#this is part of why I never draw anyone in Mel's party...

[blujayonthewing]

me seven years ago: okay I've played dnd two(2) times, now everyone tell me what your characters look like and I will just fill in any blanks to design them myself so we all have finished fully painted character portraits

me now: I know you've explicitly described your character's appearance and I've neither been commissioned nor made any specific promises to draw them but. I. have attempted a sketch. oh my god I'm so sorry if it doesn't look like you imagined or what they're supposed to look like I did my best I'm SO sorry I--

[nekrophoria]

Oc Deep Dive Questionaire - Mel

Thanks for the tag @nocturnalazure @drawing-way-outside-the-lines and @bool-prop💙

Under the cut, cuz long.

What uncommon/common fear do they have?

He's afraid of horses. I'd say in his case it's a legitimate phobia, they freak him out like nothing else. He's also low key scared of water, especially calm lakes and water surfaces. They make him uncomfortable.

Do they have any pet peeves?

People who interrupt others or talk over others, that always bugged the hell out of him in school.

What are 3 items you can find in their bedroom?

His plushie fox, Cory, a notebook and his violin, that he keeps dragging around with him for some reason despite not playing anymore.

What do they notice first in a person?

The voice, he's got the habit to only half look at people he doesn't know well so it's the main thing he notices about em.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how high is their pain tolerance?

Depends on how you define pain tolerance. He personally feels like his tolerance is way lower than average At least it used to be. He would cry a lot as a kid whenever he got physically hurt. Way more than most other kids his age. By now he feels like he's at least fairly good at hiding when he's in pain. And his pain tolerance is quite high when it's pain he can control, like self inflicted pain.

I'd say it's a 6,5 for the most part

Do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure?

Flight for the most part

Do they come from a big family/are they a family person?

He doesn't really have much of a family left, his mother is dead, his presumed father left when he was young, and he never met any of his extended family on either side.

The people he considers family are Serena, Roy and Roland, although those relationships are...complicated for him as well.

I don't think he values family quite as much as the average person, found family or not  doesn't make that much of a difference to him in that case.

What animal represents them best?

I'd like to say a fox, cuz it's his favourite animal and kinda tied to him story wise, however deep down I know the animal that represents him best is this fucker:

The Aye-aye.

What is a smell that they dislike?

Disinfectant. Long story short after his latest trip to the ER, smelling that stuff makes him nauseous as hell.

Have they broken any bones?

Surprisingly not. He's sprained his ankles a couple times though.

How would a stranger likely describe them?

....I've got no fucking clue to be honest.

Are they a night owl or a morning bird?

Let's just say he's more likely to be up late than to wake up at a reasonable time.

What is a flavor they hate and a flavor they love?

He generally doesn't like earthy flavors, like beets or mushrooms. He loves chocolate, especially mint.

Boom, surprise birthday party! How do they react to surprises?

First reaction in his head: Fuck. Fuck. FUCK

He'd try to play his initial shock off and pretend to be happy about it, although not very convincingly.

Later he'd probably try to get away without anyone noticing.

Do they like to wear jewelry?

Technically yes. He just can't be arsed right now.

What are two emotions they feel the most?

Guilt, although he can't fully pinpoint why.

And emptiness, plain and simple.

Do they have a favorite fabric?

He likes fur, but preferably fake or on a living, breathing animal.

What kind of accent do they have?

He's got a Teesside accent. Think Jamie Bell with his accent dialed up a bit.

To be fair though his accent can also switch a bit depending on whom he's around. He's pretty good at imitating accents and tends to adapt to people subconsciously.

Do they have neat or messy handwriting?

More on the messy side i'd say?

Idk, you'll be the judge of that.

[twoidiotwriters1]

Until The Very End -(WITS Sequel)

A/N: Domestic fluff is so fun to write idk why i don’t do it more often lmao -Danny

Words: 3,453

Masterlist

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Listen to: ‘Never Gonna Leave This Bed’ -by Maroon5

October 2000 - January 2001

Leaving her mum and brother was the hardest part of moving out.

Mel cried in a swirl of emotions, knowing her life would never be the same. She was no longer just someone's daughter, she was her own person, with a house that she shared with the love of her life.

Harry sat next to her on the couch, he handed her a cup of hot chocolate that she took silently. "How're you feeling?"

"Well, I'm no longer crying," Mel replied humorously, "I s'pose I'll feel out of place for a while. We've been building this place for so long, it was starting to feel like it was never going to be finished, now it's done and we're here... It's still hard to believe that this is our new home."

"It's weird," Harry looked around, "did we ever get to sleep in a new bed?"

"Don't think so."

"And now if I say 'I'll read in the garden', it'll be our garden I'm talking about. Our house, our pets... It's kind of overwhelming to have all these nice things."

Mel drank a bit of her chocolate. "So many empty rooms too... and it's so quiet— I don't think I like the quiet yet... what do we do?"

Harry tilted his head, he thought about it for a moment, and then smiled.

"Let's have our friends over."

To celebrate, they invited their friends to a little party. Although little was not the right word: The Weasley family was there, the Lovegoods, the Longbottoms, Hermione and her parents, Anne and Emily Flint, Mel's mother and Regulus, Tonks and Teddy, Andromeda, Joseph, Aberforth... Anyone who'd been close to them during school or had anything to do with their family.

Erick, Remus, and Charlie weren't able to make it, the first two because they were teaching and the last because he was working abroad, but the house was crowded, some were in the drawing-room, others in the kitchen, and some were still in the dining room having a few pints. The rest was out in the garden.

Mel and Harry hosted the evening and made sure everyone was having a good time. Neville was dating Hannah Abbott, to no one's surprise. He'd gotten along with her after the war and they kept visiting each other months after everything had ended.

George and Angelina announced they'd gotten engaged and Fred made sure to be as dramatic as possible, talking about forsaking his kin and quitting his youth before Joseph cut him short, and reminded him he'd been the first to move out of the little flat in Diagon Alley.

Mel didn't feel anxious about any news this time. How could she, when she was part of it too? She and Harry had moved in together, they'd bought a house and restored it with the help of their friends. Time was moving and it continued to push them forward.

"Did you hear the news?" Harry caught up with her while she was walking out of the restroom.

"Are we working on Christmas? I can't stand another minute of that annoying little tune that keeps coming from the office's ceiling—"

"Barry and Andrews are retiring," He interrupted her. "You know them, don't you?"

That was not the right question, she didn't know them. She did know where they worked.

"They're retiring?" Mel lowered her voice as they walked into the crowded kitchen. "How do you know?"

"Mr Weasley told Ron," Harry smiled. "Andrews and Barry were thinking about retiring next year. They think it's time to quit the dangerous experiments."

"Good for them," she bit her lip, "next year... well, I've got plenty of time. If Mr Greengrass doesn't ask me—"

"I'll drag you to his office so you have no excuse not to take the spot," her boyfriend retorted, "you can do it, Mel."

All she had to do was reach and seize the opportunity. The worse that could happen was getting a no for an answer and she'd be able to keep her job as Head Auror. It wouldn't be the end of the world.

"Oh, alright!" She made a face. "But don't tell anyone! Not even Ron and Hermione. If I get the job I want it to be a surprise."

"Alright, boss," He hugged her by the waist and kissed her temple.

"Won't make it to lunch," Harry announced as they walked out of the lift. "Ron's staying though."

"Be careful out there," she replied, "love you!"

Harry started to walk away, but he managed to say "Love you too!" before disappearing into the crowd.

"Ah, young love," a woman said next to her, "I heard you and Mr Potter bought a house! Congrats."

"Don't you have work to do, Rita?"

"I'm doing it," she smiled, "people want to hear all about your relationship— must be quite serious if you're living together! Are you marrying soon? Do you plan to have children? I know Flint's about to have another one— a girl, am I correct?"

Mel started to walk away without responding, and Rita followed her.

"My readers want to know how does Mel Dumbledore keep a cool head in these trying times? You're going through big changes, that alone is enough to make a sane person go a little anxious, but for someone like you—"

"I'm perfectly fine," she retorted without getting angry. "Y'know, I think you should continue the good deed you were doing, back when you interviewed Harry and me when we were fifteen. You should make an article on Miss Granger's work with the house-elves. I noticed you haven't written any regarding their success managing Azkaban, I guess it isn't thrilling when things go well. Anyway, you can tell your readers to stop treating them as inferior beings..."

Skeeter's pen was writing each word coming from her mouth, Mel tried her best not to say anything that could be slanted.

"You could also visit the department of misuse of magical artefacts. Mr Weasley's doing a remarkable job keeping the muggles safe, some wizards still think enchanting stuff and giving them to people who can't defend themselves is fun— That division's being forgotten by the higher authorities and I think that's not right."

"Wonderful! So about that new house— some people say is almost as huge as Hogwarts! How does a twenty-year-old manage to afford such a place?"

Mel laughed loudly, she couldn't help it.

"As big as Hogwarts! Please, Rita, you can't believe that rubbish. I have things to do, so if you could leave..."

She didn't wait for a reply, the young witch turned left and discretely closed the door behind her with a wand movement.

"How are you going to name her?"

"Elizabeth," Erick replied, "Anne likes it and I think it's sweet." Then he added in a playful tone, "Unless you wanted to name your kid Elizabeth?"

"Oh, shut up," Mel grinned. "This is your last Christmas as a teacher? How are you feeling? I would've stayed for the feast..."

"I considered it, but my wife's pregnant and I hadn't seen my daughter in months. I attended many feasts while I was a student, my kid will be a year old only once."

Mel hummed. "Good thinking."

"Is it true that Mark Andrews and Leonor Barry are retiring?" He asked, drinking a bit of his eggnog.

She stared at him. "How do you know?"

"I have my ways," he smiled.

Mel observed him carefully. "Daphne told you, didn't she?"

Erick winked at her. "Are you planning to switch jobs?"

She looked around the room in contemplation. "I'm not particularly bored of my current one, but I'm not in love with it either."

"If Mr Greengrass offers you a spot," he insisted, "will you take it?"

"Why is everyone so nosy?" She frowned. "Merlin, is like I'm still fifteen..."

"Everything alright?" Harry walked up to them. "Is this man bugging you, love?"

"I'm driving her up the wall," Erick responded. "Could you please help me, Harry? Your girlfriend is having doubts about her future..."

"Ah, I know," Harry sighed, "I'd be worried if we were living in different places, but now I don't mind it if she quits. Even if I did, s'none of my business, is it?"

"Precisely. Please leave me and my insecurities alone, will you?"

"We want you to be happy, that's all," Erick raised a brow. "We know you want the job, I don't know what's stopping you."

"Well, I don't know either," she retorted, "if you excuse me, my godson is calling for me."

Teddy wasn't even looking in her direction, but she walked up to him anyway. He and her brother were playing near the Christmas tree.

"Hello," she beamed at the children, "what are you doing?"

Regulus looked at her. "Teddy doesn't know what Quidditch is."

"Of course he doesn't, he's two years old," Mel grinned.

She looked at Remus, who was seated next to the tree, and silently asked if she could sit next to him. The man moved so she could fit better.

"So," she began, "how's Hogwarts' favourite Professor?"

Remus laughed. "I'm hardly the favoured. You should see how the students look at Erick, if I didn't know any better I'd say he spiked their drinks with Amortentia during the feast."

"He must be loving the attention, all swooning for him," she said sarcastically.

"Especially when he's trying to teach a difficult lesson and all they do is stare blankly. I should be thankful I'm not pleasant to look at, that way my students focus on their books."

"C'mon, Moony," she nudged him gently, "you're just as handsome as the Prince. Maybe a little older, but I've heard forty is the golden age! Are you still drinking the wolfsbane potion?"

He nodded, a teasing smile forming on his face. "Erick suffers whenever I have to stay in my room, he's the substitute teacher. I'm not saying the kids like it when I can't attend class, but they certainly don't hate seeing him twice a day."

Mel laughed, she paused a moment before speaking.

"Uncle Lu... are you happy?"

Remus looked at her in surprise. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Did you always want to be a teacher?"

He smiled knowingly. "What's troubling you, Mel?"

She placed her drink on the coffee table.

"There might be a chance for me to start working as an Unspeakable, but I don't know if I want it."

He waited for her to keep talking, so she did.

"What good would it bring? I mean, what can I do? Unspeakables study the secrets of the universe and all that, they uncover stuff, invent things— I'm not an inventor! I'm not an innovator either... I don't want to steal a spot someone else could use in much better ways."

Remus stared at his son for a moment, deep in thought.

"Well, there's no way of finding out unless you go for it."

Mel groaned, falling back on the couch.

Regulus stood and placed his little hand on her knee. "Mely, are you in ache? D'you want ice?"

"She's alright, Leon," Remus replied. "Why don't you ask Dora for a cup of hot chocolate?"

"Mum said one's enough," Reggie said hesitantly.

"Well, Mily's there," Remus nodded towards the end of the drawing-room, "and Dora's in the kitchen. Tell her I sent you."

Regulus' eyes shone with glee, he seized Teddy's hand, who obliged without making a fuss, following his young uncle to the kitchen.

"You must be tired of adults telling you what to do," Remus gently seized her wrist and squeezed a little. "It's your life, Mel. If you want to quit, or if you want to stay there forever, that's your decision to make. But I will tell you this: If you're waiting for a sign, you'll be waiting forever."

"I don't like waiting," she sulked.

"I know," he smiled at her, "patience is definitely not your virtue. Nothing's stopping you, so why are you still having doubts?"

"I think that's the problem," she pouted, "all my life someone was always there to stop me from derailing— and now they all stand aside and I... I'm not used to being in control."

"I don't see how that's a problem," Remus said, "some of us would give anything to have a bit of control over our lives."

She grimaced at his words. "I wasn't—"

"It's fine," he put an arm around her, "growing up is confusing— you've been pulled back and forth between being a kid and being treated as an adult for a long time. Whatever you decide, we'll help you through it."

Mel stretched and let out a soft noise as she did, blinking away the blurriness. She turned around on the bed coming face to face with Harry, though his eyes were still closed.

She smiled to herself, a pleasant tug in her belly reminded her the rest of her life would be filled with mornings exactly like that one. The young man's face was serene, his brow used to furrow during sleep, but now the gesture was starting to fade. Harry's breathing was slow and quiet, a few strands of his wild hair were framing his forehead.

Without his glasses, she could see the shape of his eyes and each eyelash perfectly, she could stare at the shape of his nose and the few freckles that he'd gained after a childhood of chores under the sunlight. She shifted closer, and slowly followed every crease and shadow of his face. The light stubble across his jaw that he'd never let grow, and that she secretly wished to one day feel against her skin.

The thought made her shiver, she squirmed under the sheets and accidentally kicked his foot lightly, but Harry didn't budge. Mel stared at him until her eyes began to close again out of weariness, it was then that she sighed and curled up closer to him, her face against his naked shoulder.

Sleepily, Harry's arm wrapped around her, the other was now under her head, and she could hear his steady heartbeat.

"You stare too much," he mumbled, "woke me up."

"That makes no sense," she replied in the same drowsy voice.

"You know what I mean," Harry's lips brushed her forehead. "M'not complaining..."

"I was just admiring the view," she grinned, "my boyfriend keeps sleeping in nothing but his underwear."

Mel felt his smile growing, his arm tightened its grip around her. "My girlfriend sleeps in my shirts— got nothing to wear on the weekends because she stole all of them."

"How unfortunate," Mel moved under the blanket, she sat up, hands swiftly pulling up the fabric and throwing the shirt at his face. "Maybe your girlfriend needs the extra layer since she has a hard time warming up. Bet you didn't think of that."

Harry took the shirt off his face and looked at her, he wasn't wearing his glasses but she was so close that he could see her clearly. The young man stared without an ounce of shame, a blatant smirk adorning his face.

She glanced at the clock on her bedside table. "It's too early to get up, I think I'll have a nap."

Mel turned her back to him and slipped under the sheets once more. Harry was fully awake now.

"I think not," He responded playfully.

Both of his arms wrapped around her and turned her around, Mel let out a little gasp followed by a chuckle, and then Harry's lips found hers.

"Mel?" Harry sat behind her while drying his hair, he had a copy of the Daily Prophet in his hand. "Did you talk to Skeeter last month?"

Mel stopped drying her own hair and turned to face him. "Why?"

He handed her the paper, then walked toward their closet to get dressed. Mel read quickly. It wasn't the front page, at least, but one of the first pages had an article that caught her eye:

Mel Dumbledore: Anti-ministry Head Auror?

'Dumbledore— war hero, and the youngest Head Auror to ever work in the Ministry— had a very interesting chat with our reporter, in which she let her true colours shine through.

Miss Dumbledore highly recommended us to 'write about the things that really matter'. When questioned about what those things were, she talked of wizards using biting teaspoons to attack muggles, and the work of her long-time friends, Miss Granger, and Mr Weasley's father. Assuring that 'things aren't thrilling when they work well'.

Don't be deceived, dear reader, although her words hold as much sense as the Quibbler, she isn't entirely delusional. Sources claim that Miss Dumbledore and Mr Potter have recently bought a house. When asked about these rumours, Miss Dumbledore laughed and responded: "As big as Hogwarts!"

How can a twenty-year-old have enough gold to get such a place? Dear reader, forgive us if we're wrong, but not even Potter and Dumbledore's fortune put together should be enough to get a whole castle!

We wouldn't like to assume the worst, but this leaves us with an eery question. Have you ever asked yourselves, what Ministry workers do with the money given to their department? Is it being used wisely, or do they think, like Miss Dumbledore, unbothered about giving the house-elves the responsibility to guard our most dangerous wizards, that there are other things more important than the community they work for?'

"You know what?" Mel said in shock. "Maybe I won't have to choose between being an Auror or an Unspeakable— I'll be sacked!"

"Kingsley won't believe that rubbish," Harry retorted calmly, "he knows us."

"What about the others?" She threw the newspaper on the bed and began to dress frantically. "She made me sound like Lockhart!"

Harry tried not to laugh. "Loads of people know you, they know you're not an idiot."

"What about the old ladies?" Mel pulled a shirt over her head, when she emerged there was a pout on her face. "I don't want judgy old ladies scowling at me on the street!"

Her boyfriend chortled and covered his mouth to stifle the noises.

"Don't laugh, this is terrible!" However, there was a grin on her face. "Not only do they think I'm a lunatic, but now I also steal money to buy castles!"

"Look on the bright side— At least this time she didn't drag our love life into it!"

"Oh, just you wait," Mel avoided his gaze so she wouldn't laugh, "one day we'll wake up to an article saying I'm having an affair with Hermione. Why else would I defend her so much?"

Harry was fully laughing now. "Ron'll be heartbroken!"

"Don't think so," Mel said between chortles, "he'll be having an affair with you!"

Her day was going well until she entered the same lift as Mr Greengrass.

She'd made a fool of herself by talking to Skeeter, most of her acquaintances at work hadn't believed the article, but some strangers looked at her weirdly, and even though she'd been treated this way before, she'd never learned to accept it fully.

Mel hadn't seen Mr Greengrass in a while, and she didn't know if the article had affected the way he perceived her. She was wondering if he was now regretting offering her a place in his division when suddenly he spoke:

"Goodmorning, Dumbledore."

"G'Morning, Mr Greengrass," she nodded at him briefly before fixing her gaze on the doors. "How are you?"

"Very well, thank you," he replied, "have you heard the news about Andrews and Barry's retirement?"

Mel turned to look at him so fast she hurt her neck, she did her best to keep her composure.

"I have. I hope they're okay?"

"Yes, yes, but they've grown old and plan to spend what's left of their lives next to their loved ones, not locked inside a dark office. Have you thought about what I told you at in Mr Flint's wedding?"

"I've thought about it for a long time, sir."

"Have you made up your mind?"

She hadn't. However, once the man asked her, the answer came to her right away.

"I want to work as an Unspeakable. If you think I have what it takes to be one, sir, I'll do it."

Mr Greengrass smiled for the first time since they'd met. It wasn't really a smile, more like a little twist of the mouth, but Mel found it comforting.

