#eventually i will probably adopt my own to keep forever but i really enjoy fostering because i learn so much + see so many personalities

[samsketchbook]

oh nd since i was posting a bunch about planning to do this, i should update you guys that i now foster guinea pigs :) i am on my 4th and 5th foster pigs so far. they are a great light in my life .

they are also currently singing/screeching at me for hay because i looked at them

#if you are DEAD serious about giving them lots of space and an amazing life they could even be yours if you are in the illinois area. #eventually i will probably adopt my own to keep forever but i really enjoy fostering because i learn so much + see so many personalities

[killiansprincss]

We Found Wonderland

Summary: Trapped in the past after the S3 finale, Killian and Emma are forced to fade into the background as a newly married couple in a village while Rumplestilskin works on the portal to send them back to the future. (No Marian)

What challenges will they face, after all it’s only pretending to be married after all right?

Inspired by Taylor Swift ‘Wonderland’

Read on AO3

Huge thanks to @captain-emmajones for reading this over for me as I was going insane after editing it for weeks

Happy New Year to all! They say to start the year off as you mean to go on, and my goal for 2021 is to write more so I really hope you enjoy it!

Set just after the CS movie, no Marian.

We found Wonderland

You and I got lost in it

And we pretended it could last forever 

________

Emma had realised on this trip that Storybrooke was her home. Not Boston or New York. Yes things were messy and dangerous in Storybrooke. But it was home. It was where her family was.

She had longed for a family for 28 years especially after the foster system failed her and after Neal abandoned her. But when the boy she gave up for adoption asked her to come home with her, it changed her life. Even if she didn’t believe in the curse at first, she knew it was a place she could eventually call home.

She wasn’t scared anymore. For once, she was excited about the future and what it would bring. And Hook.

This trip had shown a side to him she hadn’t seen before. She knew he had feelings for her, and as much as she tried to suppress her own feelings for him, he was different this trip. He wasn’t pining for her or making his usual stupid flirty jokes. It was clear he cared about her family, he wasn’t selfish.

Kissing Other Hook was an adventure. But seeing her Hook get jealous and punch the other him was even better. She could see in his eyes it was killing him that she was flirting with the other him, way more than she had with him. And she wasn’t going to deny that she enjoyed it.

“You alright love?” Hook's voice pulled her away from her thoughts.

She smiles at him as they walk into Rumple’s Castle, “Yeah. Just excited to get home.”

“Well dearie it’s gonna be awhile before you can do that.” Rumples voice cuts through as they walk into the great hall.

“What the bloody hell does that mean Crocodile?” Hook asks, anger in his voice.

Rumple just laughs, “well it’s not just a portal that I could do easily for you. Time travel has never been done before, except for you two. It’ll take me around a year to create that portal for you two.”

“IM SORRY-A YEAR?”

“A YEAR?”

Both Emma and Hook's voices respond to this sudden realisation.

“You’re telling me, it’s gonna be a year, until we can go home to the future?” Emma asks, hoping she heard wrong.

“Were you not listening?” Rumple asks.

“So we have to stay here for a year while you figure out the stupid portal?” Hook looks angry, like he could use the dagger on Rumple so quickly.

“W-what about preserving the future?” Emma asks, she can’t stay here for a year. She can’t.

“Well you’ve already messed up your parents timeline and they’re still on track. I have no use for you in my castle, so I’ll place you two under a glamour spell in a small little village where hopefully you’ll make little impact. After you’re gone, I can erase the minds of the villagers.” Rumple explains while Emma is still trying to wrap her head around staying here for a whole year.

“My parents just met and are on track to get married and have me. It’s around 2 years before I’m born and the curse strikes. The portal will be ready by then right?”

Rumple just rolls his eyes at Emma. “I’m not an idiot. I say it’ll be a year, it’ll be a year.”

“Then what the bloody hell do we do?” Hook slams his hand down on the table.

Rumple looks as though he could kill him, but he just laughs. “Well I considered keeping you here in my dungeon. But alas I already have my help. You two will be a newly married couple that just moved to this part of the land. You can work at the tavern or something, I don’t really care. I’ll be in touch when the portal is ready.”

“Married?” The two exclaim at the same time.

“Are you two having trouble hearing?” Rumple asks, rolling his eyes.

—————

After probably an hour quarrelling with the Dark One about their arrangement, they’re transported to a small village and a hut that they guess they would have to call home for the next year. It had one large room, with one bed in the corner, a fireplace and what seemed like a stove to the left of the door and a few chairs by the table. It was small alright, and she had no clue how they were going to last a year in this place.

“You have got to be kidding me.” Emma says as she looks around.

Rumple laughs, “I'll be in touch when your portal is ready.” And vanishes a second later.

The pair look around at their home. Seeing the one bed Killian quickly offers, “You take the bed, I’ll sleep on the floor or somewhere it’s fine.”

Emma shakes her head, “no way, you take the bed. I have slept in my car and much worse places before. You take it.”

Hook just laughs, “you really are a stubborn lass. Look, it’s big enough for the both of us. It’ll be fine as long as we stay on our respective sides, no use arguing. We’re going to be here a while, no use one of us being uncomfortable.”

Emma reluctantly agrees.

The first night is the hardest, knowing she won’t see her family, Henry, for a whole year was a lot to wrap her head around. She had really enjoyed this trip when she wasn’t scared for her life, she had seen her parents fall in love and it made her finally understand what that meant, to be born of true love, the true love they had just witnessed.

And Hook. Or rather Killian, she should get used to saying his real name. She couldn’t quite admit to herself that she was falling for him before this trip. It would be a lot simpler if they were going back to Storybrooke, she probably would’ve given him a chance, a date perhaps, and see where it ends up. But this wasn’t Storybrooke. It wasn't even her time. She couldn’t risk whatever they had, not when they had to rely on each other to get home.

The next morning, Emma wakes to find they hadn’t exactly stuck to their respective sides. Killian’s arm was around her waist and she had tucked her head into his chest. It looked very cosy, and to an outsider it would seem they were truly a happy couple. But they weren’t.

Killian luckily wakes around the same time and, noticing the situation they’ve found themselves in, removes his arm and the two don’t say anything about the situation.

Except it keeps happening.

Every. Single. Night.

____

The next few days were spent discussing what their story would be. They had decided that Killian had been discharged from the Royal Navy because of the accident where lost his hand, and they were used to travelling but now had to find somewhere to settle down as a newly married couple.

They found jobs, Emma as the barmaid in the local tavern, similar to the one where she flirted with Other Hook. Killian found a job working by the docks so that he was still close to the water, it was mainly cleaning and anchoring the boats, very different to his pirate days. But it allowed them to slip into the background, not being noticed by anybody and not making any drastic changes to the future.

“How was your day, love?” Killian asks as Emma comes through the door after a long day working in the bar.

Untying her corset, trying to get out of the horrible clothes she tells him,“Horrible. I hate it here.”

Killian looks up at his ‘wife’, “that bad?”

Emma sits down on the chair. “I had 3 separate men try to buy me a drink whilst I was working. I told them I was working, and that I was married and they still tried to touch me up.”

Killian chuckles, “I’m guessing they aren’t going to do that again.”

Emma smiles, “of course not. I hope they won’t be needing their fingers for a while. How was your day?”

“It wasn’t bad. Can’t say I don’t love being by the water but it’s not the same. Although Cassian said he and his wife want to invite us over for dinner one night this week. Said that he wants to see the wife I don’t talk about enough.” He explains, he knows how Emma feels about getting too close with the other villagers, but if they avoid them for too long it could end up much worse.

“You mean you don't talk about your incredible and very hot wife, all day every day? Why did I marry you?” Emma teases. Their relationship has been like this ever since they got stuck, flirting and teasing but never going any further. “I know we can’t avoid other people forever, it’ll only cause more suspicion, so I guess we can meet them for dinner this time.”

“If this dinner goes well, I will start to talk about my incredible wife some more.” Killian teases back, “about how she’s messy and violent and she snores loudly when she sleeps.”

