#tie dye is my new favourite thing to draw

[whimsicaldimples]

Fanart for the Dominion Day Video. Drew all the charas that i didn’t draw in the episode itself.

[chipadequeso]

the burning maze is on the top 3 of my favourite rrverse books no doubt. these three had a really cool dynamic too !!!!

[id: a digital black and white drawing of lester papadopoulos, meg mccaffrey and grover underwood. they are standing in that order from left to right. lester wears a dark hoodie, a plain shirt, pants that are raised up to below his knees and converse shoes. he has a bow strapped to his back. he's pointing before him, towards the viewer, with an angry look on his face. meg stands in front of him and grover, wearing a dress and leggings below it. she stands imposingly, her fists up in the air. grover is wearing a beanie, a tie-dye t-shirt, a purse, baggy pants and new balance shoes. he's holding onto the purse. he has a tired and worried expression. the whole thing is drawn with messy lineart.]

[patton-cake]

Past adventures and future experiences

Pairings: Logicality and very background Anaroceit, it's only mentioned.

Summary: The Christmas ball, a magical high school experience. At least that’s what it’s supposed to be. Patton knows that he has to ask Logan soon or else he might be too late. You know what? Forget it. There’s no way that Logan would want to be his date. 

Word count: 3635

Additional information: Merry Christmas Gabi! I had the honour to be your Secret Santa this year and I really hope that you're not disappointed with that! Anyway, I love you and I hope that you'll like my gift :D @irritating-lady-knight

~The Story~

Books had always been Patton's escape from this repetitive world. Sure, there were a lot of good things in the world and he certainly wasn't complaining, but sometimes it just feels nice to be somewhere else you know? To be away from your annoying teachers, who think that 25 homework assignments due next week is completely reasonable. To be away from that one feeling you get when you think that you've finished everything, but you're not 100% sure, and to be away from himself for once.

That's why Patton started to read.

When he was younger, his mom used to take him to the library every Tuesday afternoon. They would spend hours reading together about brave princes who saved princesses ("But what if I want to save a prince instead of a princess mama?" "You can save whoever you want Mon Étoile"), they learned about the most beautiful creatures, and one day, they met one of Patton's future best friends.

Logan would teach him everything he had learned about the stars and their different constellations, the planets and their little baby moons ("They're not their children Patton.") And in return, Patton would read him his favourite stories and take him on thrilling adventures.

Unfortunately, the boys grew older and with becoming older, came more responsibilities. School wasn't much of a problem for the two friends. They both enjoy learning and Patton even made a new friend (who he immediately introduced to Logan, because the two were and always will be a package deal). 

At the first sight, you would think that someone like Virgil would never become friends with someone like Patton. His dark black hair with faint purple dye, dark lether jacket decorated with punk rock pins and spiky boots have scared off a lot of people, but not Patton. Instead of running away, Patton basically adopted him.

Don't worry! He and Logan are still best friends! Patton has two hands and a lot of room in his heart, especially for someone like Logan.

  "Thinking about Nerd number 1 again huh?" Patton shook his head and blinked a few times, before completely zoning back into reality. Oh right, school. Virgil laughed at Patton's 'angry' glare and pointed behind him.

"Good news Pattycake, your sweetheart is coming this way."

Patton poked his side and grumbled "He's not my sweetheart!"

With a look of disbelief, Virgil stared at his best friend and rolled his eyes. "You two are basically married already! Roman and I have a bet that you two got married years ago somewhere in France, because that's totally the type of romantic Logan would pick, but just didn't invite us to the wedding."

"If you keep bullying me then no, I won't invite you to the wedding!" Patton tried to hold back his laughter, but failed completely.

"So there is going to be a wedding??"

Before Patton could react, he heard a quiet voice calling his name.

"Salutations Patton, Virgil. I hope your day has been satisfactory so far." Logan had a slight blush on his face and was anxiously fidgeting with his tie.

"Goodmorning Lo! We saved you a seat!"

A small smile appeared on Logan's face as he sat down next to Patton.

"So mr. and mr. Nerd, did you two already hear about the nightmare that is the Christmas ball?"

Oh right. The Christmas ball. The event of the year.

The Christmas ball was this party for everyone in their last year. It was a sort of last goodbye before they graduated. Basically their school just took prom and slapped a different name on it to feel special and creative.

"Yeay! I bet that you, Janus and Roman are going together huh?" Patton winked at him and gave him a bright smile. He had been so happy for his friend when he and Roman finally got together and even happier when later Janus got added to the relationship. They were really adorable with the three of them.

"Mhm! Roman wanted to do some big promposal, but fortunately for us, Janus managed to talk him out of it. But how about you Logan? Anyone you wanna ask?"

Oh gosh Patton was going to kill Virgil. His friend knew that he wanted to ask Logan. In fact, he had tried to ask him like 5 times already, but every time he was about to pop the question, his anxiety took over and he asked some other random thing. This had lead him to asking Logan about the way ducks keep floating, their math homework and random facts about ladybugs instead. Patton truly was hopeless.

"Logan? Are you blushing? Now you gotta tell!" Virgil leaned over the table with a mischievous smile on his face.

"I did no such thing, but yes, I suppose there is someone I'd like to go with." Unfortunately for Logan, his face only turned darker red, which made Virgil laugh harder.

"Tell us more Logan!! Come on!" Virgil gently poked Logan's arm and leaned on his elbows, interrogating Logan,

"Well.. They're the most wonderful person in the world and I could not imagine my life without them, but I'm not telling you their name, not until I've asked them."

"Come on Lo! You can trust us! Right Patt? Patton? Everything okay?" His voice suddenly turned concerned when he looked at Patton, who was fidgeting with his necklace and looking at his hands, a sad smile on his face.

"Yeay, I'm fine," he grapped his backpack and stood up, "I'm gonna go to my next class, see you later guys."

  In all honesty, Patton wasn't fine. He had failed to ask Logan to the prom and now he was too late. Gosh he was pathetic. He felt a few teardrops falling down his face as he walked outside. Patton desperately needed to get his mind off of everything, so he went to the place he always went when he was sad. The magic treehouse.

When they were younger, Logan and Patton had wanted to go on their own adventure. They tried to discover the hidden secrets from their library (the only thing they found was that the librarian was secretly dating ms. Williams. Patton still got shivers when he thought about that), they practised their sword fighting skills, discovered that Logan shouldn't be trusted with sharp objects and searched for hidden treasures in their backyard.

One day, after getting complaints from ms, Williams, their parents decided that they should have their own little place, somewhere where they didn't disturb other people. Logan and Patton had spent all summer building their treehouse together. Of course that meant that their parents build it and that they had decorated it with fancy fairy lights.

Patton smiled when he reached his backyard. The magic tree was located in the little private forest, behind their yard and right now, it looked absolutely magical. It had started snowing a few days ago so the whole scenery was covered in a little layer of white snow.

He carefully climbed up the ladder and entered the treehouse. Patton looked around him with a soft smile on his face, nothing had changed in their secret hideout. The shelves were covered with books, the fairy lights were still covering almost the entire ceiling and on the walls hang multiple drawings of their great adventures.

A chuckle escaped Patton as he looked through their drawings. Most of them were from when they were 9. He could barely identify the two blue stickman figures as Logan and him wearing their crowns. Logan always said that one day, he and Patton would become mighty rulers of their own library kingdom. They would have flying books and magical flowers that changed colours.

Patton's heart broke a little when he thought about that. Logan always claimed that they'd be together forever, Patton knew that they had only been children at the time, but still, he couldn't help but feel heartbroken. He'll get over it eventually, Patton would be happy for Logan and his date of course, but it still hurt.

Suddenly, his phone started to beep and he could hear the Sherlock theme song starting to play. Logan was calling him. Patton turned his phone off and sunk down to the floor. Class had started half an hour ago and here he was, crying in his childhood treehouse. How pathetic.

After a while, Patton's breathing had become steady again and he walked towards the bookshelves. A shiver spread over his body and he finally began to realise exactly how cold it was in the treehouse. Patton picked up the first book and started to read. Stories had always cheered him up a bit.

  "I think that I remember that one."

Patton snapped his head towards Logan and let out a deep breath.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class?" Patton knew that he was being hypocrite but at this moment, he couldn't really care about that.

"As should you." Logan sat down next to Patton, taking in the their treehouse. "Nothing has changed here, has it? Do you remember when we were 11 and those bullies threatened me on the playground?" Logan chuckled softly and looked at their drawings, "We spend all day hiding here, drawing together."

Patton too, let out a soft laugh and looked at his hands, keeping his head low.

"Wasn't that the day we made the first drafts for our little kingdom? You know? With the weird roses and the unrealistic inhabitants?"

"Hey! Don't you dare insult Regno Libri like that!" Logan exclaimed. He tried to keep a serious face, but couldn't help but laugh. Patton giggled softly and finally looked Logan in his eyes.

"I'm sorry if I worried you Logan... I just needed some time for myself, I'll be fine."

Logan smiled soflty and took Patton's hand, gently fidgeting with his fingers.

"You're my best friend Patton, I know when something is bothering you. It's okay if you don't want to tell me, but just know that Virgil and I are here to help you okay? We care about you." He squeezed Patton's hand and moved closer so there sides were touching.

"I know Logan, thanks.." He slightly blushed at their intertwining hands and leaned onto Logan's shoulder. Physical touch had always been the best solution to cheer Patton up and especially if Logan was providing that touch. Logan would never admit it, but he secretly was a great hugger.

After a few minutes, Logan gently let go of Patton's hand and put his arm around Patton's shoulders instead, carefully pulling him closer. He gently stroked his hands through Patton's curls, softly twirling them around his fingers before speaking up again,

"Patton? There is something I'd like to ask you.." Logan smiled down at his friend with a loving gaze,

"I know that this might not be the most perfect time to ask, but do you might want to be my date to the Christmas ball? And perhaps we can try to become Promkings? Instead of rulers? Do you remember that?"

 Wait

 What?

 Patton's thoughts zoned out and he looked at Logan with a shocked look on his face. Did.. did Logan actually asked him to prom?

"Patton? I- you don't have to, I understand if you don't see me that way, if you don't like me like that but-"

"Logan, please don't doubt yourself that much."

  And with that, he kissed him. It only lasted a couple of seconds, but it was everything they needed. The kiss was sweet and gentle and it tasted a bit like vanilla, Patton couldn't get enough off it.

When Patton pulled away and looked up at Logan he giggled a bit. His (boy)friend (?) had a dazy smile on his face and his cheeks were bright red. After a few seconds, he spoke up

"I- you- is that a yes?"

Patton chuckled at the normally composed and stoic boy and kissed his cheek,

"Yes Logan, I'd love to be your date to the Christmas Ball." Patton leaned his head back onto Logan's shoulder and nuzzeld his cheek gently, taking in everything around them.

  He had just kissed Logan

  Patton had just kissed Logan

And it was perfect

After what felt like hours, Logan kissed Patton's forehead and carefully stood up. He reached out a hand to help Patton and linked there hands together,

"I think it's time to return, Virgil must be really worried." Patton let out a yawn and leaned into Logan's embrace,

"You're probably right."

   And yeay, Logan had been right

"Where the hell were you Patton? I was so worried! Are you okay? Why did you leave and- Are.. are you two holding hands?" Virgil waved around with his arms, face full of worry. But when he saw Logan's loving gaze at Patton, something in him shifted. A soft smile appeared on his face and he smirked down at the two.

Patton looked down at their hands and blushed soflty. He loved Virgil, he really did and it was so funny to see him turn into this overprotective mother hen. Eventhough Virgil liked to act like he didn't care about other people, Patton knew how much of a softy he actually was.

"So when's the wedding?"

Logan almost choked on air.

  It had only taken a few days before the entire city was covered in snow. Patton could hear the white crystals crunch under his feet as he walked through the park close to his house. Virgil and Patton had agreed to meet up a few hours before the Christmas ball was supposed to start. He checked his phone when he arrived at the old oak tree. The old oak tree had been in the park for ages, hence the nickname. Patton could remember being a little boy and trying to climb all the way to the top of the tree, even though Logan would always warn him that he could fall down and break his legs. Which he eventually did. Well, not both of his legs. Patton had only broken his left ankle, but he got a lolly from the nice nurse lady so he was fine. Giggling at the memory of Logan’s concern, Patton unlocked his phone to check the time. Five minutes until Virgil would arrive.

Just when Patton was about to send Virgil a message, letting him know that he had arrived, Patton saw something flying towards him before said thing hit the ground with a muffled sound.

“Damn that was supposed to hit you!” Patton turned around a saw a big bundle of purple coming his way. The purple blob tried hard to keep his balance on the slippery snow as it made it’s way to the tree. “Did it scare you?” It’s voice was slightly muffled by a fluffy scarf but Patton could still recognize the bright purple hair that always looked like an absolute mess.

“Oh I was terrified” Patton rolled his eyes while simultaneously trying to contain his laughter. Virgil scoffed and lightly hit Patton’s arm.

“Mission completed then I guess, but it’s not like you could have done it bette-“

Before Virgil could even finish his sentence, a cold snowball flew into his face. He quickly shook all the snow off of himself and looked at Patton who had a really sweet and innocent smile on his face

“Oh you bastard, it’s on” Virgil quietly mumbled to himself and began to collect more snow.

“What did you say Virgy? You looked like you needed a little cool down time!” and yeay it was really no ones fault besides himself when Patton too, got hit by a snowball right in his face.

A lot of snowballs later, Virgil walked up to his friend with his hands high up in the sky, slightly shivering from the cold.

“You won okay, I give up. I’m literally freezing.” Patton took this opportunity to hug Virgil around his waist and nuzzle close.

“Alright, alright we get it, you love hugs. Now come let’s get some hot chocolate or something. We deserve it after this intense battle.”

Patton nodded in Virgil’s chest and together the tried to find their balance while walking out of the park.

   When the two friends walked into Patton’s house, they were met with an overwhelming smell of gingerbread and apple-pie. Which made sense because Patton’s parent had been baking Christmas treats for their family this morning.

“You mind if I grab one?” Virgil held up one of the chocolate chip cookies and ploffed down on one of the chairs in the living room. He took a bite when Patton motioned that he could eat it and let out a small noise of contentment.

“Your suit arrived last week right?” Patton nodded and Virgil continued, “Have you tried it on yet?”

Patton nodded again and smiled brightly at Virgil

“It fitted perfectly! I really hope that Lo will like it too”

He hugged himself anxiously and Virgil stood up to wrap him into a strong embrace

“Hey it’s okay Pat. Your boyfriend absolutely adores you. Believe me, if it would have taken you two any longer to get together I would have sued Logan, because he just couldn’t shut up about how handsome you looked and how he would just skip the prom because he couldn’t ask you.”

Patton giggled and blushed slightly

“And besides, if Logan does somehow decide to hurt you in any way or form, I will gladly kill him for you!” Patton lightly hit Virgil’s arm before looking up with his bright smile returned on his face.

“Thanks Virgil.”

  After Patton changed into his light blue suit and Virgil had eaten more chocolate chip cookies, he also finally decided to put on his indigo purple suit with bright red and golden bracelets to match his boyfriends. Logan and Patton had agreed to wear matching ties, which meant that Patton was wearing a beautiful navy-blue necktie.

He triple checked if he had all of his stuff, including his phone, keys and if Virgil was ready, when he suddenly heard a soft knock on his door. With a mischievous smirk, Virgil walked up to the door and opened it slightly, leaning in the doorway.

"Hello Logan"

"Salutations Virgil, is something wrong?" Patton couldn't see Logan but he could identify the slight shake in his voice as anxiety.

"I don't know Logan. Tell me, are you going to dance with Patton tonight? Bring him some pretty flowers? Give him everything he deserves and more?" He could hear Logan clear his throat and Patton was sure that he was anxiously fidgeting with his necktie by now. Logan always did that when he was nervous.

"If Patton wants to dance tonight then I'll gladly join him, I did indeed bring him a flower and believe me, I will try to do anything I can to make him happy." Patton almost melted at the soft adoration in Logan's voice and he pushed Virgil out of the doorway.

"Virgil! Stop that! You're bullying the poor thing. I'm sure that Logan will be a true gentleman, as will I." Patton giggled at Virgil when he rolled his eyes and then turned back to face his boyfriend.

"Hi Logan," Patton whispered breathlessly, "you look absolutely amazing"

Logan, who looked equally as breathless, blushed slightly and whispered back with a soft voice "As do you Sunshine, as do you."

He then held his hand out and presented Patton a singular light blue and slightly bowed

"For you my love" Logan smirked up at Patton and chuckled softly.

"Move your domestic display elsewhere you nerds. This is too nauseating." Virgil smiled softly down at Patton and hugged him quickly before Logan took Patton's hand to escort him to his car.

  The night sky was filled with stars when the two boys finally arrived at the oh so dreaded Christmas ball. Well, of course the ball wasn't that dreaded anymore. Patton wondered if anything could be dreadful when Logan was there by his side.

