#paranormal postgrads

[finnlongman]

I think it's so funny how my most creative worldbuilding seems to happen on the fly, when I'm zipping past it at high speed, throwing it into the book with no care for the consequences. Just speeding through my own brain at 70mph and yeeting concepts out of the window as I go.

[finnlongman]

One of my WIPs is very similar to this, albeit more focused on the medieval past than the ancient one and with researchers and sources living side-by-side in an established way rather than, like, a unique discovery of an ancient being!

My "Paranormal Postgrads" series features grad students + paranormal beings and it's about as nerdy as you might expect. The first book features an underfunded PhD student working on late medieval and early modern Irish literature who realises that his housemate is a vampire from fifteenth century Ireland, and promptly attempts to make a deal with him whereby he's extremely happy to get his blood sucked if his housemate will translate some early modern Irish for him so he doesn't have to do it.* And, to be honest, even if he won't, because he's kind of into that. Vampires are an established part of the setting, but the protagonist grew up in one of the few human-only towns left in the UK, so he's a little clueless -- that's his excuse for why he didn't notice his housemate was a vampire. Not the fact that he's a wildly nocturnal disaster and thus saw nothing unusual about his housemate's schedule.

*All my followers noticing my translation updates lately... yes, okay, there's some wish-fulfillment going on here. Though I originally wrote this book before I applied to do a PhD, at a time when I thought I wasn't going to do one. I gave Peter my research topic and so when I came to actually apply, had to slightly revise my proposal because a fictional character got there first. These are problems only I would have.

The second book focuses on his best friend, Ciara, who is an Old Norse specialist and does what she calls "applied monster theory", which is to say, she fights monsters and then writes academic articles about why the methods in sagas don't work and what that tells us about their authorship. Mostly, that their authors never fought a troll with a partially assembled IKEA shelf, because if they had, they'd have given her better instructions. This monster-hunting sideline is what brings her in contact with an archaeologist specialising in Roman Britain, who has made a rather unexpected discovery in York. Jorvik, not Eboracum, hence the need for an Old Norse specialist.

Book two sprouted a whole lot more worldbuilding than it was meant to, including a lot of in-universe academia and discussions of the ethics and technical requirements of testimony from ghosts and whether you should try to negotiate with revenants, so my plan is to integrate more of that into book 1 when I do rewrites to even them out a little.

As well as being exceptionally nerdy, they are also romance novels -- book 1 is m/m between human and vampire; book 2 is f/f between two humans but one of them fights monsters and the other might possibly have magic powers that she definitely shouldn't have. There will also be a third book but I haven't written it yet.

As evident from my references to editing, these are not published yet, or contracted, and I can't make any promises regarding when that will change because I do have a lot of other projects on my plate (i.e. editing/releasing three books while doing a full-time PhD). But my agent just read book 2 and we're having a meeting about it tomorrow. So, there's a solid chance one day it will go somewhere.

Hello Urban Fantasy Tumblr!

I have a mighty need to read something that has this idea in it. Hopefully it exists already; if not, hopefully one of you kind souls will oblige.

Hear me out: Anthropology in urban fantasy

You have a vampire/werewolf/fae who is from an ancient culture. Maybe from a culture that is still extant, maybe from one that is extinct. And now you have the most coveted of all things to study: A PRIMARY SOURCE WHO CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS.

I think those academics would absolutely cum in their pants if they suddenly were able to ask about the Greek dark ages, or find out where Push was. Or really, knowing academics, what did you eat!? Where did you live? How did you do your hair? How many dishes did you own? LITERALLY ANY INFORMATION YOU CAN GIVE ME WILL SPAWN A NEW FIELD OF STUDY, PLEASE TELL ME ANYTHING.

So yes. I have a mighty need. Please tell me if this exists.

