#this was so much fun thank you oz for enabling me

[missmeinyourbones]

Hiiiii L!! Idk if you’ve talked about it before and if so ignore me ajsjsksj but thoughts on mastermind as a Touya song🎤🎤

oz...i am gonna bawl my eyes out thinking about this. i am abt to be so annoying. because i love this idea ??????

he is such.....a piner LOL like he sits back and just observes for so long, taking note of all of your tiny little details. he's so terribly lonely and pathetic and mentally ruined that he genuinely thinks he needs to trick you into loving him. needs to put every little thing into motion to ensure that you see the side of him he wants you to see. he's engrained into his own mind that he's unloveable, so why would you think any different? obviously he's gonna have to scheme to get your attention?

SPECIFICALLY THINKING ABOUT "no one wanted to play with me as a little kid / so i've been scheming like a criminal ever since / to make them love me and make it seem effortless" !!!!!!! AND "im only cryptic and machiavellian cause i care" !!!!! she actually wrote this song for touya Emo todoroki

but what he DOESN'T KNOW!!!!!! (like a fucking idiot) is that he didn't have to do anything!!! you didn't fall for him because of his facade or his antics or his games. you fell for him through the cracks in hus plan, the mistakes he was too careless to keep up with. you saw the real him the entire time!! you love him for his struggles, his overthinking, his thorough observations. he's just a fucking idiot <3

[razorblade180]

Interdimensional Moms part 2

Part 1 <-

Yang:Okay Weiss, your turn.

Weiss:What!? Why me?

Blake:Because you’ve been bouncing in your seat all through Yang’s story. You clearly want to gush about your kids.

Weiss:Pffft, What!? Nooooo, a little. Hehehe I can’t believe I’m that obvious. *smiles*

Ruby:Aww look at you, I never believe Weiss Schnee could look as warm as campfire.

Yang:And wearing mom jeans!? Little jealous that you still look completely gorgeous. Why does mom energy make you prettier?

Weiss:What can I say? I’m great. As far as my universe goes, I argue that I’m the strongest mom!

Blake:Such a bold claim.

Weiss:I carried twins! *points to self* this body handled two buns in the oven!

Ruby:Couldn’t be me. *shutters* I’d sooner loose an eye. Speaking of eyes, your scar has a friend. Got this whole upside down cross basically.

Weiss:Oh that? That’s uhhhh- how would I even explain this?

Yang:And your hair! It’s short!

Ruby:Yeah you’re just a surprise all over.

Blake:Guys, let her start from the beginning!

Ruby and Yang:Oh right. *covers mouths*

Weiss:(Yep, they’re the same sisters anywhere.) Thank you Blake. Now then...a good starting place? Well I suppose I could lay the ground work of Jaune and I getting better acquainted. It was about two weeks into reaching Atlas. Winter learned I got impaled and berated me not giving any kind of thanks. Since I had waited so long to do so, words wouldn’t do for her standards and she made me take him to a proper dinner. I think it was that night we actually talked openly to each other. A piece of me was annoyed at first because I thought he’d get the wrong idea again. But...he didn’t. He was just happy to spend time with me. That’s when I realized he had changed a bit *red* and apparently I changed too. Sigh, because that annoyed feeling was actually me forming a crush.

Blake:Looks like you changed more than he did. I think we can all agree that we’re pretty rough to deal with at Beacon in the beginning?

Yang:Hell yeah!

Ruby:Preach! Hehe, but it meant you grew the most too.

Weiss:Hey! You’re all assuming that I was terrible! Who knows, I could a Saint compared to your Weiss. Maybe I was a sweetheart at Beacon.

RBY:.....

Yang:Were you?

Weiss:*red* I’ll never tell.

Blake:(That’s just a no...) Two weeks into Atlas huh? I bet feelings raged whenever the whole place was under attack huh?

Weiss:W...What attack? Barely anything happened in Atlas.

Blake:Excuse me?

Ruby:Pfft what? You’re joking right? There wasn’t any threat of things falling out the sky or war threats?

Weiss:No? We showed up, put the relic in vault, and took time fortifying things while planning with Ironwood. The most exciting thing was a grimm wave and two of Salem’s goons showing up at a ball, but we handled that.

Ruby:....I...that’s...oh my head.

Blake:So what you’re saying is time in Atlas was a piece of cake?

Weiss:Well I had to deal with my father and and a lot of other family drama so I wouldn’t say it was cake. It was actually very stressful.

Yang:Well I think we found the massive shift between worlds. Atlas was different. I would say I dealt with anything like falling kingdoms. Atlas for me was one long Mission Impossible sequence. Espionage, jail break, fake deaths, but please continue with your love story.

Weiss:You sound a little envious. Anyways there isn’t too much of anything to tell in that part. Dates, fighting together, sibling healing, I was disowned publicly, Penny was being amazing-

Blake:You were disowned?

Ruby:(Penny is...alive? Huh, well, imagine that?) .....

Yang:*whispers* You okay Rubes?

Ruby:Yeah, processing. Hey Weiss? Not to control the narrative or anything, but how is your Ruby exactly? I get the feeling she’s quite different from me somehow if things like the adventure in Atlas are different.

Weiss rubbed her chin. She could tell the Ruby in front of her was pretty perplexed by the differences so far. In fact, Weiss could tell mentioning Penny made them all flinch a little. It was safe to assume they all hadn’t heard that name in a very long time. It made her feel a little bad. Did she somehow get a more ideal world?

Weiss:I think I might be able to answer that if you could humor me by getting a little further into my world’s reality? I don’t know how but I do get a since the two of you might have a key difference.

Ruby:I’m all ears.

Weiss: Blake, I’ll circle back to being disowned a little later. It’s one of the biggest reasons I am who I am now. Let’s see now, ah, the plan. After Atlas was infiltrated it was hard to save face to the rest of Remnant. That was until the world learned about Salem. It was a secret that was doing more harm than good at this point. On that day, our journey really began for us. Team RWBY wasn’t just four girls and their friends. It was one of four four girls commanding troops, organizing meetings, rallying others. We were the face of a revolution: along with JNPR of course.

Ruby:The world just...believed in Salem?

Weiss:There were plenty skeptics, but it’s harder not to believe it. Pen- our winter maiden, showed off magic. Then the others on our side followed the example. We had two relics to show off from the start, and a variety of ways to explain questions throughout history that nobody could answer before. We gave humanity’s suffering a face. People were more than eager to cling to it. From that point it was hard for Salem to make a move that wouldn’t give further validity to our story.

Ruby:An army huh, lead by us?

Weiss:Yep, mainly you when it came to the battlefield. You were anxious at first and definitely made moves that you regretted. But...after some time and experience, you stood tall in front of dozens to give a speech the night of the final battle. I still get chills. There wasn’t an eye that wasn’t on you. A person who didn’t want to march into battle with you. I don’t think I ever seen you more sure of where you were meant to be.

Ruby:Is that so? Hmm, I think...I think I get it now. Your Ruby must’ve stumbled quite a bit, but had people by her consistently. It was other’s strength that enabled her to get stronger. How old was she when the war was over?

Weiss:It ended on her twenty first birthday.

Ruby:Makes sense. An army isn’t made in a day. Plans and caution for everyone involved. A united force like that sounds like a thing Oz dreamed of.

Weiss:Actually, it was. My world beat Salem by gaining the relics. The gods witnessed the effort the world put in and stripped her of immortality. It was actually thanks to you that Salem went peacefully. Instead of damning her to a cruel fate, the gods let her pass on to her kids per your request. After that, gods and magic came back. Both are still mysterious. The gods are hard to find and there’s only one person born with magic so far.

Yang:Magic is a thing there!? That’s so unfair! Just imagine me with more fire!?

Weiss:Like you need it!? You’re already like a generator. Life after Salem wasn’t any calmer really. Terrifying grimm lurked where their could, an entire new way of life had been dropped on society, and even the world itself seemed to react. Weather has been more intense as of late. There was a lot things to keep people busy. Ruby being her usual self, started hunting. Blake used the momentum of faunus and humans working together to further her equality agenda, and Yang helped both of you out.

Yang:Look at me! I’m a great girlfriend and sister!

Blake:*mumbles* There at least.

Weiss:Yeah. Oscar and Penny decided to embarrass more of normal lifestyle, mostly. Penny went back to being protector of Mantle, but had way more free time to be a normal girl. Both of them had gotten really close over the years and eventually married.

Ruby:*wide eyed* Awwww, good for them! I always had a feeling those two would hit it off.

Weiss:They weren’t the only ones. You may have been busy, but you always made time for Whitley. The two of you were dating since our original trip to Atlas. There wasn’t a problem that either of you didn’t come to me for. You know hard it is to navigate other people’s relationships when you’re lost in your own? The blind was leading the blind. Worked out though. You were probably the prettiest bride out of all of us. Then again, you went ours and literally took notes.

Ruby:Hehe, that sounds exactly like something I’d do. You haven’t talked much about the charmed life after the war for you.

Weiss felt her face heat up. She placed her head on the table as if she gave up on something.

Yang:Yeah! Give us the scoop!

Weiss:Charmed isn’t what I’d call my life exactly. I was disowned, completely cut off. Even though I made my own mark in history, it’s not like people were gonna roll out red carpets. The world had to rebuild, and I needed a roof over my head. Thus began the modest life of Weiss Schnee, owner of a two bedroom Argus apartment. Fancy clothes a food were no more. Just clearance sales and two for one. Honestly, I didn’t hate. But that’s mainly because I wasn’t living alone.

Blake:Jaune?

Weiss:Living back home was just as unappealing for him as it was for me. That and the fact that I couldn’t cook for shit was concerning, to say the least. Moving in and splitting rent just made sense. We weren’t dating yet technically, but.....it didn’t take long for the relationship between us to...expand.

Yang:I cannot believe a Weiss Schnee finally caved to tall blonde and scraggly. I should be jealous, but I’m strangely proud of Jaune’s achievement. It’s like the first time I lost to him. I was upset, but man did he work for that win.

Weiss:Took about a month before all of you had learned just what the living situation was like and man did you three let the teasing begin? *smiles* it was fun though. If I had to wrong about something then I’m glad it was about me not thinking a person is reliable. Especially since they’ve bailed me out of trouble many times. Normal life had its pitfalls. We were constantly working to pay rent. Sometimes one of us had to work harder. Getting sick was disastrous, of long term assignments. What’s the relationship I have with Whitley in the other worlds?

Ruby:Casual. The two of are always throwing ideas back and forth to help the company.

Blake:The two of you are fine. I’m not too sure how much you actually hang out, but you both are pretty snarky whenever you’re together.

Yang:Thick as thieves. That man was always shifting money and finding sneaky ways to let us know when important things popped up.

Weiss:Good, that’s really good. *exhales* I can’t count the times he sent money without father knowing. I’m glad we reconnected. Without his and everyone’s help, I don’t think I would’ve managed. Especially when mom died...

Ruby:Oh. I...I’m sorry to hear that.

Weiss:It’s bound to happen when you drink the way she did. But yeah, didn’t handle it any easier. Between that and stressing over money, I really got overwhelmed often. I was very glad I didn’t live alone. Even if I didn’t want to talk about things, Jaune was always there to listen. I think it was around that time I realized just how in love I actually was with him. He makes me happy. That idiot must’ve known how much of a weakness I had for him. It was only a few months later that he proposed.

The simple memory of Jaune asking her under a street light on a cold yet peaceful night, made Weiss’s face a healthy shade of red. A gentle smile was all she could make thinking about it. A smile that left everyone stunned. They had never seen Weiss look so warm. So genuinely filled with love, happiness. To think she was once called Ice Queen? This one really did look like an Angel. Weiss quit daydreaming and got a little embarrassed.

Weiss:Uh, sorry! I guess I little mushy there. I’ve been told I’ve gotten pretty sappy through the years.

Blake:I think that’s beautiful.

Yang:Seriously. I’m...speechless really.

Ruby:A hardworking Weiss that struggled making ends meet. I gotta say that you look good doing it.

Weiss:Yeah well, that time has passed. My father got sick and in an attempt to “clear his conscious” or whatever he was feeling, he put me back in the family. I only saw him once when he was on his deathbed. Truthfully, I don’t visit my parent’s grave. I wanna say old emotions don’t get stirred up, but there’s certain feelings towards people that just can’t die I guess.

Yang:That’s fair. Who knows, maybe you just need a decade or two?

Weiss:Hehe, perhaps. However, before I got my fortune back, I was granted an either better one. Two in fact. That sly knight of mine managed to overachieve like he always does and give us a boy and girl.

Blake:I got a sneaking suspicion that you weren’t upset?

Weiss:Not for one second! I love my babies. My darling little Nick and Summer Schnee. One named after our grandfather, and Jaune and I are both really thankful for all that Ruby has done for us, so our daughter got named Summer. It meant a lot. My Ruby...she can’t have kids, or I should say getting and staying pregnant is extremely difficult.