"Indeed, I think you do," his voice was encouraging, "I expect your application on my desk next Monday."

"It'll be there," she said, struggling to contain the excitement in her voice. "Thank you."

"No, Dumbledore, thank you," he responded.

The lift's doors opened and the man did a curtsy before walking out. Mel remained quiet until she reached Kingsley's office, she knocked once and his voice quickly told her to come in.

"Dumbledore," he raised his eyebrows. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Morning, Minister. Mr Greengrass has offered me a spot as an Unspeakable," she felt her pulse increasing, "I think I'll accept it."

Kingsley nodded, he wasn't surprised at all. "Mr Greengrass mentioned his interest to take you in. I told him I'd let you go if that was what you wanted as well."

"It is, sir."

He sighed. "You were the best Head Auror we've had in a while, Mel. This is not how we usually do it, but if you have a person in mind for your replacement, I'll trust you blindly. I'll hire them right away."

Mel smiled, that was the easiest assignment someone had given her in years.

"I have the perfect candidate."

Next Chapter —>

Taglist.

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[autumnleaves1991-blog]

Oooooooh smut prompt tiiime 😈 the options are killing me but maybe 101 & 103 with Poe?? If you want?

A/N: Oh a sexy time with everyone’s favorite resistance pilot? Sign me up! Thank you for reading, reblogging, commenting, and liking! 

Pairing: Poe Dameron x F! Reader 

Warnings: 18 + ONLY NSFW (Oral (M! & F! Receiving), unprotected sex, p in v sex, rough sex, forest sex) 

My Masterlist 

Meet Me on Endor 

The moon of Endor is stunning. It's a beautiful place to be with its towering trees, lush forests, and lovable creatures that roam like overstuffed teddy bears. Once a month, you were able to escape your assignment on one of the resistance's cruisers in deep space and meet up with your lover for a rendezvous away from everyone else. You land the x-wing in the open field and walk towards Poe, leaning against his ship, arms crossed and smiling. You give a small smile back and toss him the blanket and take off into the woods.

The only sound is Poe's breathing, which becomes more erratic as you get to the spot, your spot. The crunch of leaves loudly echoing off the dense forest. When you finally walk deep enough, you turn and take the blanket from his arms. The two of you fluffing it out before moving to the buttons and zippers of your flight suit. There is no time for romance when there is a war going on, so your monthly meetings on the planet Endor are all the time you get. The only moment the two of you can strip and fuck without anyone coming to disturb. Especially a loveable orange and white droid.

Poe kneels down on the blanket and pulls your hips toward him. The stubble that is beginning to grow on his face scratches. He nips at the skin of your waist and hips. Your hands running through his onyx curls, still wet from the fresher he jumped in before leaving the base. His hands trail slowly up and down your legs, and the goosebumps form at the way his rough hands go a burning path. His hands move to glide upside the inside of your thighs, and you shiver as he gets closer and closer to where you want him.

"Lay down," his hands leave you, and you whimper but one look from Poe, and you drop to your knees and move to lay, but his hand stops you. "Wait, stay right there." He stands before your kneeling form, "open your mouth." You open your mouth, and he guides his thick cock between your lips. His lips opening to form a small o as you lick the underside of his cock. His hand comes down to your head and guiding him further inside. You feel the tears behind your eyelids, and you let out a groan as you feel him hit the back of your throat. One of his hands moves down to your throat and squeezes gently, and you feel a gush of heat between your legs.

"Open your eyes, look at me," he lets out a grunt, and you look up at him through the thick veil of your lashes. "You are so beautiful, all the time. But especially when your choking on my cock," his words have the desired effect, and you moan around him, the tears streaming down your cheeks.

He pulls out, and you let out a loud gasp as the air reinflates your lungs. "Lay down, Commander," you command, and he drops to his knees and lays on his back. His hands come behind his head, and he smirks at you from the blanket.

"Take what you want, baby," he teases, and then his eyes widen as you lower your dripping pussy on his face. His hands shot up to pull you down, burrowing his tongue within your folds. Your hands intertwine with his that is digging into your thighs as he eats you out. You bite down on your lip to suppress the screams as he plunders your pussy. Collecting your slick on his tongue and making obnoxious groans that send delicious vibrations up your spine.

Your orgasm slams into you like a freight train, and you bite down hard enough to draw blood as he releases your hands and keeps your hips down on his face. He licks up every drop that you release until you slap his hands away and slide down his chest, leaving a trail of wetness in your wake. You move down to lick it all up, and his eyes darken as you swirl around his nipple and bite down softly.

You pump his cock a few times before lining yourself up and sinking down on him. His hands move behind his head again, and he grins, "Bounce on my cock, make yourself cum." You do as he says and push up, almost taking him out all the way before dropping down onto him. His eyes close, and he just takes it as you fuck him into the blanket. One of your hands dropping down to your clit and rubbing. The other moves down to his nipple and twists it between your fingers. It doesn't take long with how wound up the two of you are. Your orgasms coming at almost the same time. You tighten around him and gush all over him, your pussy milking him of all his cum.

You drop to his side, and both of you look up into the blue sky above. He takes a few breaths and then turns his head to you. "Ready to go again?" he grins and reaches between your legs.

Four hours later, the two of you are fucking exhausted. The small lunch you ate doing what it could to replenish your energy, but it would be better if you slept. But you can't bring yourself to stop as he presses your hands deeper into the tree bark, his body slamming into you from behind. "We've been out it like rabbits; how are you still horny?" you shout over your shoulder, and he lets out a laugh.

"I've fucking missed you. I get you alone once a month; I'm making up for all the times I had to use my hand!" The sound of a ship in the distance has you both pause and hold your breath—the hiss of a landing ramp loud in the empty. Poe takes a step and moves you further behind the tree to cover you both.

"Are you sure he's here, buddy? What makes you think Poe's in trouble?" Finn's voice booms out, and you tense. The beeps of a familiar droid replying back. "You tracked his ship? Oh wait, yeah, it's over here…and is that... what's their ship doing here too?"

Poe moves again, a hand coming down to rub your clit. You hiss, "stop, they are coming over here!" He shushes you and continues to move. "Please remind me again why we are having sex behind a tree when your best friend and droid are just over there!"

His hand comes over your mouth, and he bites down on your shoulder. "Because I need you, I'm in fucking love with you, and I want to cum with you one more time before we're interrupted, and I don't see you again for a month." He picks up the pace, and the slap of his skin is louder than you want, but in a moment, the both of you are cumming again, no less intense than the last four hours as he holds your body against his chest, both of you panting.

"What did you find BB-8?" You hear some rustling from over where you left the blanket. "Oh...BB-8 I think we should go back to the ship." BB's beeps are almost frantic, and Finn does his best to calm him down. "No, no buddy, I don't think someone kidnapped them and left their clothes…We should really go back to the ship." Finn's footsteps lead away and back towards the ship.

"No, no, buddy, I think this is something you should talk about with your dad when you're older." Finn sounds so uncomfortable the two of you have to cover your mouths to suppress the laughs.

When the ship takes off, Poe pulls out and watches as your combined cum drips out of you. "Hey," you draw his attention, and he looks into your eyes smiling, "I love you too."

He pulls you close for a kiss, "I know." The two of you move slowly to pull on your clothes and head back over to your ships. This was always the most challenging part, saying goodbye. "I should go before my droid sends out a search party." You let out a watery chuckle, but the smile never really meets your eyes. "Hey," he brushes the tears off your cheeks, "Just a little longer, and then you can transfer to the base with me, and we won't have to meet like this once a month."

You nod and let out a shaky breath. His lips are soft and warm, and you feel like jelly in his arms. You pull away first and reach for the bag in your cockpit, him doing to same. You exchange the bags and give him another longing kiss before you climb into your ship and take off. When you get back to the ship and pull the bag out, your eyes swell with more tears. Pulling off your clothes, you pull on his shift and sweats, putting them to your nose and inhaling deeply. Comforted in the smell and warmth of the one you love. "Just a little longer," you whisper before sleep takes you.

Taglist: @oldstuffnewstuff @yespolkadotkitty @heythere-mel @justanotherblonde23 @artsymaddie @anetteaneta @lunarthoughts @aellynera @lucifer- @houseofthirst @chicken-ona-stick @agirllovespancakes @amberembers @santiagogarcia @jedi-mando @spider-starry @idreamofboobear @aerolanya @josepedropascal @revolution-starter @mariesackler @rebelliouscat @demoncrypt1066 @goalkeepernerd @ghostwiththemostbitch 

[wyvernquill]

WyvernQuill's GOOD OMENS Works - Masterpost

Hello everybody, hope you're doing well in these turbulent times! I figured now would be as good a time as any to compile all my GO fics here, so anyone affected by quarantine/social distancing measures can treat themselves to a bit of Ineffable Goodness if they're so inclined. (All of these are Aziraphale/Crowley, with the occasional side pairing thrown in, and all of them have/will have a happy ending, no matter what!)

So, without further ado:

Good Endings (56k, completed, T): humorous post-canon slow burn with ensemble cast matchmakers, angst, and Pratchettisms abound; book canon, mostly written pre-show, with plenty of illustrations!

Flies and Furniture (<1k, completed, G): Ineffable Bureaucracy gets lost in an IKEA. That's it, that's the fic. More than a bit cracky, obviously.

Marriage and Misery (10k, completed, M): Regency-era marriage of convenience, lots of pining and misunderstandings; human AU, but pointed avoidance of period-typical homophobia - Aziraphale has many struggles to overcome, but being gay ain't one of 'em!

Team Ineffable - A Pokémon GOmens Story (3k, completed, G): humorous meet-cute fluff with a bit of a crack twist, in which Crowley and his one (1) braincell try to pass him off as a Pokémon Go expert to impress Aziraphale; human AU, no real knowledge of Pokémon Go required.

By Any Other Name (12k, completed, T): soulmate names AU with a bit of a twist, full of pining and misunderstandings. Crowley's name reads "Aziraphale", but Aziraphale's doesn't read "Crowley"...; follows canon through the 6000 years of slow burn, part of a Soulmate AU pact with Lurlur and Pearl09 - do read their fantastic fics here and here, too!

All's Fair In Love And Serial Killing (10k, completed, M, graphic violence): serial killer/cop AU that is far cuter and sillier than that premise suggests - apparently I can't write anything without a twist to it; human AU, mind the warnings, minor character death but only bad guys, unreliable-narrator!Crowley.

Yes and Please and Thank You (19k, ongoing, T): lots of angst, Crowley has been under an obedience curse since before meeting Aziraphale and it causes Problems(tm); first two chapters follow canon, everything after is post-canon, some Adam&The Them feels thrown in for flavour.

AN ANTICHRISTMAS CAROL (7k, ongoing, T): retelling of A Christmas Carol but with more of a romance plot; human/Victorian AU, written in the style of Dickensian prose.

Born To Take Care Of You (18k, completed, M): reverse!Omens mutual pining and mistaken identity, featuring Azirafell, Baron of Eternal Torments, and the Archangel Raphael pretending to be merely a demon called Crowley; reverse AU, obviously, follows the 6000 years of slow burn.

Tied Up With String (comic, completed, G): silly little fluff comic for the Christmas season, featuring atrocious self-knitted sweaters.

The Whole Damned World Seemed Upside Down (102k, completed, M): my GOBB fic! Crowley in opposite-world, humour, second apocalypse, lots of angst and pining with a happy ending. Ensemble cast, but, y'know, OPPOSITE ensemble. Main selling points include: Death doting over an adorable kitten, the Not-Them, Notziraphale actually selling his books, and secret library parties!; one-year-post-show canon. Also has beautiful art, and a fantastic mini-sequel by @rosiepaw!

Here's some more fics that I can only take partial credit for, so to speak:

COLLAB WORKS WITH VARIOUS OTHER AUTHORS:

Correction Fluid (16k, completed, E): very very smutty, and very very kinky. Doing your taxes (yes, really) has never been so hot - I was mostly involved in the form of 50+ humorous footnotes, all the wonderful sex is the work of... entirely too many fantastic fellow authors who just went feral in a Google doc.

Correction Fluid [ART] (art, completed, M): see above - sexy collab art for sexy collab fic, coloured by the awesome robynthemagpie!

Līgfāmblāwende (5k, completed, G): St. George and the Dragon, except it's Crowley and he's really just playing along with it for laughs. Light-hearted and fun!

Of Good Books & Black Omens (11k, completed, T): crossover with Black Books - Aziraphale and Bertram strike up a friendship over hating the customers of their respective bookshops, and Crowley feels replaced; Manny, meanwhile, is just along for the ride. Knowledge of Black Books enriches the experience, but possible to read just for Aziraphale and Crowley, as well.

My Fair Angel (14k, completed, G): writing all done by the amazing @handlebarstiedtothestars, I only did the illustrations. Retelling of My Fair Lady, in which Aziraphale and Crowley attempt to pass off the Them as little heirs and an heiress; includes lots of delicious, delicious pining and genderqueer!Crowley in Audrey Hepburn's beautiful dresses.

Miami Ice (3k, ongoing, T): a present for @aughtpunk, built around their prompt of Aziraphale and Crowley being responsible for the Under Pressure sample in Ice Ice Baby - now with extra Florida, alligators, NASA, and space!

And, I only drew for these, but can personally vouch for their fantasticness, so what the Hell, they get included in this list, too!

GOBB FICS I DID ART FOR:

Panem Et Circenses (89k, completed, T), by @thelittleblackfox: Aziraphale and Crowley take part in the Great British Bake-Off. Need I say more? Absolutely brilliantly written and downright delicious, and you'll LOVE Mel and Sue!!! Not a human AU, but canon divergence - slown burn, and lots and lots of mutual pining.

Butterflies In A Bell Jar (31k, completed, T), by @still-not-king:two office workers meet, hit it off, and fall in love, almost as if they've always known each other... but why is the office's non-fraternisation policy so unforgivingly strict, and what's the deal with their odd bosses? An absolutely wonderful office human!AU... or IS IT!?!? ;)

All The World's A Stage (16k, completed, G), by @ifeelbetterer: theatre students Adam and Warlock are matchmaking between their professors Crowley and Aziraphale, and maybe, possibly, perhaps, growing fond of each other in turn... adorable, full of pining, and some big misunderstandings all around!

Tadfield Heat (15k, completed, M), by @vodkertonic: do you like Hot Fuzz? Then you'll love this one! Crowley and Belle (Beelzebub) are detectives in a tiny little village, and their respective crushes, bookshop owner Aziraphale and the strange new American in town may or may not actually be spies... Ineffable Bureaucracy and Ineffable Husbands, an absolute delight!

Roman Holiday (30k, completed, G), by @percyjacksonfan3: beautiful, touching retelling of the movie, featuring genderfluid!Crowley (and a less bittersweet ending than the original, rest assured!)

All of these five are absolutely fantastic fics I am honoured to have had the privilege of drawing for, and I promise you're going to enjoy every single one!!!

That's all of them for now, though rest assured I have more planned - I'll update this list if any of the ongoing fics get completed, or if I start a new one. Please enjoy, and stay safe everyone!

^-^ <3

(And here's some dancing book!Husbands for you, just because!)

[lotrmynewobsession]

Marry me

This takes place post LOTR, This is an  ANGSTY mofo

 Thanks to @Holy-Tolkien   ‘s  lovely article about Tolkien elves, I know that elves in fact do not have arranged marriages, but consider this a kind of AU.

Warnings: arranged marriage, dead Tauriel, slowburn?

summery: you and Legolas agree to be in an arranged marriage 

                                           [READ MORE]

 Legolas stared blankly ahead of him, wind fluttering strands of his hair around his face.

He did not know if he could love anyone like Tauriel, she still possessed him, body and soul. Even after all these years after she’d been gone. When they’d found her body in the edge of Mirkwood’s forest, deathly still in a patch of daisies beneath a great oak, he’d fallen to his knees, all color draining from his face. His father feared he would not make it.

He never fully realized how deeply her love for the dwarf ran, that when he fell so would she, crawling to the edge of their homeland, dying alone. He shook the memories away, swallowing against the tightness of his throat. He would meet his bride today.

He took in deep breaths to try and calm the waves of anxiety rolling through him. Lord Elrond had been gracious enough to host the meeting in Rivendell. Mirkwood Guards surrounded the courtyard, jst far enough to have range, so it could be as private a meeting as it could be. He could see a handful of travelers in the distance coming around the mountain, which was surely to be you. He sucked in air through his nose and straightened his shoulders. His father was oddly silent as he watched his son’s turmoil.  

“Legolas.” He murmured tenderly, tilting up his chin with a steady finger “Your mother and I were united this way. I would not have suggested it if I did not think you could be happy.” Legolas’ lips pursed, looking into his fathers ice blue eyes, usually empty filled with empathy. They had suffered the same loss, only Legolas had had lost twice. He nods, looking back to the road.  “I will try, Adar.” He promises. The corners of Thanduil’s lips quirk up. “she may be a blessing to us both.” He says stepping back as the sounds of clomping hooves reach them.

Legolas did not know what to expect, but it was not this.    

 He had envisioned an ornate carriage, some proper lady is a sweeping dress stepping out, sour look on her face.

Instead, a group of riders quickly reign in their horses, an elf with [h/c] hair jumping down and passing across to the girl on a horse parallel.

You smile down at your Adar as he carefully helps you down, your eyes shooting to the two pale figures waiting a few yards away. Your stomach tightens.

“Earendil.” Thanduil greets, stepping forward, two guards immediately flanking him on either side a step behind. Your father smiles, bowing his head slightly. “Your Majesty, thank you for meeting us in person.” “certainly, why don’t we negotiate the details while my son escorts Y/N inside.” Thanduil suggests, tilting his head towards the palace. Your father nods, eyes shooting to yours. You nod, silently trying to assure yourself. You internally brace yourself, eyes flashing to the young prince.

   He forced a smile you could feel wasn’t genuine.  Your own wavering smile showed your nerves. After a thick silence he clears his throat, coming closer, smiling a bit more genuinely this time. He introduces himself in a soft voice. “nin-est-na- Legolas.” His tounge wraps around the words beautifully, and you feel the tight ball in your stomach relase just slightly. “ nin-est-na- Y/N” you say, lightly looping your hand through his offered arm.

You both trail far behind your fathers, both not knowing what to say to each other.  Silently you watched your bags being taken by Mirkwood guards to what you presumed to be your room. Entering the threshold of the palace doors you see your fathers disappearing into a meeting room. you and Legolas craned your heads to look, seeing a table with scrolls rolled out, as well as a jug of wine, Thanduil pouring it into goblets. Legolas tugged you along before you both could get caught. You glanced at his face, jaw clenched and eyes wide as he stared ahead. It seemed you weren’t the only one that was terrified. He forced eyes down  to yours. “surely you are tired after your journey, might I take you to your room?” you nodded- a bit too quickly. “yes, that’d be lovely.” Your voice was strained, even to your ears. He snaps his head back to it’s earlier position, the air unbearably awkward between the two of you. He leads you up a wide staircase to a hall of rooms.

He stops in front of the first door, one he’d chosen so you’d have the best view of Rivendell. When you both stop, he staes intoyour eyes for a moment before picking up your hand to lay a kiss on your knuckles, bowing deeply before briskly walking away. You sigh, opening your door and shutting it, sliding down to curl up, hiding your face in the crook of your arm. “this is a disaster.” You mutter.

Tomorrow would be even worse, Your father had travelled with you most of the journey, but had his own affairs to attend to, so soon he leaves after the first day, and the prince and king take her back to Mirkwood to spend more time together for a period, see if they could work together, to see if you could love eachother. Your eyes filled with tears and spilled over as the orange sun fell through your window, soaking you with color. Your tears glittered on your cheeks.  

You thought of your father again and panicked. He wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye would he?