Tagging @thebibliosphere because if Joy reblogs this I have a great chance of finding something or maybe even her getting a plot bunny and writing it herself

[v4mp1res3verywhere]

PUNK ROCK & THE PARANORMAL

POV after a yet to be determined inciting initiatory incident, you’re a postgrad in London that moonlights as a paranormal investigator

[meaningofgrayx]

“I like to think so, I think having an open mind, is pretty important part of being a teacher. It means I never judge them, I listen, I try to understand,” she said with a little shrug. "I mean, that depends on who you ask, there’s probably some old gens somewhere that can be a little bit bigoted,” Connie gave a small laugh. “But It general most people are nice. We’re all just people living.”

Though the girl paused, raising a brow at his expression. What had she said? She’d only talked about the town, her students, college. Maybe she was being a little paranoid, but she was his expression had changed for a brief moment.

“At Princeton?” she asked, trying her best to keep her cool. “English and some history. Then I did my postgrad in further English and followed by my teaching qualification.” She managed a little laugh. “Something more? I am certain most places have their secrets or sorts,” she said, trying to sound cool. She’d done this for years. “Oh, I am sure they’d love bringing that show to this sort of town. Would make for good paranormal TV.”

She raised a brow this time. “I am sorry to hear about your parents. You never knew any of your family at all?” She paused. “Like your family history and stuff?”

"Aren't you a compromising one," Ashed looked amused. "Is that how you teach your little ones then?" He listened as Connie elaborating more on Hexmore.

"It's extremely quaint and charming. Rather very old world - European, that is. I keep expecting to unearth a bit of 'charming' bigotry buried underneath the peaceful exterior, but...Hexmore doesn't seem to have any of that."

Ashed blinked lazily at Connie when she mentioned Princeton - eighteen years old. Quick math averaged the year she was New Jersey...and suddenly Ashed's eyes flared wide.

Ashed and his dad had been in Princeton that year, looking into a possible werewolf savaging the Princeton Tigers. Ashed had no clue about basketball, but he did like the team name. Ashed had assumed the guise of a TA, which allowed him access almost everywhere...including a remote forested area. Ashed had expected to find co-eds frolicking in drunk party-mode. Or perhaps a fraternal secret society, engaging in obnoxious hazing of new initiates.

Instead, he found a young girl - a student, and possibly others. And the strangest smells in the woods...

"What did you study there?" he asked. Connie had her own questions, even a little Disney joke; but Ashed pushed the humour aside for now. "I'd say this town is the most unique place I've visited in America. I might even say there's something more going on, that I can't quite put my finger on. I'd invite paranormal investigators to come check it out - you know, the ones with their chintzy telly shows where they yell at ghosts under night-vision goggles."

He leaned in, staring at Connie a bit more intently now. "My parents were estranged from great-Aunt Aqsa. I came here to find out why, as my parents are dead now."

[bondsmagii]

🤡 we graduated at the same time and had a lot of similar postgrad Feels TM and I love seeing you succeed but I have to laugh at the stuff I DON'T have in common with you. Which is to say, approximately all of the paranormal stuff. I'm the kind of person ghosts look at like cats look at cucumbers. I'm the disbeliever in every haunted house film. I could start a business where I'd house-sit a place to stop hauntings. I'm like the anti-you and I'm so hopelessly into the paranormal it's hysterical

I’ve met a few people who say they’re like, some kind of paranormal nullification machine lmao and I would love to meet one of you guys one day. I cannot go anywhere even remotely haunted without shit going down, and on some occasions places with hauntings that have been long-dormant have jumped back into action because I’m there, or places with literally zero history of haunting have suddenly had wild shit start happening during/after I leave. when I was a kid my parents unironically referred to this ability as me having ‘the shining’, because every hotel we stayed in, some shit would go down around me. even new hotels that you wouldn’t think would have a history of that kind of thing. 

