just as much as $sixty for an individual session. So I utilised a application that my brother gave me and went on a very low carbohydrate diet regime. The education plan consisted of two factors: A cardiovascular part along with a bodyweight-education aspect. The first working day, once the cardiovascular schooling, I assumed I used to be going to die. I needed to relaxation 3 times inside the 100 yards I needed to stroll  back again to my auto. But little by little but surely I got fitter, and I could run, row and cycle for longer intervals. In the beginning I misplaced fat very quickly, but just after about twenty pounds, I finished loosing body weight.

Which was the time I made a decision to employ a personal trainer. She worked out a new teaching application for me, and set me on an extremely rigorous diet regime. The condition was that I generally felt hungry, and Once i needed to do excess weight instruction, I felt weak and could not press myself to the limit. Once i complained, I didn't get a lot of sympathy, and was provided the old cliché "no ache, no get." The situation was that neither the teaching system nor the eating plan was altered to my level of Health and fitness and Power demands. As you can imagine, I cheated Along with the diet plan and did not loose any fat.

I then joined an internet based teaching, Health and fitness and diet application. First of all, a twelve-week training course expenditures up to a person week with my past coach. I was Certainly astounded with every one of the companies they offer on the net. Much more than 40 specialist instructors to get in touch with on 24 several hours a day, a lot more than 178 exercise routines demonstrated on video, a personalized food plan and training approach based upon your true level of fitness as well as a good deal much more. You'll find calculators to exercise anything from a exceptional coronary heart stage, physique mass index, for your perfect hip to Center ratio. In addition, you will find a lot more than twenty other video clips demonstrating workout routines like kickboxing, Pilates, Main teaching, aerobics and perhaps a boot camp! All no cost.

Soon after figuring out my present-day measurements, Health and fitness amount and coronary heart level, we talked about my targets and objectives, the amount I need to free above how long a period of time. My on line Physical fitness Experienced then sent me a personal schooling software and also a tailored diet plan. I learned ways to eat the best foods five periods each day and I felt powerful a brimming with Electricity. Due to the fact I are afflicted with hypertension and cholesterol, my eating plan and instruction method built provision for that and also my weak back again.

I never believe in taking diet program capsules along with other urge for food suppressants. Although they must get the job done, that's debatable, It's important to quit employing them someday. Your hunger will return and you may regain the burden missing. A person may use a little bit of a protein substitute since it is handy if you find yourself at perform and can't cook, and many nutritional vitamins and minerals, but that is all. Individually I think that just one should not unfastened a lot more than two lbs . a week, as that A great deal, coupled with the exercise routines, will cause the skin shrinking with you, and leaving you clean and unwrinkled. I also explained to my coach that I usually do not wish to look like a bodybuilder, just have an inexpensive physique. My goal was to unfastened body weight and become healthier.

Properly, I am happy to report that about the next twenty months I missing an extra forty-4 kilos, and achieved my aim fat. I'm now in good shape; do sixty minutes heavy cardiovascular education thrice weekly and resistance coaching three times every week. My hypertension and cholesterol is usually below control. Due to the guidance I been given from the online instruction and diet plan expert, I have developed a totally new lifestyle And that i am sustaining my weight.

You too can boost your fitness whenever you be a part of a good on the net Physical fitness and schooling system. They will teach you the right schooling tactics, provide you with a custom made food plan system and help you to achieve ideal Exercise.

So my vote goes to an internet based fitness, education and diet plan. They provide Substantially A great deal more than a normal particular coach and can be found for help 24/7. There is absolutely no excuse to not exercising. Begin nowadays.

Obesity has started to become prevalent all across the world. Weight-loss surgical procedure is really a are unsuccessful-Harmless treatment to achieve significant fat loss. It's improvising the life of numerous obese folks throughout the globe. Nonetheless, many people who are in enormous need of it nonetheless doesn't take into account it risky as many myths encompass it. While they could have loved the main advantages of an obesity0free lifetime, they continue combating further pounds.

Mrs. Shena Majumdar is 31 several years outdated interior designer who encountered one thing comparable. She usually had been a little chubby form her faculty days. She hardly ever minds currently being chubby, as she 'assumed' being fatty is an indication of health and fitness. She turned noticeably obese right after she was married. In the beginning, she attempted to defend her growing weight by assuming it had been as a result of her hormone amount and new food items practices. She was good that issues will recuperate as she will change with, but points failed to get as per her belief and she or he kept gaining bodyweight.

It was not Unless of course 2 several years later on when she was clinically stated as obese. It absolutely was during the maternity clinic where she sought consultation after failing to possess a purely natural conception for approximately six months. She was suggested to discover a bariatric guide and drop excess weight just before striving again. She investigated the complete phenomenon of efficient weight reduction on the Internet. She made a decision to give a make an effort to a complete-fledged healthcare therapy but 'an individual' shared their opinion that surgery could possibly make it hard for her to possess a pure conception in a while.

A horrifying canceled her appointment and as a substitute jointed a gymnasium. Even just after working out pretty really hard for six weeks, she didn't get any sizeable result. Someday she had to be carried out by her husband because of overexertion. On extensive examination, she was suggested a weight loss operation in the earliest advantage. After a session only she came to are aware that the operation would not affect her fertility in almost any way. Having said that, fat loss does improve the hormonal amount and Consequently, it could improve the chances of natural thriving conception considerably.

She underwent the operation and the outcomes were just awesome. She chooses to undergo for the laparoscopic bariatric surgical procedures and Subsequently, she was discharged rather soon. She designed a quicker Restoration and saved dropping excess weight over a time period. Even so, the health care provider advised her to look forward to a yr prior to seeking for the child yet again. Inside the calendar year she recognized many positive adjustments.

Immediately after fourteen months she all over again commenced attempting for your baby, which time she was ready to effectively conceive inside four months. She, down the road, experienced a safe pregnancy and childbirth forward. She is now leading a contented and healthful life in advance.

Several unique ordeals some very similar circumstance. As opposed to the Constitution having an being overweight medical procedures medical professional, they get misdirected via the myths bordering being overweight surgical treatment. On the other hand, it can be vital to independent myths and facts, In terms of any health-related therapy. Avail timely consultation from an being overweight surgical treatment health care provider.

[littlespacestars]

Shallura Fic Rec (#2)

Shallura Rec List (#2)

I previously made a list of my favorite Shallura fics, and decided to pull together a new one for you guys!! Hopefully you find something you haven’t read yet. There’s a bit of a lag in Shallura fics lately (and content in general), but there’s absolutely still some good ones! Again, these are categorized to the best of my ability, since some of them can apply to more than one group!

Shallura Rec List (#1) is here

Fluff

Like an Eagle - Revasnaslan

“It turned out that explaining trust falls to an alien was a little bit more difficult than Shiro thought it was going to be.

Written for Shallura Week Day 3 (Trust / Growth)”

Sharing Earth culture, trusting, Allura scares TF out of Shiro

Wingman - thir13enth

“Coran is never subtle. Shallura.”

Supportive Coran, protective space uncle, wingman Coran

 She’s Like the Sun - sdd_writes_things

“In which neither Shiro nor Allura can actually sleep at night and they're super thirsty for each other, turning tentative hand holding into nearly making love on the floor which then somehow turns into seventy miles of blankets and then sleeping in front of a window.”

Almost smutty content, shy handholding to violent necking, insomnia, pining, not explicit

Nighttime - butimnotinthefandom

“Shiro sees to his crew and spends some time alone with Allura.”

Shiro’s POV, space family, minor Klance/Klangst, flirting, domestic, stargazing, pining, sharing stress,  “Innocent Shallura massage”

Where Sleep Will Be Peaceful ; Unharried by Terror - gallantrejoinder

“Four times Allura and Shiro slept side by side and it didn't mean anything - plus the one time that it did.”

Insomnia, four times plus one, sharing a bed, nightmares, sleep, gentle and soft things, misunderstandings, pining, happy ending, slight mature content

 At 2200 Hours - braincoins

 “It's the end of a long day aboard the Castle ship. Time to relax and unwind.”

Shallura Sundays, prompt, domestic, fluff, background Klance, space parents, playful flirting and teasing, tired Shiro

 Sock Sliding at 2am - mantharay

“Allura and Shiro are distraught and stressed after the events of Crystal Venom (S1x09). Through the power of sliding down dark castle halls like children, they learn that to be a leader, you can't be serious all the time.

Oh, and there's some Emotions™.”

Fluff and angst, comfort, PTSD, panic/anxiety attacks, comfort, platonic relationship, sort of, possible pining

 Moments of You - Seliphra

“When Allura gets injured saving the day, Shiro can't help but try to take care of her.”

First kiss, love confessions, canon-typical injury and violence, minor injuries, BAMF Allura, nervous Shiro, hurt/comfort, Shiro is in awe and Allura is amazing,

 Come Down to the Water Where the Sky is Blue and Yellow - armouredescort (Part 1 of A Long Road to Courtship)

“Allura convinces Shiro to go to the beach.”

Day at the beach, beach episode, tooth-rotting fluff, space family, water fight, slow burn

 Working to Relax - IHaveNothingToDo

“Allura's tense and her hair is a mess. Shiro helps.“

Soft, Shiro plays with Allura’s hair, it’s the mice’s fault, short fic

 3 AM - jaztice

“Shiro and Allura are hanging out in Allura's room around 3am.”

Shiro is ticklish, kissing, tickling, hickeys, short fic

 Ancient - juniperallura

 “For prompt "Shallura, ancient. The universe can be very heavy and make you feel very small.”