Ruby:...*sniffling* These aren’t tears by the way. Just dust.

Weiss:My Ruby cried.

Ruby:Oh I bet! That’s some powerful stuff. Probably ugly cried too. Someone please say something? *misty eyed* Fuck, man that was a lot. *puts hood up* give me a sec, please keep going. *holding Yang’s hand*

Yang:Weiss, weren’t you a little scared about your living situation?

Weiss:It was a weird thing. We talked about having a family before hand. Money was always a concern, as well space; but I also knew that I did want to have a family of my own one day. So when the day came that the nurse told me I was pregnant, I should’ve been more worried. I wasn’t. All I felt was joy. Maybe it was because I had faith we could handle anything. We did have you all to help. Yang, you might as well be a superwoman honestly. You have been so amazing throughout my life.

Yang:Aye! I really love this other me.

Blake:What about me?

Weiss:You remain the most sensible person in my life and I thank you for it. Everyone else is crazy.

Blake:Yeah that’s pretty on brand. *smiles*

Ruby:Picture please?

Weiss gladly pulled out her scroll and showed off her children. It was quick to see both of them had gotten their father’s dorkiness. They stood in front of the camera playfully winking and were pretending to take a bite out the gold medals they had around their necks. It was crazy how much Summer looked like her mother, but clearly had Jaune’s eyes. Her brother on the other hand had the Schnee eyes and messy Arc hair. The two looked like barrels of fun. Then there was the man himself, Jaune Arc. He looked from the one in Yang’s photo. His hair resembled his days traveling to Haven and he was clean shaven, but he was noticeably healthier. It wasn’t even a physical thing much, though he did look good. He just seemed more vibrant.

Yang:Mine is cuter.

Weiss:Yours looks like your dad with the scruff.

Yang:Can you not?

Blake:How old?

Weiss:Sixteen. Little devils want sports car. I’m not dealing with that. Nick is really good at figure skating and is the oldest, so he’s the heir. Summer decided to be a little like her mother and pursue singing. Doesn’t have my voice though, but her range is better than me. I’m jealous. Both of them are always pretty decent in a fight if I do say so myself. Sigh, they grow up so fast. They still have a lot of growing to do though. Teenagers...

RBY:Preach...

Ruby:Everything okay though? Nothing too tough going on?

Weiss:Can I lie and say yes?

Yang:Hey I unpacked my baggage. Unload yours.

Weiss let out a large sigh. She looked at her kids lovingly, but had a smile that seemed...somber. All of her energy was brought down a bit and it showed.

Yang:Umm if it’s too much-

Weiss:It’s fine. It might be a little therapeutic to talk about it. Personally, I don’t I’m doing all I really can do. When they were very young, we all took a trip to go skating at a frozen lake. While I was there I found this strange ice dust that I’ve never seen before. Nick and Summer had gotten into a fight and by accident, Nick set off the dust. The shrapnel from it hit everyone, but Summer had it the worse. I’m talking it was lodged in her in multiple places. Not to mention the blast sent her flying into the water. I was hit so hard that I nearly blacked out. Thankfully, Jaune was the furthest and dove into the water while I managed to get Nick. He avoided a lot of it due to distance and was winded more than anything.

Ruby:Christ...

Blake:How young?

Weiss:Five. We rushed so fast to the hospital as soon as we could. The dust in Summer was freezing her until Nick activated her semblance and most of the shards got used up. Still, Summer ended up hospitalized for almost a year. Surgeries, comas, seizures; it was difficult to put it lightly. That picture doesn’t show it but she has puncture scars across her body, and a slight scar under her jawline she covers with makeup. That dust, though highly dangerous, it also healed her eventually. Summer had virtually no chance of survival. Not even counting the organ damage, that water should’ve put her into shock. But...she made a full recovery, on paper.

Yang:On paper?

Weiss:Several years later, Summer came in contact with the dust again and she...changed. Her eyes looked like mine, her light blonde hair went white, and she went mad. Her scars glowed with the dust that was still in her system and Summer started attacking everyone. I saw my twelve year old just use ice that was cold enough to burn. My extra scar is from me trying to restrain her. In the end it took my gigas pinning her down before she came to her senses. Summer had no memory of it. She said all remembered was feeling cold and hearing her own laughter. It wasn’t long after that it kept happening. Any time she got cold, this other...thing would come out. It eventually called itself Shiva.

Blake:Shiva? So...it’s a multiple personality?

Weiss:We don’t know. There’s so many inconsistencies. We got her checked up by the best and every test was normal. Her brain looks normal. But any time Shiva comes out, her blood turns blue and all she wants to do is hurt us. Shiva and Summer are even aware of each other now. There’s almost no day where Summer doesn’t hear Shiva in her head, wrestling for control. Between that, people at school who hate her, the scars, everything; Summer has become pretty reserved. She barely wants to go to school and she’s depressed most days. Nowadays she doesn’t open up about it outside of therapy. I...I can connect with her. Not in the way that matters.

Yang:I...shit, I don’t know what to say to that.

Weiss:That’s okay, few do. We’ve gotten good at preventing situations that get Summer cold but it’s through trial and error on something we know nothing about. Even with how far we’ve gotten, there’s a looming fear in everyone’s heart. Make no mistake though, that doesn’t stop any family from loving her with everything, but the mental strain of it all is more than anyone should deal with. Nick is kind soul. He blames himself for this and is constantly doing all he can to be there for everyone and put on this brave face, but he suffers inside. For a time, he went to therapy. Your sister almost killing you is a visceral experience. Getting him to sleep and take a break is like telling a fish not to swim. He is pretty open about this though, which helps a lot. It’s just...how do convince somehow they’re good enough when they think they’re not?

Ruby and Blake:You can’t....

Weiss:Exactly. It’s so...*tearing up* How am I failing at helping my kids worse than my own mother?

Yang:And that’s where I draw the line. *stands up* Now I can’t begin to fathom dealing with a a situation like this, and what I’m about to say is gonna be a little hypocritical but I really don’t care. Weiss, the last thing you are is a bad mother. I could tell immediately from the way you are that there hasn’t been a single as a parent that you haven’t made a choice without your kids in mind. I get feeling like there’s a gap that disconnects you from there; but the fact you keep your arms stretched out to bridge it makes you mother of the year in my eyes! Don’t believe for a second you’re a bad mother. Your the gold standard!

The room filled with silence for a moment. Weiss felt a lump form in her throat as she fought back tears that she eventually had to wipe away. She tried letting out a small laugh, but with it came more tears that ran down her face. Weiss couldn’t tell if it was from Yang’s words, or the stress. All she knew was that right now, she felt very thankful for being here.

Weiss:Damn it Yang, making me cry is something you’ve always been good at. Maybe that’s why I look up to you so much?

Yang:*red* Y-You what?

Weiss:My Yang, I downplayed just how much I adore her. Her daughter, Veronica, she’s got her fair share problems that stresses Yang out, but I never see her stop trying to connect with her. Even when she’s sad it’s like it’s only for a second, then you’re trying twice as hard. It’s amazing. If I’m being honest, and this is embarrassing, but I kinda picked up a mother from you. You’ve always been a bit motherly.

Ruby:She’s right.

Blake:Mom energy since day one.

Yang:Really? *rubs head* I was just being myself. Never really thought about it. Now then, wipe those tears! It’s upsetting that you look pretty why you cry. Meanwhile I look like a hot mess, and not in the fun way.

Weiss:*wiping face* Oh please, I don’t wanna hear that from someone who’s never needed make up. Those genes of your went to Veronica. Kids a genuine beauty. She’s just angry all the time.

Yang:Yeah that sounds appropriate... Weird to think I have a daughter that’s not Yujin. Wish I could see her.

Blake:Me too. Though I think I’d be overwhelmed seeing all my different kids. I’d probably want them all.

Ruby:My hands are full with ones I have and I wouldn’t say I’m juggling them well, so I don’t need other kids from universes. I’d be so stressed.

Weiss:Especially if they’re violent.

Ruby:Yeah, that would bad....

Weiss:Phew, I do feel a bit better. Even though I said all those things, my family still had good times. It’s not tense and we joke around like everyone else. As a family, we’re happy. We just have shit we gotta sort through.

Blake:Rich or poor, life has certain things that hit everyone. Is Jaune doing well.

Weiss:Yeah, he gets through to Summer pretty well, and he’s typically calm when it comes to giving guidance. He had his fears, but that’s why I’m here. We confide in each other.

Blake:May you and everyone else find a light at the end of the tunnel.

Ruby:Hey Weiss. Does....actually, never mind. Forget it.

Yang:We both know that’s not happening. Spit it out.

Ruby:I was just about Shiva. I’ve encountered weird things in my world, but this is unique. I was wondering if you have any positive experience with her.

Weiss:Not a single one. Here since of enjoyment in the displeasure of my children is a thing we disagree on. Though....her eyes, they do throw me off. For some reason, they don’t match her joy.

Blake:Maybe that part is still Summer. Eyes are the window to the soul and all that jazz.

Weiss:Maybe? I hope the kids are okay right now. I wonder what they’re up to?

xxxxx

Summer:WHAT’S UP VALE!!!!!!!!

A massive crowd screams “what’s up Summer”in excitement. Flashing lights and chanting fans’s voices make the sold out venue shake with their passion. Summer can only bask in it. There’s no better feeling than when she’s on stage. She looks to herself excitedly. This one was extra special. Nick comes out on stage with a base around him and a second microphone.

Nick:WE CAN’T HEAR YOU!!!!

The crowd chants louder. Summer responds by starting a rift on her guitar. She faces Nick with a smug look. Yes, having him on stage is always a joy, but that didn’t mean Summer wanted him hindering or stealing the show.

Summer:Well look who’s here!? Atlas’s favorite son! Think you’re ready to play with the kids up here. This isn’t your normal stage.

Nick smiled. He responded by playing the bass and letting the audience speak for him. Summer was chessing fool. Slowly she bopped up and down, urging him to do the same. It wasn’t long before they in sync. Drums, piano, and other background musicians began building up the tune as planned. The twins whipped around to face the crowd.

🎶Get down! We won't let you go!

This time, can you bring us down?

Back up! fly far through the sky

BLACK ROVER!

Let's go! All together now

And at last this world can't slow us down

For now, let's dye it all in black

BLACK ROVER!🎶

The two stood back to back...

🎶As more join and stand beside me,

The void doesn't feel so empty!!!!!

I know there is much more in store

Let's open that door -!🎶

Nick looked over his shoulder and saw Summer doing the same thing. This was gonna be one for the books. Jaune watched from backstage with one of the stagehands.

Stagehand:Should we tell them to save their energy? This charity event is six hours.

Jaune:Nah, let them have fun.

[graegrape]

A closer look at Team OJQG

Hey!! It’s been a while since I last updated the info on my RWBY AU regarding Ozpin’s inner circle, so I thought I’d dump the profiles I’ve written so far here. I’m currently working on the general storyline and the side characters including Team SKRW (Summer, Kali, Raven, Willow), so stay tuned for that!! :]

OZPIN SMARAGDINE

- Ozpin is the son of a middle class family, the Smaragdines, from Vale, and is sent to Beacon in order to become a freelance huntsman. He himself also wants to attend Beacon in order to find out more about himself and his recent fusion with Ozma's and thus the late King of Vale's soul.

- He's often a quiet, smart young man - and a chaos enabler at the same time. He only acts all wise and cool, though a piece of it still remains. He wants to help people.

- He hasn't been able to regain all of the King of Vale's memories and struggles with the fact that he's just another life of Ozma's.

- He distances himself from his teammates in order to not involve them with whatever is happening to Ozma - he later on learns that he can't carry all of this on his own.

RELATIONSHIPS

- Glynda Goodwitch: Ozpin and Glynda used to be childhood friends, but lost sight of each other. Reuniting at Beacon, the two of them start to reconnect - Glynda is worried about Ozpin, though. He's changed a lot, and Ozpin is aware.

- James Ironwood: Ozpin is sceptical of James's decisions and brute force solutions at first. He slowly warms up to him after the big confrontation in V2, however. He enjoys his company, even if the two may not see eye-to-eye sometimes.

- Qrow Branwen: Ozpin isn't sure how to feel about Qrow. With time, though, the two really hit it off and Ozpin finds secret enjoyment in Qrow's schemes.

- Summer Rose: Oz and Summer don't interact much. They're pretty good friends, Summer can open up to Oz and occasionally worries for him. Big brother/younger sister relationship?

- Raven Branwen: Oz is mostly neutral on Raven. Their relationship only develops after V4, and they're a bit hostile towards each other. Ultimately, the two of them become allies - not friends, though they do open up to each other from time to time.

- Kali Belladonna: Kali and Oz share similar views and get along pretty well with each other. Good buds!

- Willow Schnee: Oz slightly worries for Willow due to her quiet nature, even if they aren’t good friends. They’re allies.