this reminds me of the time my dad pulled a prank on my mam over this lmao. my mam is a big horror fan, hence the whole calling this ability the shining thing (her idea, of course), and my dad wanted to mess with her. so we’re in this hotel and we’re coming back upstairs with some food and my mam is already in the room, and my dad tells me to go ahead of him and knock and wait for my mam to open the door, and when she does, I have to put my hand up by my head and wiggle my pointer finger without saying anything. I have no idea why I have to do this but my dad says it’ll be funny so I do. imagine my confusion when my mam went deathly pale and had a moment where she genuinely looked like her entire world had stopped making sense lmao. my dad found it hilarious so naturally I did too and I never asked what the deal was. worked it out when I was older and watched the  movie for The Shining, and saw Danny do that exact gesture whenever he was being creepy. 

anyway to get back to the point lmao I always wonder what would happen if someone like you met up with me. would we cancel one another out? would only minor stuff happen? would one overpower the other? would we tear a hole in the fabric of reality? these are the things I truly wonder.

[possum-by-night]

some character development from my postgrad thesis~

elliot carpenter was an amateur paranormal investigator who went missing after investigating claims of dopplegangers appearing in the pacific northwest. all that’s left of her now are her photographs

cntrl c is a project in development inspired by sci fi, body horror, and found footage movies. basically i just really wanted to make my own creepy pasta 🤷🏻‍♂️

[soulinisolation]

Straight friendship groups: girl with brown hair, girl with red hair, witch

Gay friendship groups: a tarantula breeder from New York, goth who won’t shut tf up, their anxious postgrad sister, a librarian who is currently being haunted, a Canadian paranormal investigator, a undead girl who climbed out the lake, and a boy who doesn’t realise he’s dead

[joannef1]

Week 2 of The Postgrad Life

Hey guys, it’s me again.

This is just an update, as nothing really exciting happened (just classes).

So on Tuesday, I had my Approaches to Literary and Visual Culture class. So I made my weekly commute to Dundee listening to the Spirits podcast (is this shameless promo yet? Anyway, go listen to this thing that I can’t stop listening to) for what turned out to be an interesting class, and bonus points for me actually being able to pay attention for the whole class discussion this time!

We talked about Authorship. We read Michel Foucault’s essay titled ‘What is an Author?’ and also Roland Barthes’ essay ‘The death of the author’. There were talks of copyright, and gender, and Iain (M) Banks, J.K. Rowling and Tolkien, to name a few.

Authorship is a discussion I had had before (if I remember right, it was during one of my Creative Writing classes in my undergrad). We just basically discussed how we confer authorship onto someone - does it go to the writer? The editor? The publisher? I don’t think we actually came to an overall conclusion in this class but it was a good open discussion, if we consider how far we’ve come in terms of publishing and editing etc.

Then on Wednesday, I had my Gothic Tradition class (which, can I just add, fits in with my weekly listening of the Spirits podcast). For this one we had to read Horace Walpole’s ‘The Castle of Otranto’, which is generally regarded as the first Gothic novel. So this novel is kind of funny - I mean, one of the characters die due to a large helmet falling on top of him out of nowhere. And the whole novel just kind of reads as a parody of the Gothic genre, before there was even anything to parody (in the words of my tutor).

We also had to read Walter Scott’s short story ‘The Tapestried Chamber’, which is basically just a ghost story. And also is Scott’s parody of the Gothic genre - overexaggerated reactions, the paranormal, etc. “You want a ghost story? Here is your ghost story,” is what sounds like Scott is trying to say, according to my tutor. Which is a funny notion you know, the idea of parodying how people have reacted to the Gothic genre throughout time.

Then on Saturday (yesterday), I had my archery session. Like I’ve said before, archery is very cool, it is very fun, and you should try it if it is up your alley. They also had a social last night, which I couldn’t go to because yay commuting! They were going on a pub crawl, and I didn’t fancy having to leave early to catch the last bus home on my own while drunk (have fun, but be safe!) as I didn’t have any accommodation for the night set up.

And that’s the pain of commuting as a postgrad - you can’t really go on fun nights out if you don’t have somewhere to stay for the night. But here’s to (hopefully) many more socials that I will be able to attend that isn’t, perhaps, a pub crawl, or that I will have accommodation for the night that I can go to after it.

And that was my week. How was yours? 