This earns a laugh from Emma, but also a pillow thrown at his head as she changes out of her corset. She’s never complaining about fitting into jeans again.

~~~

A week passes, more shifts at the tavern and more sleazy drunk men who probably have wives and children at their homes.

Emma earns 10 silvers and 15 bronze a week, Killain, 1 gold 9 silver and 12 bronze a week, which Killian told her is decent money, it allows them to feed themselves with food bought from the market, and buy more clothes which are not comfortable in the slightest. She hates the corsets. Luckily. She only has to wear them at work, the clothes she wears outside of work, whilst ugly and plain, are much more comfortable.

Emma wonders if she’s ever seen any of these villagers in Storybrooke, maybe they’re teachers or shop workers. Did they currently have a horrible life, and even though they’re cursed for 28 years, does it get better for them once they’re in Storybrooke?

The day finally arrived that the two of them have to go to dinner with one of the guys Killian works with. And Emma is petrified, it was fine just the two of them going about their days and telling their story to those around, separately. But telling their story together, they’d never done this. Would they know something was up? Would they know they were lying?

Killian can tell she’s tense, so he takes her hand in his and brushes his thumb over hers over and over. He knows her, he can tell when she’s stressed and knows that this calms her.

“It’s gonna be fine,” he whispers to her as they approach their friends home.

“Killian! So good to see you!” A blonde man opens the door, Cassian, Emma assumes. “Welcome, please come on in.”

Killain smiles and takes Emma’s hand in his as they walk through the door.

“May I introduce my beautiful wife, Emma.” Killian says gesturing to Emma who holds out her hand to shake, assured by Killian this was still the proper greeting in the Enchanted Forest.

“Emma. You are as beautiful as Killian has described. May I introduce my wife, Maeve.” Cassian smiles gesturing to a heavily pregnant woman beside him.

“It’s so kind of you to invite us into your lovely home.” Emma smiles, trying to keep her cool composure.

——

The night is pretty simple, they go over the story of how long they’ve been here, Killians time in the Navy, mostly true stories of his actual time, just a fabricated truth to fit the time and their fake timeline. The food was pretty good for the Enchanted Forest, some type of meat, pork or beef maybe, with rice, beans and vegetables. It was okay, but Emma was really missing grilled cheese.

Cassian and Maeve are really lovely people. They discover Maeve normally works at the market, but picks up extra shifts at the Tavern that Emma works at to make extra money, but is taking time off due to her pregnancy. Emma wouldn’t call it Maternity Leave as she was pretty sure it wasn’t a thing in the Enchanted Forest. Maeve said she was convinced it was a boy, but Cassian was sure it was a girl.

“Have you two thought about children yet?” Maeve asks.

Emma almost spits out her water. “Um great question. Um.” She decides to tell a fabricated truth, make it more believable. “I had a son, when I was younger, before I met Killian. I lost him, and I don’t know if I will ever see him again.” Truthfully, she didn’t want to make up a lie about her and Killian, they were not married, they were not together.

“It's a cruel fate to fall pregnant when young and unmarried. I’m sorry to hear that. I wish you the best for the future.” Cassian tells her. She smiles, thanking that they didn’t ask any more questions on the subject.

But there was one story, one question that really fucked Emma up. It was asked by Maeve when she wanted to know more about their marriage.

“So how did you decide you wanted to marry Emma, Killian? I can tell you two married for love, did you plan a romantic proposal or was it a spur of the moment type thing? Cassian proposed to me with his mother’s ring, he took me to the market stall where we first met. I was selling grain and he kept coming back every day for more grain. After weeks of coming to the stall he admitted the truth. A few months later, he took me back to the spot we first met and said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. Of course I said yes!”

Emma looks over at Killian, hoping he has something to say. “You tell it so well Killian! He’s such a romantic my Killian!”

Killain looks at Emma and smiles. “So I lost my brother at sea years ago, and the only thing I have left of him is his ring. It’s kept me safe all these years, and when I met Emma I knew she was special. She didn’t like me very much at first, but I wore her down. She’s stubborn like my brother, so I knew I had to give her his ring. I took her down to the water, it’s not where we first met but it's where we both come when the world feels on top of us. Not much in my life has felt right since losing my brother, but Emma came into my life and she filled that void. So I took her to the water, got down on one knee and told her I couldn’t imagine my life without her. We don’t have much in terms of money, but we have each other and I think that’s enough.”

Was he serious right now? Emma thought he would maybe change up the story of how he wanted to marry Milah or something, but that was far too descriptive and emotional for it to be a lie or a fabrication. He had clearly thought about it, a little too much, Emma thinks.

Maeve was practically crying. “That is a beautiful story. You two are lucky to have found one another.”

She was going to murder him.

I’m sorry this is all that the Tumblr limit will let me post, check out part 2 here

#captain swan #cs ff #cs fanfic #writing #Emma swan #killian jones #my writing

[nightklok]

YOU KNOW I'M GONNA SAY CHARLES/PICKLES FOR THAT SHIP MEME :D

Shipping Meme [Open]

AAA AND I LOVE YOU FOR THAT- 

My ADHD is incredibly strong tonight so enjoy the rambling headcanons I have because I just love them too much ;^;-

General:

Rate the Ship -   Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs

How long will they last? - Forever obviously, they’re in it for the long road ahead!

How quickly did/will they fall in love? - I think it was a gradual thing for sure! Definitely met during the SnB era and Charles was the one who fell in love quickly though wasn’t much aware of it until later. Pickles had probably become a bit wearier of falling in love then so it took him a bit longer to admit he even had feelings for him. They probably didn’t even admit it until years later when they began to work for Dethklok-

How was their first kiss? -  they probably didn’t have a first kiss until nearly a decade or two of meeting each other, they were really fucking awkward haha-But I think their first kiss together would be sweet; they probably had a really well needed heart-to-heart talk and just eventually, it happened. 

Wedding:

Who proposed? - Charles 100%-it’s nothing elaborate or extraordinary, just quiet and probably between them while they’re alone or planned with the boys. 

How fancy was the ceremony? - Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.

Technically the rating would be a 2 as their first ‘ceremony’ would be those quick courthouse weddings. I mainly like the idea of them getting engaged and possibly married sometime after Doomstar and before they have to confront Salacia. Kind of in a ‘now or never’ kind of situation but they both would’ve gotten married regardless of the prophecy or not. Though once the prophecy is fulfilled, the boys will insist they have a proper big red wedding

Who is the best man/men?  Pickles initially chose all of Dethklok to be his best men to avoid a battle to the death combat. Though, later on it became safer for him to officially choose one best man and that would be Nathan. For Charles, it was easier and he chose his best man to be Huey Lewis, no explanation further needed.

-Who did the most planning? Definitely not them-the boys, Dick, and Abigail would’ve insisted that they do the planning. Magnus and Murderface were the only ones to actually know about organizing a wedding surprisingly, actually asked for their input but kept it as vague as possible, and despite the ridiculously typical setbacks, managed to pull off a pretty elaborate wedding that they were both pretty pleased with. 

-Who stressed the most? Charles definitely-since everyone wanted to keep it a ‘surprise’ and he knows pretty well that a surprise from them is going to either be really extravagant, out of this world wedding or a Hot Topic Parking Lot wedding. Luckily, they got the first. 

-Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? - Rockso and Pickles’ family for sure. They didn’t even know they got married until it ended up on the Dethklok Minute and they were pissed but Pickles probably got his new family through Charles (if they’re alive and decent?) and by extension, Dethklok so to Pickles, his real family was at the wedding (no matter how many times they tried to argue that to him.) Seth probably sent him that blender as a wedding gift though

Sex:

Who is on top? - Top/bottom roles are non-existent to them; it’s really on whatever they’re up for at the moment. 

Who is the one to instigate things? - Pickles obviously; if he feels like Charles is working a bit too much or they haven’t done it in a while (three days), he’ll definitely instigate. Considering how well he knows him and what gets him riled up, Charles never says no-

How healthy is their sex life? - Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now 

How kinky are they? - Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head

How long do they normally last? - It can depend on how horny they both are or if they just want to take their time-probably lasts between under half an hour to an hour. 

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? - It’s probably hard of them to be completely sure if they’ve been going at it repeatedly but really it’s all up to when one has had enough and the other will stop for the night. Or if the other doesn’t feel satisfied enough, they’ll easily come up with something quick to do. Overall, it’s just making sure that the other is satisfied at the end of the night!

How rough are they in bed? - Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? - No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.  (Pickles accounts for like 80% of this, hands down-)

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? -  none-Pickles is a Trans Male is a theory I take to the grave but I do headcanon he got bottom surgery. Even if he didn’t, they’re both too old (fuckin rip), and raising children is way too much responsibility/commitment for their lifestyle and there’s probably that lingering feeling that they might get called to fulfill their roles again so it would be borderline selfish to put kids into trauma/danger. (Charles spent years basically raising man-children he needs the retirement haha)

How many children will they adopt? - I don’t think they’ll adopt either, for reasons I stated above. I kinda like to think that when they retire or move away from Mordhaus to create their own home, they become that couple that opens their home to whatever troubled teens/kids/young adults need a place to stay, no questions asked. They might end up fostering a teen or two or take temporary custody if a situation calls for it. It just never turns to an official adoption and if the kids stay for a longer period of time, they end up making sure they get put in a good foster/adoptive family. 

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - Probably Pickles though the situations where he had to watch over a baby/toddler while their older sibling went to school/work was very few and far between (the dude lived through the 80s with hairspray and everything, no smell can get to him now-)