Tap tap. Your brows furrow as you stand, wiping your face with your sleeves before opening the door. You flung your arms around your father, who readily embraced you. “I don’t know.” You whisper, another tear escaping “I don’t know if I can do it.” You father shushed you gently, taking your face in his hands. “you are strong of will, with a loving heart, even if this doesn’t fall through, you have a home waiting for you. Send a message and I will arrive within a week.”

Your breathing calms and you smile, feeling calmer. “thank you Adar.” He hesitates. “I will be leaving shortly, are you sure you want this?” You think of Legolas’ face, and Mirkwood, a place you’d wanted to see sense you were small. “yes, I will try.” You decide. With another tearful goodbye you watch from your window as his party disappears onto the winding mountainside trail.

After a fitful sleep, a Rivendell sevant helps you dress, brushing out your hair. She quickly leaves once your ready, bidding you a safe journey.

Once you’d arrived in Mirkwood, you’d been whisked away to your room, Legolas trailing behind silently as a servant showed you around. She was far too chipper for your taste, but you found it amusing. “and here we are!” she sang, throwing open your guest suite. The left wall led to a large balcony, in the center of the room was a huge canopy bed, crème colored duvet contrasting well with the deep ochre floor.

“thank you.” You say, turning to look at Legolas. Your caught off guard when you gaze deeply into his eyes, like his icy blue eyes Drawing you in, your breath is sucked from your lungs. Your lips part and he seems to snap out of his daze. He clears his throat, folding his hands behind his back. “I was wondering…” “yes?” you prompt. “if you would accompany me in the forest, for target practice.” “oh, well yes.” You say “just let me change.” You say. He nods. “I’ll be back.” He promises

-------  

“So who’s idea was this? Yours or your fathers?” you say you release an arrow, it sailing past the target. Legolas stifles a laugh at your cocked head and annoyed expression. “My fathers, but..” he comes closer “like this.” His warm breath raises the hair on your neck. He corrects your form and you blink to bring the target back into focas. You pull the arrow back, and relase. It embeds itself into the outer ring and you grin. Legolas smiles staring at you. “so it was your fathers idea?”

“I agreed, eventually.” “why?” you ask. “why did you?” he counters. “your young, why the sudden need for a husband?”  you both stare at eachother. You lower your eyes “I wanted to fall in love.” Your eyes go back to his, immersed in his knit brows and questioning eyes. “I thought this was worth a shot.” You look away and his face softens. A humbleness settles in his chest as he locks eyes on his tarket, and hit’s on mark.

  Mereth Nuin Giliath; The Feast of Starlight

A week later was the annual feast of starlight, You and Legolas had spent every day together, and every day you both fell deeper into each other. The feast was a gala of dancing and feasting. Your cheeks heated up as you recalled how Legolas had held you close, asking in a whisper in your ear if you would accompany him. 

You were no fool, you knew what it meant, going to a public, sacred event side by side. It would bring gossip and whispers; it would silently solidify your claims on each other. You envisioned both of you dancing, in the face of stares, bodies close together. You smoothed your hands down the red silk of your dress, the skirt just slightly jutting out from your hips, before smoothly running to the floor. There were golden swirls decorating the bodice and back of the dress. The last detail was a dainty crown of golden leaves in the back of your pinned-up hair. There was a sharp knock at the door and the maiden that had helped you dress peeked open the door before opening it fully, bowing. “Greetings, cin highness.” 

She says quickly darting down the hallway. You meet his eyes in the mirror and Legolas seemed to lose his breath for a moment, eyes trailing your form. After a moment he steps behind you, fingertips grazing your arms, trilling goosebumps before gently placing a kiss on your shoulder, glittering blue eyes meeting yours “cin beautiful, nin mel.” (your beautiful, my love) your jaw drops. He had never called you that before now. Your fingers trail his jaw, and he unconsciously leans forward before he catches   himself, squeezing his eyes shut. “they will be waiting for us.” He reminds himself, cracking his catches himself, squeezing his eyes shut. “they will be waiting for us.” He reminds himself, cracking his eyes open. You laugh breathless and let him lead you downstairs.

The sight was something you’d never forget.

There were millions of candles hanging from the ceilings, mimicking stars as far as you could see, tabels stood overflowing with fruit and vegtables, jugs and trays of goblets ready to be distributed.  “I see some of your men are already enjoyng themselves.” You say, motioning to the tabel of Mirkwood guards, a few of them passed out, but most of them shouting and howling with laughter. You gasp and stunt a giggle when one of the men go flailing out of their chair, crashing onto the floor. Legolas good- naturdly rolls his eyes, fighting a smile. More and more guests filled in through the hour, and soon the palace was packed body to body. You both nudged past people in search of the king, the official celebration couldn’t begin until he and the king commenced it. Thanduil lounged on his thrown, empty goblet clutched in his hand. Seeing Legolas approaching he swiftly set the cup down and stood, a hush falling over all of the guests.

 “May the festivities begin.” He said shortly, sitting back down and slumping. Legolas’ eyes meet yours as he descends. “he always did these things with my mother.” He says “this was her favorite time of year.” You frown, placing a hand on his shoulder.  He looks at his father from the corner of his eye.

 “Let’s give him a reason to smile.” He said picking up your other hand, heading you to the floor. He stopped, twirling you and catching your waist, squeesing your hip with a grin. Your eyebrows shoot up as you both dance, and whispers start like fire lapping up gassoline all around you. A few couples join in, thankfully, but all of the stares are on the prince and his unknown elleth. Bodies twirled around you as Legolas stopped, taking your face in is hand. “Marry me.” A smile spread across your face.

“yes.”

[thosekidswhohuntmonsters]

New Years Eve

Summary: When the evil little voice in the readers head gets its way, she leaves the New Years Eve party Tony has thrown. It isnt until Bucky finds her all alone that they both face feelings they’ve been running away from. 

Word Count: 3035

Authors note: I’m sorry this is so rushed!! I’m sick and dealing with a lot right now in my personal life, but I’m trying my best! 

Optional song pairing: New Year’s Day by Taylor Swift 

**if you guys reblog/comment on my fics there’s now a 110% chance I’d die for you**

You let out a sigh as you finally sat down upon the marble steps. For some reason how beautiful the building was only fueled your anger. You cursed Tony, of course he’d host a party in a place that practically looked like a palace.

Tonight was meant to be magical, but it felt anything but. It was New Years Eve, and you were at one of the most extravagant hotels New York had to offer, but it was five minutes until the ball dropped and you were sitting all alone.

This year had absolutely sucked so it only seemed fit it would end in the same suckish manner. Thinking things over you couldn’t help but hear Nat’s voice, she’d be cursing you right now.

Nat would ask how you could be dressed to the tens sitting all alone, and she’d call you on your bullshit. You had wanted tonight to be different, and you’d tried your best, but there wasn’t music loud enough to drown out the voice in your head.

It didn’t matter that you were wearing a sheer, rose gold-glitter gown that looked like something out of a disney film. It didn’t matter that you were wearing rose gold shoes with detailed gold petals and vines wrapped around the heels.

To your mind it was all just a disguise, a beautiful lie. The voice in your head told you that you were plus size, and that nothing could make that beautiful. You felt like a piece of coal in a room full of diamonds.

So that’s why you left the party, you left because you knew you didn’t belong. It was best to get out before everyone else found out, because as awful as the voice inside your head was you could never bear hearing those thoughts spoken by real life people.

“Hey (y/n) there you are! I’ve been looking for you”.

You picked your head up and followed the voice, immediately wishing you hadn’t. As awful as you felt, you knew you needed to mask your feelings. So you put on a smile and tried to sound convincing.

“Well here I am James, but aren’t you missing the party?”.

As much as you loved seeing Bucky, you needed him to leave as quickly as he had come. Given your current state you didn’t think your heart could bare seeing him. He reminded you of everything you wanted, but you knew you would never have.

You felt god was taunting you as Bucky sat down next to you. His smile was so inviting, “Trust me doll, you’re a thousand times better than a room of stubborn rich punks and fame obsessed dames”.

He was making things so painful for you without even realizing. Bucky was just so effortlessly beautiful, from the way he carried himself to the way his smile made you feel like you were floating on a cloud.

It was clear that he was the sun and if you spent too long next to him you’d burn. As much as it pained you, you got up from the stairs. As you stood you began to fidget with your necklace, your body fighting against his clear gravitational pull.

You tried to sound convincing, “Well don’t worry about me James, I’m just down here getting some fresh air”. Every word you said was a lie, you were all alone because you couldn’t be in a room of happy, beautiful people.

As he spoke he loosened his tie, and for some reason it made you desire him even more. Bucky laughed softly, “I don’t know how fresh the air is here, Stark said this building is like a hundred years old”.

Continuing the act you forced out a small laugh, hoping it would distract from your aching heart. You thought the talking to him would make it painful given how you felt about him, but the silence was even worse.

You were just left staring at a man who looked like an angel in a suit, and it made your desperation grow. Once again you told him, “Then it’s best you get air poisoning or whatever upstairs with everyone else than with me down here”.

Bucky narrowed his eyes, “Are you trying to get rid of me (y/n)?”. He asked with a smile on his face, which made things only worse. Your heart wanted him to stay, but the little voice in your head wanted him to leave.

He was beautiful, as the voice in your head told you, you weren’t. So no matter what your heart said, you could never have him. Why would a rose want an average garden weed?

Fighting the urge to say yes you lied and told him, “No...it’s just I feel bad. I mean you’re missing the party! I bet Steve’s looking for you or Wanda or-”. Now you were rambling, and that was dangerous.

But as Wanda’s name left your lips it stung, you were forced to remember how cozy her and Bucky had looked during the last debriefing. They’d sat next to each other, drawing little things on eachothers memos, barely holding back their laughter.

You loved Wanda, and that was why it hurt. You couldn’t deny that she was just as beautiful as Bucky, and more deserving than you would ever be. So the moment you had said her name was the moment you began to crumble.

Bucky stood up, “Did something happen tonight (y/n)?”. For a second you wondered why he’d ask such a thing, but then you felt the familiar sensation of tears beginning to form. You stepped back and tried to build yourself back up.

“No nothing happened, trust me I’m okay, you don’t have to-”

No matter what you said he still walked toward you and pretty soon you’d backed into an abandoned concierge desk, the marble of the desk cold against your exposed back. Now there was nowhere to hide.

Bucky took a step back, “Doll you can tell me anything”. He’d just wanted to help, but he had no idea that would only make things worse. How could you tell him what was wrong, when the problem was how much you loved him?

He spoke softly, “Please (y/n) I hate seeing you upset”. You wanted to cry as his voice was nearly a whisper, it was painfully clear how sincere he was. God, how could you continue to lie to yourself?

The man you loved most was standing before you begging you to tell him the truth. There was no way out of this. You let out a sigh, tonight would have to be the night. You told yourself that if things went bad you’d forget all this and force Tony to send you on some mission to Antartica or Space.

Your voice was barely above a whisper as you confessed, “It’s you James..it’s always been you”. As you were only answered with silence you thought over the idea of moving out of the tower and moving in with Wade.

Bucky stepped closer to you, “What’s wrong with that (y/n)”. As he looked to you with a smile across his face you realized he didn’t understand. You felt your heart shattering by the second.

“I’m what’s wrong with that. Someone like you could never love someone like me”.

It was a miracle that you've managed to hold back your tears, but maybe that’s just because you knew living in the mirror dimension was always a possibility. Doctor Strange had always been nothing but nice to you, so why wouldn’t he let you live out the last of your days in some freaky portal?

Finally Bucky had cut through the silence, “Someone like me? Someone like you?”. He was trying to understand where you were coming from and what you’d meant. You’d been so lost in your own head that you hadn’t even picked up on the fact that he’d neglected the love part.

You turned your head to the side, “I’m not like other girls James..I’m not as beautiful as them..and you can have anyone...you can have the most beautiful girl on the planet with the snap of your fingers”.

As you confessed your deepest truths you couldn’t bare to look at him. You were being brutally honest, finally saying out loud what you’d told yourself for years, and it was soul-crushing.

“Why do you find the beauty in everyone but yourself (y/n)? Why is it so easy for you to see someone like me, someone who’s killed without hesitation and ruined so many lives in the process, how can you see me as beautiful but you can’t see the beauty within yourself?”

His words forced you to finally look at him, and you were surprised to see the pain in his eyes. Bucky took another step toward you, “I know what it’s like to have a voice in your head that tells you you’re the most undeserving soul there is”.

Bucky was all too familiar with self-hatred, and for the past couple of years it had kept him awake at night. It had fueled his most painful nightmares, it had made him want to give up, but with the help of his friends he had given his heart a more powerful voice.

“But you have to realize that it’s just a voice, it’s not real (y/n). Those things you tell yourself aren’t the things that other people think, I know you’ve convinced yourself that they are, but they aren't”.

Your surprise grew as he took your hands in his, and you could feel his emotions pouring out from him. Bucky meant every word that he’d said, and he wanted you to know. He wanted to be the person that broke you from your trance.

“Listen to my voice okay? Listen to me. I love you. I’ve loved you since that night at Mel’s after your first mission, remember that night? Some drunk idiot told Wanda that she should go mess up her own country for a change and without hesitation you punched the punk right in the face”.

Bucky began to laugh as he remembered things. In that moment you had been just like Steve; walking up to the biggest bully and handing their ass to ‘em.  He knew it was cliche to say that he had fallen in love with a person in one single moment, but it was true.

You felt your hands begin to tremble in his as your brain tried to comprehend what was happening. Slowly and softly you asked, “You love me?”. This whole thing felt like a dream, too good to be true.

Breathlessly he said, “Yes”. Once again you parted your lips to speak but nothing came out. For so long your heart had yearned to hear those words, but you’d never dreamed that it would actually happen.

As you stood there in silence the noise from the party seemed to get louder. The both of you could suddenly hear nearly a hundred people counting down to the New Year. It was clear that the moment was building, and you could both feel it.

As it was now down to the last few seconds Bucky embraced his boldness. Taking charge he cupped your face, delicately rubbing your cheeks with his thumbs. His face was inches from yours and you felt like a moth drawn to a flame.

3...

2...

1...

Knowing words wouldn’t be enough to explain how you felt, you shut off the voice in your head and allowed your heart to take charge. With a smile across your face you leaned forward and finally kissed him.

His lips tasted faintly of champagne, and his hands had somehow managed to hold you both firmly and delicately. Just as you had always known in your heart, you felt both safe and free in his arms.

You pulled back only to catch your breath, the both of you panting from the climax of months of tension finally flooding forward. Bucky smirked as he watch you bring your fingers to your lips, touching them softly as if you could still feel the electricity of the kiss.

“Happy New Year doll” he teased. Bucky couldn’t believe how adorable you looked in this moment, as if kissing him was the most magical thing you’d done all life. Once again, you neglected to see your own magic, but he was working on that.

You felt the heat rising to your cheeks, “I know it’s fucking obvious, but I love you”. You felt butterflies in your stomach as the words left your lips. Bucky was looking at you like no one ever had before, and for the first time in your life you knew what it felt like to be desired.

Now that you were starting to get more comfortable, Bucky was keen on teasing you. Besides, he loved how flustered it made you. He wiggled his eyebrows, “Hmm (y/n) I still like to hear it though”.

Now you began to laugh, “I love you James”. Although he was teasing you, hearing you confess your love for him did have an affect on him. Bucky couldn’t get over how magical it felt to have such a beautiful girl want him.

You’d been right, you weren’t like other girls and you never would be. You would always have an affect on him that no other girl could have. He felt like a giddy teenager, “Well should we go back-”.

It was your turn to tease him, “You said it yourself, it’s much more fun down here”. You felt your heart skip a beat as you watched him seductively bite his lip. Softly you added, “James you are trouble”.

Bucky held your gaze, “Doll you’re not so innocent either”. Unable to face the fact that the closest thing to an angel earth had just told you that you were too seductive for your own good, you looked down at your feet.

By placing his hand delicately below your chin, he lifted your head up and forced your eyes to meet. More softly he confessed, “You look so beautiful tonight (y/n)..like what a princess wishes they looked like...the second you walked into the party I just-”.

Playfully you hit his chest, “James”. If he continued to confess things like that you wouldn’t be able to control yourself. He smiled, “I felt my heart leap from my chest”. Bucky didn’t care how cheesy he sounded.

He knew you’d spent too many years hating yourself so he was determined to cancel out the evil voice in your head, and hopefully he’d get you to see just how beautiful you were. Bucky wanted you to love yourself, because he knew you deserved to.

So what you were plus size? Women weren’t meant to fit some mold, they were meant to be women. He didn’t accept your body, he loved it, because bodies don’t need approval either. When it comes to the way someone looks, there’s no right or wrong, there’s just love.

He’d had enough of society and it’s stupid demands and standards. Bucky had watched pre-serum Steve beat himself up for years because he didn’t “fit the mold” and it had driven him mad.

No one should feel that they’re not the right shape, that they’re too tall or that their complexion is too dark, people should be able to worship themselves for who they are. So, Bucky was hell bent on getting you to see yourself as the beautiful woman you were.

He wanted you to know why he loved you, so maybe you would start to realize the ways in which you loved yourself. Bucky knew it would take time, and he knew he’d have to take things slow, but he craved making you feel accepted and loved.

You weren’t sure of what to say, and to be honest you were using all your energy to hold yourself back from jumping his bones right in the middle of the hotel lobby. So instead you decided to grab your phone and play a song.

“James there’s a thousand things I want to say, but my mind is a little jumbled right now, I mean no one’s ever kissed me like that or ever made me feel so beautiful before-”.

For a moment you paused, you could feel yourself beginning to blush. You wondered if Bucky knew that this was a moment you’d remember for the rest of your life.

He took your hand in his and brought it to his lips kissing it. Bucky smirked as he watched you react to his touch, god you had no idea what was in store. He had caught on to your little plan, “Come here doll”.

After pressing play you moved closer toward him, letting him once again take your hand in his. Placing a hand on your waist Bucky pulled your body closer to his, loving how it felt to hold you so close.

As he heard the song begin to play he smiled, “You picked my favorite huh?”. You mind began to flood with memories of sunday mornings spent cleaning the tower. Bucky and Steve would always play old songs, and fight over who was the better dancer.

You licked your lips, “Just trying to see if you’re as good a dancer as you say”.  In response he spung you out from him, and immediately pulled you back in. Leaning forward he whispered in your ear, “Doll you have no idea how good I am”.

There was no doubt that his words had a double meaning, and their second meaning made your breath hitch. Bucky pretended that your sudden heavy breathing was because the dancing, and not because your mind was drifting to exactly where his was.

Bucky placed a soft kiss on your collarbone and continued to dance with you in his arms. He closed his eyes and let the music calm the pounding of his heart, because the woman of his dreams was finally within arms reach and it was more magical than he’d ever imagined.

please if you enjoyed this, reblog or comment! It’s like giving me a virtual hug and a nice “don’t give up!”

[angelynrostrand]

Chapter 1

Summary:  To the outside world, nothing should connect shy girl Angel Monroe and popular boy Xavier Hazelwood. But that isn't entirely true. They both hold secrets. Behind both of them lie 2 separate wolf packs. Xavier is well on his way to Alpha status and running the pack. Angel is not a wolf but instead the last healer in the world. When the realization comes forward that they are connected by destiny, will they decide to fulfill it? Is their connection predetermined by fate or will they choose their hearts? Lives and packs cross and mingle while romance and conflict brews. The story of 2 opposite souls on a collision path. Will destiny win out? Even the most innocent face, has the darkest secrets.

Warnings: None for now

"Good morning Alpha," I say, my head popping into my older brother's room. I can see he is getting fitted into his new suit for tonight.

"I am not Alpha...yet," my brother Eric says. "Also I have already told you not to call me Alpha. I just want to be your brother." Eric excuses the seamstress for a private conversation.

"Fine," I say with a deep sigh, "Are you nervous?"

"Kind of. I just don't want to disappoint anyone." I walk up to him and place my hands on his shoulders.