GLYNDA GOODWITCH

- Glynda is an ambitious young woman from Vale, and aims to become a famous huntress. Her semblance manifested very early on and set great expectations for her due to its power. She attends beacon in order to not let her family down.

- She's rather stern and doesn't like unproductivity. Even though she may seem like she has a stick up her ass, she does sometimes find pranks and the like funny. She rolls her eyes at a lot of Qrow's mischief, then lets it slide.

- Over the course of the story, more and more pressure is put onto her, plus additionally having to worry about everything, until she snaps. She realizes that she's grown similar to Ozpin before his development and deals with this in V4.

RELATIONSHIPS

- Ozpin Smaragdine: Ozpin and Glynda used to be childhood friends, but lost sight of each other. Reuniting at Beacon, the two of them start to reconnect - Glynda is worried about Ozpin, though. He's changed a lot. What could he be hiding?

- James Ironwood: Glynda isn't fond of James's methods. She's on a similar wavelength to him about mischief, the only difference is that James is way more vocal about his dislikes. She sometimes ends up seeing him as a child as a result.

- Qrow Branwen: Glynda rolls her eyes at Qrow's schemes occasionally. She thinks his snarky and uncaring attitude could definitely be dropped, and so could his constant fights with Ironwood.

- Summer Rose: Glynda gets along pretty well with Summer. Good friends!

- Raven Branwen: Glynda doesn't really like Raven. Mutual respect is the result.

- Kali Belladonna: Glynda likes Kali's upbeat attitude and doesn't mind spending time with her!

- Willow Schnee: Glynda gets on really well with Willow. Her quiet nature allows her to be a lot more laid-back in conversation, and Glynda values that.

QROW BRANWEN

- Qrow is a scheming young man from the Branwen tribe who was sent to the academy with his sister, Raven, to learn to kill the huntsmen the tribe hates so much.

- He's foul-mouthed, playful and likes to ignore every single rule presented to him. He doesn't care about people who are up their own ass about their ideas of what's just and what isn't, instead relying on his own sense of 'just do what's good enough for yourself.'

- His arc revolves learning that he needs to care about other people, as well. He needs to accept that not everyone will share his views and the views that the tribe has forced on him. His team helps him grow as both a person and a fighter.

- ADDITIONAL: In this AU, the Branwen family has the inherited ability to turn into Ravens. It’s similar to the Schnee-inherited semblance, but it’s not.. a semblance in that sense. It’s complicated.   

RELATIONSHIPS

- Ozpin Smaragdine: Ozpin and Qrow get along fairly well after a rocky start. Qrow trusts Ozpin to not be as stuck-up as any others and thinks he's a nice guy.

- Glynda Goodwitch: Qrow thinks that Glynda is a bit too strict and enjoy teasing her, but overall the two get along.

- James Ironwood: Oh boy, do these two fucking despise each other. Qrow hates James's attitude and basically everything he stands for. The two fight a lot, even with weapons. Their relationships comes to a climax in V3 and they slowly work past their differences.

- Summer Rose: Qrow likes Summer a whole lot. She's a bit of a brat, and that's what makes it fun to him!

- Raven Branwen: Qrow and his sister aren't close. Their views of their past grow to be different. Qrow values emotional bonds to his now-friends more and sometimes even sees Raven as a coward due to her actions.

- Kali Belladonna: Enjoys her upbeat troublemaker personality and likes hanging out with her, doing foodfights and the like when the oppurtunity presents itself.

- Willow Schnee: He does not like Willow, but they don't interact much. To Qrow, she's just another Atlas brat.

JAMES IRONWOOD

- James is the son of an upper class Atlas politician and is sent to attend Beacon because his father wants to make it clear that he, in fact, 'cares about the other kingdoms as he should.' In reality, his father couldn't care less. James is there to boost his public image.

- James is uptight and headstrong, often resorting to solve problems with brute force and power. He's cold, analytical, and values rules over all. Despite everything, he tries his very best - he does enjoy interacting with other people, even if he isn't great at it.

- In his arc, he comes to terms with his privilege, battles with prejudice against lower class citizens and Faunus and confronts his beliefs about his father's true intentions.

- ADDITIONAL: James, at the start of the show, has one metal leg, due to his fathers extremely painful training. 

RELATIONSHIPS

- Ozpin Smaragdine: The two of them don't bond very well until V2, after which they start to enjoy each others' company more.

- Glynda Goodwitch: To James, Glynda is one of the few people who shares similar views with him... which isn't exactly right. He sees her as mature and, even if she may express her dislike at times, they ultimately still care for each other.

- Qrow Branwen: Mutual hatred for each other. James hates everything about Qrow. His uncaring nature, his attitude towards rules and order, you name it. To James, Qrow is just another runt. Their relationship comes to a climax in V3 and they slowly work past their differences.

- Summer Rose: He isn't exactly fond of her, but doesn't mind her.

- Raven Branwen: James and Raven do not get along, end of story. Put them in a room and you'll end up with a very long speech or a dead body.

- Kali Belladonna: Not sure what to think of her. Doesn't mind her.

- Willow Schnee: James relates to her, considering the whole 'way too high expectations' stuff. He empathizes with her and sees her struggles. The two of them bond, although they aren't really friends.

--

Annnnd that’s it! Reblogs are very appreciated as always, and thank you for reading. If you have any questions/want to share ideas, don’t be scared to send me an ask!!! :]

[louiserandom]

The MadaTobi adventure has been chosen...

AND IT’S SOULMATES EXCAHNGING POWERS WOOOHOOOO (purple and green are the same option i just edited the form like a dumbass)

However, I’ve come to the inevitable conclusion THAT I WANNA WRITE ALL THESE FREAKIN PROMPTS or at least a couple more, so after this CYOA ends, I might just tackle the rest :D Thank you ALL so much for voting! I seriously didn’t expect this much feedback and I’ll do my best to deliver :3 *sends you all hugs, positivity and rays of sunshine during these trying times and hopes that each one of you is safe* Hopefully the story will provide some fun and distraction from the grim anxiety <3

Now, I couldn’t resist writing the first part before Camp Nano started so I’ll be posting the chapter a bit later today once I’m all done with work stuff :3 And as always, a few more notes on the rest of the survey questions~ 

Thank you for enabling my thotty side. Again ehehehehe

AND OH LOOK AT THESE VOTES FOR THE ADDITIONAL PROMPTS EH

+ Virgin Tobirama knows everything about sex; semi-feral tobirama who spends too much time with his summons; Hate to Love; A+ banter, maybe 1 combined w/ secret relationship; shameless Izuna - oh, 3 of these are definitely gonna be in the story ;)

Now, fair warning: it will be long because my brain made me add this huge plot and Zetsu’s fuckery to the mix which will result in his gruesome elimination from existence sorry for spoilers lmao and because I’m hopeless, expect some bijuu shenanigans as well👀👀👀 Granted, some of the plot points and tropes are going to be revealed in the story; like, Tobirama’s obliviousness level and the exact level of Hashirama’s over-protectiveness will depend on your choices :3 Hope y’all have fun with me!

And below the cut, comment responses <3 I’ve had to group some because I’ve got so little time right now but will hopefully be able to answer every question separately as time goes. Again, THANK YOU all for voting!!!

I would really like both options two and four, any chance? This all sounds incredible I am super excited thank you!

The third option also sounds good

I like Plot II and III too actually as well

I wish I could pick all of the story options ;)

I love your work and am so excited for this! I had so much trouble choosing answers in the poll because everything sounds so good!

Chose option I but strongly hesitated with option II cause it could be so funny.

All of these plots sound so awesome!!! It was super hard to pick one.

Argh! Why is choosing so hard? I want at least one of every option in every combination imaginable. That said, I chose plot 2 for the hilarious potential of put upon Tobirama with a sharingan but plot 1 was a very close contestant. I can't wait to see what you cook up. It's gonna be so great! - oz

DUDES ALL YOUR COMMENTS AND MY OWN EXCITEMENT ABOUT THESE PROMPTS MADE ME WANNA WRITE THEM ALL, FUCK IT!!! I definitely want option 4, it’s peak hilarity, tho I wonder if it would work more as a story proper, not a CYOA (I can think of a few interesting conflicts and choices in that verse tho, so we’ll see). But I do love option 1 as well; option 3 may be a little overdone? But basically, just lemme finish this one, try my best to deliver and then put the rest of the plots to another vote <3

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH AND THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!

p.s. Oz, you’re as always too kind <3

It would be funny if Tobirama was hilariously confident and actually decent at flirting with a flailing Madara but was actually a virgin. Like just completely and utterly shamelessly saying something like, 'yh I'm a virgin so you better make this good. I've got a lot to learn ;)' And of course Madara flails :D

THANK YOU. YES. THIS XD (Tobi would, wouldn’t he. And he very likely will, in this fic ;)

He is the dumbest Bitch alive with Tobi and Hashi running for second place. Bitch should have gotten some Senju dick to calm tf down.

No comments, only applause. You know what’s up

The fandom thanks you for doing God's work ;)

My insecure ass thanks you for your kind words <3

Hurt Tobi to show how protective Madara can be

Bold of you to assume I won’t hurt both of them and have them build each other back up again (lmao ignore my dramatic ass, as I said, nothing but light angst haha. But still some pain because plot said so :o)

Both being stupidly weak when it comes to kids

YEPPPPP YOU’RE READING MY MIND :D CAN’T WAIT TO WRITE THOSE SCENES

CLEARLY. Hashirama, Mito, Touka, and Izuna should all be one giant poly pile. 👀 Also it was impossible for me not to pick the option with Kurama. I love that grumpy asshole fox and I have... So many... Headcanons for him.....

HashiMitoTouIzu poly pile *stares* this... this.... MAYBE NOT IN THIS FIC BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TACKLE THIS IDEA AT SOME POINT LMAO THAT WOULD BE AWESOME :D (will maybe try to write a fic with them for camp nano ehehe)

Also, although ultimately, option 2 was chosen…. I couldn’t resist and added the possibility of Kurama appearing, I love his grumpy ass too much :D (Altho this will depend on the votes👀)

Maybe a child, adopted (kagami) or mpreg

Hmmm, no mpreg, just in this particular fic, but lots of interactions with children ;)

Wasn't he already? ://

ALWAYS

Madara is clearly the dumbest (Hashi is a close second)

YOU SPEAK THE TRUTH DEAR READER, I’M GLAD YOU SEE THE LIGHT

(Personally, I think Hashirama is the dumbest founder lol) But could you maybe make Tobirama and Izuna actually get along? They don’t have to be friends but just no active animosity. Maybe. You obviously don’t have to— would probably love it either way— but ‘tis my request

I may have to write that thesis about Madara’s dumbassery after all lol, be sure that I will convince you

And oh yeah, they definitely get along, don’t worry! Writing Tobirama and Izuna’s friendship warms my heart :3

I love flaily Mads and oblivious Tobes

WHO DOESN’T :D

Madara is not dumb, just a dumbass ^^ Also, bringing in Tobi's sensing is always a YES from me!

Nooooo HE DUMB AND A DUMBASS HOW BOUT THAT XD ehehe oh there’s gonna be a lot of sensing fuckery in the chosen option so I hope you enjoy! :3

At some point please let Mito and Tobirama befriend Kurama 'cause they're all powerful sassy bitches that will bitch slap you into your place and they all put the ultimate smack down on meddling Elders who've teamed up with Zetsu?

Although option 2 has been chosen… Kurama may appear in the story *shifty eyes* AND mf Zetsu lmao I need to kill that bitch. He’ll know pain^-^

Hashirama should be a smiling sociopath a la Symbol of Subjugation style. He knows there's something wrong but, hey, he wants to see his precious all happy :)

Oh, I considered that actually, I adore that fic! But imo it works better with a couple of other plots so I may consider writing him that way for a future CYOA :3 

I can already tell that this is gonna be one hell of a ride and I can’t wait!

Hell yeah go forth you funky lil author, you got this :D

Na

Nope nope I have non good luck

Luv ya <3

AHHHHHH YESSS I AM READY

Have fun

Thank you so much guys! <3 I’M EXCITED AS FUCK AND I CANNOT WAIT TO START :D

[thenervouscook]

Nervous Cooking: An Intro and How To

Hello there. I’m a nervous cook. I hate wasting food. I don’t like being bad at things. I have a very complicated relationship with food, thanks to an eating disorder.

In short, I often feel daunted in the kitchen, have felt that a lot of recipes gatekeep information and make it hard to me to feel like cooking is accessible and fun.

I like food. I love the idea of cooking. With the help of some nice people I know, I’m making good progress into enjoying the kitchen, and playing around making things and swatting away the dreadful pretentiousness, snobbishness, and pomposity that sullies what is supposed to be a joyous, wholesome, and ultimately tasty activity.

So where to start? Before we get to sharing recipes, let’s have a breakdown of what we’re trying to do for ourselves, before we even turn the oven on.

How do we become less nervous in when cooking?