"Your mind is lost in space Sunshine, what is troubling you?" Logan intertwined their fingers and gently rubbed his thumb over Patton's hand to soothe him.

"Nothing's wrong Starlight, everything is perfect. Absolutely perfect." The honesty in Patton's voice made Logan blush and together, they entered the ballroom.

Suddenly, they were surrounded by hundreds of fake snowflake decorations. The fairy lights gave the room an enchanting atmosphere and because it was Christmas, in the corner of the room stood an eight feet tall Christmas tree, decorated with the most beautiful ornaments. It looked magical

"Well I did promised a dance didn't I?" Patton turned around to face Logan and saw that his boyfriend was holding out his hand for him.

"We don't want to disappoint Virgil now do we?" He giggled as he happily accepted Logan's invitation and followed him to the dancefloor.

The music started to play and Patton could feel Logan's hands gently wrapped around his waist. Somewhere in the back of his mind he could hear the other people entering the dancefloor, but Patton was too distracted at this moment. Blue. Beautiful dark blue. The only thing Patton noticed was how the lights reflected into Logan dark blue eyes, making him truly look magical.

"..Logan" Patton slightly cringed at the crack in his voice, but Logan didn't seem to notice

"Patton?" His boyfriend looked at him with a confused smile and a lot of admiration in his eyes.

"I love you"

"Well that's perfect Patton, do you want to know why?" Logan blushed while still keeping a smirk on his face leading them through their dance. He continued when Patton nodded,

"Because I love you too."

The two swayed the night away, living in their own private bubble. It was just the two of them and it was absolutely perfect.

[sugurus-slxt]

Hey I just found your blog!! Could I please request a male bnha personality matchup? My pronouns are she/her

My name is Jade, I’m a capricorn sun, cancer moon, and libra rising. I’m an ENFP!

I have brown eyes and blonde hair (bleached) i’m 5’6 with a slim build. I love art like drawing and painting, art history, and baking! & actually majoring in biomedical engineering lol. My favorite subjects are biology, art, and math. I also love pastel clothes, tie dye, and colorful makeup! (Definitely art how aesthetic) my favorite animes are bnha, fullmetal alchemist brotherhood, death note, angels of death, aot, and tokyo ghoul.

I absolutely love to hang out with my friends and being spontaneous like just going out for coffee (im addicted to Starbucks and I’m lactose intolerant lol) I’m b l i n d so always wearing my glasses haha also I love having a sense of humor. I also have anxiety and can be way too emotional sometimes. My worst habit is I pick my fingers and nails until they bleed :/

I’m very empathetic and always trying to lighten the mood and make people happy. My love language is probably receiving/giving gifts and words of affirmation. I absolutely love picking out little gifts for people and randomly giving them things that remind me of them. And when people do that for me I just love it!

My dream trip is just to travel the world, specifically europe and asia. I would love exploring ancient ruins, art/science/history museums, restaurants, and just everything!!

Thank you so much!!

Personality Matchup

One 𝑅𝓊𝒷𝓎 coming right up for @oatmilkismylife

A/Note: Hey thank you so very much for visiting THE VAULT. I hope you like your match up :) Sorry that I’ve taken so long, I’ve been preoccupied with school but regardless, I hope you enjoy this. Love <3 ~ Sar-chan

I match you with...

Runner Up: Kaminari Denki

Here are some HCs:

Ok, so my reasoning for choosing Sero is I think you guys would complement each other well. He just seems like someone you can talk with about anything and he has nit bits of information on it and he’d be willing to learn more.

Style-wise I like the contrast between the both of you and think side by side you’d look well together. I think he would totally get matching tie-dyed shirts with you.

I doubt Sero would be opposed to you do make-up for him, if you just happen to have chapstick particularly one with a nice flavor he’s going to steal it. When you do happen to kiss throughout the day, he’ll remember and ends up making a really guilty face after. He does buy you some back in tenfold and buys you a newer flavor for well both of you to try.

Sero has most definitely set up a painting date for you in the backyard with snacks on the table. He’ll sneak up on you and swipe the paintbrush on your cheek and say something like, “Hmm look at my masterpiece…” He’ll blush from how corny he thinks it sounds. The dates he sets up are all super random but he mostly thinks of ways to ease your stress.

If you’ve ever drawn him he keeps it hung up and will mention it to anyone and everyone just so he has a chance to brag about you until the point he is just rambling because he thinks you’re so talented and amazing. He’ll never tell you about those moments but I think Denki will randomly spill it to you. *Cue a now taped up Denki in your living room*

Sero knows how to bake but simple things. Like cookies and cupcakes when you show him a new recipe he catches on pretty quick. Look out he might be looking to challenge you to a bake-off but it isn’t really his intention to become better he wants to make sweets for you. He’ll always be learning new recipes for you to try or for you guys to make together.

I think if you stay up late at night Sero won’t go to sleep, he’ll say he’s going to but if he’s far away he’ll make up an excuse like I couldn’t sleep just to stay in call and admire you while you work. If he’s there with you he’s going to occasionally massage your shoulders, make sure you're eating, drinking water, and gives you the occasional cheek kiss or forehead kiss.

If Sero will ask you for help if he needs help with work and he knows you can but if he knows you are busy he’ll call someone he doesn’t want to stress you out.

Sero loves to make you laugh, seeing you giggle and smile it’s his favourite thing. If you’re ever insecure about your laugh he’ll make you laugh more and kiss you softly and tell you it’s the most beautiful thing he’s heard.

Sero spends a lot of time planning to take you on that trip all around the world someday.

Sero always brings you little things he sees during the day that reminds him of you whether it’s a pretty stone, a flower, or a necklace he sees in a shop.

He'll have you lay on his chest while he tells you about school or art history and Sero will twirl your hair and give you shoulder kisses, it's one of his favourite ways to end the day.

EXTRA:

I hope you liked it :) and sorry again for being late.

The vault is closed.

[multiple-fandom-imagines]

The Ghost Artist

So this was originally meant to be an imagine but I ended up writing it more as a one-shot because I got an idea. I also have an idea for a part two as well.

Klaus x reader, Ben x reader Five x Reader

Seeing and interacting with the dead is a straight pain in the ass. You could see and interact with them since birth, so you were seen as a freak to people outside your family and you saw yourself as cursed but little did you know it was because of the day you were born, along with 42 others.

Growing up lots of ghosts came and gone of all different times and deaths, they in a weird way were friendlier than people who were alive, it weirded out your family that you preferred the dead over the living. You were also a great artist, you drew the ghosts that came to you. Today was no different, you were sat in a corner of Griddy’s with a coffee and donut, you were reading a book engrossed in a thriller. Your attention moved when a weirdly dressed man wearing a tie-dye tank top, green sleeveless army jacket, and black skinny leather jeans? With a grumpy kid in a school uniform. Within a blink you noticed a third person, you could tell he was dead, there was a blue glow to him which gave it away.

It was how you could tell if someone was alive or dead, taking out your brown drawing book you started to sketch him, the more you drew him the more connected you became. The male became of aware what was happening, you looked up from your drawing to see the ghost was now sitting opposite you. “I apologize for intruding, it’s just habit.” You said to him, he looked stunned, “Y-You can see me?” he asked, you nodded “I’ve been able to see and communicate with the dead since birth. Some ghosts are a lot nicer than others but in my opinion, I find ghost nicer that alive people.” He hummed in response while watching you draw “I like to use these powers to help spirits give messages to people they care about. Just a warning the more we connect I might see how you die, I can’t really stop it, it just started happening recently.” Ben listened to every word, he was happy to be able to talk to someone other than his brother. “Maybe my brother could help, Klaus can communicate with the dead too.” You grabbed a green pencil to add extra shading to the hood “I’m not sure, I prefer t keep this to myself. People are not usually kind to people who are different.” He nodded understanding how your felt “What’s your name anyway, I like to sign each picture with the spirit’s name.” he smiled exactly “It’s ben, C-Can I see it.” You signed the picture before setting it on the table, turning it so Ben could see it. You see his face light up looking at it. “that’s amazing…”

“Y/n.” you answered, “That’s amazing Y/N, this is the nicest thing anyone has done for me.” You felt your heart warm at his comment. The calm light atmosphere between the both of you was short lived when the loud man from earlier threw himself into the booth beside Ben. You tried to grab your book before he could see the picture, but as you pulled it away his hand landed on the book. “That’s a really cool drawing. Wait a mo-.” he turned the book back around to get a better look. “Ben? You drew Benny boy.” He lifted the book “Holy shit… you can see him!” Ben looked pissed, he was mad his brother was bothering you and make you uncomfortable. “Klaus give the book back!” Ben shouted

“Wow, such hostility brother, I’m only admiring the Ghost artist’s work.” You watched as he flipped through the pages, you weren’t good with people in general so confrontation was like hell. “P-Please can I-I have it back.” Your voice was small almost like a whisper. “Are all these people dead. You can see ghosts like me?” you could only nod, his face lit up and his questions started to fly out of him like an excited child. It was becoming overwhelming fast, suddenly the kid stormed over snapping the book from Klaus hand, closing it and handing it to you. “I’m so sorry about my idiot brother bothering you. I hope he didn’t annoy you much.” Klaus put a hand over his heart “I’m offended Five… I would say incredibly handsome bro- OW!” Five whacked the back of his head before ordering an “Up!” pulling him roughly away from the booth. “Again, I’m sorry.” Five said pulling him away towards the diner’s exit before he could get him out Klaus shouted to you. “hopefully we can meet again ghost artist!”, Five whacked him again, you saw Ben was gone too. You let out a sigh trying to wrap your head around what just happened. You looked out the window to see them getting into a car, Klaus waved in at you before being pulled in.

Eventually, you went along your day, stopping to picking up new drawing pencils before heading to your apartment. You let your self in, hanging up your coat, you walked into the kitchen making yourself a coffee before sitting in your favourite armchair in the living room. You felt a gush of cold air brushing past you making you shiver. You grabbed your drawing book and pencils getting ready for the spirit, you looked up seeing a solider “Hi, I’m Y/N, who am I specking too?” the solider looked around, you could tell this was his first manifestation. He looked at you, “Dave, my name is Dave.”

[handmadecp]

‘Leaf Flap’ over shoulder bag.

Hi Guys, here we are with another fun project on ‘Beginners Journey into LeatherCraft’ here @HandMadeCP. let’s jump right in.

First, get yourself a nice piece of Leather, I’ve used a 2mm thickness. Some time ago I made a ‘Stitchless tote bag’ , original idea by a company called Corter Leather, Find their Youtube Video and in their link you will find their pattern. I have taken that pattern and ‘Halved’ the front panel to give the back panel a ‘flap’ as you can see later on. I drew out my ‘New’ template on card as shown here.

I then drew the template shapes onto the leather.

Once the shapes are cut out, draw on the necessary holes for stitching and / or punching as seen here.

If dying the leather pieces but leaving the inside ‘flesh’ colored as I did, then you should Tape the areas you do not want to dye as seen here, I used Decorators tape as it doesn’t damage the leather and comes off easily.

I then dyed the pieces. I used a Black ECO FLO Waterstain dye and spread it on with a sponge as it’s a large area to cover, would take ages with a dauber.

I then punched the holes for the Lace.

Glued the inner pocket in place ready for stitching.

I used a rolling pin to help stick it and I used Bostick at this point…only because my favourite 528 glue ran out, you can use any.

Here the inner slot pocket has been stitched on with a machine stitch just for speed.

Here you see me using the Stitch Master Pro to sew the inner slot pocket.

Then it’s a simple step, using a Leather lace of your choice, mine is a 4mm dark tan lace. I hand threaded it along the bottom edge first as seen here and tie knots at either end when done.

Continue the lacing around the side, tie it off as before.

After sealing the dye with resolene, I used ‘effax’ wax to coat the bag on the outside just to seal it and waterproof it a bit more.

A View inside the bag, the leather stretches open well to fit quite a bit of stuff inside it.

Here you can see I have added Antique brass double sided rivets for looks but also for added strength.

I added an Antler tip for a closer and a short strap to slot it through, I cut a hole to fit it through and rivetted it in place.

Note here I have rounded the edges of the flap for a better look, drilled the antler tip to fit a leather lace ( round lace.) and added some decorative ball pieces. The whole thing was then attached, I just  tied it to the side as shown.

I drew, cut out, transferred to leather, cut tooled and dyed the leaf to decorate the front, I used an antique dye as this gave a good look and also polishes up well. Then I hand stitched the leaf along certain lines to hold it in place but not look ‘Glued’ to the bag.

I punched stitch holes all around the flap edge as seen here ready to lace. You can also see the short straps I rivetted on the back to hold the ‘D’ rings for the strap.

Here I just hand threaded a whip stitch with the lace all around the edge, making the holes larger if needed with the awl.

I cut a strap width to fit the ‘D’ rings, cut it the legth needed, dyed it the same way as everything else was done and riveted a brass buckle on as shown.

The strap was then attached to the ‘D’ Rings as seen here…simply done with rivets to keep the ‘Simple’ look I wanted .

Add as many belt holes as you see fit. I drew a line down the center with a ‘paint’ pen re-fill …it wipes off…to keep the holes central for a more professional look…another tip given to me by other great leather workers.

Finally I decided to add a threaded cris crossed lace along the strap which I think adds a lovely touch, but that’s just how I decided to go with it, you do what ever you choose, your style.

I love how this bag came together, so simple, so useable, a tough bag that will last for years if the leather is looked after and ‘treated’ occassionally with a leather balm or similar product to keep it suptle. I hope you have enjoyed this latest project, I feel it’s a good one for all levels…as long as you know a bit about dying and tooling…if not..practice, you’ll get there. More to come this year still, watch this space, good luck with your projects and Stay Crafty.

[faeparrish]

answer 21 questions and tag 21 mutuals you would like to get to know better! (thank you @psychicadam for tagging me💘) 

nicknames: molly isn’t a long name so I don't really have any nicknames apart from moll

zodiac sign: sagittarius w/ moon & rising both in libra ♐♎

height: 5′3″ just call me BLUE SARGENT because I am SMALL

hogwarts house: in my heart of hearts I'm a hufflepuff, but I was so desperate to be a gryffindor when I read the books and now I'm too deep in gryffindor merch from birthdays and christmases to back out.

last thing i googled: 'silence of the girls cover artist’ - I recognised sarah young’s art on the cover of the book that I just bought so I was looking it up (you should check out her work - although make sure you type 'sarah young illustration'  bc I just now found out that she in fact shares her name with a porn star lmao😬)

favourite musicians: oh god, so many. jacob collier (aka the most infuriatingly talented musician alive, he's only like 24, he’s won 2 grammies, he got recognition from quincy jones and now they're friends ?? and he’s currently working on a 4 part album of about 40 songs; volume 1 was released around christmas and he’s planning to release the last one by the end of this year... anyway he’s unbelievable and I love him), julia jacklin, glass animals, billie marten, hozier, tom misch, joy crookes, ELIZA, vulfpeck, nick mulvey, hope tala, jade bird, rusty clanton (fun fact, I actually bumped into him after his support set for jade bird and he was SO lovely). also dodie has been a fave of mine since I was like 14 and she probably always will be tbh. girl is just the sun ☀️

song stuck in your head: moontime by hope tala (not complaining tho bc that song is a Gay Bop)

following: 413 (I had to go through recently and unfollow all the old jily/marauders blogs that haven't been active for years rip there are so many)

followers: 489 and ily ALL ♥️

do you get asks: sometimes! I get a few cute lil anons here and there

amount of sleep: I have insomniaaa, like my boy gansey so I only get like 4-6 hours a night. I just always get a sudden boost of chaotic creative energy in the evenings and my brain is like !!! make something !! write something !! draw something !! anything!! do it all !! maybe I should start building a miniature version of my town too lol 

lucky number: hmm my birthday is 13th dec (same day as ts) so I like to think that the number makes an exception from being unlucky for people who are born on the 13th

what you’re wearing: leggings, my fav shorts (they’re so cool, they're like a kind of mossy green tie-dye with some funky black patterns stamped onto them. 10/10 makes me feel like a forest elf) and a yellow crop top vest thing. also a couple of rings and some necklaces that I wear basically every day. also socks that have confetti patterns on them. party socks

dream job: anything creative!! writing, art, music, whatever tbh. in an ideal life I would love to be a musician because the idea of going on a tour with other musician friends just sounds like such a dream to me and I love making music stuff (I actually posted a cover on here if you wanna listen) ALSO lowkey want to open a cafe w/ my sister one day; have events in the evenings, homemade cakes, get our musical friends to do gigs? mayhaps a resident cat??? yes pls

dream trip: I applied for an exchange with my uni to study in norway next year, which would be amazing (and terrifying) if I got accepted !!

instrument: I played the violin (very very badly) for about 2 years, and the oboe (for about a year until my teacher moved away - turns out there aren't a whole lot of oboe teachers out there) and I had piano lessons when I was a kid for about 7 years, but i can't remember how to properly read the music now:( I can still play piano but I mostly just figure out how to play songs by listening to them a lot. I prefer playing guitar and ukulele though, they're the ones that I picked up myself so I feel a lot more committed to them 

languages: english is my only fluent language, bc our education system doesn’t bother to teach languages as well as other countries do (am I bitter about it? absolutely), but I can just about get by in french and spanish, and I've been slowly teaching myself norwegian on duolingo for about 5 months now (honestly bless that app)

favourite songs: again, so many. my current faves: mice by billie marten (her new ep is so crushingly gorgeous), guiltless by dodie (the music video?? the music video????), here comes the sun by jacob collier & dodie (god this cover is endlessly, endlessly beautiful?? the drum and guitar strums at 0.58 just GET👏ME👏GOING👏), she is the sum by poppy ajudha, in your hands by nick mulvey (has some BIG gangsey in trk vibes), moon river by jacob collier (this literally came out the other day and ohhohooo boy !! the harmonies that kick in at 5.19 give me mad goosebumps)

random fact: when I was 16 I had appendicitis and nearly died bc I thought the pains were just rlly bad cramps lmao (is this ?? #toomuch? 😬✨??) ANYWAY now i don't have an appendix BUT I do have three funky lil scars and a rlly big appreciation for the nhs (the uk is shit at most things but free healthcare is truly a godsend)

aesthetic: witchy, kinda feral lol, artsy, anything nature related, anything autumnal?? I love that dark academia, secret history kind of aesthetic but I can’t really pull it off bc my style is a bit too hectic - basically just think blue sargent but softer and probs more gay lmao 🤠👌

I'm tagging @lesbianparrish @adamparrishes & @motorcyclebabeparrish as well lol, also @parrishynch @lvslie @flourishandblotted @cloudpillows @justlarajean @heart-ablaze @tinylilemrys @acquaclara @cbliviate @iuliasabina @heyilan @ofstagsanddoes @nellyinneverland @wtf-jily (a lot of my mutuals aren’t active anymore so it’s hard to see if I've forgotten anyone, but if I have forgotten you I'm sorry !! ily!! you are also tagged 💕✨)

[sunaprincess7]

Isn’t it neat?

