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enigma-im · 3 years

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Seventh day of Christmas...

Trope: 1800s Monster (Monster hunt) Relationship: Swamp monster x Human Word Count: 5,883

"Should have gotten this done earlier," I grumble to myself," going to catch a death of a cold."

The sun is nearly set over the horizon as I rush down to the river. With bucket and washboard in hand, I scurry down the path. The water comes into view, the sun making the sight more ethereal. I heave the clothes filled bin near the water's edge. I take my time removing them all, submerging the bucket into the river.

The idle task of washing clothes used to be nice. To be used as an excuse to get away from my loud family. I always volunteered for it as a child, just to stop hearing my sisters scream who took what. These days I'd give anything to go back to a busy home. The quiet has begun to turn my brain to mush, the only interaction I get now is talking to the butcher when I purchase my meats. I sigh, scrubbing away.

With the load finished and clean, and the sun nearly hidden behind the horizon, I lift my bucket to head back home. I perch the bin on the edge of my hip, taking a moment to admire the sunset. The sun truly adds a breathless look to the water this time of day. I smile softly to myself before turning away.

As I take my first step I hear a dull whimper. It is just loud enough to give me pause. Looking around I wait for it to repeat itself. After a few seconds, it sounds again, ending with a bubbly gurgle. Curiosity gets the best of me, setting my bin down to check out the sound. Many images pop through my head as I wander around the grassy bank. Thoughts of an injured animal drive my need to find the source.

Looking through bushes and behind rocks, I hear the pathetic sound from the water. Confused I walk over, looking over a thicket of Maidencanes. Something causes a bit of a gap in the grass, hidden by the tall stalks. I split a path through it, looking to the creature below. There isn't much to see, some thick globs of algae sitting in a long pile. Some netting is caught around it, most likely lost from the fishermen. I huff, such litter.

I take a step back, letting the grass settle back into place. As I try to step away from the water's edge I hear the whimper again. It comes from the grass. I look to the thicket bemused, knowing I just checked the area. Making certain, I part the grass once more and look upon the large glob of algae. I gaze at every crevice and divot, finding nothing. Before I can retreat again, the large pile of algae moves. I startle back, worried for myself more than the whimpering creature. Watching the mound move I catch a pair of eyes glaring up at me, staring through strands of wet grass. I freeze, motionless against the sight before me.

"m-m-monster," I shout, falling on my rear. I scurry back, not looking away from the creature's devilish yellow eyes. As I get my bearings I twist and crawl towards my bin. I shuffle to my feet, reaching for my belongs like a lifeline. I grab the board, surely I can use this washboard to protect myself. As I try to think of useful weapons I hear the wet whimper. I freeze, turning around slowly to stare back at the monster cradled in the Maidencanes. It gurgles, wiggling in the net that cocoons it. The sight is pitiful, their eyes more so.

I twist away from the heart retching sight, clenching my eyes as I fight back the urge that boils forth. My fingers dig into the washboard.

"I will not help him, I will not help him," I mumble under my breath. Another whimper steals my attention, forcing me to look back at it. My shoulders slump in defeat. I sigh, shaking my head at my ignorance.

I set the board down and search through my items for my pocket knife. My father gave it to me as a youngling after I cried about my brothers getting one. The memory brings a smile to my face. I clench the knife and head over to the monster.

"You better not eat me," I grumble to it as I step into the ankle-high water. I flipped out the knife, staring down at the monster. The creature gurgles, wiggling in it's netting. I crouch down and grab a strand of rope and attempt to cut through. The monster still shifts and flails to a point I'm too scared to cut the rope. I try anyway, tugging the netting up to get the knife under it. As I begin sawing the creature jerks, nearly making me cut my fingers. I yelp, falling back into the water. Now wet and annoyed I glare at the creature.

"You better quit this behavior right this instant," I shout," I won't help you if I'm going to get cut." I point the knife towards him, meeting his eyes with a motherly sneer. The creature drops it's shoulders and sulks, falling lax into the water. I cock a brow," better.'

Getting back to work I tug at the netting, plucking the strands easily with my knife. Piece after piece loosens till the creature is nearly free. I pick at the last bit, snapping it with a huff. Before I can stand the creature lifts itself, standing tall above me. Looking up at it from my crouched position I begin to fear for my life.

The muck covered monster watches me for just a moment before turning away and sinking into the river. Nothing is said, no noises exchanged. He is gone. My breath finally comes back to me, rushing into my lungs hard and fast. I clench my chest, falling back on my rear in the water.

"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name," I ramble to myself. Still mumbling the prayer I look to the water, curious and intrigued.

The next day is spent keeping busy. I constantly catch myself thinking about the river monster, scolding myself every time I do. I clean the house, then tend the garden, even cleaning out the pantry just for something to do. The work doesn't distract me as it should. Though I shouldn't be so surprised, it's not like anything noteworthy has happened as of recently like the monster.

As I sit down that afternoon I allow myself just a few minutes to think back on the creature. I think about its nearly glowing eyes, still entranced- enamored- now. It was an ugly being but I can't deny the odd appeal of its horrid physique. It was tall, very built. I dare to consider it as a he, the body of lumber workers or blacksmiths. He is strong.

Giggling like a little girl about the large barrel chest I think about if the monster is still at the river. Surely that would be foolish of me to assume such a thing. What person would want to stay where they were nearly killed with a discarded fishing net? To be fair though, he isn't a person. Either way, he won't be there. I could still check… I shake my head at the thought.

"No, no, no. such ideas would surely get one killed," I try to persuade myself," no, no. that will not do." I stand from the chair and look around for anything to keep busy. My gaze locks on the sheets piled by the washing bin. I should wash it before it gets dark out. Lingering on the idea for just a moment I shake myself from the thought. "no, no," I mumble again walking to the bedroom. I stop at the doorway, glancing back to the bin. I pinch my lips with a grunt.

Racing down the path towards the river I try to think how foolish I'm being by wanting to catch another sight of the monster. The thought is outweighed by my excitement.

I sit by the river, scrubbing at the sheets while looking out at the river. The sun still sits above the horizon, not threatening to vanish behind it any time soon. I see no hint to where the creature may be, becoming completely distracted from my chore to search. My scrubbing slows till I'm just looking at the water.

"Silly, silly girl," I sulk," wishing for such dangers as this."

I stack my items back and turn away from the river with a sigh. It seems the taste of the unknown is done for. I pout as I take a step back up the path. Nearly off the bank, I hear a splash. Blinded by my excitement I drop the bin and run down to the shore, looking frantically around. Around the edge near a tree are rings of rippling water, a turtle scuttling away from the rock it was previously perched on. I sigh in defeat. Taking one more look around I'm startled by a head peaking out in the middle of the river.

"oh," I recoil in surprise. I hardly expected to see him so easily, or at all. He just stands in the water, his head from his nose up visible. Today he looks different. The muck that covered him before is mostly gone, revealing the shining looking skin of his face. The top of his head still has bits of algae and grass stuck to him, but the rest is barren.

"Hello," I call out," I just wanted to check on you, to see if you were ok."

The creature continues to stare, a few bubbles rising from near its mouth. I hum in thought.

"I'm surprised you stuck around, fishermen are quite active up the river this season," I say casually, not expecting him to speak," they are hard workers but they tend to let their lost gear follow the stream till it's lodged in the bush."

The silence stretches on till the creature ducks back under the water and out of sight. Though the meeting was lackluster I can't help the gleeful pep in my step as I walk back home.

I return the next day, forgoing bringing my washing bin. Sitting atop a rock near the shore I watch the wildlife. Ducks swim together on the opposite bank, picking at the bugs swimming in the water. Turtles bask on rocks nearby, and fish flick at the water's surface to enjoy a snack. It's not long before the familiar head pops up in the middle of the river.

I perk up," Hello again river monster. It's a lovely day today, isn't it?"

He just continues to watch.

I ramble on," I don't get out much like this anymore. There is always something else to keep me busy back at the house but I think I prefer sitting here basking in the sun than in my kitchen with all the quiet." I look to the sky, closing my eyes and feeling the heat on my cheeks. "Yea, it's way nicer here," I say.

Glancing at the monster I see him rise higher out of the water before launching an object to the shore. It thumps against the sand with a soft thud, indenting the ground with it's landing. Confused I walk over. A rusted metal object glints in the sun the closer I get. Leaning down I snatch the piece, admiring it before it clicks.

"A fishing reel," I ask, looking back to the monster," more fisherman debris I'm assuming?"

The creature shocks me with a nod. I hold back a startled yelp, keeping cool as I fidget with the object in my hands.

"Trying to clean up the river? I'm sorry they're making that job harder," I apologize," feel free to give them to me so I can discard them properly. Don't want any more monster men getting trapped in fishing nets."

The monster sinks in the water, bubbles rising near his face. He glares at me, sitting up and spitting water towards me before swimming off again. I snicker at the departure, looking at the reel with a smile.

The week is filled with him tossing me more fishing gear and litter. I get more reels, a snapped pole, lures and droppers, boots, and a snapped anchor. The little collection is mostly tossed in the trash, the metal is taken into town for scrap to the blacksmith. The kind man even offers some coin for the scraps. It's an eventful week.

I return, this time with a picnic basket. A few sandwiches and fruits for a lunch by the river. I'm greeted before I can sit down with the creature looking from the center of the river. His whole head sticks out now, the little progress we made last week. Little fins protrude from his head, flickering as I sit on the sand.

"Afternoon river monster, I decided to have a picnic today. I packed a few ham sandwiches with the extra meat I got leftover. Some strawberries were threatening to go bad so I figured I could feed the ducks if I can't finish them all," I ramble on, opening the basket. The monster sits further out of the water, watching curiously as I get out my first sandwich. I take a bite, watching his little fin flicker again.

I hold out the sandwich," want a bite?"

He nods.

Surprised and excited I stand from the sand and walk down towards the shore. I crouch down beside the water, picking a piece off my sandwich. I hold the nibble out.

"Come on then, I'm not getting in to offer this for you," I shake the food. The monster cautiously swims forward, crawling as he reaches the shallows. He grabs the nibble, his cold, webbed fingers grazing mine. I watch him pop the piece in his mouth, chewing it with a contemplative look.

"Good," I ask. He nods," James has the best meats in town and Marley gave me the cheese at a discount." he swallows the nibble and looks to me.

"Thank you," he croaks out before retreating into the water. I watch in startled awe as he disappears into the water. With the final ripple dissipating I sit back on the shore in shock.

"You can talk," I shout.

I think I annoy him the next day trying to get him to talk. He ends the meeting quickly by tossing his litter to the shore and swimming away. I'm not deterred. The next day I try again, baiting him with sly comments and promises of more food. He doesn't take it, spitting more water and swimming away. After nearly a week of this, I give up, letting him keep his secrets.

I'm down by the water with my washing bin, scrubbing at my clothes in silent frustration. I hear when he pops out the water but I can't pay him any mind. I try not to let his silence hurt our fragile relationship but it really bugs me. Ignoring him I continue to run my skirt over the washboard. A thud sounds from beside me, followed by another when I don't react. One more lands beside me, closer than any other before it.

I glare out at him," don't hit me with litter, please" I humph, angrily soaking the next shirt in the water. My finger aches with the harsh grip on the wet clothing, my nail catching on the ridges of the board. I don't pay attention to the water splashing around in front of me, knowing he is just trying to catch my focus.

I jump when something pokes my cheek. Snapping my gaze up I startle again when I see the river monster crouching before me, dripping onto the sand.

"What," I ask tentatively. He stares at me, flicking his fins. I almost speak again before he beats me to it.

"you are mad," he says, reaching up and poking my cheek again," stop it." I flounder at his words. Not sure what to do I slap his hand away and cross my arms.

"I'm not mad, I'm frustrated," I puff my cheeks," it's different."

He shakes his head.

"It is different. Mad is being angry, frustrated is being angry about something you can't control," I clarify," big difference." he tilts his head, cocking a brow. I huff, looking away. I stare out at the water, feeling more than frustrated now. He reaches out a pokes my cheek again.

"Stop it," I bark, knocking his hand away again," you aren't helping the issue. Just go back in the water and swim away like you always do." I twist away in a childish fit. I fully expect him to jump back in the river and leave me to my pouting. I just wanted to have someone to talk to and finding out he could respond this entire time kind of hurts.

As I wait to hear the sound of water splashing I feel something cold bump against my leg. Looking down I see the monster laying on his back next to me, his hands resting on his plant-covered stomach. He meets my eyes and raises his hand to poke at my cheek again.

"Speak," he prods at the corner of my mouth.