1. Put some music on.

There’s nothing as daunting as standing in your kitchen with a recipe open, feeling like you’re already set for failure before you’ve even begun. So with that, put some good tunes on. You might have to turn the volume down occasionally as it is distracting you too much from the task at hand, but honestly, set yourself up for a good time.

Hall & Oates are great for making your meal with.

2. Read the recipe first. Maybe read it a few times.

Too often, I’ve started cooking and followed the recipe as a go, only to find that the person who wrote the recipe can smash out some sauce in 40 seconds while it takes me ages to do, while I burn my onions in the process. 

Reading the recipe first enables you to plan for any tricky moments where you feel unsure, or indeed, helps you to work out how to re-word something that might confusing rather than having to translate it when you’re in the middle of cooking something.

Recently, I made something that said “add 100ml of stock”, which wasn’t included in the recipe itself - reading it through before setting off meant that I didn’t have a nervous breakdown halfway through.

3. Prep the ingredients

Foodies call it ‘mise en place’ - don’t worry about foreign phrases yet, we won’t be using them here and we’ll probably do a translation of cooking terms at some point. These phrases are perfectly fine to use if you know what you’re doing, but of course, when you’re a nervous cook, your brain can go “AAAAAAAAAARGH I DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS AND I’M ALREADY TALKING MYSELF OUT OF COOKING AND I MAY AS WELL JUST GO TO THE CHIPPIE”.

Calm down. It’s all good. Maybe we’ll do a glossary of terms later, so we can understand what these people are talking about.

Don’t worry. Mise en place basically means getting everything ready before you start, like they do on the telly. You’ve seen a TV chef saying “add half a tablespoon of paprika’, and they just tip it out of a little bowl, rather than measuring out while the pan’s on? It’s that.

So, if you’re making a curry and the recipe says that 4 spices are all getting thrown in at the same time, then measure them out first, put it in a bowl, or a little glass dish you’ve saved from when you ate a fancy yoghurt that came in a glass thing rather than a plastic pot, or even a cleaned out plastic yoghurt pot - it literally doesn’t matter - you measure them out, throw them all into a thing, and when the time comes to add them to your cooking, you can lob them in the pan without thinking about it, because you did the groundwork before the stress of the timer.

And ‘mise en place’ will not be used again on this blog, because there’s no need really.

4. Convert American measurements in advance

If you’ve found a recipe that looks ace on an American site, you’ll soon find out they measure everything differently. They have a ‘cups’ system. 1 cup is 128g or 4.5 oz.

If your scales are accurate enough to measure 128g exactly, go nuts. If not, take the time to find another recipe that has measured things out in a way that is more useful to you. If you have the money, have a look online and buy something cheap that measures out in American cups. 

Just don’t get caught on the hop while you’re in the middle of cooking your tea and get yourself worked up.

5. You can still eat a cock-up

American writer Hanif Abdurraqib said: “I'm not normally one for baking — I get that it is mostly all about the following of instructions, but I think that has always made the task more daunting for me and my many anxieties. If I failed, that failure would be speaking to some greater inability, or it might tell me something about myself. But, my anxieties, though busy as ever, aren't very interested in whether or not I fail at the moment. Also, I have such a low bar for edible desserts. Even a failed baked good is still a baked good worth consuming, in my home.”

That’s one of the golden things good cooks never share - even when you mess up, chances are, you can still eat it. Set your bar low. Don’t tip it in the bin because you’ve failed or because it looks like a mess.

I made a banoffee pie, and was worried I was going to balls it up, because I’m rubbish at whisking. Talking to a very talented chef I know, she said “don’t bin it - mix it up and call it Banoffee Eton Mess style!”

That was a very important lesson to learn - if it doesn’t work out perfectly, then re-brand the fucker and eat it anyway.

6. Follow good food people and ignore perfectionists if you want

A lot of broadsheet food writers and TV chefs are perfectionists, and don’t share their mistakes. When they appear on TV, they’re often berating some poor amateur cook for messing up their flans or whatever, because they’ve entered a talent show like Great British Bake Off, Masterchef, or whatever.

Ignore all that if you want, or if it puts pressure on you. It’s just you in your kitchen, making something to eat. Doesn’t matter if it looks like a road accident when you put it on your plate, as long as it tastes good.

Everyone’s Instagram accounts only show you their successes, so you can write those off too, if they’re doing your head in.

That said, there’s good people out there who will show you short-cuts, things to not worry about, and enjoy food that looks like an absolute mess. David Chang is a good chef to follow - on his Instagram, he cooked chicken thighs in a plastic bag in the microwave ‘round his mums, and has a show called Ugly Delicious where the focus is about getting rid of the pointless rules and aesthetic bollocks that stops a lot of people from wanting to cook.

Brad Leone at Bon Appetite is another good egg - he’s very much a ‘bung it in, that should be alright shouldn’t it?’ type of cook. Very unpretentious. Good fun. Pronounces the word ‘water’ funnily.

7. Focus on flavour, not aesthetics

I talked to someone who knows a lot of professional chefs, and they told me the difference between restaurant food and what we cook at home is the delicious but disgusting amounts of salt and butter they put in everything. Like, you’ll use a splodge of butter in your food, and a pro chef will stick a whole pack in. 

Season the crap out of everything too. Keep tasting it as you go along - you’re not a pro kitchen who has to worry about sticking a spoon in your mouth and then returning it straight to the pan.

When a recipe says 2 cloves of garlic, and you know you love garlic, sod it, put 3 or 4 in.

If you’re nervous about making your food too salty, for example, then just follow the recipe to the letter, and then when you serve it up later, if it needs more, just whack a load on as a booster at the end. It’s cool.

8. Don’t worry about having loads of gear

You might read some recipes that ask you to pulverise something in a food processor and you might not have one. If you can afford the gear, fine, go wild. If not, see what the alternatives are. You might be able to do it by hand, or you might be able to cheat by buying some pre-mixed stuff. Cheating is good. Don’t worry yourself.

If you’re bad at mincing garlic, just buy a tube of garlic paste. The only people who would judge that are terrible people, and terrible people don’t deserve your cooking.

9. Worst case scenario

You’ve burned your food. You’ve used salt instead of sugar. The whole thing has gone so badly that it is inedible. You feel defeated and annoyed at yourself. You swear you’ll never cook again.

It’s okay to wallow for a bit, but remember this - if you angrily sling everything in the bin and walk to the chip shop or Maccies - a Big Mac or chips pie and gravy is still a 10 out of 10 meal to have. In terms of you eating, you’ve not failed yourself.

Get stuck into your nuggets meal and enjoy them, and you’ll remember to not put salt in, instead of sugar next time.

10. Give yourself a break

Chefs, foodies, and cooks often forget to tell you what it feels like to not know how to cook. That makes sense - they’ve been practising for ages.They’re at a certain level, and assume the person they’re talking to is at a certain level too. 

When they casually say “knock up a quick roux” and you’re not sure what a roux even is, that’s okay - you can either stop listening to them, and watch a YouTube video about what a roux is, how to make one, and what they’re for... or you can carry on watching your show and just have a holiday in someone else’s good skills.

I can play guitar quite well, but I don’t hear a blistering solo on a Steely Dan record and think ‘well, I may as well throw my guitar into the street’ - I can pootle along on mine, while enjoying someone else who is better at a thing than I am. Try and do the same with food shows. You can always turn them off if they’re making you feel depressed - you don’t owe anyone shit.

Remember how grateful you are when absolutely anyone else cooks for you and how you don’t judge anyone else’s food harshly, because you’re not an arsehole? Do the same for yourself.

[jazzywazzy89]

Okay, I’ve read the last chapter of TLTBILB like 5x and I’m still dying over the fact that not only is Tyler the most perfect boyfriend in the world. BUT, that he also wrote letters to Hayley about Bonnie. The fact that Bonnie is the only person who doesn’t realize how much Tyler loves her, is killing me softly. & how freaking cute & soft Jeremey is?? Like I hate him in canon, but he’s so cute in this fic. Alright imma go now, I just wanted you to know I’m obsessed with your fics! Your amazing❤️

Hey anon!

Gotta admit that TATBILB is just the most fun for me to write right now of all my fics. I have always had a major soft spot for Tonnie and honestly they were one of my earliest TVD ships when I first started watching the show before Klaus showed up and I became Klonnie obsessed. They just had so much potential to be great and I was salty that after all that BS that JP talked about not wanting to do a Oz/Willow redux (even though she had no issues with stealing literally everything else from BtVS) she put Tyler with a witch in later seasons anyway, one that just so happened to be another one of JP’s blonde self inserts.

Anyway back to the fic, I just love combining the story lines into the TVD-verse and I think it fits the characters so well. I love writing Oblivious!Bonnie and the whole idea of the fake dating trope and the seemingly unrequited love trope. Literally Tyler is the epitome of this gif…

And Bonnie just does not get it! Lol The journey with these two is definitely going to be a fun one and we are going to see Stefan and Vicki add some friction in the upcoming chapters. 

Jeremy….oh sweet Jeremy. I honestly feel like I would have loved him on the show if they wrote him as Elena’s little brother that’s just trying to find his place which they kind of did but then they put him in these random pairings and try to force his relevancy to the plot in all the wrong ways and wrote him so annoying so I was over him fairly quickly.I would have liked Beremy interacting better as just friends because their chemistry was flat for me on the show and their relationship was poorly written and executed and I was hoping for they would go the bisexual route with Jere just for diversity and to be real he even had more chemistry with Tyler than he did with Bonnie. I liked Jyler dynamic and wanted it to turn into something when it first became a thing on the show which is why I have them paired together in Shades of Pink. But the Jyler chem is a convo for another post. 

 Honestly, Bonnie had more chemistry with Tyler onscreen with just shared looks and the whole thing was just a waste because they had a fairly active fanbase for a while even with them not interacting onscreen hardly ever, which should tell you something. The witch/wolf lore also had so many possibilities, especially if Tyler was written as a canon character of color under the right pen as the mythology there is plentiful and especially if Bonnie’ heritage and background was given the story arc it deserved and not mentioned in passing and used a plot device. That’s why I love writing the pairing!

Writing them all human is different though. I like the idea of them being regular teenagers with ordinary problems and with a romcom plot. In spite of them being in high school the first few seasons, we didn’t get to see it a lot on the show, especially with Tyler and Bonnie because they were sidelined, and Bonnie was a plot device. A lot of their normal teenage moments were filtered through their pairings at the time, Beremy and Forwood. While TATBILB is heavy on romance and they do develop a lot as a couple, they are rebuilding a friendship as well, exploring a shared history that I feel like should have been explored with all the original base characters of the show because it would have made all of their moments of danger and heartbreak and their lives being disrupted by the supernatural that much more poignant. 

Bonnie and Tyler are also developing as individuals, particularly Bonnie in this fic. A lot of her wanting to stay in her comfort zone in the fic is fear based, which she doesn’t fully understand. I think its less about being in Elena’s shadow, and more about finally being around people that the are encouraging her to break out of that comfort zone and try new things, hang out with different people, and revealing more of herself to others and she gets that not just from Tyler, but from Jeremy, from Luka, from Caroline, and others as the story goes along. Because Elena may have been her friend but Elena was also her enabler and I feel like in terms of their friendship Bonnie staying in her comfort zone was encouraged by Elena because having her friend by her side all the time was something that was a part of Elena’s comfort zone. Bonnie isn’t just leaving her comfort zone though, its more like she’s expanding it and inviting other people into it and learning more about what she’s capable of and how people really see her. A reviewer put it well when they said that she’s been casting herself as the side character all along and she’s always been the lead and that’s exactly the point and what she’s realizing. 

 I think the girl’s being separated and Elena being off on her own where she’s not someone everyone knows and she’s not the center of attention and she doesn’t have people willing to bend over backwards to do what she wants and with the people she was closest to, like Jeremy and Stefan, getting closer to Bonnie in her absence and Bonnie experiencing so much that Elena won’t know about fully until she sees her again, no matter how many phone calls they make, it’ll be interesting when they finally reunite, which won’t be for a while yet. 

As far as Tyler’s development, I’d like to think that his relationship with Bonnie will allow more people to see who he really is at heart, which is a good person who is very intense and angry at times but goes hard for the people who he loves.The show started to do that with Forwood which is why I liked them at first but they put him in too much of a box and didn’t allow him to interact with enough others and then his development lost its impact and he was sacrificed on the altar of KC and things just went pear shaped from there. 