Fluff, angst, comfort, playful banter, short fic

A Matter of Time - teslatricity (nayanroo)

“The war's over, and the universe is starting to rebuild. As Allura leads the charge in forming new alliances, looking to the future, Shiro considers the kind of future he wants for them. But being a paladin means that your plans tend to go awry and your timing is never the greatest...“

Engagement, Shiro is a bit of a disaster, but he loves her so much ya’ll, background relationships, but only if you’re looking for it, proposal-blocked, supportive Keith, gorgeous scenery, nervous Shiro, Shiro’s parents, new home

 Angst

As You Wish - SippingThatTea

“Every time Allura asked something from Shiro, he merely responded 'As you wish'. Allura does wonder if there was more to that.”

Fluff and humor, angst with a happy ending, short fic

Betrayal (2/2) - YoGrossDude

“Shiro is turned against Team Voltron. Allura must stop him. A life and death struggle, and what comes after.”

Dark Shiro, characters fighting, major character injury, angst, possession, aftermath of possession, aftermath of violence, mind control aftermath & recovery, panic attacks, PTSD, suicidal thoughts

Crown Another - carrotycake

“‘And for every king that died

Oh, they would crown another...’

Allura struggles with accepting the mantle of Black Paladin.”

Angst, black paladin Allura, cool lions doing mystical things, Allura is sad, grief/mourning, Keith is a good friend

Multichapter

Watch Me Lovely (7/?) - realityisiron

“‘What exactly did you think you were agreeing to?’

- - - - -

Shiro could pretend to be Allura’s concubine for a week. After all, concubines were for behind closed doors. There’d be no reason for them to have to do anything crazy.

Except Shiro may have made a huge translation error, one that will come back to bite him in rather… unexpected ways. And places.”

Explicit, eventual NSFW, porn with plot, mutual pining, romance, fake/pretend relationship, comedy, hurt/comfort, Shiro angst, alien culture, alien biology, alien sex, exhibitionism, femdom, world building  

Like Real People Do (5/5) - andtheblueberrymuffins (Part 1 of Like Real People Do)

“Shiro knows this is wrong. Everything is wrong. But they need him. Keith said so, and Shiro knows, he knows, that if they need him he has to help them. It’s what he would do. It’s what he does. (Everything is fine.)

Or: The one where something is very wrong with Shiro after his second escape from the Galra.”

Tragedy, Post-Season/Series 03, Speculation about Shiro post season 3, ‘Shiro’, Implied/Referenced mind control, mind control aftermath & recovery, clone Shiro, prepare your tissues and cry deeply

 The Princess and the Pilot (2/?) - ashesandhoney

“In an alternate timeline, Shiro gets picked up by the Galra before the war starts and eventually ends up being given to the Princess of the Alteans as a joke or an attempt to start a war or as a mistake. Whatever their motive was for sending him, Allura is now left trying to figure out what to do with him.”

AU, prisoner Shiro, slow burn, misunderstanding, strangers to lovers

 Jealousy (3/3) - juniperallura

“As the team forges a new alliance, Shiro must confront a figure from Allura's past, a new challenge, and his own feelings.”

Jealously, pining, mutual pining, light angst, fluff, confessions, Shiro is moody and hopelessly in love 

 Shallura Babies/Children

We’re All Just Stars With People Names - babyfairy (babyfairybaekhyun)

“The space parents become legitimate space parents.”

Post-war, star babies, inspired by art, pregnancy, FLUFF, twins, birthing scene, space family, Coran is going to spoil them

Three Merging Currents - pixie_rings (materassassino)

“One quintessence, two quintessences… and then three. Allura and Shiro have made something unique, but Altean pregnancy is its own special thing.”

Space family, alien biology, dropping the pregnancy annoucement bomb, new parents, Allura is strong AF and has cravings

Creating Constellations - stratagem (stardustandrobotlions)

“Allura and Shiro weren't expecting parenthood to start off with such a bang, but they have to improvise when Allura goes into labor during a space battle.”

Childbirth, space battle, space pirates, shallura baby, space family

Like Bringing Color to Children - distinctive_pineapples

“'Lance,' Shiro started, his 'dad face' already at a maximum (because holy crow, he actually was a dad now, and Lance was about to be very, very dead). 'Is there a reason why you just called my daughter an animated lion?'”

Lance ends up nicknaming Shiro and Allura's newborn daughter after an animated lion. It's met with mixed reactions, but at one point or another, everyone caves.’

Future Fic, Shallura baby

 Who Tells Your Story? - after_midnightmunchies

“‘Do you think history will remember us?’

Allura has some doubts and Shiro quickly dismisses them.”

Brief mention/view of children, Shallura Week 2017, Prompt: Legacy, Future Fic, married life, canon compliant, established relationship, minor Uncle Klance, one-shot

 A Wonderful Night...? - ebonynightwriter (Part 5 of Shallura Week 2017)

“Returning to the ship after a night out, Shiro and Allura find two very important things are missing.”

Fluff, fun/humor, star babies, space family, love, Shallura!kids, one-shot, future fic, established relationship, Shallura Week 2017

Two Front Teeth - stratagem (stardustandrobotlions)

“Remember that time that Shiro forgot to tell Allura that human children lose their baby teeth, and that might happen with an Altean-Human child, too? Yeah, good times.”

Little humans lose their teeth and that’s disturbing to Alteans, tooth fairy, adventures in child-rearing, Altean-human kids are SO confusing, Allura and Coran are horrified, space family

 Shallura AU

Lead me Home - distinctive_pineapples

“The universes may change, but there's always a familiar face to help Shiro move forward. [Takes place post-season 2 or outside of canon continuity]

My contribution to Shallurazine's "Stars Aligned" issue 2.”

AU, but not really, canon universe, post-season 2

 Hold Onto Me (1/?) - killashilla (shalluravoltron)

“The prestigious Garrison Academy welcomes two royal exchange students from Altea. Whirlwind romances and harsh realities unfold as Allura, Lance, Shiro, Keith, Hunk, and Pidge navigate love, life, and high school.

The first day that Princess Allura and her cousin Lance arrive in a different galaxy, thousands of light years from Altea. They'll have to finish their educations here, on an unfamiliar planet with unfamiliar people. Luckily, these royals are quick to find allies...very close, very dreamy allies.”

Don’t Be Scared - thi13tenth

“there's still time.

—shallura. au. (for shalluraweek 2017, day two: hands; names.)”

Beach, fluff, established relationship, flirting

 That’s How You Know - Bleusarcelle

“It takes a while but then the sun sets, the terrace get brighter and Shiro can only stare fondly as Allura keeps talking, eyes wide with excitement and arms flying around vividly at every word coming out of her mouth.

He’s entranced and he doesn't want to look away but his phone beeps besides him, letting him know it’s a quarter before midnight.

He voices his new discovery and he’s met with a confused arched eyebrow and a soft gasp.

‘What? Already?’

Those gotta be his new favorite words.”

Modern setting AU, getting together, established Klance, BG Klance, first meetings, awkward flirting, first dates, pining Shiro, smitten Shiro, mutual pining, marriage proposal, adoptive siblings Keith and Shiro, cousins Lance and Allura

 Wedding - juniperallura

“For prompt "Shallura + Wedding"

The young officers are excited for a gathering outside the Garrison”

 Garrison AU, fluff, dancing, BFF Matt and Shiro, mutual pining, short fic

 Mentor of the Month - RoknRollPumpkin

“Allura is ready but Shiro isn't. And that's ok.”

 Engineering/bodyshop AU, mentor Allura, fluff, soft sexual content, mature

 Drabble Collections

Shallura Week 2017 (7/7) - hatandgoggles

“My prompt fills for Shallura week 2017

Day 1: Dancing

Day 2: Gender/cisswap

Day 3: Roleswap

Day 4: Wedding

Day 5: Cooking

Day 6: Romantic date

Day 7: Free day (Roswell)”

Genderswap, cisswap, rule 63, roleswap, rolereversal, human Allura, Altean Shiro, 50s au, 40s au, wedding, proposal, single dad au, dancing

 Shallura Week (3/?) - juniperallura

“A collection of drabbles based off the 2017 Shallura Week prompts.”

Fluff, angst, Hands/Names, Trust, Lost/Found

Beyond Fading Stars - RukiaG

“Series of one-shots for Shallura week 2017. Some may be AU, some not.

Chapter 1: Time & Space. In a different reality, Shiro and Allura meet at a hospital.

Chapter 2: Hands & Names. Allura teaches Altean to the Paladins and Shiro tries to control his crush on her.

Chapter 3: Trust & Growth. Team Voltron does trust falls.

Chapter 4: Potential & Free. Fullmetal Alchemist AU in which Shiro is a veteran from the Ishval Civil War and Allura is an alchemist. (WARNING: may contain some references to the manga and Brotherhood’s ending).

Chapter 5: Lost & Found. The mice are lost. Shiro helps Allura find them.”

Shallura Week 2017, AU - modern setting, canon universe, language lessons, pining Shiro, trust falls, PTSD, team bonding, FMA universe, mice washing

Hurt/Comfort

She Stops My Bones From Wondering - pixie_rings (materassassino)

“Some nights, Shiro can't sleep. On those nights, Allura reminds him he isn't alone.”

PTSD, weird imagery, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it-sex, not enough for a M rating Shiro-centric, introspection, please let space dad rest, short fic

And We Hold On - ebonynightwriter (Part 3 of Shallura Week 2017)

‘“It’s not your fault.” // “How do you know?”’

Drama, Hurt/Comfort, injury, recovery, dark sides, one-shot, canon universe, post-season 2, Shallura Week 2017, this got way more “Avatar state” than originally intended, Allura’s quintessence, magic

Acceptance - rainingWolf

“Shiro couldn't be whole if she just fished his right arm out of the garbage compactor. The Castle had alerted her, as if sensing that she needed to know exactly what was going on within the confines of the pristine whiteness that had never been dark. Allura had reached in, expecting something else, anything else, maybe one of the Mice had been trapped- but then her hand touched something foreign, something familiar, and she pulled, pulled…

She never knew her heart could hurt this much, could twist this sharply at the sight of a material object.”