Hi everyone,

Another fic here - I know the James/Lily - Eric/Ariel thing has been done before but this is my take on it. Sorry if ‘you're all mermaid-ed out! Very little plot to this thing but I hope you all enjoy anyways :)

Summary: Lily Evans has been playing Ariel the mermaid at Disney World Orlando for six months. She's about to meet her new Prince Eric.

Rated T for language (also so much fluff and cheese you might perish!)

Fanfic link

AO3 link

“Does anyone have any primer?” Lily yelled to the dressing room behind her, “I’m out of my FX.”

“Here,” Mary yelled back amongst the throng of girls, chucking Lily her Smashbox version over the heads of Emmeline and Dorcas who both ducked.

“This’ll work?” Lily confirmed doubtfully, knowing that she didn’t really have any other option as she squirted the clear gel into her palm.

“Nothing is going to work in this heat, Lil,” Mary replied, now slathering her face with foundation. “But it’ll stay on for at least 6 hours. Then you might need to reapply.”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, I hate this fucking dress,” Marlene, who was by far the most ready of any of them, moaned as she tugged the bright yellow taffeta monstrosity up around her hips.

“Hey, at least yours hasn’t got sleeves,” Dorcas retorted, from next to Lily, still in the process of pinning an auburn wig with pigtails onto her head.

“Oh please, you practically begged McGonagall to give you Anna!” Marlene replied, now pulling the dress up around her arms.

“It was winter then!” Dorcas said miserably, grabbing a matte mauve lipstick out of her makeup bag.

“Can we all just be happy that none of us is Minnie?” Mary inserted, in between violently attacking her face with a beauty blender.

The group of girls murmured in approval.

“Technically, you should be the happiest out of everyone, Lil,” Emmeline said, running a brush through her black wig as she puffed up the bun. “Sometimes they let you go out in a bikini.”

“Hey, none of you have ever worn that tail,” Lily replied, as she leaned into the mirror to draw on her eyebrows. “It’s heavy as hell. It might be worse than the dress. And they haven’t let me wear it in ages.”

“I think they figured out you were making all the dads a little too happy in that purple excuse for a bra,” Mary said lowly, causing their whole dressing room to laugh.

“Men are such trash,” Emmeline added.

“Speaking of trash, aren’t you meeting your new Eric today?” Marlene asked as she pulled white elbow gloves up over her arms.

“Later on tonight,” Lily said, “after the parade. And if he’s anything like the previous one, I think I might quit.”

Lily’s previous Eric had been the epitome of trash and was exactly who Marlene was referring to when she’d asked the question. Dave, or Prince Fuckboy as he was better known to the group, had spent his entire 6 months with the cast showing up late, being rude and, worst of all, sleeping his way through the Princess lineup.

After sleeping with Marlene, he’d made his way around Elsa, Tinkerbell and Jasmine, which was the unfortunate reason Bertha, Florence and Emma no longer sat with the rest of the girls. That drama had continued for at least a month until Prince Fuckboy realised everyone hated him and had quit.

“Apparently he’s a friend of Hook’s,” Dorcas told them.

“Hook?” Emmeline, who was the most recent addition to the cast, asked. “I don’t think I’ve met him.”

“Sirius Black,” Dorcas replied, as Lily smiled to herself, knowing that Dorcas’s usual rant about Sirius was coming. “And you don’t want to meet him. He’s totally method,” she continued, placing an unusual amount of disdain on the word method, “and speaks in a ridiculous English accent the entire time he’s here, even on breaks, and challenges everyone to duels all day. Fucking idiot.”

Lily couldn’t help but giggle. She was actually rather fond of Sirius’s approach to his work and suspected it had nothing to do with his devotion to acting but rather because he loved pretending to be a pirate all day.

“He is a fucking idiot and you know it,” Dorcas said to Lily when she saw her laughing.

“Well, at least he’s not another Prince Fuckboy,” Lily said, adding a slick of bright red lipstick before spritzing her whole face with setting spray. “And you have to admit, he’s a very good Hook.”

“As long as he hasn’t brought us another Dave to be Eric, we’ll be best friends,” Marlene smiled grimly. “How the hell am I the only one ready?” She asked forcefully, gloved hands on her hips.

“Because you don’t have to colour in your eyebrows to match your wig,” Lily replied, grabbing her long, curly ginger hair and twisting it onto her head.

“I can’t believe they still haven’t asked you to be Merida yet,” Mary observed, now pulling on Tiana’s light green velvet dress.

“Yeah, well in the nineties mermaids existed but not actual ginger people, apparently,” Lily said as she positioned the long red wig onto her head with ease. “That mermaid must’ve had some amazing hair dye down in Atlantis.”

“Hey, black people didn’t exist until 2010 apparently,” Mary added, fixing her own wig on. “And now there’s one black princess, there’ll obviously never be another one ever again.”

“Obviously,” Emmeline agreed, rolling her eyes. “Right, time to tie on this fucking awful sash,” she said before standing and moving to the costume rail, leaving Dorcas and Lily sitting at the mirrors.

“I’m still waiting on the animated world to admit lesbians exist,” Dorcas said to Lily with a wry shrug. “And don’t tell the boss, but I play everyday like I’m in love with Emma,” she winked, referring to their cast mate who played Jasmine.

“Amazing,” Lily laughed, looking around the dressing table for her aqua headpiece. “Does Emma know this?”

“Oh, she knows I think she’s hot as hell.”

Finished with her makeup and hair, Lily stood up to go and find her human dress, which was an unsightly aquamarine colour to match her headpiece.

“Are they ever going to let you back in the tail?” Dorcas asked, moving with Lily to grab her purple cape.

“They’re still working on the Grotto since the break-in,” Lily said, shuffling into her dress. “I think it’ll be open again in a few weeks.”

When she had first started at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Lily’s main role had been to sit in Ariel’s grotto and do meet and greets. She had her own float in the daily parade and occasionally appeared as a human walking around the park (when she was told to) or at Cinderella’s restaurant, but for the most part, wearing the tail in the grotto was her main duty. Then, around a month ago, some boys had broken in to the park, and wrecked her grotto, as well as a number of other attractions. Lily had been in human form ever since, which was killing her, because Ariel’s human dress was puffy, heavy and sweltering in the Orlando heat.

Not that she complained too much. She loved being Ariel and was delighted to be cast as her when she’d first started six months ago. A small part of Lily lived in perpetual fear of being recast. Which was ridiculous because it would definitely happen at some point and they were all warned not to get too attached to any particular character.

Lily had done her best to adhere to this warning but she’d adored Ariel as a child and as she’d gotten older, Ariel had remained her favourite Disney princess. And judging by the response she got from the little kids who came to the park, Ariel was still a very popular princess, even eighteen years after she’d first appeared in animated form.

In truth, Lily had loved every minute of working at Disney. The only bad time had been the appearance of Dave.

“I know I hate this dress,” Lily said quietly to Dorcas, “but I can live with it. I’m not sure I could live with another Dave.”

“Look, I know Black is an idiot, but I doubt he’s friends with jerks,” Dorcas reassured her pragmatically, checking her appearance in the mirror. “Are you nervous about meeting him? Don’t be nervous.”

“Well you spend a lot of time with your prince,” Lily observed, fixing the wig down over her dress. “And the kids freak out when they see you together so obviously McGonagall is always sending you out together. It’d be nice to be paired with someone you can stand. I mean, you get on with Dirk, right?”

“Yeah,” Dorcas responded, “I don’t think he knows I’m gay cause he’s always flirting with me, but we get on fine.”

“Poor Dirk.”

“I’ve seen his sister on Facebook, she’s cute” Dorcas said with a grin. “Maybe he’ll introduce us.”

“Girls!” They heard McGonagall call from the hallway, “it’s 8.55”

“Coming!” Lily called back, jumping up and down a few times to settle her skirt.

“Right,” Dorcas said with a swish of her cloak, “Time to be asked if I want to build a snowman ten thousand times.”

Letting her voice drift higher and adding in her signature Ariel warble, Lily followed Dorcas out of the dressing room, “you’re such a guppy, Anna,” she replied, saying goodbye to Lily Evans as she transformed into the little mermaid just as she reached the bright sunshine of the park.  

---------------------------

“I am fucking exhausted,” Marlene breathed, stripping off her gloves as they all trailed into the dressing room at 10pm that night. “And I hate teenaged boys.”

“Yeah, I saw some guys bothering you,” Mary replied, throwing herself down into her dressing room chair.

“Trying to get me to break character. Assholes. They were trying to film the whole thing and put it on Instagram,” Marlene spat.

“What were they doing?”

“Oh, the usual shit. Calling me a furry lover. I ignored them.”

“Good for you,” Lily said, inwardly wondering how soon she could get the metric tonne of foundation she had on off her face.

“At least you didn’t get dole whip spilled all over you,” Emmeline moaned, already taking off Mulan’s dress. “Costume are going to kill me. This is the fourth time in two weeks I’ve needed a new dress.”

“Ariel!” Sounded McGonagall’s voice from outside.

“I think she means me,” Lily whispered to them all with a wink as she slipped off her chair. Wincing as her weary feet touched the floor, Lily made her way to the hall.

When she entered the hallway, Lily saw McGonagall standing with her cherished clipboard and right beside her, a man who was undoubtedly Prince Eric.

All of the guys who played Princes at the park were good looking but Lily felt her stomach clench as she took in her new work husband. She could see why they had cast him as Eric. His black hair was thick and windswept and curled in at the edges of his lightly tanned skin. There was no way he’d be wearing a wig. As his eyes fell on her, he greeted her with a show stopping smile, and Lily couldn’t help but notice his strong jaw and gorgeous hazel eyes.

“James, this is Lily, or Ariel to you,” McGonagall said to the boy, now scribbling on the board. James opened his mouth to say something but their boss got there first, “you can smile, dance, hold hands whilst still and give her a two second hug,” she continued, briskly ticking the board as she listed each item, “but no kissing. At all. Ever.”

“Okay,” James nodded steadily, looking at McGonagall with slight apprehension.

“Make sure he doesn’t get lost,” she said to Lily abruptly before striding away.

“Is she always that scary?” He whispered, leaning into Lily as they both watched Minerva leave.

“I’m afraid so,” Lily told him with a weak smile, “she’s in charge of rules and makes sure we all follow them.”

“And we’re married, right?”

“Yes,” Lily nodded, trying not to stare at him too much.

“Wow. Can’t even kiss my wife. What a bummer,” James said with a deep sigh, causing Lily to laugh.

“Disney is strictly a PG place,” she said, “but waltzing is good fun. The kids love it.”

“They showed me during training,” James replied. “It took me a while to get it but I don’t think I’ll embarrass you.”

Lily laughed again as she leaned against the wall, “I’m a walking, talking fish woman. I doubt you are going to be what embarrasses me,” she smiled, trying not to blush when his eyes did a quick sweep of her outfit. “So, did McGonagall show you around?”

“I came down for the parade,” he responded, pushing his hands into his jeans as Lily noticed his sinewy tanned arms. He was going to look good in Eric’s white shirt. “It was great. You were great.”

“Thanks,” she said, “it’s pretty easy without Eric to be honest. I just sit there and smile and wave.”

“And with Eric?”

“Well, that’s when the hugging and the dancing and the hand-holding comes in,” Lily continued, giving him a little grin. “But it’s a 30 minute parade so trying to keep that going is difficult.”

“Especially when you hate your Eric, right?”

Lily blanched a little as James smiled guilty at her, “Sirius told me about the guy I’m replacing.”

“Yeah, well, he was a jackass,” Lily admitted, swishing her dress about a little. “And what’s worse, he made it really awkward for everyone here. We were all glad when he left.”

“Okay, well I promise to be absolutely nothing like him and then you won’t mind dancing with me for half an hour,” he suggested, his eyes twinkling as Lily’s stomach jumped again.

“Deal,” she agreed, hoping to sound as normal as possible. “So, when do you start?”

“Next week,” James told her happily, “they’re just sorting my contacts and then I’m good to go.”

“Cool,” Lily said, “well, it was really nice meeting you. I’m going to go take off this powder puff before I faint,” she closed, giving him another smile before she turned towards the dressing room door.

“Wait,” James called, stalling her in her step.

“Yeah?”

“You’re my Princess, right?” Lily laughed lightly as James blushed and corrected himself, “I mean, you’re who I’ll be working with? Going forward?”

“Yeah,” She replied, hearing a little shyness creep into her voice, “as long as I don’t get recast, I’m your Princess.”

-----------------------------

James, as it turned out, was an absolute dream to work with.

On Monday morning, he was there waiting for her as soon as she stepped out of the dressing room. In his white flowing shirt, red cumber-band, turned up trousers, boots and blue contacts, he looked both exactly like Eric and unreasonably hot.

They spent the whole day together and as predicted, all the kids adored both of them together. They both signed hundreds of autographs and took hundreds of photos and selfies, and when the parade started at nine o’clock, they had their first dance.

It wasn’t without a hitch, as they both stepped on each other’s toes several times but as long as their smiles stayed on, no one in the audience noticed.

“So, how’d I do?” James asked her, as they moved backstage and walked towards her dressing room.

“Really good,” Lily said a little breathlessly, noticing that they were still walking arm in arm, as though they were out in public.

“Sorry about the feet,” he whispered into her ear as they passed a stream of characters all hurrying to their dressing rooms.

“That’s okay,” she giggled, giving his arm a squeeze, “I stepped on your toes too.”

“Yeah but I’m a lot heavier than you are!”

“We’ll get better with practice,” Lily told him. “Oh and one other thing, next time a kid asks you about Sebastian or Flounder, technically you never met them, so next time just say they’re ‘friends of Ariel’.”

“Right,” James nodded, “and Sebastian is the lobster, yeah?”

Lily stopped walking and her hand fell away from his arm, “crab,” she corrected bluntly. “Sebastian is a crab.”

“Sure,” he smiled uneasily, letting his hands fall to his side. “A crab.”

Feeling very suspicious, Lily eyed James closely.

“They did teach you about Sebastian during training?”

“Yeah, they did, it’s just…”

“It’s just what?” She asked, feeling her eyes narrow.

“Well, it’s kind of hard to remember when…” he trailed off, not really looking at her.

“When?” Lily prompted.

“When you haven’t really seen what he looks like,” James finally said lowly, rubbing at the back of his neck.

“What?” She yelped, so loudly that Donald Duck and Goofy stopped to eye the two of them before moving on. “You haven’t seen The Little Mermaid? James, that’s like day one!”

“It was day five,” he disagreed weakly, obviously nervous due to her reaction. “I was ill so they said I could just watch it at home.”

“And?”

“And…I sort of…never did,” he admitted with a small shrug as Lily cursed him for being so attractive. It would be so much easier to be annoyed with him if she could stop staring at his gorgeous face.

