#not getting the cats calendar is my biggest regret

[basicallyimgay]

you know i have a lot of regret in my life but one of the biggest ones is that i decided against buying the catboy sweater and cat calendar. if im never able to get them ill be so sad forever

[dollsome-does-tumblr]

love yourself challenge

rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 favourite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you’ve brought into the world. tag as many writers/artists/etc as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

Thank you for the tag, @aziraphalescrowley!

I wound up doing seven because I don’t have the mental energy to choose between things right now. Breaking all the rules! Five ain’t nothing but a number!

i’d like for you and i to go romancing (Good Omens) - I wrote this in one sitting on a whim to cheer myself up and I was just totally happy doing it and felt unstoppable, sort of like I had drunk some kind of fanfic-specific Felix Felicis. It is by far the most popular fic I have ever written in my many, many years of fic-writing. I am glad that this story seems to have brought the world some cheer like it did me.

Promising Light (Game of Thrones) - My emo goodbye to Jaime/Brienne. It was definitely not fun to have a ship that I had loved and hoped for for so many years turn out the way it did, so this was therapeutic to just, like, get all my feels out and then step away from a show that may have been, historically, my heart’s biggest fandom mistake.

Save Grizabella! (The Office) - Is this good? Should it exist? I don’t know. But I wanted to write a fic where characters from The Office go to see Cats (2019), and by God, I wrote a fic where characters from The Office went to see Cats (2019)! Don’t let your dreams be dreams!

building our kingdom (Ideal Home) - This one I wrote just for me, since there isn’t really a fandom to speak of, and it made me really happy to do it. Everybody cry about their found family feels in the kitchen on fajita night!

this is what you wanted (Killing Eve) - This may have been my most epic surprise saga of the year; I started writing it kind of out of nowhere and it just kept growing. It was such a total emotionally confusing pleasure to be in Villanelle’s brain for 5,600 words and to imagine how she would react to somewhere I know well. This is very embarrassing, but sometimes I randomly think about the little dream sequence in this story (a thing that probably does not matter to anyone in the world except me!) and get sort of emotional. Idk why that stuck with me, but that stuck with me.

A Little Miracle (The Durrells) - It was the great surprise of my fall 2019 that I spent like a month or so writing ALL LOUISA/SPIROS FIC. I don’t really know what compelled me to do this -- a new fandom at my advanced age? -- but it was tons of fun and I don’t regret it! I am fond of all the ones I wrote but this one is a particularly fond memory because it was such an absolutely shameless case of “Here’s them living happily ever after! In ya face, canon! In ya face, history! IN YA FACE!”

Fanvid: Stay, Stay, Stay (Good Omens) - Making a fanvid to “Stay, Stay, Stay” has frankly been one of my dreams ever since I first heard it; what about this song does not scream delightful fluffy fanvid? I always thought it was going to be an absolutely masterful Luke/Lorelai + Rory/Paris parallels vid (who doesn’t want that?), but then Good Omens happened and it became all about the Ineffable Husbands instead somehow. Huzzah!

Tagging: @agirlnamedkeith, @jenny-calendar, @ksfd89, @ladytharen, @jeaniefranklins, @chainofclovers, @robins-ellacott and anybody else who would like to talk about their fandom creations of the past year!

[purplesurveys]

739

Do you enjoy watching birth vlogs? OMG never. Those are a thing? I would imagine there’d be enough butthurt people flagging them enough to be taken down YouTube, but if they’re being uploaded there and are able to stay uploaded then that’s a really good thing. I’ve seen birthing photosets on Facebook but I’ve never watched an actual video. Would you rather paint on canvas or wood? I don’t paint but if given the chance I’d probably pick canvas just because it’s more common. What regret keeps coming back to haunt you daily? Recently it’s the daily decision to keep ignoring my thesis. UHGJGHFKD I’ll do it and have it finished in May I fucking swear, I just can’t right now. Do you miss someone? I miss all my best friends, close friends, friends, acquaintances, classmates, groupmates, and everyone I’ve ever come across in school including the cats and dogs. If you could cure yourself of one allergy, what would it be? I don’t have any allergies but I wish the irritation in my eye that will occasionally annoy me like an allergy would go away forever.

Do you know anyone else with your name? Yeah when I was applying for AIESEC there were two people there with the same name and even the same spelling - I had never felt so common until then lol. I know more Robins with an i. Have you felt like the main character in a book was you? No, but I know if I read more then I will probably be able to name a character for you. Which country's flag is your favorite? Nepal’s. I also found Libya’s old flag interesting since it used to be just green with no designs whatsoever. What would you be most afraid of happening if you were to visit Africa? This has some pretty awful undertones but uhhh I’d be wary of being attacked or scammed as a tourist, which is just the same thing I’d be scared of if I went to a different continent. Where are you tempted to move to sometimes? Chicago. Have you ever hiked a mountain? I’ve hiked before, but not for a mountain. Who seems like they have the perfect life? One of my acquaintances, Chesca, is reeeeeally intelligent but also incredibly rich and funny and POPULAR and pretty and trendy and an insanely talented speaker and very well-loved. I know no one has a perfect life per se but out of all the people I observe, she’s definitely the one who seems to authentically have it all. Do you ever take pictures of negative moments? I only did that once. The only thing it did for me was remind me of how much I was in a shitty place then. Do you think it would be a good idea to post photos of negative moments as well as positive? ^ Clearly, no. I never wanted to take photos of shitty moments after that. What time zone are you in? I never memorized the format but it’s something with +8 in it. Would you ever post a picture of yourself crying on social media? No. ^Why or why not? Because I find that extremely personal/private. Do you like dark blue jeggings or light blue jeggings better? Light blue even if I don’t wear jeggings, I guess. Dark blue isn’t as trendy these days. What color is the rim of your whiteboard? I don’t even own a whiteboard. Do you have trouble staying organized? For some spaces, yes. I can’t ever keep my car clean, for one. Throughout college it’s kinda served as my second home so I’ve never been able to avoid having my stuff from home pile up in there instead lmao. What was the last thing you cried about? The Philippine Bar exam results got released today and there was a video that quickly went viral of a family finding out their daughter/sister passed before she knew, and the passer only found out because they were all whooping and screaming downstairs. When she realized what they were making noise for she fell to the ground and started crying and oh my god there is a lump in my throat right now just thinking about it again. Have you ever held a newborn baby? No, I’ve never been in a delivery room nor met a baby a day or two after they were born; there’s just lots of sanitary/hygiene stuff to worry about and I’m ok with getting out of the way for a few days to ensure their health. Do you know anyone who has twins? I know sets of twins, which I guess kind of means the same because it means I am at least remotely aware of their mom lolol. Would you rather look older or younger than your age? Younger. Where do you buy calendars from? I don’t. Do you shop at the dollar store often? That’d be impossible to have here because we don’t even use dollars. But we don’t have anything equivalent to like a peso store either, so no I don’t. What does your name rhyme with? Foreign. Are you following in the career path of any family members? Yep. I have two aunts who worked as journalists; one of those aunts also worked as a radio DJ at one point; my great-uncle was a historian, author, and a professor and dean of history; and I have too many lawyer relatives to count on one hand. Have you ever met anyone who talks like a robot? Yeah, some really bad reporters in some of my past classes. Name something unique about your town. We have an authentic Swiss restaurant. That’s genuinely the most random, unique thing I’ve seen come out of any towns lmfao because any restaurant that isn’t Chinese/Japanese/Italian/American/Mexican is just not a common concept here at all, much less Swiss. I haven’t tried it yet since it’s fine dining but hopefully soon. Who does all the chores in your home? My mom. She’s super particular about chores and likes things to be done her way. Every time we’ve tried to help her we just end up getting yelled at because as much as we try to imitate her, somehow we always do the chore wrong. Do you feel you missed out on a lot as a kid? I missed out on the emotional foundation/support, for sure. I had to figure all that out on my own. What is your best kept secret (or one big secret you have right now)? This blog that to this day, only my sister knows about. Do you have anyone you can tell your secrets to? Yes. ^If so, who? You. Hahahahaha Who was that best friend you ever had? This is in past tense, so my best best friend that I’ve since lost was Sofie. I’m sad we drifted apart but we both seem a lot happier today and that’s what matters. She was an important person in a certain period in my life so I don’t regret the friendship. Do people appreciate you and accept you for who you are? I feel this from them, so I guess they do. What color is your laptop? Silver. What class would you like to repeat over again just for fun? Bio 1 because it was easy and POLSC 180 because I learned so much.