Shalluraweek, Lost/Found, angst, stressed Shiro, Galra arm, short fic

 Comfort - coralreefskim

“...The moment was so delicate, gentle, that she didn’t dare speak. Both of them didn’t. Their breathing was soft, shallow even, warm brown eyes meeting kaleidoscope ones, and they just stayed there. Stayed there, until they both fell asleep, unconsciously, comfortably, like how it hadn’t been from since the war had been declared.

The paladins found them the next morning, still sleeping, her hand still on his.”

Fluff and angst, mental instability, character study, nightmares, emotional hurt/comfort, could pass as platonic, mutual emotional support

 Something Like Anthrax - pixie_rings (materassassino)

“What started off as a diplomatic mission quickly turns into a 1950s B-movie sci-fi cliché. The Paladins and Allura end up on a planet of amazons for negotiations. Things don't go quite to plan.”

Emotional hurt/comfort, plot, science fiction cliches, unwanted sexual advances, nonbinary Pidge, flashbacks, PTSD, space family, mission, banquet, established Shallura, also Shiro gets the top bunk bed OKAY

 Little Talks - Revasnaslan

“Fascination with Shiro's hand leads to some conversations about names and anxieties about the past.

Written for Shallura Week Day 2 (Hands / Names)”

Hurt/comfort, sharing culture, insecurities, short fic

 Again and Again - TKipani

“Nighttime is for tears, memories, and comfort.”

Hurt/Comfort, Post-episode 9, Shiro comforting Allura, crying, Allura tries to stay strong and hide her emotions, some fluff

NSFW

Don’t Need Anything Else, Just Need You - babyfairybaekhyun (babyfairy)

“She turns to him and her eyes are glowing stars that call to him from behind her helmet. He wants her, he wants her badly, he wants her now.”

NSFW, slight plot, BAMF Allura and Shiro, turned on from the heat of battle, doin’ it in the Black Lion, dom!Shiro, oral sex, post-sex fluff, they are cuties, for littlespacestars

The Edge of Something - ashesandhoney

“In which Shiro has some kind of magical ability and Allura has some kind of Altean mating cycle and there are jokes about Hogwarts letters and bowling and a very slow building, cuddling and self indulgent sex scene.”

NSFW, Slow self-indulgent sex scenes, resolved sexual tension, sex magic, porn w/out porn, Shiro has magic, mating cycles/in heat

Build Your Castle Into Me - nayanroo (teslatricity)

“The night before Allura's coronation, she tells her husband how nervous she is, how worried she is that she won't be a good queen. And, being a good husband, Shiro helps her relax.”

NSFW, Oral sex, throne sex, marriage, established relationship, porn with plot, Allura really likes seeing him on his knees in front of her, but who can really blame her

Sound - Braincoins (Part 1 of the Senses series)

“Allura has an overabundance of quintessence. Who knew that could even happen?! Worse still, the best and quickest method for reducing it to normal levels requires... assistance. But it's ask Shiro for help or resign herself to not sleeping. Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

NSFW, casual sex, sort of, convenience sex, contrived excuses, Allura’s trying to make this PWP, not sure if she succeeds, hint of voice kink, language, pining

Sometimes the Wild Gorlax Rides You - Nary

“"Look," he said, "I promise I'll take a break if you will. Deal?"

"Perhaps... It would be nice if we could take a break together," Allura suggested. Her hand ran lightly up his arm, settling on his shoulder almost playfully, in a way that made Shiro confused and more than a little bit warm. "After all," she continued, "with what's facing us, who knows when we might have another chance..."

Non-graphic sexual content, implied sexual encounter, first kiss, first time, before battle, stress relief, a little bit of shovel talk, nervousness, cuddling, Shiro finally gets some sleep, advice from Coran, Voltron Positivity Exchange

Distraction - madamebomb

“Shiro is Allura's biggest distraction.”

NSFW, trying to deny their feelings, pining, Shiro’s bed is way too small

 The Man and the Moon - cupofdaydream

 “A place where I’m intermittently going to dump my Shiro/Allura smut.”

 NSFW, Porn without plot, pillow talk, some fluff

 3:23 AM - RoknRollPumpkin

“They did the thing (AU)”

NSFW, Voltron AU, Shiro’s birthday, established relationship

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Please support these lovely writers and give ‘em some kudos and a comment! I still need to go back through and do that for some people, too!! Thank you for the wonderful content, guys. <33

[thebluesideofthemoon]

The Wall #49: SHEEP AND WOLVES

Welcome everybody to another entry of The Wall. On this week... your mom! Heh. Oh, I wish- I'm sure she's a wonderful lady. I said I was going to review Batman v. Superman but... eh, I then kind of lost interest and heat after a while- besides, the movie still sucks balls, so it's not like anything's changed. No, this week's review takes us on another stop of our international animated tour- Russia! The big mother of all cold herself, Mother Russia blessed us with this animated outing that was so good that it didn't get imported to the States. "Why might that be?" you're probably asking yourself, well I'll answer that right now: ... I HAVE NO IDEA! Maybe it was some sort of communication error (which wouldn't make sense as this movie has a fully dubbed English version, so... I 'unno), maybe they changed their minds at the last minute, or maybe because it's so mind-meltingly awful that they pulled the plug on its release before the studio would embarrass itself. Considering my last review it may be easy to assume that anything I would review afterwards would automatically be less positive. That may be true, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't have good things to say about it- hell, last week I saw one of my favorite movies this year (which I'll review later), and I've been itching to gush about it here. But no, I'm going to talk about Sheep and Wolves instead because, what better way to transition into my Worst Movies of 2016 by going from one of the best animated movies of the year to one of the absolute worst? Let's dive in, why don't we~?

(Music: Undertale- CORE)

I don't mean to be disrespectful, I like to think I'm a nice person and I will give anyone a chance, unless you’re Zack Snyder, or David S. Goyer, or Warner Bros., in which case you can piss off any day now. So when I write the things I’m going to write, I don’t mean this as just me trying to be mean, but as a way to try and help a small studio like the one that made this movie understand why your product doesn’t work, so I will try to be as cold and clinical as I can to explain just what is wrong with this movie. But first the plot, and you might want to sit down for this one.

In this movie we have a wolf named Grey (voiced by Tom Felton. Yes, THAT Tom Felton) who is a goofy but kind wolf who wants to live life as a carefree spirit, that is until he crosses the path of a big bad wolf named Ragear (voiced by Rich Orlow, whom I’ve never heard of) who is adamant to become the new leader of their wolf pack since their current leader Magra (voiced by Jim Cummings. Yes, THAT one, too.). However, Ragear gets shut down by Magra by telling him that he will not be ascended to be leader of the pack unless he faces off in a duel with another wolf, who just so happens to be Grey. Grey steps up to the challenge and they’re due to fight in three days to see who is more fit to run the wolf pack. Meanwhile, Grey faces a bit of problem when a surprise he had planned turns out to dash the dreams of his girlfriend, Bianca (voiced by Ruby Rose. Yes, THAT- I’m not going to keep this gag going or we’ll be here all day), who thought Grey was going to ask for her hand (paw?) in marriage. She accuses him of being very immature and in desperate need of change. Trying to find a way to change, Grey stumbles into this caravan full of gypsies and he talks to their leader(?) named Mami (I don’t know who she’s voiced by) who gives Grey this potion to help him change, but things go south when Grey gets turned into a sheep and is not only unwelcome, but hunted down by the wolves due to sheep being their prey. So he runs away and ends up getting knocked out, only to wake up in the sheep village. He’s being taken care of by an ewe named Lyra (China Anne McClain), while being suspected of by this skeptic sheep named Zico (Ross Maraquand) who questions his whereabouts and goes on to find clues about this new mysterious sheep that just showed up in their home. Grey believes that he’s in a bad dream but then decides to blend in once he starts meeting the sheep folk. Meanwhile, Ragear becomes impatient by Magra and his ban to keep them from hunting prey like wolves (which for this universe doesn’t really make much sense), so instead of waiting for his duel like Magra ordered, he just kills Magra and ends up taking the position as the wolves’ leader and wants to lead the wolves to hunt for the sheep so they can eat… well, like wolves. Grey discovers this and now wants to protect the sheep from this possible massacre, while it becomes hard for him to keep his true identity intact with his new kin. How will all of this be resolved?

I don’t take this long trying to give a simple plot synopsis, but I wanted to break down this entire setup to give you a hint as to what’s wrong with this movie. If you want me to sum this movie up really quickly it’s just yet another “fish out of water” story, and with a twist that isn’t even that unique to this kind of movie. The movie is a bizarre combination of both Shrek 2 and Brother Bear in terms of plot, but it’s nowhere near as funny as the former, nor (while flawed) as engaging as the latter, and while I have serious problems with Brother Bear I can tell you it pulled this story off a LOT better than Sheep and Wolves.

Since I’m going to dip into my issues with this movie (which is a LOT of them) I may as well get my positives with the movie out of the way, because they’re very minimal- it’s actually just one: the movie is really pretty. While it’s pretty obvious that this is a low-budget movie thanks to the very small amount of environments featured in the movie, not to mention that just like Sing it shamelessly copy-and-pastes characters and shots everywhere, the scenery of the movie actually manages to be pretty stunning. I like how the environments look, they’re vividly-detailed, very colorful, and the lighting also manages to look really good, especially when they stand out against things like grass or the fur on the wolves. The animation itself is also not bad. It’s far more lively than something like, say, Ratchet and Clank, and it has an art style that suits the animation better than a movie like The Wild Life. Even though I have HUGE issues with the character design, they managed to make a really appealing-looking movie and I do think that’s something that deserves some serious credit. It’s obvious to me that the people working on this movie have some good talent in their hands, and I’m saying this because I stop being nice right here. Because the problems with this movie are far too many for me to recommend this as something anyone reading this should watch.