"Look you could never disappoint the pack, father, or me. You are smart and a hard worker. Mom would be proud of you being a kind gentleman. Okay?" I say. He nods with a proud smile. When he agrees, I shake his shoulders in a playful matter. To get all the nerves and negative thought out of him.

"Thanks, sis." He wraps his arms around me and squeezes.

"Okay, I need to go to school. Can you let me go now?" I ask.

"Nope. Sorry. Not done."

"I am going to be late!" I say. He finally lets me go.

"But I'll see you tonight and have fun at school," he says as I walk out of the room and outside to get my beach cruiser.

Before taking off on my beautiful bike, I put my earbuds in to listen to music. While riding I can see the open land of trees and the meadows surrounding my area. The sun rising behind the mountains always makes me smile and is the best way to start my day. I arrive at my least favorite place. High school. I don't have a lot of friends. It's not that I can't make any. It is just that I prefer having friends where I don't have to lie to them. Being a part of a supernatural family can be a little lonely. But it's ok. I can really focus on school and homework. I like having time to read in peace. I get off my bike to lock it and make my way to my first class, English. I still have my earbuds in with music playing. I walk into the class and sit by the window to continue admiring the meadows. When the bell rings, I put my music away and get ready for class.

In English, our teacher surprises us with a pop quiz to see if everybody has finished chapters 1-5 in "Brave New World" over the break. I love the book and I have read it twice. Once when I was 15 and now since it was assigned in class. The quiz is easy. I finish early and turn it in. I look back and see that most people are struggling with the quiz. My second class is just a tutoring job. I  am able to help out any freshman with their English studies. It is their study period, but they always ask for help. My last class is Advanced Art. I only have a half schedule because I caught up with all of my credits the previous year, so I can leave school early. Art is the only class I get to listen to music and really focus on my artwork. The teacher is really cool to let us be on our phones. I want to finish a wolf drawing of my brother as a small gift for his ceremony. I finish it and place it in my art folder. The bell rings and all the students leave with their mess still covering the tables. I stay behind to help Mrs. Miller.

"Oh Angel, thank you for helping me out."

"Of course. It is very rude for them to leave their stuff around. Especially the paint." I smile and wipe the table down.

I wash my hands and leave her classroom. As I turn the corner, a boy in a rush bumps into me, causing me to drop my art folder, which scatters its contents on the floor, including the picture for my brother. The boy doesn't stop to help, but another boy does. He bends forward to pick up a couple of papers. Then he turned over his shoulder and yelled.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!"

"Thank you for helping me," I say. He hands me my papers, but also looked down at the wolf.

"Of course. Did you do these?" He asks. I smile proudly and nod.

"Wow, you are very talented." He continues studying my work before realizing I am watching. "Oh sorry, my name is Xavier Hazelwood."

"Well, nice to meet you. I really should get going and I am sure you're busy," I say, holding my folder close to me

"Wait, what is your name?" He asks.

" Um... Angel," I answer. Then I see a couple of boys approaching us.

"Xavier!" One of his friends calls to him.

"Umm...I think someone is waiting for you. But thank you so much for helping. I'll see you around," I say with a sweet smile. I turn around and start to walk away. Gosh, I am so awkward. But he was cute. He seemed different compared to other boys, but I think this just because no cute boy would want to talk to a loner kid.

I leave school grounds and head home for the party. I ride my bike back to my mansion of a house. I see the guards at their post. They see me coming up and open the gates. I smile and wave to them. They return the smile. They are always so kind to me. I ride past them and park my bike next to my own personal cottage. It's in the backyard of the house. No one is allowed to bother me while I am in it. Only my father and brother are allowed in my cottage, but they know better than to go in. I walk up to the house, up to my father’s study, and knock on his door.

"Come in," I hear and open the door. I see my father sitting at his desk looking flustered.

"Hey dad, are you okay?"

"Oh ya. Just trying to finish some stuff for the transition for your brother," he says while getting up to hug me.

"Are you sure? A couple of nights ago I saw some trespassing alerts on your desk."

"Angel, we are fine. Stop snooping around my office." We sit down on the couch together.

"Dad you can't stop me when they are laying around the office. But we are safe...right?"

"Yes, we are. No one would dare step on our property uninvited." His voice is filled with a kind of conviction the eases my worry. "Now go get ready for the party. The guests will arrive at 7, but I will call you down." We both stand up and walk to the exit.

"Yes, sir. I'll see you tonight." I kiss him goodbye and make my way to my room.

Dad has always kept me out of the loop when it comes to werewolf stuff. He and my brother want to protect me from everything, which I believe is unhealthy for both them and me. Even my own pack stops talking when I walk into a room. I understand my family can be overprotective. They say I look so much like my mom and my dad doesn't want to lose me like how he lost her. She died in an attack. Sadly my own pack sees me differently. They are kind people, but I have always been different. I was never allowed to play with the other kids in my pack. I later found out why. My dad kept me hidden from the world for a long time because there are people who want to use me for their own deeds. I am a healer and practice the elements. As a young child, I was forced to stay inside and practice my powers. I have come pretty far in terms of controlling my powers, but there is still a lot I have yet to master. Every year father would give me some of mothers books. They are full of spells and her thought processes as she controlled her own healing powers. There aren't a lot of healers in the world. The only one we know of was my mom and with her gone, we don’t know. So I guess I have always been alone in that way too. Eric got dad's werewolf powers and I got my mom's. As these thoughts flow through my mind, I write them down in my own journal. My writing is interrupted by a knock at my door.

"Come in," I say, putting my journal away.

"Miss Monroe, your father wanted me to bring your dress for you," Melanie, one of my maids, says.

"Thanks, Mel. Can you just put it on the bed?" She smiles and lays it down. I guess I really have to get ready.

I stop writing and go to my connected bathroom to shower and get ready. I am really proud of my brother. He will be a great Alpha, but it is a lot of responsibility. He is in charge of so many people. Tonight my father and Eric will do a personal one-on-one. A transition from a regular wolf to an Alpha. Then they will meet up with the other wolves. It was always a secret part of the ceremony I was curious about. Good thing I have never witnessed it though because I do not want to see my family transition back into human form. They come back naked. The whole wolf transition looks and sounds painful. I guess a perk of being a healer is that I don't have to go through breaking all my bones for the first transitions.

I finish my light makeup. I place flowers in my hair. I check the time and it is 6:50. I finally put on the long dress that was brought for me. It has a creamy blush like color with flowers on top of the dress and trickling down to the waist. I put on some heels, but I know I won't last long in them. I sit by my window and I am able to see guests arriving. I would welcome them, but my father always wants me and my brother to make a grand entrance on the staircase. I wait and look at some spell books to keep me busy until I am called. 

[clexaweekofficial]

Some more ideas for Clexaweek2018, feel free to use these! (for credit for some of these prompts, here’s my pinterest where you can find them) 

Day 1: Meet Ugly: "We live in the same apartment complex and I accidentally leave my laundry in the washer for a minute too long and you decide to take out all my wet clothes to put in yours just as I walk in." Imagine grumpy Lexa who is beyond sick of some inconsiderate asshole who always leaves their laundry too long and she has things to do so she takes the wet clothes out to put her own in, and is caught red-handed by a gorgeous blonde who stands in the doorway with her hands on her hips looking equal parts annoyed and amused. Lexa goes on the defensive and snaps at her but the girl seems to grow more amused. After that Clarke starts taking her stuff out on time and Lexa is a bit miserable at the guilt and the fact that she kinda wishes she had an excuse to see the pretty blonde again... and then one day Clarke is late and Lexa’s a little too happy about that, especially when Clarke arrives actually sliding into laundry room before skidding to a halt, panting, and looks very curious indeed at the fact that Lexa only smiles at her apologies. They end up chatting in there for hours. Lexa finally grows some ovaries and asks Clarke out at the end, and Clarke kisses her cheek and tells her she can’t believe their first date was in the laundry room and Lexa blushes. 

"I work in a grocery store and I'm putting new items on the shelf in the refrigerated section and just as I'm putting a new carton of milk on the shelf, you reach in and our hands touch" LOL okay but imagine a fluffy au where Lexa's the one working at a grocery store and Clarke's in one of her classes and she's so pretty but Lexa can never work up the nerve to talk to her and then this happens and Clarke shrieks and flails and falls, bringing milk with her that goes all over the place, so Lexa rushes out to find a shocked Clarke lying in a puddle of milk and Lexa's face gets redder than a tomato (bonus points if she takes Clarke to the back to change since she has an extra shirt she changed out of for her work clothes, and then to make matters worse her boss walks in on her in the locker room with a shirtless, messy blonde)

"Human emotions can be bottled and sold on the black market. You are in desperate need of money and sell yours. It will take months to grow back, leaving you empty inside. The next day you meet her." Lexa doesn’t want to, but she does it, and then she meets Clarke and well...let’s just say Lexa’s so fuckin gay and Clarke’s her fuckin soulmate and she should probably be more freaked out by the fact that she is feeling already when she shouldn’t be

"You're a hitman with a conscience. Before every kill, you help the victim check something off their bucket list." Lexa's the hitman and is assigned Clarke. She watches her for weeks beforehand, learning her schedule, and pretends to be a student, 'meeting' Clarke in one of Clarke's classes and befriending her. Like always, she sets out to help her check something off her bucket list. She doesn't anticipate falling in love with her. I can't help but to picture Clexa on a road trip for this one, going somewhere where they can go on a hot air balloon together...

Day 2: Constantly mistaken for a couple: A twist on a fake dating au: Clarke and Lexa are dating, and then Raven begs Clarke to be her pretend-date because she doesn't want to show up to the company party where Wick, a douche she'd dated on and off, is, so she begs Clarke to pretend date her. Clarke does so and it goes swimmingly-- the bad news is, only two days later she discovers those same people are working on the apartment across from Lexa's, so she and Lexa try to pass themselves off as cousins/sisters/whatever to explain why they live together...but they keep giving each other really filthy pre-sex looks behind everyone's back like a game of chicken and pretty soon somebody is going to have serious concerns about their siblinghood.

“Hi sorry but I'm a youtuber and you wandered into my liveshow by mistake the other day and now half the internet thinks we're dating"

Day 3: At work: 

"Heroine: *on top of the Villain Lady holding her down* You are defeated! Villain Lady: you forgot about my secret weapon. Vilain Lady: It can only be defused by kissing me on the mouth. Heroine: ..... Heroine: you know you could've jut asked me out instead of taking over this city? Villain Lady: I'M AWKWARD OK?”

Lexa as a lawful-good hero, “The Commander,” Clarke as the chaotic neutral sometimes-hero, sometimes-villain who drives Lexa up the wall most times. Or Clarke as the neutral-good hero and Lexa as the neutral sometimes-hero, sometimes-villain who is smooth and cool and just operates to her own rules

Day 4: Accidental Stimulation:

(This could pair with Day 6, Famous)- Lexa is the lead in a play/show/movie and Clarke’s painting the backdrops. No one fucking told her that she’d be working the same time Lexa was rehearsing a sexy scene. Clarke’s gripping the paintbrush so hard it’s about to break because holy shit 

Clarke slept in and missed her final for art but luckily the professor is letting her make it up and the nude model consented to come back... except the nude model is Lexa and so gorgeous Clarke is going to bomb this final (alternatively, you could do it where the reason Clarke slept in and missed her final is because she was up for hours with a girl she’d just met...and that girl turns out to be Lexa, who is filling in for the model)

“I literally hate your guts but I have to get you fitted for this costume so put this on and and wow you’re actually pretty cute”

Day 5: Rivals in a secret relationship:

Clexa are on rival teams and everyone knows they hate each other and their teams play each other for playoffs and everyone’s freaking out because the captains of both teams are missing so there’s a search party and police involved and everything...and then they find them naked and asleep and covered in hickeys in the back of Clarke’s car

Lexa and Clarke are always going toe-to-toe at work and all the employees are kind of scared of them tbh but turns out outside of work they are super Soft girlfriends 

Clexa are on a reality tv program and the audience eats up their relationship and how they fight but they’re actually in love and secretly engaged

“So what are we” “Enemies with benefits”

Day 6: Famous:

Clarke is a famous celebrity who visits her friend Raven/Octavia/Wells whoever and they order a pizza and Clarke forgets she’s famous for a minute and answers the door and the pizza girl (Lexa) about has a heart attack and Clarke’s like omg shit wait please don’t tell anyone I’m here or the paparazzi will swarm, here come inside and share some of this pizza and here’s a huge tip Bonus points if Lexa can barely speak and is just scarlet-faced the entire time with the knowledge that she’s written explicit smut about the tv character Clarke plays

Clarke/Lexa's a famous celebrity and decides to check out one of her fans pages and accidentally likes a picture from like 176 weeks ago

Clarke and Lexa are both chefs on The Great British Baking Show (Live) and the entire world is hardcore shipping them and Mel and Sue (Or Octavia and Raven) keep making food-related dirty puns. Bonus points if the viewership keeps climbing so even Mary starts making little comments that indicate she’s a #Clexa fan. 

Lexa is a famous movie-star who escapes the paparazzi and her stifling body guards by slipping into a local library one rainy day and is immediately besotted with the pretty blonde librarian who doesn’t seem to have a clue who she is because she doesn’t really watch much television. Alternatively, Clarke’s the movie star and Lexa the librarian 

Clarke’s on that Skin Wars tv show and Lexa’s a model and she has to paint her body

Inked au where Lexa’s a tattoo artist and Clarke is her customer and Lexa’s super distracted by blue eyes and a pretty smile

Day 7: Free Day ideas:

Lexa works at a coffee shop and has always had a crush on Clarke, the beautiful blonde who comes in with paint-stained fingers and a distracted smile. Clarke leaves town for two years and returns...and can't believe Lexa still knows her order. (and Lexa can't believe Clarke remembers her!)

Lexa's the manager of the shop and one of the employees keeps drawing amazing art on the chalkboards, but Lexa can't figure out who it is even though she's been keeping a meticulous schedule to figure out whose shift it appears during

Lexa and her frinds always sit at the table a couple down from Clarke's and gossip in Trigedasleng, which happens to be a language Clarke is currently  learning. Clarke has been eavesdropping to try and improve her listening comprehension and oh my God is Lexa actually talking about how hot Clarke is??

There's a chess set at the local coffee shop set up in the corner and every morning Clarke/Lexa moves one piece. Later in the day, someone else always moves a piece too. Clarke/Lexa is dying to know who she's playing against.

"I'm a new hire and you're trying to show me how to use the espresso machine. I actually already know how to use it, but I'm pretending to be incompetent so that you'll keep talking to me. Please don't fire me.”

[blujaydoodles]

SO! At the request of @songbased and seconded by @talceles, I’ve answered all fifty of these OC questions :O A small handful also have doodles in the answers, which is part of what took me so long!

1. Your first OC ever?

The first OC I can still remember really well, the first OC that was really close to my heart and ended up with a bit of a story, was Sanju, my shapeshifter boyo. And you can tell I really love you because I went to my old DA and dug up the oldest drawing I could find of him just for you:

He was a darkling, a species I invented that could only shapeshift under the cover of darkness; he was always pale with gold eyes and black [hair, fur, feathers, scales, etc], and he kept his piercings in every form that had ears-- although, he doesn’t have them in this drawing! So maybe that was a later idea? He’s an easy-going fellow, mischievous and sticky-fingered but good hearted. He’s sort of Idri’s spiritual ancestor in a lot of personality ways. Actually, I’ve thought he’d be really fun to play as a DnD character, if I could figure out a balanced way to do Darklings for 5e

2. Do you have a personal favourite among your OCs?

Listen. For the longest time, I really didn’t. Once I had a few DnD campaigns going I loved them all more or less equally, in different ways, but……… listen. It’s Elyss, of course it is, you know this. I mean it’s close, but still. I love all my kids very much but Elyss has ended up very near and dear to me.

3. Have you ever adopted a character or gotten a character from someone else?

My gut instinct was to rattle off all the characters I’ve described very genuinely as “my child” but then I realized that’s not what this is asking, haha. Nope!

4. A character you rarely talk about?

I was going to say my sweet and very neglected baby Milo, but I actually end up talking about him a lot in other questions, so let me tell you about Melliwyk, who I’ve talked about almost none on here apparently??

Mel is a gnome arcanist (and archaeologist and historian because of the nature of her research) who has dedicated her life to rediscovering or reinventing the lost art of item enchantment in a world that is missing a huge chunk of its own history. Very much a mad scientist, she’s known for pushing the limits of her surroundings, her tools, and her own body in calculated risks taken while performing her experiments. The problem with her calculations is that she’s willing to risk a lot more than the people around her are entirely comfortable with. She has permanent lichtenberg-figure-scars running up her left (dominant) arm, apparently incurable magical narcolepsy, and shortly before the campaign began she blew something up and lost her entire spellbook in the fire-- all results of backfired experiments, but she only regrets that last one.

She spent a number of years holed up alone to focus all of her time and energy into conducting research and designing experiments-- so, she still has a habit of “rubber duck coding” by going through all her thought processes aloud to her familiar, Baxter, even when he’s not actually around. 

5. If you could make only one of your OCs popular/known, who would it be?

You know, I approached this from a lot of different angles and genuinely couldn’t decide for a long time, and then I had the thought ‘if I had a Popular Character I would get fan art of them’ and as much as art of any of my characters makes me cry, art of Elyss would make me cry the most, so,

6. Two OCs of yours that look alike despite not being related?

I apparently..... forgot how to draw Nyssa orz but curly gingerish hair, freckles galore, very green eyes, slightly goofy teeth (not pictured) ... basically Milo has a lot of features that are personally appealing to me and I went ahead and dumped all of them into Nyssa as well, ahaha

7. Are your OCs part of any story or stories?

Mmm, well, not really. I mean, DnD is a storytelling medium, of course, but outside of that context, no, not since the vague story ideas I had had for Sanju back in the day-- I’m not very good at story, to be honest :’D

8. Do you RP as any of your OCs? If you do, introduce one of your RP OCs here!

All of my currently active OCs are DnD characters, so by definition, preeetty much all of them! Hahaha. So, how about Juniper?

Juniper was brought up in a small rural village by her grandmother and aunt, both venerable druids-- but left at a young age to pursue a cartography apprenticeship in the capital city. Now a journeyman cartographer, she’s traveling the world to personally survey the land for her planned masterwork: the world’s most complete, accurate, and beautiful atlas. Things became... complicated, to say the least, when she befriended some escaped slaves and a planar-displaced aarakocra, all of whom she wants dearly to help however she can. The problem is, her only real skill (as far as she’s concerned) is making maps.

9. Would you ever be willing to give any of your OCs to someone else?

No ;A; I put too much into character creation and get Real Attached; my OCs feel pretty personal. Even having my characters’ family come up as NPCs in game has sometimes felt a little weird, even though that’s what they were actually designed for, lol.

10. Introduce an OC with a complicated design?

As a lazy artist I tend to avoid super complicated designs lol, but I think Kiele is the most in terms of just things that make her Hard To Draw for me personally? Her skin glows like burning coals, which almost necessitates drawing her in full color any time I draw her and is not something I’m super great at coloring yet; Her hair needs to look like actual hair but at the same time be reminiscent of fire; how brightly she’s burning depends on a lot of factors; and I still haven’t figured out exactly how to make a scar look convincingly like a scar while being a completely different color than scars in real life :’D (the scar also glows more brightly when she’s doing magic... I guess it’s probably just a deep red otherwise? HMM)

11. Is there any OC of yours you could describe as a "sunshine"

I was gonna do a new doodle for this q but then I remembered how happy this little drawing of Idri made me, my precious beeb c: She’s super energetic, outgoing, and upbeat; she just wants to explore the world and help people and make new friends and make people happy and have a Good Time 

Other candidates: Juniper, who is maybe a little too neurotic to get the top spot here but is Warm and Good and Just Wants To Help; Nyssa, who is always in a good mood and is kind of like the person version of napping in a nice sunny meadow after a delicious picnic; and Milo, who is cheerful and friendly and whom Idri takes after quite a bit

Funnily enough, Kiele has picked up the nickname ‘Sunshine’ from a fellow party member, but actually she’s honestly just an asshole, lmao

12. Name an OC that isn't yours but who you like a lot

OH JEEZ where to BEGIN! All my friends have such good characters you guys ;n;

But I’ve loved @miazaz‘s boy Zetsuri for, like, almost a decade (jesus). He’s a demonic trickster who is very, very beautiful and very, very Chaotic.