What are five careers you think you'd be good at? Corporate lawyer, any job that requires a lot of spreadsheet-y and internal work really, PR, a consultant for something I’m interested in, historian. I tried to delete this question but I brought it back at the last second because now is so not the time anymore to still dodge my future career prospects lmao. Are you thriving in your life right now? I don’t think anyone is at the moment, and that’s okay. Who do you have moral support from? My girlfriend and close friends, mostly. Who encourages you to go after your dreams? Them, and sometimes my parents. Do you have people in your family who want you dead? That’s horrible lmao I wouldn’t think so? Are the police criminals in your town? Yes. List all the antiques you have in your room. I don’t have any. What Bratz doll resembles you the most? JADE. My homegirl through and through. Do you have a walk-in closet? No. What was the last thing you ate? I had a chocolate chip cookie. What would you do to save money for your wedding? Allot some money from my salary for it, lmao. Have you ever been manipulated, lied to, abused, or controlled? Yes, of course, yes, and sure. Are you against plagiarism? Of course. That’s literally the biggest no-no in journalism.

[chelsmcd]

10 Years... 10 freakin years...

The end of a decade has come... Where does time go? How does it seemingly go by so quickly?  

How many of us can clearly remember 2010? Or, more accurately, the end of 2009 and getting ready to ring in the new year?  I can tell you, my life now, is definitely not where I thought it would be at this time 10 years ago.  To be honest, it took some serious thought to try and figure out all the things that have happened in the last 10 years, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t look to Facebook for some help (thank you young Chelsea... for documenting almost EVERYTHING you did).

10 years ago... I was living in Pickering at my mom’s place, I think this was for “financial” reasons, but also, it was just easier.  I had only lived away for 4ish years, but was back under her roof, her rules (luckily I had very few rules... I still like to brag I was never given a curfew as a kid, there were only a couple of “Chelsea... this is too late to be coming home” run ins).  

10 years ago... I had no worries, no responsibilities, nothing tying me to anyone or anywhere.  I was, for all intents and purposes... very free, and a very free spirit.

9 years ago, I was working for a Trampoline company.  Insert all the bad dad jokes here: it was really up and down, we had bad days but we’d always rebound, yadda yadda yada.  I was also running my side hustle of working with a race car team (scroll through some old posts on here to find the videos I used to make... man... we had some good times! Some great friends have been made).

9 years ago, I was getting by, living life, earning a salary, hanging with friends and just doing whatever I wanted.  Life wasn’t challenging, but it also wasn’t overly fulfilling. I’m 3 years out of University, I’m doing OK, having fun.  But I wasn’t... genuinely happy.  Not with what I was doing anyway. I was young, I was, perhaps naive to what the world ahead of me held, but hey, these are my glory years... what does it matter anyway?  My biggest issue was paying my car insurance and having the right outfit for my next night out. 

8 years ago, I feel like I finally started my life.  Like I started, as an adult, and started making decisions based on what was right for me, and not necessarily cool and fun right now.  8 years ago, in 2011, I took a chance on me (at the encouragement of one unwaveringly supportive mom) - I moved to Cornwall to start in the radio world.  The fear in that move was rivaled by the excitement of what could be.  It wasn’t my first time living away (although this was the furthest), it wasn’t the first time being responsible for paying rent (and thankfully, this was the cheapest), it wasn’t the first time for a lot of things - but it was the first time I felt like I was finally choosing me and my path over what was convenient.  It turned out to be where my life, and I’d say my career path really began.  This was the first dive into media - where I would get a chance to be ‘on air’ - those words still hold weight for me.  Being... ON... AIR.  Someone saw something in me, and while it was maybe 3 times per hour over 3 hours x 2 days a week... it was SOMETHING!  

While I didn’t know it... that decision 8 years ago, led to some major moves 7 years ago.  When I moved again, to a place that would steal my heart.

7 years ago, I moved to Kingston and started co-hosting the morning show there. Whoda thunk I’d be a morning show host? Buzz and I had an amazing couple of years together. While we were in very different spots in our career paths, I felt like any road bump I hit, he was there to offer support, guidance, and in some instances ride on through with me.  Buzz - I don’t know if you’ll read this, but thank you, thank you for being an ally, a friend, a mentor and all around great human.  I know this decade has had its ups and definitely its hardest moments no one would ever wish upon someone.  We don’t keep in touch as much as I thought we would, but I have so much respect for you and how you’ve handled the past few years specifically.  Your strength is inspiring.

6 years ago I started in sports “officially”.  Who knew how much this would impact my future? Who knew that would bring my back to Toronto (but that’s  a story for another year)?  As an in-arena host for a Junior Hockey Team... life was fun! I was on air doing the morning show during the week, napping, and hosting hockey games on the weekends.  Wahoo.  2013 - you were a good year.  You were also the year, and I’m sure anyone reading this that has been around for a while will remember, the #BTheFace contest?   2013 was the year I was one of 4 winners of the Mercedes.  The year we held an awesome party in a dealership in Vaughn where the roof literally caught fire, where I got to go behind the Scenes at Cats, where I got to check out Fashion Week and interview Jeanne Beker.. so many fun memories in 2013.  Maybe the best year of the decade?  May. Be.

5 years ago, I left morning radio, and took a risk on a start up gig, but now... on air ON CAMERA!! People would get to SEE ME!?! I’ve always kind of owned I love the spotlight... and this was no different.  This was a great year, from rapelling off buildings, to driving a poker boat, to joining the police at the shooting range (apparently I’m not too bad with a shotgun FYI), to baking cookies in a fire training facility - I experienced SO many fun things.  And let’s not forget skydiving?!  While I have some wonderful friends who I just hit it off with when I arrived in Kingston (ahem.. looking at you Andi), I think this was the year I also made some valuable friendships that have transcended some time.  Keenan... Andrew - you two are gems.  Absolute gems, and I’m so thankful we still keep in touch.  Heck, Keenan, I think for you, Skydiving changed your life path!!  Andrew - you got a mover out of it years later!  Guys - I am so grateful for your friendship and the memories we’ve had along the way.  Keen, I won’t go into any of the jokes or the memories.... because there truly are WAY to many (but.. like... jam jams).

4 years ago was a big one  - it’s when I admitted I no longer needed the spotlight and accepted the biggest change in the career, leaving media and stepping fulltime into sports.  I know some of my friends from elementary/high school still look at me and think “What are YOU doing in sports?”  - this is not me.  I was not athletic, I was not into sports, but hey... my passion for entertainment (as I later learned) is what brings me fulfillment each and every day. Also... ummm bought a house.  So there’s that (hello highwaisted, stretchy big girl pants).

3 years ago was probably my toughest year of the decade.  Both personally and professionally a lot of challenges, a lot of lessons learned and a year I believe I was happy to close the books on.  While I look back now and can find the silver lining of the person it helped shaped me to be, it was a tough year to live through, and it was a year that forced me to make some decisions and start making some changes so that...

2 years ago... I came back to Toronto.  To start full time in Football.  FOOTBALL!? Now, my dear grandma and great uncle were always Argos & Pinball fans, but for me, it wasn’t something I was passionate about.  Entertainment was the passion, and with a background in sales and game entertainment - I snagged a really neat role with the CFL.  A role that allowed me to travel across the country, a role that expanded my knowledge of sports, a role that helped me feel more fulfilled, more satisfied and see my own opportunity for growth.

While 2018 and 2019 have been busy with a few more nights spent in hotels, a few more pounds on the ol’ bod, a few new friends, a few new hobbies and a heck of a lot of growth, I’m looking forward to the new year.

As I flip the calendar - There are a few things I’m living this year, maybe this decade by... they include lessons I’ve learned on my own, some are advice from others - but all are, in my opinion, worth a moment of reflection.

1. Stay Humble, Hustle Hard : I always have a side hustle it seems.  This past summer I was working in Basketball to expand my skill set.  I don’t know that I will ever need to call upon it, but it’s another sport, another role, another area for growth.  It’s also opportunity for networking, building that professional base.  Not all hustling will be for financial reasons.  Sometimes - the hustle is going to be hard, challenging and require sacrifices... but sometimes, those big sacrifices have the biggest payoff (and sometimes, let’s just be honest, they don’t... but that’s OK too).