"Why," I push his hand away.

He pokes me again," I like it. Speak."

I swat his hand away again, staring down at him confused. He likes my ramblings? It's oddly heartwarming to know he isn't just ignoring me but actually listening. I blush, turning towards the water. I begin another conversation, feeling less one-sided as he lays beside me while I finish my laundry.

This week the daily meetings are a bit more friendly. He makes the journey to the shore, falling onto his back each time and listening to me till I leave. I start bringing treats for him to nibble on while I go on and on about anything and everything. It's nice to have a friend who isn't a merchant in town. Every day I walk to the river I get a bit giddy.

"When I was younger I moved here with a lad I fancied at the time. He made many sweet promises that I left my family up north and moved down here. Though what a fool I was," I nudge his shoulder," not even six months together and he robs me blind. Running off with a little harlot that worked in town. I never felt smaller than then."

"Why didn't you move back," he asks, nibbling on a rag full of blueberries.

I shrug," many reasons. The main one being money. How can I get back there with just myself? I'm no spring chicken, every day comes with new aches I wasn't prepared for."

He snorts," you are still young."

I shake my head amused," I already gave you food, you don't need to flatter me."

I feel him staring at me, I turn to him. He watches me for a moment, studying me before letting his head fall back against the sand.

"Do you want a family still," he asks. I stare off to the side, shrugging before I look back to the water.

"If I could then I would, but I'm not going to get my hopes up anymore," I answer honestly. He hums, his eye lingering on my back for a moment. I can't meet his eyes again, a little forlorn at the idea of having little ones of my own. The image twists my heart

Another day cleaning linens by the river, talking with the monster. I stop in thought as something dawns on me.

"I don't know your name," I say more as a statement to myself," how rude of me to never ask." I look to him, allowing him a moment to answer the prompt. He just basks in the sun with eyes closed. I nudge him with my foot," that was your cue to answer." he shrugs. I nudge him again. He sneers, finally opening his eyes and acknowledging me.

"Don't have one," he grunts. I watch him lounge back in the sand, sunbathing without a care. Biting back a smile I nudge him again with my foot. Quickly he grabs my ankle, growling up at me. A laugh bubbles out my lips, sneaking past without permission as I snicker at his irritated face.

"Do you want a name," I ask. He lets go of my foot, shoving it away to sunbathe again. He shrugs.

Excited at the new objective I tuck my legs under myself and stare down at him. I think hard on a name, petting at my chin in thought.

"Gilbert," I ask, he chuffs," Sebastian," he sneers," Jonathan," he shakes his head," Lily?" he turns to me and growls. I snicker, it fading off as I try to think. Too many names don't fit him well. Harrison, Noah, Ben, are all just not fitting. With a shrug, I suggest the only thing that fits.

"Elijah," I ask. He catches my eye, staring for a hard moment before shrugging. I guess Elijah works.

I chat with Elijah, excited about his new name. as I finish the last bit of sheets I hear a twig snap from the woods behind me. I snap to attention, twisting around to see a hunter walking down to the shore a bit ways down.

"Afternoon miss," he calls out," excuse me for intruding but I could hear voices and I grew curious." I smile to the man, hiding the nerves twisting my gut as I adjust the bin to obscure Elijah. Leaning back on my arms I greet the hunter.

"Sorry, was talking to myself out here," I answer," it's a habit I've picked up while doing chores, makes the time go by faster."

The man nods," I can understand that, I've been caught a time or two doing that same. I just stopped by the warn you about the sighting I've heard in town about a monster living by the river." I stiffen, fighting back the urge to look over at Elijah laying beside me.

"Is that right? I haven't heard such a tale, I guess the townsfolk didn't know I clean my linen here," I call out to him," I best finish this up and head back to my home where it's safe."

"That you should ma'am," he takes a few steps closer," I don't think you would mind letting me keep you company just in case a sweet thing like yourself gets caught by such a horrid demon."

I jump, stopping him," no, no, no. I'll be fine, I keep my father's knife on me at all times. Ain't no river demon going to catch me off guard now that I know." Elijah snorts softly beside me. I nearly turn around, instead, I clear my throat and give the man my most convincing smile.

"If you think so, I won't force my presence where I'm not wanted," he waves as he heads back into the woods," bye, miss." I wave, watching him till he is out of sight.

I fall back onto my back with a long-drawn-out sigh. I've never felt tenser than at that moment. Elijah sits up beside me, looking off to the tree line then down at me.

"Thank you," he says in his grumbly voice. I shrug, still feeling my heart racing.

"I protect my friends," I smile at him," no need to thank me for that." his gaze softens, lingering on me a tad too long before he sits up and head back into the water.

Sometimes the next few days I head back down to the river, excited to tell Elijah about a new shipment of exotic cheeses that Marley got in. carrying my picnic basket I skip down the path. As the water comes into view I see Elijah's head pop from the water. Before I can get any closer I hear a soft murmur of people speaking. I slow my walk, looking up the river to a small gang of townsfolk wondering my direction. As they spot me a few of the men trot on forward.

"Good evening folks," I greet, waving for Elijah to get down.

A man steps forward, a gun strapped to his back," evening miss. Excuse us for intruding on your lunch but we are going to have to ask you to leave."

I look to the man bemused," Excuse me? Why would I need to do such a thing? I've been coming to this same spot for lunch for nearly a month and I cannot think of a reason why I would need to abandon it."

The rest of the group huddle around the older gentlemen, all carrying weapons of various lengths and sizes. They look around the area, focusing mainly on the water.

"Sorry but it's for safety reasons. A demon has been spotted in these parts and with a few of the miller boys missing we can't take a chance losing anyone else," he explains, reaching out to guide me away towards the woods," so for the next couple of weeks have your lunch in the safety of your home while we sort all this out."

I want to argue, to laugh at such suggestions that Elijah would be at fault for those miller boys missing. The words sit on the tip of my tongue but I fight it back. I smile and nod, walking away toward my home. As I'm out of sight I let my true feelings out.

What's going to happen to Elijah if they find him?

I rest at home, restless as it's been nearly a week since I've gotten to see Elijah. His absents begin to tug at my heart as the lonely home feels smaller and smaller without anyone to speak with. I try to fill the void with books or chores but nothing can replace the space he left.

As I sit by candlelight reading I hear a soft murmur from outside. I shut my book, looking to the window to see a soft glow growing closer to my home. Bolting out of my seat I race to the front door, tearing it open to be greeted by a large mob of people.

"Hello," I say confused to the crowd. A few of the people hold common farm tools, other torches. The ones standing before my door hold guns, aiming them to the floor as they glare at me.

"You, Lou Winifred, have been accused of speaking to spirits and demons, of practicing witchcraft, and for the disappearance of the miller boys," a younger man shouts, his face red and hair cut strangely. I scoff at his words, dumbfounded by such things. He didn't even get my last name right.

"What, with what evidence do you make these bold claims," I cross my arms, tapping my foot impatiently.

Another man starts shouting," I saw yas, you were talking to the water and laughing."

A woman yells from the other end of the crowd," and I saw spirits leaving your home at all hours of the night!"

"I heard your voice whispering to my boys as they lay to sleep, charming them to follow you out to the river," one says.

The crowd spout more ridiculous claims till it just a cluster of noise. My head spins as I can't figure out who to address first. This is all nonsense and surely they can't all be so stupid.

"I have done none of those things, I'm but a simple woman trying to live out her days in peace," I snap.

"Then explain why you have not married. You are well in your age, perhaps you promised your virtue to the demon of the river," a man snarls. I fluster at the accusation. That's none of their business who I promise what to.

I try to argue with them but a few men put their hands on me, jerking me back and forth as they drag me away from my home. I fight in their hold, screaming all the while. This is all ridiculous, foolish ignorance forged by fear. What can I do? What is there to do?

The crowd takes me to the river, tossing me to the sandy beach without a care. I scrape my forearm on the rough grains, wincing from the small cuts.

"Let her call her demon and we will all see the truth," the leader shouts to the crowd. They all cheer, looking at me with disgust. The leader crouches down and lifts me to my feet, sneering in my face. "Now call your beast," he snarls. I shake in fear, tears pricking at my eyes as I frantically look to the river.

The crowd waits silently as we all look to the water, the glow of the fires lighting the surface. We wait and wait, nothing happening. The leader clenches my arms till I whimper.

"Call him," he barks. I shake my head, my lip trembling as I do my damndest to not cry. The leader reels his hand back to slap me to the sand. I yelp at the contact, feeling blood touch my tongue as I try to sit up. We hear a splash from the water, everyone snapping their gaze over.

"No," I shout," no, Elijah, don't." the leader backhands me again, shushing me before looking back to the water. The center of the river bubbles furiously, ripples running up the shore. From behind us a few things clink and thump against trees and rocks. The crowd murmurs, pressing into one another as the noises rip their attention back and forth.

"Stop it, show yourself," the leader growls.

The noises stop, the bubbles dying out till the water is normal once again. Everyone waits with bated breath as all is heard is the crickets chirping.

All at once, a large creature leaps up very close to the crowd. Piles and piles of plant debris lay upon a standing figure, the muck making it look large. The crowd screams and shouts, stepping back at the monster looms over them all. I look at him worried and a bit amused. He threw on a bunch of gunk for this.

Elijah opens his yellow eyes, glaring down at the crowd before speaking in gibberish. He takes a step forward, everyone recoiling in fear. A few people run off into the woods while the rest cower in fear. He takes another step, glaring over at the leader who is crouching with the crowd. As he stomps towards him he flicks his hand behind himself, signaling me.

Elijah faces down the terrified man, reaching down and grabbing his collar. I sneak into the river, watching the sight while silently swimming out. The awful man snivels and whimpers while Elijah drags him towards himself. He lets out a horrendous roar in the man's face, spit and grass sticking to his face. Elijah drops the man with a huff. The man collapses to the ground, laying limply at the feet of his mob.

I watch Elijah continue his theatrics, slowly looking out at the crowd before trying to slink back into the water. As he begins to sink in the people come to their senses, jumping up and shouting as they ready their weapons. In a rush, Elijah jumps into the river, swimming towards me as shots are fired.

Elijah catches me around the waist, dragging me downstream as people fire off into the darkness. I hear the bullet pop at the water around us, Elijah grunts as his shoulder bucks forward. Neither of us can pay it any mind as he swims further and further away.

I watch the low glow of the torches fade as I'm dragged far, far away. We swim for what feels like hours, not stopping for a moment until Elijah begins to loosen his grip. His speed dwindles till we are just floating downstream, his hand slow drifts off my waist till he too is drifting away.

"Elijah," I panic, reaching for him," Elijah!" I hold onto him, lifting his head. He is still awake but his gaze is unfocused. I wrap my arm under his shoulder and begin swimming towards the shore. I fight with the stream, angling towards the muddy edge. My feet kick at the ground, gaining distance until I'm left panting in the shallows. I give myself just a second to catch my breath.

Jumping to action I do my best dragging Elijah up the shore. He helps a bit, digging his feet into the mud to push himself up. I manage to get him in a small opening in the woods, a good ways away from the water. I prop him up, getting him to sit as we both catch our breath. It's just one more moment of peace.

Getting straight to work I search over his shoulder, pushing away bits of muck to find the bleeding wound. Ripping at my wet skirt I use the rag to put pressure on his wound. He grunts, twitching his back. I sigh at the sound, he's alive.

"I told you not to come," I try to scold but it comes out weak. He chuffs. I pinch at his wound, satisfied when he grunts again in pain. "I'm serious, you could have been killed," I hold back the rag, satisfied with the wound lack of blood.

"I'm fine though," he glances at me over his shoulder," you would have died." I meet his eyes, trying to stay mad and determined but I can't. I would have died if he didn't come. I don't answer him, looking back to his wound and doing whatever I can to help.

The sun rises beautifully through the trees to light up the open space we sit in. Elijah looks around as I make a crude bandage for his shoulder.

"I think this place is perfect," he grumbles as he looks out to the woods.

"What are you on about," I answer, a little exhausted and angry.

"This place," he gestures around," perfect place to start a family." I stop breathing for a moment. Snapping my head up to him to see a sweet smirk twisting his lips. Confused, I look around the area then back to him.

"S-start a family," I nearly choke on the first words," for who?"

He twists completely around, cupping my cheek," us?"

I stare at him wide-eyed and flustered. He wants to…with me?

"What," I say with a wavy voice. He butts his head against mine, snaking his hand to the back of my neck.

"I want to give you what you've always wanted," he stares straight into my eyes, full of seriousness as he speaks," will you let me?"