“James, if McGonagall finds out you’ve never seen it, she will lose it!” Lily warned him, not wanting to picture the monumental explosion that would occur if that happened. What was worse: he’d probably get fired and then they’d need another new Eric and Lily couldn’t take the suspense of waiting to meet another new Prince. Plus, she was sort of growing fond of this one.

“Yeah, I got that impression when I met her.”

“I mean, you don’t even know how we met!” She persisted, shoving his shoulder lightly.

“I’m guessing in the sea?” He joked feebly, as Lily rolled her eyes.

“Unacceptable,” Lily said, folding her arms. “I am not letting you get fired over this.”

“Would you miss me, Princess?” James grinned, eyes sparkling.

“If you get fired they might bring Dave back,” Lily observed grimly, ignoring the flutter in her stomach that appeared when he obviously flirted with her, “and then I’d have to quit.”

“Okay, I will watch the movie…” James appeased her, shaking his head.

“Oh, you will watch that movie,” Lily ground out, stepping closer to him. “My number is on the staff call sheet. Text me your address. Next Sunday, I’m coming over and by the end of the day you will know the names, hair and fin colours of all my six sisters!”

------------------------

Of course, Lily hadn’t expected the teasing she ended up receiving from her fellow Princesses when she told them her weekend plans, which was probably quite naïve.

“You’re dating your Prince,” Marlene had giggled, Friday evening as they all de-wigged.

“I am not,” Lily protested ignoring their sceptical smirks. “I’m saving his job. And my sanity. Also, McGonagall changed the rules after Dave. No dating Princes! Remember?”

“Please,” Emmeline interjected dryly, “as if you haven’t noticed how hot he is.”

“Everyone has,” Mary said, saving Lily the trouble of dodging the question. “Did you see Bertha all over him in the canteen this afternoon?” She asked the group, as Lily felt her stomach twist unpleasantly. She hadn’t noticed that, being too preoccupied with the book she usually read at lunch.

“Yup,” Dorcas stated blithely, pulling off her wig to reveal flowing blonde hair with a fuchsia streak through it. “If he’s not careful, this is going to turn out to be another Prince Fuckboy sitch.”

“James is not Dave,” Lily inserted forcefully, taking off Ariel’s necklace and throwing it onto the counter. “He’s not going to behave like that.”

Embarrassed as she saw the girls exchanging knowing looks due to her outburst, Lily fixed an unconvincing smile onto her face. “He knows all about Dave and the drama and he’s aware of how horrible that all was,” she said calmly, “I doubt he’ll put us all through that again.”

Sensing an end to the conversation, Lily continued to unpin her wig, enjoying the wonderful feeling of removing the pins from her head. She undressed quickly and changed into her street uniform, before making her way to the door, saying goodbye to them all as she went.

“Well, we’re all here arguing over him,” she heard Emmeline say lowly to Marlene as she exited, “it sure feels like another Fuckboy situation.”

--------------------------------

Emmeline’s words from Friday night were still ringing in her ears as she walked to James’s apartment on Sunday afternoon. And of course, now she knew about Bertha, she had watched her all day Saturday doing the best she could to get James’s attention.

It shouldn’t have annoyed Lily and it was ridiculous that she felt in any way possessive of James. But watching Bertha flirt, smile and laugh her way through lunch with him stoked an ugly feeling in Lily that she soon recognised as jealousy.

Knowing that she needed to quell this before she herself was the instigator of drama, Lily resolved not to admire James anymore. In fact, as she crossed the street to the grey wooded building that she  thought was where he lived, Lily decided that she would not in any way fancy James and Bertha could have him if she liked.

Climbing the stairs and ringing the bell, Lily was happy in her determination…until James opened the door.

He was wearing glasses.

Fuck.

He had never worn glasses before. A bit like every other piece of clothing he decided to wear, the glasses looked unfairly good on him. She didn’t know what it was about them, but they finished his face beautifully – just in the way that she could picture taking them off to get a better look at his eyes. Maybe during a time when they were standing closer together. With as much energy as she could muster, Lily pushed this thought out of her head. She wasn’t allowed to date her cast mate.

Lily was about to apologise for standing awkwardly in silence in his doorway when she noticed that James seemed to be experiencing the same vocal block too, his eyes fixed on her.

“What?” She asked nervously, knowing that this wasn’t the most polite or graceful way to break the silence but she was desperate so it would have to do.

James swallowed, “oh, um…it’s nothing…it’s just…”

“Just?”

“Eh, your hair…and your, um…eyes,” he proceeded brokenly, his right hand slipping into his hair as Lily wondered what it would be like to run her fingers through it, “I’ve never seen you without…”

He trailed off again, his eyes doing another sweep of her face as Lily reminded herself to breathe.

“I can’t believe they make you wear a wig and contacts,” he finally managed after another swallow.

“Well, you know,” Lily shrugged, feeling her cheeks turn red, “I have to look like her,” she said, holding up the DVD box with Ariel on the front. “Ready for your homework?”

With a jerky smile, James brought her into his flat, closing the door after her.

“You know, I had to borrow a DVD player from my mom,” James said as he followed her into the living room.

“Well that’s your fault for getting rid of an essential piece of technology,” Lily scolded him, dropping her bag beside the couch before sitting down.

“Pfft,” James snorted, taking the DVD off her, “we definitely could’ve just streamed it.”

“My fair merlady,” Lily heard a booming voice echo from behind her, “welcome to our most humble abode.”

“Sirius,” Lily grinned, hoping off the couch and running around to greet him, as Sirius performed a deep bow before grabbing her hand and kissing the back of it.

“Captain Hook, Princess,” Sirius corrected politely in his flawless English accent.

“We spent an hour deciding if he could speak to you normally,” James said from behind them, not sounding impressed.

“You should not complain,” Sirius responded with an edge to his voice, “remember, it was I who provided the popped corn.”

“Are you joining us, Captain?” Lily asked.

“Alas, no,” Sirius replied, as James let out a ‘thank god’ over their shoulders. “I am expecting a duel with that wretched boy Pan this week and so must practice my fencing.”

“He’s going to the gym,” James translated as Lily heard the opening tones of the movie echo from the tv.

“Adieu, my dear,” Sirius called as he strode out of the apartment, gym bag in hand.

“I couldn’t live without him, but if I could, I would’ve killed him by now,” James said without prompting as Lily joined him on the couch.

“Shhhhh,” Lily hissed, poking him in the elbow, as the Disney castle appeared on the screen. “I can promise you there will be a quiz after this.”

James surprised Lily by being fairly quiet throughout the opening scenes of the movie, save for the occasional comment: “her father’s a dick,”… “he definitely looks like a lobster,” and various other observations which made her laugh.

“He’s a crab and you best remember that,” she warned.

“As if it matters…”

“Shhhh,” she quieted him again, knowing what was coming as Ariel swam towards the surface and fireworks exploded from the ship. “Oh my god,” she breathed as Eric came into view, his dog Max bounding around the deck. “This is the best part of the movie.”

“You think he’s attractive?” James asked, sounding unimpressed and she could tell he was watching her.

“Eh…yeah, I’m not blind,” Lily answered emphatically

“I suppose he’s alright…for a cartoon,” James retorted and she couldn’t help but smile at his miffed tone.

“Disney have a really random record of drawing ridiculously hot people,” she told him, still enjoying the view of Eric. “Besides, you should take it as a compliment,” she added thoughtlessly, cringing when she realised what she had said.

“Oh, so, because you think he’s hot that must mean you think I am?” James replied, sounding remarkably happier as he turned his whole body to her.

Trying to regain her composure, Lily shrugged, “Eric is generally regarded as one of the better looking Disney Princes…by everyone.”

With a brief grin, James felt silent and turned back to the movie.

“He’s clearly a shit sailor if his ship is sinking.”

“He’s a Prince and there was a storm…what do you want him to do?”

They watched in silence until the moment when Ariel had rescued Eric and was trying to revive him on the shore. As she sang to him, Lily unconsciously started to sing along quietly, as she had been doing ever since she had first watched the movie.

To her left, she heard a soft noise which broke her out of her daydream.

“Sorry,” she said, looking over to James to see him watching her again. “Old habit.”

“Don’t be,” he replied kindly, a crooked smile about his mouth, “you can sing.”

“Thanks,” she said awkwardly, not really knowing what to say.

“Why don’t you sing at work?”

“We’re not allowed,” Lily advised, “we’re specifically told not to sing. Did you pay attention at all during training?”

With a guilty shrug, James replied, “I still don’t get why you can’t sing.”

“I guess they want the kids to hear the songs the way they remember them,” she went on, “which I understand. I know I play her but Jodi Benson will always be Ariel to me.”

“Oh, she’s going to do something stupid to be with the stupid hot Prince, isn’t she?” James winced now watching the movie again.

“Can you blame her?”

The movie continued and James revelled in his correct prediction, yelling loudly at Ariel not to sign Ursula’s contract much to Lily’s amusement.

“There is no way in hell that would be legally binding!”

Now feeling a bit bolder, Lily sang her way through the rest of the songs with James laughing along until they both fell quiet at ‘Kiss the Girl”.

“Noooooo!” James howled when Flotsam and Jetsam overturned the boat Eric and Ariel were sitting in. “Fuck those eels!”

Nearly crying with laughter, Lily patted him on the arm, “I hate those things,” she consoled.

“I have never been so annoyed,” he announced, glaring at the television screen. “Why didn’t they just kiss?!”

“We’re only just half way through the movie, they couldn’t kiss now.”

James sat and pouted unhappily as the movie went on, only making another noise when Vanessa – Ursula’s human alter ego – appeared, “hello,” he let out lowly, his eyebrows dancing, as she slinked onto the screen.

“Hey!” Lily cried, feeling an unwarranted level of outrage. “Don’t you ‘hello’ her! She’s evil! She’s trying to distract you from Ariel. You can’t find her attractive!”

“Oh, so you can think cartoon Eric is hot but I can’t think evil Ariel is?”

“Eric is hot but he’s not evil! If Eric had an evil twin, I wouldn’t be ‘hello-ing’ all over him!”

“Look, you can’t deny she’s good looking,” James placated her, gesturing to Vanessa on the screen as Lily harrumphed, “but will it make you feel better if I say she’s not a patch on Ariel?”

“All I am asking is that you show a little loyalty to your wife,” Lily said evenly. “That witch has her voice!”

“I cannot believe we are arguing over which cartoon is hotter.”

“Well, you work at Disney now, Potter. Get used to it.”

Again, they fell silent as the movie played on and they watched as Ursula was discovered, defeated and Eric and Ariel married in their happily ever after.

“You know, you’re right. I didn’t like Vanessa so much by the end,” James conceded lowly, stretching out now that the film was over.

“Told you,” Lily gloated. “And at least now, if McGonagall asks, you can honestly say you’ve watched it.”

“Very true,” he agreed, “and I now also know the names of all assorted sentient fish and crustaceans. Thanks for taking the time to make sure I don’t get fired,” he smiled earnestly.

“You’re welcome,” she replied, hoping to sound normal as her heart started to thud against her chest.

“Did you do this with Dave?” He asked, fixing her with a look that wasn’t helping Lily at all.

Lily laughed, “no,” she breathed. “But I’m sure Dave watched the movie during training.”

“Bad luck, Dave.”

Her stomach now tingling, Lily knew she had to remove herself from his couch before she found herself in a tricky position.

“I should go,” she smiled tightly, getting to her feet to remove the DVD.

“Okay,” James said, moving after her. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning?”

“Yeah,” she said, walking towards the door. “As long as you can recognise me.”

“As if I’d forget you, Princess,” he winked, making Lily curse herself for flirting with him when she had promised she wouldn’t. “Unless, Vanessa is there, of course.”

She had just enough time to yelp in outrage before he closed the door cackling.

------------------

Working with James was easy. Working with James whilst trying not to fancy him was not so easy.

“Even with the blue contacts in he looks good,” she overheard Mary observe.

“His real eyes are nicer though,” Emmeline replied and all the girls in their dressing room agreed.

“You’re being awfully quiet, Evans,” Marlene cut in, sweeping past Lily’s dressing space whilst Lily was unbuttoning her gown.

“I’m not being quiet, I’m trying to get out of this stupid dress so I can go home!” Lily stressed, inwardly knowing that the reason she was dying to go home was so she wouldn’t have to hear them talk about James.

“Oh, don’t be in such a huff!” Marlene retorted, turning Lily around to do her buttons for her. “No one here actually fancies him. Except you. And Bertha, of course.”

“I do not fancy him,” Lily replied, despising how childish and ridiculous she sounded. “I agree he has nice eyes, but he’s my cast mate and that’s all.”

“Poor James,” Marlene said, giggling along with the rest of the girls, “he’ll be devastated to hear that.”

“Oh, would you stop?” Lily hissed. “You’re just talking nonsense now!”

“You can’t see the way he looks at you up on that float, I can!”

“I don’t know if you’re aware, but being a good actor is one of the requirements to work here. As is keeping your mitts off your fellow employees!”

“Sorry to interrupt what is clearly an important conversation,” Dorcas cut in dryly, “but has McGonagall spoken to you all about this Buzzfeed thing?”

“Yes,” Mary replied as the rest of the group all echoed her. “It’s this Sunday, we’re bringing our own costumes but there’ll be hair and makeup there.”

“And why are we doing this again?”

“More advertising apparently,” Mary told her as she hung up her costume. “Buzzfeed are obsessed with the Princesses so they want some shoot to show us all off to their readers.”

“Sounds wonderful,” Dorcas droned, rolling her eyes. “All I needed was an excuse to spend another day dressed for the alpines.”

“Are the guys coming?” Emmeline asked, now styling her own hair.

“Yes, we are,” a voice sounded from outset the dressing room as they all jumped, “also, can I come in? I need to speak to Lily.”

Eyes widening when she realised it was James, Lily yelled back, “just a minute,” as she started to undress quickly. “If he heard what any of you said, I will put fairy dust in all of your wig caps,” she hissed quietly, eyeballing them all before pulling on her shorts and t-shirt.

“Drama queen,” Marlene shot back, striding to the dressing room door and pulling it open once Lily was dressed. “Enter at your own peril, Potter,” she greeted James, “everyone is feeling very Princessey today.

Ignoring Marlene, Lily walked towards James. “What?” She asked very abruptly, seizing up inwardly at her rudeness but she could feel the eyes of the rest of the group on them.

James watched her a bit uncertainly before beginning, “so, one day, I will manage this dance without injuring you,” he half-laughed, folding him arms, presumably from her forced coldness.

“It’s fine, James,” she sighed, not at him, but because of the total silence in the dressing room as they talked.

“Maybe you guys should practice,” Emmeline put in cheerfully and Marlene exchanged a grin with her.

Lily shot her a look.

“Actually, that was what I was going to suggest,” James replied awkwardly, hand in his hair. “Unless, you have somewhere to be?”

“She has nowhere to be,” Marlene smiled, walking back to her own table. “I know because we have big plans to go home and watch Queer Eye at mine.”

Knowing that she wasn’t getting out of this without a serious amount of effort and really not wanting to offend James anymore than she probably already had, Lily didn’t bother to object. And they did need to practice.

“Great,” James smiled, still sounding a little uncertain.

Walking towards him, Lily let her hands drift upwards, one to his shoulder and the other into his waiting hand.

“We don’t have to…here,” he said to her quietly, as his arm came around her waist.

“It’s fine,” Lily reassured again, giving him a tight smile. At least this way, her cast mates could see there wasn’t anything there.

But as he pulled her a little closer and their chests met, Lily felt her heart start to beat rapidly. Did he always hold her this closely?

“You move forward first,” she said lowly, stealing herself with the hand on his shoulder.

“Yeah,” he confirmed, equally quiet.

After a short pause, Lily counted them in, her eyes on their feet.

They managed the first set of four…and then the second. And then the third. But then James stopped.

“You can do it fine in here,” she observed, giving him a small smile.

“Well, it’s not exactly parade conditions,” Dorcas pointed out.

“Would you…” James started, before stopping.

“What?”

“I need you to look at me,” he told her with a reluctant smile, “I think I’ve worked out that’s where the problem is.”

Lily felt, rather than saw, their audience exchange looks.

“Okay,” she agreed after a deep breath. And as she counted them in, she raised her eyes to lock on his.

After two moves, James stood on her left foot.

“Try again,” Lily said immediately, not wanting to give anyone a chance to comment.

She counted once more and they moved back, side, forward, side…She raised her eyes to his and immediately, James tripped.

“Shit, sorry,” he breathed, eyes and arms dropping away from her as his face coloured red.

“It’s okay,” Lily said kindly, unable to stop the butterflies swarming in her stomach.

“Evans is known for her amazing eyes,” Dorcas interjected pleasantly, “I wouldn’t beat yourself up, Potter.”