2. You have 2 ears and 1 mouth, use them in proportion : I’m a loud mouth, I talk a lot, we all know this, it is not a surprise.  A big lesson the past couple of years was to learn to sit down and listen.  I don’t need to be the first to speak, in fact, sometimes, just listening means you get to learn so much more.You get to hear everyone’s opinions, positions, points of view - and that may lend itself to inform your own position.  Nothing is wrong with not having all the answers right away.  For anyone a little younger, starting out in their career - I urge you to take this one to heart.  Do not confuse this with me suggesting you should not speak up in meetings - but I encourage you to listen a little longer before you do.

3. You’ll never regret the things you do, as much as the things you don’t : in other words, be glad you did something, don’t wish you had done it.  You can not go back and gain an experience once it’s gone.  This is the year for all the 20-20 vision jokes - but we all have 20/20 hindsight.. we all have those moments we wished we had seized, those moments we look back and say “ugh... if only...” I had said yes, I had more time, I knew then what I know now.  Carpe that diem.  Don’t let the world, your moments, your life pass you by. 

4. Settle for nothing less than you are worth : You get to choose what you bring into your life.  You choose your job (I assume you applied for it didn’t you?), you choose where you live, you choose who you are friends with.  YOU.  You are in control of what you bring into your life, how you are treated and how you treat others.  In the professional realm, the company will look out for their bottom line, you need to look out for yours. Be your own advocate. In the personal world, this could be a boyfriend/girlfriend, this could be friends, this could be where you spend your spare time, but you deserve nothing less than what you want to work for.  Don’t be a victim of your life.  Be the champion of it. 

Wake up. Choose to live your most fulfilling life, your most challenging life, your most rewarding life. Choose yourself. But remember - these are your choices, your responsibility to own, your effort to put forth. No one is lucky in life.  There are just those who work, and those who work harder.  I try to choose to be the latter.  It’s led to some great opportunities in life so far, and I hope for many more.

Happy New Year friends.  Cheers to 2020, cheers to a new decade - and cheers to the best self, we each get to choose.

[thefandomofoneshots]

This went down hill but I thought you all deserved something. I’m working on a second part to my Elijah Mikaelson series but I’m not making promises it’ll be posted soon. School holidays are coming up in 2 weeks and I’ll try and get more down than. Happy Easter.

To the people of London, today was inconsequential. When the barista at your favourite coffee shop gave you your drink, there was no pity in his practiced smile. When a woman ran into you on the street, there was no sorrow in her eyes. When your coworkers greeted you, there was no hatred in their voices, to them it was just another day, another day of work, another day to mark off their calendars when they arrived home to their families that night. Nobody thought much of today, it was just another Wednesday. But you knew if you went to the little pub on Charing Cross road, the one with the wooden cauldron hanging above the door, if you went out the back and tapped the right bricks in the right order than you would find another world, a world with funny dressed people, all of which wore somber expressions on their faces, becuase today wasn’t another day to them.

Today was May 2nd, and nobody in London cared, except you.

Your heart was torn in two. A part of you wanted to continue, act like this day held no meaning, as if lives weren’t lost and destroyed today because of the monster you shared blood with, that it was all a horrible dream that you had during your youth. That was why you were here, not there. Here, the name Riddle didnt earn you heated glares, it held no more importance than the name Potter, it was nothing. You needed the normalacy of a muggle life, and that is what you got, a job you didnt have to deceive people for, friends who didnt fear you, neighbours who waved at you each morning as you left your nice house. You were free from your father, nobody cowered away from you here, nor did they obey your every command. But there was one thing missing, one thing you could not easily replace, him.

Placing you under the protection of Draco Malfoy was the single good thing your father had ever done for you. He believed sending you to Hogwarts would make you a bigger asset, so he sent you to the school with a single mission; help him destroy Harry Potter. Of course, him being sorted into the house of his father and you being sorted into the house of yours did not help you become close to the boy who lived, in fact he quite hated you, even though you weren’t using your father’s name. You didnt hate Potter, you pitted him for all he had to go through and such a young age, but he hatred for all Slytherins, even if they had done nothing towards him or his friends, caused a dislike for him to grow. This brought you and Draco closer.

Draco knew who you were, of course. At first he acted respectful, partially due to the fear of the Dark Lord his father had instilled in him, but soon enough the two of you became friends, the Prince and Princess of Slyhterin (nicknames you never let your father hear).

Voldemort was back, Cedric Diggory killed by his faithful man servant, Peter Pettigrew, Harry Potter was right but ignorant minds marked him as a liar. This was the year of Umbridge, the sickly pink toad that even Slytherins hated, Dumbledore’s Army had been created, the few who believed in Harry’s story followed him, as he taught in the absence of a real defense against the dark arts teacher. This was the time i hated being me the most, a Slytherin, hated by Potter therefore stuck learning form the cat lady, and Voldemort’s child, now that he was back, he was more vocal than ever, constantly reminding me of what i had to do; help him destroy Harry Potter. It most certainly didnt help that my so called protector/ best friend was wondering the halls, looking for Potter under the command of a toad.

“Tell me what’s wrong.”

Turning away from the underwater veiw of the Slytherin common room, i looked at Draco. His white hair, usually slicked back was now in soft waves, shirt untucked, silver and green tie hanging loosely around his neck, normally smug lips downturned in a frown as his grey eyes swam with concern and exhaustion, he had probably just finshed his rounds.

“What ever could be wrong Draco? My life is just unicorns on rainbows pooping candy.”

Draco smiled slightly at your sarcastic tone, shaking his head in amusement as he sat down next to you. His arms wrapped around your waist, a gesture that wasn’t uncommon between the two of you, and he pulled your cold body into his warm one.

“Why are you always so sarcastic?’

“Sarcasm is the body’s defence against stupidity.”

Draco sat straight, pulling you completely on his lap. His chin nuzzled into your neck, smelling the perfume he had chosen and given to you last year on your birthday. He smiled.

“Are you calling me stupid?”

His tone was light hearted, barely containing a laugh, so you knew he didn’t take offence. Grinning, you decided to play along. This was the side of the Slytherin Prince that so few got to see, a side that, not to your knowledge, only came out when you are in his presence.

“You are by far the stupidest person i have ever met, and I know Crabbe and Goyle.”

"Are you trying to make me hate you?"

He couldnt hold back his laugh this time. A hearty laugh. The two of you laughed together, so long for something so stupid, but neither of you cared. Whipping a tear from your eye, you leant back into Draco’s chest, giving into the peace it provided you. Draco’s laugh died down to a few chuckles, a grin plastered on his face. You looked back at him.

“I hate you.”

“No, you dont. You love me."

Something inside Draco snapped. He loved you, he knew he did and seeing you in his arms, a happy glowsurrounding you, his heart rose to his throat and he finally got the courage to speak the three words stuck on the tip of his tongue since the day he met you.

“(Y/n), I do lo-“

“Don’t say you love me.”

Those words echoed in his mind. His grey eyes instantly turned cold, his heart building walls around itself. You could see his pain, you had known him longer enough to know his tells and your heart broke at the pain he was feeling in that moment. Turning yourself around, you clasped his hand tightly in your own. Draco looked away, feeling the tears beginning to burn his eyes. He couldn’t let you see. Cupping his check softly, you turned his face to yours, tears reflecting in each others eyes.

“I’m not somebody you should fall in love with Draco. I cant protect you. If my father were ever to find out-“

"He won’t find out."

Draco’s voice was loud, making you grateful that you were alone in the common room. Passion blazed behinds as he took your cheeks in his hands. His heart was beating through his chest. He was afraid of your father, but he refused to live another day that he could not call you his own.

“I love you (y/n). Just say it back, we can find a way to make this work. Please”

Your mouth opened. How could you say it? Telling Draco you loved him would seal his fate, if your father ever found out he wouldn’t kill Draco, he would destroy him. He had no idea what your father was truly capable of. But staring at the boy you loved, seeing him so raw, pleading for you to say those three simple words, how could you not?

It didnt last. Your love was doomed from the beginning, you knew this. Draco and you spent two years together, filled with bliss and hardships. It all ended five years ago today. The battle had be won, your father was dead and everybody knew who you were. Some people protected you, but most wanted you to pay for your father’s crimes.

