#trying to draw them more consistently. failing. but this turned out great so it's ok

[kit-screams-into-the-future]

love is stored in the bond between a mad nuclear physicist and that kid that broke into his garage one day

[clownattack]

Castor - character bio

I’ve been struggling with getting a bio out for Cas for waaaaay too long now, but i feel pretty ok with how it looks currently - i'm going to repost it on my art blog with some drawings of Cas and Hjalle in the future (hopefully). If you want to skip most of the nonsense and just get a feel for her personality, the section under the bio paragraphs is FULL OF POINTS.

links to drawn refs here and here

Longpost under the cut

✦ Early life in Hjalle:

Being born into the noble family Aran, Castor’s early life consisted mostly of being pampered by the attendants and strict education. Cas was a rowdy kid, and with time, lack of affection and validation from her family served to amplify the trait - she went from occasionally disobedient to full-on antagonistic towards her parents, and the nobility as a whole. She began to sneak out; spending her time outside of the Fort, spying on the guards and trying to bribe knights into taking her on as a page.

When Cas turned nine a sibling came into the picture, and she made it her duty to assure Aster’s upbringing would be better than hers. She poured everything she had into Aster, but soon developed a brash and overbearing streak, unyielding in her focus to teach the meek little sister to stand her ground. Aster became torn between Cas and the parents, who in all fairness, treated her much better than their firstborn. This would remain the case until Castor’s dragon-induced injuries.

In her late teens, Cas was seldom seen in the fort - to everyone's great relief. Her mood was always sour, she gave up on her studies and only seemed to care about Aster and joining the hunting parties. Her parents reached their limit when Castor announced she would not become one of the renowned judges of House Aran - this led to an explosive argument, which concluded with Castor storming out. For the following two years, she lived and worked with rangers tasked with protecting and providing for the town.

It was in those years that Cas acquired her battle prowess and scars, the most prominent being a gift from an especially large and angry dragon. A single swipe of its tail tore Castor’s chest and forearm open, forcing the hunting party to rush her to the fort in (what the hunters expected to be) a futile attempt to get her family to provide medical help for their dying kin. The reception was cold indeed, and if it weren’t for Aster’s hysterics and outrage over her family’s indifference, Cas would have not survived the grievous wounds. The upside to this event was a new high tale to impress people with, and strengthening the bond between two sisters. The downside - Castor was now under her parent’s thumb. They made her accept the position of inquisitor; to make up for the hassle she caused them. Taking up the mantle turned Castor’s world upside down - not only would she have to work in close proximity to her father, but her dreams of being knighted were shattered, as inquisitorial duties stand in stark opposition to virtues of knighthood. As Inquisitor she was tasked with investigating and interrogating for the court - the latter, as Aran tradition had it, was extraordinarily bloody.

 ✦ Vesuvia:

Almost as soon as she arrived, the city sparked something in Cas. This was unexpected to say the least; she was certain the years of gruesome work as inquisitor numbed her to simple joys of life. The sights and sounds of Vesuvia however, made her eager to explore and see how everything ticked - and the more she saw the more she wished to remain in the city. After attending the Masquerade and becoming acquainted with Asra, Cas was prepared to do anything to stay - even if it meant sucking up to the Buffoon count and begging for a job. Lucio proved to be anything but opposed - he’d heard of the “bloody good shows” (pun intended) Castor was infamous for, and was eager to take her off her parents hands. This led to working parallel to the count and his court, but also enabled Cas to dabble in magic under Asra’s tutelage.

This slight betterment of Cas’ situation would not last long however, as The Red Plague took complete hold of the city mere months after she took up her residence in Vesuvia. After perishing, and being brought back by Asra, she very slowly regains certain memories and traits - her sister, love of astronomy, sword skills. She sneaks out, snoops, and is a handful overall; but Asra is happy to see Castor’s ��new” self free of bitterness and pain.

After this point, the “game events” take place. I like to imagine Castor braving an amalgam of Nadia and Portia routes, with a fistful (or multiple) of courtier drama. Castor is tasked with an investigation, slowly  but surely unravelling how deep the corruption runs in Vesuvia, and how much of it can be attributed to the courtiers. The conclusion of her story focuses on first facing off against the court, then the Justice Arcana.

  ✦ Physical appearance

Light olive skin, she picks up a slight tan in Vesuvia.

Dark gray eyes, striking marbling on the iris.

Long girl - 176 cm tall, loves being the “tall friend” (and manhandling people close to her). Being taller than her is taken as an indirect challenge.

She has a rectangular body type, could be described as a “runner’s body”.

Prominent scarring across right forearm and torso, missing right breast.

Tastefully disheveled. Her hair has a constantly windswept quality, and the gray streaks seem to be especially unruly.

Inherited the “Aran silver” (early graying), she tries to ignore it. “The more you hide it, the more it shows”.

Secretly really bothered by the many similarities to her father. Avoids looking at herself too much, and whenever she does it feels like he’s looking back at her, judging.

Only ever smoothes herself over before important court meetings and social events. She doesn't know how makeup works, so before any party she asks Asra to sort her out. Cas looking prim is both a treat and a source of friendly jabs.

✦ Character traits

Power walking by default. This can be somewhat intimidating, and she won’t stop if someone is in her way - just put them to the side and continue.

Puts up a really convincing pretence of formality and refinement.

In actuality she finds this facade tiresome, and just wants to talk fast about battle/hunting feats or astronomy. Maybe show off her pyromancy.

Loves socializing, it recharges her batteries.

Dilligent worker.

Tends to overwork herself and neglect her relationships.

Often scatter minded and wanting to do too many things at one time.

Doesn’t appreciate people instigating physical contact or getting up in her face. She needs to prepare herself for it, or be the initiator.

Stubborn as a mule. Never knows when to stop pressing people.

Extremely callous at times.

Annoyingly overbearing

Most of this springs from a place of fear - things had a habit of getting worse whenever her family imposed decisions onto her. In her mind, if she’s the one holding the reins, everything will be better. And if something does fail - she will be the only one to blame.

Starting arguments comes much too easily to her, but she’s just as quick to introspect, and seek out the person she argued with to apologize and approach the issue in an appropriate manner.

Forgives easily

Eternally scoffing at astrology. She knows shes being bigoted, but at this point its almost like an inside joke between her and Asra. “Astrology? It's baby stuff. PSEUDOSCIENCE!” (she cries as she worries over her afternoon tarot reading and preparing pretty horoscopes for the Shop...)

A huge hypocrite at times. “Do as I say, not as I do” could easily be her motto.

Both the upright and reversed Knight of Swords card sums her character up perfectly.

✦ Occupation & Residency

Vesuvia:

Beginning of her story follows the game canon almost to a T - Cas lives with Asra in the Shop, and works there. It bores her to death, and she plays tricks on every customer just to entertain herself.

After being officially hired by Nadia as the Palace Magician, Castor moves out of the shop and purchases a modest house in Goldgrave, much below the value of what Nadia offered her, and what she could afford. It’s convenient and that’s what matters to Cas. She continues supplying the shop diligently, and takes over whenever Asra runs off.

Nadia insisted on Castor having an office in the palace. It grew on her with time, and after The Devil is dealt with it becomes her little “hub”.

Hjalle:

Cas lived with her family in the castle site until 17 years old.

After denying her parents their plans for her future as a judge, she hunkered down in a hunting lodge outside of the town, and spent almost two years living that way - she still thinks of these two years as the most joyous time in her life.

The only thing she ever used her family’s wealth for was commissioning the construction of an extravagant observatory. Reminiscent of a gothic fortress, the stark exterior is contrasted with insides filled with artwork and art-nouveau ornaments. The central chamber is a vast library with a powerful telescope in its apse - it is a sight that could take the breath of the most haughty of nobles.

There’s a tiny living space below the main chamber, furnished sparingly, but with a lovely fireplace (in Hjalle, its a necessity). It’s where Cas stays after becoming the inquisitor/whenever she visits after the in-game events.

✦ Trivia

Cas is 23 years old when she first arrives to Vesuvia - 28 at the time of The Devil’s downfall.

She freed Merlin from a merchant’s cage in the Red Market, during one of her outings in the three year interlude after her death - Asra fumes after they find out she snuck out to the market - yet is amazed that Cas found a familiar.

Cas regained her first memories via touching objects linked to her past life - a letter from Aster, articles of clothing, a sword...

This self re-discovering takes a turn for the worse when Cas finally finds a large, ornate knife - the one she inherited after becoming inquisitor. The memories it resurfaces are a staggering blow to Castor, completely derailing the beliefs she had about her own person. She thought of herself as a paragon, and remembering the torture she inflicted upon others, the lives taken in the name of “justice” made her relapse into bitterness and disenchantment. She deals with those feelings as her investigation into the courtiers progresses.

Predominantly uses pyromancy, other types of magic are strictly used for her work at the palace, and rather sparingly.

Could be best described as a battlemage - enjoys being in melee range and assaulting her quarry with both sword and fire; the latter being used more as a way to distract or stagger the enemy than actually harm. There's no fun in just burning them up!

Doesn’t cook for herself, although she has a natural knack for it - will only cook for guests and short people.

Her dislike of Lucio clashes with gratitude for employing her when she first arrived to Vesuvia - he was the knife which cut Cas off from her parents, and it’s something she could never forget.

Demiromatic/sexual.

She was offered to be knighted by Nadia after defeating The Devil. Cas declined - It’s much more than a title to her, and accepting seemed like mockery (considering her past as inquisitor).

Short fuse, she learns to better control herself while working in the palace. But if someone really pushes her the nearby candles miiiight get a bit out of control. Or she’ll just throttle them.

Hates her full name - Castor is such a mouthful. Sounds stuck up too...

[inadaydream99]

Hi! This may seem like a weird request. But can I get an Ateez scenario where the reader really loves kpop but also likes rock / hard rock music? This is honestly my life lol. Thank you so much!

Hey thank you for requesting! Sorry this has taken so long, but I hope you enjoy each scenario! 😊 I really enjoyed writing this cause this is literally my taste in music too 😂

Hongjoong

You were sat at the kitchen table, mindlessly humming away along to your Spotify playlist that consists a mix of all your favourite songs. It’s one that you listen to every morning, while eating breakfast, to get you in a good mood for the day.

Because you listen to a wide variety of music, you never know what song could be played next, wether it’s a cheesy pop song, Kpop or even rock. But that’s part of the enjoyment.

Your boyfriend Hongjoong finds your taste in music very amusing at times. It never fails to put a smile of his face when he sees you go from signing your heart out to a cheesy upbeat song to headbanging along to the clash of drums and guitars.

“Are you in an angsty mood today?” Hongjoong laughs as you headbang over your cereal bowl.

“When aren’t I.” You joke along, resuming eating while Hongjoong sits opposite you.

“Well, yesterday you were dancing around to Wave, which I wouldn’t classify as angsty in the slightest.” You snort with laughter at your boyfriends observation, both of you with giant smiles on your faces as you settle into conversation.

Seonghwa

“You like rock?” Seonghwa questions, his tone conveying his confusion as you look up to meet his eyes.

“Yeah, why are you so surprised?” You reply causally, not really thinking too much about his question.

“I just didn’t realise. I’ve never heard you listen to anything other than Kpop before.” He laughs as he approches you and pulls you into his arms.

“You’re full of surprises and I love discovering them.” He whispers as he draws your face closer to his, your foreheads resting together as you giggle shyly under your boyfriend’s affectionate gaze.

Yunho

You were waiting in the car for Yunho to join you, your music blasting through the speakers loudly as your boyfriend is finally ready.

“Ah, what a cultured bean you are.” You laugh uncontrollably at his comment, the randomness of calling you a cultured bean really amusing you.

“What has beans got to do with being cultured?” You question through a laugh, turning your attention to your boyfriend in the passengers seat.

“It’s just an expression cause you are listening to rock, it’s different.” He states with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Uhuh, sure.” You retort playfully as you start the car engine.

“Hey, don’t mock me!” Yunho protests, feigning being upset by your comment.

“Don’t mock me!” You mimick as you drive off. Yunho sighs as he realises the mistake of accepting a lift from you, he is now aware it’s going to be a long drive.

Yeosang

“Damn, you’ve got good taste.” Yeosang comments nodding his head in approval.

“Why thank you.” You bow your head as you join him on the sofa.

Yeosang’s comment was about your choice in music. You were both having a lazy afternoon together and he suggested to play some music for background noise while you cuddle. So you put on shuffle your most listened to songs on Spotify, which consists of a mix of many genres. The first song being a rock song, which is a genre Yeosang didn’t know you enjoyed.

As you cuddle up together, your head resting on his shoulder as his arm comfortingly wraps around your waist, you take his other hand and begin to play with his fingers.

“I should let you pick the music more often. This is great.” Yeosang compliments, his voice lazy and quiet which makes you chuckle at him.

San

“I, too, have duality.” San states, feeling a little betrayed that you had never told him about your love for rock music alongside pop.

“I know San, I’ve seen you perform HALA HALA and look like you’ve been possessed. It’s the complete opposite to my adorable mushy boyfriend.” You coo at the last part, reaching up to squish his cheek.

“I’m just offended you didn’t tell me you had a darker side.” San pouts, his demeanour becoming that of a stroppy child’s.

“A darker side?” You laugh, taking a lot of amusement from his jealousy.

“Oh you know!” San throws his hand up in the air which only makes you laugh more.

You take his hands in yours and intertwine your fingers together, peering up at him to get his gaze onto you. Your cheeky smile makes a smile break out on his face, the pout fading as he cracks and gives up his sulky act.

Mingi

You are in hysterics after Mingi’s responce to walking into your room and finding you aggressively (or passionately as you like to refer to it) head banging to some rock music.

“But we are the sunshine and rainbows couple.” Mingi slightly whines as he stands in the doorway.

You approach your boyfriend, placing your hands on his chest as you stare up at him with a smirk.

“We still can be, and are.” You chuckle softly. Mingi’s hands move to hold your waist as a cheeky grin appears on his face.

“Oh good.” He laughs before he tickles your sides, taking you completely by surprise.

“Ah Mingi! Stop!” You cry out, tears of laughter falling down your cheeks as you become week from the tickles, your arms clinging around his neck to keep you from falling down due to losing your balance.

You bury your face into your boyfriends chest as soon as he stops his tickle attack, his hands resuming holding you as you take deep breaths to regain your composure.

After a few minutes you are finally calm, a plan for revenge made as you lift your head to look up at your unsespecting boyfriend, mischief in your expression as you suddenly begin tickling him.

“That’s what you get for attacking me!” You say through your concentrated face as Mingi try’s to escape.

Wooyoung

“That’s hot.” the direct statement taking you by surprise, your first reaction to stop the rock music you are playing and to look at your boyfriend for him to explain.

“You listening to rock. I didn’t know you had that side, it’s hot.” Wooyoung continues upon seeing your reaction.

You crack a smile at this and decide to play up to his confession.

“I had no idea that rock music was a turn on for you Woo.” you state in a low tone, fluttering your eyelashes at your boyfriend.

“You have no idea.” Wooyoung reply’s, his voice filled with lust.

Jongho

“What a sophisticated taste you have.” is the first thing you hear as your boyfriend returns home.

“Is that meant to be a joke?” You question with a raised brow. You know that Jongho likes to try and act more mature considering he is younger than you. He wants you to think of him as a man, which you definitely do.

“Oh no baby, I was just trying to sound intelligent.” His eyes go wide with worry, not wanting to offend you in any way.

“I was only messing with you, don’t look so worried.” you giggle at how sensitive to your reactions your boyfriend can be.

“Ok good, I was worried you’d taken it the wrong way. And just so you know, I love your choice in music.” Jongho says as he walks towards you, his arms open wide to pull you into his warm embrace. A genuine smile consumes your face at how lucky you are to have such an amazing boyfriend like Jongho.

[thorsstorms]

Abroad Pt.9

Summary: Being the Hemsworth Kids’ Nanny, you were vowed to keep it strictly professional for their sake, but do the stolen glances go unnoticed between you both?

Word count: 6.2k

Warnings: Smut! (18+!!), anxiety feels.

A/N: This took way too long to write.

Masterlist

You stared at the screen as it went dark, watching intensely, trying to figure out what just happened. Your hands were wrapped tightly around one of Chris’s that had been trapped since the opening scene. Only letting go to gasp and cover you face when you saw Thor. The entire movie consisted of you whispering, ‘oh god,’ to yourself under your breathe, swallowing back tears, and trying to consciously remember to close your mouth. You held back all tears until the last scene, soft 40s music flowing through the surround sound. You knew exactly what you were about to see and the water works flowed against your will.

You pulled your eyes from the screen as they went through the cast, trying to nonchalantly wipe away tears with a tissue, knowing your makeup would not be so hot.  You tried to side eye Chris next to you but it looked like he was still watching the screen. Sitting up straight you glanced around at the people sitting in front if you and around you, not being able to see who’s who, before you looked at him. His eyes met yours at the same time, both going to laugh at each other for having teary eyes. They both flood over at the same time while you laughed at him.

You shook your head and turned back straight, silently hoping to the gods that stupid tears would stop before the lights go back up.

“That was crazy,” you kept whispering to yourself as everyone started to stand and speak with each other. It’s was loud, Chris leaned down to whisper to you, “That was so crazy.”

More and more people started to grab his attention as the crowd tried to exit the theatre. You stuck back with his brothers letting him have a moment with everyone he’s worked with on the film.

You had to explain yourself to three different people why you couldn’t stop crying, “Steve got to have a life with Peggy!” You exclaimed before fighting the urge to cry again, shaking your head and trying to catch tears with a tissue before they make a mess. You followed the crowd out of the theatre eventually and waited patiently watching Chris mingle with co-stars.

You shooed away Miley and Liam, confident that you would be fine by yourself. You had made eye contact with Chris and waved at him that you were okay. You pulled your phone from your fancy jumpsuit pockets and sent a text your brother that you were crying and he’s going to die when he finally sees it. No more details allowed.

The lobby of the theatre was cold, leaning against a marble wall didn’t help much. Your feet were aching in the stupid shoes that you knew looked good anyway. Negatives weren’t your first thought on your mind, you pushed those away and took in the room around you. Watching Chris say goodbye to his brother and turn back to Mark Ruffalo that looked like he was way too enthusiastic with his comments on the movie. You couldn’t hear him clearly, but he was loud anyway. You spotted Scarlet standing with some people on FaceTime with someone.

Standing alone didn’t seem so bad, there was so much to look at and think about. You pulled up your phone camera checking your eyes, wiping away any smudges successfully, waterproof whatever. You tucked your phone back in the pocket and focused around the room to find someone else to stare at.

The moment you spot him makes your face pale, spotting Chris Evans patting your own Chris on the shoulder. You watched carefully, probably too intently, as they interacted. Your Chris turned slightly and found you with his eyes, Evans shortly following his gaze as he pointed your way. He pointed you out and spoke with him again, nodding his head, turning in your direction.

Oh god. Feeling your pulse quicken, you tried to hide your hands that stupidly develop a tremble at the slightest increase blood pressure. Do you put them on the wall behind you? No. In your pockets? No. Cross them in front of you? No. You eventually stopped shuffling. This is not how you planned this in your head. Chris was supposed to be there to introduced you and initiate the conversation. All regard for looking people in the eyes went out the window.

You quickly looked away, your heart picking up in pace, looking anywhere but them, brushing hair behind your ear.  No matter how you presented yourself you were sure he wasn’t going to stop walking towards you and stop watching you fiddle around like it wasn’t happening. You could only pray to god that your makeup wasn’t as bad as you imagined it was.

“(Y/N)? Right?” He said with a smile, damn him.

“Y-yea, hi. It’s nice to meet you,” the pulse in your ears didn’t draw away from the tunnel vision you had at the moment. Up close, where did your composure go?

“It’s nice to finally meet you, you are all he talks about, (y/n) this, (y/n) that. I feel like I already knew you.” Ah, more ‘group message’ talk.

“I feel like I know you already, too.” What a dumb thing to say! Get it together. “Um, the movie was really great, I-I cried a lot.”

“Me too!” You laughed at him, but he sure as hell looked like he hadn’t been crying for three hours.

“Yea but she didn’t cry until she saw Peggy in the last scene,” Chris approached you both, saving you and embarrassing you simultaneously. He stood next to him looking at you, a weird look not going unnoticed, probably questioning why you looked like you’ve seen a ghost, damn him.

Quick, save yourself, “Yea I always had hoped that Steve would get Peggy back somehow and I just lost it.” Ok so it’s official, there is no point in this conversation that is going to be to your gain. You felt awkwardness literally sleeping through your skin, why are you this way? The lightheadedness faded away and now you just felt overly aware of everything you’ve said. Only somehow wishing you could shove off some of this stupid anxiety into someone else.

You looked towards your Chris for a look of approval or some sort of reassurance and was met with nothing short of entertainment.

“Yea that’s why I thought it was so satisfying, it couldn’t have ended better,” he looked away from you and followed your eyes to Chris suddenly aware of the atmosphere you completely created yourself.

“Well, (y/n) it was nice to meet you, I hope to see you again, I’m gonna continue my rounds around here.” Never failing to avoid any type of discomfort. Finally a smooth moment when he offered a shy hug goodbye that you had no problem accepting. You pulled away quickly and shuffling on your sore feet, subconsciously wiping your sweaty hands down your sides as you watched him walk away, totally in your own head starting to imagine better ways that could have gone.

“Uh, careful,” Chris’s voice pulled you out of your gaze, meeting his eyes, “I might get jealous.” Sensing the joke in his tone, you knew he was serious. You couldn’t bring you self to speak, standing fidgety, your eyes wandering trying to focus.

“(Y/n) are you okay?” “I think I’m gonna be sick.” You said quickly avoiding his eyes. He grabbed your arms, bowing his head to meet your eyes, concern furrowing his brows as he watched you.

“I just- where’s the bathroom?” You circled around out of his grasp looking for it, eyes scanning the room, skipping over Evans standing next to Scarlet who were both watching your interaction. Chris had recognized how anxious you were pretty quick, and decided to step away, only to see you panic more, telling his friend about it.

You felt Chris walk back into your line of eye sight pushing you towards a bathroom.