"I-I," I nearly sob, my heart fluttering wildly in my chest," I'd love nothing more," I finish with a choked laugh.

I grab a fist full of the debris falling down the back of his head. We sit in the view of the rising sun, the dawn of a new day- a new chapter- starting before us. I press a timid kiss to his wet lips, thanking him for everything.

#12 days of christmas #12 tropes for christmas #Enigma-IM #exophilia #monster boyfriend #1800s monster #swamp monster #swamp monster boyfriend

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queen-of-my-goofball-army · 3 years

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Favorite Voice Actors

For those of you that know me, you know that my number one special interest is cartoons and the people that voice my favorite characters. Studying my heroes and watching them in interviews became a favorite pass time of mine. A lot of my friends thought that it was really weird and they stopped talking to me because of it. For a long time before I got diagnosed as having aspergers I talked forever about it. I think that both bored and confused people. For me, I love voice acting because anybody can be anything. You can watch a show and years later be like I know that voice it’s insert name here if you’re like me. True, certain actors have something that is brought to every character (I can think of one prime example later on down the list) but it is always about the heart that they put into their characters.

10. Charlie Adler: I’ll admit that I am mostly a fan of him due to the amount of work that he has done and the quantity. This man was the voice of Cow, Chicken and Big Red guy in Cow and Chicken. True, this show was past my time (and if it wasn’t I feel like it would get the Fairly OddParents treatment where my parents would forbid me to watch it.) When I listened to his episode of Talkin’ Toons I found his story’s really interesting and compelling. I can only imagine how much work and effort went into all of his characters in that show. To develop one character is one thing but to be able to switch between them like a deck of cards is a completely different thing. I did however watch a lot of Brandy and Mr. Whiskers when I was younger!! Growing up with that show and hearing him play Mr. Whiskers brought me a lot of joy when I was sick at home and for that I will always be a huge fan of his voice and his work.

9. Jim Cummings. If I were to say that one voice actor had a ton of versatility it would probably be him. I was a major Tigger fan when I was growing up. Not just that but I loved Raymond when Princess and The Frog came out. He is actually my mom’s favorite voice actor. But I also loved CatDog when I would see that on reruns, I grew to love Darkwing Duck and countless other shows that he leant his voice to. Studying voice acting and the people that do it has led to me finding some things out that I would rather not. Especially when I found that he wasn’t actually the nicest person in real life. But, to me that doesn’t matter when it comes to this list. He is here because so many of his characters made my childhood just a little bit happier. When I was thinking about favorite voice actors I considered two things, personality and character content. This one is here just for character content.

8. Bob Bergen: I reblogged a post a long time ago with this man at the helm. What he can do every time I see him do it blows my mind. Bob has been the voice of Porky Pig since pretty much Tiny Toons back in the early 90′s. He has stated that there have been some others but when I think Porky this is the name that comes along with it. Watching him do his thing is something that continually blows my mind. Listening to his life story on Rob Paulsen’s podcast Talkin’ Toons is something that inspired me more than anything. It’s this story of persistence and resilience from a young age. He is one of the few voice actors that actually got to talk with Mel Blanc when he was fourteen. I love his genuine heart and the ability that he has to jump into his character full force. Porky was a big portion of my childhood and I grew up laughing at his “silly” stutter. It wasn’t until I got older and learned that the stutter is an actual art form that I learned something entirely different.

7. Richard Horvitz: Most of you that know me might be surprised at this rather seemingly low placement for somebody that I greatly admire. I mean he was Invader Zim and Billy from Billy and Mandy for crying out loud!! I just bought a print for the man but really when I thought about it, he hasn’t really inspired me as much as my top six have. I love his sense of humor and his love of musical theater but he hasn’t taught me anything life altering. I think that he is hands down the funniest voice actor in Hollywood. I could listen to him make jokes forever and just talk in his voice but at the same time he is so other worldly and knows so much about the craft that it inspired me that way. He is as most of his fans joke “the dad voice actor” complete with dad jokes. I love Invader Zim so much, the show has helped me through a lot of loneliness and emotional moments in my life reminding me to keep laughing at life’s craziness. I also love Moxxie from Helluva Boss. All in all Richard is a fabulous man and actor. He has helped me figure out the kind of person that I wanted to be and I owe him a lot of laughter hours.

6. Greg Cipes: Can I talk about probably my OG hero for voice acting? When I was six I spent a lot of time in front of the television watching the original Teen Titans. My favorite character was Beast Boy his character that he played. When I say that BB changed the way that I think about my life that is not an exaggeration. He was one of the first characters that made me laugh so hard my stomach hurt. Growing up I had to fight people for his validation. It seemed like nobody loved him as much as I did. Cut to me in middle school I’m a bit more grownup and I start channel flipping. I wind up on Nickelodeon and see the reboot of Ninja Turtles. I figure I’ll watch it and see what all the hype is about. I hear Mikey open his mouth and instantly I get this rush of my childhood coming back. It was one of the first times that I made the connection between voice actor and character. Greg taught me so much vicariously through his character. He taught me about fun and laughter, about the importance of feeling lonely doesn’t mean that you’re alone in the world and even if you’re the goofball that doesn’t mean that’s all you have to be. The fact that he is such a relaxed and genuine person only adds to the admiration of this vegan beach bum.

5. Corey Burton: This is a very personal hero of mine. It’s one that I hold very close to me because of one thing. As far as I know, there have been very few voice actors on the autism spectrum. Corey is the only one that I have ever found. He’s the man that actually surpassed every expectation and said screw live performing it makes me anxious I’m going to get my experience through something that I know I’m good at radio. So he does radio and becomes really good at that. Then he goes to cartoons. He does Dale in Chip And Dale Rescue Rangers with a certain feminine icon of mine. He gets Ludwig Von Drake and has been that voice actor since the original DuckTales. Then he hits the peak, he was Mole in Atlantis Lost Empire a big budget Disney movie. I am so often inspired by my top six favorite voice actors. They are the ones that took me by the figurative hand and told me hey you can do get through whatever it is that you are struggling with. It just takes a little bit of laughter through the bad times, and an optimistic attitude that things will slowly but surely get better. Corey was the one that actually got himself to the top of the mountain and got to say that he did it. I admire that about him so much because for a while I thought to myself “Hey, he did it so can I”.

4. J Michael Tatum: In terms of anime voice actors, even though I love a great many, only one has ever remained of legend status. It comes yet again with a rather personal story. I was 17, lost and a little bit confused. I knew that I was ace but I had no idea how to tell my parents. It was around this time when I was getting back into anime due to Yuri On Ice, Space Dandy and Princess Jellyfish. I decide what the hell I’m going to watch some panels of my favorite voice actors for anime haven’t done that since I was thirteen. I had always loved Tatum as Kyoya Ootori in Ouran High School Host Club and France in Hetalia but other than that I didn’t know very much about him. I looked up panels for him and came across one for Florida Anime Con filmed that year. In it, he talked about being gay a lot. It implanted a seed that would inspire me. If he could be out and proud then why was I stoping myself? It might sound silly or stupid to some but to me it changed everything. From that moment on I loved everything Tatum. It led me to discover my love for Rei in Free, Okabe in Stein’s Gate and many other countless roles of his.

3. Tom Kenny: This man right here, he is the OG voice actor special interest of mine. He is the first name that I remember hearing because he did so much for Nickelodeon showing children how he did his most iconic voice. Who is that iconic voice you may ask yourself? Well it’s Spongebob flipping patties Squarepants. If that alone doesn’t put him at this spot then I don’t know what does. Like so many children in the early 200s I spent a good chunk of my childhood with me and my parents on the couch and this show on the television screen. You want to talk about legacy? This man voiced his way into the hearts of millions of children across the united states. I remember the first time I saw his actual face. I was flipping through channels and I saw this man on Nickelodeon. He had a goofy smile on his face and I figured what the hell I’ll give this a watch even though it’s not a cartoon. Then he started talking he introduced himself as Tom Kenny. Then he starts doing Spongebob. My five year old mind was blown. I never forgot his name ever since. Every time I would watch Teen Titans and Mambo would be on that episode I would be like “Oh that’s Spongebob’s voice actor”. It was that moment that changed everything for me. I have never looked back from my main special interest ever since. He has helped me through so much. Whether he be my favorite exorbitant yellow sponge, or Dog on CatDog, or Lazlo on Camp Lazlo part of me will always be with Tom Kenny. Keep making children happy Tom you’ve been doing a great job so far.

2. Tress MacNeille: Hoo boy this is a big one for me. For those of you that haven’t ever been around here before and don’t know the name of my character on my icon her name is Dot Warner (the Warner sister) and this is her voice actress. I hope that she changes your life and inspires you as much as she has mine. When I was nine I had an incredible fourth grade teacher. She showed us Yakko’s Nations Of The World for geography class. She also encouraged us to watch the rest of the show because it was full of educational songs and humor. I went home that day with on thought in mind. I wanted to watch the rest of that series. I go home and I make one distinction, hey that Warner sister I can kind of talk like her a little bit if I try hard enough. It was a little bit harder back in those days and I talk a lot more like her now with the reboot out in the world. This is the first and only impression I can do. I can do Dot and that’s it. And to me that was what mattered I didn’t need to be able to do anybody else. There aren’t a whole lot of woman voice actress’s that can keep working. All we have is Tara Strong, Cree Summer and the one and only goddess Tress MacNeille. Tress has helped me out so much in my life. I have never been the most confident person alive but from a young age hearing her absolutely smack down the actors of her brother’s in the show (Rob Paulsen and Jess Harnell) something about that inspired me. It was around this point in my life that I learned I can speak my mind and just not give a hoot if anybody feels the same way that I do. I can make my opinions known to other people. I was sixteen when I made that discovery and Tress was there for me all the way cheering me on in her Dot voice. I owe a lot to her and I wish that she was more active on social media so that I could have the opportunity to thank her for everything that she has done vicariously for me.

1. Rob Paulsen: If you were surprised by this, we probably haven’t talked before. At least not extensively because my dog do I love this man!! He has inspired me more than any other and he is not just my favorite voice actor but I consider him my ultimate hero in life. Where do I even start with him? There have been so many moments where I’ve fallen in love with one of his characters. I suppose one should start at the beginning. As I mentioned with Tress, my introduction through Animaniacs was Yakko’s Nations Of The World. This moment it changed everything for me because this was the first time that I could actually remember seeing Rob do a role. Yakko was the first cartoon character to actually make an impact on me. It was the first time that I ever loved a character that deeply. It was also the first time I ever made my own character to pair up with a canon character not even knowing that I was doing it. Ever since then a part of me has known okay that’s what Rob talks like. Now thanks to Tom Kenny I can recognize him in other places. And recognize him I did. From there I found that he was Carl on Jimmy Neutron, Mark Chang my favorite character on Fairly OddParents and countless other roles that we could be here all day for. As I mentioned, I was in middle school when the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were originally airing. When I watched that first episode, Donatello sounded really familiar to me. So I waited to the end credits only to find out that holy hell that was Rob!! The same person that played my favorite fast talking older brother. I found out about his fight with cancer a few years after it happened. This is when he went from favorite voice actor to hero legend status. He fought his way out of hell so that he could continue to sing “United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Heidi, Jamaica, Peru” until the end of his days. Reading his book changed my life forever as it gave me insight to not just the man who made me laugh, cry and cry laughing listening to his podcast but that same man had a whole ass heart and soul that he put into every character that he did. I find it really hard to explain what he means to me. He’s my hero, the one that made me laugh when I was a sad and lonely elementary schooler and the one that continues to bring me back to my childhood every time I see him in a show. I don’t feel the compulsion to give strangers hugs very often but if I ever met Rob I don’t think that I would be able to stop myself from giving a hug and just telling him thank you. Thank you for making my childhood and the childhoods of countless others much better than they would have been without you.

And that’s it folks!! Whew that’s a lot of me rambling but I feel a bit better now. Finals preparation week has officially started for me and I just wanted to give myself this big ol’ boost of serotonin before I went into it.

#Voice acting #Charlie Adler #Jim Cumings #Bob Bergen #Richard Horvitz #Greg Cipes #Corey Burton #Michael Tatum #Tom Kenny #tress macneille #Rob Paulsen

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keysszz · 4 years

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i have a request- maybe something about mikey being in danger and all of his brothers worrying about him afterwards? sorry if this reqs sounds silly- i know little to nothing about writing, but your fics are AWESOME

@tenk0saur

Aw thanks! I actually love this idea!!!