You ran that day, into the forbidden forest until you could run anymore. Harry found you on the ground, sobbing and covered in scratches and bruises. He walked towards you slowly, cautious of the wand you had pointed at him. With his hands held above his head, he made you an offer. Leave. If you left the wizarding world, he would do his best to secure your safety. You agreed.

Five years had past and not a single day went by when Draco didn’t cross your mind. Leaving him that day had been your biggest regret. You sat at home, watching the rain fall, the burning wood in your fireplace keeping you warm. If you closed you eyes you could almost image Draco's arms around you as you both sat in the Slytherin common room that night. Draco was alive, and yet everyday you mourned him, your heart yearned to see him just one more time. Your gaze drifted to the fire.

In Malfoy Manor Draco sat alone. The leather chair in which he sat was uncomfortable but Draco couldn’t bring himself to move, not even to relight the fire, the only source of light and heat in the dark house, a house too big for one man. Every day since you had died he felt numb. He wouldn’t let himself feel happy without you, not even his beloved mother could get him to smile. Now he mourns her as he mourns you. He couldn’t even bring himself to cry.

The sudden source of light burned his eyes. People rarely visited Draco. Sometimes Harry and the other members of the golden trio would visit, out of guilt more than anything else he assumed. But they wouldn’t be here tonight, Draco liked to mourn alone, and they should be mourning their losses with their families. Beleiving the worse, Draco sent a curse in the direction of his fireplace, not noticing the female figure the emerged from the flames.

"Have you lost your damn mind? Lumos."

The light from your wand illuminated the room. It took a few seconds for Draco's eyes to adjust but he knew that voice. Draco’s wand dropped to the floor. He couldn’t take your eyes from you, afraid to blink. You looked so real but Draco refused to believe it was truly you.

"Draco."

You moved towards him slowly, worried. Your hands touch his shoulder lightly once you met him, sliding them up to cup his cheeks. He puts his hand over yours, pressing firmly against it, feeling your skin on his. You were real and for the first time in years, Draco cried.

"I thought you were dead."

Draco pulled away from you, keeping his arms around your waist, not willing to let go. He looked pale, thin. It was obvious that he hadn’t been taking care of himself. Your thumb rubbed his cheek slowly.

"I know. I made a mistake but I can promise you, I’m never leaving again."

[takaraphoenix]

Phoe’s Advent Calendar: Day 21

Sooo close to the Big Day! This one goes out to @insomniacsnowflower!

Title: Advent Calendar Project – Mistletoe Mishap

Fandom: Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments

Disclaimer: All rights to the Shadowhunters show reserved to Ed Decter, the books the show is based off and its characters belong to Cassandra Clare. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: shounen-ai, polyamory (threesome), pining, Christmas fluff

Main Pairing: Magnus/Alec/Jace

Side Pairings: Luke/Cat, Simon/Clary, Bat/Maia, Lydia/Izzy

Shadowhunters Characters: Jonathan Christopher 'Jace' Wayland, Magnus Bane, Alexander Gideon 'Alec' Lightwood, Isabelle Sophia 'Izzy' Lightwood, Lydia Branwell, Clarissa Adele 'Clary' Fray, Simon Lewis, Maia Roberts, Bartholomew 'Bat' Velasquez, Madzie, Catarina Loss, Luke Garroway

Summary: Magnus didn't go after Alec, because he has been around long enough not to chase after someone who wasn't ready to come out. Instead, he got together with Jace. Now, Alec finds himself pining after them both.

Links: FFNet | AO3

Mistletoe Mishap

Magnus had been instantly intrigued by Alexander the moment they had met. But then they had summoned the demon and he saw that Alexander was in love with Jace. He got to know Alec a bit and saw that Alec was too deep in the closet to be ready for a relationship and too in love with Jace to acknowledge other dating options. Magnus had been around long enough to know when something would end in misery for him, so he gave that part up. He still helped the Shadowhunters though and at one point, he gained a roommate in the form of Jace. He saw the Downworlders, male and female, leave the blonde's bedroom. They got drunk. Really very drunk, after the body-switch incident, after the pain Valentine had put them both through. And they ended up in bed together. It had just been angry sex. Relief. Seeking the warmth of another body. It was surprisingly fun, actually. And somehow, it became a reoccurring thing for them to stumble into Magnus' bedroom together, until at one point, Jace completely stopped going to his own bed and they started trading gentle kisses when waking up and parting ways. When that realization hit, they sat together and talked about the way their relationship had evolved and after talking it through, they decided to tell the others. There was nothing to hide. They cared too deeply about each other.

The war proceeded and their relationship only grew stronger and as the war ended, Magnus and Jace had Madzie move in with them. Magnus saw too much of himself in the girl – the lonely little warlock who had used her powers to kill and was so afraid. Jace saw just as much of himself in her though, after everything Valentine had put her through. They weren't ready to put the name on it that it definitely had – that they were getting domestic, becoming a family.

"You excited about Christmas, buttercup?", asked Jace gently, smiling.

Magnus' own smile was gentle as he watched them. Jace was so soft and loving with her as the two of them were finishing up the very last decorations on the Christmas tree with Isabelle and Clary together. Lydia, Alec and Simon were in the kitchen working on dinner. Magnus was indefinitely glad for Lydia Branwell. Though she had nearly gotten married to Alexander – which would have just been a disaster on all ends – Isabelle had crashed the wedding, kissed the bride and saved all parties involved from a loveless marriage. Now, Alec had slowly warmed up to the idea of being gay. He had officially come out two months ago, though it had been nerve-wrecking for him. Everyone around them supported and cheered him on. Magnus realized he had never truly gotten over that original infatuation with the dark-haired Shadowhunter, regardless of how hard he had fallen in love with Jace. Which would be a problem if he didn't know that Jace had fallen just as much in love with Alec by now. Dying had shifted Jace's perspective and while Jace had sought Magnus a lot, he also sought his parabatai even more than after any other trauma in the past year – and there had been a lot of trauma that Jace had gone through.

"Now, Cat said she'll pick our wolves up and bring them along for dinner", stated Magnus. "I still don't understand why you won't just let me use my magic for this dinner, but..."

"Babe. We talked about this", grunted Jace with a teasing grin as he came up behind Magnus, resting his chin on Magnus' shoulder. "It's Madzie's first Christmas with us. It's our first Christmas together. We lived through the war, together. Let's do this mundane."

"You're an awful influence on me, my angel", sighed Magnus dramatically as he twisted around enough to lay his arms around Jace's waist and pull him into a slow kiss.

"Ew", chorused Isabelle and Clary, simply out of principle to annoy Jace.

Madzie however was giggling, hiding her face behind her hands. The way Jace bit his lower lip to keep from smiling too hard told Magnus just how happy his blonde really was. Leaning in, Magnus placed a gentle peck on Jace's cheek as he slipped a hand into Jace's back-pocket.

"Hey! You guys could at least be useful! Instead of making out!", called Simon over.

"Say that again, mundie", prompted Jace. "Coming into our home, calling us useless."

There was a warmth blooming in Magnus' chest as Jace referred to the loft as his home, while Simon squeaked and hid behind Lydia for safety reasons. Lydia smiled and rolled her eyes.

"He's not entirely wrong. There's still a lot of work to do so dinner will be ready in five hours."

/break\

Alec sat in a corner, subdued. He was clinging onto the eggnog Maia had brought as he watched the others. Clary and Simon as well as Lydia and Isabelle were dancing to some awful Christmas music. Luke and Cat were sitting together, talking and laughing. They had started dating a few days after the war had ended, having met and hit it off during the celebratory party. Bat was sitting on the floor, playing with Madzie and her new toys. His cheeks were covered in lip-stick because he had adamantly refused from leaving his spot under the mistle-toe in hopes of getting a kiss from Maia. Isabelle, Lydia and Clary were first. Even Jace had kissed Bat – though that was what had given Maia the final push, which made everyone around them happy because Bat and Maia had been dancing around each other for weeks now. Though it made no one more happy than Simon, because he had been rooting for them ever since Simon and Maia had found the newly turned werewolf. Clary on the dance-floor laughed softly and kissed Simon briefly as Maia butted in to join them. And then there were their hosts. Magnus and Jace sat on the armchair together, Jace comfortably placed on his boyfriend's lap. They were such a perfect couple, so gorgeous and fierce. The Herondale heir head of the Institute and the High Warlock of Brooklyn; they were a power-couple. Sure, Alec was Jace's co-head and Jace's parabatai, but... He felt wildly out of place. As he always felt with them. Jace was the one Alec had been in love with for years. Magnus was Alec's biggest 'What if'. What if Alec would have been strong and brave back when Magnus had asked him out for a drink, instead of retreating and freaking out about his own sexuality? No. No, it was fine. It was better this way. Magnus and Jace were so good together, so beautiful together. They deserved each other. It was okay that there was no room for Alec, he could live with that, as long as he got to be a part of their life in some kind of way. His hand rested against his parabatai rune, pressing lightly.