“I’m good,” You told him, leaving his guidance and finding the way yourself, leaving him to watch you disappear behind the door.

You stood in front of the mirror and immediately looked away grabbing a paper towel to wet and wipe under your eyes. Taking a heavy breathe, tossing it into the trash when you finally got a good amount cleared. Your hands gripped at the necklace feeling heavy and suffocating around your neck, wanting it off immediately. You pushed off rings and rolled bracelets off and tossed them in the sink for the time being and pushed your hair behind your shoulders hoping to someway clear your skin.

Your fingers gripped tightly at the clasp, not being able to undo it under your hair. You flipped your locks around your shoulder, and tried again this way to coordinate your fingers. Damn nails, slamming your hands on the counter and taking a deep breath and trying again to pull it away from your skin for some leniency.

“Dammit,” you mumbled to yourself, unable to get it, shoving your hair away again and yanking at the necklace from the back.

“Hey let me get it,” you heard a voice behind you, cause you to jump in place from not hearing the door open. You glanced over your shoulder and were met with Scarlett’s soft eyes as she rushed over ready to get it off. You looked away shamefully and leaned your hands on the counter, feeling her fingers work at the clasp and quickly pull it off. The necklace landed in the sink with the rest, closing your eyes and the feeling of it off you, feeling like you could breathe clean air.  

“Thank you,” quietly spoken without moving. Her eyes felt like they were burning through you. Lifting to look in the mirror you ran your fingers over a couple light red scratch marks from your own doing, rubbing it for no reason. The bracelets got shoved into your pocket, reaching for the earrings and necklace, ready to bolt.

“I’m sorry -“ “You’re (Y/N)?” She asked nicely, cutting off an apology that you didn’t need to say. Hearing your name from her lips, you looked up and met her eyes.

Shyly you nodded, playing with the earrings in your fingers, holding them close, shaking your hair to fall behind your shoulders.

“I’m glad to meet you, your dress was beautiful earlier, I saw it.” Her compliments brought a small smile to your face from remembering India’s idea to wear it, and her father's reaction when he saw you step out wearing it.

“Thank you, You looked really nice too. Look! You look nice too,” you visibly cringed at your own choice of words, looking at the pearls resting in between your fingers. The air felt like it had been sucked out the room again, your normally cold skin feeling hot in the room.

She ignored your stammering and asked if you enjoyed the movie. Following with a simple ‘mmhmm’ to save yourself from recoiling.

“Hey, I know these kind of things can be overwhelming,” she started, “you did amazing on the carpet earlier, so I’ve heard. What... what caused this?”

The earring fell softly into your pocket while you reached to wash your hands with cold water. “I don’t know that it was any one thing,” confidently starting, nodding off, “just happens sometimes.”

More paper towels busied your hands while you watched your actions in the mirror, eyes floating up to hers in the reflection. “Chris said he could see you were anxious, we saw you come in here, I just thought…”

“Which Chris.”

“Evans.”

“Oh god. Thank you for checking on me. I appreciate it.” You swallowed down, standing up straight.

“So are you good?” Confusion was etched on her features, unconvinced of your words.

“As good as it’s gonna get.” The bathroom door opened and you both turned towards it, watching a curious blue eyes reach you both.

“Uh, can I come in?” You giggled at him, relaxing at the sound of his voice. He stood to full height and walked in slowly while you turned to Scarlet and told her it was nice to meet her, secondly, reassuring her you were good and you appreciate her concern. She left a pat on his shoulder as she walked past him, your eyes catching a glimpse of Evans outside the door falling into step with her.

The door closed and you turned your attention back to Chris who was looking at you through the mirror. Blue eyes glued to your pink marked skin from relentless fake nails, trailing up to meet yours as you turned around.

His hands ghosted up your arms and thumbs brushed against your neck as he pulled your hair behind your shoulders, “You good?”

Fighting the urge to roll your eyes at the sound of that stupid word again, you nodded. “Don’t leave me alone with anymore famous people,” you tossed back. His lips pressed to your forehead, closing your eyes and feeling tension leave your shoulders down to your legs. “I think I need to stay a recluse to the house for a whole week.” That’s what it was, too many people was slightly overwhelming.

The discomfort came back in your feet as you both started to walk out of the bathroom. “I’m taking these off as soon as we leave.” His hand was relaxed compared to your own as you walk out, noticing many people have cleared out, but quite a few still lingering.

Gen saw you both walk out and left who she was speaking with to come approach you both.

“After party at Downey’s, are you going?” The question directed at the both of you. You quickly glanced at each other. Chris shook his head, “No,” as you insisted he go.

“You are going to the party, whether I go or not.”

“You are going?”

“If you want me to.” The thought of staying out longer didn’t sound the greatest, but being a people pleaser didn’t always entail speaking up for what you wanted.

“You’re going.”

The drive was a breath of fresh air, a still environment you didn’t know you needed. The warm seats flushed out discomfort. Though you could feel some discomfort, just as your stomach growled loud enough for you both to hear.

“Oh ho my god, is that you?” He said laughing, pulling out of the valet. You tightening your hands around yourself trying not to laugh.

The drive was only 20 minutes, he seemed to know where he was going, pulling into a gated entrance, letting us through. It looked like a neighborhood event center, a golf course and pond decorating the look. More valet parking was at your service. Though the inside was more modest and homey, as modest as it could be with a private bartender.

You tried your best to not seem as if you were not just trailing Chris around the room but you were, though it wasn’t your doing, it was his. He always kept a hand on you, your back, shoulders, arm, hand. Just an hour there consisted of drinks, stupidly funny stories, and information that you probably shouldn’t know.

A smaller group of people and zero cameras was all that you needed to come out of your shell. Maybe a few drinks as well.

The one time that Chris left you, saying a few more words to Evans was settling, bonding over Downey’s finger food that was being displayed.

Chris called the night off early, telling that he had to get home to the kids. The kids were not at the house, they were with their cousins and a sitter till Luke and Sam got home. You didn’t question him and followed suit, saying goodbye to a few you came to know better.

“That was more fun than I expected,” you told him as you buckle your seatbelt.

“Mhmm.”

You set your hand on the center counsel and laid back in the seat closing your eyes. Not exactly tired yet, still too much excitement and fresh liquor coursing through you. You were oblivious to his attitude or his short response. His eyes were straight on the road, not paying attention to your open hand that was waiting empty, for his own. You whispered along to the radio in your own little world, giggling when you know you didn’t hit a note.

“Haaa hmm that was terrible,” you said to yourself, going to stare out the window.

A couple minutes later you whispered to him, “Why are you so quiet,” finally looking in his direction. “You should be so hyped right now. Hey. Why- don’t you wanna hold my hand? I like too, I like your fingers. Wait, that sounded bad,” you started to laugh to yourself again, your eyes almost closing through some lazy tears from laughing.

Just as he was about to leave his hand in yours, you drew your hand up to wipe your eyes. He huffed and slapped his hand back on to the wheel, unknowingly to you.

When you pulled in the driveway you slowly unbuckled and propped open the door, by that time he was standing at the front door unlocking it, waiting to watch you follow him inside before he left you outside.

“What, you know what,” you started, speaking to him across the driveway. “I think that’s the first time you have never opened my door for me.” His attitude was starting to become more aware to you.

“Are you like, in a mood or something,” you walked through the threshold and didn’t wait for his response as he followed you inside.  

The bed was calling your name, it was so late, the thought of staying awake one more second made you want to collapse into the comfort of the blankets and pillows. Chris was already halfway undressed while you fiddled with the zipper on the back of the jumpsuit, stretching your arms high and low trying to reach it.

Finally his fingers tried to pull it down and you let him.

“What, were you just gonna leave me hangin’?” The soft material dropped to your feet and you walked straight towards the bed, clad in undergarments. The plush comforter was pulled back and you sunk right into it. About to be out like a light, it sounds amazing.

“Where are your face wipe things?” His voice pulled you out of a slumber that you knew was too good to be true.

“Oh. He speaks,” voice muffled by the blankets. “Why, you need to wipe your makeup off.”

You heard him toss back a ‘Yes and no,’ while walking into the bathroom. Your mind went blank once more, falling prisoner to the pillows and the growing warmth in the sheets.

A cold makeup wipe fell across your face and you startled awake, he was already under the blankets and settled. Your eyes remained closed, trying to hold on to the glimmer of sleepiness.

He brushed the hair off your face and was gliding the wipe over your eyebrows, down to your eyelids, a laugh started the rise in you, a growing smile on your face.

“You are going to have to take those eyelashes off, I’m not messing with that,” he said starting to laugh. He continued and you eventually reached up tugged them off, opening your eyes to meet his in the lamp light. The motions stopped while you leaned over and set them on the bedside table.

“Continue,” your smug tone falling back into the same position. The wipe ran over your forehead again and down the side of your face, delicately brushing under your eyes when he stopped and you felt the bed shift. The wipe landed somewhere on the floor, your eyes opening just in time to see him throw it behind him.

“Come here,” he whispered, nugging his head. The attitude rolling off of him for the past hour was enough for a decline, just to make him suffer. He wanted to tell you why he was upset, but you just closed your eyes again and shook your head, the blankets getting tucked up to your chin.

The bed moved quickly again and you felt him pull up right next to you, his arm shoving under your pillow, making you lose your comfy position.

“Just look at me,” you creeped your eyes open, even though you wanted to just succumb to the darkness. Maybe he’d stop trying to keep you awake if you listened.

“Your eyes, those are for me, they are my eyes.”

“Hmff, okay,” you mumbled, blinking closed, going dead weight on his arm. He did smell good, his cologne still lingering on his white t’shirt. It makes you feel so homey-

“Your only supposed to look at me with those eyes.”

“My eyeballs Chris, you’re mad, about my eyeb-”

“I’m not mad, I’m just, those eyes are supposed to be for me.” This is starting to sound an awful lot like he is jealous. “You have a look.”

“I don’t have a look!” The defense team is growing inside your brain took a pause when he kissed you hard, your eyes fluttering open and closed, startled. He kissed you heavily, pushing you back from your side, lying flat at his will. The hand behind you held the back of your neck, and all the sudden he was clouding your senses like he was the only focus in the world, like the heaviness in your head from the alcohol was lifted away.

The kiss felt like it was a split second long before he was backing away to watch you pry your eyes open at him.

“That, that’s the look.” The display of shock, want, and love was showing in your eyes and it was his favorite thing. He had been entranced by your eyes from the first time he locked his on them. Wishing he could see them again as soon as you turned away. Framed so natural and beautifully by your lashes, fanning over your skin when you closed them. The unique iris shines brightly under his stare, under his touch and presence. He likes to watch you come apart, your eyes for him to see. His eyes. They captured his attention every time you looked at him, sending love flowing through his head.

“Oh,” your fingers loosened their grip that had taken place on his shoulders. “Are you- If you are-” suddenly realizing what he was going on about.

“What (y/n),” his fingers pulled free of your hair and laid to rest on your shoulder, his thumb running over your collar bone.

“I don’t have eyes for Evans.” It was true. Is he handsome? Yea. But he wasn’t your Chris. “I have eyes for you, and I have a heart for you.” It honestly concerned you that he had put himself through those emotions for no reason. The more thought that was put into it, the more you could see how he would think that. All the signs would have been there. You had never been shy about what you thought of him, watching movies, or getting flustered when he was mentioned by anyone, as well as meeting him. Gaining the courage to talk to him again at the after party. It may have flown over your Chris’s head but that was big for you to do.

While you were both standing at the finger food table, he was quick to mention he gets anxious as well, catching you off guard. You listened intently as he spoke about how he recognizes the preconventional, ego thoughts that could block his mind. ‘It’s just noise (Y/n). Just focus on your present, don’t worry of what will be.’ You remembered his words to you, that made you appreciate him that much more.

“I just, I get anxious sometimes, around certain people.” You told Chris, focusing on the now, the truth. His warmth drew you in, tucking closer to him. “I think I just freak myself out too much, really.” You could still feel the tension in his shoulders, even though you couldn’t see his face from your spot in his side, you knew somehow that his brows were probably furrowed.

“Some situations that I don’t know how to understand fully, I just, I don’t know.”

“Do you get anxious around me?” His chest stopped moving, waiting for your answer. The silence swallowing the room.

“Sometimes.”

“(y/n),” the comfort that was surrounding you left as he started to sit up in the bed.

“God, I’m sorry,” you couldn’t bring yourself to follow him with your eyes.

“But why are you-”

“I know, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” You said again, bringing the heels of your palms to shield your eyes, somehow shield you from this conversation.

“No, listen to me. Why are you sorry?” Both his hands pulling yours away.

“What?”

“Stop apologizing, I just want you to tell me. Tell me when you feel that way.” The end of the bed looked real interesting at this moment, feeling like a child being scolded. “Is that okay?”

You nodded your head and closed your eyes. If you could have slept this whole conversation away, you would have. Confrontation makes you want to pull your eyeballs out of your head, curse the world for emotions.

Sleep came fast when he pulled you to his chest, and positioned the blankets just how you like it, tucked under your chin. You became hyper aware of the fact that you were not wearing any clothing other than a bandeau and underwear, whatever you had on under the dress.  Your leg found its place over and between his own, his hand where it needs to be from every night here on out, playing with your hair, brushing it gently away from your face.

The morning light came through, as if the night full of sleep came to an end as soon as you had closed your eyes. Waking in the morning with nothing to do is the best time to lay with your eyes closed and try to make it last just that much longer. You didn’t reach for your phone or move to check the clock, but laid still with eyes closed, feeling his even breathing next to you.

The most peaceful time of the day was before everyone in the house was awake. You got quiet time to scroll through your almost forgotten socials or piddle around cleaning from the day before. It was your alone time.

Probably only fifteen minutes of trying to prolong sleep, Chris started to tuck his feet back under the blankets and shuffle his head on the pillows. You were caught staring when he peaked an eye open and closed it again laughing at you.

“Don’t stare at me,” his voice was raw from a nights sleep, sounding especially arousing.

“Wakey, wakey,” you whispered. Your torso became his new pillow while he grumbled about what time it was. His scruff rubbing over the soft skin with growing goose bumps. “I have no idea. Maybe ten?” You rubbed his back though his shirt as he drifted in and out of sleep, waking up to huff at you when your hand stopped moving.

“When do we get to go home?” Your hand moved to his neck running your fingers over the studded hairs.

“I wanted to ask you about that, I had an idea.” Waiting for him to continue, he sat up, looking down at you as you pulled the blankets back up. “I don’t have anything today or tomorrow, but only about a week and a half left, but then I have nothing for almost a month. And it’s okay if you want to go back to Byron, I don’t care either way. And the kids won’t care so dont decide because of them.”

“What, Chris?”

“I was thinking we could go on a road trip. Drive through Vegas, the Grand Canyon, stop in and see your family again for a few days.” You felt you face switch from shock, to longing to see your family again. To introduce them to each other and the kids.

“What?” Your light and feathery voice was trampled as he continued.

“We could stop in Tennessee and see Liam since they are at Miley’s place there, now. Maybe end in New York, fly home from there.” He got a bit quieter as he continued. Your face was probably displaying a look of contemplation, but really all you could think about was how fun it sounded already trying to plan the trip in your head. “But if you are home sick and just want to go back to Byron that is okay too, I know we’ve been going and going for a while and-”

“That sounds so amazing! Oh my goodness I have to call my brother!” You sat up in the bed, but paused reaching for your phone, gasping excited. “What if we make it a surprise!”

“It is up to you!” He was relieved that you were excited. He thought this up almost a week ago while reviewing his schedule with Gen. She of course thought it was great idea, having some time off herself hopefully. He was not exactly putting off asking you, just didn’t know when to ask. The right moment was there when you mentioned going home.

“Wow,” repeating the word didn’t slow down in your mind. You pushed the hair away from your face and bashfully smiled at him. “You’re perfect.”

“Well I don’t know about perfect, but…” The shrug in his shoulders made you roll your eyes.

“Oh shut it.” He met you for a kiss, planting your hand on his chest as you almost tackled him on the bed.

“You’re perfect,” He pulled you hair away from your face, tucking and smiling into his white tshirt.

“Whatever you say.” That was a big step, almost accepting the compliment immediately instead of questioning it.

“Im serious (Y/N),” You picked your shoulders up and met his eyes. “You are like, glowing, you are what people mean when they say ‘glowing’.” Such a dramatic one he was. Never one to play it serious, always with a hint of tease.

“Well whatever it is, it won’t last much longer.” The matter of fact erupted a quizzical look from him. The slight furrow of his brows, and puppy like tilt of his head was present.

“We should probably go get your children from your brother.” He pressed the home button on his phone, resting on the nightstand. 11:31AM. Almost shocked at how long you both had slept.

“Woah, I think they will be alright for a while longer.” He dismissed the time and turned his attention back to you.

“But they’ve-” He just wanted you to no worry about them, bask in the glory of not having kids at the moment. He kissed you, smiling into you as you knocked his shoulders for cutting you off. His cold hands ran up the outside of your thighs, gripping the material covering you and trying to tug it down.

“Mm, Chris!” The gleam in your eyes was enough for him to continue.

“Princess, I’ve got to keep you glowing a while longer.” There was no denying the effect the name had on you, your cheeks flushing, pushing into him. “That’s what I thought.” Your panties where slipped off quickly, his thumb going home immediately, brushing over your clit. The sudden stimulation caused you to sink back into the pillows.

The absent feeling of his hands leaving took over, but was quickly replaced, pulling off your bra. A side effect of getting cold easily was you nipples hardening instantly against the open air. He kissed up your chest. Mark your breasts with his mouth, writhing under his assault, waiting for more already.

“Take-Take it off.” Your fingers pulled up his shirt, he pulled it the rest of the way. Again finding his fingers in your hair while he latched on to your neck. Your fingertips trying to make their way from his shoulders down to his waistband without getting distracted, already feeling the pressure of his hard on.

Before you could reach him your arms were knocked away by one of his as he found your heat again, feeling up your slick, coating his fingers. Two fingers pushed in at once, feeling heavily along your inner walls, knocking the breath out of you. Once his thumb brushed your sensitive clit, your eyes fell closed to the consuming pleasure.

“Oh no Princess,” you felt the slight tug of your hair in his hands, shooting your eyes back open as his fingers started to pullback. He pushed them farther and started to pulse again, you grabbed at his arm as he started to push deeper. The pads of his fingers dragging sweetly over your walls, knowing how to drive your crazy with his touch.

“Oh, God!” Your eyes were dangerously close to rolling back, unable to keep it under control with the sudden relentlessness of his actions.

As soon as you went silent, it was his que to slip them out, drawing a frustrated noise from you. “Im gonna kill you.” The death stare in your eyes and adrenaline had you shoving him over to his back, trying to pull his boxers away in the process. You sat across his thighs, wrapping around his hard on, lifting a hiss from his lips. He immediately found purchase on your hips, tightening his grip.

Admiring him underneath you was a sight to behold. The son of a bitch had his eyes fall closed immediately. Not today. Your hands went absent, feeling up and kissing his torso instead. Running teeth over his collar bone, him not shying from shoving his tongue in your mouth.

“My Love, I need you.” You hummed and dragged your slick down across his cock, pulsing under you, earning another groan from the friction. Drawing the sound from him sends a sense of power though your blood, shooting electricity down your spine. The intoxicating response led to doing it again, earning a drawn out ‘fuck’, his eyes falling closed.

Sitting back on your knees, till he opened his eyes again, trying to sit up.

“No, no.” You pressed his shoulders back as he obliged, feeling into your new found sense of power over him. He decided to let you have it, let you reign. Your fingers found him and lined him up at your entrance, one hand leaning on his chest while he watched you slowly sink down on his cock, trying to take him. He was holding back from lifting and pushing deep into you, almost shaking with control over the urge.

You let out a gasp as you slid back up, only taking half of him, to sink back down and feel more of his length press and drag against your walls. A shuttered breath left your lips as you pressed down further, fully seated against his pelvis. His cock was buried to the hilt, putting pressure on your wall. You could feel his abdominals tighten against his restraint, under your hands.

“Move Princess,” his voice deepened and almost shook as he spoke. His hands were there to guide your hips, dragging forward, and back. Your clit pressing against his skin, knocking the breath out of your lungs.

“Oh shit, you’re so deep like this.” You took it upon yourself to rock your hips, experimenting with the pull of him inside you and the sounds he was making. You could feel the tip of him pressing in places that had rarely been brushed in the past.

Starting to pick up the pace, maddening the minds of you both. You met his lips, leaning into him, needing him closer to you while you fucked yourself on him.

Repeated little grunts were heard in your ears every time he hit you the deepest, pressing into your wall, stretching you sinfully, squeezing him against your will.

Your pulsing heat around him, squeezing him caused him to finally snap. He wrapped his arms around your back, holding you to his chest and fucked into you, flexing his hips and slamming into you hard.

An almost nonexistent kiss turned into profanities against his mouth. The sheets bundled tight under your grip, flexing still as you felt your climax approach at a rapid pace.

“Fuck, fuck, oh shit, oh god,” they littered from you uncontrollably. A few more thrusts and you went silent, peeling your eyes open in a silent scream and your orgasm quickly flushed over you, stilling in his grasp and squeezing his cock tight, pulsing around him while the dam broke loose.

He pressed deep again and spilled his load with a strained, “fu-uck Princess.”

A small moan left your lips while the orgasm subsided, loosening the muscles down your back and hips. He kissed you slow and deep, taking his time to push his high onto you. Your tongues danced around each other, pulling trying to dominate the other. A small moan erupted when he slipped out of your sensitive self, a growing empty feeling in place.

Your head fell to the crook of his neck, both you trying to catch your breath. The feeling of his release trickling out, adding to the sticky mess. You slowing pushed up off of him.

His breathing stopped abruptly, eyes wide as he sat up quickly, catching sight of the mess.

“We didn’t!- I didn’t-“

“Chris, I have the bar remember, 4 years.” His sudden panicked state vanished, throwing his head back, sighing. His hand held your arm, feeling it under his fingers.

“Shower?” He nodded in retaliation. Knocking you off of him and slipping his arms under you when he stood up.