[azaleapaths]

wanted plots masterlist: test muses

here’s a list of my wanted plots, sorted by muses (again, not all are included but this will get updated!)

lita (sophie turner fc)

someone who falls for her despite the fact that she cons them out of a tonne of money, etc. someone who still wants her despite the fact that she’s a terrible person and she’s just like haha what is this? genuine feelings? and she’s really freaked out by it but she can’t stay away

someone she sees in her day to day life who has caught on to what she does but doesn’t mind as long as they don’t con them... except they start sleeping together and that makes some problems 

jana (emilija baranac fc)

one of her big brother’s friends, it’s a cliche but who cares it’s fucking fun.

this bc it’s cute as fuck.

cheyenne (vanessa morgan fc)

i’m here to beg for a madelaine petsch fc you guessed it but also...

rich girl x poor girl, cheyenne has no money and works hard to support her mother and younger siblings, but here comes this girl willing to give her everything. she’s scared to fully let her in. 

stealing the gf of someone she works with or some rich asshole please.. she has to interact with shady people bc of her boss and bc it gives her extra cash so it could happen

she’s never wanted to be a parent really, but she’s finally gotten your muse who she’s been in love with forever... who has just found out that she’s pregnant and she wants to keep it. cheyenne decides to stick around and be there for her, but it’s scary as hell. 

ginny (josephine langford fc)

something inspired by this photoset please. she goes to a catholic school, it can be set in aus or it can be set in the us. 

catholic boarding school thread anyone? it can be all-girls or co-ed i just know it’s going to be a) hot and b) totally not allowed

archie (noah centineo fc)

a girl who absolutely ruins his life but he loves her so damn much. it’s absolutely not healthy, but he’s so devoted he thinks maybe one day she’ll stop breaking his heart. 

alternatively something sweet where he’s being tutored for one of his classes and he asks her out and she’s just like??? this himbo wants to date me???

corrie (gina gershon fc)

corrie gives the kid of one of her friends a job in her bar, but she quickly realises it was a dangerous decision because she’s a little flirt who apparently wants more than just a job.

a new, younger wife that she can spoil the hell out of bc she’s into some shady shit. 

theo (nick robinson fc)

theo gets approached by his half-brother’s ex girlfriend who asks him to fake date her to piss amos off. theo doesn’t dislike his brother, but maybe something happens that prompts him to it (plus if she dated amos she’s probably rich, so maybe she offers to get him a new camera or pay for something that helps him with film school). things go awry, of course. 

the second plot on this post, as muse b.

callie (maude apatow fc)

this is weirdly fucked up but i almost want something where callie is for some reason... kidnapped? maybe she spoke out against something and they wanted to send a message but she forms this complicated, weird relationship with one of the kidnappers (who was hired to do so). and it’s like not right but it’s just inexplicable and she writes music about it after she’s free and they’re just like... unable to escape her and it’s this weird obsession. 

also, this energy, this plot. this is very callie. 

rafaela (ester exposito fc) 

raf getting a little jealous and angry about someone who is working in a trapeze show with her and putting together a chain of events that ends with them in a coma. not that anyone knows it was her, though. she pretends she cares enough to be at their beside and steal their s/o in the process. 

someone who is very, very devoted to her, to the point of being willing to murder for her when she asks them to. 

rowan (laura dreyfuss fc)

office rivalry that becomes a romance either in her main verse where she’s an intern or when she’s working for real

something angsty where rowan kind of fucks over someone she’s in a relationship with for a story 

luis (jorge lopez fc)

something with a fellow nursing student - did they meet at college? are they highschool sweethearts? study sessions and being tired as hell but figuring it out together.

exes who are still roommates and cue the tension... sexual and otherwise

luis helps your muse when they fall and hit their head at a party and it leads to a night of them hanging out and doing dumb stuff together. where we go from there is up to us!

mack (remy hii fc)

mack dating or having a fwb thing with one of the actors on the show he writes for. it can’t get out bc then people will speculate that he favours her but keeping it secret is as fun as it is stressful. 