“Then how come it still happens when you’ve got contacts in?” James asked lightly, quietly enough that only he and Lily could hear. And then he gave her one of those smiles that made her all her limbs feel weak.

“I don’t have to look at you,” Lily offered as a solution.

James shook his head, “no, we’re in love,” he replied quickly before realisation crept onto his face and he laughed steadily amongst the titters in the room, “Eric and Ariel are in love,” he clarified modestly, not really looking at her. “When you’re in love, you look at each other.”

Their eyes met again.

“Exactly like that,” Marlene cut through and though Lily kept her eyes on James, she could tell her friend was grinning. “You guys are such great actors.”

Between that remark and the thudding of her heart, Lily had to move away.

“Maybe we can practice at lunch tomorrow,” she suggested, walking away from him.

“Yeah,” he agreed, “that sounds good. I won’t take up more of your time now.”

“Bye James,” Emmeline called and Lily heard the dressing room door close over her shoulder.

“Wow, Lil’,” Marlene started, “practice at lunchtime tomorrow. What a great way to stop Bertha from getting anywhere near him.”

Lily chucked her beauty blender at her.

-----------------------------

As it turned out, Lily did not see James at lunchtime the next day.

She had awoken in the middle of the night with a fever which, at the time she had related to the rather interesting dream he had been having about James. But, by the next morning, she had a permanent lump stuck in her throat, found it hard to swallow and felt weak and cold all over.

After she called in sick to McGonagall, she just about made it to the doctors without fainting. Upon hearing the hoarseness in her voice, it took the doctor all of three minutes to diagnose her with laryngitis.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if your voice goes completely,” was her final word as Lily traipsed out of the office. “Should be over in two weeks. Plenty of bed rest, lots of water and no talking, okay?”

It occurred to Lily as she made her way home that she probably still could go into work if she wanted. That’s what Sirius would do. If she was method, that’s what she’d do too.

Unfortunately, her fever and dizziness overtook her before she was able to even progress that thought and Lily was again lucky to make it to her bed in time to pass out for the rest of the day.

When she woke up again on Tuesday night, she found several messages on her phone from Marlene and Dorcas objecting to her sick day and demanding that she return to work tomorrow. Lily let them know she was ill and probably wouldn’t be in for the rest of the week before promptly falling asleep again.

It wasn’t until Sunday morning, when she had progressed to being able to make herself soup and toast, that Lily was reminded of the Buzzfeed article.

She was busy peering over the toaster wondering when it would pop, when her phone rang.

Answering it before remembering that she couldn’t talk, Lily jumped to hear James’s voice at the end of the line.

“Hello?” His voice echoed down the telephone, “hello? Lily? I’m not sure if this is a voicemail…”

Lily was contemplating hanging up and sending him a text to explain when James continued to talk.

“Marlene said you were sick…I’m sorry for ringing you when you’re not well but…well, we’re down at this Buzzfeed thing and McGonagall has assigned Bertha to be Ariel…”

Lily nearly dropped the phone.

“…and well…this is stupid…but it sort of feels like Vanessa is here instead of Ariel. And I remembered what you said about loyalty to my wife so…so I just wanted to say that. And to say it feels weird doing this without you.”

She held onto the counter, nearly breathless to hear what he would say next.

“Anyway, if you can get here…I know you’re sick so don’t if you can’t…but if you can, we could do the shoot with the real Ariel. So yeah. That’s all I wanted to say. Bye.”

By the time the toast had popped, Lily had brushed her hair, teeth and was downstairs waiting on her uber.

---------------------------------

“I thought you were sick!”

Marlene was the first to greet her after she had made it into the photo shoot.

She’d already had to use her phone to type out her issue for the security guard and doorman and so she just handed it to Marlene, note already open.

“You’ve lost your voice?’’

Lily nodded.

“Brilliant!” Marlene laughed, “do you need me to explain forks too?”

Lily glared at her until Marlene relented and took her by the arm.

“They were going to let Bertha do Ariel – of course she was dying to – but now you’re here, there’s no way they’ll go to the bother of changing her from Elsa to Ariel,” Marlene chatted as she guided Lily through the studio.

As they walked Lily observed Dorcas and Dirk, arm in arm in the setting of a snowy mountain.

“I’ll sort this with McGonagall,” Marlene continued as they walked to the make-up and hair area, “you just get ready. They’re doing you and James after B&B so you still have a while to go.”

Marlene brought her up to a man who was in the middle of styling Mary’s hair.

“This is Lily, Fabian,” she announced.

“Lily!” Mary greeted, sounding a bit giddy.

“She’s Ariel. She’s lost her voice,” Marlene said loudly, as Fabian and Mary regarded her with amazement.

“Oh my God,” Fabian said, his hands falling away from Mary’s hair. “Really?”

Lily nodded exaggeratedly, struggling not to roll her eyes.

“You’re not contagious are you?” Mary asked uncertainty, after her smile had faded.

“Benjy!” Fabian yelled, saving Lily the trouble of telling Mary she might be but she wasn’t going to let an infectious disease stop her from saving Ariel from Bertha. “Get over here!”

A skinny blond man in glasses sauntered over to the group, leaving behind the photographer he had been speaking with.

“Yeah?”

“This is Ariel,” Fabian informed him excitedly, clapping Lily on the shoulder.

“Nice to meet you,” Benjy said pleasantly, holding out his hand. “I’m Buzzfeed’s social editor.”

“Ben, she can’t answer you.”

“Oh yeah?”

“She’s lost her voice,” Fabian managed, practically buzzing with the news.

Suddenly Benji’s whole face changed, from slightly stressed young reporter to the same fevered astounded expression that Fabian was wearing.

“No shit,” he breathed, “really?”

Lily nodded.

“You can’t talk at all?”

Lily shook her head, feeling more and more sympathy with Ariel with each passing minute.

“Fucking brilliant,” Benji celebrated, grabbing her shoulders.

“You should film this,” Fabian announced, moving back to Mary and beginning to work on her hair again. “That would be amazing.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Benji agreed, “would you mind?”

“You should probably check with McGonagall first,” Marlene suggested, pointing at their manager who was giving directions to the photographer whilst Dorcas fanned herself.

“Sure, sure,” the journalist noted, not sounding too concerned, “will someone get her into her costume,” he called, as he strode back across the room. “I want to do this asap.”

Thinking that she might hurry the process along by putting on her own wig, Lily erased the note on her phone and simply typed out ‘wig?’ before showing it to Marlene.

“What does she want?” Fabian asked absentmindedly.

“She wants to know where her wig is,” Marlene answered, causing Fabian to swivel away from Mary again in outrage.

“They make you wear a wig?!”

After Fabian had recovered from realising Lily wasn’t allowed to have her natural hair, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

“I’m in charge of the shoot styling, and I say, you’re using your own hair.”

Not really in a position to argue, Lily had watched as they transformed her hair from a curly, frizzy nightmare to long, flowing and bouncing waves that fell perfectly around her face and over her shoulders. She’d never seen her hair look so good. And sure, it wasn’t Ariel’s colour, but it was close.

Whilst her hair was being transformed, another stylist had appeared to apply her make up. Lily was used to wearing Ariel’s make up but she wasn’t used to having it tweaked to suit her own eye colour. It was the smallest of changes to the eyeshadow but suddenly, the make up fit her perfectly. As she watched herself in the mirror, it was as though she was somewhere halfway between herself and her cartoon counterpart.

“You look amazing,” Fabian appraised, still playing with the ends of her hair. “I can’t wait to see you in the tail.”

Not having heard this news before, Lily’s whole face lit up – her eyebrows jumping into her hairline.

“She gets the wear the tail?” Dorcas yelped, appearing out of nowhere and into Lily’s mirror.

“Of course!” Fabian said, causing Dorcas to clap. “We’re doing the scene after Ariel rescues Eric and brings him to the beach. You can’t be a mermaid without your tail!”

Finally pleased with her hair, Fabian moved away to Emma with one final squeeze of Lily’s shoulders.

“James Potter is about to lose his damn mind,” Dorcas whispered into Lily’s ear as they both grinned.

With this thought ringing in her ears, Lily made her way to the costume section to look for her tail. Finding Ariel’s costume wasn’t hard and she found putting on the bra and top part of her tail like slipping into an old pair of pyjamas.

“Ariel! We’re ready for you.”

Hearing the photographer calling her, Lily managed to signal to Dorcas (now in her civilian clothes) and hand her the fin.

“Here, I’ll walk with you,” she said, taking Lily’s elbow to help her balance.

They moved slowly and steadily towards the main stage and in the distance, Lily saw James, in full costume, lying down on the set, eyes towards the ceiling.

Her heart gave a quick thump.

“You really like him,” Dorcas observed quietly, squeezing Lily’s arm. “Your whole breathing changed when you saw him,” she explained, after Lily gave her a questioning look.

Ignoring that, and not really caring that Dorcas was right, Lily continued to wiggle her way to the set.

“Ariel has arrived,” Dorcas announced to the room, shocking Lily and causing all the heads in the room to snap to her.

And just as James lifted his head to see her, suddenly Dorcas was nowhere to be found.

“Wow,” she heard him breathe as their eyes met and she saw the look of pure attraction come onto his face.

“She looks good, right Potter?” Dorcas called teasingly, and Lily quickly became aware that not only were they being watched, but Benji was currently filming with a handheld camera.

“I can’t believe I’m getting paid to do this,” James responded softly, his eyes never moving from hers as the room laughed.  

“Oh my god, they’re not together, are they?”she heard Benji say to Dorcas.

“Okay, Ariel, if you could just lie down beside Eric,” the photographer cut in.

Feeling a little ridiculous as she wobbled over to James, Lily just about managed to get to her knees when James’s arms came up to her elbows to steady her. With effort, she placed her body in between his arm and his elbow, head hanging over his. “Hi,” he said lowly to her, in his own sweet tone and Lily could only smile. “Marlene tells me you’ve lost your voice?”

She nodded earnestly and he smiled in response, causing her to blush when he pushed one side of her hair over her shoulder.

“So…was that you on the phone earlier or...?”

Again, Lily nodded.

“Right,” James coughed, “sorry for calling. I just…”

Managing to interrupt him by shaking her head, Lily gave his forearm a quick squeeze.

“Anna, can you attach her tail?” The photographer asked Dorcas.

“I’m on it!”

“Right, so everyone knows the scene. Eric is passed out, Ariel, you’ve just saved him from death. He’s the most beautiful human you’ve ever seen and this is where you decide you’ll do whatever it takes to be with him.”

Lily nodded to acknowledge she’d heard as she held up her feet for Dorcas.

“Just smile, play with his hair…you know – the usual.”

With one final look, James let his head fall backwards and his eyes close.

“Music!” The photographer called and Lily heard the refrain of ‘Part of Your World’ sweep around the room.

Deciding that the only way to do this without her heart beating out of her chest was to be completely method, Lily did her best to pretend that no one else was in the room as her hands moved to James’s hair. The quirk of the left side of his mouth was the only sign on James’s face that she had touched him.

Smiling down at him, Lily flipped her tail and moved her fingers down past his eyebrow, over his cheekbone and down to his jaw, suppressing a full grin when James inhaled deeply.

In the distance, she could hear the sound of the camera clicking furiously.

“Okay, Eric, we’re going to try a few with you awake, so open your eyes.”

Lily’s breathing skipped when her eyes met James’s hazel ones and she almost forgot she was supposed to be acting.

“Heh,” the odd sound he made before swallowing thickly.

Lily looked at him quizzically.

“I’ve just remembered how we get your voice back,” he explained, eyes pouring into hers as the music swelled and his hand drifted into her hair.

She probably should have stopped him, given that they were surrounded by all of their work colleagues, but with absolutely no desire to, Lily’s eyes fluttered closed as their lips met.

He kissed her tenderly and so softly that Lily, wanting more of him, pressed herself down against him as James’s left arm encircled her waist. She revelled in the feeling of his lips against hers, her hair falling down around them and shading them from the eyes of the rest of the room.

It was only after silence rang out around them as the music stopped that they broke apart, eyes meeting each other again. Lily couldn’t help the small smile that crept onto her face when she saw the look James was giving her.

He had just swept her hair behind her ear, when a loud wolf-whistle echoed around the set.

“Well, did it work?” Marlene shrieked, removing her hands from her mouth.

With a quick glance at James, Lily tried to speak…and what came out was a garbled, hoarse cough and the most horrid sound she had ever made.

The entire room exploded in laughter, except for James who was still smiling up at her.

“Oh well,” he said quietly, nudging her nose with his, “guess we’ll just have to keep trying.”

And then Lily remembered that McGonagall was in the room. And oh fuck, James had just kissed her in front of her boss.

Gesturing for someone to come and take the tail and help her up, Lily tried to look everywhere but James whilst also avoiding McGonagall as well.

“I got you,” she heard Marlene say from behind her and soon after her feet were free. “Dressing room?” She asked urgently, as she helped Lily to her feet. “That was the hottest fucking kiss I have ever seen,” Marlene told her quietly, as they stumbled towards the back.

Lily had so many questions running through her head – mainly did McGonagall look like she was going to eat them alive – that she wasn’t able to focus on how great the kiss had been.

When they reached the backstage area, she lowered herself into her seat and tried not to panic.

“Look, don’t freak out,” Marlene reassured her, catching sight of Lily’s expression, “you can say you were just acting.”

Lily was about to respond when she saw James coming after them, jogging lightly.

“On a scale of one to ten, how stupid was that?” He asked, seemingly directing the query at Marlene but looking at Lily.

“Probably a ten,” Marlene answered.

“Can I have a minute to chat with Lily, please?”

“Nope, you’ll need me to translate.”

Lily squeezed her arm and Marlene sighed.

“Okay, fine, but I want all the details later, you hear?”

As Marlene left, Lily felt her heart start to beat rapidly again. Fuck, she liked this boy way too much. Enough that she was endangering her job just to kiss him.

“Okay, it kind of sucks that you can’t talk,” James started, pulling a seat around to face her, “because I can’t tell if you’re mad or not. Are you?”

Not able to stop a smile appearing at his nervous bashfulness, Lily shook her head.

“Good,” he breathed, breaking out into a grin, “because I’ve been thinking about kissing you for three weeks and I really want to do it again.”

Feeling the butterflies swooping around her stomach, Lily’s smile widened.

“I checked the staff rules a couple of weeks ago” James continued, letting his hand come out to fall onto hers, “and apparently, I can’t ask you out.”

Again, Lily nodded.

“So, basically what I wanted to check was if it would be coming on too strong to quit and then ask you out?”

“Yes, it would be, Potter,” a voice said as they both jumped. “I would have at least suggested starting some form of clandestine relationship before resorting to quitting,” Minerva said, glaring down at them both, “or I would have before you kissed Evans in front of the entire cast.”

“Eh, yeah, sorry about that…”

“And stop looking so worried, Evans,” she continued briskly, “no one is going to quit.”

“What?” James asked, his hand still firm on top of hers.

“The rule about dating was put in place after the Dave debacle,” McGonagall explained, “to deter similar behaviour and to prevent us losing half the cast. We’re not going to fire either of you for dating each other. Particularly, when you’ve been driving the entire Park insane with your ridiculous flirting.”

“We weren’t that ridiculous,” James said quietly, looking a bit peeved.

“I’m also assured by Benji that the footage of you both this afternoon is certain to go ‘totally viral’ – it would be illogical for Disney to fire it’s two most popular cast mates.”

“Right,” he noted, his eyes meeting Lily’s. “Does that mean we can kiss in the Park?”

“Not a chance, Potter,” Minerva replied, “you’ll have to help Evans get her voice back on your own time.” And with that, and a wink, she swept away, back towards the set where Jasmine was scolding Aladdin.

“Worth a shot,” James grinned, standing up. Eyes dancing, he leant forward and pressed a quick but meaningful kiss to her lips. “Well that seems to be that sorted,” he said against her lips, pulling back a little to let his forehead fall against hers, “so, what do you think, Evans? Go out with me?”

Still reeling from the surprise kiss, and with her hand clasping his, Lily smiled up at him.

“Yes.”

[whirlwindflux]

Undersea Adventure: TrotCon 2018

TrotCon is a little special to me - it’s my local Brony Convention. When I say my local Brony convention, I say it with a little bit of sarcasm. At 6 hours away by car from my home in Ontario, most people wouldn't classify it as local, but it is the closest one in operation to where I live! I like a good road-trip and navigating to Columbus is fairly simple and straightforward.

I know it has been more than a month since the convention, but here is how my weekend went! Continue below for a large wall of text!

Last year was my first visit to TrotCon and if you read my weekend review of TrotCon 2017, you’d know I had a fantastic weekend! I was worried that maybe my expectations were set too high and 2018 wouldn't be as awesome as TrotCon of past, but I am proud to report, the weekend was as great as I had hoped it to be! Good news, even with BronyCon and GalaCon occurring the next weekend, attendance stayed level, with new and old faces alike at about 800. For those of you wondering if you saw me during the weekend, I was the guy carrying around either the life-size Blackjack or Little Pip plushie.