Let’s start with the character designs. While the general look of the movie is really appealing and colorful, the actual designs of the characters leave a lot to be desired. There’s no real better way for me to say this, but the characters all look like how a middle-school furry artist would draw his furry wolf OCs (original characters, for those of you that don’t know) when first starting on DeviantART. They’re far more humanoid than anthropomorphic, which really stands out with characters that have more stylized and cartoony designs. It’s almost as if the characters were all designed by completely different artists, however this is an approach that worked in its favor in a movie like Secret Life of Pets, but here they stick out like a sore thumb. All the wolves are top-heavy and just look ridiculous when they run on all fours. I also had this same problem with Alpha and Omega six years ago (funny how they’re both movies about wolves), but the hair is really off-putting. Most of the wolves have pretty much anime hairstyles which just look distracting and out of place. This is really noticeable on a character like Bianca who basically looks like a human chick that just so happens to be cosplaying as a wolf. With the sheep this gets even more bizarre, as there are sheep who clearly look like anthropomorphized sheep, standing right next to sheep that have more human-like features that are kind of distracting, NEXT to other sheep who just look like they’re a human and sheep that probably fused together like in The Fly. Again, it’s highly distracting because they’re not anthropomorphic like the characters from Sing or Zootopia, and yet they’re also not animal enough to be like the animals from The Secret Life of Pets or even The Wild Life. It’s like they’re stuck in this strange uncanny valley of anthropomorphism and it’s kind of off-putting to watch. Mami is the only one who manages to make this work, though it probably helps that she’s hardly in the movie. Grey looks alright by all standards, except for his dumb Emo Peter Parker haircut.

From what I’m sure you can gather I’ve said about the story, it’s pretty much also copied and pasted from… anywhere else. It combines traits of Shrek 2, Brother Bear, The Lion King, too many romantic comedies to count, Kung Fu Panda 3, Shark Tale (another disaster full of clichés and off-putting character design)- it borrows so liberally from other movies that it even borrows their flaws as well. Shark Tale needs no explanation, it has the dopey character who is in love but cannot spit it out because God help him “he’s just awkward” (oh please), it also borrows a problem unique to a movie I reviewed not too long ago, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie, in which it is full of really annoying cartoony sound effects that get really, really fast. By the way, I said this movie ripped off The Lion King (why on Earth do we have TWO animated movies that came out in 2016 that thought this was a good idea?) and it does so in the Magra’s death scene. Ragear shoves him off the cliff in a way that’s not too dissimilar to Scar throwing Mufasa into the wildebeests. It doesn’t help that both just so happen to have a character voiced by Jim Cummings, which makes the resemblance even more obvious.

Though speaking of terrible sounds, the voice acting isn’t that great. I mean sure, you have people like Jim Cummings who would sound awesome if they even just read the phonebook, but much like Morgan Freeman in Ben-Hur, he’s not doing anything new. Tom Felton… I have NO idea what the hell he’s doing, it’s like he’s trying to sound American and fail horribly at it, but he’s at least trying. Ruby Rose just straight up did not care about this movie at all, she could not sound any more disinterested if she tried, which isn’t only a serious problem because it just sounds bad it also makes her character come across as really uncaring and self-centered, which becomes a MAJOR problem thanks to one particular scene from the movie that I’ll get to. Believe me, I will. Still, this is pretty bad- it’s almost as if the voice actors weren’t allowed to be given a second take or something like that.

But what’s even worse than the voice acting is the score. I’ve complimented good scores before and lambasted bad ones like Accidental Love, for example. It had a score that was highly annoying, bouncy, and would never shut up. It was trying to be a “whacky, silly” score that instead of trying to get you to laugh it only made you cringe. So yes, an overly-goofy score is one issue but thanks to this movie the opposite is also true. This movie has a score that is far more surprisingly dramatic and intense than you would think which gives me the impression that this movie is really trying to get me to take it seriously… and this is the same movie that has a Rocky-style montage of a character trying to give themselves a concussion. AND FAILING AT IT. Sure, that’s meant to be the joke, but this is much less justifiable in countless scenes of something dramatic happening only for it to get cut-off by some awkwardly-inserted comic relief. Oh God, it’s like Epic all over again.

The absolute worst part about this movie is the characters. I’m not going to spend much time on them because I could write an entire essay on just what’s wrong with this cast, and this review is getting really long as it is. So I’ll say this, they vary from being really stupid, to being really annoying, to all-around unpleasant. Grey is kind of a goofball, but other than that he’s just your generic main character and he’s one of the better characters. His best friend sheep who is lovestruck cannot say a word to her about his feelings to save his life, which is not just an awful cliché in and of itself, but his voice is really annoying and her never shuts up. The big bad Ragear is clumsy and gets beaten up a lot, so it’s pretty much impossible to take him seriously as a credible threat and the only time he succeeds at anything it’s simply because the plot just felt like it needed to keep going. Lyra is your generic “nice girl” type who pretty much has no personality aside from, well, being nice, except for one particular scene where she chews out Grey for giving her little brother, Shia, the influence to have him run off from the sheep village to fight off wolves himself, and this happened AFTER Grey saves his life as well as a scene in the movie where she scolds her little brother for being an irresponsible little shit who doesn’t listen to anybody. And Shia, oh I despise him. Not only does he have a really annoying voice and attitude, he’s one of those characters that should have died far sooner than he does (which is never- spoiler alert) because he does anything BUT listen to someone who’s trying to do nothing but HELP HIM. He’s by far one of the most irritating characters I’ve seen in any movie this year- he’s up there with Steel from Max Steel, The Enchantress from Suicide Squad, the Colleens from Yoga Hosers, and pretty much EVERYONE in Collateral Beauty- and it doesn’t help that he gives a really awful message at the end of the movie which pretty much amounts to him saying that you shouldn’t kill someone because it will make you just as bad as they are, which is normally a message that has a lot of weight to it, but when the person who is trying to kill you is DOING EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER TO TRY AND EAT YOU, and you fight back in self-defense!

I also mentioned Bianca, and out of all of the bad animated movies with forced-in love interests she’s by far the worst. Now, she’s at least thankfully not forced into a relationship with Grey (they already have one at the start of the movie) and the way his little problem is resolved isn’t by true love (but it’s not less dumb). The reason why I hate Bianca the most is because of one particular scene where she pretty much ACCUSES GREY OF CAUSING RAGEAR FROM KILLING MAGRA AND MAKING HIM THE NEW LEADER, and all because he was trying to change himself to prove to her that he’s not an immature clown. It’s somehow all HIS fault, and at no point does she ever get called out on being a colossal bitch. Though Grey DOES call out the sheep for being whiny, pathetic, and annoying, it doesn’t really leave a very satisfying impact when it’s ruined by the scenes that precede and follow it. I HATE EVERYONE IN THIS MOVIE. This movie was just like Collateral Beauty all over again- I really thought I was going to be in for something bland, but not THIS annoying and unpleasant. I really hate this movie, thanks to its combination of terrible tonal shifts, bland story, irredeemable cast of characters, and ho-hum voice acting. It’s easy to see why this movie never made it to the States. (2,541 words. Can't believe this one took me almost a week to write, but I needed to get my thoughts collected so I could express just what the hell was wrong with this movie.)

This is a really foul movie. I don't really get this kind of enjoyment out of something that fills me with dread and hatred- I would much rather be talking about things I really love, like Zootopia, but this is the kind of movie that is not only so bad that it's wasted your time, but it'll ruin your day!

Yes, I give this movie a 2. And how appropriate because now I can make more room for my best big project. That's right guys, The Wall #50 is going to be... THE TOP 10 WORST MOVIES OF 2016 I'll see you all there.

[404fmdtaejin]

idol headcanon ; days 10-30

Day Ten: Talk about your muse’s three closest friends. How did they meet? How long have they known each other? What do they love most about their friends?

taejin has very few friends in the industry, mainly because he found each person was only starved for fame and pried upon the success of his group. decipher’s been lucky to start off with a lot of renowned fame and success, mainly due to their sheer talents as well as the heart of bc hoisting them up. his closest friends consist of kihoon (NPC), a younger brother-like figure who seems to always barge into his house at the unexpected times. he feigns annoyance but deep down he has a special place in his own heart for kihoon. his other friend is jun, who is a gretchen weiner type character to his regina george persona. often times more narcissistic and self-absorbed, taejin knows deep down jun’s a good person with a big heart. his other friends consist of his own company members, juwon, who is rough around the edges but the two are on civil terms maintaining a mutual understanding. alyssia’s his other friend, except she’s currently mad at him. byul, the other hag in his life is his closest female friend. somehow something like fate tied the two lonely souls together. he goes to her about the bigger picture topics plaguing his life, and he knows that she’s always there for him thick and thin.  he also has arabella, but she’s not a close friend to him - something more.

Day Eleven: Has your muse had any scandals? How have these scandals affected your muse as an idol or as a person? If your muse has not had any scandals, talk about their views on scandals. Is all publicity good publicity?

taejin’s pretty good about keeping his own image clean. he hasn’t had any scandals really, mainly due to his own parents keeping their tabs and paying off any press as well as bc’s despair to keep their idols spic and span. overall, taejin is looked at positively by the public, having the ‘boyfriend’ image that’s emphasized throughout his career. he thinks that bad scandals are bad publicity because it often brings more negative traction and more antis to the group’s name. luckily, he hasn’t been involved in negative press and his group has maintained their image overall to be good.