something inspired by this photoset - mack and the woman who became his stepsister when he was already basically an adult end up trying to date as messy and difficult as it is. she also preferably curses him out a lot and sometimes has walls that go up too easily. 

franklin (bill hader fc)

very reluctantly i’d be down for a student/teacher thing but only if she’s like in her last 2 years of college (or maybe even she’s doing a postgrad degree). they have chemistry they didn’t foresee having and they dance around it until they can’t anymore. 

heather (lili reinhart fc)

someone who causes issues at her job with their jealousy but she loves them too much to let them go. maybe they’ve started a fight when a customer was rude or too handsy (bonus if that was how they first got together).

a new co-worker who she starts to develop a sexual relationship with but is it just sex? are there feelings? maybe they don’t take her seriously bc she’s a girl and it’s full of drama. 

alternatively, she starts to develop a weird, competitive relationship with one of the older women who she works with that leads into something sexual. 

the dancer/waitress and the bartender who has fallen in love watching her... tale as old as time

harvey (leo howard fc)

we’re way too young and we just had a baby what the fuck are we doing, the plot. harvey would be an excellent dad, if i’m honest, but it’s far from easy and they’re just barely getting their lives together. 

youtuber or long distance or meeting online stuff bc harvey would. 

sawyer (leah lewis fc)

sawyer does paranormal investigating so she could be helping her boss investigate a weird occurrence in your muse’s home, maybe she’s interviewing them and recording stuff and they end up getting along really well. alternatively, they could he an enemy she had in high school or even an ex. 

opposites attract! someone who meshes well with her doom and gloom and glaring bc they’re so happy go lucky and sweet and she melts around them

flip (alex saxon fc)

another teacher he meets at a school where he takes a long term sub job and he really wants to date her, so he acts like a total fucking idiot 

alternatively, another substitute teacher that he’s in competition with who he also has dumb sexual tension with

something josh/cher inspired!!! he’s her ex-step sibling, he’s living with them bc his mother is pissed at him and he’s avoiding her, meaning he’s bothering his ex-step sis all the time 

[finnlongman]

Blurb and pitch for the first Paranormal Postgrads book:

When I say Peter is a disaster, I mean he didn't realise his housemate was a vampire because his own sleeping patterns are so bad that even the nocturnal thing didn't tip him off.

An extremely rough blurb for book two that I wrote a year or two ago (aka before I actually wrote any of the book):

I also have a blurb for the third book, but it's even rougher and more incomplete than these, so I won't share that at this stage.

Anyway, that's the vibe! Extremely nerdy medievalist paranormal romance, set in a world where vampires etc are common knowledge and you can cite them in historical research! (As long as your interviews meet research and ethics standards.) Significantly more academia than you usually find in vampire books, and very much of the chaotic (realistic) variety, not your aesthetic dark academia type.

[elbowgreaserp]

One thing I love about us is our unparalleled lack of self control, well. That and our love for garbage shows, but hey. I love you, and am grossly excited and stoked to see how long these two last, you know, cause reasons. DEREK HALE and SCOTT MCCALL, ACCEPTED!

OOC INFORMATION

NAME, AGE, TIMEZONE: Amparo, 26, PST.

ACTIVITY LEVEL: 6+ what up.

TRIGGER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Yeah, man. ITS WHY I’M HERE. (lmfao, Paro ffs, ily.)

ACTIVITY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: I got u, fam. AND HALLELUH I FIXED MY POSSESSED KEYBOARD (well finally disabled it for good bless)

NOTES: I came here to have a good time and I feel attacked rn.

IC INFORMATION - DEREK HALE

NAME, AGE, SEXUALITY: Derek Hale, 23, bisexual.

FANDOM: Teen Wolf ;/

HOMETOWN: Beacon Hills, CA.

CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS, OTHER: boxing club, baseball, alpha sigma phi, outdoor club, american society of mechnical engineers, anthropology club, fish camp, arrow in arrow, ping pong club, basketball team, shooting sports club, street society, the climbing team.

CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS, OTHER CREATION:

alpha sigma phi: Alpha Sigma Phi is social fraternity on campus here to Better the Man, enrich brotherhood, and promote character and leadership through charitable and school events.

outdoor club: The mission of the UCCS Outdoor club will be to engage students in the outdoor industry and activities available in Colorado and beyond. Our vision is to provide students with access and education necessary to engage in the abundance of Outdoor activities that Colorado is known for.

american society of mechanical engineers: The American Society of Mechanical Engineers fosters interest in mechanical engineering through competitions, tours and activities.

anthropology club:  UCCS Anthropology Club is an organization for those who are interested in the study of humankind, past and present. We encourage members and our fellow peers to learn about, be tolerant of, and embrace different cultures, languages, and diversity around them. The goal is for our club to get involved and be active within UCCS, alongside Anthropology professionals and students regionally, as well as the community, learn and develop within the field of Anthropology, and become more well-rounded citizens.

fish camp:  Colorado is known for one of the best fly fishing in the US. Our mission is to educate student of the culture of fly fishing. We would like to share the importance of conservation, and patience through fly fishing. Fly fishing does not only involve fishing. It involves hiking, watching the water, learning about the water system in the area, etc.

arrow-in-arrow:  It is our mission to build a sustainable competitive Archery club program at UCCS to allow the students that practice the sport of Archery to continue their growth and compete at the collegiate level. It is our vision to have a club that has both active student athletes and coaches to guide the athletes in their development. The purpose of this organization is to provide opportunities for campus students and community members to be informed and participate in the sport of archery.

ping pong club:  The purpose of Ping Pong Club is to foster good sportsmanship, interest in and expansion of the sport of table tennis, increase the knowledge and skills of the members, and awareness of the spirit and its benefits to the community. Our vision is to enable players to bring forward their skills in the sport and be able to play against other players with similar skill levels and interest levels. Our goals are to compete regionally with other schools in the area and perhaps go to the state level competitions.

shooting sports club:  To teach and inform students about basic firearm safety and handling, and to teach the fundamentals of scholastic competitive shooting. To dispel common misunderstandings and fear of firearms. To gather like minded shooting enthusiasts and represent UCCS in local and state shooting competitions.

street society:  Street Society is a club for fellow automotive enthusiasts at UCCS, motorcycles included. Our mission is to bring together enthusiasts to have fun and improve the automotive community. Our vision is to have meets with the students at UCCS with a passion for cars and motorcycles. Our goals are to improve the automotive community, create a connection in the school’s automotive community, relieve student stress through their passion for cars, and provide assistance for automotive repairs for anyone who asks.

the climbing team:  We are a group of students (some faculty/employees/friends) of UCCS that love to climb. A large focus of our club is to teach new and semi-experienced climbers how to be safe while climbing.

FIVE POSITIVE TRAITS: selfless, protective, smart, patient, determined.

FIVE NEGATIVE TRAITS: Aggressive, broody, stubborn, cynic, arrogant.

BIGGEST FEARS & PHOBIAS: Losing his younger sister.

SCARIEST EXPERIENCE: Scariest or most heartbreaking ?? But getting pulled out of school to find out most of your family was killed in a freak fire, pretty much tops everything. So does finding out your older sister was murdered. Sorry, Derek.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

DO THEY BELIEVE IN THE GHOSTS/PARANORMAL?: Absolutely not.

ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF?: He’s a postgrad !!

ANY CHANGES TO YOUR CHARACTER THAT SHOULD BE NOTED?: He’s not a werewolf, can u beliebe? Still a sourwolf tho :/

WHY IS YOUR CHARACTER PARTICIPATING IN THE PROJECT?: Scott made him, but also he actually isn’t afraid of manual labor (what? is this a jab at sebastian smythe? derek get dicked) and genuinely likes the outdoors.

IC INFORMATION - SCOTT MCCALL

NAME, AGE, SEXUALITY: Scott McCall, 21, pansexual.