Before talking about the convention, I want to talk about the weather we had during the weekend - to say it was wet would be an understatement. It almost felt as if the weather knew the convention theme and wanted to play along. Heavy rain, high humidity, and the sound of cell phone emergency alerts for flood warnings could be heard throughout the weekend. Not sure if anyone else had this problem, but humidity levels in my guest room at the Crowne Plaza were so high that any paper based merch I purchased ended up curling something fierce. No doubt, it was the perfect weekend to be inside, at a convention being held in a hotel with attached convention space.

With good weather while on the road Thursday and no rivers to drive through this year, I arrived in Columbus at 3pm and was able to check in and make my way up to my room. I've always been a fan of the little touches, and the room keys were customized again this year, with a cool play on the con theme and the movie Jaws. The Thursday afternoon/evening LobbyCon experience this year felt a little muted (possibly due to other events going on in the hotel) in comparison to last year, but overall it was easy to find your friends and wait for pre-registration pickup to start.

I learned last year that it was a good idea to get in line early - so I did, and it payed off! I was able to collect my sponsor loot chest and make my way back to my room for the night. Of all the cons I have attended, TrotCon gets top marks for sponsor perks and presentation. This year, the sponsor perks were presented in beautiful hand-stained, customized and packed wooden chests. With all prepaid perks inside and some surprises, this presentation is one of my favourite things about being a sponsor for TrotCon! Also, love the design of the cool tie-dye shirt, it’s unique and stands out in a crowd! I couldn’t believe how many I saw the weekend after at BronyCon! Can’t wait to see what awesome ideas are in the works for next year!

This year, Friday started right on time with Opening Ceremonies. This included the public reveal of the first half of this year’s comic, introductions to our weekend VIP’s and welcoming Guests of Honour. Somehow, I already knew we were in for a great time! Just as the raffle started, I figured it would be a good idea to step out and get my Guest of Honour signatures before the onslaught of long lines later in the weekend. Not only was I able to get right into the autograph lines, they were short, meaning I was able to have a great little chat with everyone present! While TrotCon only invites a few show staff guests, it seems they pick ones that are ready to party and enjoy the weekend to its fullest! Originally I had blocked off a lot of time to get these signatures and ultimately didn't need it. This meant more time for me to browse the Vendor hall, Traveling Pony Museum, Video game room and catch up with friends before my next scheduled event.

As I had a sponsor badge, I was able to attend the sponsor only pool noodle fencing and dueling class. Since the numbers were kept small, it was easy to have a few turns at each to get a feel for it all. Unfortunately, what I learned was I had no aptitude for either, but all in all, had good fun with it. I am glad that more live action events are being tried, explored and added to the weekend - it’s an awesome addition that adds to the TrotCon experience!

Later on, I took some time to stop in at the Canterlot Art Institute panel, getting an easy to understand lesson on expression and pose in drawing. While I have a technique that works for me when drawing, learning from people who have much more experience is always welcome! I find the process of other artists and their techniques very interesting as they always have little tips and tricks that can make a big difference!

The remainder of my Friday night was spent listening to some great live music in the Main Events hall. Although there seemed to be a few issues with sound-check at the beginning which delayed the start of the event, the AV team was determined in getting things sounding right and they did a great job! A shout-out to everyone who performed and everyone behind the scenes that made it possible. Thank you for all that you do!

While Friday was quite chaotic and busy, most of Saturday was quite a bit more laid back and straightforward. Starting my day in the vendor hall, I was able to talk with many wonderful artists and creators. Beyond making purchases, I’ve always found a lot of inspiration in talking with others about their craft and process. Fun fact: It was last year at TrotCon that I was encouraged to try making plushies - it has become one of my favourite hobbies!

The Saturday schedule was perfectly designed with 3 back to back panels I wanted to attend in the Main Events hall. First up was a 2018 variant of one of my favourite events from last year, the panel featuring Heather Breckel. With no particular theme or description, you never know what type of discussion will start! It’s a laid back discussion about comics, art and video games - what more could you ask for? Next up was a voice actors panel featuring Kyle and Lauren. All of our questions were answered by the voice actors of our favourite reformed changeling and student six hippogriff. This discussion was fun and light with Lauren and Kyle playing well off each other! With time flying fast, Elley-Ray and Brenda now took the stage, and while I didn’t know it at the beginning, this would soon be my favourite panel of the weekend! The best way I can describe this panel is that it was food for the soul. A discussion of love, passion, friendship and positivity. By the end of the panel, you felt spiritually recharged! Both Elley-Ray and Brenda had so much knowledge to share with the audience and played off each other perfectly. Before any of us knew it, the panel was over and it was time to find something else to do.

Now was as good a time as any to grab something to eat and take another visit around the vendor hall. After a few more great conversations, and purchases, it was time to attend a few evening panels! From a mythological discussion at the Beasts of Seaquestria panel to a more scientific and mathematical breakdown of the Equestrian Royal Guard, both panels were quite a success! After these panels, it was off to the rave for some great electronic performances! One unique thing about TrotCon is that the convention doesn't sleep - it runs from Noon on Friday to 6pm on Sunday - there is always something to do. Unfortunately, sleep is also important, so most overnight events are lost to me. Maybe one day!

Sunday started with an MLP trivia panel; obscure questions were asked about our favourite cartoon horse show and, for once, I actually knew some of the answers! Uniquely, so called prizes were given to those of us who got the answers wrong - nice twist guys! There was time for a last minute visit to the vendor hall and video game area before the plushie meetup. Piled into a small room with a big table, everyone brought their plushies along to the meetup and after arranging them on the table, we took pictures of the plushie pile. What did you think was going to happen?

With time ticking down to the end, the charity auction began and was full of unique items, all to raise funds for charity. This year, the gimmick was marshmallows. Elley-Ray made a guest appearance to assist the auctioneer and was the life of the party. She kept the crowd lively and bidding all the way through! The end of the charity held quite the surprise; a ritual was performed upon an item to draw away all the negative energy of the weekend and pay it forward, as a gift, to BronyCon. The highest bidder won the item with the stipulation of delivering it to the BronyCon lost and found so it could be located by staff and auctioned off there. Although I wasn't able to make the charity auction at BronyCon, I did hear a rumor that the cursed item made its way. Thanks to the winner for following through and ridding TrotCon of that cursed item! Closing ceremonies brought everyone in and for another year we said thank you and goodbye to our Guests of Honour, VIPs and Con Staff. The TrotCon theme for next year was revealed and I am excited to see what it will bring!

Thank you to everyone who made this weekend possible, and see you again next year!

Want a TL:DR? Here it is, if you haven’t (or have in the past), go to TrotCon, it’s awesome!

[twistednuns]

July 2020

Change. Transition and transformation.                                            

Feeling like a proud mum during my first graduation class’ final exam. They’re all gonna leave the nest so soon.

Meeting my colleagues at Michi’s own “Isar beach”. Ordering truffle pizza. Watching the storm clouds coming closer. Retreating to Michi’s flat. Talking to the dude with the guitar about life-changing travel experiences. Making fun of the stalkers across the street. Psychedelics-talk with Lorenz. Having a last drink at Rosi’s. My first time in a bar in many many months.

Tapas with Lena and Maike. Walking in linen shoes in the pouring rain. Listening to Knorkator on the subway.

New clothes. Loose, high-waisted pants, jeans shorts, a lemon print dress. A graphic, artsy Monki dress. A new hat and a bargain from COS (a sweater for only €5,85, wow).

My spontaneous meet-ups with Manu at the Asian take-away restaurant. Last time I started smiling brightly when a little kid walked past us very proudly with their brand new Schultüte.

Rest. A clean apartment. Cleaning in general (weird obsession atm; I even cleaned Manu’s whole kitchen when I was making veggie stew for him during his ear infection; but also I sang Soft Kitty for him). Gardening. Cooling down with water spray, après sun spray and cool-packs from the freezer.

Leoni’s essay actually made me laugh out loud. We had a bet going on. If she managed to use the word turkey in her essay I would have to give her €10. Well, she did it. Also, she invented and app called Teenage Mutant Karate Cats and signed off with Love, Karen. Such a gem.

That feeling when you put the pen down and the work is finally done. So liberating (after grading the final exams).

My blackroll. The only thing that helps after working at a desk for a few hours. My back hates grading papers. And using the kitchen as a temporary workspace. The smell of coffee, the humming of the dishwasher, sitting right by the window. Using all the colours to mark the essays. I love highlighter pens.

The smoke alarm lady’s charm. I only see her once a year when she comes to check on the smoke alarms but I kinda like her.

Staying late. Singing in an empty school. Not having to be quiet for once.

People standing in for gay rights and diversity. Which is why I loved the Circus of Books documentary. And the Netflix series POSE. Blanca and Pray are my favourite characters, of course.

I was satisfied with the Dark series ending. Couldn’t have hoped for more.

Raspberry plants for only 1€. I couldn’t resist.

Teaching some English lessons in other classes. Not actually facing any resistance, they really liked working with me. They asked questions and were interested, what the heck? In the final lesson with the 9d ladies we actually carved out some time to learn the cup song and sing karaoke on full volume. The girls showed my a Dua Lipa song I hadn’t heard before, I really liked it. And they wanted to hear My Heart Will Go On. Just imagine blasting the Titanic song and a whole group of teenagers singing along as dramatically as possible.

Manu feeding me with Toffifee while watching a brainless rom-com.

A day trip to Chiemsee with Sash. We were ON A BOAT, had Aperol Spritz in the sunshine right by the lake. Lots of walking, talking, inspecting flowers and eating good food. In the end we went swimming (for the first time this year?). How I had missed the water. Browsing magazines on the train. Talking about hair care and secret dreams. Coffee with ice-cream for dinner.

Making snack berries. Dipping blueberries in Greek yoghurt, rolling them in grated coconut and off to the freezer. A great healthy snack. (But of course I’m also obsessed with actual Raffaellos this month.)

A day at the lake with Verena, Silvia and Nicole. Great picnic lunch, 90’s revival music. Spotting huge fishies underwater. Taking photos of Verena in order to work on some ideas for her back tattoo. Low point: stepping into a bee and the worst sunburn ever.

The Karlsfeld train underpass. Lots of interesting underwater creatures that actually look like vintage illustrations.

Westpark. One of my favourite green spots in Munich. Lunch at Gans am Wasser (veggie seitan kebab), walking over to Rosengarten, ice-cream for dessert. Cycling home. Stopping to pick some flowers.

BBQ with some colleagues. Playing some weird trampoline volleyball game. Chasing Luise (the weiner dog) around. Being the DJ. In the end I sat there with Michi, Laura and Nicole. Drove home with a quite drunk Michi who didn’t stop talking.

A picnic with the kids and their parents to say our final goodbyes. Culinary presents from the parents, a graduation T-shirt from the students. Taking lots of photos, talking until it got dark. On the next day I had to go up on stage for the graduation ceremony. I was super nervous but so glad when it was all over. I went home with arms full of flower, wearing my constellation dress. On the parking lot Nicole and I even had a little fun with a helium balloon.

I went straight home to visit my mum on the last school day so I enjoyed a weekend there. Singing with my mum and my brother, healthy meals, inspecting the garden, making a gorgeous bouquet with some sunflowers I had brought with me and buddleja twigs from the garden. Walking through the neighbourhood with my mother, feeding chickens (my mother is just as crazy as me, the video I made of her talking to the birds is proof), going to the fleamarket (also for the first time this year). Meeting Michi U., Sash, Julia, Lena and Obi at Yvonne’s vegan cafe. Iced almond coffee, two full tables filled with vegan food. Talking to the owner about creative projects. Meeting Catrin and Andi at Brillengalerie (Birkenstock inspiration!).

Learning about resonant breathing, medicinal mushrooms and the psychological origin of illness.

Salt with smoky paprika and lemon-infused olive oil.

Harvesting pea pods on my balcony.

Talking to a body therapist. A morning walk through Schwabing. Treating myself to some Bircher muesli and fresh juice. Walking through some stores I had never been to before. Discovering a mirror gallery. Later some vegetarian sushi, Pho and a massage appointment. Lying in bed with Manu, right in front of the ventilator. Eating sinful cookies'n'cream magnum, talking about sex, health, music, life. Making late-night pizza.

Talking to Franzi on the phone. Reading a graphic novel set in Munich. Great drawings of the city. I loved the interior of Pimpernel club. Really well done.

Meeting Laura at her osteopathy practice for the first time. I really like her. Later it turned out that she’s friends with Becky! Laura taught me how to sit and stand and felt her way into my scoliosis.She has such a soft approach, let’s see how happy I’ll be with that treatment. But I obviously need to join her Cantienica class.

Hardware store, heavy plant transport. Finding a lot of cheap flower pots in the antique store.

Eating my first home-grown tomato. Just a little herbal salt. So nice. You can actually taste the sunshine.

Gute Laune herbal tea. In the middle of summer. With the doors closed to keep the heat out.

This tie-dye idea.

I sat on the balcony when a sudden thump made a tiny little bird fall right in front of me. It had collided with my living room window. Its wing was twisted so I put it right and the bird hopped off, resting in a dark corner, closing its eyes all the time. I looked up how to help and was really sad because the internet warned me that most birds would die a few hours after a collision but after ten minutes the bird hopped onto a twig, some more hopping, and flew off. I really hope you made it, little friend! Have a nice summer!

Watching The Expanse with Lena and Obi. Watermelon-Feta salad with mint. Drinking homemade lemonade, sparkly bloodorange wine and coffee with ice-cream.

An electric blue summer dress.

The Russian-themed Sjöden autumn catalogue.

Taylor Swift and Bon Iver - Exile. Such an incredibly beautiful song.

Making a fantastic Indian eggplant/chickpea curry with coriander, paneer and tofu. Delicious.

And the last crazy thing I need to talk about this month is Becky. She texted me during the graduation ceremony on the last day of the school year and told me that she’d be one of my colleagues from now on!! Crazy. The trio is back together. I met her at our usual Italian restaurant and we talked for hours. So much to catch up on. She is still a person I vibe and click with. However, I’m also a little scared because somehow she represents a chapter of my life I have closed. So she seems a little out of place in this new little corner of the world I have created for myself. But I’m sure it’s gonna turn out great!

[purgatory-jar]

11 questions game

I was tagged by both @saawek and @elnawen (from now on dubbed “the french corner”) and I’ve got like, SOM ANY QUSTIONS GUYS STAPH

But like, the questions were actually pretty cool, so, guess I’m doing this:

here are the rules

1. Post the Rules

2. Answer the questions given to you

3. Make 11 questions of your own

4. Tag 11 people

* 

questions and replies under the cut!

1) What is your favorite movie?

AH, it keeps changing tbh. Lately, I’d say I greatly enjoyed wonder woman :D

2) What are you doing tomorrow?

Working at my day job and then probably drawing. I promised myself i’d start the sketch for one of the drawings for my portfolio, let’s see how that goes XD

3) What is your favorite animal?

Giraffes and cats <3

4) What is your favorite genre of story?

Considering the fact that I haven’t read a proper printed book in forever… I’d say urban fantasy. But not post-apocalitic, if possible.

5) Pizza or Burger?

Give me all the burgers!!!

6) tea or coffee?

I enoy tea much more, but I am addicted to coffee xD

7) what is your least favorite season?

Summer in Italy is the WORSE

8) What is/was your scholar cursus?

EHEH I studied languages and economy in high school, went to literature and history university, didn’t finish it, and now I’m planning to apply to art school.

9) What would you do during the end of the world?

OH GOD I guess try to survive it?

10) Cats or dog?

I’m a cat person, but dogs are also awesome!

11) Do you play video games?

I used to, now I don’t really have time :(

1.You have to write a new fic RIGHT NOW, quick quick, what will it be about??? (for the sake of answering this question, you are a great author)

OH SHIT the one I always wanted to write has phoenix!cas and hunter dean, and it’s acutally funny ‘cause I’d love to add to the funny fics in the fandom (there aren’t enough in my opinion) OR OR OR I’ve always wanted to go AU after the events in 9x06 (Steve!Cas is my jam!!!!!).

2.You have to DRAW SOMETHING RIGHT NOW, what is it???

Jesus I’d write my whole portfolio so I don’t have to think about it anymore

3.What are the most perfect dish your country has to offer?

NUTELLA TAKE THAT FRANCE

4.Have you ever done a livestream ? If yes, do you regret what happens in the chat? If no livestream, why not ?

That’s why I was tagged in this, isn’t it. Yes, I livestream regularly. And no, I don’t regret the chat. Not even a lil bit. (Well maybe I regret the scaly dick. But only that).

5.Tell us something sexy or ridiculous (both is good too) in another language.

Ich sehe dein baguette freund, und es ist lange! (I don’t know, guys, wtf)

6.The moment of your life when you thought “how the fuck did i got here?”