“Round two in the shower?” Your turn to shamelessly agree. Might as well drag the glow out as long as possible.

Taglist: @keithseabrook27 @odinson-barnes @jonsnowisthesexiestbastard

@weekendswithnewtmas@innerpaperexpertcloud @toomanyflowerboys @thefashioncomplex@basmaraafat @imaginationintowords @taketimeandappreciate@superheroesaremytea  @vampiregirl1797 @ynm1505 @danathewitchywoman @aestheticallynon @thorfanficwriter

[southernsageco]

Double New Moon In Cancer // July 2020 // Zodiac Predictions

We’ve just made our way through eclipse season; two in June and one in July. These eclipses represent ending energies and starting new cycles (and a clean slate!!) Nevertheless, with great new chances, comes also intense energy. It can be a quite challenging time, while we feel lost in a new paradigm arriving and another one to leave behind. Some people will feel stronger than others, but everyone will find their challenges.

The double new moon in Cancer in July 2020, will give you some comfort and time to integrate everything. A double New Moon is a phenomenon that doesn’t happen that often. It consists of a second New Moon in the same zodiac sign. In this case, the first New Moon in Cancer happens on June 21st, and the second on July 20th. The second one is therefore named as a double New Moon. A double New Moon is a time to review the goals that were set up in the previous cycle and adjust according to the progress of the situations. With a similar energy input, but with more maturity and knowledge, is a moment of reflexion and adaption.

The double New Moon in Cancer in July 2020 is connected to all the previous astrological happenings, but especially to the annular solar eclipse June 21, also in the sign of Cancer. This solar eclipse marks an especially intense moment, that can turn out to be confusing for many people. Its energy is of a new karmic cycle that requires you to stand for yourself, while most likely confronting an authoritative figure or situation. Summarizing, chaos as an opportunity to reborn.

So, what does this mean for you and your zodiac sign? Keep reading to find out!! 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

Aries:: Aries, focus on your house and everything related to it. If you have been facing familiar challenges, pay close attention to the structures and patterns that are transforming. Take advantage of the energy to connect with your feminine energy and to solve any problems related to your nuclear family.

Taurus:: You have probably been under critics from close people, like siblings or cousins. That forced you to stand up for yourself, but also to review your actions and the messages you have been sending to the world. Taurus, if you notice you need to make changes in these patterns, during the double New Moon, reaffirm your goals.

Gemini:: You got the finances subject this time. Don’t panic, Gemini! If you have been readjusting your life in aspects related to money, closely analyze the messages you have been receiving during the eclipse season. These messages will help you see the best direction for your future. Be patient and cautious, but not afraid.

Cancer:: Sometimes the people we love or once loved are the hardest ones on you, right? Most likely your personality is under attack. The key is to stand up for yourself, stay strong. Which doesn’t mean to be stubborn, ok? Nor your extreme sensitivity will help (sorry for that one!). Cancer, you need to be honest about yourself. What things you need to change, what things you don’t. Once you know your truth, everything will start coming together.

Leo:: Dear Leo, in case you have a tendency for depression and you, are reading this, we want to give you precious advice. Not only for the double new moon but for the entire season of eclipses. Although everyone feels it in different proportions, it can be pretty intense for you. Don’t panic! Close your eyes and be honest with yourself if you need to ask for that help or not.Hidden things, secrets, deep beliefs are under transformation. In any case, you need to stay with yourself, to meditate, to search in you for peace!!

Virgo:: Virgo, you love your friends, but you need to establish a more independent self. It doesn’t mean you are going to abandon your group of close ones, but you need to be more sure of yourself alone. Your friends will always be your source of inspiration, and nothing will change that!

Libra:: Dear Libra, you need to own it! Own it! Life’s asking you to lead? Take the lead. It’s asking you to manage? Manage! It’s the moment to left fears behind. Write that down, strengthen your intentions. The world is yours.

Scorpio:: You are full of good intentions, Scorpio, but you show it in the worst way sometimes. We know you only want to share with the world your brilliant ideas, and we also know you probably spent so much time analyzing it deeply. Despite that, consider others’ opinions and perspectives. Especially, in your travels or studies, or about travels or studies.

Sagittarius:: You love to take life playing and daydreaming, but this time it’s not working for you, right? The deep transformation has been taking place, and if you don’t pay attention, if you don’t give energy to it, it will be a problem for you. The universe is showing you what you need to do, Sagittarius, where you need to go, and you must focus for once.

Capricorn:: From breakups to agreements on things that need to change, Capricorn, you have seen your relationship with lovers (or economics partners) going through changes. Give another boost to the decisions you have been making relating to that or adjust the ones that need to be reviewed.

Aquarius:: Keep paying attention to your health and daily routines, Aquarius. You have now one of the best moments to take care of yourself, to look inside, and to create new patterns. Don’t give up, keep on the track.

Pisces:: Keep focused on feeding your true passions, Pisces. Although this energy might bring some attention to crushes, gambling and partying, remember that you need to put a true intention that can lead this new cycle. Don’t waste your energy. It’s not always that the universe gives you a second chance to boost your intentions and plans. You have all the tools, remember to use it!

The Tarot Card for Cancer is the Chariot and is the theme of this New Moon! What does this mean?? 👇🏼

The Chariot is a card of willpower, determination and strength. You have discovered how to make decisions in alignment with your values with the Lovers card, and now you are taking action on those decisions. When the Chariot appears in a Tarot reading, take it as a sign of encouragement. You have set your objectives and are now channelling your inner power with a fierce dedication to bring them to fruition. When you apply discipline, commitment and willpower to achieve your goals, you will succeed. Now isn’t the time to be passive in the hope that things will work out in your favour. Take focused action and stick to the course, no matter what challenges may come your way – because, believe me, there will be challenges. You may be pulled in opposite directions and find your strength and conviction tested. Others may try to block you, distract you, or drag down the pursuit of your goal. But the Chariot is an invitation to draw upon your willpower and home in on what’s essential to you, so you can push past the obstacles in your way. If you are curious about whether you have what it takes to achieve your aim or complete an important project, the Chariot is a sign you will be successful so long as you keep your focus and remain confident in your abilities. You need to use your willpower and self-discipline to concentrate on the task at hand. You can’t cut corners or take the easy route, or you will fail. Instead, see this endeavour as a test of your strength and conviction, and recognise that victory is within reach, but it’s up to you to follow through.The Chariot calls you to assert yourself and be courageous. Be bold in expressing your desires and laying down your boundaries; otherwise, you will not get your way. You need to have faith in yourself and know fundamentally who you are and what you stand for (thus building off the personal belief systems and values established through the Lovers card).In a very literal sense, the Chariot can represent travel, especially driving or taking a road trip. You may even be considering selling your home and buying an RV so you can head off and roam the country!

Book A Reading Today!! 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 Tarot, Oracle, Pendulum & Birth Chart Interpretion.

[cherrycoveredpythia]

Extended thoughts on Brave the Tempest

2017’s Ride the Storm closed out the four-book arc that also included Hunt the Moon, Tempt the Stars, and Reap the Wind.  In these books, Cassie battled Ares and his minions while drawing closer to Pritkin and eventually hunting him through time and space. She learns more about her abilities while trying to save his life, and also becomes a reluctant power player in supernatural (and inter-dimensional) politics. Without her faithful companion by her side, she becomes more confident in her own powers and resourcefulness. Of course, she’s still Cassie, so all her discoveries and victories are slapdash and hard-won. But they are still victories. She’s a daughter of Chaos, give her a break.

Brave the Tempest focuses on Cassie’s political duties and her complicated feelings about being a leader and a “hero”. She’s now slain two gods (with help), but that doesn’t result in easy respect from the witches or the vampires. The witches see her as a tool of the Silver Circle, while the vampires see her as an extension of Mircea. They are all so wrong.

Cassie has to demonstrate her full strength to convince these factions to cooperate with her. It works, but nothing is ever simple. In the long run, who will love her and who will fear her? 

She’s becoming more like her mother every day.

Overall feelings

There are some amazing, joyful moments here. Please understand that I adore these books and characters, so I say this with love…

… but the book felt disjointed to me. We buzz back and forth from the witches to the vampires to the demons, and then go to Faerie and Victorian England. We get emotional scenes with Mircea, Pritkin, Marco, Rhea, and Rico. Augustine brings home a kidnapped fae. Tami needs to hire some staff but no one will take the job. Fred is a spy. Cassie is exhausted. I felt kind of exhausted too.

Important plotlines: Cassie’s growing pains with her powers, the political trouble with the witches and vampires, and the imminent invasion of Faerie. And then there was the timeline rupture. The rupture was terrifying and the fight with Jo in Victorian London was a full-on horror show. Cassie learned more about Pythian spells and then linked up her powers with Pritkin through the Lover’s Knot spell.  She’ll probably need these tools for the coming showdown. She and Pritkin are even more powerful together than they are apart. And they are both forces for good. But will everyone see them that way?

I think Karen is just laying out all the pieces for the next arc. It’s a little messy right now, but it will all fit together soon. I’m glad that Shatter the Earth is coming in December. If I had to wait another two years for the next book, I would be upset.

Favorite moments

Pritkin flirting and Cassie retaliating during S’mores night. Especially the marshmallow at the end. Goddamn.

The Dickening.

Everything related to Saffy and Vi, and seeing Saffy and Rhea becoming friends. I think she is a great influence on Rhea.

Pritkin and Cassie’s meeting with Adra. I high-key love Adra. He’s a really interesting foil for Caedmon, who leads their alliance with the “heavenly” planes. Caedmon is manic and charming, while Adra is pleasant and even-keeled. Except when he forgets to animate his glamourie. I reallllllly want to know what Adra looks like under there, but I figure he’s a Lovecraftian monster that would drive us insane.  

Adra shading Pritkin for never attending demon council meetings like other “heirs apparent.” 

Cassie nonchalantly offering to bring Adra to the vampire council.

Gertie nonchalantly easing Pritkin out of the room and shifting him to the depot.

Cassie borrowing Pritkin’s powers to suck the energy out of Jo.

Big events and revelations

Pritkin is not shy and neither is Cassie. I thought we would get some pussy-footing about their relationship, but we DID NOT. Pritkin came on strong and Cassie reciprocated. I wish I had a chance to read Siren’s Song first. They had some time to let the tension build and I *do* love a slow burn… torture me, baby!

Ancient Horrors! Children of Tiamat/Tethys! Pritkin is 1/16th divine! Kind of a watered-down Ancient Horror, if you will. Minus the tentacles.

Lover’s Knot

Fucking Jonathan

Invasion of Faerie needs to happen ASAP

Jo is more dangerous as a ghost because ghosts can absorb infinite power. (Can we turn Billy Joe into a super soldier???)

MIRCEA THE BOLD!

Cassie agreed to go find Elena because she’s afraid that Mircea will do it himself. And she doesn’t want to kill him.

Fred is a spy working for MARLOWE! And I guess his master power is camouflaging his aura.

Rico is from Napoli (this explains a lot, because I was confused when he said putanas instead of putane. Dialect!)

NEW PYTHIAN SPELLS: Shards and Chimera!

Young Agnes is a real bitch.  

The pros

I said this in a separate post, but I’ll say it here too. Cassie and Pritkin are back together and their relationship is so healthy and mutually supportive that it makes my heart ache. This is real #relationshipgoals. They are confidants and protectors and cheerleaders for each other. They don’t keep secrets or manipulate or gaslight. We need more of this sci-fi/fantasy and romance. There are too many dark, brooding male love interests who are borderline abusive. (Ahem, Mircea.)

MORE LGBT REPRESENTATION! 

The emergence of Mircea the Bold. I like Mircea as a character, but not as a love interest for Cassie. I’m happy to see him going through this transformation. He’s becoming more open and genuine. He’s not going to win Cassie’s affections, but I do think that he’s going to redeem himself in Dory’s eyes.

GERTIE IS BACK! And *not* as a roadblock. She’s a powerful woman who helps other women, and I am all. about. that. mood.

The cons

 TOO. MUCH. RECAP. Especially recap that broke up highly emotional moments. I don’t care if you are trying to explain things for new readers. Fuck ‘em. Anyone who buys a book, discovers it is part 1000 of an ongoing series, and tries to read it anyways… is a psychopath.

Too many plot-lines

 I miss Rosier.

We all knew that something was up with Fred, but I don’t think that his revelation as a spy got as much weight and screen-time as it deserved.

 I feel like the “wrap-up” with Jonathan felt rushed. He’s supposed to be terrifying but I’m like “meh, whatever, Jonathan, small fry compared to Apollo and Ares.” But I think she’ll get back to it in greater depth in the next book, so I can deal.

Can we PLEASE have some consistency about Agnes’s age? We see her as a teenager in late 19th-century London, for god’s sake. She must have been *at least* 130 years old when she died, and that’s being charitable. Previously, Cassie has said that Agnes was about 80. Lies. 

The questions

1.       My BIGGEST question. Cassie is changing. Not just maturing, but changing on a metaphysical level. The coldness, the hunger… I’m frightened for her. It’s not withdrawal from the Tears of Apollo and it’s not normal exhaustion. I have some theories.  

 Her divine side is becoming stronger and she’s beginning to require life energy in the same way that her human side needs food, water, and sleep. Why is this happening now? Maybe the Tears of Apollo are part of the equation, albeit indirectly. She’s been using more and more Pythian power thanks to the potion, and perhaps that has awakened her divine side more strongly. This is a little worrisome because she may have to feed on a regular basis to stay functional. Can she get all the energy she needs from incubus sex or from the Lover’s Knot? What are the moral considerations here? 

Less likely, but she might really be pregnant. I’m not a huge fan of this idea, but Rosier does mention in Reap the Wind or Ride the Storm that the incubus-child feeds on the life energy of the mother as it grows. That’s why his attempts at procreation failed until he impregnated Morgaine, who was part royal fae and part divine. If this is the case, Cassie might be having life-energy cravings instead of food cravings. Or maybe this is the divine/demon/fey version of morning sickness? Pritkin, please start using birth control.

2. What happened with Pritkin in Siren’s Song? Does Jonas know his true identity now?

3. So who is Pritkin’s divine great-great grandmother? Any speculation?

4. Cassie begins to wonder if any of the gods might be open to diplomacy. This must go somewhere. And it’s true, there are a number of gods in the pantheon who are traditionally friendlier towards humans than others. Athena is the first that comes to mind. There’s also the mythic trope of the Trickster/Fire-Bringer who helps humanity: Prometheus, Anansi, etc.  And there’s Loki, who doesn’t so much love humans as he loves to trouble the other gods.

MVPs

Ok, Cassie is the real MVP, as always. But barring her, I’m awarding this prize to the no-nonsense, sisterly duo of our hearts: Gertie and Hilde. They are officious and annoying, but that’s because they tell you what you don’t want to hear, and they are RIGHT. They are so right.

[mt-is-mental]

mental health and wellness tips for quarantine

Ok so this text isn’t my own, it was sent to me and I have permission to share so here it is! Hopefully it helps. 

Coping strategies for COVID-19

This is long, but important, very much like our quarantine. It was written by a psychologist from New York and shared with me by my dear friend and mentor, Birmingham therapist Sydney Reiter.

After having thirty-one sessions this week with patients where the singular focus was COVID-19 and how to cope, I decided to consolidate my advice and make a list that I hope is helpful to all. I can't control a lot of what is going on right now, but I can contribute this.

Edit: I am surprised and heartened that this has been shared so widely! People have asked me to credential myself, so to that end, I am a doctoral level Psychologist in NYS with a Psy.D. in the specialities of School and Clinical Psychology.

MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS TIPS FOR QUARANTINE

1. Stick to a routine. Go to sleep and wake up at a reasonable time, write a schedule that is varied and includes time for work as well as self-care.

2. Dress for the social life you want, not the social life you have. Get showered and dressed in comfortable clothes, wash your face, brush your teeth. Take the time to do a bath or a facial. Put on some bright colors. It is amazing how our dress can impact our mood.

3. Get out at least once a day, for at least thirty minutes. If you are concerned of contact, try first thing in the morning, or later in the evening, and try less traveled streets and avenues. If you are high risk or living with those who are high risk, open the windows and blast the fan. It is amazing how much fresh air can do for spirits.

4. Find some time to move each day, again daily for at least thirty minutes. If you don’t feel comfortable going outside, there are many YouTube videos that offer free movement classes, and if all else fails, turn on the music and have a dance party!

5. Reach out to others, you guessed it, at least once daily for thirty minutes. Try to do FaceTime, Skype, phone calls, texting— connect with other people to seek and provide support. Don’t forget to do this for your children as well. Set up virtual playdates with friends daily via FaceTime, Facebook Messenger Kids, Zoom, etc—your kids miss their friends, too!

6. Stay hydrated and eat well. This one may seem obvious, but stress and eating often don’t mix well, and we find ourselves over- indulging, forgetting to eat, and avoiding food. Drink plenty of water, eat some good and nutritious foods, and challenge yourself to learn how to cook something new!

7. Develop a self-care toolkit. This can look different for everyone. A lot of successful self-care strategies involve a sensory component (seven senses: touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell, vestibular (movement) and proprioceptive (comforting pressure). An idea for each: a soft blanket or stuffed animal, a hot chocolate, photos of vacations, comforting music, lavender or eucalyptus oil, a small swing or rocking chair, a weighted blanket. A journal, an inspirational book, or a mandala coloring book is wonderful, bubbles to blow or blowing watercolor on paper through a straw are visually appealing as well as work on controlled breath. Mint gum, Listerine strips, ginger ale, frozen Starburst, ice packs, and cold are also good for anxiety regulation. For children, it is great to help them create a self-regulation comfort box (often a shoe-box or bin they can decorate) that they can use on the ready for first-aid when overwhelmed.

8. Spend extra time playing with children. Children will rarely communicate how they are feeling, but will often make a bid for attention and communication through play. Don’t be surprised to see therapeutic themes of illness, doctor visits, and isolation play through. Understand that play is cathartic and helpful for children—it is how they process their world and problem solve, and there’s a lot they are seeing and experiencing in the now.

9. Give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and a wide berth. A lot of cooped up time can bring out the worst in everyone. Each person will have moments when they will not be at their best. It is important to move with grace through blowups, to not show up to every argument you are invited to, and to not hold grudges and continue disagreements. Everyone is doing the best they can to make it through this.

10. Everyone find their own retreat space. Space is at a premium, particularly with city living. It is important that people think through their own separate space for work and for relaxation. For children, help them identify a place where they can go to retreat when stressed. You can make this place cozy by using blankets, pillows, cushions, scarves, beanbags, tents, and “forts”. It is good to know that even when we are on top of each other, we have our own special place to go to be alone.

11. Expect behavioral issues in children, and respond gently. We are all struggling with disruption in routine, none more than children, who rely on routines constructed by others to make them feel safe and to know what comes next. Expect increased anxiety, worries and fears, nightmares, difficulty separating or sleeping, testing limits, and meltdowns. Do not introduce major behavioral plans or consequences at this time—hold stable and focus on emotional connection.

12. Focus on safety and attachment. We are going to be living for a bit with the unprecedented demand of meeting all work deadlines, homeschooling children, running a sterile household, and making a whole lot of entertainment in confinement. We can get wrapped up in meeting expectations in all domains, but we must remember that these are scary and unpredictable times for children. Focus on strengthening the connection through time spent following their lead, through physical touch, through play, through therapeutic books, and via verbal reassurances that you will be there for them in this time.

13. Lower expectations and practice radical self-acceptance. This idea is connected with #12. We are doing too many things in this moment, under fear and stress. This does not make a formula for excellence. Instead, give yourself what psychologists call “radical self acceptance”: accepting everything about yourself, your current situation, and your life without question, blame, or pushback. You cannot fail at this—there is no roadmap, no precedent for this, and we are all truly doing the best we can in an impossible situation.

14. Limit social media and COVID conversation, especially around children. One can find tons of information on COVID-19 to consume, and it changes minute to minute. The information is often sensationalized, negatively skewed, and alarmist. Find a few trusted sources that you can check in with consistently, limit it to a few times a day, and set a time limit for yourself on how much you consume (again 30 minutes tops, 2-3 times daily). Keep news and alarming conversations out of earshot from children—they see and hear everything, and can become very frightened by what they hear.

15. Notice the good in the world, the helpers. There is a lot of scary, negative, and overwhelming information to take in regarding this pandemic. There are also a ton of stories of people sacrificing, donating, and supporting one another in miraculous ways. It is important to counter-balance the heavy information with the hopeful information.

16. Help others. Find ways, big and small, to give back to others. Support restaurants, offer to grocery shop, check in with elderly neighbors, write psychological wellness tips for others—helping others gives us a sense of agency when things seem out of control.

17. Find something you can control, and control the heck out of it. In moments of big uncertainty and overwhelm, control your little corner of the world. Organize your bookshelf, purge your closet, put together that furniture, group your toys. It helps to anchor and ground us when the bigger things are chaotic.

18. Find a long-term project to dive into. Now is the time to learn how to play the keyboard, put together a huge jigsaw puzzle, start a 15 hour game of Risk, paint a picture, read the Harry Potter series, binge watch an 8-season show, crochet a blanket, solve a Rubix cube, or develop a new town in Animal Crossing. Find something that will keep you busy, distracted, and engaged to take breaks from what is going on in the outside world.

19. Engage in repetitive movements and left-right movements. Research has shown that repetitive movement (knitting, coloring, painting, clay sculpting, jump roping etc) especially left-right movement (running, drumming, skating, hopping) can be effective at self-soothing and maintaining self-regulation in moments of distress.

20. Find an expressive art and go for it. Our emotional brain is very receptive to the creative arts, and it is a direct portal for release of feeling. Find something that is creative (sculpting, drawing, dancing, music, singing, playing) and give it your all. See how relieved you can feel. It is a very effective way of helping kids to emote and communicate as well!

21. Find lightness and humor in each day. There is a lot to be worried about, and with good reason. Counterbalance this heaviness with something funny each day: cat videos on YouTube, a stand-up show on Netflix, a funny movie—we all need a little comedic relief in our day, every day.