Even after all those weeks, he was still downright paranoid about it. About how it had disappeared, how he had known that Jace was dead. How he and Magnus had broken down together and only Isabelle and Lydia and their combined strength had forced the two to keep going until they were at Lake Lyn and got to embrace Jace again, because Jace was back alive.

"Alec, my man", grinned Simon as he sat down, leaving Clary and Maia to dance alone.

"Don't... call me that, Lewis", sighed Alec frustrated. "What do you want?"

"Well, it's Christmas and everyone is cheerful. Only you look like the Grinch", offered Simon.

"What in the world is a Grinch?", asked Alec, sure he was going to regret that question.

"Alec, Alec, Alec!", exclaimed Madzie excitedly, saving Alec from Simon's explanation.

"Yeah, sweetie?", asked Alec with a small smile, leaning forward.

"Teach me shooting?", asked Madzie pleadingly, eyes large.

He had gotten her a toy-bow with nerf-arrows. Literally everyone had cooed as she had unwrapped that present, thinking it 'so Alec' and also 'so adorable'. Alec got up and let her pull him aside so he could explain to her how to best hold the bow and take aim. She giggled happily as she hit Simon on the forehead and managed to hit Luke's glass of eggnog. Alec smiled softly and got up, taking a few steps back and leaning against the doorway as he watched her. Bat dutifully played the frightened wolf hiding from the dangerous hunter and soon Clary, Isabelle and Simon were roped into the game too. The little girl was such a sunshine, really.

"You're lurking in the shadows again, parabatai", whispered Jace softly.

Alec startled as Jace suddenly leaned next to him. Taking a bit of a step away, Alec eyed his parabatai. He startled again when Magnus approached him from the other side. And then his brain failed as Magnus kissed him suddenly and his brain completely died when Jace kissed him next.

"Mistletoe", whispered Jace against Alec's lips, pointing up at the ceiling.

Alec relaxed for only a split second, before frowning. No, the mistletoe Izzy had put up in the loft hung literally opposite of him. As he looked up, there was mistletoe though. And there was a blue shimmer around Magnus' hand as his magic slowly faded. Alec frowned confused.

"Oh, sue a warlock for wanting to have some fun", sighed Magnus. "I mean, it's not like either of you would make the first step. Jace is still confused about how his feelings for you shifted and you are... You have settled so well with never speaking out about your feelings, Alexander."

"W—What?", sputtered Alec and stumbled backward.

"Oh, let me be some more straightforward then", chuckled Magnus.

With a flick of his wrist, there was a large red bow wrapped around Jace's chest. Jace looked very unimpressed, glowering at his boyfriend, who looked completely unapologetic. Alec had no idea what was going on here. He looked between Magnus and Jace.

"Don't mind Mag. Mag is an idiot", assured Jace gently, grasping his parabatai's arm. "Don't think you're obligated to do anything, Alec. It's just that we... like you. Mag and I. A lot."

"We'd like to take you out on a date, if you'd want that", added Magnus gently.

"Why?", asked Alec, squinting at them in confusion.

In the background, Clary and Izzy were laughing softly as Luke and Cat took the dance-floor. Alec's eyes flickered over to the sound on instinct, watching all the happy couples in the living room.

"We're happy. We're in love. But we could be... happier... with you", muttered Jace, hand slipping down to take Alec's hand and link their fingers. "After... When I died. When I died, I felt our bond severe. I was just dead for moments, but it felt like years. Years without you. A—And I can't be without you. Having you support me since then, holding you... I... I started seeing you in a different light, parabatai. You're so important to me, but... in a different way than you should. Please, at least... think about it. It's okay if you don't, but..."

Jace was shut up by Alec impulsively grabbing him and pulling him into a slow, deep kiss. He needed to feel this for himself. To be sure this was true. Magnus laughed softly and was more than eager to be pulled into a kiss next. Alec smiled brightly as he found himself embraced by them both.

~*~ The End ~*~

[auswriteforyou]

My Father’s Daughter. (Chicago PD Fanfiction)

Chapter One; Little One.

Opaque grey eyes stared at her through the mirrors' grime, shaky hands smoothing stringy, matted brown hair. Her pink dress was too big, she kept having to pull at the straps to keep it from slipping off her shoulders. She had told them it was too big but they, he, wanted her to look good for their friends. They should have put her in red not bubblegum pink if they wanted her to look less like a nine year old girl and more like the teenager she was being passed off as.

"малютка, are you ready?" She could only make out his deep brown eyes from the dark corner he stood in but he was friendly, she could feel it. They only called her little one when they were nice. She opened her mouth to respond but the only sound that exited her cupid's bow lips was the blare of a siren.

Her body recognized where she was before her mind did, body in an upright position as she pulled the covers to her chest and tried to calm her racing heart. The mauve walls, the brown bedsheets and lilac duvet were tale tale signs of her bedroom but the fear coursing through her was still trying to seize her. The sirens whizzed by her windows, lights spinning through her room before trailing off as they had since she had moved in a few months ago. She was still adjusting to living so close to the 21st district.

"Jeez," She sighed as she rooted around her nightstand for her might-be-dreams-might-be-memories journal, pulling it and he favourite pen from it's spot and jotting down a few words that she could flesh out when she wasn't so exhausted. A small mewl broke through her focus, her notebook being abandoned for the small ball of fur that lunged into her lap.

"Oh hi little-" Cutting herself off, a flash of her dream floated through her mind as she decided that she needed a new nickname for the small black and grey cat - actually she just needed to name the cat she received as a gift two days ago. "Did you sleep well? Hmm?" The kitten nudged her hand, purring loudly as she closed her ice blue eyes.

"I am taking that as a yes." Giggling, she allowed herself a long moment to bask in the early morning sun filtering through her window, how warm she was in her covers and the feel of the kitten's fur. The weird dream-memories she had been having really messed with her sleep schedule - and her sanity. It was nice to have a moment to herself.

My baby don't mess around, she -

"What do you want?"

"Morning to you too, sunshine."

"Morning, hi, what do you want?" The man on the other side of the call could practically see her widened eyes, scrunched nose and pursed lips as she tried to figure out why he was calling her at 7 a.m.

"Were you asleep?"

"No, kind of, why?" He laughed, knowing she wasn't going to let it go til he told her. She was predictable in a lot of ways, mostly in her ability to be curious of literally everything. She didn't mind being predictable in the slightest; to her, predictability was dependability.

"I have to be at work for the deposition briefing but I was calling to make sure we were still on for dinner tonight but now I'm not so sure." He teased, her eyes rolling as she looked at the calendar on her wall. It was their anniversary tomorrow but seeing as their anniversary was on a Friday, they didn't want to deal with a crowded restaurant so they were celebrating tonight with a nice dinner and spending tomorrow curled up in bed. Of course they were still on for dinner.

"Dyl, do you really have to ask?" She cursed as she stepped out of bed onto her cold hardwood floors, following them to the cold tile bathroom floor. "Of course we are. You, me, Montiago's at 7?" Her heater was pumping as hard as it could but it wasn't doing much to keep out the bitter Chicago chill. She had been perfectly content in her bed but she needed to get ready for work, feed the cat and herself, adult really.

"Yep, can I expect you there at 7:30?"

"I am not always late!" She argued, regretting her decision to wear a sports bra and leggings to bed. "I can be there at 7, promise." She was met with a heart laugh, she could practically see his dimples popping.