FANDOM: Teen Wolf ;/

HOMETOWN: Beacon Hills, CA.

CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS, OTHER: super smash bros club, impact, spectrum, active minds, paintball club, mountain lion ultimate frisbee club, acts of kindness, outdoor club, student alliance for gender equality,  el circulo de espanol, film club of uccs, uccs pre-health society, catalysts video game club

CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS, OTHER CREATION:

el circulo de espanol: “El Círculo de Español” has various linguistic, cultural, and community oriented objectives: A. To advocate the usage of the Spanish language. B. To promote a better understanding of the wealth and diversity of the Hispanic culture. C. To participate in community events and activities which promote the Hispanic culture. D. To foster leadership development through the coordination of the aforementioned educational and awareness projects.

paintball club: Paintball Club is the most adrenaline-pumping, exciting club that UCCS has to offer. In conjunction with SGA, members will be able to play paintball for free, with small exemptions. We will play in many areas across town, and will play any game-types and any major paintball variations.

film club of uccs: The Film Club is sponsored by the Visual and Performing Arts Department (VAPA) as an activity that coincides with the undergraduate Film student’s studies but welcomes participation from all students who are interested in film, from all major degree programs.

uccs pre-health society: The UCCS Pre-Health Society is a collective group of students dedicated to pursuing careers in health care. Students interested in becoming doctors, dentists, veterinarians, pharmacists, physical therapists, physician assistants, etc. can find a wealth of knowledge, as well as community and camaraderie among other students.

mountain lion ultimate frisbee: To build a fun and competitive team comprised of a group of individuals that compete at the highest level achievable through determination, practice, and teamwork.

acts of kindness: Acts of Kindness (AOK) The mission of AOK is to help people throughout our wonderful university and town have a better life through selfless acts of kindness! We want to make a lasting effect on people through kindness and encourage them to do the same.

catalysts video game club:  Mission Statement: To provide a friendly game environment where people can meet, play, socialize, and ultimately have fun. We play a variety of video game genres, ranging from Fighters to RPGs to Co-op Adventures, and are open to much more.

student alliance for gender equality: The goal of the Student Alliance for Gender Equity is to provide a safe place for all UCCS students to talk about gender topics as well as discuss women’s rights and gender equity.

FIVE POSITIVE TRAITS: humble, natural leader, chivalrous, cheerful, agile.

FIVE NEGATIVE TRAITS: gullible, immature, stubborn, emotionally impulsive, worries easily.

BIGGEST FEARS & PHOBIAS: Losing his mom and friends, failure.

SCARIEST EXPERIENCE: Stumbling on a dead body once, never again. (lol sure, k, sorry about your luck scotty, boi)

DO THEY BELIEVE IN THE GHOSTS/PARANORMAL?: They’re open-minded enough to think maybe, but not without some hardcore proof. (famous last words)

ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF?: Has asthma, but it’s improved since he was younger.

ANY CHANGES TO YOUR CHARACTER THAT SHOULD BE NOTED?: MY SON IS HUMAAAAAAAAAAAAAN. So no true alpha and the boy got that asthma, but it’s not going to hinder him too too much. ;/ (lol you’re an optimist, paro)

WHY IS YOUR CHARACTER PARTICIPATING IN THE PROJECT?: He genuinely thinks it’ll be fun! It’ll be tough, but what better way to spend the summer than with his friends and helping build something cool?

WRITING SAMPLE

                      it’s been too long,  too many unanswered calls and texts.  he almost feels bad,  he actually might if he didn’t believe in what he’s doing.  protecting scott.  it’s been his main objective since leaving beacon hills,  that and making sure his sister doesn’t get tangled up in one of monroe’s many webs. but thankfully she’s running with a new pack and isn’t alone.  he’s not too sure about the priest,  but the alpha is willing to do anything to make sure his pack survives. derek lets his hand find scott’s shoulder,  squeezing gently before he lets it fall back to his side.  an unspoken good to see you too.  he casts the alpha a glance at the tone,  it’s probably too dark to see,  but he knows scott will sense it so he doesn’t let it linger.    “  i can leave.  ”    he WON’T.    “  but i thought you could use some help.  ”    