Day Twelve: If your muse is in a group, what are the fun things about promoting with other members? What do they love about being in a group? What do they love about their members? If your muse is a solo artist, what are their thoughts on promoting alone? What do they love about being solo?

taejin is in decipher, a group that’s been around since 2008. the thing about being in a group, is that he knows each of their quirks likewise how they know his. there’s a mutual understanding and a semblance that ties everyone together despite how different their personalities may be. the most important benefit about being in a group is that there’s individuals who share the same experience of being put into the spotlight at such an early age and still maintaining grounds till this day. he likes how his members understand him, put up through his own tyrant rampages during the early days.

Day Thirteen: For the muses in a group, what are the challenges of being one of several people in a group? Have there been any troubles that have come along with being in a group environment and times they wish they were alone? For the solo artist muses, have you ever felt lonely promoting alone? Do you ever wish that you were in a group instead?

like mentioned above, there are differences that lie between the group members. they have different personalities and different interests, which often clash when put together for a long period of time. often times, he feels like he doesn’t put up a good enough front as the ‘leader’, caring more about his own endeavors rather than the group’s as a whole. however, despite all of that there remains a mutual understanding and respect that underlies the family like nature of the group in itself. taejin right now likes his members, and is amazed that they lasted so long but he can’t help but feel that they’ve all outgrown decipher.

Day Fourteen: If your muse is in a group, how do you think they would have fared had they had a solo career instead? What kind of concept would they have? If your muse is a solo artist, how do you think they would have fared if they were in an idol group? What position of the group do you think they would have?

taejin probably couldn’t have fared as a solo musician. he’s not as talented vocally as eunjae, so he wouldn’t be able to maintain the strong image of a sentimental ballader. however, his body wasn’t even meant to dance seeing as how it still remains one of his own weak suits till this day, so he wouldn’t be able to release the hit poppy music that requires him to dance like so. if anything, he would have probably had the more sentimental ballader image pushed on him, but wouldn’t have fared successfully. instead, he would have probably done better as a solo actor, only focusing on his acting ventures with a few OSTs here and there.

Day Fifteen: Who does your muse look up to in the industry? Why do they look up to this person?

he looks up to a lot of actors in the industry. there’s a loss of passion that comes to his mind when it comes to music, so there’s not many people that he sees as inspirational ‘artists’. however, in terms of acting he has a strong reverence for the great actors such as son yejin and jung woo sung. the movie “a moment to remember” is one of his favourites, and he loves how 인생깊었어 that movie was, each actor and actress really fulfilling the roles that they were almost destined to play. they’re still active to this day, and he only hopes to become one of those figures one day.

Day Sixteen: If your muse could do a special stage with another artist or idol group, who would it be and why? What song would they perform?

he’d really want to do a collab stage with his friend byul, the soloist from gold star. they’ve both been put in the industry at such a young age, forced to grow up in front of the cameras. taejin relates to her a lot in terms of the struggles and incessant worries that seem to heed heavy weights across their shoulders. seeing their close friendship, he’d want to perform with her for a stage filled with two souls who lost passion for something long ago. they’d perform his favorite track of hers, “can’t love you anymore.”

Day Seventeen: How would your muse fare in a variety show? If your muse could appear on any variety show, which variety would it be and why? If you don’t have a lot of knowledge of variety shows, talk about what kind of variety show they would go on.

knowing brothers or life bar. there’s no question that taejin loves to drink, and he’s often cited as one of the idols that can drink the most in the industry. the concept of life bar, sitting around to discuss lighthearted as well as deep conversations with fellow like-minded individuals seems to be a unique experience for variety. as for knowing brothers, he’s made a few appearances on that show, and he’s always found enjoyment in being present. from the cast that lightens things up to the nonstop laughter that ensues as soon as the camera starts rolling, everything about the show is just humorous to him. it’s one of the few variety shows he keeps up with on a weekly basis.

Day Eighteen: What entertainment agency is your muse a part of? What do they think of other groups and artists that are in the same agency as them? Which labelmates do they get along with the most, excluding group members?

bc entertainment. they think that the music seems to be okay, not really different than the rest. it’s the standard cookie cutter industry, that has perfected the recipe for idols. he enjoys the groups within his company, listening to knight, lipstick, bee and wish during his workouts. unfortunately, he was too busy to keep up when charm debuted, so he’s never had the chance to really get into their music nor has he been able to take care of his hoobaes. he doesn’t have many friends within his company, nor in general. but see the day 10 answer - alyssia, bom, juwon, jiseok, and arabella are probably the closest to him.

Day Nineteen: Is there anything besides idol activities that your muse would want to do? Would they want to take their hand at hosting a variety show or act in a television show or drama? Would they want to try out modeling or a musical? If they have done things such as these, talk about their thoughts toward these things.

taejin hasn’t had much experience outside of acting and being part of decipher. he’s found a true passion for acting, seeing it as a serious job that people see as an art. he enjoys himself when he takes on new roles, shape shifting to the new character he’s supposed to be. luckily, he’s been talented at it too, shocking many viewers all around. for now, his only focus is how to pursue his own acting career without meeting any watchful eyes of bc who still want him to promote with decipher. he doesn’t think he’d be very good at musicals, seeing as how his voice is not powerful, but just soft. modeling might be a good fit, seeing as how his frame has been talked about as being an ‘ideal body.’ variety shows are okay as long as he’s only appearing for a few episodes, but he doesn’t think he’d ever host anything - he’s already busy as it is.

Day Twenty: If your muse was able to be a part of a supergroup that comprised of current idols, who would they want to be in the same group and why? What kind of concept would this group have? How do you think the group would do in terms of popularity?

he wouldn’t join a supergroup unless it was against his own will. however, if he was forced to and he could hand select the people to be part of his own group, he’d pick his own friends because at least promotions would be bearable to continue with. even though he’d hate every minute standing on stage, dancing around to a song he feels nothing towards, he’d have the support of his closest friends all put through the brunt of the pain with him.

Day Twenty-One: How does your muse feel about their fans? How do they feel about sasaeng fans? How would they handle a situation in which they were faced with obsessive fans that followed them or invaded their privacy? If they’ve had problems with sasaeng fans before, how did they feel about it?

he’s had a few run ins with sasaengs. the scariest moment was when they found out where his apartment was the minute he moved out. the fan would leave gifts, often too personal and grotesque till it became a new level where she would take pictures from afar about his own personal escapades. he told his parents, and his own parents stepped in contacting the police. with their own power in the korean economy, they were able to successfully restrain the female from ever encroaching any closer. this also was the reason why he moved two more times after his initial move. the second instance was another sasaeng who would just follow him around during decipher’s schedules. she’d buy plane tickets, seated next to him throwing letters and shouting nonsense. luckily, that time bc stepped in and ensured the safety of their artist - from that point forward, he’s always sat next to his manager.

Day Twenty-Two: Talk about your muse’s goals that they have for their group or themselves if they are a solo artist. Where would they want to promote if given the chance? Do they want to do a solo album at one point? This can be any sort of professional goal.

taejin, as mentioned before, has no desire to pursue any sort of music. he strongly believes that the idol lifestyle only hinders his own personal growth as an actor. often times, he’s chided for being an idol-actor only receiving roles because of his own loyalties to bc. instead, his only goals is to finish up his contract with bc and move to an acting agency where he’s able to step up to his full potential, hoping to win an acting daesang in the future. he wants to film many different things from dramas to movie, and the momentum only starts to grow stronger and stronger by the day.

Day Twenty-Three: What is your muse’s thoughts on being an idol and dating? Are they against dating? Have they ever been in a relationship after debuting? If so, talk about the challenges that have come along with dating. If they aren’t dating, would they want to date?

taejin has had one girlfriend in his life, and she smashed his heart entirely. he gave his all to the one girl, thinking it would be his whole life until she stepped away one day without a word. it was pre-debut, and since then he’s vowed never to get into a relationship. his love life consists of many ‘smashes and passes’ where he only weasels his way into a girl’s heart, gets what he wants and leaves without any trace of remorse. however, he’s recently felt the same feelings of love when he sees arabella. he doesn’t know where they stand currently, just that she knows how he feels and that’s enough to him. there’s fear that lingers in the back of his mind, but he ignores that all because he’s willing to risk it all for her.

Day Twenty-Four: Who is your muse’s ideal type? Why is this person their ideal type? 

his ideal type is someone who’s different. he’s tired of the same cookie cutter girls expected to fill a mold, and wants something different - a girl to keep him on his toes, thrilled for the next step. in terms of looks, he prefers cat-like women rather than dog-like women. when girls are a lot shorter, it’s even better. for some reason, he tends to like women that have a 3+ age gap, seeing as how the women around him seem to be inundated with some sort of aura that makes them all undesirable.

Day Twenty-Five: What does your muse want to be remembered for in the idol world? Do they want to be remembered for their vocal prowess? Their image? Their dancing skills? Their scandals?

if there’s one thing he wants to be remembered for, it’s his image as an actor. he wants to be known as the one idol-actor, who seems to be more like an actor than an idol. there’s respect and understanding that comes with the title, and ultimately he hopes to break down the barrier that holds him down. he’s tired of the countless comments talking about how idols cannot act, and how it’s all the power of the company that raises them up. he’s come this far on his own hands, so he wants to reap the benefits of his own hard work.