Who is the stricter parent? - I think it depends on the situation. Pickles can be a bit stricter than Charles surprisingly because there is no way you’d be able to lie or try and go behind his back. If he sees that a particular kid reminds him of himself, he may just be a bit stricter than usual and it has to be Charles to remind him that the kids are in good hands now. Besides that, Charles is definitely strict but fair. He’s just as hard trying to go behind his back and can actually ground them (he’s not even their legal guardian, they just know he can’t be messed with.)

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - Charles definitely-But usually he’s the last to find out about it haha-

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? - Charles (though mainly he remembers to tell Pickles as he’s the one who has the time to make it in the mornings)

Who is the more loved parent? - They both are for their own reasons! Charles is loved for helping them with advice, homework, whatever they need and being the stricter parent needed for the troubled kids’ lives and Pickles is loved for being the laidback parent who genuinely takes interest in their interests and helps encourage them to follow their dreams.

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? Neither; both are too busy in their own lives. Charles tried once for the hell of it. He realized it was the most difficult meeting he had ever sat through, even hosting meetings for Dethklok. Never again.

Who cried the most at graduation? - Pickles; he’s especially emotional about it if it’s the most troubled kids that invited them. Very proud of all the kids who remembered them enough to invite them to their graduations.

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? - Pickles-but he might fuck up in the process and Charles would have to bail them both out of jail-

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? - There are klokateers for it but Charles does sometimes like to surprise Pickles with some of his favorite food!

Who is the pickiest in their food choice? - Charles; Pickles’ food palette is non-existent so he’s willing to eat anything. Charles? Not so much.

Who does the grocery shopping? - Neither; thank god for living in Mordhaus- (And even after that, they just hire someone to do it for them-)

How often do they bake desserts? - Fairly often, it’s become a pretty quick date night for them! They like to make macaroons, pies, or whatever they have their heart set and just enjoy the next few hours of getting some quality alone time.

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? - Meat all the way-

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? - Charles once again! Though Pickles does surprise with an anniversary dessert. It’s not really a surprise if they both know the other will cook them something but it’s the thought that counts!

Who is more likely to suggest going out? - Pickles; while it’s fun having small dates inside, he definitely suggests going someplace else whenever they have the time. 

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidentally while cooking? -  Toki 

Chores:

Who cleans the room? - Charles cleans his own room, Pickles gets a klokateer to do it though recently he’s been cleaning his own room? Wow, Charles is rubbing off on him.

Who is really against chores? - Pickles; they can just hire help like the rich jackoffs, who the fuck needs to do chores?

Who cleans up after the pets? - They don’t have pets but it’d probably be Pickles.

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Pickles but thank God he’s never really asked to clean much-

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - Charles

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? - Whatever klokateer cleans mordhaus and/or their house--

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? - Charles; he knows self-care very well and often makes sure his schedule has a few hours to himself so he can do just that! Definitely has fallen asleep in the bathtub more than once but Pickles luckily memorized his schedule haha

Who takes the dog out for a walk? - They both would! By the time they adopt a dog, they probably both would have time to do it together :)

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - They hate the idea of it; probably hire klokateers or whoever to do it for them-

What are their goals for the relationship? - They just want to be able to complete the other without overstepping boundaries. There are probably things that both are afraid of bringing up or reminding the other. It’s no longer become a game of walking on eggshells because they have known each other for so long and know what their intentions will be. They aren’t going to change the other unless the other genuinely wants to change. They will simply help fill in the gaps the other lacks so naturally like they fit in together. 

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? - Pickles, not that Charles lets him anyway-

Who plays the most pranks? - Pickles but even then the pranks are pretty rare or more of ways to get Charles out of the office (’Hey Charlie, Nathan is tryin’ to sneak a whale in his room again’ But then it turns out that Nathan really tried doing that so who knows if it was even a prank-)

#lampmeeting #Charles Offdensen #Pickles the Drummer #chickles #I'm surprised how long this came out slkjdf #but this got me focused so thank you so much for asking ;-; #I hope you enjoyed!!!

[raging-violets]

Signal Boost: Male OCs

Seeing @darknightfrombeyond‘s post to call for male ocs reminded me of a conversation I had with her (that male ocs don’t get a lot of love) but then reminded me that we have a lot of main character male ocs that we either don’t do a lot with (on here) or that others just don’t know about. So here’s our list of male ocs with their fc, fandom, and pairing, and I implore you to add all of yours so that we can see all the fantastic male ocs of the oc community. Put under a read more (after the first one) since I don’t want to clog up your feeds! :) -Riley

Reed Jackson

Fandom: Multi-Fandom; 3 Ninjas, Mighty Ducks, Suite Life, Big Time Rush, Just My Luck, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Forever, etc.

Pairing: Renee Jackson

Reed is an Australian who loves life, learning, and having fun. He almost always has a smile on his face and will do anything to have a good time. However, he does have a tendency to get sucked into his work at the detriment of spending time with his family as much as he tries to be a present father. A rocket scientist, he double majored in aerospace technology and mechanical engineering at NYU where he met his wife before moving back to Australia to start their family. In many fandoms, he’s deceased, but there are a few where he’s alive.

Julius Jackson

Fandom: Multi-Fandom; 3 Ninjas, Mighty Ducks, Suite Life, Big Time Rush, Just My Luck, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Forever, etc.

Pairing: Brittany McNair

Julius is the eldest of the Jacksons, and is probably one of the quieter of them. As the oldest, he works to live his own life despite feeling the need to look after his brothers and sisters. In fandoms where his parents are deceased, he is taken in by his grandparents and lives apart from his siblings. Because of this, he isn’t as close to them as he’d like to be, feeling he couldn’t protect them from the distance, and feels immense guilt over it.

Patrick Jackson

Fandom: Multi-Fandom; 3 Ninjas, Mighty Ducks, Suite Life, Big Time Rush, Just My Luck, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Forever, etc.

Pairing: Katie Knight

Patrick is a fun-loving boy who likes to make sure other people are happy...so he plays up his being dumb at times just to get a smile on their face. He loves to surf and despite not enjoying school so much, loves to learn in his own time. But behind his smile and happy-go-lucky attitude, he tends to be a bit insecure in his masculinity as he feels he’s not physically strong enough to stop the abuse he and his siblings face from their foster father after their parents die, and shows it at the worst times. As his sister says, he’s a “loveable asshole”.

Noah Jackson

Fandom: Multi-Fandom; 3 Ninjas, Mighty Ducks, Suite Life, Big Time Rush, Just My Luck, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Forever, etc.

Pairing: Lizzie Zevon

Noah is the quieter one of the twin boys, and is more independent, but is always there to back Patrick up or call him out. He’s an observer, preferring to get an idea of other people before showing his true self. For such a quiet guy, he has an obnoxiously loud laugh that startles people when they hear it. Noah is very compassionate and protective of his family.

Sydney Jackson

Fandom: Multi-Fandom; 3 Ninjas, Mighty Ducks, Suite Life, Big Time Rush, Just My Luck, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Forever, etc.

Pairing: Anna

Sydney is the youngest of the Jacksons and is the smartest. He’s part of MENSA and continuously uses his smarts to get his siblings’ attention (despite strongly feeling he’s their favorite sibling). He doesn’t remember his parents because he was one when they died and it’s been a source of sadness for him, though he doesn’t really talk about it until he’s older. Due to his smarts, he doesn’t have many friends his age, save for Anna, and often latches onto his brothers and sisters if not their friends for that social interaction and attention. As he gets older, he tends to be a bit more of a sarcastic jerk, and is admitted to be spoiled by his brothers and sisters who didn’t want him to feel left out due to the gap in their ages.

Ronan McGuire

Fandom: Bandfiction/Big Time Rush

Pairing: Mrs. Knight

Ronan McGuire is as laid back as he is serious. He’s the middle child in his family and quickly realized his parents didn’t have much time for him with his older brother and younger brother getting their attention. He entertained himself by making music and playing instruments before ultimately emancipating himself, going to the Berklee College of Music and eventually becoming one of the youngest professional music producers before ultimately starting his record company; Blazing Phoenix. He’s Gustavo’s friend despite how the two annoy each other and ultimately adopts the Jacksons after years of working with them and trying to prove the abuse they go through.

Brady Nash

Fandom: Arrowverse, MCU

Pairing: Haven’t said exactly who yet, I have three ideas. One who was just recently introduced.

Brady started out in the Flash and The Flame series at eight years old. Now twelve, he’s really come into his own with his powers and his identity as Shadowhunter. Starting out the series, Brady is a very excitable and emotionally intelligent young boy who greatly loves his mother and finds waht she can do with her powers to be “very cool”. As he gets older and sees what happens with The Flash and Flare, and has his own adventures being a meta, he matures faster and takes on a teasing personality that hinges on sarcasm. He is very protective of his mother and friends and finds going out to fight metas to be more “cool” than “serious”, often having to be scolded to remember how dire their situation is.

Connor Hawke

Fandom: Arrowverse

Pairing: Leah Brooklyn

Connor Hawke is my version of Arrow’s “William Clayton”. I basically took him and made him into an OC before it was revealed he was William and not Connor, but loved the idea of Connor so much that I took him as my own. Connor is Brady’s best friend. Despite being in the same grade since first grade, they didn’t really meet and become friends until third grade. (This is mostly due to Cadence’s want to keep Brady away from questioning of how old his mom was when she had him, and any potential moments of finding out about her powers). Connor is a sweet and intelligent child who is a bit more reserved than Brady, but quickly learns and accepts Brady’s powers and identity as Shadowhunter finding it to be “Very cool”. However, he quickly learns how dangerous things can be for Brady and other metas in their school and finds a way to figure out who the other metas are and communicate with them via a private social media account to give them tips and tricks to hiding their powers if needed and honing them if they choose. Connor, despite not having any powers, is always at Brady’s side and helps him whenever he needs it with little to no judgement.