The most recent doodle of him I’ve done, lol. They could be talking about anyone, honestly.

13. Do you have any troublemaker OCs?

Definitely Kiele. Aside from the volatile combo of fire powers and rage issues, she also A) is the kind of person to decide she hates you and use her considerable charisma (and/or fire) to ruin your life, and B) the kind of person who causes trouble if she’s bored or not getting enough attention...

14. Introduce an OC with a tragic backstory

Actually, that would be Milo, my fallen angel. There are some details I never quite hammered out, and a lot of things I’d like to revisit now, but the gist of it was: Milo was an angel in the Holy Choir, but he wanted to be a Guardian. When he was finally given the opportunity, on one of his first assignments he made some bad calls that lead to not only the untimely death of his charge but also a couple of bystanders. It was an accident, but it was still serious enough that he was banished forever to the mortal world. He manages to hide it pretty well most of the time, but it left him with PTSD on top of a permanent feeling of being incomplete, having had his connection to the divine severed completely.

15. Do you like to talk about your OCs with other people?

*chinhands* Please talk to me about my OCs........

16. Which one of your OCs would be the best at biology (school subject)?

That would be Juniper! She was raised among traditional healers, so she already has a decent foundational knowledge of human anatomy, botany, ecology, etc. I think Elyss would also do quite well, and probably Melliwyk as well-- although, she’d be better at physics and chemistry.

17. Any OC OTPs?

........... don’t worry about it

18. Any OC crackships?

On a long car ride one time boyfriend and I were RPing random characters and Nyssa, who is very sweet and loving and gentle to everyone she meets, managed to coax/flirt Jermaine out of his shell a bit, and it was kind of silly but really fun ;D

I would ship/ crackship Nyssa with almost anyone, though, tbqh; she pairs like chocolate

19. Introduce an OC that means a lot to you (and explain why)

Elyss is a water genasi in a land where genasi are all but unheard of; she grew up shunned and isolated, and when she was old enough she left home and spent the next decade or so alone in the woods, learning and honing hunting and survival skills that have made her an invaluable scout and deadly predator. When conflict in the continent drove her out of isolation, she joined The Darkwind Regiment in hopes of ending it to make the world safe again for her family, but integrating into society (and an adventuring party) has proven challenging after a lifetime of developing absolutely no social skills...

Elyss is my first DnD character, created for a campaign that’s coming up on its third anniversary. I think at least some of my fondness comes from just that: I’ve had her the longest, so I’ve gotten to know her the best. Aside from that, a lot of how she has developed as a person (or how the campaign has pushed her) I think just... triggers so much empathy in me that I feel particularly loving and protective in response? She’s terribly lonely. She gets deeply attached to people, but she’s spent all of her life being unwanted by almost everyone around her, so she mostly believes that the people she loves the most (aside from family) don’t feel the same way. She puts a lot of effort into being useful enough to keep around, so that she can continue to be in a position to protect and provide for her friends.

I built a lot of problems into her in a way that was, at the time, designed very hopefully-- problems that I thought would be addressed and challenged by Doing An Adventure in a way that would lead to positive growth (or things I just thought would be fun/ funny). Unfortunately, most of the Big Things that have happened and the way they’ve played out so far have only made her worse-- she’s now deeply paranoid, actively avoids opening up to new people, and desperately afraid of losing what little she has, to an unhealthy extent. On the positive side, though, she is at least finally coming around to believing some of her friends do actually like her... even though by all accounts her Issues are making her more and more unlikeable >__>;;

20. Do any of your OCs sing? If they sing, care to share more details (headcanon voice, what kind of songs they like etc)?

Actually! Elyss is a really good singer! Her mother is an excellent singer and storyteller, so she gets it from her. She has a very smooth, soft alto voice and prefers melodic and flowing folksongs, lullabies, songs with a lot of interweaving/ harmonizing parts, that sort of thing. However, she sings pretty rarely, and never intentionally within earshot of anyone else-- but, on the other hand, she has a very old habit of quietly singing or humming when it rains which is so much second-nature that she genuinely doesn’t notice she’s doing it anymore. If anyone ever pointed it out to her or asked about it she’d be very embarrassed.

Nyssa is a fair singer with a soft, effortless mezzo soprano voice; she sings very often, mostly just little snippets of this or that, but prefers playing her pipes and/or dancing if there’s actual music happening.

Milo is an almost supernaturally excellent singer with a clear, sweet tenor voice (mostly; he also has a startling breadth of range). He may be a fallen angel, but he was in THE choir. He sings karaoke every Tuesday and Thursday and does every kind of genre you can think of but mostly just fucks around-- people are always pretty shocked when he actually makes an effort.

Juniper knows a lot of very old Druidic folk songs, and is willing to sing along in a reedy mezzo soprano, but she gets nervous and wouldn’t want to be the only person singing. Aubree’s a rowdy, rough-cut contralto who loves a good drinking song, rebel song, or both. Kiele can carry a tune but isn’t really the singing type. Tsakesh only sings when he’s drinking, a slightly pitchy tenor. Idri is an awful singer but that sure as hell doesn’t stop her. Mel doesn’t sing.

21. Your most artistic OC

Juniper, although she doesn’t seem like it. She approaches mapmaking as an artistic as well as a scientific endeavor, and she takes it very seriously. However, she’s not really very good at drawing anything else.

On the other hand, both Idri and Melliwyk are excellent draftsmen, but only because I have headcanonned that gnomish culture treats drawing as a core skill, taught in school alongside handwriting and math-- neither of them considers herself an artist, it’s just a functional skill (very useful for scientist Mel, and almost worthless to Circus Rogue Idri)

Oh, I almost forgot! Besides music, Nyssa also likes to whittle! Mostly little animal figurines or, like, little boxes with flowers carved into them, things like that. She gets more joy out of making them than having them, so she likes to give them all away :)

22. Is there any OC of yours people tend to mischaracterize? If yes, how?

Kiele, a fire genasi, has been repeatedly described as being literally on fire-- and, I mean, she is fairly regularly, but never when someone has described her as such, lol. Her hair is flamey colors, but it’s just hair! She’s also, I think, been mistaken for a good person by at least one other PC, and I’m both excited and sad for the day she realizes how incorrect that is

Elyss’s feelings and behaviors get misconstrued a lot, I think. Mostly that’s expected-- she’s got a lot of complicated feelings and a negative charisma modifier-- but a couple of times I’ve been genuinely surprised at how other people appeared to have read a situation with her based on how they talked about it out of character later

Honorable mention: one time in an rp board, I described Milo as having a ‘boyish face’-- another person then described him in their post as ‘the man child’. Yikes....

23. Introduce OC that has changed from your first idea concerning what the character would be like?

Juniper was designed to be Milo Thatch but with maps except aaay I rewatched Atlantis and he actually is a cartographer also, lol. Not that that’s not... necessarily still true, but it’s not as prominent as how much she turned out to be A Mom, which I had no idea about her at all until I started playing her? She’s very caring, sometimes to a fault; it’s become probably her most defining trait, but was never planned for originally. But the funniest change is that, before we started playing, I was convinced she and Justin’s aarakocra wouldn’t get along? But then in game she adopted him the instant he arrived and that’s her son now?? 

24. If you could meet one OC of yours, who would it be and why?

*aggressively loves and supports my girl*

... although, to be honest, aside from the opportunity to heap her in blankets and hot drinks, Elyss is probably not really my best choice here; we don’t have much in common and as much I as love her I don’t imagine she’d like me very much, lol. So, probably Idri? She’d be a ball to hang out with. I feel like having Idri at one of my friends’ get togethers make it the best party ever, hahaha

25. The OC that resembles you the most (same hobby, height, shared like/dislike for something etc?)

Juniper and I both: 

* are outdoorsy, awkward nerds * are ravenpuffs * assume the best in everyone until proven otherwise * resolve conflict by avoiding it at any cost * want to adopt every stray and every orphaned wild animal in the world * have no idea how to dress ourselves * very emotional and anxious but Trying

26. Have you ever had to change your OC's design or something else about them against your will?

Ooohoho man, no but Melliwyk was this close to becoming a half dragon in the last session and she’s super pissed about all the missed opportunities surrounding that whole scenario (I, however, am mostly relieved)

27. Any OCs that were inspired by a certain song?

Ah, no, not really!

28. Your most dangerous OC?

That....... depends a lot on how you look at what makes a person dangerous, but um. Kiele is violently temperamental, has wild magic, makes snap judgement calls, and likes to solve all her problems with arson, so. She’s the most dangerous to just be around in general, lol

29. Which one of your OCs would go investigate an abandoned house at night without telling anyone they're going?

Melliwyk, hands down. Ordinarily she’d want someone with her because of her narcolepsy, but recently she’s of the opinion that some people can’t be trusted not to impede her research, so she’s a lot more willing to just risk it

Tsakesh would also be inclined to do this-- as long as the house didn’t also have a reputation for being haunted

30. Which one of your OCs would most likely have a secret stuffed animal collection?

Oh, definitely Idri. We recently went to her hometown, and she for sure went in and kicked all her toys under the bed before showing anyone her room, but then went back by herself later to put them all back and apologize.

31. Pick one OC of yours and explain what their tumblr blog would be like (what they reblog, layout, anything really)

Aubree’s blog would consist mostly of cute animal and social justice reblogs-- the latter almost always with her own Very Strong Feelings added to the thread, with invitations to ‘fucking fight me’ wherever applicable. Ignores or mocks anon hate, but is embarrassingly easily baited into arguments. She has it connected to her Instagram, through which she posts a lot of photos of her boar, Truffles, pics of meals in progress/ plated meals she’s cooked, and the occasional drunk selfie (either group shots with friends or post-brawl with a black eye and split lip and a brief comment on what, exactly, the other party did to deserve it). She’s only vaguely aware that her blog exists off the dashboard; the theme is the tumblr default.

32. Which one of your OCs would be the most suitable horror game protagonist and why?

I gotta confess, I’m too much of a weenie to play horror games, so I’m not really sure what qualities would make a good horror protag >__> I feel like it also depends partly on what kind of horror game ? Is it Spooky? Is it Gorey? Is it Psychological Thriller? I don’t have a good answer for this one ^^;;

33. Your shyest OC?

Mmmmm, I mean, Juniper, probably? I wouldn’t necessarily describe any of my OCs as shy-- they’re mostly outgoing and personable, or at least unconcerned with others’ opinions of them.

I once had a very shy satyr boy named Ix, but even at the time I did almost nothing with him besides doodles, and he’s very much fallen to the wayside

34. Do you have any twin characters?

Waaaay back in the day, these were the other characters in the vague outline of a concept I had for Sanju’s story; the woman he loved, and her brother who despised him. Technically, Tsakesh also has a twin sister, but I haven’t.... given very much thought to her or the rest of his family, to be honest ^^;

35. Any sibling characters?

Both Elyss and Aubree have siblings, but they’re all NPCs-- Aubree’s family hasn’t even come up yet in game, but I have given them quite a lot of thought.

36. Do you have OC pairs where the other part belongs to someone else (siblings, lovers, friends etc)?

Well, aside from ‘they’re all in DnD campaigns where everyone belongs to other people’, ummm, Kiele has hooked up with both of that campaign’s guest characters so far, which probably counts? lol. I haven’t done sibling OCs or gotten an OC romance with anyone else yet, though.

37. Introduce an OC who is not quite human

lol oh my god I mean, Juniper is my only human, so... I guess Nyssa counts the most in this context, though.

Nyssa is a satyr who, until very recently, lived in a small, tight knit community of satyrs in a deeply secluded area of woodland. She was sent out into the world at the behest of her patron, the archfey guardian of her flock; having never left the woodlands before, she’s joyously experiencing everything for the first time, but she’s also extremely naive as a result. At the advice of the wood elves who would occasionally visit the flock, she’s attempting to pass herself off as An Ordinary Person-- but her fey features are, perhaps, just a little too odd for a mortal human(oid). Maybe if she told people she was an elf she’d do better-- but even with the right height and a bit of a beard, she looks nothing like a dwarf, which is what she’s been claiming to be when people ask.

38. Which one of your OCs would be the best dancer?

Definitely Kiele! Nyssa does bring up a very close second, but she only dances for the joy of it-- raw and wild. Kiele has practiced specifically to perform, and knows exactly how to use her body to its best potential.

39. Introduce any character you want!

I’ve said almost nothing about Tsakesh in this one! So let me tell you about my good sneaky boi :3

Tsakesh is a khajiiti eldritch knight-- a stealth archer, specifically, because this is skyrim goddamn it and I love myself. He loves exploring old ruins, specifically intrigued by magical items and traps-- he loves examining the mechanisms behind traps and has, just through this fascination, become an expert at finding and disarming them. He was drawn to Skyrim by stories of ancient ruins filled with still-functioning mechanical guardians, but has had little chance to explore as he’s found himself accidentally caught up in daedric schemes with the fate of the world in the balance. Very aware of how khajiit are viewed outside of Elsweyr, he makes a specific point of being as friendly, helpful, nonthreatening, and cooperative as possible everywhere he goes-- partly in a hopeful attempt to at least put some dent in the bad reputation his kind have found themselves stuck with, and partly just as a survival strategy.

40. Any fond memories linked to your characters? Feel free to share!

This is gonna sound like a big ol cop out but honestly, since almost all of them are DnD characters, there are too many fond memories for me to think of any really good specific examples. I’ve spent a lot of amazing time with my wonderful friends and gotten to do all kinds of fun, cool, silly, ridiculous things with and through my characters. Getting to play Aubree in person, linking hands and crying together with other players through some really emotional moments and coming through victorious... that’s one night that particularly stands out.

41. Has anyone drawn fanart of your OCs? If yes, maybe show a picture or two here (remember sources & permissions!)

YES oh my god and I cry every single time!!! I wouldn’t call any of it ‘fan art’ per se I mean, it’s always just been my friends like ‘here I drew our characters’ but yeah I’ve had friends draw Juniper, Elyss, Aubree, Kiele, and Milo and I get.... so emotional... it’s the best thing in the world you guys ;~;

42. Which one of your OCs would be the most interested in Greek gods?

Probably Idri! She loves a good story, and good lord is Greek mythology full of em.

43. Do you have any certain type when you create your OCs? Do you tend to favour some certain traits or looks? It's time to confess

Literally all of my characters who don’t have freckles are a result of me consciously going ‘they can’t ALL have freckles....’ Ditto curly hair, ditto green eyes (Nyssa has all of these in spades, you’ll notice. She’s a very self indulgent character for me, haha). Either Very Tall or V Smol. Pointy ears gotta be Very Pierced.  High dex (even before DnD was in my life; I’d definitely describe Milo and Sanju as being dex-based, conceptually). Charismatic with a heart of gold. A lot of my characters are really outgoing and friendly, I think as a way for my introvert awkward anxious ass to be my best self vicariously I guess? haha. High levels of curiosity are pretty common, too (like, even Elyss has this trait actually, although this has been pretty severely suppressed by the fact that everything that happens to her makes her more paranoid and cautious >__>)

44. Something you like about your OCs in general

I’ve put a lot of charisma and self confidence into a lot of my characters, which has been super helpful and fun to rp for me, a shy awkward dorkass. Most of them are also really good people who are braver about it than I am. I love getting to play around in different headspaces and different personalities all the time, and most of my characters are Good Noodles so they’re generally good headspaces to be in. 

45. A character you no longer use?

I mean, Milo, about whom I’ve already talked quite a bit. I had also built a small cast of characters around him, most notably his best friend Javi (a demon with a mortal body). I never did much with Javi, but I thought about him a lot. He’s really interested in humanity and came to the mortal plane on a semipermanent basis specifically to get to know People, as a whole and individually, while they were still living. Tall, lanky, and extremely taciturn, he’s almost as opposite of the small and excitable Milo as possible-- the yin to his yang. He’s a Good Dude and I miss thinking and writing with him.

46. Has anyone ever told you that you treat your OCs badly?

I don’t think so? I think I trend rather nicer to my characters than most of my friends to be honest, haha. Very few Tragic Backstories here, and a lot of Hopeful Futures. Suffering can be fun, but only to sweeten the payoff of later happiness :) 

47. Has anyone ever (friendly) claimed any of your OCs as their child?

I don’t... really think so, actually? 

48. OC who is a perfect cinnamon roll, too good for this world, too pure

Juniper, my sweet innocent bb

49. Which one of your OCs would most likely enjoy memes

Oh jesus, definitely Idri. She’d be a meme goblin. She’s always there right at the genesis of a new meme and she always keeps them going long after they’ve overstayed their welcome. She sends them to everybody. She particularly loves the really bizarre, like, surrealist ones and any kind of meme mashup. 

50. Give me the good ol' OC talk here. Talk about anything you want

Here are a few concepts I’ve thought about but haven’t done much with yet: a human rogue who is actually a cat that was True Polymorphed by a drunk wizard; an air genasi warlock who is a spoiled princess and whose patron is her djinni mother; a mild mannered bard historian who stumbles into a Great Old Ones warlock pact while researching an ancient civilization; an orphan who goes searching for the story of her past when the scales marking dragonblood sorcery begin to appear on her skin; a gnome ranger whose beast companion (and mount) is a giant wolf spider and whose society and economy are built around the giant spiders native to their homelands

WHEW. GOOD LORD. THERE YOU GO.

(thank you so much for asking these, I love filling out this kinda shit <3)

[angstmongertina]

17. Jubilant (Inktober 2017)

And now for emotional whiplash day 3... :P

The whole thing with Monster of the Opera is from one of Zen’s spaceship thoughts, and also because he would totally sing All I Ask Of You to MC to be romantic, let's be real. (If anyone wants to listen to the music while reading, be my guest. I personally recommend the 25 anniversary recording because I love Ramin Karimloo but feel free to pick your favorite Phantom!)

Carina belongs to @cherieofthedragons and Eunbyeol is mine. :D

For anyone who is interested in a proposal featuring my personal MysMes OTP though honestly, it might just be me lol, it’ll come at some point after Inktober is over so I can write as much as I want to about it (I say, in spite of the fact that this current ficlet is about 2k words).

....if anyone is going to point out the time, I'm just going to point at the word length. :P

AO3 Link || Masterpost

Zen has been a bit too fidgety all day.

Sure, as a musical actor, he’s got near boundless energy, but this is another level entirely; Carina would almost suspect it to be nerves if it isn’t already the closing night for the Monster of the Opera and if Zen hasn’t already brought the house down in every single performance in the past two weeks.

Thanks to Jumin’s finagling, the RFA has the best seats in the entire hall, front and center. When she tried to protest the placement, he only cut her off with his usual cool detachment, though she still suspects she saw something—amusement?—lurking deep in his normally unfathomable gaze.

Beside her, Eunbyeol is nearly vibrating with excitement, clutching the program listing Zen as the titular monster so tightly that she’s not sure whether the paper will even be legible by the time the musical starts.

She leans around her cousin to grin at Jihyun, on Eunbyeol’s other side. “Someone’s eager today. When did she start preparing for this?”

He smirks. “Maybe two hours ago. Maybe earlier? I think she was pestering Hyun about what to wear and what she was and wasn’t allowed to bring at least two days ago.”

“Hey!” She stifles a laugh as Eunbyeol elbows him in the ribs. “Don’t encourage her. I don’t need my cousin and my boyfriend teaming up against me. And I’ll have you know that you can never be too prepared for an exciting night at the theater, especially when it’s The Monster of the Opera.”

Carina’s grin widens. “Yes, yes. We both know it’s the musical you’re excited about and not just because you have a major crush on the Monster.”