"I am only teasing you babe." She could hear someone calling his name as she pulled out her toothbrush from the medicine cabinet, wincing at her appearance in the mirror. It was going to take a lot to fix this. "Hey, I have to go do some work so I can actually afford this dinner but I'll see you in a bit. I love you."

"Yeah, yeah, I love you more." Clicking out of the call, she smiled at her ghastly appearance as she slid the phone into the speaker dock. Dylan Mann was the definition of 'a catch'. He was 25 with bronze skin, jet black hair and piercing green eyes. Not to mention the muscular build, slight stubble and thick rimmed glasses that perched on his nose.

He was an attorney in one of the biggest law firms in Chicago, spending his nights at his private office in the slums of Chicago helping those who couldn't help themselves. He had been raised in the affluent Canaryville but his parents had raised him right, teaching him that money and respect were earned through hardwork. He was smart (4.0 GPA and graduated summa cum laude), tall (like 6' 5" tall), funny (aka sends her memes with the captions 'is this you' or 'same') and somehow head over heels for the girl from the slums he works in - please, why can't he have one flaw? - and who can't remember the first ten years of her life bar weird dream-memory things that no one can confirm.

She was lucky, she knew that.

Turning the shower handle to as hot as it would go, she stripped off her clothes and groaned as it got even colder. Hand brushing the scar she'd had on her right hip that spanned up her side to her ribs that she had, had for as long as she could remember, she sighed to herself. She had no idea what it was from, hopefully some dumb childhood incident that had given her a bad enough concussion to cause memory loss. She didn't know if she could handle it being anything else.

As she stepped into the shower, a small piece of her told her something was off. That something felt out of place. She shouldn't have shrugged it off because if she had just glanced up, she would have noticed the blinds halfway up on the small bathroom window. And perhaps she would have noticed the man peering through it.

-

It had been three years, long and painstaking as they tried to hunt down this guy. Gunner was evasive, smart, calculated and he went underground whenever they got close enough to grab him. It was pissing him off but he had made a mistake, popped up in a recent case and they had the best lead they'd had since Mirabel gave them his street name.

"Listen, you either roll on your good buddy Gunner or go to jail for the murder of his girlfriend Candy and five other victims that we can tie to your group, Hall." Leaning into the man's face, Voight let a smile fall on his lips as he spoke. "One of which was in New York, where they offer the death penalty. Your choice."

"I don't know nothing about them murders or his operation, aight? All I got is a name. Chase Olat, some white boy from the rich sida town. But I ain't ever met him, swear."

"Chase Olat, 27 and just like Hall said he's a rich boy from an affluent family that fell into the wrong crowd. He doesn't have a record but his 'friends' have mile long ones that I assume they took for him." Kim Burgess was the newest member of the Intelligence unit, already proving herself and pushing through any gender and personal grudges. "He doesn't have an address on file but a bunch of his friends have ones on the same block and I figure the best way to keep track of his crew is to live with them."

"Gear up, we bringing him in."

[nostalgiaispeace]

1491.

What shows are you into? oh goodness....WAY too many!! What’s your claim to fame? nothing Are you usually early or late? late How often do you people watch? not often. What do you hope never changes? Matthew’s love for me..unless he loves me more then that’ll be fine lol

What’s your dream car? 1967 chevy impala What songs have you completely memorized? a lot of songs... What job would you be terrible at? i’m terrible at every job.

What skill would you like to master? idk What are you absolutely determined to do? live What would you rate 10 / 10? reading Where would you rather be from? England. What’s your favorite drink? coffee What quirks do you have? too many How often do you play sports? never What website do you visit most often? tumblr What movie title best describes your life? i have no idea. What age do you want to live to? idk? What takes up too much of your time? work What do you wish you knew more about? everything. How different was your life one year ago? extremely. What’s the best single day on the calendar? none What are some things you’ve had to unlearn? a lot of things tbh What’s your favorite genre of book or movie? thrillers for both What’s the farthest you’ve ever been from home? idk What TV channel doesn’t exist but really should? idk? Where is the most interesting place you’ve been? nowhere really. What fad or trend do you hope comes back? nothing? What’s the best way to start the day? coffee What kind of art do you enjoy most? writing What would your perfect room look like? i don’t have a “perfect room” What fictional place would you most like to go? Hogwarts What have you only recently formed an opinion about? nothing What is the most heartwarming thing you’ve ever seen? love What’s something you like to do the old-fashioned way? life Would you rather go hang gliding or whitewater rafting? neither Who has impressed you most with what they’ve accomplished? my husband. How do you relax after a hard day of work? reading What TV show or movie do you refuse to watch? idk Where would you spend all your time if you could? my bed sleeping What would be your ideal way to spend the weekend? chilling What’s the best way a person can spend their time? depends on the person? What would be the most amazing adventure to go on? idk What pets did you have while you were growing up? dogs and cats What job do you think you’d be really good at? nothing What’s the most interesting piece of art you’ve seen? idk Where is the most relaxing place you’ve ever been? my bed What are you most likely to become famous for? nothing What’s worth spending more on to get the best? nothing? What age do you wish you could permanently be? no thanks? What is special about the place you grew up? nothing What do you consider to be your best find? omg When was the last time you climbed a tree? when i was a kid What city would you most like to live in? idc What is the luckiest thing that has happened to you? living What’s the best thing that happened to you last week? my days off What’s your favorite piece of clothing you own / owned? idk What is the most annoying question that people ask you? some of these questions What is the most impressive thing you know how to do? nothing What was the best book or series that you’ve ever read? Harry Potter What is the most annoying habit that other people have? idk What are you looking forward to in the coming months? for them all to be over with. What are some small things that make your day better? the Bible, seeing my husband, going to bed. What one thing do you really want but can’t afford? a house What are you interested in that most people haven’t heard of? idk Why did you decide to do the work you are doing now? i love kids and mental health What state or country do you never want to go back to? none What are you most looking forward to in the next 10 years? i have no idea What game or movie universe would you most like to live in? Harry Potter If you suddenly became a master at woodworking, what would you make? idk....... What amazing thing did you do that no one was around to see? nothing What hobby would you get into if time and money weren’t an issue? idk If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time? lol probably nothing When people come to you for help, what do they usually want help with? mental health advice Where do you usually go when you when you have time off? home What question would you most like to know the answer to? why? What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their lives? know God What’s something you’ve been meaning to try but just haven’t gotten around to? nothing What gets you fired up? idk What risks are worth taking? love What do you take for granted? hopefully nothing

What do you have doubts about? myself What fact are you resigned to? idk What book impacted you the most? Harry Potter What’s the best thing about you? lol NOTHING What are you addicted to? books When do you feel truly “alive”? never Who inspires you to be better? God What makes a good life? knowing God If all jobs had the same pay and hours, what job would you like to have? i would be a housewife What irrational fear do you have? too many What would be your spirit animal? a cat Have you ever saved someone’s life? naw What’s the hardest lesson you’ve learned? life’s hard. What’s something you are self-conscious about? everything What is one of your favorite smells? coffee What do you like most about your family? nothing What is the “holy grail” of your life? God Have you ever given to any charities? i believe i have What’s the last adventure you went on? lol What are three interesting facts about you? nothing What was the best compliment you’ve received? idk What chance encounter changed your life forever? meeting Jesus What do you want your epitaph to be? i don’t know what that is. What do you want to be remembered for? she did her best What is something you will NEVER do again? idk What are you most likely very wrong about? everything What stereotype do you completely live up to? i have no idea What dumb accomplishment are you most proud of? keeping up with my blog even though no one reads it lol What was the most memorable gift you’ve received? idk What is the biggest lesson you never learned? life’s hard but it’s amazing with God What’s the most immature thing that you do? idk Who is / was your most interesting friend? Britt What do people think is weird about you? ask other people

What chapters would you separate your autobiography into? idk? What do you hope your last words will be? idk What do you spend the most time thinking about? whatever i’m worried about What is something you can never seem to finish? idk What mistake do you keep making again and again? too many What’s the best thing you got from your parents? examples of how NOT to be. What is the strangest thing you have come across? idk What would a mirror opposite of yourself be like? idk? What’s the best and worst thing about getting older? having to be independent...i hate it. What would be the scariest monster you could imagine? idk What is something you are certain you’ll never experience? my dreams What challenging thing are you working through these days? life