22. Reach out for help—your team is there for you. If you have a therapist or psychiatrist, they are available to you, even at a distance. Keep up your medications and your therapy sessions the best you can. If you are having difficulty coping, seek out help for the first time. There are mental health people on the ready to help you through this crisis. Your children’s teachers and related service providers will do anything within their power to help, especially for those parents tasked with the difficult task of being a whole treatment team to their child with special challenges. Seek support groups of fellow home-schoolers, parents, and neighbors to feel connected. There is help and support out there, any time of the day—although we are physically distant, we can always connect virtually.

23. “Chunk” your quarantine, take it moment by moment. We have no road map for this. We don’t know what this will look like in 1 day, 1 week, or 1 month from now. Often, when I work with patients who have anxiety around overwhelming issues, I suggest that they engage in a strategy called “chunking”—focusing on whatever bite-sized piece of a challenge that feels manageable. Whether that be 5 minutes, a day, or a week at a time—find what feels doable for you, and set a time stamp for how far ahead in the future you will let yourself worry. Take each chunk one at a time, and move through stress in pieces.

24. Remind yourself daily that this is temporary. It seems in the midst of this quarantine that it will never end. It is terrifying to think of the road stretching ahead of us. Please take time to remind yourself that although this is very scary and difficult, and will go on for an undetermined amount of time, it is a season of life and it will pass. We will return to feeing free, safe, busy, and connected in the days ahead.

25. Find the lesson. This whole crisis can seem sad, senseless, and at times, avoidable. When psychologists work with trauma, a key feature to helping someone work through said trauma is to help them find their agency, the potential positive outcomes they can effect, the meaning and construction that can come out of destruction. What can each of us learn here, in big and small ways, from this crisis? What needs to change in ourselves, our homes, our communities, our nation, and our world?

[internetremix]

In IR lore, what are the personalities of your personas? Basic likes and dislikes?

Kristen: Goggles is An Child and behaves as such. She's very cheerful, very curious, a bit mischievous and also 100% obsessed with making fanwork of her internet family... like a goddamn weirdo. She'll usually be hanging out with everyone, spot some sort of inspiration, squeak with joy and then rush off to write or draw. She's also the defacto leader of the Smol Squad, which is composed of herself, Shyner, Jojo and Chi-chi, and she's usually the one squeaking out ridiculous plans in muppet for dumb shit like stealing cookies and trying to trap people in fanfiction scenarios. She likes to help and can often be found doing such things as assisting Xander in his many schemes or just popping up to provide shit like charts or hold things for other people- basically whenever it would be funny to have some goddamn muppet backing something up.

She loves plush toys, particularly Crockernanner, and also loves sugar, star decorations, and cuddles. She likes being picked up and loves attention, and she's pretty consistently attached to at least one person, often her big brother Split if she's not with the Smol Squad. She is in eternal war with Phill since he bullies her constantly, and will occasionally try to set up elaborate traps for revenge only to fail miserably. Also she's a huge weeb. She does not like to sleep and will often go days without it before being dragged off by some bigger person to take a goddamn nap you ridiculous child.  She is also very afraid of thunderstorms, she doesn't like loud noises or the dark.

She also has... various flaws and problems. But those are spoilers and I have no idea when/if we’ll be doing story stuff with IRsonas so I don’t want to give too much away with that.

Sorry this is very long, I think about my child a lot.

Jojo: JoJo is also a very happy child... like, stupid happy all the time. Like, they don't really have a concept of being angry. they're either manic happy or a bit sad. They love to find any way to make anybody smile or laugh, whether it be a somber happy, or a crying fit of laughter. They thrive off of happiness. They're a bit mischievous as well, and will try to play pranks and swipe things to chew on. They'll just appear in random places you'd never expect. like, in the pantry, the vent, or in your drawer. They chew things all the time to keep their dragon teeth sharp! They do tend to come off as obnoxious and kind of useless sometimes? But that's ok.

They love happiness, rocks, swimming, sandwiches, Vanilla coke, coffee, pianos, stars, ghost stuff(horror genre), and laughter. JoJo is pretty similar to Goggles now that I think about it x_xJoJo is best friends with Phill, and will always be on him in some way. Like his leg, back, holding onto his scarf by their teeth, etc. They're also very close with Goggles and Shyner, and Scott (even though Shyner tries to chase JoJo off with knives, JoJo will take it as a game of tag or something)JoJo doesn't like being yelled at or being told to go away. They get spooked easily by loud noises. They always get paranoid when they think someone is mad at them and will go to ungodly lengths to make them not mad or slightly annoyed with them, which sometimes makes people more annoyed with them than they were before.

JoJo is just an exaggerated version of me XD

Atwas: Atwas is fairly easy going. They make light of things often, and often hide serious sentiments behind jokes. They’re the type to roll with goofy and silly situations, and are very “yes and” type that enjoys escalating things in the name of light-hearted fun. They enjoy playing pranks, especially ones that take advantage of their hologrammatic nature (being able to enter and ‘possess’ electronics is something that they take advantage of often). Being technically in the cloud and a part of the internet at all times, they will often chime in with fun (often unrelated or humorous) metrics about situations and people as they occur—and often forgets that having a HUD isn’t something everyone has access to.

Being ‘technically’ invulnerable, atwas isn’t phased by the more dangerous things that go on in the IR tower, but usually prefers being a spectator or commentator as opposed to being an active participant in general shenaniganry. They don’t have any particular animosity towards anyone, and will occasionally help manage technical parts and functions of the tower.

They enjoy things like tech, cold weather, tea, fun statistics, darkness; and aesthetics like Film Noir and Retrowave.

They dislike things like excessively hot weather, being interrupted, getting too personal, having to put in a lot of “effort”, and being out of the loop.

Shyner: Shyner can easily be summed up to a tsundere in denial, and is the definition of an agent of chaos. If something goes wrong, she’s the one pouring a trail of kerosene to let the fire spread. She's loud, impulsive, and really doesn't give two shits. While quirky and charismatic, she’s also sarcastic and witty, reveling in the amusement of making fun of others. She’s often stubborn and impatient, thinking highly of her own beliefs and angered by those who dare to challenge her ideals. She also lacks a filter, and enjoys garnishing her words with colorful profanities. Filled with gripes of past trauma, she’s engaged in a constant internal war of turmoil and grief. She’s incredibly cautious and closed off around those she doesn’t trust, and can be very selfish.  Despite this, she’s loyal to the few people she cares about, going out of her way to put them first if a dire situation were to arise. She’s also very sneaky and mischievous, often finding amusement in spying on others. Her MBTI is INTP-T.

Her hobbies include stargazing, ghost hunting, spying, and Satanic worship. She enjoys melancholy vibes, horror movies, animals, thunderstorms, and has an unhealthy obsession with sweets. Yes, this child will stab you without hesitancy if you take her cookies. She dislikes seafood, big crowds, kiddie leashes, and is afraid of experiencing intense emotion she doesn’t understand.I love my satanic smol bean very much. If I may be so bold as to dive into the nitty-gritty psychology, Shyner possesses many flaws, a lot of which I personally struggled with growing up. She is a reflection of my past self, some gripes with my current self, and the perception of how I could have turned out if I hadn’t met my family at IR. Hiding behind the exterior of being a merciless bully, she still has an intense internal desire to be a good person, but gets frustrated and often derails herself in the process of fighting her desire to act on impulse. She keeps most relationships with people at arm's length, fearing that if someone were to think highly of her, it would only be a matter of time before they’re disappointed. If we were to go full-fledged story mode, she would most definitely have an intense character redemption arc, making the revelation that being shitty to those who care about her isn’t the way to run from her problems and hide away from her own sense of self-insecurity/hatred.

Phill: Phill likes mischief, bad jokes, sexual undertones, Jojo, sexual overtones, bullying Kristen, and the colour pink. That's it xD

Jojo: :D yay

Alex: Alex don't give a shit but is for whatever reason the bossman and is also as powerful as silver age Superman, just don't try actual murder of the crew and he won't yeet you into the sun

Moon: 2019 Moon is an idiot. If we didn't know any better, we would assume he was born from nothing but an old head of lettuce in Satan's refrigerator. Think like Scott from Monster Prom, but different. He knows his right from his left, but the compass is still just "NESW" to him. Impulsive, lovable, and kinda loud, this muscley dumbass will do practically anything you tell him to if he finds it enjoyable. When paired with a few people, he works well as a second to many dynamic duos. Brodingles and Moon/Split and Moon are two really good ones, dangerous shenanigans ensue. Can and will rap like a beast, any challenge to a freestyle will result in a career ending and a death being sentenced. Extroverted people pleaser, definitely shooting high to perform and when adapting to a character, goes a little too hard. This man played Gander in Charlottes Web and didn't stop making goose sounds for months. Did I mention he's also a disney princess? Singing, animals, mortal enemy falling to their death? Everything

Dawn: ToonWolf/Dawn's personality falls within the confines of recklessly adventurous who doesn't think things through entirely. They like to try and rope others into going on various hikes, treasure hunts, mythic/cryptid searches, etc. Unapologetic sailor mouth. They will fight for friends and family. Various animals, trinkets, treasures, and cool but useless garbage are brought back to the tower often (oops theres a liiiiiiitle bit of hoarding). Sometimes those animals consist of dogs, cats, lizards, bears, wolves, The Great Noble One, horses, lions, elk, you get the idea (Can I keep them?Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaseeeeee??????????).

Overall they are most comfortable and relaxed in/around water and likes a whole lotta things including sailing, swimming, adventure, stargazing, animals, mythology/legends, friends, family, and drawing.

They dislike waking up early, limitations, being talked down to, boredom, desert/hot/humid/dry weather, coffee, and the movie "Cube"

Tex: Tex is an avid cryptid detective + has a surprisingly good intuition when creating conspiracy theories about them to follow. Mm lots of memes and disguises. Smart, but usually just off on their own thinking about other stuff.Totally has a wall in their room dedicated to figuring all the cryptids out with like, red string and everything.

[zenosanalytic]

THE SACRED TEXTS!!! EPISODE 3

I just finished the 3rd season of Clone Wars(2008) and I have Thoughts!

s3 is typically where I’ve seen ppl saying Clone Wars gets gud but, for the first half of the season, I was pretty skeptical. Until ~ e11 the season’s dedicated to filling in holes from the earlier seasons which, frankly, didn’t really need to be filled? Like: I’m not really sure WHO, in the audience, would be sitting around wondering “gee, I wonder what’s going on with Mandalore’s trade-policy during all of this?”?? Or “was a Republic Army sent to help Ryloth when it was first invaded, and what happened to it?”??? And most of this not only felt pretty unnecessary, but was also pretty Meh (:T There were good bits! Like, I didnt ACTL mind the Ryloth ep, and it acts as a declaration of sorts that it’s now both open-season on Jedi(yeah, technically Kit Fisto’s ex-padawan Vebb died in Lair of Grievous, but he was very much An Outlier), and more broadly open-season on named&faced humanoid characters.

To give an example: not ONLY does Domino Squad from Rookies in s1 get a fleshing-out backstory(which is... very Pat and derivative and convenient, but the characterization is ok given they’ve only got one 22min ep to do it in. & I liked 99′s whole role as basically surrogate dad to all the other clones), but pretty much ALL of them, I think, end up getting killed off during the season? Like I said it’s a clear statement they want to break with the past while building on the “hey fans: CLONES ARE PEOPLE! THEIR SITUATION IN THIS WAR IS MONSTROUS!!” message the series has been soft-peddling from the beginning, but I feel like they didnt really commit to it enough. Like: IF they had stuck with the Domino survivors throughout the season, if we’d gotten to see them in episode after episode, gotten to know them better alongside the other members of Rex’s ARC battalion, gotten to see them face dangers and survive them, only to watch, agonized, as they, and the rest of the Battalion vets, slowly get picked off in the increasingly dangerous missions of the second half of the season, then that would have made the message MUCH more effective, AND made the Citadel and Padawan Lost arcs much more tense.

And really all of the impactful deaths of the season sort of feel like that. Like: we get one episode to know Mina Bonteri(a human, of course) and her family before she’s killed off(though i did Dig how unceremonious and unsentimental it was; that really got across the stakes involved and the sorts of scumbags Amidala, and the audience, are dealing with). We get even less time with the Jedi killed by Oppress; a few seconds at most(and btw it’s kind of HILARIOUS how he just... bulls in there and wrecks em like it’s nothing, after two seasons of ep after ep of uneventful cat-and-mouse. Of course that’s undermined by him&Ventriss, then, utterly failing to be successful against Dooku, purely because the plot demands it |:T) Same with Master Piell. Ziro we know much better, but he was also a fairly annoying caricature and his final eps went out of their way to use him to introduce EVEN MORE annoying caricatures so, while his getting gunned down is successful in showing violence and violent death as sudden, unsentimental, and pathetic rather than heroic and worthy, we dont really care. And that’s further undercut, pretty seriously, by his being a caricature; pathos is hard to pull off with an object of laughter/scorn as it risks just making their suffering funny to the audience(which... is the OPPOSITE of what you want to accomplish). This isnt helped by having the Jedi who find him basically shrugging at his death before racing into a Cool Fight. The “Force Wielders” in the Mortis arc suffer from the same problems(and also: Force Dualism&”The Chosen One” Talk: BLEAGH!). The only one of these they manage to get right, to me, is Kalifa’s death in Padawan Lost which, due to us getting more time to see her sitch and hear her&the other younglings talk about it, genuinely ends up having an emotional impact(if still feeling super-convenient and a bit improbable)((also I love the inclusion of a predator ep, even if they’re cheap dime-story predators)).

The same goes for all the non-death falls and endangerments. The corruption of the Mandalorian Prime Minister falls flat because we barely know him, and he’s never been portrayed as sympathetic or, for that matter, as anything other than a factotum. The only Pantoran we know in Sphere of Influence is Senator Chuchi, and more than half the episode is dedicated to the Prime Minister, his Son, and his(interchangeable) daughters(and we never see any of these characters again in the season); the ep comes off as nothing more than an excuse to reference Greedo(and Im annoyed by him speaking common all of a sudden. Who watching CW would have a problem with subtitles?).

BUT! They’re trying!! They’re moving in the right direction!!! I’m happy about this ^v^ And the later half of the season, while I have my problems with certain episodes, and the continued non-human stereotypes, and the convenient writing, and the not-great(tho getting better!) dialogue, is actually kind of entertaining, and attention-bearing. Arc Troopers, the 2nd ep of the season, is Solid! The Mortis arc is good, overall! The Citadel and Padawan Lost arcs are Compelling!! I like the Witches of Dathomiir, even if their Arc is “Meh” because the series IMMEDIATELY undercuts their cool concept(aside from the laser-bows which are LEGITIMATELY Stupid. I’m sorry; I will not argue over this they’re Dum) by having their plans, and all the implication towards deep plots&cunning manipulation, turn out to be empty and fruitless(ie, Dooku totally should have been terribly wounded by all this, which would have also been cool re: Sidious, as it’d imply THAT WAS HIS PLAN ALL ALONG! TO WEAKEN THE GROWING POWER OF HIS APPRENTICE AND DRAG THE WAR OUT EVEN LONGER!!) Also: the Witches, rather than being “magic users” drawing from the “unique power” of their ~evil planet~(a swamp, of course, following long-established Magic the Gathering tradition u_u) should have just totally been a non-Sith(possibly Pre-Jedi) sect of Dark Side Force Users. I really like the idea of Non-Jedi/Non-Sith(since they’re literally just two sides of the SAME tradition; the Sith are literally Jedi Heretics) Force Traditions being out there in the galaxy, and this was a good chance to build on that which I felt they didnt do enough with, and hope they WILL do more with in future(I especially like the ideas of force-attuned poison? Like what if they could “poison” or “curse” people THROUGH the Force? That would be sweet as hell :3).

Another improvement is in the action in this season. It’s not at a level I’d call “thrilling” or anything, but it feels much less like stiff, rote, weightless FLUFF than it has in the two previous seasons. Frankly I think a lot of this is just their engine and how ppls joints just sort of SNAP into position during fights, and also the excessive acrobatics of the prequel-style, both of which makes it feel unnatural, predetermined, and performative rather than deadly and vital(like excessively practiced and robotically acted choreography, basically). But, having said that, you see ppl make mistakes, you see consequences FOR those mistakes, and thus there is SOME sense of danger and weight to it that makes it more compelling than it has been in the past, and this should be praised uwu

And I like that the Politics are a lot clearer and more forefronted in this season than previously! While the Corruption Arc on Mandalore did feel rather hollow, rushed, and After-School-Specially(and, I DEEPLY resent its peddling of offensive and baseless anti-Ophidian tropes >:( ), it’s core message abt the dangers of profiteering and the corrupting influence of profit-seeking(ie Capitalism) on politics and society is a good one and clearly delivered. The Amidala episodes in this season Knock it out of the park consistently, and especially on their messaging ^v^ ^v^ Also, I DIDNT MIND the very fillery C3PO and R2 ep! Yes: it was essentially a waste of an episode since Bane was working for the Hutts to spring Ziro in s1′s Hostage Crisis & there’s basically NO WAY they wouldnt have been able to provide him with a set of plans for the Senate building(and the prison, for that matter), but WHATEVER: it was Kind Of Fun and I like seeing those two be an old bickering married couple and C3PO freak out over getting praised; IT WAS FINE!

So, while there werent any standout ep that I REALLY ENJOYED like Trespass in s1 and R2 Come Home in s2, and I very much didn’t like the 1st half of the season, I think I do have to concede that s3 is An Improvement, overall. I’m actually a bit excited over moving on to s4, given the upward trajectory this season ends on quality-wise owo

Oh: and the Ahsoka redesign? Neat uwu uwu(if untentionally Hilarious since they havent been changing her model over time so she just... grows three feet and bulks out in, like, a single night, presumably. Togruta Puberty must be HELL :p :p :p)

[wirewitchviolet]

I’d like to talk about Graham for a little bit.

About a month and a half ago, this thing just sort of spontaneously happened that was on the order of the old Jerry Lewis telethons, raising an absolutely jaw-dropping amount of money for an organization called Mermaids, which is great and absolutely deserves to have it. I should clarify before anything further too that I’m using “spontaneously happened” here only to mean absolutely nobody involved had any possible idea that it was going to become the huge thing it became, not that it didn’t do so because of a lot of really impressive work, mainly from Casey Explosion and Dan Olson who both ended up playing producer as guests started hopping in and did phenomenal jobs they can’t get enough credit for.

I am, of course, quite thrilled to see how well that went, particularly since just something like a week prior I’d independently tried to start a charity drive for Mermaids which was... decidedly unsuccessful. And I came oddly close to getting properly involved in this one, because around the time it was at the $1000 mark, “guests” were mainly just people I’m personally friends with and haven’t talked to in a while, I was talking about joining in, but the timing of me getting hold of a microphone and a quiet room and guest coordination shook out weird and I lost my place in line to like, Chelsea Manning and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who I will freely admit were bigger donation draws than me talking to old friends and sharing info about trans charities and transphobic groups trying to undermine them would have been.

One thing I’d have liked to have brought up is the other thing that made the whole event a bit bittersweet, personally. The whole thing was explicitly advertised as existing purely to spite one Graham Linehan, who rather infamously had spearheaded an initiative to undermine funding for Mermaids because these days he is a cartoon villain and defunding a children’s charity was the sort of thing he’s all about now. And I’m saying “now” and “these days” because I have kind of a weird history with Graham. Once upon a time, he was my biggest fan.

No, really. If you don’t believe me, go do a quick twitter search for him mentioning me. It’s a bit surreal to look back on. It was weird to live through at the time too. He started following me at a point where I had something like 10 other twitter followers, and was just super super pumped about literally everything I was writing about, you know, the rise of this group of transphobic fascists weaponizing twitter mobs. I’d start writing something and he’d just pop up in my DMs. Which... OK now it’s weird because I’m the last person the arguable king of all transphobes should be following, but at the time it was also weird because he hadn’t gotten into that and was this famous TV writer.

So first of all, it just sends a chill down my spine any time I see him talking about having trans friends who like him just fine and wondering if he’s still trying to count me there. Because I mean, the last time I actually talked to him it was pretty damn civil. Mainly because I was trying to make a calm rational case explaining that he’d just linked horrifyingly bigoted propaganda out, but I could see him grasping for that straw.

Those prior interactions color the whole thing for me in a really tragic light though. Usually, when you see someone who did a thing you enjoy(ed) tear their face off and reveal a disgusting monster, you get to go “ugh, I can’t believe I never picked up on what a creep this person was the whole time!” but... I personally don’t have that luxury here. At the point I knew him, I can actually say he was a decent, caring guy, willing to stick his neck out in a big big way for worthy causes. He promoted the hell out of everything I wrote for a while, and elevated the voices of a ton of other trans women and other marginalized people under attack from nazis. He really went all in with a pretty big media platform against that crap at a time where it wasn’t especially popular or safe to do so, and he campaigned about as hard as was humanly possible to repeal Ireland’s abortion ban, sharing some really horrifying personal stories which I’d probably still dig out when trying to argue the subject if it wouldn’t be giving oxygen to such a huge bigot. And for whatever it’s worth, that infamous I.T. Crowd episode? Some 6 years after the fact he really was self-conscious about that still, and just sort of... approaching every trans woman he knew one by one to try to explain where he was coming from with it. Which of course is not at all the same thing as apologizing for it, but presumably had he stayed that course, he’d have maybe grabbed some sensitivity readers before the next such bit went to air.

So yeah. My honest assessment of where he was at in late 2014 through early 2015 there is... well-intentioned guy with some blind spots legitimately trying to be a better person and work towards some general trans allyship...

... and then he just suddenly pulled this complete 180, and it’s one of the most chilling things I’ve ever seen. From my perspective, it was like being in a zombie movie where someone gets bit. First they’re fine, then you see a big ol’ red flag (I don’t recall whether the first such was him going to bat for the serial abuser creep we just finally kicked out of tabletop or him linking a post on freaking 4th wave now), and you have this little window of maybe we can cut off the infection before it spreads, and that fails and suddenly you’ve just got this shambling monster wearing the face of a former ally in the fight against them. I suppose a more grounded metaphor would be like comparing it to someone you know joining a cult. every value they had is suddenly gone and they’re just removing themselves from all their old circles to hang out exclusively with these dangerous creeps.