“I—What are you talking about? He just has a nice voice…”

Jihyun’s eyes fairly dance with amusement as Eunbyeol’s voice cracks. “Oh, is that why you’ve been counting down the hours for nearly a week? Should I learn to sing and play the organ as well, now?”

“Better start lurking under opera houses as well,” she quips.

“Don’t forget rowing boats across mysterious underground lakes to a secret lair.”

“Writing operas with extremely unsubtle metaphors about sex.”

“Dropping chandeliers on party-goers’ heads.”

“Are you two done?” Eunbyeol’s glaring at both of them now, but is also failing miserably at hiding the way the corners of her mouth twitch, threatening to ruin her look of annoyance.

She opens her mouth to reply in the negative just as the lights dim in the room and Eunbyeol offers her a prim, almost arch, look, sitting up and folding her hands in her lap.

That doesn’t stop her from leaning back across with a stage whisper. “Strangling and hanging people by lasso?”

The sound of Jihyun’s hastily choked back laughter is totally worth the sharp elbow that’s jabbed into her side.

Nonetheless, as the overture begins to sound, she sits back herself, content to enjoy the show and her boyfriend’s performance once more.

It’s always been one of his dreams to play the monster, she knows, and he leapt at the chance to audition for the musical as soon as he heard about it. As she watches the young Kristey and listens for his first appearance, she can definitely appreciate the effort he put in, so much that she had to drag him out at times before he could push himself too hard once more. But in the end, it’s worth it.

“Insolent boy, this slave of fashion, basking in your glory!” His voice rings out, strong and clear and true, and without thinking, she grabs Eunbyeol’s hand, squeezing tightly as he appears in a haze of white mist, dressed all in black and bedecked in the famous white mask.

Even with half of his face covered and the thick caking of stage makeup, he is absolutely stunning, and she can hardly look away as he leads his soprano through the mirror and down to the aforementioned lake, singing all the while, strong and commanding and undeniably irresistible.

The music changes as the pair alight their boat, turning soft and slow, and she can’t help but close her eyes, remembering the tenderness in his voice and the warm arms that wrapped around her whenever he sang that particular song at home, at once alluring and comforting. Just like he himself.

God, but she loves him.

She shakes herself as the tale continues: the first unmasking, the notes that she and Eunbyeol never fail to laugh at, the absurdity of Scarlotta. The comforts and promises between Kristey and her young suitor Rolf. The perceived betrayal at the top of the opera house and very real anguish that roughens Zen’s voice, that screams out of his every motion and is nearly enough to draw tears to her eyes, even as the chandelier falls and the first half comes to a close.

Intermission passes in a blur. As the lights brighten, she vaguely notices Eunbyeol dart out of the auditorium, coat on and hands shoved into her pockets, but Jaehee turns to her with a comment on the intensity of Zen’s acting and, in the ensuing discussion, she forgets all about her cousin’s curious behavior.

She does notice when Eunbyeol returns, dropping into her seat with a sigh of relief just as the lights dim once more. “Where were you?” she hisses, but Eunbyeol only shakes her head, tilting her head towards the curtains with a small, almost mysterious, smile.

When Zen returns to stage during the masquerade ball, there’s something different in his acting now, as though he is throwing himself even more into each note and gesture. As though he is determined to fully embody the Monster, pouring his soul into the role, and win over the girl. As though something is building, sizzling in him, contained only through force of will.

She’s pretty certain that his performance of Point of No Return, even as carnal as it usually is, has never been so electrifying, so utterly seductive. She’s spellbound, cannot look away from the push and pull, the constant friction. The intoxicating chemistry.

Until suddenly, he freezes, his hood gone.

It’s a part of the story and she knows this, but even so, her heart nearly stops in her throat at the raw vulnerability in his gaze, at how he stands, frozen. The pause stretches, each second strangely feeling like an eternity, until, suddenly, Zen’s eyes stray, shifting from his co-star out to the audience. To her.

“Say you’ll share with me one love, one lifetime. Lead me, save me from my solitude. Say you want me with you, here beside you.” At last, he looks away, back to the woman standing across from him, but she can still feel his gaze lingering, impossibly gentle. “Anywhere you go, let me go too…”

She sits, unable to move, hardly noticing as the story moves on, the tension bubbling over. The scream of agony and the descent. The mob and the fight and the kiss. She vaguely senses when Eunbyeol turns away to Jihyun, and wonders briefly whether the sniffling she hears is from him or her or both. But the musical’s end doesn’t sink in until the stage is suddenly dark, light illuminating the single white mask, the audience is on its feet, and an elbow nudges her side, though gently this time.

Almost mechanically, she stands, clapping and watching as the cast files on, one-by-one, to cheers and wild applause. Rolf and Kristey enter, meeting in center stage for an embrace that is met with screams and wolf whistles. And then…

For a moment, she thinks she’s going to go deaf from the sheer amount of noise that heralds Zen’s return to the stage, and she stares in surprise. Unlike all the other curtain calls she’s seen, he’s changed into a suit, his wig and costume, other than the mask that Mel still carries, nowhere to be seen. He takes his bow with perfect elegance, a grin of absolute triumph on his face as he gestures to the rest of the cast and the crew and the pit orchestra, and then he simply stands, hands by his side, while the rest of the cast files silently off stage.

Beside her, Eunbyeol is nearly dancing on the spot, clutching at both her and Jihyun so tightly that it’s a wonder that her arm is still getting blood.

Finally, the room quiets enough for Zen to step forward, his eyes roaming across the audience, taking in the crowd.

“I know you’ve all been here for quite a while and I hope none of you are in any rush but just in case, I’ll try to keep this short. As I’m sure at least everyone who has read their programs tonight knows, I’m Zen, and I played the Monster in tonight’s performance. I—”

Before he can continue, the crowd bursts into applause once more, and from her position, she can see the faint blush it brings to his face, the pleasure and confidence that straighten his spine as he waits once more for calm.

“I know it’s unusual for anyone, even the leading role, to stop and give a speech after a performance, but there are a few people I’d like to thank for helping me be where I am today. To all of my fans who have supported me through everything. To my friends, who have in the past few years become like my family, giving advice and telling jokes and sometimes even making things an absolute mess. And…” Slowly, his eyes shift along the row, coming to rest on her, bright and warm and oh so loving. “And to one person in particular.”

He takes a deep breath. “I don’t talk about my past very much, and it’s for a reason that isn’t entirely relevant so I won’t get into here. Suffice it to say that I spent much of my first years as a musical actor living alone, struggling to survive and accepting whatever roles I could get. Acting was, and still is, my entire life. All of my time outside of rehearsals was spent practicing, and I had no social life to speak of. I couldn’t risk my career.

“But then I met someone who could see beyond my exterior, who loves me for who I am and who I was. Who has never wavered in her support, even in the face of scandal, and who stayed even when I couldn’t find myself. And who has been waiting, never complaining when she has to stay in the background. And I don’t want her to wait any longer.”

Suddenly, he gives a little laugh, sharp and nervous. “I know this is the part where I should say something beautifully romantic and moving and bring everyone to tears, but everything I can think of is from some musical or another, and this should be a time of my own words. So I’ll just say that I love you, Carina, for now and forever. I know you’ve said that you’re willing to wait however long it takes, but I’m an impatient man.”

She draws a shaking breath as he lowers himself to one knee on stage, pulling small box out of his jacket pocket. “Carina Lee, will you marry me?”

“Oh my god.” The words barely escape her lips, choking around the sudden lump in her throat, and so quietly that she thinks only Eunbyeol can hear. Before she can try again to speak, a shove on her shoulder sends her moving on numb legs, and the crowds part as she stumbles her way to the stage, to where Zen is still waiting, endlessly patient.

She comes to a stop before him with his face upturned towards her, shining with adoration so clear that her eyes sting with tears and the rest of the room simply melts away. “Carina?”

“Yes. Zen, yes!” Again, the words catch in her throat, but even so, pure bliss crosses his face as he rises to his feet in the still-silent room, taking her hand and sliding the ring onto her finger before lifting her off of her feet entirely, laughing as cheers erupt.

In the uproar, he sets her back on her feet, though his arms remain around her waist, almost as if he never wants to let her go, and she looks up, catching his gaze. “I love you, Zen.”

Her words are not nearly as poetic as everything he said, but as he leans down to capture her lips, she knows that that’s really all they need.

[ladedanixie]

Fake/Pretend Relationship Fic Recs

a wfn challenge (Its 3 days late, but I decided to finish it anyway) : themed recs by trope, kink, or specific au.

The Expiation Expedition by @obstinaterixatrix & @dragonomatopoeia: Voltron, Keith/Lance, 40k

Lance is well aware that miscommunications can result in horrific, preferably avoidable mishaps, which is why he tries to circumvent them whenever possible. It just figures that the state of an entire planet's fragile political climate rests on him running straight into one.

This is possibly one my favorite fics. There is so much well done world building and honest exploration of relationships that it brings a tear to my eye. There’s political intrigue, and clear character writing for all the characters. I love the development of Keith and Lance’s relationship as a result of being fake married and its done without any of that excessive or unnecessary angst that most fics with this same trope do. Like the healthy open communication that happens between them is probably one of my favorite aspects about it. There’s even lesbian space lizards, which is awesome. Also unique and hilarious metaphors, similes, and descriptions, think maybe a cross between douglas adam and terry pratchet. 

6 more recs under the cut

this sudden burst of sunlight by @attilarrific: Critical Role, Shaun Gilmore/Vax’ildan and Kashaw Vesh/Keyleth, 40k

Vax and Kash get drunk and pretend to date. It's all Scanlan's fault.

This fic is a riot to read. It’s fun and hilarious and does a great job of exploring Vax’s and Kash’s personalities as well as showing how much of a jackass they both are. It’s fun to see them more or less commit to this fake relationship more out of spite than anything else despite the fact that they don’t like each other that much in the beginning. And in the process they kinda of learn what’s important to them, and they learn more about each other, and kinda become actual friends, which is a process I very much enjoyed. 

never say never. by @mel-iorn: Shadowhunters, Simon Lewis/Jace Wayland, 4k

As the office holiday party draws near, Simon is getting borderline desperate to find a date to bring with him. Well he knows he can go solo... but with his rather recent ex AND someone in management that keeps dropping hints that he should impregnate their daughter going to be in attendance, he really, really, really rather not.

Such a cute fic. I had a smile all the way through. Simon is so sweet and smitten and that is so nice to read. I especially enjoy this line: “ he’d really, really like a definitive answer so he can go back to over analyzing the usual things like how Not Straight Poe Dameron is instead of whether he wants to get coffee with Jace in a platonic or romantic sense.” It cracked me up and me feel for poor Simon. Jace’s thoughtfulness for Simon in this fic was so nice as well. The gift he gave Simon made me melt. 

How to Torment Your Family in Six Short Courses by @mcbangle: Check Please, Shitty/Lardo, 2k

Shitty answers an ad from a certain art student proposing to pretend to be his girlfriend with the express purpose of pissing off his family on Christmas. Mischief ensues.

Couldn’t stop laughing while reading this fic. I feel a special kind of joy seeing Shitty’s asshole family being tormented by Lardo’s uncouth behavior during dinner. Shitty’s voice is fairly well done here. And his obvious enjoyment of his family’s disapproval is fun to read. I do like the breaking up of the six courses and seeing how Lardo gradually amps up the behavior until the family just kicks her out. 

Feels Good to be Alive Right About Now by @mikkalia15: The Flash, Iris West/Linda Park, 1k

“You’re going to be fine,” Iris says firmly. “There isn’t anyone I’d want more as my back up than you.”

Right, right, Linda’s backup, nothing more. Never mind that she’s had a crush on Iris West since she was hired for Central City Picture News, never mind that she’s currently going to a gala in Starling City posing as her girlfriend. How the holy hell is she suppose to make it through the night without making a fool of herself and/or overloading on the urge to just blurt out her feelings?

Her smile feels a little wobbly, a little strained, all she wants to do it pull Iris into a kiss, turning her perfectly done lipstick into a smear of dark red, instead, though, she swallows.

A cute fic. Linda’s internal panic about going on a fake date with Iris during the date is great. Love the way the two of them shut that one dude down. I like the detail of their coworkers already thinking they’re dating. It’s sweet that Iris knows her fave tea and candy. A nice breezy read.

Practice Kisses by Drownedinlight: The Flash, Wally West/Cisco Ramon, 5k

Wally asks Cisco to be his pretend boyfriend to show off to an ex-boyfriend. It turns out that Wally and Cisco are not that great at pretending, though. 

Adore the interactions between Wally and Joe. I feel like that isn’t often explored, so I appreciate their warm relationship here. The way Cisco stuck it to Wally’s ex with his music knowledge was hilarious. That and the details about Cisco knowing so much about music cause of his brother was so good. I really like the thought of that, and now I’ve adopted it as a headcanon. Also there are not enough Wally/Cisco fics out there, and this one is so good, and cute, so I can’t be more thankful that this exists. Also the fact that Joe assumed they were together cause they were both on the bed was so funny, as was the intervention that followed. 

Who Knows, Someday I'll Win Too by @biofreak659: Transformers Prime, Knockout/Breakdown, 20k

Pre-series. All love stories start somewhere. Some just start off on the wrong foot, and continue spiraling downwards. Based largely on Bringing up Baby.

What a fun ride. Real detailed world building. Great Knockout and Breakdown voices. Knockout’s snark is hilarious. Their dynamic here is honestly the best part. The way Knockout gets roped in had me cracking up. I love the fact that in later chapters they wind up having to open and run into doors. All the shenanigans these two get into is great.

[prosciuttoe]

jealous clarke?? something in that vein?? canon verse maybe?? this is so vague sorry ily

A|N: nothing to be sorry about considering jealous clarke is mY JAM

p.s: ily too

______________________

Look, objectively, Clarke knows that Bellamy’s a pretty attractive individual. A collective sigh goes up around camp whenever he wrangles his shirt off (completely unnecessarily) to do some mundane task or the other. His smile can reduce a normal, functioning being into a swooning mess. Monty claims to be forever changed after the one time he witnessed Bellamy emerging from the shower.

But, still. It’s no excuse for Roma to be hanging all over him.

“Her head is going to spontaneously combust if you keep glaring at her like that,” Raven remarks, drawing up next to her. The smirk on her face is enough for Clarke to direct the force of her glare over to her instead, crossing her arms over her chest. Unperturbed, she continues, “And is it normal for there to be a vein throbbing so close to your forehead? Because I’m getting a little worried.”

“I’m fine,” she huffs, gritting her teeth at the sound of Roma’s high-pitched, lilting giggle. Bellamy’s response is lost in the clamor of the crowd, but she recognizes the soft quirk of his lips, the sardonic arch of his brow. Amused. (It’s one of her favorite looks on him, even though she’d never admit it. Not to his face, at least.)

Raven looks thoroughly unconvinced by that. “Yeah, I’m having a little difficulty believing that considering your face is currently a unflattering shade of puce.”

The scathing response on the tip of her tongue dissolves at the sight of Roma’s hand curling over his bicep, squeezing, and she’s moving before she can rethink it; stomping towards them with all the grace and subtlety of someone who’s had a little too much to drink.

He brightens when he spots her; the expression quickly morphing into concern when he catches sight of her face. “Clarke. Is everything okay?”

“Great,” she manages, flat. “I just— I think we should rethink our plans to send a team out past Trikru territory. Do you have a minute to talk? Alone?”

“Yeah, sure.” He goes, completely unfazed; his hand coming down to rest on the small of her back as he steers her towards his tent. Then, looking over his shoulder, “See you around, Roma.”

“See you,” Clarke adds, shooting her a tight, close-lipped smile before striding off. (For some strange, unfathomable reason, the moment fills her with a kind of smug triumph that leaves her grinning throughout the rest of the day.)

And that would have been the end of it, really, if she didn’t keep showing up whenever Bellamy was around.

It starts with breakfast. They’ll be having their oatmeal together- perfectly content- when Roma would make an appearance; plopping down next to Bellamy with an extra bowl and a huge smile to boot. Then she’s trailing after him during his numerous guard shifts, chattering a mile a minute and hanging onto his sleeve the entire time. One time, Clarke even catches her throwing her arms around him in a hug before separating ways, and it puts her in such a bad mood that the rest of the camp actually goes out of their way to avoid her for the rest of the day.

(It’s stupid. It’s childish. And yet, she can’t quite manage to tamp down the visceral, almost painful reaction that she has in relation to seeing Bellamy with her. There’s probably a word for how she’s feeling right now, but saying it out loud makes her  feel like she’s opening up a whole other can of worms.)

They’re in his tent, discussing next week’s roster for guard patrol when it all comes to a head.

“We can’t put Sterling and Mel on the same shift,” he tells her, frowning. “They’re good shots, and I’m going to need at least one of them on the hunting party this week.”

“I get that,” Clarke sighs, glancing down at the meticulous chart they have laid out before them, “but I need Harper at the med bay, so you can’t put her on that shift either.”

“Yeah, keep Harper where she is. You need all the help you can get.”

Clucking her tongue contemplatively, she tries, “Or how about Monroe and Sterling for guard detail, and we add Jasper and Mel to the hunting party?”

“Perfect,” he grins, reaching over to pluck at the pencil she stowed in her bun for safekeeping; the graze of his skin against her cheek making her flush. “Guess this means we’re done for the day, right?”

She’s about to answer with an affirmative when a dark head peeks through the flap of his tent, Roma stepping in fluidly. She takes in the scene before her, brow raised, before she goes, “So, you guys are done, right?”

And she’s not sure what possesses her, at this point, but she’s talking before she can stop herself. “No,” she snaps, planting her hands on her hips, “we’re not, actually.”

Roma’s brows rise up to her hairline, at that, incredulous. “No?”

“You heard me.” Clarke manages, brisk. Then, turning her face back to the chart, “This is probably going to take awhile, so maybe you can drop by tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“That’s right,” she bites out, clutching at the wood of the table to keep herself grounded to the moment. “It’s not anything urgent, right?”

There’s a moment of hesitation on her part before she goes, sulky, “No.”

“Okay,” Clarke shrugs, working to keep her voice nonchalant. “I guess I’ll see you then.”

That earns her a venomous look on Roma’s part before she stomps out, leaving them in a tense, awkward silence.

“So,” she goes, clearing her throat. “I was thinking we could also reorganize—”

“Clarke,” Bellamy interrupts, his voice unnervingly calm. “What the hell was that?”

She blinks, tilting her chin in the best doe-eyed impression she could muster. “The roster for this week’s guard patrol?”

“Cute.” He deadpans, narrowing his eyes over at her. “You know what I’m talking about. Why did you tell Roma that we weren’t finished?”

“I told you, I was thinking of reorganizing—”

He scoffs at that, drawing closer to her so he can loom over her just the way he likes. “Cut the crap, Clarke. What, did she do something to piss you off? Or does it have to do with the fact that she’s hanging around me all the time?”

Her snort is derisive, and she can’t help the acid in her voice when she asks, “You see her all the time, and you’re not sick of her face yet? That’s rich.”

“Seriously?” he snarls, the muscle of his jaw fluttering in a way that means that he’s seconds away from going off on one of his spiels. “You’re acting like—” He comes to an abrupt halt at that, something akin to comprehension dawning on his face; her pulse stuttering in response to it. “Wait,” he goes, brow furrowing. “Are you— are you jealous?”

Her first instinct is to deny it, of course, but she can’t quite bring herself to do it when he’s looking at her like that; confused and open and vulnerable. Somehow, they’ve moved closer to one another in the minutes that have passed and she tries not to think about how his lips are only a hair’s breadth away from hers, how easy it would be to pull him close and kiss him.

“Don’t,” she croaks out, wringing her fingers together. “Just don’t be with her, okay? Or anyone else, for that matter.”

For a second, he can only stare, and she pulls back, the cool rush of air against her skin making her shiver—

He catches at her wrist then, keeping her in place. “Clarke.”

She releases a shuddering breath, eyes stinging. “What?”