What’s one responsibility you really wish you didn’t have? life What do you wish your brain was better at doing? working If your childhood had a smell, what would it be? i have no idea In your group of friends, what role do you play? idk Which of your scars has the best story behind it? none of them What have you created that you are most proud of? music What were some of the turning points in your life? getting married, meeting God and going back to God What bends your mind every time you think about it? God What is something that your friends would consider “so you”? idk, ask them What’s something horrible that everyone should try at least once? nothing if it’s horrible? If you had a personal flag, what would be on it? Hufflepuff!!! As the only human left on Earth, what would you do? kill myself. What stat for your life would you most like to see? idk What did you think you would grow out of but haven’t? tumblr lol

What are three of the most significant numbers in your life? idk What’s the best and worst piece of advice you’ve ever received? idk What song or artist do you like but rarely admit to liking? no one? What annoys you most about the in-groups you are a part of? i’m not in any groups What small gesture from a stranger made a big impact on you? just when they’re kind What are some of your personal “rules” that you never break? idk If your life was a book, what would its title be? i have no clue Among your friends or family, what are you famous for? being a screw up What’s the title of the current chapter of your life? “She’s a Hot Mess” What do you strongly suspect but have no proof of? nothing? What do you regret not doing or starting when you were younger? idk? nothing? As you get older, what are you becoming more and more afraid of? life In what situation or place would you feel the most out of place in? every situation and place ...... What personality trait do you value most and which do you dislike the most? my sensitivity i hate the most. What would you do if you knew you were going to die in one hour? nothing What are some of the events in your life that made you who you are? too many If life is a game, like some people say, what are some of the rules? don’t break the law, be kind. There are two types of people in this world. What are the two types? idk? What lifestyle change have you been meaning to make for a while now? nothing What question can you ask to find out the most about a person? idk? What can you not get right, no matter how many times you try? life When people look at you, what do you think they see / think? a mess If you had to change your name, what would you change it to? i wouldn’t What’s the dumbest thing you’ve done that actually turned out pretty well? fell in love

[jesicajparksuk]

10 March Blog Post Ideas

As we close out Q1, now’s a good time to look back on the goals you set for yourself and your blog at the start of the year. Are your goals still rocking you? Are you making progress? If not, where do you need to re-calibrate?

Are you posting consistently? At this point in the year, it’s common to feel stuck or short on ideas after the flurry of New Year’s and goal-setting content. If you’re looking for new, creative content ideas to keep your editorial rolling, here are 10 fresh March blog post ideas to get those juices flowing!

Spring bucket list: What do you and your pets plan to do together in the new season?

DIY or how-to pet-friendly gardening post: Maybe you want to cover how to grow organic cat nip or container veggies safe for your dog’s dinner. While the planting season is still weeks off, now is the time to create (and pin!) this content.

March 11 Daylight Savings Begins: Tips on how to help your pets adjust are always in-demand. And, of course, there’s a hashtag #DaylightSavings.

Easter: According to Tailwind, it’s time to start posting and pinning Easter content to get the most traction.

March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day: Think of creative roundups, holiday themed DIYs, or even a fun, festive photoshoot to capture the spirit, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #StPatricksDay in your content promotion.

Tackle your spring cleaning routine: How do you keep it pet-safe? What do you do with your overflow pet supplies? Share tips, tricks, and–if you dare–glimpses into your closets to make it feel real.

Going to Global Pet Expo? A trend-spotting post always makes a splash. (Tip: This year seems to be all about the tech. Find the newest digital innovations to showcase with your readers… and don’t forget to maximize your affiliate relationships!)

My biggest regret as a pet parent: Readers love authentic, genuine stories. Sometimes we get in the habit of putting a little too much polish on our stories about pet care. Have you made any mistakes? Have you any regrets? An honest story that compels your readers to engage will help them connect with you on a more personal level, too.

A look back: Consider a retrospective on Q1 toward the end of the month. While we wish our readers devour every post, the truth is, sometimes readers miss some great work. Posting a look back at the end of the quarter gives you a chance to highlight some of your best Jan/Feb/Mar work!

The cost of vet care: One of the hottest SEO topics, a post on how to save for, afford, invest in, etc. veterinary care. Perhaps for your audience, it’s a look at pet insurance, or maybe it’s breaking down the cost of a specific condition, treatment, or disease. This is evergreen content that plays well for search engines.

For even more ideas, check out the complete list of 2018 pet-related holidays, themes, and observances!

Your turn!

What’s coming up on your editorial calendar? Any ideas you can add to this list? Or, if you plan to blog about these topics, please drop the links in the comments below so we can share a little link love!

Image: ArthurStock/Shutterstock.com

The post 10 March Blog Post Ideas appeared first on BlogPaws.

from News And Updates About Pets http://blogpaws.com/executive-blog/10-march-blog-post-ideas/

[todaysbiggesthits]

The Exam

Best Music Moment of 2017:

Code: dancing out the entire wedding reception playlist with my best girl on an empty concrete slab on a breezy texas night

BC: -The absolute stellar dance party at Codemin’s Wedding; most notably:

     “Carol” by The Rolling Stones

     “Enjoy the Silence” by Depeche Mode

     “Crystal” by New Order

-OK Computer’s 20th Anniversary and the listening/reflection that came with it -My four year old, Emmett, learning “Maps” on the drums pretty much on his own

JD: February: Watching the “Emotional Rescue” scene in A Bigger Splash:

March: Seeing Stop Making Sense on the big screen at my favorite theater with m’gal and a David Byrne Q&A after the screening. April: The dance party of a lifetime at Code and Arden’s wedding. November: Watching Parquet Courts play “You’ve Got Me Wondering Now” for the first time in years.

C: "Born to Run" at a good friend's, Brian Ferguson's, wedding.

Nasty: This playing at the end of Leftovers Season 3, Ep 5 - "The Most Powerful Man in the World"

Bronco: Sitting on my back porch with Brenny, sipping down some delicious whiskey drinks and listening to the new Mastodon on a surprisingly unshitty Amazon bluetooth speaker. Watching his face on the breakdown in Jaguar God was quite entertaining. Also listening to the Squalus album (the metal interpretation of Jaws) with the kids, my oldest asking what it was, and him saying he wants to watch Jaws now. He was especially fascinated by the USS Indianapolis part of the story.

Laser: This 

Chap: My 17 has been dominated by the two new ladies in my life. I made this mix for them:

and played it for them on random the morning they were born. This was the first song that came on:

and I finally broke down with emotion after the 36 hour experience while holding one of them while this song was playing:

Best Shows Seen in 2017:

BC: This first 60 seconds of this:

Nasty: Future Islands & Action Bronson

Larse: Future Islands with Maddie, Nasty, and Sam; Action Bronson at The Rave - pretty sure I got a contact high just from being in the show

C: War on Drugs

Bronco: Mastodon

Codem: lvl up - beat kitchen kitten forever - subterranean downstairs ovlov - beat kitchen pqc - the bottle girlpool - logan square auditorium moving units’ joy division cover set - the bottle PAWS - cobra lounge a. savage - the bottle pictureplane

JD: 1. William Basinski and Julianna Barwick at National Sawdust 2. No Age at Elsewhere 3. Parquet Courts and B-Boys at Elsewhere 4. Liars at Warsaw 5. Deerhunter and Eleanor Friedberger performing while Bradford Cox painted her portrait onstage at Warsaw 6. LCD Soundsystem at Brooklyn Steel 7. Yo La Tengo in Central Park 8. Andrew WK at Warsaw 9. Vince Staples at Panorama Fest 10. Wire at Baby’s All Right 11. Vagabon at Brooklyn Bazaar

Confession of 2017:

Bronco: I listened to the New Kids On The Block offering of 2017 "Thankful" (it was fucking terrible).

C: Still haven’t listened to LCD Soundsystem

Code: -knowing the backstory, the mount eerie album was probably the best album i heard this year, but it was too dang sad to listen to more than a handful of times. -i still loved that brand new song despite the lead cat being a creep. -i thought that this year was pretty rough for music, but my tune changed after looking back through my top tracks.  maybe there were just so few full albums that i liked? -i fast fwd'd through every SNL musical guest this calendar year, but i did catch the tom petty tribute from the vegas countrymin. 

BC: I don’t hate that objectively awful Chainsmokers/Coldplay song because it reminds me of this year’s BOB since Creevey played it every twenty minutes for 36 holes.