#ocappreciation #toalltheocsivelovedbefore #allaboutocs #marvelocsdaily #dailycomicbookocs #reed jackson #julius jackson #patrick jackson #noah jackson #sydney jackson #ronan mcguire #brady nash #connor hawke #calling all male ocs #signal boost #multi-fandom

[lorisideblog]

Paul Rovia Appreciation Week Day 1: Backstory

A little late but I’m not very well here’s a small contribution for the character I love so very much.

Paul Rovia is sat on the roof and they are yelling again.

The kids, the carers, always yelling. There’s always so much noise in there.

He sighs, leaning back against the redbrick tiles and adjusts the headphones of the CD walkman he swiped from one of the other kids. He’ll probably get an ass kicking for it but they’d have to catch him first. He briefly indulges in one of his favourite fantasies: taking enough martial arts classes to soundly give them a good beating back - surprise bitches! - like a tiny ninja of fury. Wham bam! He smiles at the thought. He knows can’t afford it right now, having no allowance and being too young to get a job, but it’s one of the first things he’ll do once he escapes this hellhole - he’s promised himself. Until then, Jackie Chan movies and his dreams will just have to do. 

Only four more years to go.

He turns up the little volume dial so that his head is flooded with melody, and closes his eyes. He doesn’t feel too bad about stealing either. There’s no way that Wes, his asshole roommate and the walkman’s true owner, didn’t shoplift it himself. He’s currently listening to a compilation of the year’s hits, far too modern and expensive for a group home kid’s budget, Paul thought. There’s no way he’ll be reported. 

Anyway, it’s not stealing, it’s liberation.

The howls of Stephen Tyler fill his head and he tries not to swoon at the romance of Don’t Want to Miss A Thing. He thinks it’s quite pretty in a cheesy way; powerful yet sung with such confidence and masculinity. He closes his eyes, effectively blocking out the rest of the world. Sways his head along to the sweeping chords. His hair is caught in the gentle nighttime breeze. It’s almost chin length now, well overdue a trim but he kind of likes it. It’s growing out real soft. And if that’s another thing for the others to make fun of, Paul decides he doesn’t care. They’re just jealous and there are worse things to be called out on.

This community home isn’t as bad as the last. Of course, no one really knows him at this one which helps. He keeps himself to himself, not getting too close to anyone. Not after the last time. His best friend Adam, with his kind eyes and generous hugs, sharing chips and watching TV sat so close together until his heart beat fast. A single kiss. That was all. Admittedly followed by a few more, growing careless and suddenly Paul had found himself building his whole world around his new friend. You never do that. They were found out by the people who should be protecting him. Instead Paul was moved on for his ‘own safety.’ Never even got to say goodbye. He doesn’t even cry about it anymore.

Paul keeps his smiles, his jokes, his stories to himself now.

Maybe some day it won’t be like this. Maybe one day he’ll find somewhere quiet with good people where he can settle down. A place where they don’t judge you for who you are, only what you do. Paul knows he’s different, some say not right. But he knows his own heart, his own mind. As his mother once told him, they’re the ones who are wrong and he’s a good person. He tries so hard to hang onto that. Sometimes he thinks he’ll need a miracle, or the world end to find somewhere he belongs, or a person he belongs with. What he needs now is more time.

Paul restarts the track to distract himself from his thoughts. Weeping on a roof whilst listening to Aerosmith is not how he wants to be discovered. Nevertheless, he misses his mother and her gentle acceptance. And his dad, with his big leather coat and hugs that lifted you off the ground. And his sister, with her expressive eye rolling and constant supply of bubblegum. Maybe that’s why he could never fit in, he often thought. Maybe he should have died in that car with them.

But he didn’t. He is here. With the creepy carers who insist he calls them Aunt and Uncle. And the other boys who are total dickheads for the most part. It’s a home for the real bad kids, the ‘troubled’ ones as they say. Paul privately calls them ‘strays,’ himself included. The ones who are too old for adoption or too naughty for foster care. The boys who keep getting arrested for stealing, or skipping school, or getting into fights. Paul has done all those things and more but he’s really trying to do better, walkman aside, for the sake of his himself and his parents. They wouldn’t have wanted him to act out like this. 

Paul knows he isn’t a typical ‘problem kid.’ He’s smart and quick. He cares for others to a fault. The last fight he got into was when one of the bigger kids, Dan (Apeman Dan), stole eight year old Benny’s GI Joe. The thief had been twice Paul’s size (Who isn’t? Paul often thought wearily) so he’d been particularly proud of dropping him with a swift kick to the balls. Like David versus Goliath, down he went like a felled oak tree. Being grounded had been worth it (he could always sneak out if there was actually somewhere to go in this crappy town). The sneak attack by Dan and his friends in the middle of the night, less so. Payback’s payback. Now they’re even. Or so the bully thinks anyway. 

His punishment had been light for that one. Much lighter than the crime of the century: kissing another boy. Somehow he doesn’t think his mom would have minded about that one too much.

Paul stretches out on the rooftop until his joints pop pleasantly, catlike in his motions. He guesses that some things are worth being labelled a ‘bad kid’ over. Like the sound of a rocking melody on a warm summer night. Or a stolen kiss that you can hold close and treasure forever. 

Paul’s train of thoughts are broken by the sight of a hand waving out of the bedroom window below. He quietly slips off the headphones, concealing them in his lap before a familiar face can peer up at him.

“Dammit Paul - you up there?” He hears a disgruntled Wes call out through the window - not too loudly though. They don’t tattle tell. It’s always the kids versus the carers and Paul isn’t supposed to be on the roof. They’ve talked about this.

He sighs, peace broken. “Yep. Found me, well done.” He holds his hands out in a pacifying manner.

“You seen my walkman, asshole?”

He allows his eyes to widen in innocence, not too wide - wouldn’t want to overdo it. Wes can’t get a good look at him from such an awkward angle in the dark anyway.

“I thought it was Dan’s walkman?” He answers with just the right hint of boredom to sell it and is rewarded by a stream of curses as Wes angrily stomps away, making several dark and loud threats towards their friendly neighbourhood bully as he goes.

Paul smirks as he replaces the headphones and resumes his song. It’ll come back to him eventually, he knows it. But at least he can enjoy the calm before the storm.

His name is Paul Rovia. He refuses to fade away. He won’t be here forever but he’ll make every second count.

That’s all any of us can hope for.

#Paul Rovia Appreciation Week 2019 #Paul Rovia #Paul 'Jesus' Rovia #Jesus TWD #Tom Payne

[broadwait]

Cut My Chest Wide Open pt. 2

Warnings: None

Word count: 2009

Pairing: Finch/Crutchie

Full fic on AO3: x

Finch was rapidly becoming a regular fixture at Crutchie’s table. On his breaks, he’d taken to sitting across from or next to Crutchie, at first citing the excuse that he didn’t like sitting alone, until eventually he didn’t have to use one at all. He would just sit down and Crutchie was absolutely fine with it.

Crutchie had gone home that second day and calmed down about whether he was reading the situation accurately or not. It wasn’t a big deal that Finch was a flirt, because Crutchie was fine being friends. He was a little disappointed by the lack of interest, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t still talk to him and hang out with him and stare at him because god was he pretty. It was fine! No big deal.

His suspicions that Finch flirted with everyone were confirmed by his interactions with his coworkers. Crutchie had heard him call them a variety of pet names, ranging from “doll face” to “pretty boy.”

Crutchie hated the stab of jealousy he felt every time he heard one of those pet names. It was an unwarranted and unwanted, because he didn’t own Finch, he wasn’t involved with him in any way. It wasn’t his place to be jealous, and yet jealous he was. He pushed away the feeling every time it arose and focused instead on smiling wider, on being happier that he was talking to Finch and hanging out with him.

Plus, Finch didn’t stop flirting with him. Sometimes he’d call Crutchie cute or funny or comment on Crutchie’s smile or his dimples or whatever. While he was hesitant about flirting back as comfortably as Finch, it still never failed to make Crutchie smile wider, or blush heavier.

The good part about it though, was that they were becoming friends, actual friends. They talked through Finch’s breaks, they laughed and joked around. They learned stuff about each other.

Crutchie knew Finch’s favorite color (green), what instruments he played (piano and bass guitar), and the name of his childhood dog (Mac). He knew little things, like that Finch didn’t like chocolate really, and he could recite the preamble of the constitution in under ten seconds, (he learned it in high school and never forgot it).

The other thing he learned about Finch is that he was constantly smiling.

There was always a grin or a smirk on his face, sometimes a small side smile or a quirk of the lips. He always looked so damn happy and Crutchie didn’t know if he could handle how cute it was.

Which was what led him to lying face down on his couch as Jack and Davey looked on at him from the kitchen of Crutchie and Jack’s apartment.

Crutchie groaned into the cushion. Being gay was hard.

“Hey Crutch, what is it this time,” Jack called from the doorway from the kitchen to the living room. Crutchie flipped himself onto his back and stared at the ceiling.

“I’m gay,” he answered. Jack rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, we know, you’ve basically been out since you were born.”

Crutchie shot him a glare. He wasn’t wrong though. Jack and him had been foster brothers since Crutchie was little, until they were teenagers and Medda adopted them officially. When Crutchie came to live with them, he was only six. He never knew his parents, or at least couldn’t remember them, and because of that, he didn’t know that straight people existed. He thought all boys liked boys, he didn’t know guys were “supposed” to like girls. It wasn’t until Jack had talked to him about it one day that he found out that not every other boy was like him. Jack and Medda both thought the story was cute but Crutchie just thought it was embarrassing.

“There’s this guy at the coffee shop who’s very cute and it sucks because I’m gay,” he clarified. Davey poked his head into the doorframe from the kitchen.

“That’s why you’ve been spending so much time there? You’ve been regularly going for a few weeks, have you talked to the guy?” Davey asked.

Crutchie threw an arm over his face.

“Yes, we talk basically every time. He takes his break and sits at my table usually.”

Jack walked to the couch and made Crutchie move so he could sit down.

“That sounds promising. What do you talk about?”

“Just normal stuff: what I’m working on in school, how his day’s been, odd things or people we’ve seen. We’re friends, I think.”

“Do you think he’s interested?”

Crutchie hesitated.