His gaze is steady, filled with a kind of intensity that makes it a little hard to breathe. Still, he flushes a little when he tells her, “Same goes for you, okay?”

She can’t quite help the wide, stupid grin that overcomes her for a second, and she catches a glimpse of a smile on Bellamy’s before he ducks his head, releasing her wrist so he could rub at the back of his neck, embarrassed.

(Honestly, though. They’re on the same wave-length for everything else. Clarke really shouldn’t be surprised that it applied to feelings, too. Never explicitly stated but felt, all the same, and falling head-first into it suddenly feels like the easiest thing that could happen between them.)

“So,” he says, averting his gaze back to the mess of sheets on the table. “You were talking about reorganizing?”

All in good time, she thinks, biting back a smile as she slides closer to him, right into his side as his arm comes around her waist; fitting into each other perfectly. “Yup. Let’s talk details.”

[batterymonster2021]

Do schools kill creativity? | Sir Ken Robinson

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/do-schools-kill-creativity-sir-ken-robinson-5/

Do schools kill creativity? | Sir Ken Robinson

Just right morning. How are you? (audience) good. It is been fine, hasn’t it? I have been blown away by way of the whole thing. Correctly, i am leaving. (Laughter) There had been three topics walking via the conference, which are imperative to what I want to speak about. One is the wonderful evidence of human creativity in all the displays that we’ve had and in all the men and women right here; simply the kind of it and the variety of it. The 2nd is that it can be put us in a position the place we haven’t any inspiration what’s going to occur in phrases of the future. No inspiration how this may increasingly play out. I’ve an curiosity in education. Virtually, what I in finding is, every body has an curiosity in schooling.Do not you? I to find this very fascinating. If you are at a dinner celebration, and also you say you work in education — surely, you’re no longer often at dinner parties, frankly. (Laughter) if you work in education, you are no longer asked. (Laughter) And you are certainly not requested back, curiously. That’s strange to me. But in case you are, and you say to someone, you know, they are saying, "What do you do?" and you say you’re employed in schooling, you can find the blood run from their face. They’re like, "Oh my God. Why me?" (Laughter) "My one night out all week." (Laughter) but in the event you ask about their education, they pin you to the wall, considering that it can be a type of things that goes deep with people, am I correct? Like religion and cash and other matters. So i’ve a tremendous curiosity in schooling, and i suppose all of us do. We have now a colossal vested interest in it, partly on account that it can be education that’s meant to take us into this future that we can not seize.For those who believe of it, children beginning school this year will probably be retiring in 2065. Nobody has a clue, despite all of the competencies that’s been on parade for the earlier 4 days, what the sector will seem like in five years’ time. And but, we’re intended to be instructing them for it. So the unpredictability, I feel, is unusual. And the 1/3 a part of this is that we’ve all agreed, on the other hand, on the relatively distinct capacities that youngsters have — their capacities for innovation. I imply, Sirena final night time was once a surprise, wasn’t she? Simply seeing what she would do. And she or he’s great, but I feel she’s no longer, to be able to communicate, exceptional in the entire of childhood. What you will have there’s a person of amazing dedication who found a ability. And my contention is, all children have massive competencies, and we squander them, pretty ruthlessly.So I want to speak about education, and that i need to speak about creativity. My rivalry is that creativity now is as fundamental in schooling as literacy, and we must deal with it with the equal popularity. (Applause) thanks. (Applause) That used to be it, by the way. Thank you very so much. (Laughter) So, 15 minutes left. (Laughter) "good, I was once born … " (Laughter) I heard a first-rate story lately — i like telling it — of slightly woman who was in a drawing lesson. She was six, and she or he used to be on the back, drawing, and the teacher stated this woman hardly ever paid concentration, and on this drawing lesson, she did. The trainer was once interested. She went over to her, and she or he stated, "What are you drawing?" And the woman said, "i am drawing a photo of God." And the teacher mentioned, "however nobody knows what God looks like." And the girl said, "they will in a minute." (Laughter) When my son was once 4 in England — without a doubt, he was 4 in all places, to be honest.(Laughter) If we’re being strict about it, wherever he went, he used to be 4 that yr. He was in the Nativity play. Do you don’t forget the story? (Laughter) No, it was significant, it was once a big story. Mel Gibson did the sequel, you may have visible it. (Laughter) "Nativity II." however James bought the a part of Joseph, which we have been thrilled about. We regarded this to be one of the vital lead ingredients. We had the location filled stuffed with marketers in T-shirts: "James Robinson IS Joseph!" (Laughter) He did not have got to speak, but you recognize the bit the place the three kings are available? They arrive in bearing gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh. This relatively happened. We have been sitting there, and i consider they just went out of sequence, for the reason that we talked to the little boy in a while and stated, "You comfortable with that?" They stated, "Yeah, why? Used to be that unsuitable?" they just switched. The three boys got here in, four-year-olds with tea towels on their heads. They put these containers down, and the first boy said, "I carry you gold." And the 2d boy said, "I carry you myrrh." And the third boy stated, "Frank sent this." (Laughter) What these matters have in original is that kids will take a risk.If they do not know, they’ll have a go. Am I proper? They’re now not petrified of being wrong. I don’t mean to say that being improper is the identical thing as being ingenious. What we do comprehend is, if you are no longer ready to be incorrect, you’ll be able to never provide you with something long-established — if you are no longer ready to be improper. And by the point they get to be adults, most kids have misplaced that capacity. They’ve end up petrified of being wrong. And we run our organizations like this. We stigmatize errors. And we’re now jogging country wide education systems where errors are the worst factor that you may make. And the outcome is that we’re teaching people out of their ingenious capacities.Picasso once stated this, he stated that every one children are born artists. The difficulty is to remain an artist as we grow up. I suppose this passionately, that we do not grow into creativity, we develop out of it. Or as a substitute, we get trained out of it. So why is that this? I lived in Stratford-on-Avon until about five years in the past. Correctly, we moved from Stratford to l. A.. So that you may suppose what a seamless transition this was once. (Laughter) simply, we lived in a place known as Snitterfield, just external Stratford, which is the place Shakespeare’s father was born.Are you struck by means of a brand new suggestion? I was once. You don’t think of Shakespeare having a father, do you? Do you? Because you don’t think of Shakespeare being a youngster, do you? Shakespeare being seven? I not ever thought of it. I mean, he was seven at some point. He used to be in anyone’s English class, wasn’t he? (Laughter) How worrying would that be? (Laughter) "need to are attempting harder." (Laughter) Being despatched to mattress via his dad, to Shakespeare, "Go to bed, now!" To William Shakespeare. "And put the pencil down!" (Laughter) "And discontinue talking like that." (Laughter) "it can be confusing everyone." (Laughter) Anyway, we moved from Stratford to los angeles, and i just want to say a word concerning the transition.Genuinely, my son failed to wish to come. I’ve bought two kids; he’s 21 now, my daughter’s 16. He did not want to come to l. A.. He cherished it, however he had a female friend in England. This was the love of his existence, Sarah. He’d recognized her for a month. (Laughter) mind you, they’d had their fourth anniversary, considering the fact that it’s a long time when you’re 16. He used to be rather upset on the plane. He stated, "i will in no way to find an additional lady like Sarah." And we had been alternatively joyful about that, frankly — (Laughter) when you consider that she was the foremost cause we have been leaving the nation. (Laughter) however something strikes you when you transfer to the united states and travel world wide: every education system on the planet has the same hierarchy of topics. Every person. Would not topic the place you go. You’d feel it would be or else, but it is not. On the prime are mathematics and languages, then the humanities. At the bottom are the arts. In all places on this planet. And in traditionally every system, too, there’s a hierarchy within the arts.Art and track are typically given a better popularity in faculties than drama and dance. There is not an education procedure on this planet that teaches dance day-to-day to youngsters the best way we teach them mathematics. Why? Why not? I think that is instead major. I believe math is very foremost, however so is dance. Children dance all the time if they’re allowed to, all of us do. All of us have bodies, do not we? Did I omit a assembly? (Laughter) actually, what happens is, as kids grow up, we start to educate them progressively from the waist up. After which we focal point on their heads. And moderately to at least one part. Should you had been to discuss with education as an alien and say "What’s it for, public education?" I feel you would ought to conclude, if you appear on the output, who fairly succeeds by this, who does the whole thing they should, who will get all of the brownie points, who are the winners — I consider you’ll ought to conclude the whole intent of public education throughout the sector is to supply school professors.Isn’t it? They’re the individuals who come out the top. And i was one, so there. (Laughter) And i like institution professors, but, you recognize, we mustn’t keep them up as the high-water mark of all human success. They are only a form of existence. A different type of lifestyles. But they may be as a substitute curious. And that i say this out of affection for them: there’s some thing occupied with professors. In my expertise — now not all of them, however most often — they live in their heads. They are living up there and rather to at least one facet. They are disembodied, you understand, in a sort of literal method. They look upon their physique as a type of transport for his or her heads.(Laughter) don’t they? It is a method of getting their head to conferences. (Laughter) If you need actual evidence of out-of-body experiences, by the way, get your self alongside to a residential conference of senior lecturers and pop into the discotheque on the final night time. (Laughter) And there, you will see it. Grown guys and females writhing uncontrollably, off the beat. (Laughter) ready except it ends, so they can go home and write a paper about it. (Laughter) Our schooling method is based on the concept of academic capacity. And there’s a reason. All over the world, there were no public techniques of schooling, relatively, earlier than the nineteenth century. They all got here into being to fulfill the wants of industrialism. So the hierarchy is rooted on two strategies.Quantity one, that probably the most valuable subjects for work are on the high. So you have been by and large prompt benignly away from matters at school while you had been a kid, things you loved, on the grounds you may not ever get a job doing that. Is that correct? "don’t do track, you’re no longer going to be a musician; don’t do artwork, you won’t be an artist." Benign advice — now, profoundly improper. The entire world is engulfed in a revolution.And the 2d is educational potential, which has really come to dominate our view of intelligence, on the grounds that the colleges design the system of their snapshot. If you happen to feel of it, the whole procedure of public schooling around the world is a protracted approach of college entrance. And the final result is that many totally proficient, super, creative people suppose they’re no longer, considering the thing they have been excellent at at college wasn’t valued, or was once simply stigmatized. And that i think we can’t come up with the money for to head on that manner. In the subsequent 30 years, in line with UNESCO, more people international might be graduating through schooling than for the reason that the starting of history. More folks. And it’s the combination of all the things we’ve pointed out: science and its transformational result on work, and demography and the big explosion in populace. Suddenly, levels don’t seem to be valued at some thing. Isn’t that genuine? After I was once a pupil, for those who had a measure, you had a job. If you did not have a job, it is since you didn’t wish one. And that i didn’t wish one, frankly. (Laughter) however now children with levels are typically heading dwelling to carry on enjoying video games, on account that you need an MA the place the prior job required a BA, and now you want a PhD for the opposite.It’s a process of academic inflation. And it indicates the entire constitution of education is shifting below our toes. We have to radically rethink our view of intelligence. We all know three things about intelligence. One, it’s various. We suppose in regards to the world in all the methods that we experience it. We feel visually, we believe in sound, we think kinesthetically. We consider in abstract phrases, we think in action. Secondly, intelligence is dynamic. For those who look on the interactions of a human brain, as we heard the day before today from a quantity of shows, intelligence is wonderfully interactive. The brain isn’t divided into cubicles.In fact, creativity — which I define as the approach of getting normal strategies that have worth — more frequently than not comes about by way of the interplay of one-of-a-kind disciplinary approaches of seeing things. Incidentally, there may be a shaft of nerves that joins the two halves of the mind, referred to as the corpus callosum. It’s thicker in females. Following off from Helen the day prior to this, this is mostly why women are better at multitasking. Given that you might be, are not you? There is a raft of research, however I comprehend it from my private life. If my spouse is cooking a meal at home, which isn’t quite often … Fortunately. (Laughter) No, she’s just right at some things. But when she’s cooking, she’s dealing with folks on the mobilephone, she’s speakme to the kids, she’s painting the ceiling — (Laughter) she’s doing open-heart surgery over right here. If i’m cooking, the door is shut, the kids are out, the telephone’s on the hook, if she is available in, I get pissed off. I say, "Terry, please, i am trying to fry an egg in right here." (Laughter) "provide me a destroy." (Laughter) genuinely, are you aware that old philosophical factor, "If a tree falls in a forest, and no one hears it, did it happen?" remember that ancient chestnut? I saw a first-class T-shirt not too long ago, which stated, "If a person speaks his mind in a forest, and no lady hears him, is he still improper?" (Laughter) And the third thing about intelligence is, it can be detailed.I am doing a brand new publication on the moment referred to as "Epiphany," which is founded on a sequence of interviews with persons about how they found out their skill. I’m fascinated about how men and women received to be there. It can be relatively induced by way of a dialog I had with a distinctive woman who probably most men and women have certainly not heard of, Gillian Lynne. Have you heard of her? Some have. She’s a choreographer, and every person knows her work. She did "Cats" and "Phantom of the Opera." She’s unusual. I used to be on the board of The Royal Ballet, as you will see. (Laughter) Gillian and i had lunch one day. I stated, "How did you get to be a dancer?" It was once interesting.When she was once at university, she was once rather hopeless. And the tuition, in the ’30s, wrote to her mom and dad and mentioned, "We suppose Gillian has a finding out sickness." She could not listen; she used to be fidgeting. I think now they’d say she had ADHD. Wouldn’t you? But this used to be the Thirties, and ADHD hadn’t been invented at this factor. It wasn’t an available condition. (Laughter) humans weren’t aware they would have that. (Laughter) Anyway, she went to look this specialist. So, this o.K.Paneled room, and she or he was there along with her mother, and she was once led and sat on this chair on the end, and she sat on her palms for 20 minutes, even as this man talked to her mom about all of the issues Gillian was having at tuition, considering that she was once traumatic folks, her homework was once continuously late, and so on. Little kid of eight.Subsequently, the health practitioner went and sat subsequent to Gillian and mentioned, "I’ve listened to all these things your mother’s advised me. I have to communicate to her privately. Wait here. We are going to be again. We won’t be very lengthy," and they went and left her. But as they went out of the room, he became on the radio that used to be sitting on his desk. And when they received out of the room, he mentioned to her mom, "just stand and watch her." And the minute they left the room, she was once on her ft, moving to the song.And they watched for a couple of minutes, and he turned to her mom and mentioned, "Mrs. Lynne, Gillian is not unwell. She’s a dancer. Take her to a dance university." I mentioned, "What happened?" She said, "She did. I can’t tell you how amazing it used to be. We walked in this room, and it used to be filled with people like me — folks who could not take a seat nonetheless, individuals who needed to move to feel." Who needed to transfer to suppose. They did ballet, they did faucet, jazz; they did contemporary; they did today’s. She used to be finally auditioned for the Royal Ballet institution. She grew to be a soloist; she had a special career on the Royal Ballet. She ultimately graduated from the Royal Ballet school, headquartered the Gillian Lynne Dance corporation, met Andrew Lloyd Webber. She’s been dependable for one of the most most victorious musical theater productions in historical past, she’s given pleasure to hundreds of thousands, and she or he’s a multimillionaire. Somebody else would have put her on treatment and instructed her to calm down. (Applause) What I feel it comes to is that this: Al Gore spoke the other night about ecology and the revolution that used to be caused by way of Rachel Carson.I consider our best hope for the future is to adopt a new concept of human ecology, one wherein we to reconstitute our theory of the richness of human capability. Our schooling procedure has mined our minds in the way that we strip-mine the earth for a distinctive commodity. And for the long run, it will not serve us. We have got to rethink the principal concepts on which we’re instructing our children. There was a special quote by Jonas Salk, who mentioned, "If the entire bugs had been to disappear from the Earth, inside 50 years, all lifestyles on this planet would end.If all human beings disappeared from the Earth, within 50 years, all forms of life would flourish." And he is correct. What TED celebrates is the present of the human imagination. We must be careful now that we use this present wisely, and that we hinder one of the most situations that we now have talked about. And the one way we’ll do it is via seeing our inventive capacities for the richness they’re and seeing our kids for the hope that they are. And our mission is to coach their whole being, so they may be able to face this future. Incidentally — we may not see this future, however they are going to.And our job is to support them make anything of it. Thanks very much. (Applause) .

[airoasis]

Do schools kill creativity? | Sir Ken Robinson

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/do-schools-kill-creativity-sir-ken-robinson-5/