Larson: Listened to more rap this year than I think I have in past years; must be Nasty's Lincoln influence!

Nasty: I listened to more podcasts than music in 17.

Biggest Disappointment of 2017:

Laser: LCD Soundsystem

Codem: -no chromatics this year. -the two lcd shows that i saw this year.

Chap: The albums. I would not be shocked if I didn't listen to any of my top 15 all the way through after today.

Bin: DJT

JD: Mondanile

BC: Real Estate.  I think they need to invite the perv back into the band.

Bronco: Bison, Monolord, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, And So I Watch You From Afar. They all put out albums this year, and I've like their stuff in the past, but they did little to nothing for me this time around.

Most Overrated of 2017:

Codem: slowdive, but also twod and japanese breakfast

Bin: Bodak Yellow / Cardi B

Larse: LCD Soundsystem

Bronco: -Pallbearer - just don't like the guy's voice, and though they're slow as shit, there's no good riffs or anything to connect with for me. -Code Orange - hardcore band that I just don't get. One of those 'motherfucker I'm the best!' type super close to being alt-right supremecy type bands even though they're probably completely against it. They're at the top of most metal lists this year. I've given them 4-5 spins, most in reaction to the praise they're getting, but I just don't get it. -Royal Thunder - just one big case of blue balls. All of their songs seemingly build toward a climax that never happens. It's just so blech.

JD: Did the music press even treat anything as a lasting work of art and not ephemeral content to get through a week or two of famous personality driven clicks? King Krule? 

BC: Lorde, I think?  I mean, that album’s gotten a lot of love this year and I thought the lead single – “Green Light” – was hot garbage. It spawned a conspiracy theory in my mind that Taylor Swift was proactively influencing and then purposefully sabotaging the work of her close friends (see Lorde, Haim, et al).

Make it Stop 2017

Bronco: Sex monsters. Can we just take all white dudes in powerful positions, assume they've sexually assaulted at least one person, imprison them, and move on? We could take everything they have, give it all to Native American tribes, then force them to walk their own trail of tears to live out their lives in the desserts of New Mexico, and force them to build the wall, but it would just be a wall around their sad sex monster reservation.

Also, Taylor Swift.

Nasty: I didn't have the luxury of expending any real hate on music this year... which I'm just now recognizing as a bad thing.

JD: -Unceasing sadness and anxiety about the present and future. -Jack Antonoff

BC: Life on this planet.

Code: any rap station that i hear in an uber. that cardi b song was playing every time i caught a cab at 5:30 a.m. to play golf.

Larson: U2

Biggest TBH Regret of 2017:

BC: Not seeing NIN at RiotFest

Larson: Skipping the Car Seat Headrest show at Summerfest because I could tell Maddie didn't want to leave Jonas' party (party was fun, so not a real loss, just wish I would have seen the show).

Nasty: Not even giving new artists a chance. I'll listen to an average album from The National 10x's before I give someone new a shot.

Codebreaker: not having an opportunity to karaoke badu's tyrone

JD: -Had the worst fever of my life during LCD and could only manage standing in the back shivering. -Forgetting to go see Dinner at Baby’s All Right. -Not enough time with Bjork, Miguel, and Blanck Mass. 

Bronco: Fucked up the family calendar maintenance and ended up not being able to see the Toadies and Local H. I was pissed at my wife, but it wasn't the end of the world. I haven't listened to either in forever, and the listen I gave to the Toadies latest offering didn't knock my socks off. It was really just for nostalgic purposes. Still it sucked to have to miss it despite my best efforts to bring it to her attention multiple times.

Detective Murtaugh of 2017:

NACK: I had two separate opportunities to see LCD, and just didn't feel like putting in the effort. Was going to put this as a regret, but I don't regret it.

Code: i skipped 7 shows that i had tickets for and left 6 shows early. two shows i left early due to brightness of lights.  mmmmmnhh

JD: Couldn’t hear for 18 hours after No Age. Needed two Tylenol for the headache I gave myself during “You’ve Got Me Wondering Now” at PQ Quartz.

BC: Having no idea who either the SNL host or the musical guest was for three straight weeks.  Tiffany Haddish? Saoirse Ronan? SZA? I’m too old for this shit…

Nasty: Carson, Maddie, Sam and I went to watch the IU game this weekend with one of Carson's co-workers (an IU grad) who is 23.... I got rolling on a rant about how important it is to enjoy your 20s because after the impending onslaught of weddings and babies life basically isn't any fun anymore. Suspect it was a little too impassioned by the end.

Bronco: I was enrolled in a three month coding bootcamp to learn Web Development. Aside from the two older ladies (50+) and the weird Brazilian idiot (45+), I was the oldest person in the room by probably an average of 13 years. They are all for the most part life-pivoting in to the dev world and they all have all the time in the world to learn new shit, do whatever they want, whenever they want...goddamnit I miss that. So maybe this is my "too married and fathered for this shit" section of the exam.

C: Wife’s Pregnancy

Laser: Every time I wake up with a fucking hangover and tell myself that I’m not gonna drink like that again only to get back on the saddle the next available opportunity.

Resolution for 2017 Update:

BC: Put a goddamn band together. How it went: 

C: Check out some jazz/blues in Chicago. How it went: FAILED

Larson:  Focus on the shit I really care about instead of trying to listen to everything posted on the thread…I’m just going to have to be honest with myself and realize I ain’t got time for all this media! How it went: Terrible; found myself listening to Timeless Pop Rock hits playlist more than anything else.

Chap: Check out more of the recommendations on the TBH thread. Try to organize get-togethers around TWO shows. How it went: Actually not bad. I had a few solid period during nap times when I didn't feel like working. I think I was able to listen to every album I wanted to at least once.

Code: make concerted effort to listen to music that i liked in previous years in addition to music from the current year. How it went: i nailed my resolution, as i devoted four full months to the grateful dead and it was the best musical trimester of the year for me. it was really interesting to watch all of the new music pile up and never once feeling compelled to listen to something else. god damn did the '77 version of the band have it all figured out. i could listen to any uptown mississippi halfstep toodeloo from that year at any time.

Bronco: Learn the guitar. I’ve been fooling around with Rocksmith (guitar hero with real guitar) and I want to push myself to execute the more complex chords, not just stick to the powerchord simple songs like Blitzkrieg Bop, and start learning how to build and execute a solo. I also want to distill my own whiskey, build a garden shed from scratch, and learn to code. How it went: I haven't quite mastered the guitar, but I can play a few songs fairly well. I did not start working on my own whiskey or build a garden shed from scratch...yet. But I did learn to code. I am now at conversational levels of fluency with Javascript and at "donde es el bano" levels with Ruby and Python.

Nasty: See a show in NY with JD. How it went: Not great, Bob! I barely made it down the street to see Action Bronson with Laser 

JD: Seeing more shows with you guys is an evergreen resolution. How it went: To quote BC,

Resolution for 2018:

BC: No more resolutions

C: Catch some jazz in Chicago

Laser: get my list in on time!

Chap: While I didn't have the occasion to catch shows this year, I anticipate doing so in '18 due to some changes afoot.

Codem: make more playlists for my wife

Bronco: Get in shape. I want to stick to a schedule of running all year round. I ran a 10K back in June, then needed to recover for a bit, been recovering ever since...Fat Dad needs to keep running all year round without excuse, especially given that we go skiing between Xmas and New Year's and I'm gonna be a floppy legged mess. During those runs, I'll try to listen to new material each time.

Bin: I'm just going to keep saying "get to NY for a show with JD" until I make it happen. 

JD: See you gents more often with or without a show attached. 

Most Anticipated of 2018:

C: MBV

JD: MBV, No Age, Panda Bear, something surprising

Code: chromatics (i think it's really coming this year), mbv, no age, DOM, CCFX full album

Bronco: Tool. Fourth year's the charm...fuck those guys. It better suck me off when it finally does come out. Also a new Sleep album and a new High on Fire album...still waitin' on those too.

BC: Simple Minds, Vampire Weekend, Kanye

Nasty: Kanye, ASAP Rocky, Rhye, Chromeo, Vampire Weekend

Chap: After a quick glance at the list... Vampire Weekend, Kanye, Chromatics

Larse: Honestly don't even know what is on the horizon, just hope I can listen to it with this net neutrality bullshit!