Midnight Crisis

A ROTTMNT Fanfic

This hadn’t gone the way he expected…

Mikey had gone out late at night to get some fresh air (and to get some kind of new ideas for his drawings, art block was a pain), and the night had gone normal for the first thirty minutes. He had walked into the alleyways of the city to make sure that he wasn’t spotted by any humans.

Though if he thought about it, it’s not like anyone would have cared anyway. Everyone in New York had either seen or heard of mutants already, so he could walk into the streets whenever he wanted to.

What the box turtle didn’t anticipate was being ambushed by the Foot Clan.

It wasn’t that many soldiers; he could have taken them all he was sure, but the Foot Lieutenant kept making more and more paper ninjas, and Mikey was only one turtle. He swung his weapon in attempts to shred most of them, but since more were coming to attack, it wasn’t exactly an easy task.

The worst part was that he didn’t even tell his brothers where he was.

He shouldn’t even be out here right now. It was around midnight when he left, and who knows what time it was now. No one was awake at this time (well, maybe Leo was, but Mikey didn’t feel like checking), and since the box turtle was so good at sneaking out no one had heard him when he left. He wasn’t even sure that anybody would get up later; Raph and Splinter were such heavy sleepers that they probably wouldn’t hear if someone was in danger. Leo and Donnie did stay up late some night, but Mikey had assumed that Donnie was sleeping since he didn’t hear the sound of his tech whirling in the background.

Mikey was so deep into his thoughts that he didn’t realize a foot soldier was coming up behind him. The paper ninja punched the box turtle and sent him to the ground, making Mikey grunt in response. He rubbed his shell as he tried to make the pain go away.

“That’s gonna hurt later…” he whispered to himself. He looked up and his eyes went wide as he saw the number of ninjas that were around him.

He was surrounded… There was no way he could take them all.

Uh oh, he thought to himself. He could try and call his brothers, but there was no guarantee that they would pick up. There was also the fact that there were a number of paper ninjas around him, and he didn’t know if they would try and stop his call.

Mikey looked around and saw the Foot Lieutenant and Brute not too far away from him, and they appeared to be smiling. The Lieutenant made a couple more ninjas before leaving with his partner.

“What about the kid?” the Brute asked.

“Leave him,” the Lieutenant answered. “The ninjas can handle him.”

Mikey watched as they slowly got out of view, and he stared back at his problem. Fear started to rise up in him as the paper ninjas waited for his next move.

He was trapped.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As he walked into the kitchen, he stifled a yawn as he went to start up the coffee maker.

He hadn’t been up for that long, he only woke up a couple of minutes ago. Donnie planned to spend the rest of the morning working. S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N needed a new upgrade, and he might as well work on his other pieces of tech while he was at it. He looked at the clock as he drank his coffee, seeing that it read 3:23 a.m.

He was surprised that Leo wasn’t up right now. The slider normally had problems dealing with his insomnia, and Donnie would find him in the living room watching a movie in hopes of falling back asleep.

Donnie took his mug and walked back into the lab, stopping outside of Mikey’s room.

Huh… He didn’t see Mikey lurking around the lair when he got his coffee.

Raising an eyebrow, Donnie walked into his younger brother’s room.

“Micheal, you in here?” Donnie called out. He didn’t get a response, so he decided to check around the lair to see if his brother was just having a rough night.

That’s when he began to get worried.

Mikey wasn’t in the lair at all. Donnie had made sure to double-check each room to make sure (heck, he even triple-checked the box turtle’s room), but there was no sign of him.

Maybe Leo knew where he was.

The softshell took his mug and walked to his twin’s room, placing down the mug on the slider’s side table. He shook Leo in hopes to wake him up, smiling when Leo let out a grunt.

“The one time I get to sleep, someone has to wake me up…” Leo groaned. He opened his eyes and raised a non-existing eyebrow at his twin.

“Donnie?” he asked as he rubbed his eyes. “What is it? Do you need help with a project or something? Because I’m sorry, but I’m just not in the mood to work right now.”

“No, it’s not that,” Donnie responded. “I was going to ask if you knew where Mikey was.”

“Shouldn’t he be in his room?”

“If that was the case I wouldn’t be asking you where he was, now would I?”

Leo sat up in his bed and looked at his brother, worry slowly filling his voice.

“Wait, what are you saying?”

“He’s not in the lair, Leon,” Donnie responded with a frown. “I don’t know where he is.”

“Can’t you track his phone?” Leo asked.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean it’s on him,” Donnie answered. “But it would give us a good estimate of where he would be.”

Leo got out of his bed and followed his twin to the lab. He watched as Donnie tapped into one of his computers, and he smiled a bit when Mikey’s image popped up on the screen.

“It looks likes he’s in some alleyway,” Donnie thought out loud.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Leo said as he turned towards the exit. “Let’s go find him.”

“Shouldn’t we wake up Raph?” Donnie questioned.

“By the time he wakes up, Mikey could be in danger,” Leo replied. He walked out of the lab and went to his room to grab his sword as Donnie grabbed his techbo from his desk. He followed Leo out of the room, both of them walking towards the exit and into the city in search of their younger brother.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was getting tired of this.

He was outnumbered. Every attack he would land on one of those foot faces he would get punched and thrown off guard. He had many bruises on his arms and legs, and he was starting to wonder if he could take any more of this.

He shouldn’t have left the lair. If he had just stayed in his bed and waited until morning, maybe Donnie or Leo could have gone out with him. He’d have someone with him, and he wouldn’t have to deal with this whole situation.

...What if his brothers never found him?

He was sure that someone had to be up by now, right? Donnie would wake up soon and start working on his tech, and he would have to notice that the box turtle was missing. But if that’s the case, why didn’t Donnie call him?

Mikey was then punched by another foot ninja and sent to the ground, and he decided to look at his phone to see if he had any messages. He glanced up before he did and knocked one of the oncoming ninjas away from him to buy him time.

“Of course…” Mikey groaned. “It had to die now, didn’t it?”

He threw his phone back in his pouch and stood up as he fought more of the foot.

Hopefully, his brothers would find him soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“He should be around here somewhere,” Donnie muttered as he jumped down from on top of one of the buildings.

“I don’t see him,” Leo said with a frown. “Are you sure your tech is correct?”

“My tech is never wrong,” Donnie scoffed. “Well, most of the time it’s never wrong…”

Just then the twins heard a faint voice and looked behind them, trying to find the source of the noise.

“Something tells me that he’s over there…” Leo pointed. Both turtles ran over to see who had yelled out and they stopped once they saw the scene before them.

Mikey had been ambushed. And by the looks of it, he couldn’t take any more hits.

Donnie took out his techbo and charged at the foot soldiers as Leo went for Mikey.

“Miguel, you ok?” Leo asked as he pulled Mikey out of the fight, hitting a couple of ninjas as they went for him.

“Yeah... yeah, I’m fine…” Mikey answered.

“What were you thinking?!” Leo questioned with anger (though he was mostly concerned). “Why did you leave, let alone not tell anyone?”

“I just wanted some fresh air,” Mikey responded, wincing as his bruises began to hurt. Leo noticed and sat Mikey down against the wall as he looked at his brother with worrying eyes.

“Stay here,” he told the orange masked turtle. “I’m gonna go help out Donnie.”

Mikey watched as Leo went and fought the remaining foot soldiers, though it didn’t seem like Donnie needed help. Once they had finished them off and made sure there were no more, they both went to inspect Mikey’s wounds.

“Do you know how much danger you could have gotten into?!” Donnie asked. “If I didn’t wake up and realize you were gone, who knows what would have happened to you!”

“I know…” Mikey said quietly. “I’m sorry, Dee.”

“At least tell us where you’re going next time,” Leo sighed. “Or better yet, just wait until morning.”

“Let’s get going,” Donnie said as he helped Mikey up. “I need to check and see how badly you got hurt once we get back to the lair.”

Leo began to walk in front of the two brothers and Mikey followed behind, stopping when he felt Donnie tap his shoulder. Mikey turned around and frowned once he saw Donnie with his arms crossed.

“Donnie, I know you’re mad,” Mikey started. He looked at the ground as he continued. “And I’m really sorry, I won’t-”

Mikey startled at the sudden hug he was giving. He looked up at his genius brother in confusion.

“You really had me worried Michael,” Donnie whispered. “I don’t know what I would have done if you were hurt more than you already are.”

Mikey smiled softly and leaned into his brother’s hug.

“I see you’re getting better at managing your feelings,” Mikey chuckled. He began to laugh as once Donnie groaned.

“No one told me we were hugging now!” Leo exclaimed as he got into the hug as well. “I was wondering why I didn’t hear you guys behind me.”

“Ok, hug over!” Donnie said as he pulled away from his brothers. “We gotta get back to the lair.”

Mikey laughed as Donnie and Leo walked in front of him.

He always knew Donnie could express his feelings. Maybe he should do more sessions with Dr. Feelings, just to make sure the softshell was improving.

#rottmnt #rottmnt fanfic #rottmnt mikey #rottmnt leo #rottmnt donnie #rise of the tmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #coolkat answers #coolkat writes

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slashermom · 5 years

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What are some of random HC’s you have about the Sinclair brothers? I need someone knowledgeable to spill the beans.

I am certainly not the most knowledgeable person here but thank you for giving me an opportunity to ‘spill the beans’ ♡

Gives really good advice when it comes down to it. Bo feels like he’s seen and been through it all so he’s pretty confident in his ability to tell you how it is and what you can do about it.

Is definitely the type to wipe his face aggressively and laugh at himself when he cries. “The fuck are you crying for dumbass?”

Loved to terrify his brothers when they were younger. Mostly because he was mad at them but he would think it was hilarious to sneak up behind Vincent and scare him silly.

Definitely made fun of Lester at school but gave a half-assed but oddly sincere apology when they got home.

Listens to heavy metal/rock when he’s working but listens to classic rock when he’s relaxing and/or drinking.

He always has something playing or keeping himself busy because he can’t get Trudy’s screams and the sight of Victor's body out of his head.

Is secretly very proud of Vincent. Deep, deep down. He has a lot of resentment towards him in a passive agreesive sort of way because of how their childhood went. But that’s his brother and he loves him and everything he’s accomplished.

Feel free to disagree with me here. I think it was most likely Bo’s idea to start killing. Just from the manipulative way he talks to Vincent. He seems very good at twisting and rationalizing things that aren’t remotely rational. As well as his set up in the basement under the service station. Gives me the heebie-jeebies. Let’s not forget the satisfaction he got from cutting Carley’s finger off.

Bo is the product of neglect, abuse, mistreatment, and abandonment. He carries these things deeply and they have affected his psyche in a horrific way. The way he was raised and was treated in the foster care system is why he’s as manipulative and violent as he is. The aggression and anger he was raised with is just about all he knows and that’s what fuels the flames of his rage.

Vincent

His art is only coping mechanism.

That’s the only thing that he has been able to hold onto his whole life, nobody can take that away from him.

Loves to read. Even tried his hand at writing but never fell in love with it enough to want to sit down and create anything.

Has a few hidden sketches of Bo. Mostly because he envies his brother's looks. Knowing that’s what he would have looked like if he had been dealt the right cards.

The most patient person you will ever meet. He just doesn’t see the point in getting rilled up over something that just needs more time.

Used to save leaflets and flowers to show his mom. Then would make leaf presses that Trudy would hang on the fridge.

Vincent has an overwhelming feeling of loneliness and feels alienated every since Trudy died.

While I do believe it was Bo’s idea to start taking lives, Vincent had no qualms about it. He definitely takes pride in his kills and has very little to no remorse about it. As we can see in House of Wax, he gets shit done and is more concentrated on finishing his art/work.

I mean, he got ahold of Wade and had him in the House of Wax by the time Dalton and Nick rolled into town.

Lester

(I have had really great discussions about Lester with @slash-em-up who is actually knowledgeable and you should go check her out. Go on, get! Go follow her now.)

Goofy. This man’s brain cells are all concentrated on being the biggest goof you have ever met.

Lester genuinely enjoys being around other people. It’s a good change of pace from his brothers. Is very sociable but it’s awkward. He just wants people to like him.

Isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but he knows a lot of random facts on certain things. That being said, he’s a fast learner. Put it in front of him he’ll figure it out one way or another. But this came with age. He had a hell of a time in elementary and middle school.

Loves to rough house Bo. Mostly because Vincent won’t react or just throws him like a sack of potatoes automatically. Bo will get red in the face and get rilled up, which makes Lester belly laugh.

Being several years younger than the twins and then Trudy getting sick, he was unfortunately neglected and left to his own devices. Which is what stunted his social and emotional skills.