As far as the fic goes, I think that Tyler is still Tyler but he just allows himself to show certain sides of himself to people he cares about, people he trusts. He showed that side to Bonnie before and he’s able to do that again after so long. He can be a jerk and an asshole but that’s not all he is.  There are people who know this, Matt, Hayley, Caroline and his family but it isn’t widely known and I feel like when people witness the connection with him and Bonnie it’s something that is very evident and something that made Bonnie fall for him in the first place when they were younger. You’ll also get to see where a lot of his anger comes from in the upcoming chapters  and Hayley does reveal more to Bonnie about what Tyler’s letter’s said in later chapters as well. I want to have Tyler be kind of the inverse of the jock stereotype, because he has this image he puts on and this persona he wears that kind of melts off when he’s around Bonnie. Vicki will definitely take notice of this as well and there is going to be a lot of juxtaposition between those relationships and the way he is with each of them and the way that they are with him. Even though this is “fake” he isn’t used to someone as genuine as Bonnie and it makes sense for him to be all in. But Tyler has his own insecurities and Stefan’s presence doesn’t help them at all so we’ll see how it goes. It doesn’t help that while Tyler is familiar with Bonnie in the way she was before, she’s a little harder for him to read now because they haven’t interacted in a while. At times he has fun figuring her out but at other times its frustrating and while Stefan has been in the dog house so to speak, you get to see how easy it is for them to read each other and while its a different dynamic its one that Tyler is threatened by in a lot of ways. 

This answer got really long but I am so glad that you are enjoying the fic!😊 As you can see I love writing it and am super passionate about where its going so I do hope you stay for the ride anon! Thanks for reading! Lots of love your way! 💕

[mymind--themess]

Reyes’ Widow/ Reaper’s Wife Part Five

Enjoy~!

“This is some bullshit.” Marianna groaned, holding her head as she paced the tiny apartment Marisol and Olivia owned. 

It had been about two hours since they had left Calaveras -- Two hours full of questions, emotions, and drinking. It was odd for the twins to be the complete opposites of themselves in this moment; Marisol was unusually calm, finding more interest in asking Gabriel odd questions and getting to know him. Marianna was a buzzed mess who was currently pacing the tiny apartment as if that’d help the situation at all.

Marisol sighed at her sister, watching the anxiety attack from Olivia’s lap. “I know this is all a bit crazy sis,--”

“A bit? Sol, our supposedly dead father is a motherfucking terrorist who lives on people’s souls. Our lives have turned into a cross between The Twilight Zone and a telenova!” Marianna hissed, then blinked and quickly turned to Gabriel.

“No offense, Padre.”

Gabriel shrugged, understanding completely. It was still so, so, so odd to him to see his daughters -- or to even have daughters. “None taken. I had no idea your mother was even alive before the other day. So I can only imagine how badly this is fucking with your heads.”

Marianna sighed in frustration, plopping onto the tiny sofa next to Gabriel as she crossed her arms. “This explains so much over the years. Like when she went into the psych ward,”

Marisol nodded, playing with her locks. “Or why we weren’t allowed to affiliate with Talon.”

Marianna nodded, thinking back. “The time we had to cancel our trip to Numbani because of terrorist sightings.”

“Anna, this list could go on all day,” Marisol mumbled.

Olivia glanced between the three, her own mind at work. “You know what it doesn’t explain though -- Why she told you to come meet me. Didn’t she know that this would possibly happen? Your mother is definitely not dumb -- that much I know.”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, his heart actually beating a bit quicker. What Olivia had said made sense in his mind -- If you really wanted to keep the girls from him, why let them even near a Talon agent after all of this time? Did that mean you intended to speak with Gabriel again, after everything in the past?

Gabriel hoped so... he really needed to see you.

Marianna quickly went over to her bag and opened it up, her mind quickly coming to an idea. She dug around a bit before pulling out what looked like lipstick. Taking off the cap, Marianna began to roll the “lipstick” downward to reveal a small blue button. “Why don’t we give the “matriarch” of our family a call and interrogate her? Mom called her before her flight, it only makes sense that Gram would know.”

Gabriel was intrigued by the simplicity of a device. Sure, there were probably a dozen communicators like this one -- but he felt there was more behind it if Marianna was anything like him. “You invented that.”

And she definitely was. “It’s simple looking, I know.” Marianna replied, a proud smile on her face as she went closer to her father. “However, this isn’t just a communicator. Over the years, I have been fascinated by the Athena program and how wonderful she works. I remember Athena securing parts of every property mom ever owned -- But I also remember how many times people would attempt to bypass and breech her. It was then I made my own programs to incorporate into Athena to expand her horizons while protecting her. For example, this communicator is linked to Athena and one of her programs I call Hermes.”

Olivia was fascinated herself. “Hermes?”

“Hermes is a program I created to create a secure channel that can only be accessed through certain frequencies, sound waves, satellites, and white noise. It allows Athena access to any channel by disturbing frequencies while being protected by the private channel; thus providing untraceable calls whether they are audio, video, or holographic. Once Hermes syncs with a device, Hermes leaves an untraceable coding so that I can access that device again so long as it works no matter where it is in the world -- It can also track devices I code it to. Hermes can also link channels -- so while it wasn’t programmed to access all of grandmother’s communication devices, it can access all of them. Mom, Marisol, Jesse, Gram, and I are the only ones I ever let enable my programs. Although... now I guess I gotta add you two, huh?” Marianna responded, gesturing towards the two Talon members.

Marisol beamed and nodded as she nuzzled into Olivia a bit more. “I think so.”

“You’d really trust us with programs that prestigious?” Olivia asked. “I mean, I’m flattered, but I can’t understand why.”

Shrugging, Marianna smirked. “Well, the wraith is my father and you’re stuck with Marisol; So welcome to the family. Besides, should you try to hack any of these programs and should an attempt be made from an unauthorized source -- Two protection programs come into place. Hephaestus will focus on fixing the program that was attacked, meanwhile Ares will fry who or whatever tried to attack.”

Olivia was left to gawk in amazement as Marianna turned her attention back to her device. “Athena, initiate Hermes.”

“Initiating Hermes.” Athena replied promptly. 

It didn’t take long as the device blinked rapidly before the glowing blue button turned orange. Soon, a male voice could be heard in place of Athena’s. “Hermes initiated.”

“Hermes, I need you to track the location of (M/N) (L/N) and all of her communication devices.  I need you to open the private channel and connect this device to the device within the closest proximity to (M/N) (L/N)’s location.”

“...Location found -- Venice Italy... two communication devices found within extreme proximity of (M/N) (L/N) -- Less than two feet apart... only one is under her name... the other device belongs to (Y/N) (L/N). Shall I still use the communication device under (M/N) (L/N)?”

Marianna’s eyes narrowed. You were with Gram? “Yes, but first, tell me if the location of (Y/N) (L/N) is within extreme proximity as well.”

“Extreme proximity between the two confirmed. Opening the channel to connect to (M/N) (L/N).”

“Thank you, Hermes.”

Venice was such a wonderful place to prepare yourself -- It was no longer full of smoke, soot, and fire. Truth be told, Venice had become one of the most peaceful places on Earth with everything going on in the world. The city on water had not only managed to maintain and preserve the history, but had also dedicated a whole half of the city to a safe haven for innocent and injured omnics and people alike. It was a health utopia. Of course, there were still shady people in the city; The mafias had made quite the uprising since you’d been gone. There was some turmoil between the Italian and Sicilian mafias since the Sicilians had come here after Sicily was deemed unlivable, but the groups had worked through their differences to come together for a better purpose. Ironically enough, the mafias had raised the funding for the health utopia and were the only things keeping this place as tranquil as it was. Sure, everyone knew they dealt with some grimy people and even the higher ups were rumored to have dealt with Talon before. But to the visitors here for the fun, the mafias were just extremely wealthy people who threw extravagant parties in Venice while running and funding a place for the sick and injured. So who cared?

You had spent the time since you got here mostly in the health utopia, brushing up on your medical skills and knowledge to help those in need. You spent the rest of the time with the mafia, handling some of their dirty work for a price. Currently, you were at the family summer villa planning the assassination of your next victim. It’d be at a masquerade festival the mafias had planned throughout the other half of the city. It kept your mind off of the ridiculous amount of guilt you felt for some reason. 

You couldn’t help but feel guilty! The twins shouldn’t have had to find out this way; You should’ve done it sooner like you had planned. But every year since they were old enough, you pussied out each and every time. It hadn’t dawned on you that the twins might not handle this whole thing very well until after you had landed in Venice and your mother had brought it up. 

Speaking of your mother; her communicator began going off from her lap as she took a drag of her cigarette. You glanced to her as she looked to the way the screen of her communicator turned orange. “(M/N) (L/N),”

“Ahh, Hermes!”

You inwardly began to panic, knowing damn well here came the possible shit storm. You tuned in your hearing, attempting to calm yourself as you focused your eyes back to the task at hand. 

“Marianna (L/N)-Reyes requests you to join her in the channel. Do you accept.”

“But of course, darling~!”

Ugh, your mother’s sickeningly sweet voice annoyed you at this time; All prim and proper with her expensive clothing and large fedora on. (A/N: Think Theodora’s outfit in the beginning of “Oz The Great & Powerful”, I’ll attach a GIF at the end of the chapter) Anybody who had no clue your mother was the Black Widow would’ve never guessed she was a cold blooded assassin. She was fabulously rich, owner of an orphanage, and a retired peace ambassador... who also was responsible for over 300 assassinations, 25 grand heists, and killed three of her husbands. She made sure you had the best of the damn best because your childhood wasn’t a childhood at all really with all of the enemies she and your father had. Your father had been in Overwatch and was away often. You saw him sometimes, mostly on holidays. But otherwise, all he had sent you was gift and letters. Your mother meanwhile had trained you in her own ways. You led your first big heist at age 7, and your first assassination at 12. Your father had no idea any of this was going on. You had sniped your uncle for threatening your mother.

Fucked up right? Well, he was a disgusting human being, but that was a tale for a whole other time. Bottom line, that was why you had worked so damn hard to make the twins life as bloody normal as possible. That was all you had ever wanted was the normalcy, so you tried giving them as much normal as you could. You didn’t try to force them down any predestined path; You let them decide what they wanted. Of course, they ended up picking things that weren’t normal, but it was their choice in the end.

You waited as Hermes connected the channel, holding your breath until you heard Marianna’s voice. “Gram.”

“Oh hello sweetheart! How’s everything in Dorado?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know. I know you know that Mom knew the possibility.”

Your mother simply gave a warm laugh. “Oh you’re no fun at all, Anna. Of course your mother knew. How’s your father?”

You held your breath even more as Gabriel’s raspy -- but still very familiar -- voice came through. “Still not dead.”

“Not fully anyway. How unfortuante; My husbands never made it this far.” Your mother tutted, causing you to narrow your eyes at her and give her the “Are You Really Gonna Do This Now” face.

“We are way past the small talk, (M/N).” The wraith deadpanned.

“That we are, darling. What a pity--,”

“Okay, no!” Marianna cut her off sharply, clearly fed up with the events going on. “We are not going to play "Chit Chat Around The Subject”! Why weren’t we aware that dear Dad over here was still walking around on Earth?”

You frowned, the guilt from earlier weighing heavily in your stomach as if it were a full term pregnancy. Your mother rolled her eyes, her voice still calm and sickeningly sweet. “Relax, sweetie, it was for you and your sister’s protection... And of course that whole “My children will have a normal life” bullshit. Your mother was supposed to tell you girls years ago -- once you were both eighteen, but she’s backed out like a damn coward year after year; Imagine that.”

“...really?” Marianna spoke, the one-worded question coming out in the form of an exhale, as if all of the anger had suddenly left her.

“Really. Now stop throwing a damned fit and let me talk to your father.”

There was silence for a moment before Gabriel’s voice came again, the command simple. “Location.”

You mother snapped her fingers. “You seem to know the drill for how this meeting will go down quite well. But before we set a location for this little reunion rendezvous, I need confirmation that Moira won’t be showing up anywhere near your wife’s latest assignment. We don’t need a blood bath in front of the children and the public, do we? Your mistress seems to have a thing for the media and drawing unwanted attention.”

Marisol’s voice piped up quickly. “I genuinely wouldn’t mind seeing Mom wipe the floor with Dad’s side piece.”

Gabriel smirked a bit before clearing his throat as he allowed the amusement to be replaced by seriousness. “No need for that. She’s been left to her own devices at Talon headquarters; We are not affiliated in anything amorous, she isn’t my concern.”

“Perfect! I’d let this be negotiated between you and (Y/N), but she’s mapping out her assignment right now. As you know Gabriel, masquerade season is upon us.”

“I’m aware.”

“The mafias need a few... rats taken care of during the next few days of the festivities. They came to your wife.”

“Smart choice to get the job done quietly.”

Oh god, if your heart didn’t thrum at that small comment. It was strange, but there was his warmth behind that sentence -- something you couldn’t ever misplace when it was there. Apparently, neither could your mother. “Ever the flirt Reaper. You, the girls, and Marisol’s lover will leave Dorado tonight and head for Venice. You will escort the girls and Sol’s sweetheart is here to the villa -- You know where that is. Do you need sleep anymore?”

“No,”

“I figured. The girls will catch up on rest while you take on the task of doing something very talented with those hands~.”

“Ew.” Marisol groaned, as Olivia raised an eyebrow, their minds instantly in a disturbed gutter. 