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

they’re sitting in beacon hills’ only diner in what’s come to be their spot. graduation is fast approaching and it’d almost be a relief, but there’s something holding scott back from celebrating. it’s been two days and he still hasn’t opened up the envelope from uc davis. he doesn’t know if he got in or not and part of him wants to keep it that way. he hadn’t even shown anyone yet, but malia had seen it on his bedside table the night before. she hadn’t said a word, understanding that’s what he needed. merely blinked her eyes before moving in close and they slept peacefully together, touching in the most innocent of ways.

now they were at breakfast together. scott dragged her out of bed in the morning, envelope tucked into his back pocket until he dug it up to put on the table after they ordered. he’s staring at it, heart racing and breathing unsteadily. his own fingers tap anxiously on the surface next to it. the alpha doesn’t stop until her touch is on him and he stills instantly. it’s not out of shock though, they’re long past that stage.

he relaxes because of it. the anxiousness is simmering below, but it’s more manageable. it’s gone completely by the time malia takes his hand. then when she squeezes, scott feels at ease in a way that’s become all too familiar when she’s touching him. besides with her, it’s not something he felt in a long while. he doesn’t want to let go, it’s the last thing he wants, but now he knows he’s ready to read his fate.

his free hand moves to wrap over hers and he squeezes back before pulling them both away. a sigh leaves his lips, regret at the loss of touch, but it’s also to steady himself for what’s to come. picking up the envelope is easy, opening it is even easier. scott starts to read, breath caught in his throat until another sigh leaves his lips. then he’s grinning and leaning into malia, turning his head and it’s almost a nuzzle when he moves it against her shoulder.

what it most definitely is, is a thank you and an i did it, i made it.

[sidekickhq]

( NAT WOLFF/GREGG SULKIN, GENDERFLUID, HE/HIM + THEY/THEM ) — ✧ that looks like WILLIAM “BILLY” KAPLANN! the TWENTY-FIVE YEAR CHILD of JEFF & REBECCA KAPLAN / WANDA MAXIMOFF. [ they are also [POSTGRAD STUDENT at paragon. ] i hear they’re WITTY & PROTECTIVE, but tend to be HARDHEADED & IMPULSIVE. their file says that his power REALITY WARPING { kay, with wc’s for: luke rand’s ride or die, cassie lang’s young avengers, hugo stark ex-boyfriend, ava barton shield kids, reeva’s paranormal squad }

— ✧ ACCEPTED and welcome to paragon, WILLIAM “BILLY” KAPLAN ! NAT WOLFF & GREGG SULKIN are now taken ! don’t forget to follow everyone on this list ! you have 24 hours to send in your account or your spot will be reopened !

— ✧ CHECK OUT OUR MONTH-LONG MARKET & NEW YEARS UPDATE !

[finnlongman]

Following on from a conversation with a friend earlier, I've concluded the best way to describe this book's vibes is "Rivers of London, but with medievalists instead of cops"

[finnlongman]

Concept: monster hunter who keeps an industrial-sized salt canister in their house, not because salt does anything against supernatural creatures in their world, but because it's useful for getting blood out of their clothes.

[finnlongman]

I FINISHED IT

The first draft of Ciara's book is done! At 97,685 words, it's about 15k longer than I intended for it to be, but hey, these things happen. I would not say it is, by any objective standards, good, and it will need large amounts of editing for both plot and characterisation, but it is DONE and it is FUN and I have greatly enjoyed writing it.

Now to check it for typos and then inflict it on my agent, probably.

[finnlongman]

70k is now a distant light in my rearview mirror and I am wondering what on earth has happened to my low-stakes high-chaos paranormal academia series.

Book 1 stakes: Peter needs to translate a text or he won't get PhD funding Book 2 stakes: If they don't reestablish a boundary wall with a hostile alternate dimension, the entirety of Northern England will probably die due to magic shenanigans