Well, funny answer is, every time I look at the chat while I livestream. Depressing answer is, skyping with my future employer in Germany while in the car because I was too afraid of another earthquake hitting to do it at home. First answer that actually came to mind is: realizing I was lucky enough to get a date with the wonderful person I’m dating now. It was more of a “how the fuck was i lucky enough to get here” kinda thing, tho.

7.What are you most proud of?

Getting better on my own after a very rough period last year and getting my life back on track.

8.Do you know I like you ? You are a good person 9.Do you like stargazing?

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww the french corner likes me!!!!! <3 I love stargazing! I even saw a meteor once!

10.What fandoms do you like most?

Definitely supernatural. It feels like home to me :)

11.Will you draw or write what you answered for question 1 and 2?

OHHHH SHIT YES YOU KNOW WHAT YES as soon as i have the time!

1. Would you rather become a dog and be able to talk or stay human but only be able to bark?

Ooooh I’d rather become a dog! :)

2. Hot or cold drinks?

Definitely hot!

3. Do you like to dance?

NOPE

4. Favorite character trait (in general or of a fictional character, I’m not picky)

Mmmm well I really really like characters i can relate to, if that makes sense? SO… relatable characters?

5. Favorite headcanon?

I am 100% convinced Dean and Cas have been fucking all this time

6. You have been given the opportunity to buy one thing without caring about the cost, what is it?

Well Elna is taking care of the environment so that one’s out. Can I pull a tony stark, buy all the weapon companies, and turn them into clean energy research facilities?

7. What’s your favorite way to travel?

HELL NOT A PLANE. Train, probably :)

8. Favorite AU/theme for fics or fanart?

Canon babbbbies <3 and recently I am obsessing over that selkie!au

9. Can you do a cart-wheel?

I suffer from motion sickness, so I guess yeah, but not without throwing up

10. Ice cream or pizza?

PIZZA

11. Why is 42 the meaning of life

who not 

1.Weirdest idiom of your language

EHEH I KNOW MY CHICKENS or “You’re busier than a undertaker at night”

2.Fuck (or cuddle) Marry and Kill with : Godstiel, Demon!Dean, Lucifer!Sam

Who wouldnt fuck demon!Dean. I’d marry Godstiel (uh oh) and Kill Lucifer!Sam

3.Same question but with : Castiel, Sam or Dean (i’m not THAT sadistic)

Let’s switch it up, I’d fuck Cas, marry Dean and kill Sam? Sorry Sam

4.What’s your zodiacal sign?

 Gemini

5.Tell us an embarassing but funny moment you lived recently or years ago.

I *tried* to order food in 3 different languages. It was embarassing and @whelvenwings can confirm

6.Which fictional characters do you most fancy (or find very attractive)?

It’s a tie between Dean and Cas, but like, probably Cas

7.Destiel is now canon, do you mind?

Have you seen my blog

8.You got an unlimited access to money and power, what do you do? (see question 7 to have some ideas on what to buy)

Among like, trying to end wars and hunger and stuff, if I had to be like, really really petty, I’d buy supernatural and give it to trusted writers and meta-writers.

9.An urban legend or a myth around your area?

Apparently there’s a unicorn in the natural park around my region (swear to god)

10.Why do I have to ask you 11 questions? It’s fucking hard.

I KNOW RIGHT

11.Can you give me a cookie? 

Why, you wanna store it between your buttcheeks?

1. If you had wings of your own, what would they look like ?

Ooooh badass. I want them black!!!

2. The moment of your life you felt the proudest ?

Haven’t I already replied to this

3. The thing everyone likes that you just… can’t…

ICE CREAM

4. Do you have a favorite plushie, if so present it to us

YES it’s a giraffe plushie and I’ve had it for like, 20 years. Second to that, I made a giant toothless plushie myself and it’s like, 2 meters long and I miss it a great deal

5. Pick a BATTLE WEAPON, what is it ?

A magic wand!

6. If you could cosplay one character ?

bEEN THERE DONE THAT. I cosplayed Merida, Dean, Cas and random HP characters at various comic-cons.

7. If you could dye your hair any color, no consequences, what would you choose ?

Dudes, my hair is *already* pink

8. Of all the fictional universes you know, which one would you want to live in ?

THE HARRY POTTER ONE, but like, a peaceful one

9. Do you take a lot of photos ?

Well sometimes? It’s mostly animals and pretty plants, so kinda lame

10. What is the word or expression you say faaar too much ?

Well, in my mother tongue I think it’s… “vabbè”. English probably like, it is I, because i really like it. And german it’s “ach quatsch”.

11. If you could dress in any era attire, what would you wear ?

ARMOR I WANT TO WEAR FUCKING ARMOR

NOW for my 11 questions:

Favourite flower/plant?

One thing you thought you’d regret, but turned out great instead?

Do you wear glasses?

What’s the last book/fanfic you read?

City or countryside?

What’s your opinion on cacti?????

Favourite sweet food?

Which planet would you like to visit, if you could?

Favourite supernatural character (except team free will)?

Best christmas present you’ve ever received?

If you could turn into any animal, which would it be?

I’m not gonna tag anyone cause most people I know have already been tagged, but feel free to do this if you want!

[hawk-in-a-jazzy-hat]

Anime Review: No Game No Life

Genius gamers and social shut-in siblings Sora and Shiro spend their days owning at every game they touch, working together under the username “Blank”. But their closed-off lives change when they receive a challenge from Tet, the god of the world of Disboard, who summons them to his realm where every conflict and every decision is conducted using games, from chess to word games to video games.

Sora and Shiro find themselves trapped in a world where humans are inherently disadvantaged and  where fantastic races of all kinds are battling one another in order to challenge Tet for real and become rulers of this new world. It’s a terrifying world where countries, memories and lives can be lost by the simple luck of the draw, but for a brother and sister who live their lives through games, it’s a chance to finally take their skills and become something legendary.

Let’s be completely honest here; all anime is trash.

¬.¬

Look, okay, I’m very well aware that I spend a good chunk of my life watching shows which I shouldn’t take anywhere near as seriously as I do. Anime is a niche market for a very niche audience, and the shows reflect that. Sure, you get your Bebops and your Wolf’s Rains and your Ghost in the Shells, but those are standalone pieces of art and love and care. A lot of anime has recurring tropes, reused characters, the same settings and far too many morally questionable things for me to count.

And yet somehow a lot of it is still so good. Even in the most mundane shows imaginable you can usually find a few gems of awesomeness that raise it up into something better, be it a character, the writing, the directing or the worldbuilding. That’s the thing; for a medium which is pretty much based on and solely funded by complete trash, there sure are a lot of really cool things scattered throughout. As a hobbyist reviewer, I found my job became far easier when I stopped looking for perfection in every show and started looking for the good bits; it’s why I tend to enjoy most things I watch, even if I couldn’t necessarily call them all good. You can’t take it seriously; even most of my favourite shows. I love them all to bits, but come on, Madoka jokes are funny as heck.

Everything is trash, which makes the good bits stand out even more. That’s the philosophy I tend to live by with most things I watch, honestly.

Occasionally though, you will come across something that is pure trash.

No Game No Life is a special show that is pure, unfiltered, absolute trash. And yet I enjoyed it. T’was good stuff. Not great, but...you know, far from bad. But utter trash. See, there’s a difference. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

This is a studio Madhouse production, not that you care really, because you are going to spend the first few minutes (and a majority of the show) just being absolutely blinded by the visuals. Not because they’re especially gorgeous; aside from a few magnificent backgrounds the whole show is mostly just ‘above average’ in terms of linework and animation, but mainly because the show seems to have gone with the colour palette of ‘eat ten bags of Skittles and regurgitate them onto a tie-dye T-shirt’. I’ll give it this; the show demands attention. I watched this on a big screen initially, and it certainly made an impact, though I can’t decide whether I find the show immensely creative and flamboyant, or just gaudy. One thing I wasn’t a fan of was the constant purpley-pink overlay that is over pretty much every scene; for such a colourful show it did seem to make it rather flat at times.

The soundtrack does exactly what it promises on the tin; you want an OST for your fantasy series, you want a soundtrack like this. Sweeping epic pieces when showing off the world, and fast-paced electronic pieces for the high-stakes intrigue of the games. I feel bad because I seem to remember enjoying the soundtrack quite a bit while I was watching it, but really none of the tracks have stayed with me. The opening and ending are far more memorable; despite the fact that they’re a bit more standard ‘fantasy’ tracks, they both have solid driving rhythms and memorable riffs. Also there’s a particularly clever use of the ending near the end of the series, but spoilers in that regard.

So by all accounts, I should have no interest in this series. It’s a light novel adaptation about two people pulled into a game-based fantasy world where they have some special main-character-plot-significance and gain a harem of female characters who initially start off as dismissive but who are soon won over by main character powers and bleauuuuuuurgh I’m so done with this crap. But I want to be fair, and I tried to look at this through fresh eyes (which was a necessity anyway given the first pair had been burned out by the visuals).

Is it well-written? Er...well...honestly, not a lot happens. The whole show pretty much acts as a prologue for the much greater conflict later on, and once the true game starts...the show ends. Yup, and with no mention of a second season anywhere in sight. At the end of the day all that was accomplished throughout the series was that Sora and Shiro integrate themselves into the world and potentially set off a new war/conflict/games battle. The main focus is on the games, each of the major ones of which take up a whole episode or even two to complete. It’s like watching Yu-gi-oh all over again.

Okay, so...I can forgive thin plots but are the characters any good? Well...um...

I’m sorry, but Sora and Shiro are not interesting protagonists at all. They have the potential to be interesting but they remain one-note throughout the entire show; they’re both genius game-players and possibly evil, Sora’s the outgoing one and Shiro’s the quiet one. Even more of a blow is that they are both practically invincible; they are never once allowed to fail throughout the series. Everything goes according to plan and the two always come out looking smug. It’s this kind of blatant main-character-worship which puts me off so many of these kinds of shows, the fact that the mains are always right and they will always come out on top. Sure, Re:Zero tried to subvert it somewhat, but even then it completely went back on its development near the end and still gave Subaru exactly what he wanted because...main character.

But hey, I hear you cry, Sora and Shiro are not perfect characters, for they have serious separation anxiety and social anxiety.

Okay, sure. What of it?

See, while they are shown to be NEETS and having panic attacks when separated, the show doesn’t actually do anything with it. The whole point of the show being in this world where everything’s solved by games is that they don’t need to actually face their fears or face any development in that area at all. Also, for people with social anxiety they sure do cope very well in the busy environment of the fantasy world; I’m reminded of the Nostalgia Critic Daredevil review, where he mentions that given Matt Murdock can see far better after the accident than he could even with his actual vision, then narratively there’s no point to him being blind. It’s all very well to give characters crippling deficiencies, but if the story’s just going to get around it by changing their abilities or their environment to make it so they have no impact, then what’s the point? Just have them as every other OP main character in every other fantasy anime. The closest the show comes to actually developing it is episode 9, and even then it comes right the heck out of nowhere and is resolved within the episode.

Blegh, okay. What about the other characters? Well, again, nothing really interesting. Tet is a playful omnipotent who just kind of sets the plot in motion because he’s bored, I guess? Jibril has a constant fetish/obsession with knowledge, Izuna and the beast people are blank slates, Kurami and Feel have pretty much nothing to do, and then there’s poor Stephanie Dola, who gets the most development and is probably my favourite character. She’s the true heir to the throne of Imanity, but has none of the game-playing skills to actually accomplish her goal. This is all good stuff, except that the main characters treat her like absolute crap. Constant abuse, belittling her, setting monsters on her and basically stealing all of her accomplishments, all with the supposed intent of making her a stronger person? Yeah...no. Sorry, I’m not buying that, and all the constant disregard for Steph is just unpleasant to watch.

Okay, so is the world interesting at all? Well, it could be, except for the fact that I have absolutely no idea how this world works. Oh, the game part I understand , but the actual politics and the races are just spouted out in great reams of exposition that make me feel like I should be taking notes. Here’s a tip; if you’re not going to show or have any contextual purpose for Seiren, Lunamana, Gigantes, Oompa-Loompas or Jared Letos in your show, I don’t need to know about them. It’s just information overload and makes my head hurt, and honestly for this series we only really need to know about 5-6 of the races? Out of 16. Yeah. Worldbuilding is good and all, but it should never take over the main focus.

I’m spouting an awful lot of bile and hatred against this show, aren’t I? Well...honestly, it does dampen the experience for me. But here’s the thing; this show should not work at all. Gaudy animation, tired concept, flat, bland characters, no story to speak of, and that’s not even getting into the incredible tastelessness. To the point where I do have several questions as to how the hell this was allowed to air on TV. Also a lot of it revolves around Shiro. Who is eleven. Oh hi Chris Hansen.

And yet...from start to abrupt end, the show is incredibly addictive and entertaining.

I’ve neglected to mention the games, which are honestly truly creative. Mundane rock-paper-scissors matches or word games are turned into full-on Death-Note-esque psychological battles, with the addition of magic to make them as much of a visual spectacle as they are a mental one. Despite the fact that Sora and Shiro should not be able to play as a pair for most of them (seriously, I get it narratively and the whole Blank thing but is this ever actually explained as to why they’re always allowed to play together?), the two do work very naturally off one another, and the games themselves have some awfully clever twists and turns that mean they’re never predictable. It’s about the journey and the game itself, rather than the politics and flat characters around it. Again, much like Yu-gi-oh.

And as much as the world around the games is kind of lifeless, again it’s easy to ignore due to the fact that the show is really damn funny. The comic timing is mostly spot-on, the character’s one-note personalities are still defined enough to bounce off each other well, and the references...oh my word, the references are GOLDEN. Death Note, Yugioh, Ace Attorney, Jojo; I’ve never seen references integrated this flawlessly into a show since WATAMOTE. Arguably even better than that.

And that, my friends, is trash in its purest form. If I try to describe it, there is NOTHING to recommend about No Game No Life. No decent characters, no intriguing plot, no involved and accessible world; and yet despite it it’s all so, so entertaining. And I guess this is nothing new; recent trends in the most popular shows are bringing up the same utter trash over and over again, from Sword Art Online and OreImo to Re:Zero, Akashic Records and Eromanga-sensei. I know of people who vehemently hate No Game No Life, all for good reason, but at the same time the appeal is crystal clear. We like trash, so long as it’s entertaining. Heck, two of my own favourite series in recent years are Kill la Kill and Gargantia. Honestly, you can’t get much trashier than that.

I can’t say that I love this show as much as some; the problems are just a bit too significant for me to completely overlook them. But at the same time, I can’t pretend that there is no value to this show. It may be pure trash, but in many ways that can simply transfer over to pure entertainment. And honestly, is there anything wrong with that?

I guess what I’m saying is...does anyone else want to join me in this trash bag?

My score: 7/10

[ambitiouslyamanda-blog]

50 THINGS TO DO THIS SUMMER — 05.15.17

With Spring on it’s way out as cherry blossoms fall and temperatures soar, summer is definitely in the air. But what were your last couple of summers like? Maybe sweaty, bleary, and boring, if all you did was work to hustle money for perhaps school or your first apartment. This summer I’m going to be working full time, but I’m not going to be sitting around complaining about the heat like last year — I wanna get out and explore; have some adventures for once! I compiled this list for my friends who are in a summertime rut — hopefully it’ll inspire you to get out and try something new.

1.       Throw a small get together and make mixed drinks with friends. From sangrias to margaritas to cocktails, nothing brightens up the mood more effectively with some tasty homemade concoctions. My favourite recipes can be found here.

2.       If you have a dog, take them to the dog park. You can not only make your dog super happy by doing this, but also mingle with other owners and meet some pretty cute pups.

3.       Go on a bike ride. Adding friends is always fun for this activity as well.

4.       Go on a hike. Explore the beautiful, understated parts of your town or region and go on a hike. Experiencing nature for a day can really clear one’s head.

5.       Bar hop! For a more adult orientated activity, go bar hopping for an entire night with friends; just make sure you have the money to spare for those expensive Cosmopolitans and Vodka Cranberries.

6.       Go swimming. Whether it’s in a pool, lake, or ocean, swimming is a fun thing to do with friends while also cooling off.

7.       Plant a garden. For my green thumbed friends, planting a garden can be the perfect project this summer. Check out my greenery board here.

8.       Visit the local beaches and lakes. Whether you’re going there to swim, tan, or build sandcastles in the sand like you did when you were a kid, you can deny the beauty of the view.

9.       Go camping. Maybe for a day or a week, but roasting s’mores over the fire with family and friends while surrounded by the forest is something to truly cherish.

10.   Take a roadtrip with family and/or friends. Maybe it’s cross country, cross province, or even just cross region; nothing makes me happier than experiencing new cities and towns with the people I love.