Do schools kill creativity? | Sir Ken Robinson

Just right morning. How are you? (audience) good. It is been fine, hasn’t it? I have been blown away by way of the whole thing. Correctly, i am leaving. (Laughter) There had been three topics walking via the conference, which are imperative to what I want to speak about. One is the wonderful evidence of human creativity in all the displays that we’ve had and in all the men and women right here; simply the kind of it and the variety of it. The 2nd is that it can be put us in a position the place we haven’t any inspiration what’s going to occur in phrases of the future. No inspiration how this may increasingly play out. I’ve an curiosity in education. Virtually, what I in finding is, every body has an curiosity in schooling.Do not you? I to find this very fascinating. If you are at a dinner celebration, and also you say you work in education — surely, you’re no longer often at dinner parties, frankly. (Laughter) if you work in education, you are no longer asked. (Laughter) And you are certainly not requested back, curiously. That’s strange to me. But in case you are, and you say to someone, you know, they are saying, "What do you do?" and you say you’re employed in schooling, you can find the blood run from their face. They’re like, "Oh my God. Why me?" (Laughter) "My one night out all week." (Laughter) but in the event you ask about their education, they pin you to the wall, considering that it can be a type of things that goes deep with people, am I correct? Like religion and cash and other matters. So i’ve a tremendous curiosity in schooling, and i suppose all of us do. We have now a colossal vested interest in it, partly on account that it can be education that’s meant to take us into this future that we can not seize.For those who believe of it, children beginning school this year will probably be retiring in 2065. Nobody has a clue, despite all of the competencies that’s been on parade for the earlier 4 days, what the sector will seem like in five years’ time. And but, we’re intended to be instructing them for it. So the unpredictability, I feel, is unusual. And the 1/3 a part of this is that we’ve all agreed, on the other hand, on the relatively distinct capacities that youngsters have — their capacities for innovation. I imply, Sirena final night time was once a surprise, wasn’t she? Simply seeing what she would do. And she or he’s great, but I feel she’s no longer, to be able to communicate, exceptional in the entire of childhood. What you will have there’s a person of amazing dedication who found a ability. And my contention is, all children have massive competencies, and we squander them, pretty ruthlessly.So I want to speak about education, and that i need to speak about creativity. My rivalry is that creativity now is as fundamental in schooling as literacy, and we must deal with it with the equal popularity. (Applause) thanks. (Applause) That used to be it, by the way. Thank you very so much. (Laughter) So, 15 minutes left. (Laughter) "good, I was once born … " (Laughter) I heard a first-rate story lately — i like telling it — of slightly woman who was in a drawing lesson. She was six, and she or he used to be on the back, drawing, and the teacher stated this woman hardly ever paid concentration, and on this drawing lesson, she did. The trainer was once interested. She went over to her, and she or he stated, "What are you drawing?" And the woman said, "i am drawing a photo of God." And the teacher mentioned, "however nobody knows what God looks like." And the girl said, "they will in a minute." (Laughter) When my son was once 4 in England — without a doubt, he was 4 in all places, to be honest.(Laughter) If we’re being strict about it, wherever he went, he used to be 4 that yr. He was in the Nativity play. Do you don’t forget the story? (Laughter) No, it was significant, it was once a big story. Mel Gibson did the sequel, you may have visible it. (Laughter) "Nativity II." however James bought the a part of Joseph, which we have been thrilled about. We regarded this to be one of the vital lead ingredients. We had the location filled stuffed with marketers in T-shirts: "James Robinson IS Joseph!" (Laughter) He did not have got to speak, but you recognize the bit the place the three kings are available? They arrive in bearing gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh. This relatively happened. We have been sitting there, and i consider they just went out of sequence, for the reason that we talked to the little boy in a while and stated, "You comfortable with that?" They stated, "Yeah, why? Used to be that unsuitable?" they just switched. The three boys got here in, four-year-olds with tea towels on their heads. They put these containers down, and the first boy said, "I carry you gold." And the 2d boy said, "I carry you myrrh." And the third boy stated, "Frank sent this." (Laughter) What these matters have in original is that kids will take a risk.If they do not know, they’ll have a go. Am I proper? They’re now not petrified of being wrong. I don’t mean to say that being improper is the identical thing as being ingenious. What we do comprehend is, if you are no longer ready to be incorrect, you’ll be able to never provide you with something long-established — if you are no longer ready to be improper. And by the point they get to be adults, most kids have misplaced that capacity. They’ve end up petrified of being wrong. And we run our organizations like this. We stigmatize errors. And we’re now jogging country wide education systems where errors are the worst factor that you may make. And the outcome is that we’re teaching people out of their ingenious capacities.Picasso once stated this, he stated that every one children are born artists. The difficulty is to remain an artist as we grow up. I suppose this passionately, that we do not grow into creativity, we develop out of it. Or as a substitute, we get trained out of it. So why is that this? I lived in Stratford-on-Avon until about five years in the past. Correctly, we moved from Stratford to l. A.. So that you may suppose what a seamless transition this was once. (Laughter) simply, we lived in a place known as Snitterfield, just external Stratford, which is the place Shakespeare’s father was born.Are you struck by means of a brand new suggestion? I was once. You don’t think of Shakespeare having a father, do you? Do you? Because you don’t think of Shakespeare being a youngster, do you? Shakespeare being seven? I not ever thought of it. I mean, he was seven at some point. He used to be in anyone’s English class, wasn’t he? (Laughter) How worrying would that be? (Laughter) "need to are attempting harder." (Laughter) Being despatched to mattress via his dad, to Shakespeare, "Go to bed, now!" To William Shakespeare. "And put the pencil down!" (Laughter) "And discontinue talking like that." (Laughter) "it can be confusing everyone." (Laughter) Anyway, we moved from Stratford to los angeles, and i just want to say a word concerning the transition.Genuinely, my son failed to wish to come. I’ve bought two kids; he’s 21 now, my daughter’s 16. He did not want to come to l. A.. He cherished it, however he had a female friend in England. This was the love of his existence, Sarah. He’d recognized her for a month. (Laughter) mind you, they’d had their fourth anniversary, considering the fact that it’s a long time when you’re 16. He used to be rather upset on the plane. He stated, "i will in no way to find an additional lady like Sarah." And we had been alternatively joyful about that, frankly — (Laughter) when you consider that she was the foremost cause we have been leaving the nation. (Laughter) however something strikes you when you transfer to the united states and travel world wide: every education system on the planet has the same hierarchy of topics. Every person. Would not topic the place you go. You’d feel it would be or else, but it is not. On the prime are mathematics and languages, then the humanities. At the bottom are the arts. In all places on this planet. And in traditionally every system, too, there’s a hierarchy within the arts.Art and track are typically given a better popularity in faculties than drama and dance. There is not an education procedure on this planet that teaches dance day-to-day to youngsters the best way we teach them mathematics. Why? Why not? I think that is instead major. I believe math is very foremost, however so is dance. Children dance all the time if they’re allowed to, all of us do. All of us have bodies, do not we? Did I omit a assembly? (Laughter) actually, what happens is, as kids grow up, we start to educate them progressively from the waist up. After which we focal point on their heads. And moderately to at least one part. Should you had been to discuss with education as an alien and say "What’s it for, public education?" I feel you would ought to conclude, if you appear on the output, who fairly succeeds by this, who does the whole thing they should, who will get all of the brownie points, who are the winners — I consider you’ll ought to conclude the whole intent of public education throughout the sector is to supply school professors.Isn’t it? They’re the individuals who come out the top. And i was one, so there. (Laughter) And i like institution professors, but, you recognize, we mustn’t keep them up as the high-water mark of all human success. They are only a form of existence. A different type of lifestyles. But they may be as a substitute curious. And that i say this out of affection for them: there’s some thing occupied with professors. In my expertise — now not all of them, however most often — they live in their heads. They are living up there and rather to at least one facet. They are disembodied, you understand, in a sort of literal method. They look upon their physique as a type of transport for his or her heads.(Laughter) don’t they? It is a method of getting their head to conferences. (Laughter) If you need actual evidence of out-of-body experiences, by the way, get your self alongside to a residential conference of senior lecturers and pop into the discotheque on the final night time. (Laughter) And there, you will see it. Grown guys and females writhing uncontrollably, off the beat. (Laughter) ready except it ends, so they can go home and write a paper about it. (Laughter) Our schooling method is based on the concept of academic capacity. And there’s a reason. All over the world, there were no public techniques of schooling, relatively, earlier than the nineteenth century. They all got here into being to fulfill the wants of industrialism. So the hierarchy is rooted on two strategies.Quantity one, that probably the most valuable subjects for work are on the high. So you have been by and large prompt benignly away from matters at school while you had been a kid, things you loved, on the grounds you may not ever get a job doing that. Is that correct? "don’t do track, you’re no longer going to be a musician; don’t do artwork, you won’t be an artist." Benign advice — now, profoundly improper. The entire world is engulfed in a revolution.And the 2d is educational potential, which has really come to dominate our view of intelligence, on the grounds that the colleges design the system of their snapshot. If you happen to feel of it, the whole procedure of public schooling around the world is a protracted approach of college entrance. And the final result is that many totally proficient, super, creative people suppose they’re no longer, considering the thing they have been excellent at at college wasn’t valued, or was once simply stigmatized. And that i think we can’t come up with the money for to head on that manner. In the subsequent 30 years, in line with UNESCO, more people international might be graduating through schooling than for the reason that the starting of history. More folks. And it’s the combination of all the things we’ve pointed out: science and its transformational result on work, and demography and the big explosion in populace. Suddenly, levels don’t seem to be valued at some thing. Isn’t that genuine? After I was once a pupil, for those who had a measure, you had a job. If you did not have a job, it is since you didn’t wish one. And that i didn’t wish one, frankly. (Laughter) however now children with levels are typically heading dwelling to carry on enjoying video games, on account that you need an MA the place the prior job required a BA, and now you want a PhD for the opposite.It’s a process of academic inflation. And it indicates the entire constitution of education is shifting below our toes. We have to radically rethink our view of intelligence. We all know three things about intelligence. One, it’s various. We suppose in regards to the world in all the methods that we experience it. We feel visually, we believe in sound, we think kinesthetically. We consider in abstract phrases, we think in action. Secondly, intelligence is dynamic. For those who look on the interactions of a human brain, as we heard the day before today from a quantity of shows, intelligence is wonderfully interactive. The brain isn’t divided into cubicles.In fact, creativity — which I define as the approach of getting normal strategies that have worth — more frequently than not comes about by way of the interplay of one-of-a-kind disciplinary approaches of seeing things. Incidentally, there may be a shaft of nerves that joins the two halves of the mind, referred to as the corpus callosum. It’s thicker in females. Following off from Helen the day prior to this, this is mostly why women are better at multitasking. Given that you might be, are not you? There is a raft of research, however I comprehend it from my private life. If my spouse is cooking a meal at home, which isn’t quite often … Fortunately. (Laughter) No, she’s just right at some things. But when she’s cooking, she’s dealing with folks on the mobilephone, she’s speakme to the kids, she’s painting the ceiling — (Laughter) she’s doing open-heart surgery over right here. If i’m cooking, the door is shut, the kids are out, the telephone’s on the hook, if she is available in, I get pissed off. I say, "Terry, please, i am trying to fry an egg in right here." (Laughter) "provide me a destroy." (Laughter) genuinely, are you aware that old philosophical factor, "If a tree falls in a forest, and no one hears it, did it happen?" remember that ancient chestnut? I saw a first-class T-shirt not too long ago, which stated, "If a person speaks his mind in a forest, and no lady hears him, is he still improper?" (Laughter) And the third thing about intelligence is, it can be detailed.I am doing a brand new publication on the moment referred to as "Epiphany," which is founded on a sequence of interviews with persons about how they found out their skill. I’m fascinated about how men and women received to be there. It can be relatively induced by way of a dialog I had with a distinctive woman who probably most men and women have certainly not heard of, Gillian Lynne. Have you heard of her? Some have. She’s a choreographer, and every person knows her work. She did "Cats" and "Phantom of the Opera." She’s unusual. I used to be on the board of The Royal Ballet, as you will see. (Laughter) Gillian and i had lunch one day. I stated, "How did you get to be a dancer?" It was once interesting.When she was once at university, she was once rather hopeless. And the tuition, in the ’30s, wrote to her mom and dad and mentioned, "We suppose Gillian has a finding out sickness." She could not listen; she used to be fidgeting. I think now they’d say she had ADHD. Wouldn’t you? But this used to be the Thirties, and ADHD hadn’t been invented at this factor. It wasn’t an available condition. (Laughter) humans weren’t aware they would have that. (Laughter) Anyway, she went to look this specialist. So, this o.K.Paneled room, and she or he was there along with her mother, and she was once led and sat on this chair on the end, and she sat on her palms for 20 minutes, even as this man talked to her mom about all of the issues Gillian was having at tuition, considering that she was once traumatic folks, her homework was once continuously late, and so on. Little kid of eight.Subsequently, the health practitioner went and sat subsequent to Gillian and mentioned, "I’ve listened to all these things your mother’s advised me. I have to communicate to her privately. Wait here. We are going to be again. We won’t be very lengthy," and they went and left her. But as they went out of the room, he became on the radio that used to be sitting on his desk. And when they received out of the room, he mentioned to her mom, "just stand and watch her." And the minute they left the room, she was once on her ft, moving to the song.And they watched for a couple of minutes, and he turned to her mom and mentioned, "Mrs. Lynne, Gillian is not unwell. She’s a dancer. Take her to a dance university." I mentioned, "What happened?" She said, "She did. I can’t tell you how amazing it used to be. We walked in this room, and it used to be filled with people like me — folks who could not take a seat nonetheless, individuals who needed to move to feel." Who needed to transfer to suppose. They did ballet, they did faucet, jazz; they did contemporary; they did today’s. She used to be finally auditioned for the Royal Ballet institution. She grew to be a soloist; she had a special career on the Royal Ballet. She ultimately graduated from the Royal Ballet school, headquartered the Gillian Lynne Dance corporation, met Andrew Lloyd Webber. She’s been dependable for one of the most most victorious musical theater productions in historical past, she’s given pleasure to hundreds of thousands, and she or he’s a multimillionaire. Somebody else would have put her on treatment and instructed her to calm down. (Applause) What I feel it comes to is that this: Al Gore spoke the other night about ecology and the revolution that used to be caused by way of Rachel Carson.I consider our best hope for the future is to adopt a new concept of human ecology, one wherein we to reconstitute our theory of the richness of human capability. Our schooling procedure has mined our minds in the way that we strip-mine the earth for a distinctive commodity. And for the long run, it will not serve us. We have got to rethink the principal concepts on which we’re instructing our children. There was a special quote by Jonas Salk, who mentioned, "If the entire bugs had been to disappear from the Earth, inside 50 years, all lifestyles on this planet would end.If all human beings disappeared from the Earth, within 50 years, all forms of life would flourish." And he is correct. What TED celebrates is the present of the human imagination. We must be careful now that we use this present wisely, and that we hinder one of the most situations that we now have talked about. And the one way we’ll do it is via seeing our inventive capacities for the richness they’re and seeing our kids for the hope that they are. And our mission is to coach their whole being, so they may be able to face this future. Incidentally — we may not see this future, however they are going to.And our job is to support them make anything of it. Thanks very much. (Applause) .

[suzannebyrne]

How social media is fueling celebrity family feuds like Ariel Winter's and Rosie O'Donnell's

Ariel Winter and her mother Crystal Workman, don’t get along. (Photos: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images, Inside Edition)

It actually makes us sad every time the name Crystal Workman pops up in our feed. She’s the estranged mother of Ariel Winter — and she typically has nothing good to say about her famous daughter, whom she was stripped custody of in 2012.

Without giving this woman too much of a platform — court testimony stated that when Workman served as Winter’s manager (the Modern Family actress’s career began at age 4), she deprived her of food and sleep, slapped, hit, and pushed her, and lost custody of Winter at 14 — she gave a new interview to Inside Edition this week, attacking her famous kid’s Emmy dress, which had two very high slits (gasp!), but more fabric than many other frocks on the carpet. Unbelievably, Workman, who admitted in the interview that she is having financial problems (interviews = cha-ching), said, “I feel that Ariel is starving for attention. I feel this is a cry for help from my child… I just want to see her have respect for herself and have some class.”

#Emmys #2017

A post shared by ARIEL WINTER (@arielwinter) on Sep 17, 2017 at 7:26pm PDT

Winter recently told the Hollywood Reporter that she hasn’t spoken to her mother in five years, yet this feud continues to play out publicly through TV interviews, magazine stories, and, of course, social media. The TV star actually commented on her mom’s latest media play via Twitter, saying, “Very sad when someone chooses a public forum to reach out to someone. Also sad when that reach out comes in the form of criticizing.”

Very sad when someone chooses a public forum to reach out to someone. Also sad when that reach out comes in the form of criticizing.

— Ariel Winter (@arielwinter1) September 20, 2017

And it’s an ongoing cycle. In June, Workman was interviewed by In Touch and provided some buzzy quotes about how her kid, who is already very successful at the age of 19 (in addition to her hit show, she recently started college at UCLA), “needs to grow up” and “dress properly.” Winter, who is constantly criticized for her revealing wardrobe, responded that time on social media as well.

What's sad is that you lie consistently. Also, why is it that you only choose to talk to me through the press? I'm doing just fine. Toxic.

— Ariel Winter (@arielwinter1) June 7, 2017

“What’s sad is that you lie consistently,” Winter wrote. “Also, why is it that you only choose to talk to me through the press? I’m doing just fine. Toxic.”

We’re not going to get into every similar exchange — Workman has even gone on Dr. Phil to talk about her daughter — other than to note that it’s a continuing cycle and, from the way we see it, falls into the bullying category. We’ll also add that Winter is obviously not helping by giving interviews about her mother, who was an aspiring actress herself, sexualizing her daughter when she was as young as 7. Of course, this is Winter’s story and she should be able to share it — we are behind that 100 percent. But each time she does it, is only going to increase interest in the topic. And if you criticize someone for only choosing to talk to you in the press, is social media really a better avenue?

Rosie O’Donnell’s daughter Chelsea hasn’t been living under her roof since 2015, but that hasn’t stopped her from bashing her parenting skills. (Photo: Getty Images)

Similar — and equally as sad — is mom of five Rosie O’Donnell’s public spat with her estranged daughter, who has documented emotional problems. This week, Chelsea O’Donnell Alliegro gave an interview to the Daily Mail (again, cha-ching — there is financial compensation), sharing her opinions about the recent suicide of O’Donnell’s ex-wife, Michelle Rounds.

“She was always sweet and loving and thinking about other people,” is the first soundbite Chelsea gave about her estranged mother’s ex-wife, followed by, “That’s now how I would describe Rosie.”  The 20-year-old went on to talk about how O’Donnell’s marriage to Rounds fell apart, happily taking jab after jab at the famous comedian. She ended by breaking her own news — Chelsea’s nine-weeks pregnant with her first child. “I’ve always wanted a family,” she sniffed, implying O’Donnell, who adopted her when she was two months old because her drug-addicted mother couldn’t care for her, never gave her one.

The interview — and the timing — can only be described as brutal, and of course O’Donnell wasn’t going to let it go. Famously outspoken, especially on Twitter, she took to Twitter to call out her daughter for profiting off of Rounds’s death. And she took it one step further by going on to air some of Chelsea’s dirty laundry — claiming that her husband Nick Alliegro, whom Chelsea met at Dunkin’ Donuts and secretly married last year, “was arrested for beating u up.”

O’Donnell posted several tweets following Chelsea’s interview, including one saying, “Michelle’s death = money 4 Chelsea.”

https://t.co/W5t4zg65RH we have been here before Chelsea u wanna go a few rounds in public seems so

Michelle's death = money 4 Chelsea pic.twitter.com/cgqrp16EyC

— ROSIE (@Rosie) September 20, 2017

In this post, Rosie asked her daughter, “Did u hate me this day? last year – at the apple store – was this b4 nick was arrested for beating u up? same same.”

did u hate me this day? last year – at the apple store – was this b4 nick was arrested for beating u up? same same pic.twitter.com/nCJFdawJ3z

— ROSIE (@Rosie) September 20, 2017

one year ago kid – u want a public discussion – did they pay u again – how much this time? same same same chelsea pic.twitter.com/TqUtS5lStA

— ROSIE (@Rosie) September 20, 2017

Like Winter and her mother, the O’Donnell feud is an ongoing cycle too. Earlier this year, Chelsea did the same thing on Inside Edition. O’Donnell reacted then too both on social media and her own website, where she openly wrote about Chelsea’s two rehab stays in the last two years, her attempted suicide on Labor Day 2016, Nick’s arrest for domestic violence, and how doctors recently “found a hole in [Chelsea’s] frontal lobe, most like from a stroke in utero, that severely compromises her cognitive abilities and always has.”

Oliver and Kate Hudson were raised by mom Goldie Hawn and her partner, Kurt Russell, whom they call “Pa.” They have spoken out on multiple occasions about their birth father, musician Bill Hudson, not being part of their lives. (Photo: Christopher Peterson/Splash News)

Winter and O’Donnell aren’t alone. It wasn’t that long ago that Oliver Hudson, brother of Kate Hudson, dissed their birth father, Bill Hudson, via an Instagram post on Father’s Day 2015. His “Happy abandonment day… @katehudson” post led to Bill disowning them.

Happy abandonment day… @katehudson

A post shared by Oliver Hudson (@theoliverhudson) on Jun 21, 2015 at 6:18pm PDT

We asked Art Markman, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas, Austin, to help us make sense off this frankly depressing trend.

“Family relationships are hard,” he says. “Family are deeply invested in each others’ lives. Parents typically raise their children without asking for specific payment in return. Children may take care of aging parents. This close bond not only creates this kind of sharing, it also creates a deep emotional investment. As a result, the good times with loved ones create real emotional highs and the bad times create strong negative reactions — sadness, anxiety, and anger.”

Of course, when people get angry, they are prone to lash out. “Family members may yell at each other, even if they never yell at anyone else,” adds Markman, who can also be found on Twitter. “And the things said and done in anger are often things people regret later. When those actions are taken in private, it is easy for someone to later apologize and begin to repair the relationship.”

If you and your relatives couldn’t get enough of the spat between your Aunt Mary and her daughter-in-law Lisa last Thanksgiving, you can only imagine how the interest is magnified for celebrities — especially ones being accused of being a parent or a teen letting loose a “cry for help.”

“Because celebrities have a strong following, they are able to take to social media and also to the regular media to air their grievances,” he continues. “Angry tweets or interviews draw an audience. But, these social media posts and interviews also become part of the public record. It is harder to walk back a public statement than a private one. As a result, a feud made public can escalate.”

So how does the cycle get broken? It takes a big person to ignore mean comments about their character, especially when they become trending topics. Further, if you don’t respond does that somehow mean you agree with what your detractor is saying?

“In order to calm this down, two things are needed,” Markman says. “First, the parties have to want to de-escalate the conflict. Oscar Wilde is quoted as saying, ‘The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.’ For many celebrities, there is an appeal to being part of the news cycle that can lead them to continue with public fights, despite the pain and harm it may cause in the long-term. Second, the parties need to apologize publicly and privately for the things they have said. The private apology is to begin to mend the relationship. The public one is to provide some space for the individual to go about their lives and to do the harder work of making up.”

And making up may be hard to do — but not impossible. If Angelina Jolie and Jon Voight can do it, after he gave an interview in which he said she had “serious mental problems,” we have hope for the others.

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