Day Twenty-Six: Does your muse ever regret becoming an idol? Do they ever think about what they would be doing instead if they lived a normal life? If they could go back in time, would they do everything all over again? Or would they end up doing something else?

there are days where he regrets becoming an idol. these are the days where his bones are tired and strained, and he’s forced to wear some ridiculous outfit and prance around on stage. however, there’s days where he’s come to the base of reality and realizes that he wouldn’t be here without the idol title in the beginning. it was because of joining decipher, that he recognized his love for acting. if he weren’t an idol, he’d most likely be working underneath his parents companies - learning a thing or two about how to manage the company. perhaps, he would take that route if he was able to have a re-do. it might prevent his mind from spiraling down the path that it’s currently going down now.

Day Twenty-Seven: After working hard on promotions, your muse is given the chance to take a two week vacation anywhere in the world at any time they want, with nobody bothering them. Where would they go and when? Why would they want to take their vacation there? If they had the opportunity to bring three other people, who would they bring?

he’d bring arabella - and he wouldn’t pick a place. instead, knowing her own weird tendencies, he’d ask her where she’d like to go. most likely, she’ll pick a foreign place like greece and he’d follow her there. it’d be during a time where people aren’t traveling as frequently, so he could freely hold her hand and roam carelessly without being caught.

Day Twenty-Eight: Talk about your muse’s low point in life. Why was this a low point in their life? What kind of challenges did they face and how did they feel about this? Were they able to overcome it? If it is still ongoing, are they working on overcoming these challenges? 

if anything, his lowest point is right now while his success is at an all time high. he doesn’t feel satisfied knowing his success will never be enough for bc to cut the strings from his ties to music. instead, they’ll milk him more so he’s at a middle ground unable to shake away the struggles. he looks back on his own path, and is starting to see the pieces of where he did wrong to people - perhaps, it’s his sense of maturity forming at age 30. this maturity seems to propel him for development and growth, yet makes him feel terrible about the exploitations he did as a child. he’s not doing anything about it except dwelling inside the bottles of alcohol.

Day Twenty-Nine: Talk about your muse’s most meaningful moment as an idol. This is what they feel so far is the highest point in their life and where they’ve never been happier. Recall the memory and describe it; what happened and how did they feel? 

his most meaningful moment was when parasite got the success it got. before that, he had a few roles in dramas, but nothing compared to the success of the movie. it instigated his fame, and suddenly he skyrocketed to new heights. there was a phone call, the news going crazy over the win overseas. an insurmountable feeling, which he was so proud to be part of an amazing cast and production. it was the first instance where he had hope that this route may have a prosperous future for him. there was no self-doubt or hatred, it was pure mirth.

Day Thirty: Think about your muse’s life down the road. Where would they be and what would they be doing? Would they still be in the entertainment industry? Would they settle down and have a family?

in ten years, taejin will be forty. by then, he hopes to have established an acting career as successful as the names he looks up to. decipher would have disbanded or been put on a permanent hiatus, leaving him to free up his own schedule to pursue more acting endeavors. he’d be married with two children, and the absolute soccer dad. supporting his kids step by step, emphasizing each milestone on his sns. by then, he’d take part in return of superman with his kids enjoying the rest of his life on cloud 9.

[nightmareonfilmstreet]

Mother Knows Best: The 13 Worst Mothers of Horror

The horror genre has explored a variety of themes, and often times the complexities, mothers face from conception through death. It’s an analytically heavy topic that can provoke the most fundamental of thoughts, draw out the most genius symbolism, and shape our beloved characters down to even the most minute detail.

Mothers’ Day is the one day out of the year we use as a time to celebrate the most wonderful of idols we have been given. If not for the nurturing care, strong, fertile bodies, and ongoing evolution of women all over the world humankind would cease to exist. The colorful flowers, corny cards, and midday brunches are our attempts at offering a ‘Thank You’ to the ones who raised us, biologically or not, as we’ll do this Sunday, the 13th.

With that, what the horror genre has done so obviously well is show audiences that motherhood might not be as rewarding as it’s cracked up to be. Sometimes motherhood is scary. Sometimes motherhood is not about laser-cut flower petals, warm hugs, and relaxing pedicures. Sometimes motherhood is a bitch. Horror shows us that the most horrifying realization we can come to terms with is that the ones who bring us into this world can easily take us out of it.

Below are the 13 Worst Mothers of Horror. Directly or not, these women prove that parenthood can be a real mother-you-know-what and they’re not here to deal with it.

  Margaret White in Carrie (1976)

    Our titular character, Carrie White, is a shy, quiet, high school oddball who is constantly the victim of her classmates’ taunts and pranks in the novel Carrie written by Stephen King and the film adaptation directed by Brian De Palma. Instead of finding solace when she returns home from school each day she is faced with the Christian-saturated hellfire at the hands of her crazed mother, Margaret White. A mother, especially a godly mother, should use moral and powerful guidance to build Carrie up, but instead she wields that iron fist �� clutching a kitchen knife – and spirituality as a device to literally drive her only daughter straight into the ground. Whether she is locking Carrie in a prayer closet for hours or purposely keeping the truths about a normal menstrual cycle from her, Margaret White is the epitome of a hypocritical, overly religious, and everything but Christian mother. Always watch out for the extreme ‘bible thumpers’. I know what I’m talking about, I live in the south.

    Mommy in The People Under the Stairs (1991)

    One of my earliest memories of horror film imagery is straight out of Wes Craven’s campy The People Under the Stairs and it’s one of those snapshots that will never leave my mind. Alice is a young girl kept as a prisoner in her home by her hedonistic parents promptly named Daddy and Mommy. After Mommy, played by fan favorite character actress Wendy Robie, murders an intruder, Alice, clean and nicely dressed, slips and falls in an enormous puddle of his blood at the bottom of the stairs. It’s just one of those scenes that fueled my love for the genre. The contrast of the gore and the beautiful home surroundings is absolutely perfect. Mommy is equally unforgettable as both a character and a portrayal of some real parental evil that exists in the world. Alice, along with many other ‘children’, are isolated from the outside world, physically (and suggestively sexually) abused, and either neglected to the point of death or smothered, well, to the point of death. If Mommy isn’t scary enough for you, check out the documentary The Turpin 13: Family Secrets Exposed for a real, all too recent example of how a mother, and father, like this can torture their children for well over a decade without anyone knowing. The scariest part: this film was released in 1991, the Turpin children were found just this year.

    Rachel Keller in The Ring (2002)

    You know those silly ‘Keep Out of Reach of Children’ disclaimers you see on common, but obviously dangerous, household items? Someone, somewhere was stupid enough to leave a bottle of bleach out on the floor in easy access for their toddler to take that one fatal sip. Rachel Keller of Gore Verbiniski’s The Ring is that mom. After the incredibly strange death of her niece, Rachel comes into possession of a videotape haunted by the spirit of a little girl, Samara, that murders the viewer seven days after watching it. Rachel, of course, watches it and receives the foreboding call from Samara giving her the countdown. Does she destroy the tape or even make an attempt at it? No. Does she hide the tape from her young, curious son, Aiden? No. Does she at least rid the house of all VHS players and leave him to endure cable over dying a horrible death? No. What she does is casually leave the tape out allowing the precocious boy to view it alone dooming him to the same terrifying fate of all of Samara’s victims. Rachel attempts to put all the pieces together to rid her and her son of this curse, but do you think she would ask Aiden, who obviously has a sixth sense when it comes to Samara, a single question as to the girl’s vengeful motive? You guessed it. Nope. Way to go, Rachel.

  Mother in Mother’s Day (1980)

    Acts of murder, rape, and physical abuse should not be impressive to anyone, least of all your mother unless you are Ike or Addley of the cult classic, occasion-appropriate titled Mother’s Day. Mother played by Beatrice Pons, pretty much changes the entire trajectory of motherhood in this extremely campy 1980 film. She encourages her two sons to commit heinous acts against others with the same gusto and enthusiasm as a mom cheering her son on during a little league baseball game. Ike and Addley are basically human trash she has raised into adulthood and the worst part is that she is proud of her unique parenting skills and her sons. The more brutal their acts are, the higher the praise she gives them. Mother certainly has her own twisted spin on the whole positive reinforcement technique. There is absolutely nothing redeeming about this mother nor her revolting offspring. Although, I can’t help but wonder what B.F. Skinner’s thoughts would be on this type of parenting. Operant Conditioning at its best, right?

    Nola Carveth in The Brood (1979)

    One of the bitter pills we must digest as we age is that in ways obvious and subtle, we slowly become our parents. There is always a certain vicious circle that evolves when it comes to our parents, ourselves as parents, our children, them as parents, and so on that is natural and basically unstoppable. In David Cronenberg‘s body horror The Brood, Nola Carveth, played by Samantha Egger, learns just how truly vicious that circle can be. Nola is the product of an abusive mother herself and is being accused of abusing her own daughter, Candice, by her ex-husband causing her to seek therapy. The psychoplasmic methods (and possibly the unexplained discolored bumps she has growing on her arms) produce a handful of strange, dwarfish, creatures that extract revenge out on others based on Nola’s anger and psychic connection the litter has with her. Of all the mothers on the list, Nola isn’t exactly the worst as her story is really a metaphor for hereditary productivity, but we can’t let that be an excuse here. The creatures do attack Candice in the third act proving Nola has some resentment and animosity toward her daughter, proving her inner mentality as a mother is not exactly kosher. The inevitable circle spins on as we see Candice escape the attack fairly unscathed… except for some unusual discolored bumps on her arms.