But thankfully when the boys were spilt up into the system, he was with a decent family. Albeit not the most involved folks in his life, it was a better situation than what he came from.

Doesn’t care what anyone says. He likes his job. It’s honest work and it keeps him busy from engaging in what the twins have going on.

Also doesn’t like what they do. It leaves a bad taste in his mouth and he feels guilty about pointing what seem like good people down the washed-out road. But Bo tells him “You don’t gotta like it, just do as you’re told.” So he shuts up and does exactly that.

Lester doesn’t come back to the Sinclair house often. He has a very vivid memory and can tell you just about everything that happened in each room.

Other HC’s

Both Bo and Vincent got emancipated as soon as it was an option. Lester didn’t know that was a thing till Bo came a-knockin' asking where his little brother was.

Lester thinks Vincent’s art is amazing but won’t sit around watching or ask him too many questions because he thinks it’s boring. Bo could care less, that’s Vincent’s thing.

Bo takes a lot of pride in the fact that he taught Lester all he knows about cars. Which it’s worth mentioning that Bo taught himself most of what he knows and the rest he learned from the odd jobs he picked up at auto body shops as a teenager.

Vincent is the glue that holds the brothers together.

When Lester first found out that Bo smoked cigarettes, he took them and broke them in half right in front of Bo’s face. Which is how Lester got the scar by his ear.

If you touch Vincent’s neck when he’s not expecting it, he will turn into a turtle.

Lester used to play the recorder until it mysteriously went missing.

I’m sorry but not one of these assholes know how to cook.

#bo sinclair #vincent sinclair #lester sinclair #house of wax #i love my problematic boys #wow sorry these arent great

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thenightling · 4 years

Text

If my friends were birds

Over on discord some friends and I had a very silly conversation about what sort of birds we’d be and here’s what we came up with. I have added to this list for those who were not on Discord but may want to know what birds I’d pick for them. :-P

@everthewildeone got Magpie because she loves shiny objects. It was Loki’s chosen bird form in Marvel comics. And they are part of the crow / raven family. They’re also very “talketive” when they see friends. That “i’m a crow” meme is actually more suited to magpies, specifically.

She also gets domesticated turkey. Loves to eat but a surprisingly picky eater.

And seagull since you love the beach.

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Our friend Jen AKA Art (though she isn’t on Tumblr) gets the Dracula Parrot AKA Pesquet’s Parrot.

She likes to play villains. Her hair is red. She loves the color red. Her characters can be intimidating. And it’s a rare bird with some beautiful coloring (art).

________________________________________

Me: North American Raven. There’s a Gothic mystique to ravens from Edgar Allan Poe’s poem to Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, Ravens have a fixed place in Gothic horror and literature. There’s even one in Disney’s Haunted Mansion rides and is Maleficent’s familiar. And in nature ravens often make friends with the wolves.

__________________________________________

@endlessemptynight She gets a barn owl. She loves Labyrinth. She’s wise. And she’s nocturnal. And I think they’re very pretty birds.

_______________________________

@treebrooke79 gets a swan. Beautiful and elegant yet can be surprisingly aggressive. Also often found near Boston, which is where she is. They also can hiss like a vampire in a cheesy movie. :-P

Or even a Rooster since you protect a flock (your role players) and you’re far too alert at weird hours.

_____________________________________________

@lamb90 gets crow. Likes to hang out in large groups, does not like to be alone. Likes shiny objects and string. (She makes beaded bracelets).

_____________________________________

@sorry-for-the-chocolate gets pigeon. She loves to eat. Is secretly part of the dove family (mellow for the most part and more likable than people expect). And she’ll shit on your car if you piss her off.

And also a goose for the Unnamed Goose game.

Because I know you would do that if you were a goose.

______________________

@americanparamedic You get The Great horned owl. You also get an owl because I mostly see you at night. You seem calm and wise and you like to ask questions “Who” And you keep me me company through the night. There’s something reassuring about your questions.

_____________________________________

Our friend Sarah (who doesn’t have a Tumblr account) gets a Starling because she can be accidentally self-destructive. :-P (She’s accident prone.) And I also know she loves stars and the name means “One from the stars.”

__________________________

Our friend Teddy gets the American bald Eagle because his favorite comic book character is Captain America and that’s the national bird of America.

____________________________________________

@iknowwheremytowelis In honor of Douglas Adams I give you Sirocco, the rare, endangered Kakapo, who just REALLY wants to mate with humans. Is that so wrong? :-P

_________________________

@winterbirdybuddy Based on your screen name and since I usually see you on at night, and you seem wise, you also get an owl. You get a snowy owl.

@artwinsdraws Turtle doves. Two turtle doves, since you’re a pair and you’re always together. Also I think they’re kind of cute.

______________________________________

@darya-droid I give you three birds.

First a peacock for your David Bowie content.

Perhaps an orange flamingo.

Third (and fourth) the famous mated gay swan couple from Boston.

_____________________________ @missghostlymoonshadow I give you the Eastern Blue bird. Small, sweet, would probably end up one of the characters in Over the Garden Wall. :-P

___________________________

@vagaryhexxx, you get a hawk because you’re always watching and observing.

__________________________________

@deathlyendless You get a black swan. Elegant, beautiful, and an unexpected omen of Death, like the friendly Death of The Endless.

_______________________________

@wyvernseeker You get a ren. I’m not sure why. You just are.

__________________

Our friend Say (who doesn’t have a Tumblr account) gets a Blue Tit. 1. Because the baby version is fluffy and she loves fluffy things. And 2. It’s just fun to say.

She also gets the humming bird for being very active, small, and loves sweet things.

_____________________________________ @good-times-bad-food You get an orange parrot partly for David Bowie and partly for the Firies (fire gang) form Labyrinth where your URL song lyric comes from.

________________________

@bazpik You get a Blue jay since I already gave the Eastern Bluebird to another.

___________________________________

@watertribe-enya You are of the “water tribe” so I had to pick a bird for you that swims. You get the Emperor penguin.

____________________________________________

@thesaramonster You get the Dodo because you always make me laugh.

__________________________________

This is all in good fun. If anyone wants me to add them to this list, just let me know.

#Birds #Weirdness

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seasonofthegeek · 6 years

Photo

Merry Christmas, @larvesta! I’m your @mlsecretsanta so I did a little art and wrote a prequel one-shot to It Was a Wednesday just for you. <3

It Was a Tuesday

“These are so great, Mari,” Adrien beamed, rubbing the green scarf against his cheek. “I think I like this one even better than last year’s.”

“The yarn is softer, better for scarves,” Marinette smiled.

“You spoil us.” Alya ran her fingers through the purple fringe of her scarf. “This better count as our Christmas presents.”

“Don’t be silly. These are ‘just because’ scarves.”

“The last time we got ‘just because’ gifts is when you needed us to pull an all-nighter with you to finish your portfolio,” Nino accused with a grin. “I’m not sure I trust ‘just because’ gifts.”

“I’m moving to the United States,” Marinette announced, voice wavering even as she straightened her spine and squared her shoulders.

“Excuse me?” Alya asked, sitting up from where she had been lounging against Adrien. “You most certainly are not.”

Nino felt his stomach drop as Marinette’s gaze flitted to him. “Well, I was offered a really great job,” she said. “They’re going to let me start as a junior designer. It would take me years to work my way up to that somewhere here.”

“But you can’t just leave,” Adrien frowned. “It’s Christmas time; we love Christmas time!”

“And you know, there’s the whole missing you way too much thing,” Nino added.

Marinette worried her bottom lip. “I wouldn’t be moving until the beginning of the year and this is a really amazing opportunity.”

“It is,” Adrien admitted begrudgingly. “Even at Gabriel, you would’ve only started as an unpaid intern.”

“Adrien, are you really telling me you can’t get her something?” Alya pouted. “M, you can’t leave us. That’s all there is to it.”

Adrien frowned at his scarf. “If we give these back, will you have to stay?”

Marinette winced and looked at Nino. “What do you think?”

“I’m not sure,” he answered slowly. “Where are you going to live?”

“I’m looking at apartments now. There’s one only a couple of blocks away from where I’ll be working and since I’m coming from overseas, they would let me do everything over the phone and have it ready when it get there. It’s even mostly furnished. My parents are going to help with the first couple of months on rent until I get my finances figured out.”

Nino nodded. “You aren’t going to know anyone there, are you?”

“Well, no, but I can make friends. It’s a younger company and small so there will probably be people my age.”

“I don’t like it,” Alya sighed, “but obviously they have good taste. You’re too good to be wasted on an unpaid internship.” She nudged Adrien’s side and he huffed.

“It’s not like I have any say in it! You know I would hire Mari if I could.”

“And I’ll move back eventually, of course,” Marinette added. “I just need to get some experience under my belt so I can come back and apply to some of the fashion houses here.”

“At least we get to keep you for Christmas. We still have to go ice skating and get that magic hot cocoa from Juleka’s family’s place and Nath is doing the art piece in the park and…”

Alya’s voice faded away as the gears began to turn in Nino’s mind. He didn’t want to assume Marinette wanted him to move with her, but maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing to offer at least. It wasn’t like he had anything keeping him in Paris. His family was here but he could always visit. And sure, he had found a good in with some of the local clubs, but he was sure he could do the same in the States. But if he was being honest with himself, the biggest motivator was that the thought of Marinette being across the world made his heart ache. ___________________________

Nino wrapped his scarf around Marinette. “How would you feel about company?”

She blinked up at him in surprise. “Company?”

“When you move,” Nino grinned nervously. “How would you feel about me coming too?”

Her face lit up. “Really? You would move with me?!”

He shrugged. “Come on, Maribug, what’s the point of Paris if you aren’t here?”

She linked her arm with his, leaning against him with a wide smile. “You’re the absolute best friend a girl could ask for, Ninny.”

“I should’ve never let you start calling me that,” he sighed.

“Wait. I mean, you can’t just move,” she frowned.

“Why not? That’s what you’re doing.”

“Yeah, but I have a job offer.” Marinette picked up her mug of cocoa and blew over the rim. “You’ll need to apply for a work visa or something.”

“I’m sure we can figure it out. Marian mentioned something about a chain of clubs in the U.S. Maybe he can help.”

“It would be pretty amazing to have you with me.”

“You two look all kinds of chummy,” Alya drawled, appearing beside the table. Adrien pulled out her chair and she kissed his cheek before sitting down. “What’s going on?”

Marinette beamed at Nino. “Nino might move with me!”

“Nope.” Adrien shook his head.

“I don’t think I want to know who you’re more upset about leaving,” Marinette teased.

“We can’t lose both of you,” he whined.

“How horrible for you to only be left with your beautiful and wonderful girlfriend,” Alya said dryly. Adrien stuck out his bottom lip in a pout and Alya nipped at it, making him chuckle. “Personally I like it. Goodness knows Mari will need someone looking out for her. I think we can trust Nino to do that.” Alya gave him a knowing look and Nino shrank back in his chair.

“I would be just fine on my own, thanks,” Marinette sniffed but squeezed Nino’s arm. “But I’m super excited you’re coming with me. Oh! We need to look for you an apartment. Obviously you can stay with me at first if you need to. Are your parents going to be okay with this? I mean, I know we’re grown-ups and everything now, but still… Eek, so much to do!”

Nino smiled and took a sip of his hot cocoa and knew that the warmth filling his chest had nothing to do with the sweet beverage. ___________________________

“You can’t leave us, Turtle. What will I do without my loving eldest son?” Samira Lahiffe pulled Nino to her with a dramatic sigh. “I’ll be lost.”

He laughed and hugged her tight. “Something tells me you’ll be just fine, Mama.”

“Now have you told this girl you love her yet? This is a big step for you two,” Nadim moved past his wife to steal a roll from the cooling tray. Samira smacked his arm and he grinned with a mouth full of warm bread.

“I’ve told you it’s not like that. She’s my best friend.”

“Who you lovvvvve,” Chris sang from the table. He made a kissy face and Nino rolled his eyes.

“Leave him alone, Panda. He doesn’t mock you about Jessica,” Samira reprimanded, pointing a finger. The young man grumbled and returned his attention to his tablet, cheeks darkening. She turned back to Nino. “Why do you want to do this?”

“I don’t like the thought of her moving so far away by herself,” he admitted. “Besides, I think it would be cool to live somewhere else for a while.”

“You could live with my family in Morocco.”

“Not if he wants to have fun,” Nadim muttered, dodging a glare from his wife and ducking out of the kitchen.

Samira put a hand to her son’s cheek, expression soft. “I just want you to be careful. You only get one of these.” She pressed her other hand to his chest. “You have to protect it.”