I can’t stress enough that this isn’t me saying “there’s still good in him.” Dude’s out there getting the police showing up at his door because he won’t stop harassing random women and literally organizing letter-writing campaigns to cut the funding to a charity that keeps marginalized children from killing themselves. That is way too far over the cliff to entertain any notion of someone ever crawling back. No my point in all this that moral consistency isn’t anywhere near as solid as people like to tell themselves it is. People can go from vehement anti-fascism to full on fascist over a single conversation with the right recruiter on the right day and there’s really nothing you can do about it but hope you recognize it before your denial starts to amplify the damage.

At least I sure as hell hope there’s nothing else you can do about it because again, this guy was literally my biggest fan before he suddenly flipped, and I don’t want to have to second guess myself about what part of me saying “fascism is bad and trans people don’t deserve this sort of harassment” was sufficiently unclear that a guy hanging on my every word for like a year could get all backwards.

This really isn’t a story with a feel-good moral at the end. I mean, the best spin I can put on it is, moral compasses can break, so be sure to pull yours out regularly and double check that it’s still pointing north, don’t just follow the person ahead of you and assume theirs is working? Make sure you’re familiar with a definition of fascism that doesn’t rely on what costumes someone’s wearing? Bear in mind that the oppressed minority turning out to be the real bullies is just not a thing that happens? Just... don’t ever be like Graham here.

[jess-the-vampire]

Sky And The Forces Of The Multiverse, Chapter 17

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Nora sat on her bed, writing in her book and doodling some drawings alongside them. Her subject matter of the day being judas's cursed arm, a detailed sketch of the matter on one side, and notes of what she knew next to them. Growing up with judas and sky for years, she always had watched them from afar, they never had been close, but at the same time she felt like she knew them. She could point out their quirks, what they liked to do, their relationships with their parents, anything. Her parents were always so cautious, probably because they were dominant when it came to preventing sickness and curing it, and that mindset has sunk into wanting to make sure they didn't get involved with anything that seemed harmful. If they saw her drawing her journal now, or saw the pictures she kept of judas or sky in her drawers, they'd probably freak. They meant well, but nora honestly was surprised they didn't chain her to their side every day.