    Erica Sayers in Black Swan (2010)

    If Dance Moms has taught us anything it’s that stage parents are the absolute worst. Living vicariously through your children is both selfish and utterly creepy. However, the subject of a stage parent is intriguing by an analytical standpoint and simultaneously horrifying to observe. Take Erica Sayers played by Barbara Hershey in Darren Aronofsky’s ballet horror Black Swan as an example. She is the mother to dedicated ballerina Nina, played fantastically by Natalie Portman, and she is about as manipulative and controlling as they come – if you can catch it. Mothers like Erica are masters at using words and seemingly kind gestures to guilt their children into loving them when they really should be running away from them. So much is suggested and hinted at in dialogue and setting to suggest Erica’s control over Nina and her domineering push forcing her to be obsessed with perfection, that if not payed attention to one might think Erica is caring and protective of Nina. The reality couldn’t be further from the truth. I mean, the way she rewards Nina with a cake knowing very well the girl won’t eat it and that she would shame her for it later if she did, then makes her feel guilty for not eating it, is enough to give anyone a bout of bulimia. Mothers like Erica appear perfect and act perfect, but that’s all it is: an act.

    Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest (1981)

    Speaking of horrible mothers in the entertainment industry…

One of my favorite notions to use is that real life is scarier than any film out there. Nothing could support that more than Joan Crawford and the exploitation of the abuse she inflicted on her two adoptive children throughout their whole lives. While Mommie Dearest is not exactly a horror film, the emotional and physical torment her children suffered under her is sadly the standard by which we measure bad mothers against. Faye Dunaway played the role so well she is almost synonymous with the notorious actress, minus the child abuse, and her image still comes to most of our minds when we think about terrible mothers. The woman was basically the queen of outrageous punishment for minor indiscretions that children tend to make. The accounts from those around her, including the hired help, co-workers, lovers, and her children, Christina and Christopher, are pure parental nightmare fuel. It’s hard to believe this is not a made-up genre story, but it did happen unfortunately, exaggerated or not. I still cringe at the thought of her cutting off Christina’s hair as a distrubing penance for a simple mistake. That wasn’t even the worst of it. Hair grows back. The mental psyche takes a bit longer to heal.  No wire hangers, kids.

    Marge Thompson in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

    The mother of one of horror’s favorite final girls, Nancy Thompson, can be considered both a good mom and a bad mom depending on which one of her actions you’re observing. Marge, played by Ronee Blakely in Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street, is part of the original cul-de-sac lynch mob of Elm Street that burn Fred Krueger alive after learning he is behind the series of child murders in town. While we understand the parents’ revenge on Krueger and would gladly light the wick on the molotov cocktail thrown into his warehouse, the nightmarish ongoing result of Krueger returning to murder the kids of Elm Street in their dreams for a number of films is more than likely not what the parents expected the outcome to be. Marge goes on to be a full blown alcoholic and mostly absent minded mother to Nancy. She continuously takes the easy way out by either ignoring the fact that this monster is hunting her daughter and her friends or she drinks reality away being of no help nor support. Our final girl has to maintain her gumption and find her own courage and strength from within to escape the razor-bladed grasp of Krueger all on her own while Marge remains in a pathetic liquor infused stupor. It’s almost a relief when she is pulled through that tiny front door window at the end of the film. Thanks for nothing, Marge! Saddle up for the long haul or leave it to the judicial system.

  Beverly Sutphin in Serial Mom (1994)

    Being a perfect homemaker in the suburbs can be absolute murder and that is exactly what Beverly Sutphin, played by Kathleen Turner, is driven to when those around her get in her way in the dark comedy Serial Mom. Though her bloodlust is born from good intentions (an instructor makes a rude comment about her son), Beverly goes on a spree murdering anyone one she deems as a threat or just a nuisance to her or her family. For the most part, I get it. I actually debated on including her in this list at all. Ultimately, I decided that while annoying, none of Beverly’s victims really deserved to die and her own family remarks, in the humorous way the film is crafted in, to remind themselves not to piss her off for fear of her going on a murderous rampage again. What good is a mother if everyone around her is afraid she’ll put an axe in their head? Beverly best take a chill pill, wash it down with a tumbler full of white wine, and come to terms with the fact that most of us have to deal with on a daily basis: you can’t go around murdering everyone that annoys you whenever you feel like it. That’s what Purge night is for.

    Norma Bates in Psycho (1960)

    Most times no matter how irritating or intrusive our mothers can be, deep down inside we love having them around us. Always. However, should you want your mother to stay with you as long as Norman Bates does you may want to seek some help. The famous slasher’s mother, Norma Bates, is a special case on this list as she never makes an actual living appearance in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Her voice and actions are all manifested from her son Norman himself who, it is suggested and pretty obvious, is severely dependent on her in all aspects of life whether she is alive or deceased. Norma’s emotional antagonism and violence towards him and the women he encounters paints us a picture of how bad the woman must have been when she was alive, though that is always up for debate. Was she as awful as the voice coming from Norman is or is it something he’s made up himself? Regardless, the psychological haunting linger of Norma is enough to drive Norman into the most serious identity crisis resulting in murder and Norma completely taking over him, mind and body. Life lesson: Stay away from the mama’s boys. Believe me when I tell you: this specific relationship portrayal isn’t too far off from what those guys are truly like.

    MU-TH-UR 6000 in Alien (1979)

    Many would think the Alien Queen would be on this list, but I can hardly count her as a bad mom. If anything, the Queen is a great mom who uses all of her genetic instincts to grow and protect her young when a handful of human incubators make themselves available to her throughout the series. Natural selection is also a bitch.

The real bad mom here is the space ship Nostromo’s mainframe system MU-TH-UR 6000, referred to as ‘Mother‘. The crew relies on MU-TH-UR for information, protection, and most importantly, survival. It is one of many analytical elements in the Alien series that relates back to the theme of motherhood. However, while the crew sleeps and operates under the trusting care of MU-TH-UR, the system is monitoring them to relay details on their activity back to Weyland-Utani and is in cahoots with the highly untrustworthy AI, Ash, on carrying out Special Order 937: collect an alien xenomorph specimen and deliver it back to earth with the crew members being completely dispensable. It’s an unfortunate lesson the crew members learn, but don’t trust technology no matter how long it lets you sleep in its womb.

    Mother in Mother! (2017)

    If there is ever a film so overtly saturated in motherly symbolism, it’s Darren Aronofsky’s Mother! Jennifer Lawrence’s mother character is pure, wholesome, and nurturing. She is all of the things a mother, including that of ‘mother nature’ and ‘woman’ should be. However, when random intrusive guests begin showing up and inviting themselves in to wreak havoc on the beautiful home mother is creating for her narcissistic poet husband Him, and their unborn baby, mother remains so passive to the point that a full on world of war explodes tearing down the establishment from the inside out. She only puts her foot down and embraces her protective instincts when it is far too late for everyone. The fate of her baby is gruesomely tragic and results in mother literally destroying herself and her surroundings only to be born again anew in the name of love for Him. Like any strong mother archetype would destroy themselves for the weak man that betrayed her and caused the death of her firstborn? I think not. This is a pretty sad portrayal of actions not taken by a mother, a wife, and a woman. mother really should have destroyed Him. However, given the subtext of who and what these characters personify, we should be grateful that mother doesn’t really hold a grudge nor seek apocalyptic vengeance… yet.

    Rosemary in Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

    Similarly to mother, Rosemary Woodhouse of Roman Polanksi’s Rosemary’s Baby, adaptation of the novel written by Ira Levin, is another character you just want to grab by the shoulders and violently shake into sense. As beautiful, sweet, and delicate as Mia Farrow is in the iconic role of Rosemary, she is painfully dependent, weak, and totally naive. She is blindly trusting of her pushy neighbors and self absorbed actor husband, Guy (eye roll) all of which have made some deal with the devil and are part of the geriatric cult that worships him. Pregnant with her first child, unknowingly the antichrist, Rosemary falls ill many times, complains about threatening symptoms in her breathy voice, and takes advice from everyone but a trustworthy doctor who isn’t connected to the cult’s inner circle. Of course she isn’t aware of her husband’s involvement and the promises made to the underworld at her expense until it’s a trimester too late, but all of the suspicions and signs are there as plain as day for her to see. Thank goodness mothers and wives, women in general, have come a long way since the 60’s.

  So, kiss your mothers this Sunday and appreciate them for the wonderful women that they are, unless they are anything like the characters in this list because, well, they are the worst. If your mothers are anything like this lot, you might want to start running…

    The post Mother Knows Best: The 13 Worst Mothers of Horror appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street - Horror Movie Podcast, News and Reviews.

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Doggys Dan's Halloween Safety Tips for dogs

Doggys Dan’s  advice for Halloween

Halloween is a really fun holiday  and there’s no reason your dog can’t join in on the fun, too!

  That being said, all holidays do come with unique risks for pets, and Halloween is no exception. I want both you and your dog to be able to enjoy this spooky holiday, without any health scares for your dog.

  For that reason, I decided to put together a handful of important Halloween safety tips that will help keep your dog safe.

TIP #1: KEEP YOUR PET AWAY FROM HALLOWEEN CANDY

Candy in general is not safe or healthy for your dog, nor should it ever be fed to your dog. Small hard candies are choking hazards and if you didn’t know already, chocolate is poisonous to dogs.

  Just a few small nibbles can cause vomiting, diarrhea, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, and seizures. Always keep your candy bowls away from your dog’s. Treat your dog to a dog biscuit or a piece of cheese this Halloween, not something you picked up with trick-or-treating!

  TIP #2: BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT DRESSING UP YOUR DOG FOR HALLOWEEN

Some dogs don’t mind being dressed up in costumes but many dog’s become anxious and stressed out when costumes are forced on them.

  If your dog doesn’t like being dressed up,please don’t ever force him to wear a costume.