“I will,” he promised, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “Now I need to go. Mari’s family is waiting on me.”

“Leaving me already,” she sighed. “You were just a baby yesterday.” She shook her head and pulled a container down. “Here, take some of these rolls to Tom and Sabine.”

“Mama, they’re bakers,” Nino protested. “They don’t need any rolls. Believe me, they can make their own rolls.”

“Always new tricks to learn,” Samira winked, handing him the container. ___________________________

“Merry Christmas!” Marinette exclaimed, throwing herself into Nino’s arms. He picked her up and spun her around as she giggled. “Come on, we have to go do gifts right now!”

“I just got here, Rudolf,” he laughed, tapping one of the antlers sprouting from her green headband.

“You’re late!”

“By three minutes.”

“Still late, Ninny.”

He followed her up the stairs to her family’s apartment. Tom and Sabine greeted him as soon as the door opened and Marinette made quick work of divesting him of his coat and scarf. He put a hand over his knit hat. “No.”

“You can’t keep your hat on for pictures!”

“I do every other year.”

Marinette gave him a serious look, hands gripping his arm gently. “It’s time to let go, Nino.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Not a chance.”

“Fine,” she huffed, “I’ll just get Papa to swipe it when you’re unaware.”

“Well, now you’ve given away your plan.”

She narrowed her eyes. “We’ll strike when you least expect it. I will get a hatless Nino Christmas picture this year.”

“It’s important to have dreams,” he nodded, “unattainable as they might be.”

“Butthead.”

“Hey! At least I wore a festive one.” He pointed to his head. “It’s green and looks like Santa’s. I’m totally rocking the Christmas look.”

“Now you just need a sprig of mistletoe behind your ear,” she winked. “Then all the girls would come running.”

Nino couldn’t stop his gaze from wandering to her lips, pink and glossy and inviting. “Is that so?” he asked, voice low.

Marinette inhaled sharply and stepped back. “Of course. You’re a catch, Ninny.” ___________________________

“A perfect fit,” Marinette smiled, tugging on the sweater sleeve. “Do you like it?”

Nino pulled her to his chest in a hug. “I love it, Mari. It’s the best sweater in all the world. By far, my favorite Christmas present this year.”

“I thought it was appropriate since people can’t see your tattoo in the winter. This way you can still show it off,” she teased. “As if the earrings and hair weren’t enough to show what a hip DJ you are.” She reached up and tugged on one of his dark green curls that had escaped from beneath his hat.

He chuckled as she stepped back and admired her work. Marinette had knitted the tattoo she had originally designed for him into the soft sweater. Lines of blue and purple and green crossed behind a music note just as they did on his right arm. “You’re too good to me.”

“I think you’ve got that the other way around. I can’t believe you’re really coming with me.” She sat down on her chaise. “I’m actually relieved. I was a little worried about going alone.”

“You put on a good front,” he nodded, “but I maybe had a feeling.”

“Are you sure you want to come though? It’s kind of a big deal.”

He sat down on the floor in front of her, giving her his back, and Marinette cackled in triumph as she plucked the knit cap off of his head. He sighed, dropping his head back against her legs as she ran her fingers into his hair. “Of course, I want to go.”

“Why?” Marinette went to work separating out the green and blue and brown curls, smoothing them away from each other. It always relaxed her to play with Nino’s hair since he had let it grow out, finally giving into the soft curls that covered his head.

He tilted his head back so he could look up at her. The lamplight cast soft shadows on her face, making her eyes look large and luminous. “Because you need me to.”

Marinette frowned, fingers stilling. “I don’t—“

“I’m not saying you couldn’t make it on your own,” he interjected, holding up a hand. “I’m saying you don’t have to. Besides, I think it will be nice to get away for a bit and see a different part of the world.”

“We’re going to need to brush up on our English,” she warned.

Nino grinned. “Are you asking me on a study date?”

“You bring the English and I’ll bring the food.”

“Sounds like a rocking good time. It’ll be like we’re in lycee again,” he laughed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, turning around to offer it to her. “Here. I wanted to get you something else, but I haven’t found the right thing yet. This is a starter Christmas present.”

Marinette took the box with a smile. “You better not get me anything else, Mr. Lahiffe. You need to save your money for our big adventure.” She opened the box and found a metallic ladybug charm on a thin silver chain. Black jewels glittered in the shell.

“The lady at the jewelry store said ladybugs are a symbol of good luck,” Nino explained quickly, feeling his skin grow warm. “I thought it might be nice for you to have a lucky charm with the move and new job and everything.”

“It’s so pretty.”

“I know you like shiny stuff so, um, I thought you might like it.”

Marinette pushed on his back so she could swing her leg over the chaise and stand. He followed her and she held out the necklace. “Put it on me?” She swept up her long hair and twisted it into a bun, holding it in place at the back of her head as her antlers bounced with the movement.

Nino took the necklace with a deep breath and stood behind her. He wasn’t sure what it was about seeing the back of her neck that made him want to lean down and kiss the smooth skin, but he quickly stamped down the feeling. “I don’t think it’s going to fit over your sweater collar,” he warned, proud of how steady his voice sounded.

Marinette frowned down at her pink Christmas sweater. “Well, that’s okay. I’ll just wear it inside my sweater for tonight. It’ll be close to my heart,” she sighed. “Oh geez, was that as corny as it sounded?”

“It was pretty corny,” Nino agreed, bringing the ends of the necklace together and hooking the clasp. He put a hand on top of the one that held up her hair and she released it, letting it fall in a heavy sheet down her back. A sweet mint smell filled Nino’s nose and he smiled.

Marinette put her hand to her chest, feeling the ladybug through the thick material of the sweater. She smiled up at him, cheeks pink. “Thank you. It’s perfect.” ___________________________

“You know, Adrien can’t believe you’re moving with Marinette. He’s honestly shocked,” Alya said casually, flicking through the hangers of dresses. They both looked over at the sound of Marinette’s laugh to see Adrien follow her into a dressing room, arms full of new clothes for her to try on. “He can be a little dense though.”

“It helps that he’s pretty,” Nino replied warily.

Alya nodded. “There is that. And he’s smart when it comes to plenty of other stuff. He just misses the social cues sometimes.”

“Uh-huh.”

“So, he doesn’t see what is super obvious.”

Nino glanced towards the dressing room. “Just say what you want to say, Al.”

“Fine. When did you realize you’re in love with Marinette?” Alya asked.

Nino swallowed thickly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Lahiffe. I won’t tell, promise.” She turned to him and adjusted her glasses. “It’s been obvious for years but I’m thinking you didn’t know until recently.”

He frowned and watched Marinette push a laughing Adrien back out of the dressing room and throw a balled up blouse at him. “It was a Tuesday,” he said quietly. “Nothing even happened really. We were in my room, watching a movie, and she had fallen asleep on me.” He paused, a small smile spreading across his lips. “I don’t know that she’s ever made it through a whole movie.”

Alya smiled back at him but didn’t speak, afraid of spooking him and not getting the rest of the story.

“She was curled against me and snoring and she was warm and beautiful and…and I just remember it clicking into place that I love her and it felt like the most right thing in the world.” His cheeks flushed and he dared a quick look at Alya. “Please don’t tell her.”

She held up a hand. “I won’t, but I think you should.”

Nino glanced back at the dressing area to see Marinette strut out in a pencil skirt and do an exaggerated model walk, tossing her hair and turning when she reached Adrien. He was laughing and said something Nino couldn’t make out. Marinette turned pink and looked towards them, waving awkwardly. Alya laughed and waved back and Marinette quickly crossed back to the dressing room.

“I can’t,” he said, shaking his head. “She needs a friend right now, someone who can help her over there. It’s going to be an all new experience and you know how she can stress herself out.”

Alya finally pulled a dress off the rack and patted his shoulder. “You’re a good guy, Nino. I’m glad she has you.” She took a few steps and then turned back to him. “I’m glad you have her too,” she winked and left him standing there to wonder what in the world that meant.

Merry Christmas, friend!!! <3

#ml secret santa #ninette #nino lahiffe #marinette dupain-cheng #alya cesaire #adrien agreste #It Was a Wednesday #It Was a Tuesday

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babe-regent · 6 years

Text

CHARACTER INTERVIEW

Repost. Don’t reblog.

NAME: George Augustus Frederick of the House of Hanover, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Chester, Baron Renfrew, etc

NICKNAME(S): Prinny

AGE: born in 1762, he is played on this blog as in his forties, and is not yet Prince Regent (although that may soon change)

SPECIES: All too human!

personal.

MORALITY: lawful / neutral / chaotic / good / neutral / evil / true

RELIGIOUS BELIEF: George was raised very strictly in the Protestant faith with the expectation that he will one day become the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Despite (or perhaps because of) this, he is an indifferent church-goer and detests most sermons, though he enjoys drinking with bishops. His current excuse for not attending the nearby Church of St. Nicolas in Brighton is that it is at the top of a very steep hill. He is rather distressed that the faithful of Brighton are planning to build a new chapel at the bottom of the hill especially for his convenience.

SINS: greed / gluttony / sloth / lust / pride / envy / wrath (he often persuades other people to share in his vices, insisting friends overeat or drink too much, and has a passion for encouraging adulterous affairs)

VIRTUES: chastity / charity / diligence / humility / kindness / patience / justice (he has few virtues, but his kind heart redeems many of his vices)

PRIMARY GOALS IN LIFE: A lover of beauty in all things, he wishes to gratify his own exquisite taste and share it with the world. The seduction of beautiful women, wearing of beautiful clothes, the purchase of beautiful objects, the development of beautiful and original architecture, and to serve his country by expanding English style. Most of all, he yearns to be loved and admired which has made him easy prey for those who chose to flatter him. It pains him that he is not more popular with his father’s subjects.

LANGUAGES KNOWN: English, French, German, Latin, and Greek (with a little Spanish and Italian).

SECRETS: His secret marriage to Maria-Anne Fitzherbert renders his marriage to Princess Caroline of Brunswick bigamous (in the eyes of God if not English law). He wears high cravats partly to obscure his double-chin and partly to hide the scrofula scars on his neck. Often he will come to believe any lie he might tell and thus his powers of self-deception often succeed in fooling others. He loves being ill because it is an excuse to stay in bed and be fussed over, and so makes much of every cough and sniffle. His growing corpulence is a great blow to his vanity although he pretends not mind it. He devours every caricature and article written about him, even though they depress and frustrate him, and then pretends to be above reading “such tripe”. He prefers to break up with women by letter or give no notice at all, not because it is more convenient, but because he knows he will cry and relent if he were to attempt such a thing in person. Although he is a spectacular spendthrift, he hates to spend physical money and often hides coins and notes in desk drawers and the pockets of his coats. He collects locks of women’s pubic hair, has kept every romantic souvenir ever presented to him, and likes to lie in bed and go through them when he is feeling particularly lonely or depressed.

SAVVIES: Although he has not an ounce of common sense, his sensibilities are extremely acute. He is highly intuitive (when not in a nervous state), thinks outside the box, and usually knows what to say in order to get what he wants.

BUILD: scrawny / bony / slender / fit / athletic / curvy / herculean / pudgy / average — to use his words: “rather too great a penchant to grow fat”.

HEIGHT: a little over six feet tall.

WEIGHT: This fluctuates quite a lot, but is currently somewhere between 16 and 18 stone.

SCARS/BIRTHMARKS: The aforementioned scars on his neck as well as the scars on his backside from being whipped as a boy. It annoys him that the scar he gained from wounding himself to prove his love for Maria Fitzherbert has mostly faded away and it takes him a little while to discern it from his stretchmarks.

ABILITIES/POWERS: He is extremely well-mannered, clever, and articulate (even while drunk), a fine judge of art, plays the piano, the cello, and the flute, sings well, knows how to talk and how to listen, and can make himself agreeable to just about anyone should he set his mind to it. He is no snob and can be very kind-hearted. He supports many charities, is against slavery (although he cannot bring himself to quit sugar), patronises a society against animal cruelty, hates executions, gave up watching boxing when he saw a man die in the ring, and is exceedingly generous (albeit usually with other people’s money). He is charming, elegant, very witty, a good rider, can drive any vehicle on wheels, and does devastatingly accurate impressions of all his acquaintances.