Your mother smiled in amusement, her smile akin to the Cheshire Cat. “Sol, your mind is filthy. I was referring to your father’s remarkable ability to design the most fabulous articles of clothing I’ve ever seen in my entire life. If I know Gabriel, he’d never let any of you walk about the masquerade activities in basic gowns and masks.”

Gabriel felt his hand itch a bit at the thought of creating clothing for you again. He did it all the time when you two were together for every occasion. Gabriel would insist you try them all on so he could make adjustments -- but in the end all clothes (including his) just ended up either on the floor or draped over whatever was nearby The things this man could get done in a mere day if he really locked himself into a room was incredible. “I’ll need materials and fabrics of high caliber. I don’t use cheap shit.”

“I am but a cash cow when it comes to your creations.” Your mother chirped. “I have a huge parlor full or mirrors -- It’s all yours. When the clock strikes one a.m., you and (Y/N) shall rendezvous at the main square of the event here in Venice. Her kills are to be done between midnight and one, so she shouldn’t be late. You will have plenty of time to chat then.”

“Right,”

Your mother smiled at you before speaking into the communicator. “Safe travels to you all; see you at sunrise. Hermes; Close the channel.”

You exhaled deeply as the channel closed once more, the orange disappearing from her screen as she looked at you haughtily, picking up her glass of wine once more. You couldn’t help but just stare at her, honestly. How did she just manage to totally avoid the sheer drama you had expected had you been the one to be called?! She made everything emotional seem so fucking simple. The woman must’ve read your mind, because she responded as if you had voiced your question allowed. “ See, this is exactly why I killed my husbands and never took any of their last names. Emotions, especially when it comes to romance, are so messy to me. Better off just having my way and then ending their lives when I get bored.”

“You could always just end the relationship.” You replied, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh honey no. No man is allowed to love another after they’ve loved me. I learned that the hard way with your father. Walking out on us with some young ballerina he had been seeing for two years prior in secret; Unbelievable to this day, really. She ended up killing him in the end too -- I should’ve just done it.”

“You’re so fucked up.”

“So is love.” She shrugged.

Well... she wasn’t wrong...

[jonasmaurer]

2019 Holiday Gift Guide for Her

Hi friends! Happy Monday and happy Thanksgiving week! I usually wait a little longer to post my gift guides, but since I realized that many of you are shopping this week (like me!) I figured we could get the party started! I always have so much fun putting these together and love hearing about your gift ideas. If you have any great gift ideas for moms, sisters, BFFs, aunts, or something on your personal wish list, please share in the comments! Let’s have a virtual shopping party.

These are all ideas that I think would make awesome gifts this holiday season. They vary in price points and many items on the list below are things that I use and love (or have my eye on for myself heh heh).

2019 Holiday Gift Guide for Her

  For the fitness lover:

Wireless sport headphones. The Pilot and I both have these and LOVE them. I’m kind of weird about how headphones fit my ears and despise hard plastic, and these are soft and cushy. 

A 40-oz Hydroflask. I carry this one around with me everywhere.

My favorite leggings ever. They’re not super expensive, have a flattering high waist, are thick, dreamy fabric, and come in quite a few different colors.

The super cute cropped long-sleeved top.

The softest crops. Like buttah.

My go-to crosstraining sneakers. It’s kind of an addiction over here. 

Makeup and skincare gifts:

Rosewood lip trio. This color is supposed to be flattering on every skin tone. I can’t wait for mine to get here!

This gorgeous toasted eyeshadow palette.

A jade roller and gua sha set. This is the one I use every night before bed. I’ve read a lot about these, and am a huge believer or “use it or lose it” when it comes to the muscles in your face. This helps to stimulate blood flow and increase circulation, and I’ve found that it decreases puffiness.

A buttercup blow dryer kit.

Counter + skincare essentials. All of the Beautycounter faves including the overnight peel, new lotus cleansing stick, brightening facial oil (plant-based oils and vitamin C) and charcoal mask. (Bonus: it’s 15% off right now and free shipping on orders over $50!)

The best brow essentials.

A Phlur perfume or candle. I avoided perfumes for years because of the ingredients – I used an essential oil roll-on instead – and finally found one with clean ingredients that’s nontoxic. The Ameline smells like a dream (so floral and girly) and I also love Hamani.

Jewelry and accessories:

LOVE these glitter studs.

This bangle that looks super pricey but isn’t.

The perfect leather tote.

A Dagne Dover tote.

This beautiful pendant. It’s gorgeous IRL.

Fashion finds:

Wubby fleece pullover. This is a fall and winter essential. SO comfortable and warm.

Spanx faux leather leggings. These are incredibly flattering and the faux leather adds a nice detail that isn’t too over-the-top.

My Christmas list lounge top.

This leather camera bag.

This leopard sweater!

For moms, aunts, and grandmothers:

The best pajamas.

A packing cube set.

A luxe sleep mask. (I can’t live without mine!)

A super cozy throw.

A succulent gift box.

A luxe and comfy cardigan.

Experiences and personalized gifts:

– Plan a fun girls’ night out with cocktails and a show or a movie

– A class pass or punch card to her favorite workout studio

– Treat your friend to a spa service (bonus points if they serve lunch + champagne)

– Shopping for a new mom (or any mom)? Attach a little note that says, “Good for one nice long nap or some time alone, whenever you need it.” And let her use it! I promise you’ll make her whole day. 

So friends: what’s on your personal wish list this year? Any great gift ideas for your BFF or the ladies in your family?

xo

Gina

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  *Note: none of my gift guides are sponsored, and companies are not able to purchase spots on my gift guides. These are all items I curated myself and genuinely think they’d make awesome gifts for someone you love. Affiliate links are included, which don’t affect purchase price but enable me to earn a small kickback. Thank you so much for supporting this little blog. <3

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[alexsfictionaddiction]

20 Years Of Harry Potter: A Generation Raised By Magic

19th December 1999, my ninth birthday. It’s early evening and bitterly cold outside but I’m in the warm cosy living room of my house, Christmas tree twinkling behind me, wrapping paper strewn everywhere and close family surrounding me. My aunt hands me a box and I excitedly tear into it, just as I have with all of my other presents. It’s a cardboard box with three hardback books inside. They’re all by a writer called J.K Rowling and they all seem to be about a boy called Harry Potter. The covers are bright and the illustrations on the front looked incredibly intriguing. As a child who enjoyed reading but who was at an age where books’ level of coolness was in doubt, I thanked my aunt politely and set the books to one side. Yes, they looked interesting but what if I started reading them and couldn’t stop? What if I found that I wanted to take them to school? Would I be laughed at for reading during playtime which was widely known as time to gossip about which boys we fancied and which magazine came with the best free lipgloss? Afraid of sacrificing any kind of street cred that I definitely didn’t have, I shelved the books. For months, just before I went to sleep, the spines winked at me from the top of the small bookcase in my bedroom. Until one day the following summer...

July 2000. My nan’s house. She is telling us how she’d been in town when she’d seen that there was a book signing at the big bookshop in the local shopping centre. Word had it that this author’s books are on the brink of exploding out into the world and she was signing the new one in store. Nan went in and immediately got six signed copies -one for each of her grandchildren- and now she is handing them out to each of us. We had to keep them in pristine condition forever as the handwritten signature on the title page meant that they’d be worth a lot of money one day. Nan gives me my copy of the huge book -much bigger than anything I’ve ever read before- and I look at the cover. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire? J.K Rowling? This is a sign. A sign that I simply have to read those books that have been staring at me every night for six months. 

Back at home, I slip Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone out of the box and turn the front cover. At age nine years and seven months, I didn’t know that my life was about to change. I didn’t know that I would read this book again. I didn’t know that this book and its sequels would have such a monumental impact in how I grew up. I didn’t know that I would grow up still reading it and I didn’t know that I would get something different every time, shaped by the events of my life. 

16th November 2001. I am almost 11 years old. I have devoured all four of the Harry Potter books that exist (yes, even that precious signed copy) and I am obsessed. My parents are taking my brother and I to the cinema because some genius person has decided to make Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone into a film. It's opening night and the cinema is packed but I may as well be alone. I am completely mesmerised. Seeing my favourite characters (who are my age!) looking almost exactly like they do in my imagination splashed across the huge screen like that fills me with a huge rush of wonder. I'm only a month away from being old enough to go to Hogwarts myself -I can’t wait. My letter will surely come in September.

Sadly it’s now June 2017, I am 26 and a half and I’m still waiting on my Hogwarts letter. However, I’ve revisited Hogwarts time and time again over the years. It has comforted me, supported me and entertained me endlessly. I’ve seen these characters through their difficult teenage years and in turn, they’ve seen me through mine. For the last few years, they’ve been helping me through my battle with anxiety and depression as the steadfast friends they’ve always been. As I grew up and as the phenomenon that is Harry Potter grew, I’ve found friends who love the magical world just as much as I do, both in real life and all over the world. Together, we are a real life version of Dumbledore’s Army fighting real monsters while rolling around in our beautiful weirdness. I no longer worry about being thought of as uncool for reading (thanks Hermione). In fact, I shout my love of books and Harry Potter in particular all over the internet. So I asked the Potterheads of my online community -What does Harry Potter mean to you? Here are the responses I received:

“I first read the books when I was nine or ten. The third book had just come out and it was just starting to gain popularity in the States. I remember becoming so enthralled in the story that I talked about it non-stop until my aunt bought me the second book just to keep me distracted so she could talk to my sister (it worked!). From there, I grew up with Harry. It felt like, as his adventures grew darker and more challenging, so did the real world. He and his friends were relatable at times and role-models at others. Their bravery kept me inspired and motivated to face challenges that I'd otherwise be afraid of. And it wasn't just me - every time I started a new school, or went to a new summer camp, or moved to a new neighborhood, there were people who had also grown up with Harry Potter and it was suddenly like we'd known each other for years, having been to Hogwarts together, with the same friends and adventures to talk about. Now as an adult, it's given me hope and courage when I needed it most. It taught me that no matter how bad things get, there's still love, happiness, and hope if you choose to seek it out. It's comforted me at times of great loss and encouraged me in times of fear. With the Harry Potter books close by, I never feel alone.” - Little Word Weaver

“I am 47 and HP means more to me today than it ever has. A lot of people in the US are let down and scared and anxious because of the recent presidential election. For 3-4 months after the election, I read and listened to the books and watched the movies over and over and over every single night. Now every day I do one of those things. I read, listen or watch, even if just for a few minutes. The world of Harry Potter makes me feel happy, at ease and at home. When I am sad, anxious or depressed, I reach for HP. I thank JK Rowling for giving us Hogwarts and I will live there in my heart forever.“ - Kara Middleton

“Harry Potter let me know it was cool to be a reader that there were other people out there who enjoyed reading just as much as I did. To this day I still love the sense of camaraderie that comes from meeting other fans of the books. The books themselves also made me laugh, cry and feel more than I thought any book could at that point and gave me the drive to want to write something myself one day that can make people feel too.“ - Em Brady

“To me it means everything. It was my childhood to begin with. It was what made me dream and believe that magic is real and it's everywhere and that even the darkest darkness can be beat with a little bit of light. I lived as a child trying to find the same feeling of family and home in every fantasy book. This was growing up. This was living, learning how to be a friend, how to be brave and how to love and deal with loss and happiness. Harry Potter was everything to me.“ - catarinathebookworm

“I read Harry Potter 1-4 when I was in fifth grade, almost 16 years ago. I am with you on at first it was such a fun, great reading experience and spurred my love of reading so much more. When the fifth book came out I was in P.A visiting my grandparents and uncle and he went out and stood in line to get it for us, brought it back, and read chapters out loud to me and my 4 siblings while we laid on the ground around him. Harry Potter has such a special meaning for everyone but for me it is family, love, adventure, bravery, standing up for what's right and what you believe in, being kind (even when you have a first year following you around with a camera), being able to defy peer expectations, family expectations, and always having a choice to be your own person despite how you were raised.” - Christeena (Game of Tomes)

“ For me it is essentially my transition into full adulthood. I didn't discover Harry Potter properly until Goblet of Fire at which point I was 17 years old and studying for my A Levels. I was kind of working out who I was and who I wanted to be. It was also when I realised university wasn't going to be an option for me as my mum had just been diagnosed with cancer. I instead got an evening job so I could look after her in the day and work in the evenings when my dad was home. Life went on between the Harry Potter releases. My mum had radiotherapy then an operation, then was diagnosed again and had a lung removed and then they discovered it again in her hip and they are currently still watching it as it's in an awkward location. It was a trying time for our family and Harry Potter definitely helped me through it. It enabled me to disappear into a magical world. Deathly Hallows holds a particularly special place because I had been made redundant from my job and decided with some of my redundancy money to go to Australia with my best friend at the time. While there the last Harry Potter book was released and I still remember reading it by the pool of our hostel all day (It was released at midday in Oz). So while it was with me through difficult times it also brings happy memories and I do feel that I grew into myself a little just like Harry and the others did in the series.” - carefulofbooks