Judas and Sky got to go on adventures. She was forced to learn to cure boils. They stood up to people who treated them like garbage. Nora could barely even keep eye contact with most people, much less talk to them without softening her timid voice. They had such great relationships with their parents, who were so loving and playful. Nora's parents were boring, finding enjoyment together in finding a new species of moss and consistently restricting their daughter from doing literally anything. Despite everything though, here she was, trying to do as much research as she could on the cursed arm judas had. She was probably in over her head trying to do this but why not right? She had nothing to lose by at the very least, looking into it.  The infection itself was harbored into the poor boy's dna, so it was not like another curse or a normal parasite. Not to mention the whole thing was magic, so she'd need to do some research on magic to get what she needed. Her family, being magicless, made that incredibly difficult. It probably didn't help that magic itself made her so anxious, but then again everything seemed to have that kinda affect on her most of the time. Doing this would mean diving into new territory, something nora was far from used to. The girl closed the book nonetheless and put it in her nightstand drawer, it was getting super late and if her parents saw she was up they would make her get some rest anyway. She'd have to figure out the details of her research at a later date. "Nora? Sweetie?", nora froze as the door to her room swung open and her mother stood at the top of the steps, smiling. "Dear, i hope i wasn't interrupting anything, you ok?". Nora nodded meekly, she really should say something to her mom, anything, about last night. But as much as her voice fought to speak out, nora's lips keep her words sealed in. "Ok well, i wanted to wish you a good night, and me and your father want to speak with you early tomorrow morning ok?". Then she let out a small laugh, "Also, we're replacing our sheets tomorrow, your father keeps staining ours.....let me know if you need any yourself ok?". The girl only simply nodded, eyes not even looking at her mother, instead they were off to the side, avoiding eye contact and scattering around her bedroom. Nora was always like this, avoiding eye contact, or avoiding any contact if possible if she could.Where speaking to someone, even a family member, was torture for her. The queen didn't seem to notice though. She smiled at nora sweetly as the door closed and nora felt like punching herself. The lights turned off and the girl slipped under the covers of her slime covered bed. Her hair made so much of a mess but there wasn't a ton she could do about it, these stains were more then permanent at the point and trying to clean them of slime would be a waste. She closed her eyes gently and made herself comfortable, nothing but the sounds of crickets outside and gushes of wind and.....tapping? The girl suddenly froze, eyes wide open and looking at her window. There was no one there. And yet, that's where the noise was coming from. Grabbing a rather heavy book next to her, she got out of bed, position the item as a weapon just to be safe. She crept to the window silently, hesitant as she unlocked the hatch, opening the window to get a better look at whatever was making that racket. Only to find... A girl's face suddenly appeared in front of nora, dark hair, blue eyes. Sky "Hi nora..." Nora fell on her back, clearly startled to see sky's head peeking in as she scooted across the floor behind her. Sky shushed her as she stepped in, and nora watched as someone else followed in behind her, no longer invisible and keeping an eye out for guards as she closed the window. Upon closer inspection nora remembered this girl, from the night before! However, she still didn't move or approach the pair, and sky awkwardly rubbed along her arm as she put her wand into her back pocket. "Uh, sorry to drop in like this....but we uh.....we needed, well..I needed....to talk to you.", she wasn't too surprised nora seemed so freaked out, but it wasn't like sky could give her so much as a warning before she showed up tonight. She moved towards nora, she couldn't say she had the comforting presence judas seemed to have but she had to try. If nora's parents found sky in her room, she'd be in such big trouble not to mention she'd most likely be unable to leave the castle when she wanted ever again. She'd end up like nora. Nora's eyes shifted around the room, she clutched the book to her chest. She needed to say something, anything. She wasn't even sure if this were some trick or not, it could be right? Magic could make someone do many things, things that could hurt her. She refused to move when sunny stepped forward, "Nora, we're sorry we uh...broke in, but well, sky wanted to help you....speak to judas again. ". Nora's eyes shifted to sky, who seemed to slightly be regretting this choice. "Sorry the night before was a mess....but well, judas has kinda been sad ever since you left and I thought.....I should help everything with your folks, so...you can hang out with us..", the monster girl slightly moved her book away, and that gave sky the opportunity to move forward a bit. "Like, i know we're all not SUPER close, but It's just....well, he likes having you around and he wants to help and he kinda feels like he failed and...I guess I thought, we should fix that...". "Did he tell you I wanted to fix his arm?", she mumbled out. "Wait, you wanna fix his arm?". Nora nodded gently, "He's been really nice to me since we were little and I-I wanted to help him...". "But you can't if you're stuck in here...right?". Sky fell to her knees, "We never should've ignored you for so long, i mean, i don't what we would've done when we were younger but....we totally would've snuck you out of the castle to hang out if we really thought about it. I mean, i know it's not our fault your like this, but...we knew and....we didn't try hard enough to spend time with you or make real friends with you. Me and jude, we've just kinda always been bad at trying to make people like us....but well, these days, we got a lot of things going on and....we kinda think you should be in on it.". "Sky...", nora dropped the book, "I uh no.....it's...i always REALLY wanted to hang out with you...I mean.....well, who wouldn't? I mean...oh this is embarrassing......", she pulled her hair in front of her face. "I get scared talking to you two, sometimes i worry you guys think I-I'm....silly or weird or....you guys are only nice to me to make me feel better. I keep wanting to talk to you but i'm bad at it and I panic and.....please don't blame yourselves! It makes me feel bad.". "Nora.." "You shouldn't be in here, i don't want you getting in trouble because of me!" "Nora-". "And judas, oh if my parents find out they'll never let me go to another ball with you guys again!" "Nora!". The girl quieted and her intruders looked at each other, "Please...It's ok......look, that's the point, we uh....we want to help you so you can leave the castle! And uh...so your parents won't make you stay in here! Please don't panic we want to help! Just please, calm down!". Nora looked up at the girls and wiped her face, "I'm sorry, I'm not good at this...I...I just.....I mean, I-I WANT to talk to my parents about it...but i can't talk to them about it, I mean, they're my parents sky.". "Yeah but well...I mean, have you tried?", the girl's light green eyes looked to her wooden floor, "What would I even say to them sky? That i want to hang out with you and judas? That i should leave when I want? That i can protect myself?". Sky answered quickly, "Yes!", but nora sighed. "Sky, my parents aren't like that, they worry about my safety. I mean, i'm scared of magic, scared of being attacked, i've never even held a weapon before and my parents know it.". "You held that book pretty well..", the girl turned to sunny, who nodded to the book in nora's hands. Nora blushed and eyed away, "It was just on instinct, I-I don't know if i really would've used it on you if you were evil or anything.". But sunny persisted, "Well, you know, we could help you learn to protect yourself? If that's all it would take to convince your folks you can handle yourself.". The girl moved away some of her slimy hair, "Look, you should talk to my parents.....not me, they want to keep me safe..a-and i get it, i just want to...you know..". Sunny twiddled her thumbs, "I know how that feels....my family kinda kept me and my brother under protection for years too. We couldn't leave or go anywhere without assistance....but then, I learned to fight, my parents trusted me to handle myself. And I could do it! I mean, your parents can't keep you in here forever....". The princess nodded, "Judas told me something similar, I think, but, they're my parents sky....what if they make it stricter for me to leave? After last night, they're panicked...they doubled security....". "Well.....do you have dimensional scissors...?". "Sky....are you suggesting i sneak out of my room? I-I can't do that! What if my parents come in when i'm not there or someone sees me and rats me out?! I really want to sky, But-". but sky grabbed onto her shoulders and pressed their foreheads together , "But nothing nora! If you want it, you should go do it! I mean, c'mon! It's not fair for your family to keep you from making friends or helping someone or letting you explore! Yeah like, it's dangerous but you're their daughter, they should trust you!". "What if i get caught?". "Can they really do much worse to you then keep you here? Not let you hang out with anyone most of the time? Never let you go anywhere without them?". She thought for a moment. "Maybe not....but...". Sky felt her hopes sink further and further as this conversation went on, her shoulders sinking and a frown on her face. This wasn't going to work was if? Then again, what was she expecting? Nora to just jump at the chance to ditch her parents? The same girl who had a hard time just talking to people normally? Even if she wanted this more then anything, leaving the castle like this was brand new to the girl and incredibly scary. She wasn't like her or judas, and sky sighed as there was a bit of silence. "Coming here was risky, it was kinda stupid of me to think i could just easily convince you to do something like this." , she mumbled out, "I shouldn't have put all this pressure on you to leave. It's just, judas cares about you and i know you don't want to be here. You don't have to agree to it if you don't want I just....I just think if you want something....you kinda have to grab it. I just....i don't know when we're going to be able to talk again but if you want to help judas....i know it'd mean a ton to him..". "Does...judas really miss me?". "Yeah, he feels bad he didn't do anything to stand up for you before and...look, you don't have to do it-". "I guess i could try..". "Hmm?". "I'll do it.". "For real?", sky couldn't believe it, nora actually said yes. God she hoped she didn't pressure her into it or anything, but nora stood up, walking to a drawer near her desk and pulling a book from it. She opened the old thing to show her recent drawings and notes on judas's condition. " I just want to help him, I just.....I cure sick people all the time and....he's always been really nice to me. If i really want to help him, I-I....I can't stay here, i'm supposed to help sick people in need..". "You sure..?". The girl took a deep breath, closing the book and holding it to her chest. "Well, he'd do the same for me....wouldn't he?". Sunny now stood in front of her and smiled, on her tippy toes to be a bit taller," I think he would, and i think he believes you can do it too...". Nora blushed and smiled, "But.....what about my parents? Or being seen outside of the castle?". The two girls exchanged looks, "Well, maybe you should tell them you want to do your own research, even if you don't tell them it's with us...". "But you know my parents .....they're paranoid right now, they won't just let me go around on my own. They especially won't let me into your castle after last night.", sky eyed the door, "Does that thing lock?". The slimy girl nodded, "Then instead of you coming to us, how about we come to you?". Nora blinked at her, and sky explained, "You just tell your folks about a private study session, me and jude pop through a scissors portal, and like...we can use magic so they don't know we're in here?". "You two....are going to hang out in MY room?", she asked for clarification, thinking to the photos she had of sky and judas in her drawer that she would most definitely have to hide if these two were going to be anywhere in her room. And the butterfly princess nodded, "I mean, you can't leave, but me and judas still can....so if you don't want to get caught, we can come to you. You can study jude's arm while he's here for your "Study session", and we can leave before they even notice we were there.". "That's.....actually a good idea sky...", nora blushed and brushed aside some hair, "Thanks, I thought about using scissors to get here tonight, but uh.....it's probably a really bad idea to teleport in a room until you're sure everything's ok and everything. Plus that might've been worse then tapping on a window.". Sunny slapped her on the back, "She's more talented then she thinks she is, and she thinks the only thing she's good at making is clothes.". "Well....sorta, but i only started that because my mom wasn't very good at picking out clothes for me...", sky grumbled, "But uh, yeah, we can drop in tomorrow and you can tell us the time you have set out for you, ok? I'll tell jude tomorrow morning.". Nora nodded and took a seat on her bed, "Uh...sky, i've never told you this before, but i really love your hats...". Sky smiled a bit at that, nodding to the other princess, "Thanks nora..uh....maybe i'll make you your own sometime." "I'd like that...like...a lot...", they exchanged a smile as sunny grabbed onto sky's hand to teleport away, "I'll see you later nora!". Nora's eyes then turned to sunny and they lit up, "Thanks sunny, i'm glad you came to visit too." The two vanished in a flash as nora was left by her lonesome once more. Sky really came in the middle of the night to see her? To help her? The princess of the butterfly kingdom snuck out with risk to go and see her? Nora couldn't wipe the smile off her face. Tomorrow was going to be a great day. - "Why are you pacing so much all of a sudden?" "Because my MOM is coming here soon." Luna grumbled as she walked around her room, celeste on the bed and munching on chips. "Yeah well, I already got a load of my parents...so...", luna shot her a look, "That's not the point, my mom is the head knight in this universe and i'm not remotely sure what to expect from it. Not to mention if the head guard is arriving early from a long mission that can't mean anything good. Especially not for me, kelly might like me, but, i don't know what to expect from my own mother...". "Why? What's she like back home?". "I'm not talking about my life back home, you all already know this.", celeste snorted, throwing a chip at the blonde, "Why? What are WE supposed to do with the info? How in the heck could i possibly get to believe me anyway?". Luna shook her head, "Haven't heard you talk anything about your home either, so you might not want to sound like a hypocrite.". The brunette eyes to the window and the pink sky outside, "Well, you did tell us king lucitor didn't have kids, so that's something." Luna made a face and turned her head. "Wait a second, you lied didn't you.....?". "What?" "I could see it on your face, just now, you lied when you told us he didn't have kids....", luna was about to say something and celeste smirked, "Oh, don't try and deny it now, i'm used to being lied to, i know a liar when i see one.". Luna crossed her arms, "It's none of your concern what goes on back home for me, we're better off not trying to get attached to each other.". The girl on the bed just rolled her eyes, "You're lame luna, no fun to hang out with at all.". "You're one to talk, every time i see you anywhere in the same room as your father you look like you're going to hit someone, if you're so open to sharing you might as well explain your lousy attitude. Have daddy issues back home?". Celeste threw another chip at her, "Shut it...", this time luna caught the chip, "Then i suggest you do the same, right now i need to get back on track of what to do once my mother gets here, what approach to do?". "Don't most people tell you to just be yourself or something?", luna turned back to the brunette and she looked off to the side, "At least, that's what everyone says. Cause apparently the "Real you" is what matters, even if they hate the "Real you". The blonde finally took a seat on her bed, leaning back against it as her back hit the mattress, "Depends if the "Real me" is the person i need to be to avoid any further issues, and clearly around here people don't seem fond of "The real me". The girl on the bed snickered, finding joy in luna's frustration it seemed. It was behavior like that that made the wheels in luna's head turn, though she would do better to not waste much of her energy on understating the psychology behind the girl when she had more important things to think about. The events of the day before left her frustrated and angry, mostly with judas and sky.  Before luna understood the push for secrecy, even supported it, but her time and patience was running out. Then she took a look at celeste, "Why did i even let you in here again? All you're doing is leaving crumbs on my bed and i'm pretty sure you're supposed to still be down in the underworld still before the lucitor family freaks at you being gone". She didn't look amused as the younger girl propped her legs up and on the older one's knees, "You invited me here,  you said everyone else was being so inactive you thought i'd be the only one to i dunno...take action or something. You really gotta be going nuts if you forgot already...". Luna clapped a hand over her face, "oh right, THAT'S why, though it's just my luck the princess most willing to take action is the one with the smart mouth.". She moved Celeste's legs off her and faced forward, "It's clear if we're going to get anywhere we need to use magic and get the info we want and clearly i can't get anyone else to do it....except for you for some reason." Her companion finished her chips before crumpling up the bag and throwing it to a trash bin, missing it. "It's almost like you all forgot i was here until you guys needed me for something dirty...". "Well, it's not particularly much like you have much to say or do anything...", luna commented, "Ever since you got here all you've done is complain, you barely like talking to anyone and you don't even make yourself remotely welcoming. But if we're going to work together I'm going to have to just deal with it". Luna half expected the girl to argue with her but celeste said nothing, it wasn't like she had proof or anything, even lexi spent her time drawing and making friends. The closest thing to a friend celeste has made is Landon, and even then landon was now spending a bunch of time with that human boy he dismissed LIKE liking. Celeste was left on her own more and out of the minds of everyone else. Though she supposed it could be worse, making comfort out of sitting around and finding things to do, sometimes that meaning for her to play with magic for a bit on her own. Shooting at cans or rocks as she waited for hours to go by. "You done insulting me?". "Are you? If we're going to work together, the less this, the better.". Luna stood up, arms behind her back and in a formal position, she continued to walk around the room, speaking to Celeste. "We need more eyes on eclipsa, and not only that, we need to really step up our questioning. But the matter is where to start, the high commission would be suicide trying to go for, not even i can handle all of them at once, even in my own dimension. I wonder if this masked figure has an accomplice somewhere around here, someone to tell them what they need.". "Well, considering they broke into two castles supposibly, wouldn't it mean they'd know both places inside and out? how many people are gonna know THAT?". "Good point.....unless there are either more accomplices, one accomplice knows one and and the other...the other, or this person knows both without much help....", luna's mind seemed to be working at a rapid pace, did this girl ever take a break? She looked like she'd combust have the time and her face was clearly stressed, she picked up the crumpled bag on the floor and expertly shot it into the trash can before resuming. "How could ANYONE be this powerful though? I can't even counter charm something like that?!", she was talking to no one anymore, just herself. "Luna, you're mumbling to yourself." "Look, how about this,  you go do some digging in the kingdoms. And I start going through the queen's offices." Celeste raised an eyebrow, "You hadn't done that before already?". But the girl looked her over and turned her head, "I still have a cover to maintain, I wasn't THAT desperate, but now, I am. If i'm caught, i'll just erase their memory of me, i can get in and out without being seen, at least if i rule them out we won't have to worry about them afterwards...". "And then-?". "And then we investigate the lucitors, we have to put them on the top as they all are powerful magic users that may know more then they're letting on. Being is disguise would only make sense so they wouldn't be recognized, or they could've even hired someone to help as the queens were at that meeting the whole time supposibly. They could all even be working together, after all, they all know their security systems better then anyone.". "Ok, and you want me to run around mewni and do what exactly? I don't even know where to start, this dimension isn't exactly small, you should be smart enough to know that." Luna was clearly very annoyed with the girl's constant insults but she summoned her wand in all it's pink,turquoise,and orange glory as she used magic and summonsed a map for the girl. "I want you to mostly check out the woods, there are secret areas around there the creep could be living in and better you search those first.". "Gross....", she twisted her fast in disgust but luna didn't seem to care, "You have to get dirty to get what you want sometimes, And besides, if they're abandoned you should be fine. But if you do find anything, take some pictures, and if you find anyone, get out of there as soon as possible.". Celeste looked incredibly unhappy with her job, clearly it wasn't what she thought she was getting into at all when luna decided she needed her help with investigation. Was she trying to get her killed? She was totally trying to get her killed. "I know you clearly aren't fond of this plan...", she started. "Oh? What gave you THAT idea?". "BUT...", she closed her eyes, "You seem capable to handle it, and you know how to contact me. As long as we stay safe and follow my directions we should be just fine and dim down locations and suspects.". She leaned again a wall, "I'm in a tight spot, i know the team doesn't trust me, but you're on the outs just as much as me, we are the only ones trying to get things done here, and i'm done sitting here and doing nothing because of them." Her companion let out a breath, blowing her bangs out of her face. "When do we start?". - "Sorry sky, Judas isn't here right now, i send them with their father to the cloud kingdom. Ponyhead hasn't heard much on the matter of the masked crook, so they're working on something in case they break in there next, it's just me here today." Marco went through some files in their office, looking up to the girl who was standing in front of them, "You'll have to wait till they get back, we're all a little stressed and busy, and that's not to mention tom's parents have been fussing with me all day.". "How long will they be gone?", sky adjusted her hat and watched as the queen took a seat at their desk, "As long as it takes, in the meantime i promised to feed lucy and keep an eye on mason's garden for him in their absence. I'm sorry sky, but right now is not a good time, you should head back home and i'll tell judas when he gets back.". The human quickly organized the files they were holding, drinking what was probably coffee out of a mug before setting the files off to the side and opening up a letter. Sky was about to think of her next course of action when the door opened, a couple of demon servants entered. Marco's attention was then diverted to them, putting down their mug and watching their rather frantic faces. "Your highness.....we uh....your son's garden has gotten out of hand....", marco stood up quickly, brows furrowed,"I told you two to feed his plants appropriately, what did you both do?". The demons eyed each other before going back to their queen. "Well,  we did as you asked, but then a plant you hadn't listed attacked us! They wrapped around our ankles and almost poisoned us, we just barely got away but those two girls..". The mention of two girls made marco raise their voice, "Two girls? what two girls? I only sent you two in". The pair were now sweating, one trying to hide behind the other, "Sire, the demon girl you're keeping as a guest, she ran inside, tugging along a friend, we couldn't go back in to save them-". On instinct, marco summoned their skull mask on their face, their piercing green eyes making the servants more nervous. Marco was more then used to his own kids being in danger, and their parebtial/hero instincts activated almost immediately, '"Sky, stay here, you two, come along, we need to get in there IMMEDIATELY.". Marco left in a flash, the two demon servants quickly behind him and leaving sky alone in the queen's office. She almost forced herself to stay put, but that only lasted a few seconds as she ran out after them. Sunny must've ran in thinking she could handle the plants herself. And taken lexi with her. She was going to be in so much trouble but trouble was better then her friends being dead. She waved her wand, needing her cloudy to move faster, but much to her dismay, it wasn't working. "Oh come on! My friends could be in serious trouble and you're not going to work NOW? I don't have time for this!". She kept running but then she tripped as she felt the ground shake, for a second she assumed it might've been judas's grandmother. Only to see a dog, with three heads, bouncing through the corridor, it stopped as it saw sky, smelling her. Familiar with the girl already. Lucy got out. "Hi girl?". The dog started barking, and licked sky as the girl stood up. "I guess you haven't been fed yet...huh?", the dog barked in response. "Sorry, lucy, i gotta get moving to mason's garden....I-". Then the dog used one of it's heads to grab onto sky's shirt, lifting her up. "Lucy!! What the-WOAH", she'd ridden lucy in the past, with judas, but never had lucy lift her up and carry her. She was practically being shooken like a doll as lucy bounded her way over to mason's garden, dropping sky onto the ground. "Ahhh....uh....thanks?", sky got up and rubbed her head only to see Queen Lucitor call for lucy to come forward, so they had summoned lucy, she hadn't just escaped this time around. Sky watched the dog wander into the garden after it's master. Marco using magic to brush aside the plants as the dog sniffed around for the missing girls, sky walked in after them, and the servants weren't kidding. There was one plant going on an uproar, vines with spikes waving around and it practically screaming. no doubt this was one of the plants landon gave him, one their parents would not have approved of. Tom and Marco let their son keep a ton of things, but they had their limits. No plant in the garden could be an eater of meat, nor could be incredibly dangerous to take care of unless supervised. But mason was a child, and he wanted to own as many plants as he could. The fact there hadn't been an accident like this sooner was a miracle in itself. Sky had her wand out at the ready, this place was terrifying, like a jungle full of nightmares. She was going to be in such big trouble with her parents for going in here but she felt obliged to do something. These were her friends, sisters, out here and she knew judas would do this in her position if given the choice. She heard yelling and seems cloudy wanted to work today and the bat-winged creatures lifted her into the air to get a better view. She spotted the plant and on instinct her licorice rope extended from her wand and around some of the vines, holding them in place. Next thing she knew, Lucy's heads were already grabbing the vines and pulling, the plant quickly dying and falling as marco grabbed the girls from nearby. The giant three-headed dog teared the thing up like a chew toy, it was almost gruesome as the plant fell to pieces and crumpled. Mason was going to freak when he saw this, he already freaked enough when his family had to trim his plants, now he had a dead one, with traces everywhere. Sky didn't know nearly as much as mason did about plants but she had a hard time believing this thing was going to recover from something as bad as this. "What are you girls doing in here!? You two could've been seriously hurt!!", Marco's parent instincts kicked in fast. Before sky dropped down and Marco turned their attention towards her, "and YOU, what are you doing here sky? I told you to wait because it's dangerous.". Sky twiddled her fingers as the small demon came to her defense, "She probably just wanted to help....she's our friend after all.". The Queen signed, crossing their arms, "Fine, but never do it again, are we clear?". Sky nodded, Sunny sending her a smile as a thanks. Marco led the girls out, lucy following behind, dropping the dead plant vines onto the ground. "Mason's not going to be happy but....he's also going to be in big trouble when he gets home for keeping something like THAT in there. Those guys are highly dangerous, they have acidic spurts. Why mason had this and how he got a hold of it i have no idea but he knows better then to do this. Ugh, i even send it servants to help in the garden and even they didn't point this out to me...". The mask was removed and marco's hand trailed through their brown locks, "Why did you girls go into that garden anyway? Even without plants like that it's not safe without some supervision, we can trust mason with most plants because he's an expert but...you two could've been hurt.". Sunny took a hold of lexi's arm and nodded, "We're sorry, we saw the plant and we just wanted to help, since you know, we handed that last one so well before.". "That's not the same thing, this plant went on a rampage because of it wanting to feed, the previous one needed trimming and it was reluctant to it. It can hurt you but with me and tom around you're all in safer hands taking care of those things. You two are not allowed to go into the garden without our permission, you understand that?". Geez, and there were times judas thought his parents were too busy flirting with each other to pay attention to their kids. Queen Lucitor didn't fool around. The human walked over and patted one of the heads of their dog, giving it a small smooch. "Good girl, c'mon, get on back, we'll see about dinner later.". The dark Cerberus licked the human before barking and turning itself around, hopefully towards it's usual home. Marco tried to wipe off the slobber but sighed, there goes another suit, but it was probably worth it. A guard was called over and the queen told them to grab a team and further examine the garden for dangerous plants that were not to be kept and the guard left as soon as they could. Marco then motioned for the girls to follow them. "My family leaves for one day to have a meeting and the place is already falling apart on me.", marco walked ahead and sky got close to the two girls, even lexi was oddly quiet for someone as bubble and out as her. "Lexi says she drew a plant like that awhile back...with shampoo...". Sky gave her a look and mumbled, keeping an eye on the queen, "Ok, why did you guys really go in there? It's really freaky in there and everyone would've flipped if you both got hurt." "We saw the plant freaking out just wanted to take it down, we weren't lying." "Ok, but why were you around the garden in the first place? Did you know mason was out?". "Well, lexi told us to come here, i think she wanted to see if mason wanted to play more DND but......all we saw was the plant and we had to do something". The girl sighed, her expression turning sad, "Mason's going to be sad about his plant....isn't he?". The older girl crossed her arms, "Yeah, yeah he will, his plants and stuff mean a lot to him. When his parents had to release some of his pets back into the wild he cried for days, and he kept hiding in his wings...". "Pets?". "Mason snuck animals into the castle to take care of, but most of them weren't the "Pet Type", so his folks had to take them back where he found them. I mean, with the dog and the bunnies , dragon cycle, and the skeleton horses, feels like their's enough critters running around. Also, queen lucitor's allergic to cats, so that kinda means they need to be careful whose allowed in the castle so they don't have a sneezing fit or anything. There have been incidents after all.". "Oh......". "Anyways, mason's...not going to be happy at all, i mean, he did raise all those plants after all. So he's going to be heartbroken.". Originally, sky thought marco was leading them back to their office, only to find where they actually were leading them, was sunny's room. They opened the door for them and let the girls go inside before closing the door behind them and leaning against it, they still didn't look happy, whether  it was about the girls, the plant, or what they were going to have to tell their youngest son, sky couldn't be sure. It was probably a mix of all three though. "Girls, i want you to stay here for a moment while i call sky's parents for a bit. No leaving, i'm not ok with any of you getting out of my sight, especially since sunny here is supposed to have guards watching her and somehow evaded them despite their orders. I take safety seriously, especially during this time around when we have a possible threat running around, none of you may be my children but under my roof you need to follow my rules, i don't want any of you hurt.". The human turned to sunny, nodding at her. "Your bravery in wanting to help is great, but do not willingly put yourself in danger under my roof, i'd never forgive myself if the worst happened.", they sighed and rubbed their forehead, strained and stressed from all the work and issues of today. "Me and tom normally split the tasks of today but he has a job to do and i need to hold the fort until he gets back, and we're already off to a bad start. So please stay here till i come and get you, alright everyone?". All the girls nodded, making it clear. "Good." They yawned and lifted themselves off the door. "Alright, i'll see you girls soon.", they messed with their dark hair before walking out the door of the room. Gee, sky comes all the way here to talk to judas and finds herself locked in a room, great. Judging by Sunny's face she knew exactly why sky was here and spoke up, "You should've texted him instead, called him, It's usually not a good idea to walk in when you don't know where he might be today.". Sky fell on the bed, "i TRIED texting him, but he didn't reply. I think he's being held up...". "It's ok sky, you can wait till he gets back.", Sunny took a seat as well, watching lexi start sketching in her book. "I know but.....ugh....", she grumbled as her arm covered her eyes, the small girl smiling and laughing. "Something else getting under your skin?". The dark haired princess uncovered her face, sighing, "I might be also still kinda annoyed i'm stuck with angel a few hours everyday, i'd much rather my mom teach me and risk taking my wand then be stuck with angel...". "he's really not that bad...". "Hm?". Sky sat up, looking the girl over, "What?". Sunny bit her lips, "Well, i talked to him a bit more during the interrogation, he kinda just seems like he needs help, is all. I think he wants so many things but just makes some bad choices in getting those things. But, he seems ok if you talk to him.....just maybe a bit defensive with touchy subjects.". The other girl just crossed her arms, not buying it at all, "Sunny, c'mon now, i don't know what he said to you, but i've spent so much of my time kicking him out....and my mom doesn't do anything about him, he's so stubborn.". "Well, wouldn't you do anything if your mom or people were in trouble?". "You're starting to sound like judas, and....yeah, but i'm not gonna stand outside of their castle and annoy them until they listen! Like angel just wants to go back in time! He thinks we can do so many ridiculous things and fix all our mistakes with a snap of our fingers!". She raised her arms up before they fell down to her side, "And his dad trusts ME to be someone to look after him, why me? Why not judas? Judas is way better with him then i am....way calmer, i think angel prefers his company too...". "Maybe because you are kinda more strict with him....maybe he needs that...". "Have you seen his dad?" "Well, maybe you have something that his dad doesn't?", sky bit her lip, trying to recall anything about her relationship with angel. Yeah, she showed him sympathy at times, never really wanted him hurt, and felt bad for him at times when she did hurt him. But was that really enough to warrant her helping him? Just because she didn't want him hurt or felt even the least bit guilty for what happened to him, or his people in the first place? Did the king just want angel to get close to sky in particular for a reason? She was a butterfly after all, the kinda person angel wanted to speak to, maybe it had something to do with that? It left her thinking. The demon dropped down from the bed, summoning her wand, the staff clinking to the ground. "Maybe you both just need to talk, this could be fun!!", now she was starting to sound even MORE like judas. Ugh, no wonder they got along so well. Sky groaned again in protest as sunny summoned a flower necklace, throwing it around sky's neck. "You two should work things out, he told me he does really think you and judas and cool people so.....maybe you guys can all be friends.". "Friends? Us? C'mon now, i don't want to be friends with angel....". "Better friends then enemies...". "Sunny, the dude has been a pain in my side for what feels like ages, if he's gonna do nothing but cause more trouble and complain about my family, why would i want to be friends with him?", sunny looked rather sad, but not surprised either. After all, it was clear sky didn't seem to like angel, there was no way she'd convince sky to change her mind about him so easily. But she carried on, "Well, i think you should think about it, maybe you just need more time to talk to him personally....instead of fighting." "You can't just be friends with everyone and expect that to fix things sunny, at least not around here. ". "Yeah but......you'll never know how to fix these things if you don't try right?" Sky turned on her side and closed her eyes, maybe she needed a nap or something. The girl  next to her decided no longer to bug her, her focus over to galexia, who was doodling on her sketchpad peacefully. She needed to take some time, time to clam down and stop thinking about all these troubling things that were clearly getting under her skin. If she was stuck here, she might as well doze off, off until her best friend came back to talk to her about it. "Maybe..". - Judas shook his compact, grumbling, just great. How was anyone supposed to contact him if there was no reception up here? Granted, his focus should be on the meeting instead of on his compact but he was worried, what if there was an emergency and he couldn't speak to anyone? The girls could take care of themselves but still, he wanted to be able to speak to them. And yet, here he was struggling to get a signal in the cloud kingdom of all places. His brothers seemed fine though, landon listening to music with his headphones and keeping to himself and mason playing with the pom pom on his hat as he usually did during meetings like this. His father was trying his best not to look annoyed to be stuck in a room with ponyhead. Tom put up with pony way more then marco did, but out of all the royals in mewni, pony was not the easiest one to talk to nor the best listener. As she was arguing with her husband since they all go there instead of talking about the crisis. in fact judas wasn't sure if pony even knew why tom was here at all, instead assuming he was there to be their marriage counselor or something. Bring the boys they said, it'll teach them how to be a good king/prince they said. "-And we can't even get reception here today! It's totally no fair, now i gotta go to boring meetings and not text b-fly and plan our next party.", Queen Ponyhead was a master of first world problems, and how tom put up with her was astonishing, guess his anger management had really gotten that good since marrying marco and fixing his life. He let out an annoyed sigh, probably wondering how his partner was doing back home more then anything. Judas put away his compact, asking to be excused as his father sighed and waved him off. Honestly, there was really no reason he needed to be there with what little progress they were making anyway. Judas thanked him and promised to come right back as he headed out of the office, contacting his friends was a bust. But there was someone he could contact while being stuck up here, and perhaps he really should talk to loki again since he hadn't seen him since he hid in his room and ran off. Or as how Coral put it, since judas did something Ponyhead wouldn't like and that his parents covered up for him. Though, his parents had yet to even mention it to him, so did pony even mention it at all? Never mind, he needed to find loki, even if it were just to talk for a few minutes. He'd been here a few times in his life but he couldn't say he new his way around at all, but as long as he watched his step and didn't eat the food he'd be fine. Honestly he was surprised loki didn't find him himself, especially since he was commonly found following judas or sky most of the time, judas chuckled to himself, maybe loki and angel should hang out, they could annoy each other. That'd be a sight to see. Approaching the pony's room, he knocked on the door. "Hey loki, I know i normally don't visit you , but it's been some time and i wanted to check up on you. Is it cool if i drop in?". It was only seconds when loki magically opened the door, stunned to see judas standing there as he frantically looked at his clearly messy room behind him. "Judas....I uh...I didn't know you were coming..uh...", he floated away and started quickly trying to clean his room, and by clean his room he meant stuffing stuff behind things and under his bed. "You didn't know, didn't your parents tell you?". "I was sleeping, I think....", the pony zoomed around and judas looked at him more closely, noticing he still looked tired and a little bruised. "Loki? Everything ok? You look kinda like a mess....", loki froze and turned around, "Oh that? I keep sleepwalking and running into things during it, that's why, mom's been keeping me in my room more often. Kinda sucks, but hey, i don't have to go to those lame ceremony's to be king right? So it's not so bad to me....". "When did this start up?" "I don't remember honestly, it's kinda blur......but don't worry, I'm uh...I can't believe you came to see me."He then looked behind judas, "Wait, is sky with you, she's always kinda attached to your hip it seems ,so?". And here we went again, the demon sighed as he answered, "Loki, my dad's here to meet with your mom and dad, did your sister tell you about what happened, at the sleepover she went to? There was a masked creep that broke into butterfly castle?". "Wait what!? You kidding me!!?". "Your sister really didn't tell you? She was there, and her parents had to pick her up early.", the pony shook his head, "My sister doesn't really tell me anything, she keep to herself and we only talk when we're taking care of our sister. Mom yells about stuff all the time that it's hard to kinda like....pay attention to what she says? It all ends up kinda blending together after awhile and you really stop listening to it. To be honest, that wasn't entirely invalid, one second his mom would be complaining about her phone and another about a world crisis. "Well, turns out a creep snuck into the castle during the night and we ran right into them, we don't know what they were doing , but they got away and we're all trying to investigate and protect our homes in case they come back. That's why our parents are talking, security is bumping up and we don't know if your kingdom is a target, so we're working on a better system to catch this guy in the act. Loki looked panicked, "Wait, you SAW them, did they attack you, they totally attacked you right?!". "uhhh....no, they kinda retreated when i showed up...". "Oh...". "anyways, i hadn't seen you since you left me that note about finding angel and i thought while i was here i'd see how you were doing, sorry if this was a bad time.". , Honestly he was probably only encouraging loki to follow him and sky and bother them more by doing this, but considering how long it'd been judas really had no reason to dismiss the prince. And it was probably a good idea he showed up because loki was more informed on the situation, although...it seemed to freak him out a bit. "Wait, what about angel?". "What do you mean what about him, you left a note saying you were going to talk to him, you were trying to see if talking to him would make sky want to hang out with you more. I assumed you decided not to and went home instead considering what your sister said". The pony still looked utterly confused though, as though judas had said something outrageous or insane. Judas's curiosity peaked as the pony turned his back to him and seemed to think to himself. "Loki, are you sure everything's ok? You seem a bit more absent minded.....", but the pony brushed it off, turning back to judas and rolling his eyes, "Yeah yeah yeah, i'm totally fine jude, you're just being silly dude, like c'mon.....". Judas bit his lip but sighed, no point in pushing it, "Alright, well maybe you need to get some rest for a bit, you look tired....and um...maybe we can work something out in the future, so you can maybe hang out with me and sky.....maybe.". The pony's eyes lighted up,  "Wait, REALLY? Wait, sky still doesn't really like me does she? Does she?". Judas nodded his head, "Well, no, she's still not fond of you, but right now she's also got a bit on her plate this time around. But we're making an effort to work that out and making when you're feeling better we could try and hang out some more.". Yeah, sky would not be happy at all he proposed loki hang out with them, especially since the guy invaded into their business a lot. But then again, judas was more willing to fix things so they didn't have issues then sky. "Wait, what kinda issues..?". "Uh......well...", Judas couldn't exactly spill the real big issues to loki, especially since there's no way he wouldn't blab about it, but then again he could at the very least stick to a part of the truth. "Well, she and angel are going to be working together, she's not entirely happy about it, but i'm sure they'll be fine.....angel is pretty harmless and maybe they can talk things out. If ether of them stop being stubborn and just listen to each other at least...". "Angel angel angel, why is he all you're ever talking about, like...whose obsessed with who here?", loki flopped on his bed, "Like, i'm WAY cooler then him. Also, working together? What are they working together on, something weird? Are they dating now?". Well, at least loki was acting like loki again, "They're not dating loki, they have study together now, so they're just going to learn how to be a good ruler and do the things they need since they're both kinda behind....". "Oh.....well that's kinda lame....", loki snorted, trying to brush his light green hair using magic now, "I dunno, honestly, i think you could maybe benefit from it too, especially since your parents are so persistent on giving you the crown as soon as possible.". The horse didn't seem to be buying it though, "Uh...no....i don't want my mom making me do more work, that's so annoying judas why do you put up with doing this kinda stuff all the time?". "Uh, because i kinda have to?", judas let out a weak laugh, "I mean, you kinda have to take being a king seriously and study dude, i think your parents stink at helping you but when you take over you should be prepared. I mean, aren't you excited to be king, even a little bit?". Loki's blue and yellow eyes looked right at judas, and his glare made his answer rather clear. "Loki, it's not that bad, when you get on that throne, you'll be seen as a leader...someone to admire..". "I'm already someone to admire...". "Uh...yeah, well i mean, you'll be even MORE impressive to everyone around you.". "That's better....". "Look, it's just, maybe you outta make the most out of it? Things will be OK Loki , i promise. ", he was trying to be reassuring but it was hard to tell if loki was even remotely being shifted my the boy's words. Judas eyes to the wall, and all the posters in the boy's room. Popular mewni celebrities, boy bands, and hair products lined the walls and judas looked back to loki, sometimes he forgot loki was a teenager, his behavior at times felt so  childish for a pony his age. "Loki? Listen, i know we have our issues at times, but I do want to work stuff out. But, if you really admire me like you say you do, you need to take my advice. You need to take being king more seriously, you'll have people counting on you to decide things for them, to make their lives better. If your parents aren't gonna help, then maybe you need to get some advice elsewhere, but you have no choice but to be king, you can't hide in your room and ignore it..". "I'm only important to my family because i'm a boy, otherwise they don't remotely care about me. I could live in your room for the rest of my life if i weren't the only boy to inherit the throne. But guess what? I am, so therefore, my parents need me, coral gets to sit in her room and play games all day and do whatever she wants. It's not even remotely fair for me to not be able to do anything i want cause i got no choice, how am i supposed to look on the bright side of this?". "You don't even want the money or anything, nothing?". "Well, yeah i want the money but....i still don't want to be king....", granted, loki didn't seem built to be a king but there really wasn't much judas could say that he hadn't already told loki. "Loki, you have to do something with your life, and it can't be just following me and sky around. Even if you could not be the next king, what would you do? Loki you need to stand for something, you need to find your place on mewni and you kinda have to take it.". "For the record, i DO have a place judas! i'll be totally fine", the green pony sat up and made themselves comfortable , "I want to do what I want to do, not have my mom make me do it. You're cool judas and everyone loves you but i'm not doing this stuff. I got better places to be and i'm not giving my mom the satisfaction.". Judas sighed, "Well, i can't make you........but i think i better get going anyway, before my dad worried about me. We'll see each other sometime ok?". "If i can leave the house again, sure" Judas sighed as he walked out and closed the door behind him. So many stubborn princes in this dimension, so many he had to deal with. "Judas! There you are!", the king of the underworld came around the corner, hugging his son instantly, "I was worried for a second, just wanted to tell you i FINALLY managed to get a word in with Queen Ponyhead. So.....we'll all be implementing a call button, we'll use it to instantly summon someone to the scene during another emergency. We'll also in the meantime be letting lucy out for walks to sniff around for the culprit and the culprit's been put on a watch list...." "Uh....". "I know I know, it's imperfect and things are starting to get scary but....", tom placed a hand on his son's shoulder, sighing, "Trust me, it's worth it. Anything to keep you and your brothers safe right now is important to me and your mother both.". The boy nodded, "I just, hope we find them soon, i uh....i know you both worry about us.". Tom pulled his son into a hug, he tended to do that often during times like these, as king lucitor was known to be very affectionate to his family. Judas could recall when he and his brothers were smaller and their parents gave them goodnight kisses. It was like this, small but sweet moments, the kinda moments judas kinda felt he needed more of these days. He hugged his father back, "You're getting so tall....". Tom mumbled under his breath, and judas could tell he was smiling, "I'm almost taller then you....must be the demon side of me coming out more and more.". Tom laughed before letting his son go and reaching to ruffle the boy's hair. "You're cute, just like your mom...". "DAD!". "Sorry!, But it's true and you can't convince me otherwise...i know my children are amazing, even if you won't admit it.", tom patted the boy's shoulder before his smile slightly faltered, ending the sweet moment. " Anyways, we better go collect your brothers, they stopped to go to the kitchens to get some lunch and we better find them before they realize they have to eat from troughs around here.". Tom seemed way too happy about that idea as he ushered judas along. "Hey judas, D-" "No dad, no girlfriend...". "H-". "No boyfriend either...sorry, you gotta wait longer if you expect grandkids...". Judas knew him too well, and tom smiled to himself once again. "Eh don't worry, my dad did the same thing at your age, nu rush in your case.". The king twiddled his fingers, "But, you'll tell me if you start dating anyone, right?". He was met with an elbow to the side and tom wrapped an arm around him, "Alright alright, i'll stop.". The walk along the cloud kingdom still remained lively, the two talking amount each other on the way to the cafeteria. Judas could even feel his own stomach start growling, he really hadn't eaten much at all today had he? Guess the stress and stuff had been getting to him a little more then he would've liked. Even tom seemed to have noticed it as he led the boy along, finding both demon children easily among the cafe of floating horse heads. Mason even ran up to hug tom as tom approached the table they were sitting at, ushering judas to sit down. "I think maybe we should get a bite before we go back, but....no troughs....ok?". Landon made a face, "Yeah, no duh dad...". "Love you too sport..". "I want PIZZA!!", Mason excitably took a seat next to landon and landon went back to listening to music, pulling out his compact to no doubt text bernard.  Tom took note of this as he tapped on the table to get landon's attention, "Hey...landon, i don't mean to be a bossy dad or anything. But you mind taking the headphones out and put down the compact? I'd like to talk to all of you while we're here, i'm sure your friend would completely understand". Reluctantly, landon, obeyed, the headphones coming off and and compact sliding into his hoodie pocket. Landon looked less then pleased to be told he couldn't talk to what he considered practically his only friend and he crossed his arms as his father called for a servant and told them their order for lunch, the pony giving them as look as tom told them that they wanted it on a plate rather then a trough. Them tom focused on his sons, clearly relieved to be hanging out with them then with ponyhead. "Sorry boys, i thought our meeting would've been way better then it turned out. Wanted you to see your old man be a real king but uh....guess maybe i'm better off doing it with a much different kingdom..", though mason's expression showed he didn't seem to mind as much landon still didn't seem pleased. "Yeah well, no wonder mom didn't want to come here, they probably would've lost their cool sitting in a room with queen ponyhead for an hour." "Well, your mother also just wanted to make sure someone was in charge back home, sometimes it's better one of us stays at home to keep everything in order.", he was smiling, looking off into the distance, clearly lost in thought about his spouse. If his father wasn't in front of him, judas was sure landon would fake gag about the king's cutesy and puppy dog-like love for marco. Even when they weren't together it still felt like they were, and tom attempted to hold himself together too focus on his kids. "Sorry sorry, didn't mean to phase out there...I know you boys think it's gross, but you won't be saying it's gross when any of you start dating.", he winked to all the boys at the table, judas snorting and face palming as mason smiled and landon tried to hide his face. Mason never seemed phased by much, at least not like his brothers, he rarely got embarrassed about anything and most things that bothered him related to his family or his garden and pets. "i don't think it's gross, you guys are cute...". So of course he'd say that. "Thanks little bat....", tom made a face at mason and mason made a matching face back, "Anyways it's good to sit down and eat together, i mean, i know we do that during dinner. But i mean it's nice to do it without my parents as...you know how they can get sometimes.". He sat back in his seat, watching mason tear off the bottom of a straw wrapper and bow the rest using the straw at judas, the boy taking it as a challenge and doing the same back to him. "I know they mean well and everything but sometimes they do crazy things and it makes me and marco on edge, i'm not to deal with them when they probably take some drastic measures themselves to find the guy we're all looking for. Especially since star and janna both suspect them as a magic user...". Judas's ears perked up, guess he couldn't be surprised his dad found out, their parents weren't stupid, they were going to come to similar conclusions eventually. Even landon's expression perked up for a split second. But mason, being the oblivious one, seemed a little more surprised. And a little scared. "Wait, if they have magic doesn't that mean they could hurt us more easily.?", tom instantly regretted  speaking about this matter in front of mason. The boy was not frightened by some things, but no doubt something like this would probably give him nightmares. "Mason, no no no, because me and mommy will take them down if they do, "No one will hurt any of you, you have my word.". Out of the corner of his eyes he spotted judas's shock bracelet and closed his eyes, "No one...". They ate in a bit more silence after that, tom trying to crack jokes in order to lighten the mood. But it didn't seem to entirely be working, not even pizza was enough to make mason feel less anxious, and he loved pizza. Landon didn't seem any better, annoyed he couldn't take his compact out and talk to bernard. Clearly there were no pleasant thoughts surrounding the masked foe and the danger surrounding them. Tom sighed, putting down his slice and closing all three eyes. "Boys, we didn't mean to worry you...any of you. Me and your mom, we're scared too....but we've been in tight spots before, and you know me and your mom would do anything to keep all of you safe. It's just part of the job, and we won't let any of you get hurt.". Tom, glimpsed to judas's arm, "I'm not letting anything bad ever happen to any of you....we'll catch this guy soon and everything will go back to normal, ok? We promise you, we'll find them as soon as possible...". "And what if you don't?", landon blurted out suddenly, "What if you don't and things get worse...?!". "They won't landon, we're the lucitors, we are some of the most powerful royals in all of mewni. We control the dead, we control fire and lava, we've been here longer then the butterflies ever did. You can't tear a lucitor down so easily. We have never failed before and we won't do it now, magic or no magic this being can not evade us forever. Me and marco have been taking bad guys out since before we were even dating, and we've handled tougher then this...". That seemed to get landon to stop talking, tom wrapping an arm around judas and reaching out to landon's shoulder.  "We're family, we'll get through this mess, and i have complete faith in all of you to be able to protect each other if you have to.", mason seemed a bit relieved, breaking out into a smile. "Will mommy wear their scary mask like before?  To go out and get em?". This seemed to lighten tom's spirits as well, "Oh heck yeah, mommy will scare the heck outta this guy....make them regret it.". The exchange between judas and landon in facial expressions said it all, what would their dad think if he found out they were trying to track the guy down? He'd probably be proud to a degree they caught them, but on another hand tom hated his family getting themselves into danger. Or even putting younger kids into possible danger as well, as the adults would take full responsibility if one of them ended up hurt under their roof and protection. And god, worse off, what if they suspected the girls of not being who they say they were. Showing up oh so conveniently when all this started happening? There was no way they could keep this charade up forever, if they didn't wrap this up soon, they were all busted. Then what? Be grounded forever? Even if their father was ok with it there was no way their mother would feel the same way. They were all about safety and the one of their family was a huge priority for them. The food was finished, the group was ready, and judas couldn't wait to talk to sky about Loki. Though as the flames lifted and they were surrounded in the familiar warmth of the underworld, it was clear something wasn't right. Even tom sensed it, calling a servant over and asking about the situation. "There was an incident, no one was hurt thankfully, but your husband wants to speak with you.....immediately. And you uh...better bring the boys as well..". tom exchanged looks with his sons and ushered them to follow as they moved forward, walking to marco's office, tom opened the door, almost in a panic. "Marco what hap-", their lips were pushed instantly against marco's who tugged them forward before hugging them tightly. Marco looked to their sons, who looked stunned and nervous. "We need to talk, now...".