On the other hand, if you dog doesn’t mind wearing a costume, make sure the costume you pick out is safe. Stay away from costumes with heavy materials, costumes that cover your dog’s ears, nose, eyes or mouth, or costumes that have dangly materials (like buttons, pom poms, or plastic pieces) as they can easily be chewed off and become a choking hazard.

  TIP #3: PREPARE A SAFE PLACE IN THE HOUSE FOR YOUR DOG

  The constant ring of a doorbell due to kids trick-or-treating or the influx of people in your house due to a Halloween party can easily stress your dog out.

  If the chaos of Halloween becomes too much for your dog, it’s important to have a place where she can go that’s quiet and free of people.

I recommend blocking off space in a room and placing a dog bed, a bowl of water, and your dog’s favorite toy in that room. A quiet space will help your dog calm down and

relax.

TIP #4: KEEP YOUR DOG’S ID TAG ON

Every year dogs escape from backyards through front doors as people are constantly coming in and out of houses for parties and trick-or-treating. If your dog does somehow get out, it’s important that he is able to be easily identified so he can be returned home safely.

  TIP #5: BE AWARE OF CANDLES, JACK-O-LANTERNS, AND OTHER OBJECTS THAT CONTAIN FIRE

  Halloween festivities can cause your dog to become hyper and excited. If your dog starts running around your home, it’s easy for him to accidentally knock over candles or anything else that has a flame.

  This is a major fire hazard. To ensure an accident doesn’t happen in your home, make sure all your fire hazards are placed where your dog can’t accidentally knock them over.

  TIP #6: SET YOUR DOG UP FOR SUCCESS

It’s your responsibility as a dog owner to set your dog up for success on Halloween night.

  For instance…If you know your dog gets nervous and bites when he is overwhelmed by too many people, put him in a cage in a quiet room where he won’t be reactive. If your dog has a sweet tooth and likes to get into things, put your Halloween candy in a bowl with a secure lid.

  If your dog gets nervous and has a tendency to run from things that make him nervous,make sure she is placed in a quiet room where she can’t get scared and run out the front door.

You get the idea… I wish you and your dog a very happy Halloween! Enjoy!

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RESIDENCY DIRECTORY UPDATING...

LOADING RESIDENT INFORMATION:  ❝ — [ JUN HYOSUNG ] is currently 28 YEARS OLD, a MUGGLE BORN, and currently is an OWNER OF A SMALL RESTAURANT. Please click here for more information on this resident.

ACCESSING DATA...

—  LOADED PERSONALITY:

Open-minded and adaptable, the makings of Hyosung’s personality can be attributed to her upbringing. She’s imaginative and creative, with a tendency to think out of the box more often than not no matter what the situation is ─ sometimes it leads her to saying seemingly strange things, but these things all make sense in her head. Despite being more of an extrovert than not, Hyosung prefers a more lowkey lifestyle ─ it doesn’t exactly work out that way all too much, given her outgoing personality and propensity for hanging around quite the variety of people, but she does what she can to keep the spotlight from remaining on herself for too long. She’s far from shy, however, being the type that’s more likely to introduce herself to a stranger first than not.

She’s the type of person to at least know her neighbors and favorite customers by name, a social butterfly with a habit of growing attachments to familiar faces. Her philosophies remain somewhere in the balance of being carefree and being grounded enough to recognize limits, though there’s always a tingling sense of ‘what if’ that has her push such things anyway.

Hyosung is often thought of as soft; while that is true, there’s no doubt that she’s both resilient and willing to stand up for herself or others. While it’s unlikely that you’ll see her jumping into an altercation as a shield for someone, the possibility isn’t exactly unheard of. At the very least, you’re likely to catch her lending her aid to someone when they need it, whether it be to heal or to comfort or to simply just lend an ear to listen to one’s troubles.

In the side of her that’s less the quiet sort, she can be ambitious and energetic, thriving off being out and about, whether it be wandering the city or dancing at a club. There are days where she’s more than content with relaxing at home, watching television or partaking in jigsaw puzzles if not tending to her modest garden or brewing up another potion, but even those days are often found with her chatting with a friend on the phone.

—  LOADED BACKGROUND:

She’s born to quite an unconventional household, one that has a steady hand in her non-traditional upbringing. Her father is a journalist, but not one of the ones that the media would declare to love or hate for their exceptional coverage or controversial honesty; he’s the kind of journalist for the strange and mythical things, the type that scours the city for information on ufo sightings and haunted buildings, interviewing eyewitnesses whenever he manages to find them. He’s a conspiracy theorist and supernatural enthusiast, scouring the internet for his latest story to track down despite not having a single tangible thread of proof that an of it exists.

Meanwhile, her mother’s dating another woman in secret ─ not from her husband or her family, but from the public eye. It’s a happy co-existence and somehow it works out more smoothly between them all than most would think, but it does. In time, Hyosung comes to see her mother’s paramour as a fixed presence; the other woman may have captured her mother’s heart with a surprising ease, but considering how prominent she is in the years that pass, Hyosung believes, even at her early age, that the two were really no different from how her father and mother are, usually. It’s almost like having a third parent.

Hyosung likes to think that the generally lax atmosphere of her home has something to do with the way she grows up to be, but her father insists that it’s magic that shapes her ─ once it’s discovered, that is. It’s her honorary second mother that pulls her aside one day, asking questions that seem random at most to Hyosung, things that she’d thought were all due to her uniquely crafted imagination rather than anything as outlandish as hidden magic potential (though with a family like hers, she’s not sure if this of all things deserved such a descriptor).

The conversation they have seems sudden, but it’s not as unexpected as a formal representative from a congress that’d previously been unknown in name showing up at their door a day later. The woman is a buffer between the strange meeting and the family that seems all but caught off guard ─ at least for a few moments, those of which were taken to explain everything they’d possibly need to know: that Hyosung is a witch, born with the capabilities of magic in her blood, even though her parents were very much human. Another revelation is brought to light in the same moment, as well: the woman that’d been such a fixture in their lives was also a witch.

Hyosung’s mother is stunned for more than one reason ─ but her father’s excitement is palpable, because after all this time, he finally has some sense of legitimacy in all of those strange things that he’s always known to be true.

(Of course, he’s not allowed to speak of anything he learns of the world of magic to those who are not aware of it themselves, nor can he use said information to confirm or deny existences in the articles he writes ─ it’s a binding spell that keeps this in check, and is meant to for as long as it proves necessary. It only slightly puts a damper on his sparkling mood.)

In the years that make up her childhood, Hyosung learns some things from her second mother, growing closer than ever to her in the process. The relationship the woman held with Hyosung’s parents had only been shaky for a short while before her mother had grown to accept the surprises that’d so thoroughly caught her off guard, but it worked out for the best, in the end. Hyosung grows to understand the basics of a world that she’d never expected really existed (much to her father’s chagrin), and by the time she’s of high school age, ready to attend Yosul academy, she thinks of herself as adjusted to the new lifestyle, even if she hadn’t truly gotten around to practicing various branches of magic. That’s what the academy’s for, after all.

She takes to learning with all she’s got, studying and practicing with requested supervision and assistance; throwing herself into progression takes the edge off the sneering and snapping, the glares of disdain at herself and those of ‘her kind’. Some days it gets under her skin, leaves her with hastily wiped away tear stains down her cheeks; other days it flows off her like water, for her attention is too wrapped around her work and studies.

(When she tells her mother of her trials in social groups in the academy, her mother sighs, a heavy yet knowing sound, and solemnly tells her that not many high school experiences manage to stray away from that general, unfortunate cycle; she tries harder to keep her head up after that, a mantra repeated of ‘four years not being as long as it seems’.)

She’s wrong in that regard ─ her years at Yosul seem to go on forever, as if under some time-slowing spell, but her day of graduation does come in the end, and she can’t be any more ecstatic about it. Instead of hopping into college right away (there are expectations and guises to keep, after all, with her grandparents and the rest of the family), she takes a few years to delve deeper into her favored practices without the supervision and criticism of teachers. Her affinity for potions is something she keeps to even post graduation, and she finds herself practicing more complicated brews more often than not in an attempt to master them.

In time, she finds herself enrolling for a culinary arts degree, and in her time spent in her courses, she’d developed a habit of using her magical talents to enchant the food she makes. Under the knowing eye of her immediate family, however, she opted to not use that to her advantage when it came to being judged and tested on her skills.

(Maybe just once or twice, though.)

Throughout her years in college (nearing five years towards the end despite initial intent to simply earn a degree in one program ─ she couldn’t restrain her own ambition) she’d had plenty of relationships, some of which were more open than others, boasting a sort of free-spirited sense that couldn’t be found back in high school. There was one person, however, that she’d stayed with for over a year after graduating. Her longest lasting relationship to date, she fell for the charm she saw in them for quite some time, even going along with their less-than-legal adventures. It’s because of them that Hyosung had ever been acquainted with the black market, but more importantly, it’s because of them that she found herself hosting a dragon egg within her apartment.

Not too long after, for reasons not involving the illegally procured dragon, the two parted ways. Hyosung kept the egg, as she held the name on the apartment the two used to share.

The dragon (thankfully not a sham) turns out to be tiny ─ as far as dragons go, at least, for it’s certainly larger than the biggest non-magically enhanced dog she’s ever seen (it’s more like a slightly smaller horse living in her home, she thinks). Under her care, she brings it up to be well mannered and not terribly destructive; there are plenty of resources for it to focus that urge on, of which she’s quite sure to tend to and replace often. Having a dragon as a housepet is not one of the things she’d ever expected to experience in her life, but it’s not something she thinks of as a negative ─ no, if anything, she’s quite happy for the opportunity, because Livi has grown to be part of her family, now.

She’s always been the accepting and adaptable sort, after all ─ she likes to think her parents had a hand in that.