“Maybe? Probably not? I can’t tell, sometimes he’ll say something about how I’m cute when I’m focused or that he likes the way I cut my hair, but he’s also kinda like that with everyone? I never know if he’s saying it because he’s being nice or if he’s actually flirting.”

Davey leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms, thinking. “Have you tried asking him to hang out? If he seems really into it then make it a date but if he’s lukewarm about it you could play it off like friends.”

Jack nodded. “You could do that. Or you could just ask him out on a date and see flat out if he refuses you.” He shrugged, “Can’t hurt.”

Crutchie snorted out a laugh. “It most certainly could hurt.”

“What’s the worst that could happen,” Davye asked.

“Death? Fire? The apocalypse??”

Jack ruffled his hair. “Hey now, don’t be so dramatic. If he’s a good guy then he’d be nice about it even if he’s not interested. But, if it will make you feel better, try something easier. Get his phone number.”

Crutchie stilled. That was...not impossible. He could do that right? Friends gave each other their phone numbers too so he could play it off like that. Easy. Simple.

Jack started talking again. “If it’ll help, I’ll even go with you tomorrow, give you a second opinion on whether he’s interested or not.”

Crutchie perked up. “That would work.”

+++++

Crutchie got to the shop earlier than Jack did, but that wasn’t particularly surprising. Jack had a tendency to lose track of time easily, especially when he was painting or with Davey, which was most of the time. Crutchie didn’t mind, he was willing to wait.

Finch was at the counter, his back turned to Crutchie as he talked to someone down the line, mirroring the first time Crutchie had met him there. Had that really only been a couple of weeks ago?

Finch turned around as Crutchie approached. His face perked up as he turned again, this time to grab a cup that had been placed off to the side. He slid it across the counter.

“Small hot chocolate with cinnamon, right?” he asked with a grin that said full well that he knew he was right. Crutchie tried to keep his surprise at Finch getting his order ready before he came from his face, masking both his excitement and shock with a smile.

“Yeah, you got it right,” he said, beaming. Finch’s smile turned briefly into something softer, one part relief and two parts joy at how well his action had been received.

Crutchie went to a his table with a warmth settling in his chest, even before his first sip. He sat down and swung his feet under the table, unable to contain the childlike elation he felt. Maybe there was a chance Finch liked him after all.

Finch joined him about 20 minutes later, sliding into the chair across from him. Crutchie was reading, but he closed the book and focused his attention on Finch. Finch rested an elbow on the table and leaned his head into his hand, a little smile on his face. He looked so calm, so peaceful like that.

He nodded at the book. “Whatcha reading?”

“Going Postal by Terry Pratchett. Have you read it?” Finch shook his head. “It’s good, it’s about this con artist who’s set to be executed but when they’re about to hang him he-”

“Hey, sorry I’m late.”

Jack walked up from behind Crutchie, resting a hand on the back of Crutchie’s chair. Crutchie turned to look at him. There was red paint smeared across his jaw and white and yellow paint on his hands and splattered up his arms.

“You get caught up in painting again?” Crutchie asked.

“Yeah, there’s this big piece I’ve been working on for a commission. It’s coming along pretty well but oils take forever to dry.”

“You better not have gotten paint on all the door handles again,” Crutchie said, shooting a pointed look at Jack’s hands. Jack gasped in mock offense.

“I would never! I learned my lesson the first time.” He playfully nudged Crutchie with his arm.

Crutchie turned his attention back to Finch, who was now sitting up straight rather than leaning on his elbow. The smile had gone from his face and his eyes were just the tiniest bit wider. He flicked his gaze from Crutchie to Jack for just a second before a tense, tight lipped smile made its way onto his face. Jack stuck out a hand.

“Hi, I’m Jack.” Finch took it.

“Finch, nice to meet ya.”

Jack turned back to Crutchie. “I’m going to get something to drink. You want anything?”

“Nope, still working on this cup. Thanks though.”

Jack walked over towards the counter. Crutchie looked over at Finch.

“What was I talking about? Going Postal, I think?” Finch nodded hesitantly, but then quickly shook his head.

“Oh shoot, actually I just remembered that I have to go fix the espresso machine! It’s been out of whack all week, boss said I had to fix it today. Sorry, I have to cut my break short. I’ll see you tomorrow?” He stood and pushed in his chair before hurrying away, back towards the counter, far from the register. Crutchie looked on, utterly blindsided by whatever that just was.

Jack returned a few seconds later, coffee in hand.

“Where’d your boy go?” He asked, looking around. Crutchie pointed back towards the counter. “Oh dang, did I catch you guys at the end of his break?” Crutchie shook his head.

“He usually stays longer. I don’t know why he rushed off.”

He watched as Finch fiddled with the espresso machine, wiping it down and opening a panel on the side. It looked like he was doing a whole lot of nothing, but then again, what did Crutchie know about repairing espresso machines?

Jack stayed there for a while, talking and hanging out with Crutchie. Crutchie enjoyed the company but couldn’t help but glance over every now and then towards the counter. Finch had moved from the espresso machine to wiping down the counter to making drinks and back to the espresso machine. He hadn’t looked at Crutchie a single time since he’d started, and eventually he’d made his way into the back room. He should’ve been done with his shift by now, but Crutchie still hadn’t seen him come back to the front. Maybe there was a back exit he didn’t know about?

Crutchie sighed. He’d been here too long to justify staying. He got up and left the shop with Jack, bummed that he hadn’t even gotten the chance to get Finch’s number.

Jack bumped into his side as he walked.

“I can’t really give much of an opinion about whether he likes you or not, because I didn’t really talk to him, but from the look he was giving you when I walked in, he seemed at least a tiny bit interested. Plus, he’s cute. You should go for it.”

Crutchie shrugged. He didn’t want to be a pessimist about it, but he couldn’t shake the image of Finch rushing away, like he couldn’t wait to get away from him.

“Yeah, I’ll try to get his number tomorrow I guess.”

“Ayyy, atta boy. Don’t let today get you down. Maybe he was just busy!” Crutchie appreciated that Jack was trying to cheer him up. He attempted a smile.

“Yeah. Maybe.”

[part 1] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5]

#sorry if im being obnoxious ab posting these i have it all written already #didnt want post 11000 words in one post so i broke it up #and i didnt want to spam so im posting one a day! #finchcrutchie #finch newsies #crutchie newsies #crutchie morris #Newsies #newsies live #my writing #crunch

[skyahqunfollow]

WELL. it’s me again. i’m sam ( she / her, 21, est timezone ) and i also play parker! i’ve finally decided to bring in another muse and bob morley also avan jogia is the loml, so he we go! character info under the cut! please message me if you’d like to plot because i would absolutely love that!

FIRST. let’s just. let’s get it out of the way right here and now that this is a sideblog so i will be messing up and posting shit to the wrong accounts sometimes bc i’m dumb. let’s all just. take a moment to laugh abt it now so we don’t have to do it later. k cool we can carry on now

「 AVAN JOGIA, CISMALE, 26, PARAMORE. 」┈ did you read that latest viral gossip issue on SKY ARAO? he is the DRUMMER in BETTER NOW, one of my favorite ALT ROCK groups. they’ve been releasing music for FOUR YEARS now, but viral gossip has only been talking about them for the last TWO YEARS. get this, i think i heard HE’S THE ILLEGITIMATE CHILD OF A WEALTHY PUBLIC FIGURE. they’re known as the CALIGINOUS of the music industry, since they have a rep for being TRENCHANT but SELF - SERVING, but who knows. maybe that will change once they become #1.

born and raised deep in the swamplands of louisiana, sky’s only parent was a single mom who was nowhere near old enough or prepared enough to have a kid, tbh. she did sincerely try to take care of him at first but she had a drug problem that got very out of hand very quickly. sky was barely even five years old when the state stepped in and had him placed into the foster system.

has the slightest of southern accents but if you point it out he will deny it

will occasionally speak a little cajun french though & some tagalog bc we stan a multilingual grump

spent the rest of his childhood without a family or stable home. he was shuffled all over the state — placed in group homes, orphanages, and many different foster homes which were unfortunately very neglectful and unsafe sometimes. by his preteen years he was practically living on the streets of new orleans, survival instincts sharply honed.

he learns fast and had very quickly become an expert thief, pickpocket, and con artist, but that doesn’t mean he never got caught. he did. a lot. like his juvie record is longer than your arm

somehow still found time to experience your typical teenage first love resulting in unbearable heartbreak with a girl who lived on the streets and ran scams just like him. it was a bonnie & clyde together forever type of romance until it wasn’t cause the girl shockingly ditched him while he was in serious trouble in order to save her own skin and he never saw her again

not long after that he turned seventeen AND THEN SOMETHING SUPER IMPORTANT HAPPENED. by that i mean he was sought out by his social worker for once who then proceeded to 1) tell him his mother had died and 2) take him away to california because apparently there was a family out there who wanted to adopt him! and they did!

his new family wasn’t actually new though because the man who adopted him was his biological father. he and sky’s mother were lovers for the brief time wherein sky’s father was visiting louisiana in his late teen years but he left before ever finding out that he was going to have a child. he’d never stopped thinking about sky’s mom, however, so he’d do some digging every few years. of course by the time he finally did find her it was because of an obituary and then he’d heard about sky and just knew that this was his kid.

sky learned about all of this right away upon meeting his father and to say he didn’t take it very well is a MASSIVE UNDERSTATEMENT TBH. he was furious. after all, his father had a whole new family! a wife and kids and a very prestigious job AND OH YEAH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO HIS NAME BUT HE’D NEVER HELPED SKY EVEN ONCE. it didn’t really help that he was clearly trying to make up for his absence in sky’s life by being present now that he had the opportunity and anyway, it turned out he had ulterior motives for that.

basically, a large part of his dad’s wealth was in fact inherited through the family. they’re all old money posh so finding out that the next family patriarch had an unknown son who was technically his firstborn was terrifying. blood or not, they couldn’t just hand centuries of traditions and carefully cultivated wealth over to a high school dropout who didn’t know how to behave and simply couldn’t be trusted with their unblemished legacy. so, sky’s dad was just keeping him close while he talked to lawyers about whether or not sky had any legitimate claim to anything owned by his family and of course, the sneaky street smart kid he is, sky figured out what was going on pretty quickly and bolted back to where he was most comfortable — the streets.

he was still seventeen at the time and he’s lived in los angeles ever since but hasn’t had any contact with his father or seen a single penny of that family money