“It means hope and everything that hopes brings. Like the phrase Dumbledore said in the Prisoner of Azkaban sums it up pretty well for me ‘Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.’ That's what Harry Potter means to me.“ - Rei RedReads

“For me I take a few things from a few characters. For example Hermione even though she was a bookworm, she could still kick butt when she had to. Ron and Neville show that even if you're not great at one thing that doesn't mean that you should quit or give up. As for Harry even though there are dark times, there is always hope and light. In all, Harry Potter means you shouldn't give up and always believe in those close to you.“ - Tay

“Harry Potter is, first and foremost, the reason why I learned English. This is pretty big because English plays a huge part in my life these days. For example, I have a YouTube channel in English, I studied English Literature at university and I use English every day at work - none of which would have been possible without Harry Potter. Also, Harry Potter helped me a lot when kids in high school made fun of me. I had a place to escape to in my darkest moments, and whenever I turned to the Harry Potter books for comfort, they never failed to deliver.” - Silvia Kay

“Harry Potter for me, isn’t just about the magic or the action. I read Harry Potter and get sucked into the life, into the relationships and laughter that surrounds the series. Reading about the relationships between Molly and her children, Harry and Sirius, and Hermione and the elves makes my heart all warm and fuzzy and there is always a good time to read about mischievous Peeves. Its appeal is endless. I’ve read HP throughout my teenage years and beyond and each time I read the series I find out something new, or remember something that I had forgotten about. I’m a Hufflepuff, my Patronus is a cat and I will forever relate to Luna Lovegood and Trevor.” - @NoonyLovegood

“I was around 7 when the first film came out and stubbornly refusing to read. I could read I just didn't. My older siblings had read the books and were excited about the film. I wanted to go too -typical tag-along sister- and my parents saw an opportunity. I couldn't go and see the film unless I read the book. I sat down grumpily to read this book, fully expecting to sludge through it just to get to the popcorn based prize at the end. Instead I got sucked into the story and read the whole book in one weekend. I was transported by JK's detailed world. The magic was so real and believable that I begged my dad to take me to London to find the Leaky Cauldron with its secret entrance to Diagon Alley. (Then I read Chamber of Secrets, which scared the pants off me and gave me nightmares.) Harry Potter taught me to love reading and gave me an escape over the years. I reread the books at least once a year and never tire of them. The films were just as magical. No matter how much had to be changed or cut for the screen, they're still ranked up there with some of the best film adaptations of all time. The characters are so real that despite the differences -being able to use magic, or being half giant, a Death Eater, or werewolf- you relate to them in so many different ways. Even though they're fiction they've taught me so much.” - @dozyrozy

“I was introduced to the Harry Potter world through my daughter at the time when one of the movies was out. I took her to see it and I was hooked. Years later a friend of my husband gave me most of the HP ebooks to read. I just wish I was of the younger generation to grow with what was happening at the time. I think the series is well written, great plots, great adventure and just wished something like that was around when I was young.” - @walkingfortheloveofbooks

“I started reading them when I was 7, just after the first movie was released. My mum hates hyped things so I didn’t see the film and avoided most of the hype about it. But when we were in the supermarket one night I picked up Prisoner of Azkaban and she caught me holding it and asked if I wanted to buy it. I can’t remember if I was so surprised I put it in the trolley knowing it was the 3rd book or if I just didn’t even know. But I still remember laughing at specific sections and falling in love with the world and the stories. After that, I really got into reading and I decided at 7 that I wanted to be a writer so I could create wonderful stories to make other people happy. And since each of the books in the series were bought as presents or at midnight launches, it feels a lot more special, like my childhood. Also, whenever I was upset or having a difficult time, I could pick up the books and feel less alone with my problems.” - @coffee_stars_books

In June 1990, Joanne Rowling was looking to move into a flat in Manchester with her boyfriend. Speaking about the origins of the series, Rowling says "One weekend after flat hunting, I took the train back to London on my own and the idea for Harry Potter fell into my head... A scrawny, little, black-haired, bespectacled boy became more and more of a wizard to me... I began to write Philosopher's Stone that very evening.” By 1995, the book was finished but it was rejected by 12 publishing companies, most of which claimed it was ‘too long for a children’s book’ at around 90,000 words. Eventually, the chairman of a relatively new publishing house Bloomsbury acquired the manuscript and took it home without reading it. It was there that his eight-year-old daughter read it and told her father that it was ‘so much better than anything else’. After months of her asking him what came next, Bloomsbury agreed to publish it on an initial print run of just 500 copies. 

26th June 2017 marks the 20th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. That’s an entire generation who have grown up with the boy wizard and his adventures. To many of us who are a part of this magical generation and some of those who aren’t, the world that Rowling started to create in June 1990 stretches far beyond the pages and the screen. It has touched our lives in countless ways and made huge impacts on our lives. It has guided us through dark times, laughed with us through good times and encouraged us to dream and believe in the impossible. The magic taught at Hogwarts may not exist but that hardly matters. The fact that a rejected manuscript of 20 years ago is still inspiring children to read whilst simultaneously giving immense hope and happiness to its original, now adult, readers is a magic that is undoubtedly very very real. After all this time, Hogwarts will Always be there to welcome you home. 

[bobfox504]

Lg Stylo Screen Mirroring

Lg Stylo 4 Screen Mirroring

Lg Stylo Screen Mirror

Screen Mirroring Download

Released 2019, June 179g, 8.4mm thickness Android 9.0 32GB storage, microSDXC

0.6%413,600 hits

6.2'

1080x2160 pixels

13MP

3GB RAM

Snapdragon 450

3500mAh

Express who you are to the world with the new LG Stylo™ 6 — the device that enhances your #MobileLife, and all the ways you live it. Whether you’re experiencing, creating or sharing content, Stylo gives you unlimited potential, even if you’re on a limited budget. Hopefully, you’ve succeed screen mirroring your LG STYLO phone to your TV. So that you can have much more fun to display your photos and your mobile cell phone on the biggest screen. While having a leisure time with your friends and family. With the correct tools and software, you can easily screen mirror your LG G5 to a TV. For those interested in getting the most out of your LG device, then make sure to check out LGs wireless charging pad, external portable battery pack, and the Fitbit Charge HR Wireless Activity Wristband for the ultimate experience with your LG device. Q Does LG Stylo 5 support screen mirroring or chromecast A Yes LG Stylo 5 supports screen mirroring or Chromecast feature. Does this phone have screen mirroring – Learn about LG - Stylo 5+ - Aurora Black (AT&T) with 1 Answer – Best Buy Sep 18, 2020 One lesser-known but powerful feature of the Amazon Fire TV Stick is the ability to mirror. The Wi-Fi Screen Share function on your LG TV seamlessly allows you to share what's on your compatible smartphone, tablet, or PC screen using Wi-Fi Direct or Intel WiDi (provided that your device is WiDi enabled). The great part is that both methods connect to each other directly over their own wireless signal and do not require you to be.

NetworkTechnologyGSM / HSPA / LTE2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 4G bands2, 4, 5, 12, 14, 29, 30, 66SpeedHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A

LaunchAnnounced2019, JuneStatusAvailable. Released 2019, June

BodyDimensions160 x 77.7 x 8.4 mm (6.30 x 3.06 x 0.33 in)Weight179 g (6.31 oz)SIMNano-SIMStylus

DisplayTypeIPS LCDSize6.2 inches, 99.2 cm2 (~79.8% screen-to-body ratio)Resolution1080 x 2160 pixels, 18:9 ratio (~390 ppi density)

PlatformOSAndroid 9.0 (Pie)ChipsetQualcomm SDM450 Snapdragon 450 (14 nm)CPUOcta-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A53GPUAdreno 506

MemoryCard slotmicroSDXC (dedicated slot)Internal32GB 3GB RAMeMMC 5.1

Main CameraSingle13 MP, PDAFFeaturesLED flash, panorama, HDRVideo1080p@30fps

Selfie cameraSingle5 MPVideo1080p@30fps

SoundLoudspeakerYes3.5mm jackYes

CommsWLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspotBluetooth4.2, A2DP, LEGPSYes, with A-GPSNFCNoRadioNoUSBUSB Type-C 2.0

FeaturesSensorsFingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, proximity

BatteryTypeLi-Ion 3500 mAh, non-removable

MiscColorsBlonde Rose, Platinum GrayModelsLM-Q720PriceAbout 200 EUR

Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct. Read more

Lg Stylo 4 Screen Mirroring

LG Stylo 5 - user opinions and reviews

info

IL8

The stylus is in the bottom of the phoneJust pull it out

Anonymous

IbG

Amazon sells em for 6 bucks

Anonymous

49Z

Lg Stylo 5 is garbage and a total let down. had poor experience with lg support as well. phone didnt last 2 years with above average care, no cracks. Verizon offers $1.80 for trade in credit lmao what a joke. purchased from best buy and they would do...

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Ive got a new LG Stylo 5, is there a way to screen mirror to a tv with no internet connection? The tv is not a smart tv but has HDMI in. I have no Internet access other than the 4g lte on the phone, no wifi available.

Answers

December 17, 2019, 5:51 pmedited December 2019

Sockbag, you can mirror to the TV but an external Bluetooth device would be required if the TV isn't a Smart TV. But most devices require Bluetooth for screen mirroring rather than Wi- Fi.

I have the LG Stylo 5 & a Philips Smart TV I've been trying for days to connect it thru the TVs Wireless Screencasting but it has not worked. I don't have any connection gadgets or Wi-Fi available as I use the hotspot of my phone when I need to use Wi-Fi. But I don't want my screencasting to eat up my monthly gigabytes. Is there a way to connect them? What am I doing wrong if that is the issue. I tried apps but none so far have helped. Is there anything I can download to get screencasting on my notification panel? At this point I'll try anything as I am always home due to health & I use Amazon Prime a lot which I would rather see on my tv than my phone. Any help is appreciated.

did you ever get help with this issue? i have a phillips smart tv a roku tv and have no internet or wifi not where i live and i cant figure out how to screen mirror either. i have tried the wifi direct and it shows on both my phone and my tv that they are connected but it doesnt show my screen on the tv. it says its playing but thats all it does. please let me know cause it's driving me nuts. thank you

I'm experiencing the same issue except I'm using a device that allows to you screenshare without Wifi enabled. Unfortunately there is no way to screenshare without enabling wifi. And then when you enable it, it doesn't show the video.

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[windycityparrot]

Do birds really need that mysterious but pervasive cuttlebone in their bird cage?

Like hard working catchers of the MLB we get questions tossed to us day in and day out. Questions are my favorite part of words. The answers to questions enlighten us and make it better regardless of our endeavor. What size cuttlebone should I put my bird’s cage? How effective is cuttlebone at reducing the length of my bird’s beak? “What a long strange trip it’s been” lyrics that you may know as part of a Grateful Dead song and a tribute to Jerry Garcia but the title of the compilation comes from the lyrics of one of Robert Hunter's most famous songs, the line from "Truckin": Lately it occurs to me: What a long, strange trip it's been. Robert Hunter was probably the Grateful Dead’s most prolific lyricist - There’s never a right place to digress, is there? Have you ever gone out for a drive on a motor scooter or a four wheeled terrestrial vehicle and ended up in another state? That’s the feeling I got while researching cuttlefish. Cuttlefish is a subject that got complicated really fast because it’s far more fascinating than I ever thought. As caged bird keepers we think of cuttlebone as this oblong piece of white brittle thing that belongs in every bird’s cage. Turns out this mundane piece of brittle bone comes from a mollusk who is one of the most intelligent invertebrates we’ve come to find. It's part of the family known as Cephalopods like squids and octopuses (that is actually grammatically correct thank you) Would an octopus be a ringer on the Bachelorette having 3 hearts to be broken?  