RESTRICTIONS: He extremely emotional, perpetually in a dazzle, can’t shoot for beans, has no real idea of how much anything should cost, and often requires the support of his lovers and friends (who may not have his best interests at heart). He cries often, lies often, overeats, is incapable of fidelity, catastrophises situations, and can behave with astonishing immaturity. He is an alcoholic, increasingly addicted to opium, perpetually in debt, and prefers to run away from his problems. He is terrified of ridicule and has an exceedingly thin skin, although he does his very best to hide it. He chooses people over principles and often does not understand why a friend will suddenly become an enemy because of something he has done. He can be made to feel helpless very easily and often indulges in grand talk to hide his insecurities. He wants to do the right thing, but is too fond of escapism, so people dismiss him a stupid or silly.

favourites.

FOOD: His favourite foods are legion but particular mention goes to chicken, truffles, vol-au-vents, ice cream, marzipan, beefsteak, lobster, goose pie, puff pastry, turtle, oysters, roast capon, stuffed pike, syllabub, cheese, strawberries, peaches, pineapple, trifle, jellies, and custard pudding.

DRINK: Hot chocolate, cherry brandy, sherry, gin, whisky, port, hock, Madeira, champagne punch, and hot ale with toast.

PIZZA TOPPING: Pineapple ;)

COLOUR: He loves all colours, but his favourites are blue, pink, green, and gold. He is a magpie, attracted to anything that glitters, although he understands what suits his large figure and lately has chosen darker, more somber styles under the influence of Mr Brummell. His choices in interior design, however, grow brighter and more eclectic by the day.

MUSIC GENRE: He loves all sorts of music, employs a German band, delights in opera — particularly Rossini — enjoys cello pieces, will sing old catches and glees with anyone who cares to join in, taps his foot to keep time, invites soloists to perform for him, and will even dance a hornpipe or a fling if he’s in the mood (although lately he has begun to refrain due to his weight).

BOOK GENRE: He mostly enjoys light reading: poetry, romances, and comedies — although this is not a rule. He adores Jane Austen’s sharp wit and Walter Scott’s lavish narratives. He will inevitably end up putting himself inside the novel and agonising over the characters’ feelings as though they were his own. When he is alone, or as alone as a prince can ever be, he reads aloud to himself and “does the voices”.

MOVIE PLAY GENRE: The same. He has a particular affection for Shakespeare’s comedies and Sheridan’s farces. He will watch tragedies, if they have actors he admires, or has been told he ought to go, but they make him cry.

SEASON: Spring. He loves to see the world renew itself.

CURSE WORD: Damme, damn’d, God damn, and all varieties thereof.

SCENT(S): Almond cream, lavender water, rose water, elder flower water, jasmine pomatum and orange pomatum, eau de cologne, eau romaine, Arquebusade, essence of bergamot, vanilla, eau de miel d’Angleterre, milk of roses, huile antique, oil of jasmine, brandy, ripe fruit, civet, warm butter, roast meat, and the sea air.

fun stuff.

BOTTOM OR TOP: It varies between lovers and circumstances. He desires to be admired and treated with deference but longs for the security of a guiding hand. Without someone he can trust by his side, he will often go into an emotional tailspin. So, physically, it can go either way but emotionally he prefers a stronger partner.

SINGS IN THE SHOWER BATH: Loudly and frequently.

LIKES BAD PUNS: Don’t get him started!

#meme

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balancingbookact · 6 years

Text

Best & Worst Books of 2017:

I had a pretty great reading year in 2017 and read quite a few bangers. Some honourable mentions go out to the Sensational She-Hulk series, Jessica Jones: the Pulse, The Stand, The Drawing of the Three, American Gods, Scott Pilgrim (a re-read so it doesn’t count), The Dark Prophecy, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and It Devours! All good books but now for the actual list.

Best:

1. The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book 2), by Rick Riordan.

I could easily put The Ship of the Dead here either, but while I think that book had more crowd-pleasing moments, this one has better pacing and an over-all more engaging plot. This series is great. Not only is Magnus a great lead, but all the side characters are fleshed out and have their own stories to tell. The Norse mythology is so readable in Rick Riordan’s style and I don’t care what people say, I will read anything this man writes. Keep ‘em coming, Rick!

2. Islam and Contemporary Civilisation by Halim Rane.

I had to read this for a class at uni and I have never enjoyed a text book more. This book reminded me of what reading is all about: learning something from another person’s perspective. I learned so much about the Islamic religion and culture through this book and Professor Rane’s tutes, and it was one of the most enriching classes I’ve ever taken.

3. Noteworthy by Riley Redgate.

Everyone stop what you’re doing and read this book about a girl who disguises herself as a boy and joins an all-male a cappella group at her prestigious art school. With a premise like that you’re probably expecting some Pitch Perfect/She’s the Man hybrid, and while it is funny, it’s also very heartfelt and delves into conversations about sexuality, gender, and gender performance that often get over-looked in cross-dressing stories. Jordan, our protagonist, is such a real person, and all the connections she forms are touching in their own, unique ways. I haven’t read a book that made me feel so connected to a character since Fangirl. Read it.

4. Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood by Benjamin Alire Saenz.

I also read Last Night I Sang to the Monster, which could have easily made this list as well but I think I like Sammy and Juliana just a little bit more. Anyone who thinks Aristotle and Dante was a fluke is wrong. This man is not some one-hit wonder. His books all hold such a soft tenderness, and even when he doesn’t shy away from some of the brutalities of life, there’s always hope for the characters. Sammy and Juliana is about a town of mostly Latinx people living in the U.S in the 60s. It paints such an amazing picture of what life was like for these people, and is one of the best coming of age (I guess?) stories I’ve ever read.

5. The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente.

I already wrote a glowing review of this on my goodreads (check me out here) but this book is everything I’ve ever wanted. It takes a look at the ‘Women in Refrigerators’ trope in superhero comics, which involves female characters being killed or otherwise brutalised for the development of a male characters story and blows it wide open. It looks at looks at six female characters (with the names and stories altered slightly): Gwen Stacy, Jean Grey, Harley Quinn, Karen Page, Queen Mera, and Alexandra DeWitt, and tells their stories and how pissed they are about being dead. It’s great commentary on the genre and Valente’s writing is just so raw and passionate. It evoked many emotions in me and I will die if more people don’t start reading this book.

6. How to Train Your Dragon, books 10-12 (How to Seize a Dragon’s Jewel, How to Betray A Dragon’s Hero, and How to Fight A Dragon’s Fury).

I finally finished this series after years of reading it and let me tell you right now, this is one of the best series ever written, period. The first seven books can be read as individual adventures, but it’s only once you get to the later part of the series that you see all the threads that have been carefully left to be woven together in a feat of masterful story-telling. This series has one of the greatest Heroes Journey stories ever put to page. I will fight anyone who says differently. I can’t pick a favourite out of these three, they’re all amazing. I just implore you to look past some of the outward silliness and read these books. You won’t regret it.

7. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green.

After five long years John Green has finally come out with a new book, and let me tell you, the wait was worth it. Some people may fight me on this but I think this is John Green’s best book he ever done wrote. His books have always been personal but seeing the thoughts and feelings Aza has when dealing with OCD, you can’t help but see the heart that has been put into this book. The portrayal of mental illness and the hopelessness one can feel when confronted by this invisible, seemingly unstoppable force, is so genuine, and anyone’s who’s ever suffered with something similar will see their experience reflected back at them with such clarity it’ll break your heart a bit. A damn good book.

Worst:

None of these books were really terrible, I was just expecting more from them, and I didn’t get it. This list is short though, so there’s that at least. Sadly, here we are:

1. We Go Forward by Alison Evans.

I picked this book up almost solely for the ace rep, and while I have no issues with how that was done, everything else was just so ‘meh’. A story about two Australian girls who meet while traveling in Europe and decided to keep going together sounds like a good time, but instead it was an aimless, meandering mess. We have a basic understanding of these characters from vague backstories, but it never amounts to anything. There’s no real plot, no driving force and no conceivable aim in sight. It’s just a couple of girls, who have some baggage, strolling around Europe and not really focussing on the budding friendship. Just a bit of a let-down, really.

2. Illuminae (the Illuminae Files, book 1) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.

This was probably the biggest disappointment of the year. I was so hyped for this book and waited specifically so I could listen to the audiobook and when I did I quickly discovered it just wasn’t really all that good. A book about a colony of people fleeing from a menacing company that destroyed their planet, mixed in with a zombie plague on the spaceships sounds like it would be awesome! Unfortunately so much of the potential was sacrificed for the alternative format, which didn’t really do anything for the story and just seemed like it was there to look cool. When you have a man with saw raw, visceral prose as Jay Kristoff and you limit his narration, you are doing a disservice to the people. Jay flies better as a solo operative, in my opinion.

3. We Awaken by Calista Lynne.

Another book with ace rep that I was excited for that let me down. This story of a girl who meets a beautiful woman version of the Sandman, and their ensuing romance sounded so promising, unfortunately this book lacked direction. Our characters mill about like some couple in a domestic fanfic (which are great but that’s not what I signed up for), and the book tries to throw in some obstacles at the last minute, but everything is resolved so conveniently that it pretty much made no difference. The writing was sub-par and read like a first draft, which hurts me to say so, but it’s true.

Here’s to another year of reading in 2018! *releases party-popper*

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sarcastic-scribbles · 7 years

Text

What Makes Us Beautiful

Written for @surpassing-morning for the Miraculous Summer Exchange 2k17.

Paris at dawn is a beautiful sight; the sky is a brilliant array of blues and pinks, yellows and oranges as the sun begins to peek up over the horizon. The Eiffel Tower stands tall against the waking sky, a black silhouette behind the morning sun. Birds begin to twitter as they are roused from sleep, but the streets are still mostly empty, a blissful calm filling the city before the citizens rise and the chaos and noise of the usual working day begins. This is a magical time, hidden from most, a moment of quiet and peace in the busy city.

Adrien feels almost out of place here, as if he is intruding on an intimate time that should only belong to fantasy creatures he had read about in fairy tales. He half expects to blink and see a pixie flitter in front of him, or turn his head and watch a matagot slip through a fence to enter someone’s home. Even Plagg is strangely quiet, not moving around in his pocket or mewling about wanting more cheese, though he’s peeking out of Adrien’s pocket, big green eyes looking around at the quiet city. Then again, if anyone were to belong at this secret time where day and night meet, it would surely be the mischievous black cat kwami.

The moment of stillness is shattered as the bus pulls in front of the school, its engine rumbling loudly and its brakes noisy as it comes to a stop. Seeming to not notice the time of day or simply not caring if he wakes all of beloved France, the bus driver honks the horn and opens the doors. Mrs. Bustier gives the driver a look saved only for the most difficult students, and he at least has the decency to look sheepish as he runs a hand through his hair.

The class starts to pile into the bus, the few who are awake chattering quietly amongst themselves. Alya and Nino were so tired when they arrived earlier that morning that they had fallen asleep together on the steps in front of the school, and Adrien had let them sleep after taking a few pictures for posterity’s sake. He wakes them up as the others climb into the bus, letting them sleepily head for the bus as he waits another moment.

He had noticed that Marinette hadn’t arrived yet, and given that she tended to arrive late to school anyway, he’s not surprised she had struggled to pull herself out of bed even earlier today. While Mrs. Bustier’s back is turned as she watches students clamber into the bus, Adrien sneaks over to the Dupain-Chengs’ bakery and knocks on the door. Sabine answers the door after a moment, a bright smile on her face when she sees him.

“Adrien! Did you come for Marinette?” Her eyes twinkle mischievously as he sheepishly nods, lifting a hand to the back of his neck.

“Yes ma’am, I didn’t want her to miss the bus…” he trails off as his gaze lands on Marinette herself, rushing down the stairs. Her hair is all over the place, her jacket pulled through one sleeve but not the other, and neither of her shoes are tied. This last detail proves to be her downfall as she steps on one, trips, and barrels toward the floor. Adrien rushes forward at the last second and catches her in his arms. Her hands come to rest against his chest, blue eyes squeezed shut from bracing for the impact that never came. Marinette looks up and their eyes meet; they share a breath together before they jump away from each other, blushes burning their cheeks.

“A-A-Adrien! What, uh, how, um, w-what are you doing here?” she stammers, peeking at him through her long lashes with a look that skyrockets his heart from his chest to his throat. He coughs in the hope that doing so will dislodge it.

“I, ur, wanted to make sure you didn’t miss the bus.” Adrien grins shyly, and the words are out before he can stop them, “I-It wouldn’t be any fun without you, Marinette.”

The blush that had been slowly retreating from her cheeks quickly returns as she throws him a smile that stretches her mouth so wide it’s almost comical – and definitely cute. It really isn’t fair. He turns and opens the door for her, thinking the distance might help clear his head. “After you.”