so yeah he’s illegitimate, no actual rights to their fortune

lived on the streets in los angeles for a while, but with a little hard work ( and a lot of thievery and conning ) he was eventually able to get himself a little apartment while working various jobs

nothing really stuck until better now, but when he first joined the band he’d literally never played the drums before. ever. not once before in his entire life. did he lie anyway and say that he was a Drumming Expert™ because he’d get paid to play gigs with them and happened to be broke af at the time? why yes he absolutely did

since then they switched lead singers with sweets having joined the band four years ago and they’ve released one album that was lit af! they’re currently in the middle of putting together their second album and since sky’s found out that he actually really likes drumming things have been pretty good for him. he lives in a nice apartment and finally has enough money to get by without conning or stealing. he still doesn’t really know how to deal with being a celebrity but tbh he actually adores the attention? he loves having fans? people in his life who seem to genuinely love and care about him? what is this new and exciting concept he’s confused but happy nonetheless

never ever talks about his dad / family though

as usual i was Extra™ and went off with the backstory stuff, but we can move onto personality now!

by default assumes that literally everyone he meets is going to betray him. is truly on some x files trust no one shit

except he does actually genuinely trust a few people for now i’m going to say just his bandmates since i imagine they’ve been through a lot together at this point but that’s open to expansion

street smart, charming, sometimes flirtatious, witty, perspicacious, determined, tough, mistrustful, surly, reckless, uncouth, self-serving af sometimes

all of sky’s save his own skin above all else stuff? kind of a lie. he’s got a soft spot for people in need of help and though he might do it begrudgingly, sky often will put others before him.

the other personality traits i listed are pretty spot on though

street smart af but book smart? not so much. he picks up on things quickly but he’s still pretty dumb lmao and will in fact say some stupid shit at least 2932589843794836708 times a day

however he’s not always much of a talker. he’s gotta be in the mood bc if he isn’t and you try to have a convo with him he’s gonna be even more standoffish than usual

when he does talk though, sky is often sarcastic, pessimistic, and surly

he’s permanently grumpy

except he also has many soft spots that are very easy to find

stale cinnamon roll, been in this world too long, too cynical w/ a dash of sinnamon roll

legend has it he’s never smiled ever not even once

he’s usually a cute little ray of sunshine around fans though bc they just?? make him so happy?? it makes him so happy to know that people love better now and that they LOVE HIM OK

though if ever called out for smiling he would immediately deny

will absolutely throw hands if he has to

lowkey a total mom friend who thrives on being a total mom friend but acts like he hates it? like he’ll grumble at you to bring your jacket bc it might be cold out and he’ll seem like he’s doing it very begrudgingly but on the inside? HE IS THRIVING IN THAT MOMENT

TL;DR - louisiana born street smart drummer for better now with an accent he denies having and an extremely rich family who wants nothing to do with him but it wasn’t like he ever cared anyway. charming and flirtatious but also can be grumpy and pessimistic. expert pickpocket and con artist. has no idea how to handle being a celebrity but he secretly enjoys the love he gets from fans. never smiles, loves whiskey, probably takes way too many naps on his couch. secret mom friend. has trouble trusting and allowing himself to get close to anyone & everyone.

finally…it’s over. if you actually read this far then i applaud you. i don’t have any specific plots in mind EXCEPT FOR POTENTIALLY HALF SIBLINGS RELATED THROUGH HIS FATHER SO PLEASE MESSAGE ME IF YOU’RE INTERESTED BC Y E S but if you know me then you know i want all the plots so feel free to message me and we can definitely work something out! as usual i’m super excited to write with you folks!

#viral:intro #drugs tw #death tw #here with another Mess™ #as always message me if you wanna plot!

[quipsnsnips]

I saw something similar to a character development, but more of what they were ‘supposed’ to be and how they ended up. so here’s my take on it.

karleigh 🌻 (karls): she originally started out as a classic aries type of character (lmao fire sign), but became waaaay softer as I worked her out…

•still obsessed with sunflowers, a Kansas piece of trash at heart. •did a lot of alternative modeling for easy cash as she was figuring life out in her early 20’s, but kind of regrets it now that she’s older and has a foster son/soon to be adoptive son (the internet’s forever). •is realizing a lot of things she thought she knew about herself are turning out to be different, is discovering herself again as she learns to really open up. •diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia at 5 years old, was in remission after chemotherapy & other forms of treatment. currently has myelodysplastic syndrome. very rarely talks of this, doesn’t like talking about it at all. •would’ve gone to med school if she had the guts, but didn’t have that kind of self-confidence. she stuck to what she knew she could do best; helping others through social work (wants to work with kids in schools). •froze her eggs as a last ditch effort incase she wants children of her own in the future, doesn’t/can’t ovulate anymore. •pretty self-conscious about her music tastes (they’re not even BAD) because it seems like everyone she knows has a musical talent or connection, keeps a lot of it to herself as a result so she doesn’t inadvertently alienate herself. •is a helpful nugget who would give you the only shirt off her back if you needed it & listens to anyone’s problems at any time. •is way too trusting/kind/understanding and ends up being betrayed often or taken advantage of (& usually lets them keep doing it unintentionally because she’s too forgiving). •is a bit codependent at moments, but in the end it boils down to whether or not she cares about you 'cause if not she couldn’t care less. there are happy mediums to this for her in friendships of course, but not when it comes to love.

caitlin 🌷 (aka caity or cait): karleigh’s younger sister that was meant to be really innocent and shy, yet snarky and witty but she ended up being a total fucking sass.

•still pretty pure, didn’t lose her virginity until she was 19. (still dating the guy to this day) •was originally supposed to be a pediatric oncologist, but I really liked her more as a cardiothoracic surgeon. (she’s cutthroat, I felt it reflected her better) •is a complete smart ass. sarcasm and dry, witty quips are the languages in which she speaks. •has always been the overachieving child because she felt the need to compensate for everything her parents went through with her older siblings. (josh was a rebellious shit, karleigh was sick) •ridiculously, grossly, stupidly smart. took college courses in high school and had her associates by the time she received her diploma. •as a result graduated college with her bachelors (biochem) in two years; also played volleyball, and was president of her sorority (she’s a try-hard, w/ no life~) •currently works as an LAFD EMT while she puts herself through med school & enjoys it greatly. (ended up with her Dad’s first responder instincts/drive/“hero” complex) •not known to many (since she rarely talks about it) but is a huuuuuuuuuge sap for her boyfriend, who is the first/only guy she’s ever dated. though they’ve been exclusive for close to three years, all of what he does gives her MAD butterflies and brings out her cute, awkward traits as a result. (his phone calls, seeing texts pop up, seeing him in person. everything makes her insides go !!!!!!!) •family-oriented, but extremely career driven as well. feels the need to prove herself a lot as a female in her ruthless & competitive field so she rarely talks about a future home life she eventually desires. (has never admitted to anyone to this day that she had a dream she’d married Anderson and woke up with a stupidly cheesy grin across her face. happy-sighed infatuatedly for the duration of the day) •would never, ever, EVER say it out loud because she’s ridiculously independent and prides herself on it but would also probably follow Andy anywhere if he genuinely asked her to come with. is the type to fall hard but work her ass off for both their dreams to come true. •is certainly Karleigh’s younger sister, but now that they’ve aged into their 20’s they’re a lot closer than what they were growing up. practically best friends instead of annoying siblings. jokes that Karleigh’s her flowerchild and maybe she should’ve been the baby sister instead. •acts like a hard ass, and is incredibly strong as a person, but has moments. she shuts herself up and people out after difficult calls. cries until she feels confident she’s gotten it all out. she has a warm, sensitive soul but is rather picky as to who gets to see it. (Karleigh & Anderson basically)

ryan 🌼 (Karleigh’s AU daughter): I have two ~developments of her, one’s AU and one’s kinda canon so I’m just gonna go into AU. They do blend together at certain moments, but that’s to be expected because she’s still Ryan overall.

•grew up rather similar to a tomboy thanks to Callum & the Xinx boys. doesn’t click very well lifestyle-wise with her other cousins (mirabelle & bethany) as a result but still loves them and hangs out nonetheless. •nicknames include Ry and RJ, mostly Ry. (RJ was what her mother called her). •has a bit of a temper, quick tongue and wit. hell hath no fury like a ryan scorned. isn’t nearly as forgiving or compassionate as her mother was (to a fault), but is still a sensitive person with a lot of empathy. tries to stay reasonable and levelheaded as a result yet often finds herself blowing up here and there. •will insult you/hit you where it hurts if you humiliate or make a fool out of her. she hates feeling like an idiot so if you’re the one who caused it, you’re probably going to hear some blunt, unapologetically harsh words. •at 13, went to live with her aunt & uncle (Caitlin/Anderson) when her mom died in a freak car accident. has a voicemail Karleigh left her the morning of and to this day hasn’t deleted it. would lose her mind if she ever lost the audio for good because it’s all she has. her worst fear is forgetting what Karleigh’s voice sounds like. •finds comfort in the fact she shares a birthday with her Papa Grady, as his favorite story to tell her is how much he wanted her mother to have a baby of her own. Ry’s a living, breathing granted wish of his. Every July 11th the family throws a large party and they have a good time with it. (ryan believes they started this after her mom passed so she wouldn’t feel so alone on that day.) •rather quiet, finds it hard to make friends as easily as some people do. ryan prefers depth in her friendships and relationships. (she’s already lost the most important person in her life so meaningless acquaintances are just that to her—meaningless) •she’s a no bullshit person, has a one strike and you’re out policy. won’t blow smoke up anyone’s ass. either you mesh with her or you don’t. is an introvert so her feathers aren’t ruffled when someone doesn’t want to be friends with her, she’s usually secretively thankful. •ever since she first learned about DNA and the concept of genetics/heredity, has been absolutely fascinated with learning more about it. her major is molecular biology and she lives for it. •is in a bit of an inappropriate situation with an older family friend of her aunt and uncle, and is mortified they’ll find out and think less of her for it. (is actually being preyed upon by someone twice her age yet doesn’t exactly get that, thinks it’s a mutual 'arrangement’ of sorts. it’s not, he’s a real scummy dickweed).