11.   Grab some ice cream. Tasty and cools you off. Awesome!

12.   Throw a picnic. The potential for a very cute summer date in this idea is quite evident…

13.   Visit the drive in. Is it me or do drive in’s always have the best sunset? Whatever. Get a friend who has a truck, bring some snacks, blankets, and pillows and watch a good film underneath the stars.

14.   Have a bonfire. Nothing get’s the summer feeling induced more than sitting around a fire.

15.   Barbeque. Cook up some delicious food, whether it’s hot dogs or veggies, and serve them to your family and friends for a scrumptious way to experience the warmer months.

16.   Go see a show. Whether it’s for an artist who sells out Madison Square Garden like it’s nothing or an eccentric local band playing a house show, dance to the music and experience something truly magical.

17.   Throw a potluck dinner. Have your friends come over with some food and catch up over some appetizing meals.

18.   Spend the day thrifting. No time is a better time to go thifting in the summer because most people are decluttering during this time, which means you can score some gems for cheap.

19.   Visit a place you’ve never been to. Maybe it’s a town half an hour away you never stopped in or a place halfway across the world; seeing somewhere new will definitely feel worthwhile.

20.   Go to a farmer’s market. With fresh food and handmade goods, who wouldn’t want to support local businesses in the heat?

21.   Stargaze. Put down a blanket in your backyard and lie down so you can view the constellations in all of their glory. I always thought the stars shined brightest during the summer.

22.   Get a tattoo. It might be sentimental or just there for aesthetics, but getting inked can absolutely spice up your summer and make you feel more confident.

23.   Get a piercing. If you’re not into tattoos, getting a piercing could also be a fun modification experience that will completely transform your look.

24.   Swim in the middle of the night or in the rain. Isn’t there just something particularly novel about these ideas?

25.   Volunteer! Nothing is as rewarding as volunteering your time to something you believe in. Time very well spent, if you ask me.

26.   Start a business. Have an entrepreneurial idea? Make it come to life this summer when you have a little bit of free time and make your dreams come true.

27.   Read a book. Or several! Take your downtime and explore whimsical fictions or expand your knowledge with information filled history.

28.   Go bowling! Most small towns still have one around, and can really amp up your competiveness with your friends.

29.   Paint, draw, doodle. Create something with the artistic skills you have.

30.   DIY something! From crafts to furniture to clothes, you can DIY almost anything. Check out my favourite DIY’s here.

31.   Tie Dye stuff. Speaking of DIY’s, summer calls for some tie dyeing, whether it’s a t-shirt or your bedspread.

32.   Learn how to play an instrument. With your free time, why don’t you learn a cool skill? With the hundreds, even thousands of instruments out there, you’re sure to find something you’re passionate about. Just promise me if you learn guitar to learn more than Wonderwall, please…

33.   Start a blog. If you have something to write about, then write about it to an audience! Blogging is fun and rewarding, and a great project to start in the blistering summer months.

34.   Play board games. If you don’t have any board games in your house, go to a local board game café to get your fix and travel back to a simpler time.

35.   Bake or cook something. Work on your culinary skills through baking or cooking recipes. You can find some great recipes here.

36.   Have a water balloon fight! Make like kids and throw water balloons at each other in one of your backyards. It’ll be an exhilarating experience that will cool you off in the coolest way.

37.   Go mini golfing. Or actual golfing, if you fancy that.

38.   Sell your old stuff through a yard sale. No better time to declutter and make money from your hard work than in the summer. Have a yard sale and sell old items you no longer need (or conversely, sell them on Kijiji or Craigslist)

39.   Make a time capsule. Bury it somewhere only you know the coordinates of.

40.   Get yourself a film camera. Capture your summer memories through something a little bit more physical than your iPhone. From new Instax cameras to simple Fujifilm film models, find something that works for you.

41.   Better yourself. Maybe it’s losing weight, changing your hairstyle, getting rid of a bad habit, or generally just trying to be a better person, there’s no other time to start than now.

42.   Start a collection. Coins, postcards, books, whatever; collecting stuff is fun.

43.   Visit a museum or art gallery. Be a little more “cultured” and immerse yourself in history for a day.

44.   Go to an amusement park. Riding the rollercoasters and seeing attractions screams summer to me.

45.   Go to the local fair. Pig out on deep fried delicacies like funnel cakes and fries while trying to win the biggest stuffed animal you can for that typical summer feeling.

46.   Skydive. Looking for some true adrenaline? Jump out of a plane this summer!

47.   Reconnect with old friends. Whether it’s through online or an invitation to a party you’re throwing, it’s always nice to meet up with the people you once knew.

48.   Go fishing. And then cook your catch, if possible, for a special experience.

49.   Throw a party!  Doesn’t have to be Project X style; a couple of friends will do.

50.   Travel. Take your vacation days and make them worthwhile.

So that’s my list! Anything you’re dying to try this summer? Let me know in the comments down below.

Ambitiously,

Amanda

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[strawberryitzi]

boi

hi i was tagged by m cuz @angry-alto oki here we go 1: Are you named after someone? Ye, my birthname anyway is the name of one of my dads, at the time, favorite actresses

2: When is the last time you cried? yesterday

3: Do you like your handwriting? ehhh sometimes, it looks nice if i position my hand weird

4: What is your favorite lunch meat? does bacon count

5: Do you have kids? fuck no

6: If you were another person, would you be friends with you? oh hell no

7: Do you use sarcasm? almost constantly

8: Do you still have your tonsils? i believe so?

9: Would you bungee jump? NO

10: What is your favourite kind of cereal? frosted flakes, fruity pebbles and honey bunches of oats

11: Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? my shoes dnt have laces, ahaa i took them off cuz i have a big foot

12: Do you think you’re a strong person? i guess?? like im sorta physically strong

13: What is your favourite ice cream flavor? mint chocolate chip, cookie dough and dark cherry chocolate chunk

14: What is the first thing you notice about people? their hair most of the time

15: Red or pink? both

16: What is the least favorite physical thing you like about yourself? *gestures to all of me*

17: What color pants and shoes are you wearing now? no shoes, and im wearing red plaid pj pants

18: What was the last thing you ate? krispy kreme donuts

19: What are you listening to right now? monsters and mysteries in america is playing on my tv

20: If you were a crayon, what color would you be? any of the metallic ones

21: Favorite smell? wet soil, hot-wet asphalt (like when it starts raining??), brown sugar and vanilla, california or new mexico chili powder

22: Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? my moma

23: Favorite sport to watch? no

24: Hair color? dark brown, currently the top is dyed red

25: Eye color? brown

26: Do you wear contacts? nope

27: Favorite food to eat? pizza, stew, china one’s dumplings, chicken katsu from ichiban and chili meat

28: Scary movies or comedy? comedy

29: Last movie you watched? lilo and stitch

30: What color of shirt are you wearing? purple tie dye

31: Summer or winter? mmmm both?

32: Hugs or kisses? BOTH!! but mostly hugs

33: What book are you currently reading? the last book i read was Freaky Green Eyes

34: Who do you miss right now? hmmm prob ross and naru

35: What is on your mouse pad? i dnt have one, but my moms is taz and bugs bunny

36: What is the last TV program you watched? monsters and mysteries in america, ahaa

37: What is the best sound? the thwip of fluffy slime, water in a rolling boil, hot metal being doused with water and rain

38: Rolling Stones or The Beatles? ehhh neither

39: What is the furthest you have ever traveled? i believe las vegas im not tht great with distance measuring so...if not tht then san francisco

40: Do you have a special talent? depression i sing and draw

41: Where were you born? california

Oki tagging ppls: @duckaesthetic @nyarus and @fluorescentlotus and whoever else wants to do it

[thebassmusicblog-blog]

Bass Music Mix 30 – Kelly Twins

A very quick intro now to the next Bass Music mix, by Bristol fixtures The Kelly Twins.  I genuinely rate these guys as two of the best DJ’s in Bristol – they have such deep record collections and good selection that you can watch them play in any situation, after any DJ, at any time and they’ll still smack it.  As you’ll see from the mix, which takes you from super deep house to dubstep in one smooth movement.  No mixcloud as they still have a 100MB limit and this is a luxurious 1 hour 50 minutes.  But you can stream and download from the player below.  Tracklist at the bottom.

(Mix artwork by Andy Musgrave)

Tell us a brief bit about who yous are n that, how you got into DJing.

We are the Kelly twins, (our surname is Kelly and we are actual twins), We have been DJing together for the best part of twelve years and pride ourselves on playing across the board, drawing influence from the past as well as the present and only ever playing things that we genuinely like. Since moving to Bristol from Plymouth seven years ago, we have played at a wide variety of nights and held down several residencies. At present we run our own club night which is called UFO, we are part of team Crazylegs, residents for the Bristol wing of RnB mecca So Bones and members of the Idle Hands family.

During the day, i (Sean) can be found behind the counter in the Idle Hands shop and work as a freelance writer for various publications including Trap magazine. My brother (Dan) is Bristol’s most cosmic purveyor of artisan foods and also finds the time to be an amazing dad to his little boy.

Music is more than just a hobby to us, it is something that we have been around since a very young age, our parents weren’t famous musicians and they couldn’t play any musical instruments, but they were both music lovers. Our dad was involved in the rave scene back in the day, so the music, the people and the culture was something that we were very accustomed to and intrigued by, We got our first set of decks at fourteen and gained our first residency when we were just 16, its something that we have been almost obsessively into ever since. What is the idea behind the mix – and what are your thoughts in general about putting mixes together, do you have an ethos etc.? Anything you hate in mixes?

The mix was recorded to promote the Idle Hands room at the forthcoming Hessle Audio party for Bristol Inmotion. Prior to recording it, we considered the possibility of doing a laptop/ableton mix then realised that we didn’t actually know how to do that. So instead we did what we do best, turn up with a bag of records and wing it. The mix was recorded live and in one take, its starts at 107 bpm and ends on 140 bpm, it is an hour and fifty minutes long and features unreleased material from artists that we respect, including Outboxx, Behling, Hackman, October & Borai, Atki2. It is a true representation of what we do as DJs and reflects exactly where we are at musically.

Society in general is becoming increasingly dehumanised, automated telephone lines, self service checkouts have become the norm. When it comes to mixes, we like to know that an actual person has recorded it, not a machine.

A quick nudge of the record, a mix that wavers slightly, a crackly, dusty old record might be mistakes to some people, but for us, these things add a certain amount charm and some much needed honesty to a mix. As things become more and more digitised and superficial, we feel that this human touch is more important than ever.

You and your bro are known for being tight DJs on the Bristol circuit. Of the many ‘big names’ you’ve played with, who has stood out to you?

We try not to get too sucked into the whole hype thing and tend to take every DJ at face value, regardless of their status. For us its not so much about how ‘big’ the DJ is, it’s more about what they play and how they play it. Some DJs, however are truly worthy of their hype.

Jackmaster always smashes it, as does Ben UFO. Both are technically amazing and know how to work a crowd but more importantly for us they always bring a real varied selection and aren’t afraid to take risks.

A few other artists that have seriously impressed us over the last few years are Funkineven, Actress and Kyle Hall, all three have developed very unique styles of their own, their tunes are instantly recognisable and even as their reputations build they remain uncompromising with what they do. We really respect that.

Some of our favourite DJs to play alongside and some of the DJs that have made us dance the most are local Bristol guys, most of them our friends. Idle Hands bossman Chris Farrell always plays a killer selection as do Kowton, October and EFA. We love hearing music we haven’t heard before, so DJs like Andy Payback, vast & Bulbous and the Falling Up crew always stand out for us because watching them play is an education.

We would much rather be sat in a pub watching those guys play to us and the bar staff, than in a packed club watching that months hype DJ playing tunes we have heard a million times before. We can appreciate why people do like that, it’s just not our thing.

How do you feel about the Bristol scene at the moment – healthy? In a state of flux as dubstep waxes and wanes?

Coming from Plymouth which doesn’t really have a music scene, we are still very much excited by Bristol. It’s positivity and diversity is something that we continue to be very appreciative of. So for us the Bristol scene has always been healthy.

It has changed a lot since we have been here, in our opinion for the better. Clubbers are more open to a wider variety of sounds now. There are dubstep DJs playing house, disco and boogie and house DJs playing garage ect. The boundaries between genres are becoming increasingly blurred, for eclectic DJs such as ourselves these are interesting and exciting times.

Wrongspeed. Talk to me.

Wrongspeed originally came about through a combination of mistakes and getting massively blazed. The idea is to literally play the record at the wrong speed. When things are pitched down and stretched out, there is more space in the tune so every sound is exposed. For a record to sound good on 33 when it should be 45 and visa versa, the tune itself must be exceptionally produced.

The way in which certain tracks when pitched up or down, can take on a completely different vibe and atmosphere is fascinating to us and it’s something we have been working into our sets more and more. The next time anyone buys a record, we urge them to give it a go. The results might surprise you.

How long would it take you to eat a yard of Jaffa cakes?

My housemate bought me a yard of Jaffa cakes the other day (Thanks Shanti), it has taken me about 5 days to finish them. Although if there was money on the table, i reckon i could polish them off in an hour. What is your favourite example of Farrellian Rage? Is the Farrellian Rage an occupational hazard of working in Idle Hands, and how do you deal with it – the tortoise-like neck-retraction? Or a cunning bit of filing… Chris is my boss but also a friend who i have known for many years. I have had some pretty shady jobs and as bosses go, he is definitely one of the best. But like all of us, he can have his stressed out moments. I find the best thing to do when Chris is in a rage is to put some reggae on and buy him a can of rubicon, half an hour later and everything will be sweet.

My favourite example of Farrellian rage did not involve any shouting or swearing, in fact Chris didn’t say a word.

It’s monday morning, we are both feeling slightly fragile after the weekends activities when a tie dye wearing trustafarian takes up residence on the wall opposite the shop and starts self indulgently banging away on his bongo with absolutely no sense of rhythm. Chris emerges from the office and stands in the entrance of the shop, he stares directly into the bongo players eyes and shoots him a look of utter contempt. Within about two minutes, the playing stopped and the guy left, never to be seen again. Chris’s eyes at that moment said more than a thousand words ever could.

What is biscuit face? Also when are you going to ride that bike you bought off a crackhead?

Biscuit Face is an old friend and an integral part of the UFO crew. He doesn’t come out that often because his face is literally a giant biscuit, his eyes are exclamation marks and he eats CDs for breakfast. Sometimes he can get a bit crumbly around groups of people and overcompensates by being obnoxious and leaving small pieces of himself on their bedsheets. He is a liability, but we love him..

I try not to feel too bad about buying the bike from a crackhead, i managed to get a proper bargain but didn’t quite give him enough to buy any drugs with. Im waiting until i have some stabilisers and a basket for the front until i start riding it. Probably best to give it a new paint job too. Shout outs, disses, ways for shorty’s to contact you?

Massive thanks to all the producers that were kind enough to contribute tracks for the mix, to Idle Hands for keeping vinyl alive in Bristol and for taking things back to the raw, to the DJs that inspire us and to our friends and family for their continued and unconditional support. Too many names to mention, but you all know who you are.

For bookings: http://www.idlehandsagency.com/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/thekellytwins RA: http://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/thekellytwins FB: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kelly-Twins/128435010579167?sk=info

Tracklist:

OUTBOXX – APORIA // Forthcoming Idle Hands ERYKAH BADU – HONEY (Souled Remix) // Unreleased NAIVE MACHINE – AFRIKA (Om Unit remix) // Hit and Hope Records HACKMAN – SHE’S SMOKING MEIOW // Unreleased BEHLING – LAST CHANCE // Unreleased DOMU – DUSK // Swedish Brandy DISCO NIHILIST – NEW CAREER IN A NEW TOWN // Running Back FALTY DL – THE PACIFIST // Planet Mu REAGENZ – KEEP BUILDING ft FRED P // Workshop GENIUS OF TIME – HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM // Royal Oak MOVE D – UNTITLED // Workshop RICK ‘POPPA’ HOWARD – WITHOUT YOUR LOVE // Beautiful Granville Records DISCO NIHILIST – COFFEE & A WORN PAPERBACK // Running Back

OMAR S – SET IT OFF // FXHE Recordings

JOHN BELTRAN – BRILLIANT FLOOD (Kassem Mosse & Mix Mup remix) // Delsin Records OCTOBER & BORAI – TENSION DRIVE // Unreleased ATKI 2 – FOOTPRINTS // Unreleased D. KNOX – STRINGS OF MY MIND // SixOneSix STEVEN TANG – BASS SYNERGY // Emphasis Recordings HEAD HIGH – HEAD HIGH // Power House APPOINTMENT – UNKNOWN // White SURGEON – WIRE // Downwards MARCELL DETTMANN – MDR – 01 // White AND – HYDROTHERMAL // Forthcoming Idle hands FLOORPLAN – BASIC PRINCIPLE // M Plant

MALA – LEFT LEG OUT // DMZ

S-X – WOO RIDDIM // Butterz KAHN – TEHRAN // Forthcoming Punch Drunk JILL SCOTT – GETTING IN THE WAY

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