[hawkfurze]

Making comics

So I won’t say I’m an expert on this so you don’t have to take my word on everything here, but I had some people ask about how I keep working on my comics, much less working on 3 comics, so heres a bunch of stuff I found helpful to myself that you could try if you wish to start a web comic but have trouble doing so.

One thing that has helped me out a lot is doing an outline. I try to organize the events in my story on the order of what I want stuff to happen in. Now, when I first started fully outlining things, I’d end up taking so many breaks because I didn’t know EXACTLY what I wanted to have happen, and it wasn’t until later that I realized that I didn’t have to know all the details yet in my stories. Having an idea of what order I want points A, D, H, R, and Z to be have made it easier for me to figure out what exactly should happen at points C, E, P, and so on and so forth. Don’t think because you don’t have your whole story planned out from the beginning means you story is going to bomb and fail, take time to breath and let the inspiration come to you.

Regardless of that, it’s good to juggle ideas around and figure out different outcomes for certain scenes, though I wouldn’t do it for EVERY scene that you’re working on, it helps when working on scenes that you’re not quite sure you know exactly how you want it to go down. It’s great to see what would happen to your character in one scene if a previous scene didn’t take place, or if someone did something just before confronting who, and so on so forth. For example, in Story of Anger, I have the events in Honest Hearts happen before Courier goes to visit the Fort, but I tried the idea of what if she went to the Fort before going to Zion, how would Couriers fear of the Legion play at the Fort if she didn’t meet Joshua Graham? Working on that has helped me develop the Fort arc more and how Honest Hearts goes down in my own comic. 

I myself am really bad at this, but try to have a consistent schedule for updating. I try to update at least once a week, although sometimes its every 2, but I have trouble juggling around a lot of projects with work and school and getting to school or work or whatever, so I keep an irregular schedule with my comics because it makes me feel less rushed to get updates out and lets me breathe. Regardless of that, not updating your comic for months at a time without telling your readers as to why will make readers think you’ve abandoned your project, so if you have to go on hiatus, even if you don’t know when you’ll get off it, try to give your readers updates on the state of where you’re at getting the next update out.

If you do wish to keep a consistent schedule with comic updates, then predraw pages before hand, like a chapter or 2 (or 20-30 pages) ahead. It’ll give you plenty of time to work on more pages while keeping a consistent schedule with your work. 

And if you feel like you’re story is not planned out, even if you’re in the process of posting pages, it’s ok to quit and start over. Give yourself time to breathe and get those thinking gears turning, it’ll help you A LOT in the long run.

Now to the harder part: Actually drawing the comic. I get super super excited for future scenes in my own comics that I haven't reached yet and the steady climb to them is hard (Debts especially for me was hard to go over cause I do not like the whole Primm story in general but it was necessary for me to get through that part, even though I didn’t want to draw it). But instead of feeling discouraged of that, I use that as motivation because I know, if I can get another Chapter done, then I am closer to getting to some good stuff I have planned (I personally am excited for Chapter 2 in Story of Fear and Story of Pain as well as Chapter 3 for Story of Anger). Getting to the good stuff you have planned takes a lot of necessary patience, try using your desire to share that stuff and turn that into a motivation for you to get through everything else.

I also recommend sketching the whole chapter of your comic before actually working on drawing each page! One problem I had when working on Promagnium was I did each page separate without looking too much on previous pages on the one chapter that story had. With my current comics, I keep all pages on a file and reference them a lot more when working on the next update. By doing this, my dialogue flows better and I can keep the story consistent. I also sketch the pages of a chapter ahead of time, months before I actually start working on that update. That way, I can go back to it and re read the chapter multiple times over a period of time in order to fix mistakes or change things if I don’t like how they sound together, saves me time later.

Your sketches don’t even have to be very detailed either. Here’s a page from Chapter 3 of Story of Anger

I keep everything very very basic and messy, though, as you can see in the bottom right panel, I will draw some details in certain scenes. I end up going back and adding more detail to some sketches if I have a very specific idea to how I want it to look, and if I’m unsure, I draw concept sketches of said scenes until I come across something I like

(A concept sketch from many months ago, from before I even started sketching out this chapter, when I was figuring out how I wanted Vulpes and Couriers first meeting to go)

And even while drawing pages, don’t focus on always making each panel like a finished piece. When readers read your comic, a lot of them are going to see the dialogue first and spend less time looking at each panel. You always want to make your comic look nice, it’s your work make it as good as you want, but don’t stress out too much if each panel doesn’t look 100% perfect.

This is advice I go by myself and I hope it helps anyone who reads this too

[jmblog24]

The Keys to Success to Investing in Real Estate

The majority of real estate specialists fail within the first couple of months of trying to develop a business enterprise out of property investing. The trick starts with a beneficial marketing strategy and after that practicing a disciplined effort to the marketing intend on an even basis. There is a great deal much more called for to prosper, and also you will encounter even more pointers, techniques, as well as special real estate advertising techniques in this article. Is there anyone in your community that doesn't identify that you purchase homes or that you are a real estate expert? If so, you aren't carrying out too at advertising or making realty investing details concerning your realty investing organization venture also you could be. I find out real estate investors telling all the time that they aren't getting seller call and also ultimately aren't obtaining the leads they require to locate the property transaction they require to make money. I state increase the advertising and marketing and also the sellers will Call. Not just that yet if you are canvassing the globe (or at least your location) that you buy problem real estate holdings, at some point you will certainly be recognized wherefore you do and also vendors will telephone you purely on your track record. this is what is called affordable marketing. One realty professional was in a residence, yard, and also equipment store a couple of calendar weeks ago as well as passed by a couple of men in an aisle. A discussion was listened to while he walked by, I overheard one state, "That is the real estate male". Currently I had actually never known either of those males as well as have no concept that they are however that experience lets me recognize that I should be doing my company at allowing the globe identify my business is purchasing real estate in that location. There are numerous ways to let the location know that you are in the real estate spending career and also getting details around that assists individuals realize you purchase repossessions, troubled real estate, do realty short sales, and also have actually obtained a great deal of real estate information and experience to turn homes. Some approaches are cheap and some are a lot more expensive. You are mosting likely to need to attempt many things and acquire a feel for what brings about for you the best results in your region to get the calls you require to transact real estate deals. I have tried many forms of marketing methods for real estate commercial enterprises of all varieties and have come back to a few that consistently create enough leads for me to purchase the 2 or 3 real estate holdings and houses I want to purchase every single calendar month. They are as follows: Classified Ads The classified advertisement in the most prominent newspaper in the region is by far the heaviest producer of leads for local real estate investors that I have determined. I understand it is costly and I understand there are instances it does not generate phone calls but if you are going to persist in the real estate investing business sector just place it in there and leave it. Get used to it making up part of the toll of performing the real estate business. You may expend about $350.00 a calendar month for my 4 line ad and that is the commercial range. I 'd consider running it 365 days a year to constantly cue everyone that you are a real estate professional and you purchase real estate in their region. Over the past few or so years, I have watched many "real estate investor" ads come and go. Most folks put them in for many or even just a couple of calendar weeks and then remove them or try just placing them in on the weekends. Real Estate Marketing just simply does not work this way. Put your real estate ad in the paper and leave it in there. It will more than makeup for the price, trust me, and you will see after you finish your first deal. If you are distressed because there are real estate investors ads from many other investors in there, don't be. They are there because they are getting

responses. Just be sure to and actually answer your cell phone and keep it on all the time otherwise you'll be squandering money. When a fresh ad for real estate investor information shows up in my newspaper, I will always call on the advertisement. 9 times out of 10 I get a message device or answering service. This is a significant turn-off to somebody who needs a resolution to their real estate trouble now. They want to speak to a person who can quiet their anxiety over their current issues with their home and tell them everything is going to be ok. Your answering device won't do that, they need a human being. As for what to put in the advertising, you will have to work on this one. I have tried various ideas and the one I have now has not changed for over 4 years. I haven't switched it because I get responses. My ad is:

We Pay CASH FOR HOMES In 24 Hours! Any area, price, or condition Call xxx-xxx-xxxx

Now I have had other real estate professionals jockey for place and interchange their ad copy to be leading of mine in the column but it has not made whatsoever difference, at least as far as I can discern. Don't worry about those things, just get the advertising out there and leave it. It could possibly take a bit of time, perhaps several weeks to get going but sellers will telephone. As soon as you have your classified advertising running, then you should start working on your other marketing techniques right away. If you only go through one idea a week, within a few weeks or a couple of months you will have a significantly powerful real estate purchasing process.

Ads in the "Freebie" Papers

You might also run advertisements in the freebie papers in your local region or the region you want to conduct real estate investment deals. These are the "Thrifty Nickel", or whatever they are named in your region. We run both a column ad and a display in this newspaper and expend about $175.00 or so a calendar month for these ads. They pull in seller leads reasonably well and have always rationalized the costs. Remember that these guys are usually open to talking terms on your rates and you will probably get a better rate if you commit to a longer advertising agreement. Bandit Signs or Road Signs. Bandit signs are great. They are some of the best lead-producing tools around. I have yet to put out a bunch and not be bombed with calls right after I arranged my marketing. I just don't position them out that often. I might place out a few to a half dozen or so a calendar month and the ones that continue and don't get taken down continue to pull in phone calls. At an average price of less than $4.00 per sign, they are one of the greatest real estate marketing and advertising values available. Check the net for sign manufacturers for discount signage costs. I use 18 x 24 signs and set them at high traffic crossings around the town I wish to purchase houses in. I also position a sign in the front yard immediately after purchasing any house. I have purchased several homes in the same regions as a result of marketing this way. You can either use wood stakes or wire stakes with your signs. I like the wood stakes because they do not bend like the wire ones, in addition, they are less expensive and you can find just about any reasonably sized stick of wood or stake at your local hardware store for a really good value. Just get long lengths and trim down to fit. Then just nail the sign to it with the roofing nails with the orange or green plastic tops or you can use screws. There are many variants of what the wording on the sign can say. Keep in mind that traffic will be moving so you want to keep your message short and simple so it may be read. Plus your telephone number must be big, large and easy to read. If you search the sign advertisement content, you will discover that it is the same resemblance to my paper ad. I like to brand my advertising because I believe that helps with identification that is probably why the two guys noticed me as a Real Estate Professional. You want to have contrast, so a white sign with dark blue letters usually is the best draw. Some folks swear by black on yellow or black on orange. Again, I say it's not what or how you say it rather simply that you're out there marketing and placing out signs that count. You'll build a 'brand image over time if you stay logical with your real estate marketing endeavors. When dealing with bandit signs, be sure that your local code enforcement laws are aware of them. In some areas or counties, they can lax on them but a few miles down the road in another county or city, they can be super strict and will ticket you in a minute, pull the signs down, and lead off looking for your next posters to go after you again. Some retail merchants in high tax areas can't put out any A board signage without having them sized and then fined.

Flyers and Bulletin Board Postings

Flyers and related collateral are another cheap way to get the word out that you are a real estate investor buy property, foreclosures, or distressed properties. Just create a flyer with any one of the free online flyer software internet sites telling people that you are a real estate investor and how to get in touch with you. Make copies for few cents apiece and you have some really inexpensive real estate marketing and advertising. It really is that simple. Then place these flyers on every bulletin board in your Town or region you would like to buy your property, foreclosure, or distressed home. I also recommend that you place some of them in those plastic sheet shielders so the rain won't ruin them and put them up on phone poles around neighborhoods I like to buy property in. While not as prominent as the bandit signs, on poles actually in the neighborhood they still attract phone calls. I carry a file with me in my automobile and put them up whenever I stop at a grocery store or major discount shop or really wherever. Some of the other areas to put them are: · Laundromats · Taped to the inside of telephone Booths. · On the counter of any business organization that will let you place them at. · Bulletin boards at any local or major rebate store (lots of traffic). · Grocery store bulletin boards. · Fax to Mortgage agents, call first. · Fax to Real Estate Agents, call first and they may get a lot of these. · Take them Door to Door in target regions. · Employment center Bulletin board. · County Courthouse or public office Bulletin board. These are just a few illustrations. Any place that will allow you to set one is a good place. You can never let too many people know that you are a real estate investor and are in the foreclosure market. Imprinted and/or Promotional Items. Optimum Real Estate Investor Marketing Ideas - These no-lose ideas are sure to get you top hits on leads and calls for your Real Estate Investing occupation. These are some of my favorites and the most fun. While they are not the top producers of leads or the least costly, they will sure position you apart from the average investor. Pen Knives - These tiny Swiss army knives are the neatest things. They are actually key chains etched with your content, mine being: WE BUY HOMES - All cash or take over payments within 24 hours! Call xxx-xxx-xxx I assure you if you give one of these to somebody they will hold on to it and if they conceive of selling, they will think of you. They are about $1.75 each. Key Chains - I give these to all my buyers with the keys to their new house on them and leave them all over the place. They come in the shape of a house or # 1 or whatever style you like and have your message on them. You can guess what mine says. Cost - about $. 25 cents apiece. Pens - I use these all the time. Whenever I sign a sales receipt or anything I leave my pen. I can not tell you how many outcries I have gotten off of these things and since I often need one, I always possess one to give away. My attorney even has a supply on his closing table. I possess two types of printed. One for sellers says "We Buy Homes!" and one for buyers says "Everyone Qualifies". Cost - about $.26 cents per unit. Coin Holders - These you hardly find anymore so everyone is surprised when I have them. I leave these things everywhere. Mine are bright yellow with blue letters and my message. Cost - about $.30 cents apiece. I leave all of these promotional items everywhere, on the top of gas pumps, on end-cap displays in grocery stores, and in department stores. I look at it this way, if I give away 100 pens, 50 knives, and 50 coin holders a month, that is only a little over $100 bucks a month. That is still cheap advertising. And with the money you can make in a real estate deal, it is a 'no cost' marketing strategy. You can get any of these promotional advertising products at many major promotion marketing manufacturers, and you can find companies online as well. Business Cards. I order business cards by the 1000's and you should as well, there are a lot of great

places online that can print up nice (and cheap) cards for you and that specialize in real estate as well. As for business cards, well, they are cheap, mine are about $50.00 for 2000, and I pass them out and leave them everywhere I possibly can. I leave my cards everywhere, on pay phones, on restaurant tables, my kids even have their own supplies to pass out. Try to get a box a week out. The card doesn't have to be fancy, in fact, the simpler the better. My card is bright yellow with blue letters and says:. WE BUY HOUSES Foreclosure? Need Repairs? Bad Tenants? Divorce? CASH IN 48 HOURS! OFFERS MADE ON ALL CALLS! XXX-XXX-XXXX. Car Magnetics. Magnetics is one of those things where you spend once and get used for a long time. Mine cost about $75.00 and are yellow with blue letters. They say:. WE BUY HOUSES! FA$ T CA$ H XXX-XXX-XXXX. or. SELL YOUR HOME FAST WE PAY CA$ H XXX-XXX-XXXX. I have gotten several deals from these signs. Remember to order a smaller set for the back of your car/truck. People have more of a chance to read the message when they are riding behind you. Clothing. I like golf shirts and oxford dress shirts with my logo on them. There's plenty of advertising houses that will help you design a logo if you don't have one or use the one you already have. There is no charge for set up and all items ordered include your embroidered logo free. I pass custom imprinted hats out to everyone I know who wears one and have given away many shirts as well. They really look nice and present a nice image for your business. Other Advertising Tools. There are many other shapes of advertising, some I have tested in the past such as billboards, door hangers, yellow pages, television, and radio advertisements. I even have a traveling billboard, an old SUV painted bright yellow with blue WE BUY HOUSES! and my telephone number that I drive around and park overnight at dissimilar places. It brings the calls! Get the marketing going and let the world know who to call when they have a house to sell, a pre-foreclosure, distressed property, or someone who just wants to get out of their house. If that phone isn't ringing, you aren't making money so you need to get a good marketing strategy going and stick with it!