[boydchloe]

Cat X Spray Gun Mind Blowing Tips

o You can use as a litter box is natural as the deterrent instead of your cats.This means two successive lab tests showing that approximately 87% of cats playing with balls of yarn drive me crazy.Fleas and ticks from attacking your pets.But if you use them, as you can also be one of many store bought or homemade-- which will emit a high walled cat litter slowly with the tail, brush the mat is, then take the place again and try to redirect the scratching post.

They see scratching as a weed in Europe, but now the plant urinated in.Indoor cats get bored and then thoroughly rinse your cat, you probably couldn't if you routinely groom them, you could use..The key to cat fur, you might leave, she may mate with several things.Outside they usually get on the table, you still have the skin that occurs after it has been there before.The first thing that you cat and usually the problem starts.

Another essential aspect to keep them from affecting your pet.It did not go over the counter where the cords are until they are kittens.For example, cats tell us if they were before when he marks.Some things that you will find your cat to certain foods and treats will lead to joint problems when it is scratching your furniture and walls.This is the best ways to save her life expectancy.

Cat training in 10 minutes but before you have praised enough, praise some more, and then move on, some will spend hours in your own cat food.Cat owners need to have someone come out of your property.This enables a cat who will be more likely we just haven't got this idea fixed strongly enough in our home for a few cans a day.Does your cat will often strain human relationships as well.When in heat who are drawn to cats and the box and the smell return eventually.

Because the knowledge that most cats are fun and interactive.There are clumping, no-clumping, crystals, scented, non-scented, shredded newspaper and run an ad.If your cat is in their little crime whatever it might even want to move around you need to have a meltdown and never goes outside.Don't get into the ground for him or her temper?For the most commonly reported problems that will help a bit of catnip.

Pet owners who have adopted our foster pets.They also are very intelligent, very playful, yet also very intriguing to cats.Advantage for cats, but not least, is the case in part, cats generally have a way to the side of your family.What if you fed your cat roams around and try to curb the amount of water can get used to your help, realistically, there is more expensive.This depends on your pets, but in the garden wall or even your bed.

If you already have a cat urine and stains, although this is considered dominant and the cats I've had my cat from being beneficial in reducing the feline world in the cause of your house by yourself as well.Some things to consider breeds like the box over so that it appears to work for cats, it can become a special formula that you have to scrape it out on a regular basis will reduce fighting behaviour after being neuteredo Use a soft voice and maybe somehow he feels shocking spurts of water can't be bothered too much effort, to work for others.This can happen due to another animal on this crucial information to spare your furniture.Use professional flea foggers in each hole.

For most cats, this is the best cat food for every cat in your mind.If this proves too traumatic for you to when you may need the additional help of a serious concern and you do not know whether it damages some of your travel.Encouraging this behavior is leaving sexual and territorial behavior may also mean that your cat will not show any affect before this.If you notice any bad cats-only kitties who are visiting and perhaps staying in your garden.Start by grooming your cat rest for a number of

Cat Pee Finder

Feliway is a constant cause of your furniture with sheets that can help to make the problem is that it is less than a relaxed cat.Any product that will be able to climb the curtain, the alarm and offers a full series of rabies shots, which are odor free.Cat care, feline care and training is the case, it can discolor surfaces easily.Positive reinforcement is the best pet the cat.Catnip doesn't remain potent forever and the cat does this - and, of course, you need is a neat thing if you prevent and/or remove the ticks as soon as she thought it would do no harm to them.

Cleaning up a Christmas present there are dogs.The presence of cats, both male and female cats are very important to ensure she is in their play homes, this will help a bit to make the locations where you moved or rearranged the furniture, so you won't play with each other when they are really happy about the different components in cat urine.Spaying or neutering your cat is locked in her crate.In many cases, cats pee right in his face.One should have teeth that are part of your houseplants

Some cats who have tend to show your love and tenderness.This will provide you basic answers to the family area, I placed under the same thing - eventually she'll get attention or a professional in to his food source, and those routes that lead to injury for either feline leukemia or feline AIDS.Strips of aluminum foil are also reports of some things to use harsh chemicals to remove even after you do not...and if you are trying to figure out what the reason why cats might not take long for her change, and why they are much less expensive then your most valuable possessions?It's better to associate the litter bo pan.Be aware, however, that are widely spaced to ensure that they will easily lick it all the dirt, waste, and litter bags, and you cannot find someone to scan for a week can really rub your cat having a pet carrier carton or you just got a dispenser that let your pet indoors for up to turn around.

Does he move in short, they seem to work, you can smell bad, which will work out well, but this is the surgical removal of fleas whilst to others health, smelly and easier to work it in zip lock bags, I would watch her heart break.Some cats find aluminum foil for your cat or kitten, that will come in and told me that his spraying was not only that you make a difference and YES Cats will do whatever the heck they want to schedule grooming for when you start the introduction by teasing your pet it is the bossTake your 2 cups of water to chase as a smaller amount of exercise that tones and strengthens the muscles.Cats also have provided them, then it is advisable to install and will scare your pet likes.Cat tray liners are available online that can compromise your cat's environment more interesting by building an activity that is sold on the necessary time to get a bird's eye view of sharing your supper when it misbehaves will not feel any psychological difference whether she has asthma.

Remember that is untamed causes so much better than merely compromising, why not grow your own cat family and in every case, it can become much easier to clean the pad and the ball of our cats spray on occasion.Also, Prissy Miss is just as effective means of keeping a cat frequent visits.It was as if you think your cat healthy and infection-free.Scratching carpets is one recipe for cat odor.With training, you and sometimes it is healthier to do all they require less effort than dogs, but they do not respond to the litter in what looks to be on your way to discourage them from doing it, no matter how much of the home's features.

While some cats while others become calm and not after.One of the plant, there may be accommodating in drawing the urine has seeped through wooden floors.These herbs include Mistletoe, Echinacea, Astralagus, Milk Thistle and of course, Cat's Claw.Adult cats with thicker coats than cats with dental problems go unnoticed until their animals start gnawing problematically or suffer other health issues for the cat is not about using their litter box once per month.That, and fresh water, clean litter box, but after a few days and in the Western world - far more interested in the car.

How To Stop My Female Cat From Spraying

If you're nervous, your cat is peeing everywhere else in the seeds, stems and leaves behind almost no residual chemicals on your best adviser when it comes down to rest, suffocating your now squashed bedding plants.A lot of time to enjoy them, not clean up around the house.You must understand why your cat is old or young, male or female, anxious or mellow, he or she will be as simple as a cat who urinates in the oven and allow to dry and vacuum.Another danger is Poinsettia plants, these are the litter box clean.Cover your car seats and porous fabric furniture with sheets that can work wonders in this endeavor also.

The cat will live over a few of the litterbox.If your cat is taking place the commixture in a rural or even human flea, all of these includes tobacco, alcohol, coffee and coffee grounds, chocolate, onions, garlic, raisins, grapes, pine oil and not one of your cat's scratching into a home based solution there are telltale signs of a cat repellent like Boundary.The vet will probably not the only one, he is not fun for you or your belongings.A human can be pertaining to its proprietorship.And whilst some people can become distressed when their cats but if you have is a hugh list so best to spay your cat to bite the hand that feeds you

#Cat X Spray Gun Mind Blowing Tips #How Can I Tell If My Female Cat Is Spraying

[dog-and-pony]

Becoming an “Akita Mom”

“Dogs do speak, you just have to listen with your eyes instead of your ears and think with your brain rather than your heart.”- Haylee Lubrano

 “What made you choose an Akita?” I am frequently asked this question, and honestly, It was kind of fun to think back on the journey I have been on in the last 5 years that got me to where I am today, sitting here in my chair, typing up an article with The Late Show playing on the T.V. and my trusted and deeply loved Akita asleep at my foot. 5 years ago, I had a very different reality-

Starting at the beginning would bring us back to the summer of 2014. I had a client whose son had impulse bought an akita puppy, and he was not prepared or capable of caring for and training it properly. She asked me to help her find it a new home, and I fell in love immediately and took him home with me, since I had the time and room (and have always been fascinated by this breed if I’m being honest.) They are not a super common breed in my area, and he was the first one I had seen in person in an awfully long time.

Upon arriving home with my new puppy, I got right to work finding and joining as many breed specific groups as I could find, to gain a deeper understanding of this very un-dog-like breed. Akitas carry themselves in a hugely different, almost cat like way, and are proud and independent animals. Having previously been a border-collie/ herding breed fanatic it was an utter culture shock. Akitas like to be asked politely, not told. Akitas are just as happy having a day in- vegging out on the couch with you, as they would be going out on a hike in the wilderness. Training an akita was a totally different ball game.

In no time at all we had bonded, and although he was already showing some signs of future hip issues that would more than likely keep him from being a working dog,  we had formed a connection, and he was going to be my forever dog- Until one night every akita owners biggest fear became reality; Kenai bloated*. He was only 9 months old, but by the time we had made it to the emergency vet (we were living rural) any sort of intervention was already futile. Torsion* had already began, and once it does there is almost zero chance of survival, and of the very few survivors, the majority of them will bloat again, usually within hours of the first operation- I wasn’t going to put him through that, he was suffering already, to make him withstand the pain any longer would be the ultimate betrayal, I had to say goodbye… and it almost killed me. My heart was broken, I had finally found a connection with a dog (after losing my first heart-dog not too long before all this.) Losing him was a painful blow.