your cuttlebone started out looking something like this The first human to look at a cuttle fish and said "that would make a great bird cage accessory" mimicking the first human who looked at a silkworm and said "that would make a great shirt," got their inspiration from.......? More elusive insights - sigh. Anyone who has ever held a cuttlebone in their hand probably didn’t give it much thought behind “this must be some sort of fish bone.” Before it went crispy white it was part of a cuttlefish’s skeletal anatomy. Where nature gave birds hollow bones reducing the animal's weight enabling flight, nature filled cuttlefish bones with gas. Modern-day submarines mimic cuttlefish. By releasing or filling the chambers in their own bones they are able to control their buoyancy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDwOi7HpHtQ From Wikipedia: A cuttlefish possesses an internal structure called the cuttlebone, which is porous and is made of aragonite. The pores provide it with buoyancy, which it regulates by changing the gas-to-liquid ratio in the chambered cuttlebone via the ventralsiphuncle. Each species of cuttlebone has a distinct shape, size, and pattern of ridges or texture. The cuttlebone is unique to cuttlefish, and is one of the features that distinguish them from their squid relatives. Jewelers and silversmiths traditionally use cuttlebones as molds for casting small objects but they are probably better known as the tough material given to parakeets and other caged birds as a source of dietary calcium. End Wikipedia Fun factoid: at the turn of the 20th century cuttlebone was used as an ingredient in toothpaste. Here’s the thing. We stick a cuttlebone into our bird's cage because “that’s the way it’s always been done.” Some caged bird keepers do dig a little deeper and realize that cuttlebone is considered a calcium supplement given to small birds to provide them with additional calcium. This product is produced from the skeleton of cuttlefish and is composed primarily of calcium carbonate. Although cuttlebone has prevented a lot of birds from developing calcium deficiencies, this form of calcium supplementation is not the ideal way to provide calcium because calcium carbonate is difficult to absorb and big birds are often too destructive to use this form of calcium supplementation efficiently. The only birds that really need cuttlebone are gestating females as the production of eggs depletes the calcium in the birds body. Calcium supplements are highly recommended, more so than cuttlebones for larger gestating birds. if you're not familiar with cuttlebone, here's two budgies enjoying themselves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1ocY-AGuzE Large parrots like Macaws and Cockatoos are so destructive that a piece of cuttlebone is like Ulysses S Grant leading the Union Army to victory over the Confederacy in the American Civil War.   Cuttlebone should also not be considered as a beak conditioner. It is too fragile and though it might help slightly with smaller bird beaks you should seek out an actual beak conditioning product to achieve that goal. (he's weaving again) Anyone remember Billy Pilgrim in the Kurt Vonnegut novel Slaughter House Five? Billy got unstuck in time while watching an old war movie American planes full of holes and wounded men and corpses took off backwards from an airfield in England. Over France, a few German fighter planes flew at them backwards, sucked bullets and shell fragments from some of the planes and crewmen. They did the same for wrecked American bombers on the ground, and those planes flew up backwards to join the formation. Read more here. Do I get  unstuck in time? I’m not saying. But I think about that when I talk about the reversal of a timeline. Starting with a cuttlebone in a cage being returned to us. We then send it back to the the distributor who sends it back to the processor who returns it to the fishing vessel where it ends up crawling around on the bottom of the deep blue sea. Although the cuttlefish still dies at the end of my new movie, it’s because it happily ended up on our dinner plates. It would be a great center of the plate start of a healthy nutritious meal. Grilled cuttlebone - Would you ever have imagined something you feed your bird is far more nutritious for you, just in a different form? I’m a type II diabetic and this would make an ideal diabetic friendly dinner (has anyone ever eaten cooked cuttlefish?) with less than 10 carbohydrates in a 6 oz portion yet providing 55 g of protein. Who’d a thunk it? written by mitch rezman approved by catherine tobsing turtles love cuttlebone too! your zygodactyl footnote   Read the full article

[sherryfundin]

Double the Fun Giveaway – Witches I & II by Kathryn Meyer Griffith @KathrynG64

A perfect story to share for HALLOWEEN.

Kathryn Meyer Griffith writes some fantastic stories that I love and she has just come out with the sequel to Witches. It can be bought individually or in this special edition of both stories…and is available at a fantastic price of $7.99 in Kindle, OR, the original WITCHES is ON SALE for the first time ever, for the rest of this month at $2.99 instead of the usual $5.99.

Be sure and scroll down for the great giveaway and Kathryn’s fun question.

Here’s looking at you…

Goodreads  /  Amazon US  /  Amazon UK  /  Amazon CA

MY REVIEW FOR WITCHES I

A curse, reincarnation, familiars, a battle between good and evil, Witches by Kathryn Meyer Griffith is loaded with many witch things that tease and titillate your paranormal and supernatural desires.

I have been watching Charmed (a TV series) reruns for a long time now, so it is easy to visualize all the going on, from familiars to scrying to all the powers needed for the battle coming Amanda’s way.

Amanda is a good witch and a good person, lonely since the death of her husband. She has her family and some friends in her isolated surroundings and she will need them. The selfless love she spreads and gives to others freely, asking for nothing in return makes me feel she deserves only the best.

The familiars are faithful companions and can be amusing at time. I couldn’t help but laugh at Tibby, a mouse familiar. I can see him throwing his little paws in the air in frustration.

Murders.

It will be Amanda and her familiar, Amadeus, against the diabolical cult that is killing the residents of Canaan. She is a bit naive, unwilling to believe the danger that stalks her and I want to be with her, fighting at her side, making things right for her.

The witch hunt puts a target on her back and it is worse than she thought. The battle between good and evil will take all she has to survive.

The sense of evil and foreboding of what is to come was present from the opening pages. The grisly murders, the impromptu storms, and the death and destruction run rampant in Canaan.

I didn’t see the direction Kathryn would take for this unusual witch’s tale and the world I would be in. Her vivid descriptions and detailed, complex characters make me love and hate them…but Amanda…

The terrible things Kathryn puts her through come alive on the pages. She is not afraid to make her characters suffer, sometimes killing them off, making me love her writing, because I have to stay on my toes and be ready for the surprises she will spring on me.

The writing is outstanding, but I am not surprised by Kathryn’s ability to bring this magical world to life, making me devour the words, unable to stop, wanting to know…

Kathryn Meyer Griffith takes WITCHES to a whole new level, keeping the suspense rising,the pacing constant. I am anxious, curious, surprised, amazed, fearful, terrified as read of Amanda and those around her as demons and black magic rise and good magic fights back.

  5 Stars

MY REVIEW FOR WITCHES II

I do not want to spoil the fun, though I took a lot of notes, I discarded most of them.

I loved Amanda’s belief that trees could tell the past…and sometimes the future. Amanda is a white witch and a Guardian. When she talks of poofing in and out, it made me think of Charmed, the TV show, and orbing. Because I became familiar to the supernatural world through Charmed and Supernatural, it enabled me to visualize so much of the story almost making it seem real.

The characters have one foot in the real world and the other in the supernatural world. Talk about having a tough life.

A feeling of something terrible coming and not all my friends will make it out alive hovers over the pages. Kathryn makes me fall in love with her characters…then she kills them off, so be forewarned.

“You look like a black smurf.” Amanda tells her sister, Rebecca, who is dressed all in black.

“And you, Amanda darling, look like the good witch Glinda from the Wizard of Oz in that cream colored outfit.” They chitchat as they get ready for ‘the party.’

The last time she’d followed her sister into a crowd of witches, she’d ended up drinking a little too much and flying races on fake broomsticks. I can picture it with the great writing that takes me to that special place I love to dwell.

Kathryn Meyer Griffith has a way with words, bringing her characters and their world to life in vivid detail. WOW! Loaded with action, suspense, creativity, world building, and character development that had me eating it up.

It may be possible for Witches II to stand alone, but I would definitely recommend starting at the beginning. The story is told, but could there be a Witches III?

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Witches II by Kathryn Meyer Griffith.

   5 Stars

Read more and enter the giveaway here.

You can see my Giveaways HERE.

You can see my Reviews HERE.

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Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.

Thanks for visiting!

[northshorehealthandfitness]

the easiest homemade cauliflower tots (gluten-free, low carb)

Hey hey! Happy Tuesday! How’s the day treating ya? Hope you’re having a great one. I’ve got an easy cauliflower tot recipe for you below!

Yesterday ending up being a busy one over here! In addition to the Monday shuffle, I taught a morning barre class, caught a quick Peloton 30-minute cycling class (to country music! It would not be my #1 music genre of choice, but I loved it!),

(Source. I had to borrow a pic since the one I took on my IG stories disappeared already)

and also spoke at an event centered around Aging Well. The owner of Art + Soul (<— where the yoga studio is located) asked me to speak a while ago. While I loathe public speaking -I can teach fitness classes all day but ask me to talk to a group and I turn into a shaky, awkward goober- I decided to go for it. I love Angela (the owner) and wanted to help out, plus, you can’t get better if you don’t practice, right? 

Here’s a little snippet of my 15-minute breakout session on health and fitness:

(Writing this post helped me practice what I was going to say! It was actually pretty challenging for me to put together because there’s SO MUCH I wanted to talk about, but I had three 15-minute rounds, and wanted it to be something that wasn’t super technical.)

Let’s start off with a question: raise your hand if you think health and fitness is easy.

[No one raised their hand.]

That’s exactly right. Living a fit and healthy lifestyle can be really HARD.

We have jobs, families, social lives, friends, chores, 

and there’s a lot of conflicting information out there. It can be really confusing to hear that you need to be Paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian, Keto, whatever, all in the same day. 

But when you strip down the fluff from some of the most successful diet and eating plans, they actually have a lot in common, and I’m going to break it down for you.

They focus on real food: food that comes from the earth, not from a factory.

They focus on some type on movement, whether it’s strength training, cardio, Pilates, yoga, or a mix of different training strategies. 

They focus on steps that you can maintain consistently.

Whenever I make a health and fitness change, I ask myself if it’s something I want to do forever. If the answer is no, then it probably isn’t a good idea. If it’s too hard to maintain on a long-term basis, it will likely lead to burnout and feeling like a “failure.” So often I hear people say that they “fell off the wagon.” There is no wagon! And usually it’s because they were trying to do something that wasn’t maintainable for the long haul.

Consistency is the key to long-term success.

When you want to make a change, start with one thing, and build onto it each week.

Some things you can do right now:

1) EAT. Eat whole, healthy foods. Eat like a PRO, with an emphasis on PROtein and PROduce in each meal and snack. Try to have green veggies or a salad at least once a day for fiber and nutrients. Try to eat the rainbow, with a variety of colors and textures. 

2) MOVE. If you’ve been sitting at the desk or watching your favorite show for an hour, take a break to walk around, have a little dance party or stretch. 

[We did the desk stretches from this post as a way to show we can still be moving while we’re seated.]

Try wearing a Fitbit or something similar to count your steps. Even if you don’t officially work out -you don’t have to scan your key card at the gym for it to count as a workout- you may be getting in plenty of movement.

3) SLEEP. Focus on getting quality sleep each night. Some people need 7 hours, others need 8 hours, some people need 10. (I personally love 10, but my kids don’t agree with me on that one.) Quality sleep will enable the body to repair and restore itself. When you don’t sleep enough, it can increase cortisol which encourages the body to hold onto fat. 

Along with consistency, another key factor is motivation. Make sure that you’re doing the things you LIKE to do, and you’re much more likely to stick with it. If you hate kickboxing, don’t sign up for a kickboxing gym thinking you’ll go everyday. Sign up for the dance class that makes you excited, or even just walk for 20-30 minutes each day listening to an audiobook. Friends and family members can be awesome for motivation, too. They make great workout or cooking buddies!

I opened the floor up for questions (we talked a lot about crash dieting, easy goals to set, extra ways to get in veggies, and why macro counting can be a bad idea), and then spent the rest of the evening gabbing and eating snacks with all of the ladies.

It was an amazing event, and I was so grateful to be included in the fun.

Easy Baked Cauliflower Tots

For today, I have a new snack recipe for ya! I’ve seen these homemade veggie tots floating around the Pinterest machine, and decided to try and make my own. When I made them, I thought about how I’m the only person in our family who likes cauliflower, so more for me? 

A lot of the cauliflower tot recipes floating around involve two things that I don’t love: chopping cauliflower in the food processor, and shredding cheese. Ain’t got time for that.

Thank goodness for the cauliflower convenience packs popping around everywhere. This one is the winner: it has cheese already in it. (which would also make this cauliflower bread sandwich extra convenient!)

All I had to do was heat it up to melt the cheese, stir in some almond flour, spices, roll into cute little tot shapes,

and bake it up. 

They were so easy to make, and P and I ended up eating the entire batch! 

I was trying to take pictures, and her little hand snuck into the frame.

And then she said, “These are mine now.”

They’re so cheesy, gluten-free, low in carb, and an awesome way to get in extra veggies. We dipped ours into Primal Kitchen goddess dressing (from Thrive Market) but they would be bomb with some marinara sauce.

Here’s the quick and easy recipe if you want to give it a try!

EASY Baked Cauliflower Tots

2017-09-19 10:51:51

Yields 12

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Ingredients

1 frozen pack of riced cauliflower with cheese- 10 oz

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350

In a large saucepan, heat a little oil on medium and add the riced cauliflower mix. Heat through until the cheese is melted- don't let it get too hot.

Remove from heat and stir in the almond flour and spices.

Make little tot shapes and place on a greased baking dish or cookie sheet.

Bake for 25-28 minutes, until lightly browned.

Serve with Ranch dressing, marinara or Buffalo sauce!

The Fitnessista http://ift.tt/2gJS44w

Public speaking: yay or nay?

Country music while working out: yay or nay?

Current fave veggie side?

Have a wonderful day and I’ll see ya soon!

xoxo

Gina

PS. Don’t forget to sign up for Barre Bootcamp here!

The post the easiest homemade cauliflower tots (gluten-free, low carb) appeared first on The Fitnessista.

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