Click - Top real estate companies

[hmspogue]

Stranger Things Season 2 Trailer Shot by Shot Rundown Pt 2

  A week late but here you go (the first run down can be found here)

disclaimer: i own nothing, all shots and scenes depicted belong to Netflix

it should also be noted that these are just MY theories and opinions. I am by no means an expert, and you are absolutely entitled to your own thoughts and theories.

without further adieu here we go-

MY BABY IM SO READY FOR YOUR RETURN

as long as she has her eggos and is safe that’s all that matters :’)

i hope shes warm enough

that person is me running away from all the shit that’s about to hit the fan

so i’m assuming this season is really going to focus on the lines between dimensions blurring around Halloween thus why Will is struggling so hard rn yada yada yada nothing new

i want to know why this monster is just now on the radar you know? like while Will was in the Upside Down did he know about THIS thing or just the demagorgan

dang i guess trick or treat is ruined then?

yyyyyyiiiiiiIIIIIIIKKKKKKEEEEESSSS i CANT EVEN TELL WHERE ITS HEAD IS WTF IS THIS THING

??? where are they? and who is that random man with them? it kind of looks like a lab or some place underground. also i’m screaming bc 

NOTE: their outfits here are different from the ones they’re wearing in the shot of them staring at the wall i love detective legends WHO GO OFF AND RESEARCH THE SUPERNATURAL by themselves how interesting 

no really who is this guy and who is he keeping tabs on (see: the white note cards to the left)

WHO YOU GONNA CALL (i made this joke in my last rundown i’m sorry i’m so lame)

i think i mentioned this in the last run down, but even though i’m not a huge fan of Steve atm, i’m intrigued by this dynamic of him and the kids they’re going to be doing

does every small town in tv shows have a lookout point where the core group congregates to see shit go down?

this is such cool cinematography if they did, in fact, make one side of the road green and the other dying on purpose

i’m ALSO SO EXCITED TO SEE THIS FRIENDSHIP DYNAMIC THIS SEASON (just bc Will was MIA last season, we didn’t really get to see much about his relationship with the other three aside from how much they wanted him back, and towards the very end of the final episode)

ok even though this new monster is creepy as hell and i’m so upset will has to suffer again this season..........this kid is a hella talented artist way to go Will you’re doing great

omg please stop hurting mah boy...but also wtf why do I have to deal with another slow burn ship this season screw this

.......you........you’re to blame

who are you and what are those glowing light cylinders doing in front of you

NOTE: i actually think this is Hop in the same scene as a clip you will see later in the trailer...you can look there to see my theory on why he is doing this stay tuned

pictures???? of what I can’t tell. why are they showing these to him while hes in the hospital? (peep the gown)

someone help this kid pls

are they at an ER or a police station?

big mood Joyce (ugh I hate how she has to suffer through this again just let the Byers live please)

can’t even tell whats going on here other then the fact that it looks like the upside down next slide

what are all these wires yikes

this doctor seems like (based on what I saw this trailer especially) he’s going to become a new reoccurring character...interesting...he better not back stab any of my children or i will stab him in his back

DONT BE SAD MIKE SHES ON HER WAY BACK TO YOU 

oh my god a conversation between Will and Mike where Mike fills him in and tries to explain his feelings for Eleven HERE FOR IT PLEASE LORD

RUN MY CHILD FLEE I WOULD PROTECT YOU IF I COULD

I REALLY HOPE SHES OKAY OH LORD

MIND POWERS ARE BACK OH HELL YEAH

ummm...??????? first of all whose house is this, I dont reconize it and second of all...

why does she look so angry now i’m kind fo concerned WHOSE HOUSE IS THIS?

halloween dance maybe? i’m just confused as to why people are at the school in the middle of the night, i think this is mainly wishful reaching on my part

what’s interesting to me about this shot is not even so much the drawing (which i discussed in my last rundown), but the fact that Joyce has the phone next to her again? last season she had it in hopes of communicating with Will, which causes me to question who she is waiting for this time?

a portal i’m guessing?

NOTE: I think that Steve and Dustin are going to be the main friendship focus out of the kids and Steve. i think it’s going to be Will off having problems of his own, Mike with Eleven when she comes back sorting things out, and Max and Lucas...which i’m guessing is going to be the love interest for max they’ve been hinting at and if any of the crazies out there start trying to SHIP Dustin and Steve I will come for your throats

jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesus please mAKE THIS STOP

IT LOOKS LIKE LITERALLY ALL OF THEM ARE CONGREGATED WHY AM I LIVING FOR THIS

nope ignore, next

IGNOREING THE FACT THAT THIS LOOKS LIKE A PARALLEL TO HOP WHEN HE LOST HIS DAUGHTER. NEXT

how many dang trips is Hop taking to the Upside down this season?

edit: see further down for the theory

see: my last statement 

who are you odd doctor man?

well he kind of looks as out of the loop as the rest of us so i think we can trust him...for now...

*heavy labored breathing*

oh boy...

excuse me while i scream until my lungs concave (OK BUT THE BED ROOM SHARING TROUPE PARALLEL??? CANT I JUST CATCH MY BREATH FOR FIVE SECONDS BEFORE BEING ATTACKED AGAIN?? okay but it kind of looks like theyre in a hotel???? why????????????)

Holes (2003) that should be Hopper behind her

this scene was in the Comicon trailer and it doesn’t concern me any less now 

me too steve...me too...

...will the real Karate Kid please stand up

actually, the more i think about it, the more i’m thinking Hop making all these weird trips to the Upside Down has to do with that deal he made with the scientists last season...like his end of the bargain was basically doing all the dangerous dirty work everyone else is too afraid to do 

that or he’s being sent to locate Eleven but I’m choosing to ignore this theory

YIKES (Part 18937487002)

lowkey think this is going to be that weird pet thing Dustin eventually gets but watch me be wrong

classic Samwise Gamgee

nothing but respect for my sons (if their love triangle causes any sort of animosity between these two this season I’m burning something)

i reeeeeeeeeeaaaaallllllyyyyyyyyy want to like Max this season and I hope shes more like cool and reserved and not annoyingly angsty and rude like so many tv franchises like to paint preteen girls. but Stranger Things has not failed me yet so I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt

interesting that Will and Mike aren’t there doing whatever the heck they’re doing, but Steve and Max are? idk if it means anything, it’s just interesting. makes me wonder if Will and Mike are going to be off figuring out whats happening to Will, while these four focus on something else? but what?

Dustin is ready to throw down (I think that this has to do with his “pet” they’ve been teasing this season. like idk maybe he’s trying to tame it or something)

everyone in this show is about to be in the best damn shape of their lives with all the running they seem to be doing my god

oh my god??? so it looks like they’re sterilizing him for something, but Hop looks like he’s in pain so I’m completely against whatever the hell is going on in this scene

NOTE: this is probably in reference to him paying off his end of the bargain with the lab

can this monster just calm tf down and give these mf kids a chance to take a BREAT?????????????? LEAVE

this whole trailer consisted of horrified looks, people in pain, and running

so maybe Hop is being used to test weapons for the labroatory on the monsters in the Upside Down? and that was the deal he made?

the amount of panic and seeming lack of experience these people working at the lab have expressed on multiple occasions makes me doubt their credibility as scientists to begin with

she looks terrified and sweaty this is not a good combination (also did you know that Nancy Wheeler could run me over with an 18 wheeler and I would say “thank you”?)

that looks like Nancy’s gun so looks like the core group is getting ready to rumble 

can’t tell if he looks suspicious, seductive, confused, or constipated in this shot so MOVING ON

??????????????? who tf are you? (based on the pictures on the walls, he’s in the Byers house?)

anD HES PUNCHING JONATHAN BYERS ABORT ABORT THIS JUST TOOK A TURN I THINK TF NOT YOU TRICK ASS BITCH

I don’t think I’ve ever hated an idea more than the idea of my bois going into the upside down themselves no thanks

does anyone know this guys name? i can’t keep calling him Samwise

wiLLIAM PLEASE NO

a raid of sorts? but on what because this doesn’t look like the upside down so...the real world?

again with these inexperienced scientists working on what is apparently a very important government project. this staff need to be reevaluated

*Teenager by My Chemical Romance plays in the distance*

(the relevance behind this shot makes me curious, because from what i can tell which obviously isn’t a lot with the mask and such, its not anyone we know yet...and it’s just a bunch of teenagers sooooo)

i think it should be noted that Dustin is wearing the same outfit and headset from that scene from the previous trailer where he’s screaming “ABORT ABORT” so my guess is we are just going to have one episode where the kids venture into the Upside Down for a mission of their own (in which they ALL better return safely or I will be making some calls)

i’m confused now, because previous to this, it looked like Dustin was outside with the headset kind of running point, but here it looks like he’s in there with them??? idek anymore

i’m so sosososoososososososo really for this show down scene

HELL YEAH

this pretty much confirms for me my theory on how the love triangle pans out (Lucas and Max end up together) 

*sigh* at this point, i’m officially worried for every single one of the main characters 

LOOKS LIKE JOHNNYBOY HIT BACK(look at that bloody nose) OOooOOooOOOOOoO (also i can’t wait to hate you whoever you are we’re just going to call you Crusty for now)

hmmm....this is the same van that those teenagers in masks were getting out of a few scenes back...interesting

WHO ARE ALL THESE NEW PEOPLE

she literally looks so angry this trailer oh man...though this one she also looks more...upset maybe?

correct me if i’m wrong but is that not the woman who we’re pretty sure is Eleven’s mom? the distortion around the camera also kind of makes it look like a vision/ flashback, so this could possibly be something Eleven is seeing and explain why she’s so upset?

this looks like the same scene where she’s yelling and looking pretty mad. also noted: this is the same outfit she’s wearing when she appears in that unknown door way looking so angry 

NOTE: i’m also confused about her hair? like yes, i know they let Millie grow her hair out this season, but in a recently released short clip where Eleven busts out of the wall into the middle school, her hair is still buzzed. so does this suggest a time jump? if so, how much time has passed? does this also suggest that she came through the upside down a while back and has been living on her own long enough for her hair to get THAT long? which would mean she didn’t go to Mike or the others for help, she just has been roaming around doing whatever it is they’ll have her doing...

solidifies my belief that Dustin and Steve will be the main friendship they will be pushing this season 

NOTE: ....??? why does Dustin have flowers? i lowkey think Dustin is going to awkwardly go to Steve as like a big brother figure to give him advice on his crush on Max

eternal mood

oh okay wow...so this is actually right before all the shit with the kids going into the upside down all happens (Dustin’s shirt and headset)

all of these scenes with the same outfits makes me wonder how long of a time period this season spans over...honestly my guess would be like three days

lol why does Steve seem so confused by the contents of his own trunk

NOTE: whoa whoa whoa this just went from day to night...so the whole “do you still have the bat” scene is different from Steve actually removing the bat from his car

why does Steve have the bat to begin with? I thought it was Jonathan’s?

i’m betting said shit just officially went down

aaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I’M REALLY NOT READY GUYS THIS SEASON IS GOING TO SHAKE US ALL TO OUR CORES 

QUESTION: is there anything you guys want me to do when the episodes are released? maybe like an episode rundown w/ my thoughts and opinions? idek leave a comment if you reblog and have an idea

AND THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR 3K YOU ALL ROCK MY SOCKS OFF LOVE YOU ALL 

[studioserra]

Guide: How to Start a Successful Photography Business

This article is part of our Photography Business Startup Guide—a curated list of articles to help you plan, start, and grow your photography business!

If you have some creative photography chops, you might want to open your own business. You’re not alone in wanting to turn your creative outlet into a money-making venture. Photography is a popular profession and hobby right now—and that’s the problem. As camera gear has become more affordable and consumer-friendly, and almost every smartphone now features a great camera, everyone’s a photographer.

But, that doesn’t mean you should toss your dreams of owning a photography business aside. It just means you may have to work a little harder to set yourself apart from the flock of amateur shooters.

To help you find your photography foothold, we asked three professional photographers who started their own businesses to share their tips for success.

The planning stages

Before you buy a camera and create a website, you’ll want to do a little prep work.

1. Write a photography business plan

For starters, wedding and event photographer Peggy Farren says you need a business plan. Any serious entrepreneur will tell you that you need to organize your thoughts on paper. This detailed document serves as your roadmap, describing what your business is and how it will be profitable. It breaks down things like cash flow, expenses, ownership, and competition.

“Photography is one of the most competitive businesses out there,” Farren says. “You need to be a very good business person to make a decent living. You’ll get there much more quickly if you start out right.”

Creating a business plan may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be if you have the right tools. Check out this free, downloadable sample photography business plan.

2. Assess your photography business startup costs

As part of your business planning process, you’ll need to assess your startup costs. What are the essentials that you’ll need before you can really launch your business?

Camera equipment alone can cost upwards of $10,000, Farren says. You’ll also need business licenses, insurance, a website, and accounting software like QuickBooks or Xero.

What about a studio?

Do you plan to start with a dedicated studio space or work out of your home? If you need office space, you’ll need to investigate commercial rental properties and figure that monthly cost, along with the cost of utilities, into your financial plan.

3. Secure startup funds

If you have enough money in your bank account to start your business you may not need to borrow money, but many entrepreneurs need assistance. Many people who are starting a business for the first time end up asking family or friends for help, or keeping their day job until their business is self-sustaining.

Whether you ask friends and family for financial assistance or apply for a bank loan, you’ll need a business plan in place that lays out how you’ll spend the funds and when or how you’ll pay your lenders back.

4. Figure out your personal finances

If you’re just starting out, realize that your business probably isn’t going to be profitable overnight. It took 18 months for Farren’s business to break even and make enough money to pay the bills. Like Farren, you might have to work another job to make ends meet until your business is generating enough money.

5. Get professional experience

You’ll need to show your prospective clients what you can do, and working alongside a professional photographer is a great way to get some experience and start to build a portfolio. Farren worked as a photographer’s assistant while starting her own business.

Equally important is using that experience to put together a photography portfolio that demonstrates your skill. Consider your audience and build the portfolio around what they want to see. Keep it updated, so new potential clients can see current and relevant work.

6. Buy camera gear

When it comes to camera gear, Farren says you’ll need two cameras, two high-quality lenses, two flashes, and Photoshop and Lightroom to edit the images. Why two cameras? You need backup equipment. Even new equipment breaks, Farren says.

If you buy used gear, you can get everything for about $5,000, but Farren says $10,000 is more realistic. Of course, you can always upgrade gear as you go.

7. Come up with a pricing plan

How much will you charge for your services? It’s a tough question for every photographer, especially when you’re just starting out. Figure out what one hour of your time is worth. Let’s say your time is worth $50/hour.

For every hour you spend shooting, you’ll spend about three hours editing. You need to factor that into your pricing. So, in this equation, you would charge $200 for a one-hour photo session. Of course, your pricing structure is your own, this is just a way to come up with a starting point.

8. Invest in a killer website

Once you’ve come up with a name for your photography business, you’ll need a website. There are free website templates out there, but your website is like your storefront. You want it to be impressive, so think about whether it’s better to have your website professionally created.

Your website should, of course, showcase your work. That’s what your clients will want to see. Keep your site organized by breaking your galleries up by category. Include a picture of yourself and a page that describes your background and experience.

Contact information is also a must. It’s a good idea to list at least some of your prices. This helps manage customer expectations and keeps people from trying to negotiate for a lower price.

Ok, you’ve got everything in place and you’re ready to start shooting pictures. Now, how do you get customers?

9. Create your own brand

Jason and JoAnne Marino have a unique brand for their photography business.

You need to set yourself apart from others, according to husband and wife photography duo Jason and Joanne Marino. The pair own Imagine Photography, a company that attracts couples who are interested in unique wedding pictures, not the conventional altar photos.

“You can’t be everything to everybody or you’ll fail miserably,” Jason Marino says. “To attract customers you must carve out a brand and style.”

Start by identifying your target market. Do you prefer to do maternity shots? Newborns? Senior portraits for high schoolers?

Figure out what makes you unique as a photographer and use it to brand your business.

10. Make time to network

As a photographer and a new business owner, you need to network your heart out, Marino says.

“You can be the greatest photographer in the world, but unless people know about you, it won’t do you any good,” he says. “Join groups, forums, clubs, collectives, whatever you can. Make sure these people know about you and respect you, and you’ll get referrals.”

11. Be a people person

As a photographer, you don’t just need mad composition skills, you need people skills too, Marino says. You want to make sure the client has a great experience. Not only will your client trust you, which results in great shots, but a good experience also means your client will refer you to others.

If appropriate, meet with your clients before the shoot. Wedding photographers set up engagement photo sessions as a way to get to know their clients before the big day. If you’re not offering wedding photography, make sure you sit down and talk with the client before you start snapping pictures.

Make a little small talk and chat about expectations. Remember, you’re not just selling great pictures—you’re selling an experience.

12. Have a friends and family rule

Your friends and family will probably be some of your first customers, which is great. You’ll be extremely grateful for the opportunity and probably feel inclined to give them a discount. There’s nothing wrong with that, but remember, you’re trying to make a living. You should come up with a standard friends and family plan and stick to it.

13. Use social media to promote yourself

Social media is a great promotion tool, but it’s best to start out with one or two sites and use them consistently. Facebook might be a good option, but you might want to lean towards one of the more visual social media channels like Instagram. One of the most important pieces of keeping whatever channel you choose to use active and updated.

Grow your business

Now that you’ve got the wheels in motion, let’s talk about how to pick up the pace.

14. Up your marketing game

Jane Goodrich, a New York-based children’s photographer, says one of the best ways to grow your business is to invest more in marketing.

Google ads

Goodrich swears by Google ads. She uses some of her marketing budget to buy keywords that generate more website traffic.

Team up with charities

Farren uses other unique techniques to grow her business. For instance, she teams up with charities that run high-end silent auctions.

“Not only are you getting your name in front of wealthy people, but in most cases, the clients will purchase much more than the free prints that come with the package they bought at the auction,” she says.

Generate an email list and add to it constantly

Through the years, Farren has also generated an impressive email list. She uses that list to send clients a monthly newsletter, which she says is her best marketing tool. She credits a lot of her repeat business to the newsletter as it keeps her business top of mind to her customers.

Whenever you’re at an event, set out an email sign-up form for people to opt into your newsletters.

Maintain a blog

A blog is a great way to establish authority in your field. It’s an open platform to showcase your talent, tips, and opinions. Write about your experiences, your work process, your equipment, how you plan the shots, etc. The topics are endless!

15. Make a savings plan and pay attention to cash flow

It takes time to draw profits from your business, and it takes even longer to put a few bucks in the savings account. But saving money should be a priority as you grow your business. No matter what kind of photography you do, you will sooner or later hit a slow month, Goodrich says. Save money when you’re busy so the lean months are easier to handle. This is about paying attention to your cash flow, or when cash comes into and out of your business.

On that note, make your payment terms clear. Many photographers will require a deposit upfront and the balance before releasing photos to the client. Whatever your payment terms, make sure your clients know what they are.

If you do invoice clients after you’ve already done a shoot, make sure you invoice immediately and that you’ve clearly articulated when payment is due. Waiting for clients to pay you can create a cash flow problem, even if you have plenty of business, and on paper, your business is bringing in lots of revenue. Until you have cash in hand, you can’t pay your own bills.

16. Reinvest in the business

Once you have at least three months’ worth of income socked away, then you can start thinking about reinvesting it. From new lenses to better editing software, new pieces of technology can improve your product. To make wise decisions, make a list of the items you want. Prioritize the list and shop around for good prices before you spend your hard-earned money.

17. Diversify

In time you’ll be able to add certain elements to the business that will help you diversify your revenue stream. Goodrich, for example, added maternity and newborn photos to her list of services. Rather than generating all of her income from children’s shoots alone, she was able to generate more money by branching out.

18. Keep learning

One of the best tips Farren says she can offer prospective photographers is to continue improving their skills. Take classes, watch educational videos, or schedule time to go take pictures of something completely unrelated to your career track—anything to keep your skills sharp.

19. Hire help

In the beginning, you’ll wear all the hats. You’ll set up shoots, take the shots, edit the pictures, and place the orders for prints. When you’re just starting out, you can’t afford t multitask. However, once your business is established, it’s not a bad idea to delegate responsibilities, even if it’s on an as-needed basis.

To do this, Joanne Marino says you need to recognize your strengths and weaknesses. Maybe you’re great at taking pictures but not so hot at editing, or you simply don’t enjoy it. If that’s the case, find a freelancer to help in that area. If you don’t know any freelancers, ask a colleague for suggestions or use freelance sites like Elance to post an ad.

As with any new business, you’ll have ups and downs, but if you’re committed to your craft and work to give each customer a great experience, you’ll earn a solid reputation as a go-to photographer.

[shafferangelina95]

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