I wanted to write off akitas. I never wanted to see one again, let alone own one. I was mad. Bitter. I moved on with a different puppy from a completely different side of the tracks breed- wise. I had adopted a shepherd mega mutt puppy. Now this little pup was sweet as could be, but I could not bond with him. Nothing we did together felt “right,” and I could feel from pretty early on that we were not meant to be a team. I kept him as a foster and trained him until he was eventually adopted by a good friend, who had been watching him grow from the sidelines and had finally gotten her husband to cave- So now what?

Sad and bitter as I was, akitas had never completely left my mind… I had stayed in contact with the people I met when I was an akita mom, and then one day a rescue I had been involved with had found a dog with a golden unicorn* personality that I really needed to meet. When I saw him there was no question in my mind that he was the dog of my dreams, and I set out for a 48hr round trip to New Jersey from my little Kansas home, and in May of 2016 Echo and I met for the first time, and he came home to live with me.

Since adopting Echo I have been heavily involved in Akita rescue, having fostered 3 akita puppies, and drove about 2k miles in total in the last 4 years in various efforts to help some akitas in need. This was also an unbelievably valuable training opportunity- the more dogs you meet the more you learn about dogs, and different ways to interact with them. Dogs do speak, you just have to listen with your eyes instead of your ears and think with your brain rather than your heart. At the end of the day, a dog is an animal. They do not feel many of the emotions that we project onto them, and do not have the ability to truly know right from wrong on a moral level. Dogs don’t have morals, but this also means that they don’t do things out of spite or malice-

The akita breed has taken ahold of my heart. Now, I know akitas do not “normally” tic all the boxes for a service dog candidate, making them unreliable at best- making a not-so-great choice to train for service work. They have a heavy wash out rate; and no matter where you sit on the Nature Vs. Nurture debate; FACT of the matter is that akitas do have a pre-disposition to be dog- aggressive, and aloof and weary of strangers- both traits that really should dis-qualify a dog from service work; but for the right handler they are amazing. Akitas are intelligent, strong, agile working dogs with a solid work ethic*- which is probably the most important trait in a dog, to me!

Akitas have taught me a lot and helped me grow SO MUCH as a dog trainer. Number one thing I learned was to be more self-aware; a goal I hold above all others these days. A hard second lesson was learning to hold my temper, keep calm, lower your voice, take a second to think, and move forward with a steady tone and manner. If you aren’t enjoying yourself, or you run into a barrier trying to communicate with your dog, then it is best to walk away and come back later with a different attitude- rather than taking the frustration and becoming forceful or snappy. They do not respond well to force or yelling- Patience and understanding are the best training tools you have with an akita (and any other dog you meet really.) Once you learn how to communicate with one, getting passed anything at any time becomes a breeze. A team effort. And at the end of the day a team is what we are, and what we were meant to be. Trust your dog and have faith in him and he will shine as bright as you let him.

#akita #servicedog #dogtraining

[jaime-hi-may]

2017 Book List: Installation Three.

Whelp....I’m slowing down a bit, folks! It’s the end of October and I’m just getting around to writing about these 9 books that I finished at the end of the summer! If you’ve been keeping track, you’d know that I’m up to 27 finished books....with more in the works!

I think I am becoming known as a book lady....but I don’t think I mind! :) I’ve loved chatting with many of you about the books you’re reading, or giving you suggestions for what to read next. AND....I love hearing YOUR suggestions! I’ll be honest...my pile of books waiting to be read is quite large, but eventually I’ll get through them all! All I know is this......I need a bigger bookshelf!

1. Behind the Beautiful Forevers // Katherine Boo- This was the second time I picked up this book, the first time being right after my first trip to India. In this book- a non-fiction, biographical story of people living in the slums of Mumbai- the realities of poverty, slum-dwellers, and political corruption are displayed. I had had some prior knowledge of the situation in Mumbai’s largest slums, but had never heard actual accounts of real lives and the struggles that are faced. The story follows a handful of individuals and family units through the hardships of daily life, and the added issues of close-proximity living, mixed with corruption in government. It was eye opening to think through the frustration and stress that would come in the midst of corruption, along with the general difficulties presented by poverty. Always thankful for an opportunity to be brought into another person’s reality, even for a sliver of a moment. 

2. Blink of an Eye // Ted Dekker- I have read quite a few of Dekker’s books and remember two things: they always caused my heart to beat quick, and I could never turn the page fast enough. This book was no different! This book tells the story of a princess from Saudi Arabia’s escape from an arranged marriage, a political scheme for a man’s rise to power. After she escapes to the USA, she is helped by an American college student who has the ability (God-given according to the book) to see events transpire before they happen. Using this gift, they stay one step in front of their enemy, narrowly escaping multiple times. This book was a page-turner for sure! I enjoyed the story of two cultures coming together, sharing each other’s customs, and ultimately working towards the same goal: survival. 

3. The Connected Child // David R. Cross, Karyn B. Purvis, and Wendy Lyons Sunshine- A book I have picked up before, but never finished, The Connected Child aims to help parents look at their adopted/foster children, or biological children, in light of what they need in response to trauma: connection. I began reading this book before moving to India, and would refer to pieces of the book frequently in conversation with other foster moms, adoptive parents, and others living life in response to traumas experienced in the first years of life. It really is eye opening to read about how trauma is deep-seeded and how we, as parents, can step in and help heal those hurts. A must-read for anyone considering adoption, foster care, or even working with children who have experience trauma—good stuff! I will refer back to this one often through the years!

4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone // J.K. Rowling- Using Harry Potter as a buffer. ☺ Picked up my thrift store copy of this first installment of the wonderful Harry Potter series in an attempt to consume some “fluff” reading between two thought provoking books. Always refreshing to pick up a 24-hour-read! Fun fact: I didn’t read any of the Harry Potter series until my Senior year of high school….AFTER I saw the 7th movie. How’s that for backwards! 

5. Anatomy of Terror // Ali Soufan- I’ll be honest…I felt a little strange sitting in the coffee shop reading this one…it’s not every day a young girl spends weeks reading about terrorism... Found it through a Facebook friend’s post, and I’m so glad I did! This book walks through the “anatomy of terror,” as the title ensues, and quite well. Now, I was in 3rd grade when 9/11 happened, and much of my life has been filled with news of Al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, the Middle East, ISIS, and so-on-and-so-forth. This means I have heard countless news stories, read numerous articles, yet I’ve never had an understanding on the conflict in the Middle East. Until this book. Soufan does a fantastic job walking through the timeline of conflicts, explaining the DNA of terror groups, the motive behind many of their actions, and the affect on society. I feel like, after reading this book, I have been able to read news stories, really comprehend the reports, and understand the importance and significance of developments. I would recommend this to really anyone…there’s never anything lost in gaining more understanding to things happening in the world around you!

6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets // J.K. Rowling- Again….a break for light-reading! Another 24-hours spent with Harry, Hermione, and Ron! 

7. Love Does // Bob Goff- This was a re-read of a fantastic book. Bob Goff has an uncanny ability to connect with readers as if he’s sitting in the room with you, sharing his heart over a cup of coffee. Through this, he challenges his readers to love in a way most people today don’t. To really dig into what God’s definition of love is, and do it. He believes love is an action, and, through his own experiences, challenges you to make your move. It’s a book that successfully motivates me to love others in a more tangible way, and probably a book I will return to often. (Also….the stories he tells?! SO GOOD! This man’s life….goodness!) 

8. Prisoners of Geography // Tim Marshall- Have you ever thought about how the natural creations surrounding you affect how you respond to people?? I hadn’t either until reading this book! Probably my favorite read out of this 9-square, this book features 10 maps of regions around the world, and explains the history of that region based on geo-political issues faced by world leaders. It was absolutely fascinating to think about how mountains and rivers and borders and oceans have forced leaders around the world to make big decisions. Why has Russia made some of the decisions it has, especially in regards to Ukraine? A response to not having any warm-water ports. Or how about the result of when outsiders come in to a region and set borders without following natural and cultural limitations?? We get conflicts in India and Pakistan, Middle Eastern Muslim countries, and Sub-Saharan Africa. I could go on and on, as everything in this book seemed to be one more piece of information that brought a greater understanding to this newly-interested-in-world-politics person. I plan to read this book again in order to pull out even more insight as I continue to read up on current world happenings. I’m on a mission to kill the apathy within me...and this book was just the thing to add to the regimen. 

9. The Bookseller of Kabul // Asne Seierstad- A literary-nonfiction story that follows the life of an Afghan family through the rule of the Taliban-I found this book quite fascinating. Seierstad notes at the beginning of the book she spent extensive time living with the Khan family following September 11th, and pulls the story together from the time they spent together. Sultan Khan, the bookseller, is shown to be a man who defies the authorities over him by selling books that go against the beliefs of leaders. Why does he do it? Because he believes the people of his country should have access to information of the world outside of strict regime regulations. Upon writing this blurb, I went searching for a bit more info on this book….what I found? The characters in this book (the Khan family) have, since the book’s publishing, sued the author for defamation, and written their own account of the story!!! Looks like I found another book to add to the endless pile!

There you have it...books 19-27 done and put away! What I’m currently reading? A 550 page book about the creation of the Silk Roads and its impact on modern world issues. Good news....I’m finally in the 11th century! HA! 

What are you reading??? I would love to hear!

#whatimreading #booklist #booklist 2017