Marinette and Adrien hurry to the bus, earning only a raised eyebrow from Mrs. Bustier before being ushered inside. They sit in front of Alya and Nino, who had fallen asleep again. Not wanting to invade Marinette’s personal space, Adrien sits as close to the edge as possible, but she seems to have the same idea and crushes herself against the window, only sparing him a few quick, shy glances.

It takes him five minutes to come up with a plan to fix the gap between them, and another five to muster the courage to follow through. Slowly, he taps Marinette’s shoulder and lifts his phone when she turns, a grin on his lips. “Want to take a picture?”

The plan works like a charm, resulting in the two pressing up against each other to take several pictures. Marinette doesn’t even notice when he wraps his arm around her shoulders to “pull her closer for a better picture”. Their laughter joins the general noise from the bus as they look through the photos, giggling at silly faces they made or the awkward poses they caught classmates in in the background. Then suddenly Marinette snatches his phone and takes a few canon pictures of him, claiming that she is determined to capture one bad photo of him.

By the time they reach the art studio, his phone has a brand new album filled with pictures of himself, and Marinette is demanding to know his secret.

He has to bite his lip to keep from admitting he’d tell her anything for a kiss.

The Little Ladybug had opened in honor of Paris’s hero to encourage citizens to explore their more creative sides. The hope was that instead of Hawkmoth latching onto their wild emotions, they would instead express themselves through art. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t, but The Little Ladybug was always busy anyway. Shelves lined the walls, filled with paintbrushes and paints, pencils and pens, colored pencils and even crayons; art supplies were everywhere for any creative mind to get started. In one corner of the room, a young woman was teaching a small group how to paint a sunset scene, and in another corner, a man was instructing several people on how to make a small vase from lumps of clay. There were also tables filled with handmade pottery, sculptures, and drawings for sale to support the studio.

The class wanders around The Little Ladybug for the first few minutes, eventually breaking off into smaller groups depending on what interests them. Kim, Max, and Alix find themselves drawn to the group making pottery. They sit at adjacent potter’s wheels and are given lumps of clay to start forming their vases, along with a few brushes for them to create their own designs. Kim’s vase starts as short and round, not intended for any specific purpose but more for the enjoyment of creating it. Max’s vase is much taller, an hourglass shape with a wavy lip, intended to be a gift for his mother. Alix’s appears to be more of a bowl than a vase at first, but Kim reaches over and guides her hands until a bulbous vase begins to form. She flicks clay on his nose as a thank you.

Ivan and Mylène find a table to sit at where a stack of papers and a tray of colored pencils and crayons lay. They go about drawing and coloring dogs and flowers and imaginary creatures, smiling shyly at each other. When Mylène shows Ivan her latest drawing, grinning brilliantly as her big golden brown eyes meet his, an idea hits him and he turns to work on his next drawing. He hides his work from her until it's finished, even as she attempts to peek over his shoulder, then reveals his crayon doodle of Mylène herself, the prettiest stick figure he’d ever drawn if he did say so himself. Her smile grows wide as she crushes him in a hug before turning to draw him as well.

Nathaniel, Rose, and Juleka go to the easels and try their hands at finger painting. Juleka is unsure at first, but with Rose and Nathaniel’s encouragement and direction, she dips a finger into the black paint and begins working. Rose finishes first and proudly shows off her unicorn dancing through pink clouds. Juleka nervously displays hers next, a raven perched on a pile of pink, red, and white roses. Nathaniel is slow to reveal his work, blushing and rubbing the back of his neck as Rose gushes at his painting of Ladybug and Chat Noir while Juleka quietly tells him it’s awesome.

Nino and Adrien chat quietly as they follow Alya and Marinette, who look at the various sculptures and paintings for sale. Marinette lifts a small black cat sculpture that fits perfectly in her palm. The cat sits regally with its head held high and its tail curled around its feet, its glowing green eyes staring ahead. Around its neck rests a green collar with a little golden bell. It reminds her of Chat, down to the crooked smirk it appears to have, and she decides to buy it. Alya shows Nino a fox sculpture she’d found, its features cartoonish but cute, and he points out a necklace with a teal sea turtle hanging from it. Marinette notices Adrien holding something red in his hand and steps over, a blush quickly rising to her cheeks when she recognizes a ladybug charm, meant to be added onto a bracelet.

“G-going, uh, going to get it?” she asks, peering up at him. Adrien jumps in surprise, then smiles when he sees her.

“Yeah, I think so.” His eyes flicker to the cat sculpture in her hand. “A black cat?”

The heat in her cheeks increases. “Oh, well, yeah, it just… it reminds me of Chat.” Her eyes flicker to the ground, then slowly meet Adrien’s gaze. She’s startled to find he’s blushing as well, eyes gone wide at her confession. “A-And he’s my favorite, uhm, of the two of them, so I… well…”

“F-Favorite?” he chokes out, sounding like he’s having trouble taking a breath. With how red his face is, that might be the case. “You, you like Chat Noir… he’s your… o-okay.”

Marinette opens her mouth to question his reaction – and ask if he’s feeling alright because he looks like he might need to sit down – when a sharp laugh draws her attention to Chloe and Sabrina.

“Look at all this garbage, Sabrina, honestly, who would want to be seen with this?” Chloe lifts a clay pot, cracked around the edges but painted beautifully despite its flaws. “Daddy would never get me anything so tacky.”

Sabrina nods, though her eyes flicker longingly to the pot as Chloe moves on to another shelf. “And this one here looks like it was made by a child. Why on earth would I spend my money on this?”

Marinette scowls and whirls around, heading for the cash register to pay for her sculpture, grumbling under her breath about how some people simply can’t appreciate art. Adrien follows her silently, paying for his ladybug charm once she finishes. Alya and Nino had already bought their trinkets, so the four make their way to the corner of the room to learn how to paint a sunset scene.

Nino sits next to Adrien on one bench, and Alya next to Marinette on another. Having never really painted, Adrien pays close attention to the artist as she shows them how to make the first basic strokes. He’s slower than the others, trying to be as careful and precise as possible with each color and making them blend together just right. Reds become oranges which fade to pinks, blues, and finally black, with a few white dots scattered here and there. Mountain peaks cover the foreground, black silhouettes against the color-filled sky. The sun is the hardest part, the brush not wanting to move as he presses down lightly and spins it around as carefully as he can. The edges are a little jagged, the lines of color curved slightly, and the mountains appear to blend together, but he’s proud of his picture. Beside him, Nino draws a little forest in the foreground, dark green trees reaching out to touch the fading sun. Alya’s is brighter, rays shining from the sun as the world she paints is awoken to the morning light. Marinette creates an ocean setting, the light of the sky reflected in the waves she creates. A tiny boat floats in the corner of her painting, the words S. S. Marinette invisible to anyone not looking for a signature.

Seeing Adrien looking at her painting, she tries to show him how she made such a small signature – and ends up accidentally painting his wrist in the process. Adrien reaches for his paintbrush and interrupts her apologies as he paints a little green mark on her cheek. Horror flashes through her expression, quickly replaced by a determined smirk as she dips her brush in some red paint. Nino and Alya watch, amused, as Marinette chases Adrien down to paint his own cheek red, earning another green smear on her forehead in return. She raises her brush to exact more revenge, but he gets there first, smudging green paint all over her cheeks. He then quickly ducks under a table to hide from her fury, giving her a sheepish grin when she lifts the tablecloth, grabs the front of his shirt, and yanks him up. His face stops inches from hers as she holds him still, clutching his shirt tightly while she dots red paint over his face. Adrien does nothing to defend himself, flustered from how close his lips are to hers. At last Marinette lets him go, satisfied with her revenge, and starts to step by him when she trips over her feet. She crashes into him and they both tumble to the ground. Adrien’s eyes meet Marinette’s and they stare at each other for a moment before bursting out laughing, finally recognizing how silly their paint-littered faces look.

“You… you look like you have chickenpox,” Marinette giggles, muffling her laughter in his shirt.

“And your freckles have turned green,” Adrien snickers, hugging her close.

When at last their laughter fades they start to sit up, pausing when their proximity is realized as their faces come within inches of touching. Adrien’s breath hitches and Marinette’s heart skips a beat, their eyes drawn just below each other’s noses for a moment. They share a breath, beginning to move closer, when Adrien touches his brush to her nose, painting it bright green.

“Gotcha,” he whispers, but the playfulness is gone, another emotion swimming in his eyes. Marinette blushes and gives him a shy smile before pulling back.

“Yeah, you have.”

The two slowly stand and make their way back to their seats, blushing brightly as they set to work on another painting, their minds reeling.

Other than quiet chatter, the studio is mostly silent, tranquility filling the air as the class enjoys their activities in the studio. The morning passes more quickly than any would have wanted it as they each explore their talents or discover new ones. Even Chloe and Sabrina seem to find a way to entertain themselves after discovering they can make their own jewelry – though Chloe was reluctant at first, she could tell Sabrina was interested and decided to humor her, though she’d never admit she was enjoying the art herself.

The peace in the studio is eventually broken, however, when Kim dares Alix to flick clay onto Max’s vase, and he in turn throws some at her in good fun and hits Kim instead. War arises among them, clay hitting glasses and hoodies and sneakers until the three are covered with clay, smeared on their hands and clothes and splattered on their faces and hair. A treaty is formed when Mrs. Bustier comes over to stop Kim from shoving Max’s head into a lump of clay as Alix slips clay into Kim’s hood; lunch is announced not too long after.

After everyone has gone to the bathroom and washed off most of the paint and clay from themselves, Mrs. Bustier allows the class to split into groups to get some lunch, reminding them to meet at the Bastille at two thirty to drive back to school.

Adrien’s hair is still a little wet from his attempt to remove paint from it, and he hopes the way it falls isn’t too reminiscent of Chat Noir to tip anyone off. He sidles next to Nino as the class leaves The Little Ladybug, and Alya and Marinette join them once the class separates. They walk aimlessly for a while, pointing out several restaurants they could stop at without deciding on anything, until suddenly Adrien stops, staring across the street.

“The Coffee of the Cats?” he asks, and the others follow his gaze. The building is small and simple, its name painted light blue on a beige wall. On its window is a drawing of a black cat sitting next to a mug of coffee. There are no bright, flashy lights or extra signs; it is almost hidden away on the street.

Alya and Nino don’t have any problem with it, and though Marinette seems to be containing a laugh at a joke none of the others catch, she agrees to go inside as well.

The Coffee of the Cats is filled with old furniture and cat trees, with only a few tables and chairs set up to somewhat resemble an actual café. Cat toys and beds are strewn about on furniture and on the floor, and all over are cats – cats loafing on their trees, cats sleeping in beds, cats winding around legs, cats everywhere. Adrien thinks this might be what heaven looks like.

Nino and Alya take a seat on one of the couches, Marinette on a nearby chair, and Adrien plops right down on the floor to start petting one of the cats. A waitress offers them a menu and they order, eager to eat after the long morning they had. Once the waitress leaves for the kitchen, Marinette kneels next to Adrien and scratches under a ginger cat’s chin, earning a happy purr in response.

A grey cat hops onto the couch and gingerly steps over both Nino and Alya’s laps, head and tail held high. Alya cracks a small smile while Nino warily watches the cat walk over them, looking incredibly uncomfortable.

“Duuuude, I don’t… cats aren’t my thing, man, I’ve always just had dogs; big, loud, lovable dogs and cats are just… they’re weird, dude.”

Alya laughs and pats his shoulder. “I promise I’ll protect you from the scary cat, you dork.”

Nino is miffed for a minute before another cat leaps into his lap and he yelps, clutching onto Alya. “Dude dude dude dude dude!”

She carefully lifts the cat into her lap and scratches behind its ears, raising an amused eyebrow at Nino. He merely crosses his arms and looks away. “…It just startled me, that’s all.”

Marinette picks up a feather wand and starts playing with the ginger cat, cooing as it bats at the dangling feathers. The white cat Adrien had been petting joins in, the two cats chasing and pouncing at the always out of reach feathers. Adrien laughs as he watches, leaning a little against Marinette, who decides not to comment on how his arm snakes around her waist. There’d be plenty of time to talk later.

When the food comes they all move to a table, chatting amiably about first the art studio, then Nino’s newest album, Alya’s sisters’ latest trip to the hospital, Marinette’s most recent design, and one of Adrien’s guilty pleasures.

“You watch romcoms in your spare time? Dude, seriously?” Nino stares at him in disbelief, his uneaten ice cream melting in his bowl.

“I mean, I can see it,” Alya says, taking a bite of her chocolate cake. “You’re totally a hopeless romantic, right?” Adrien’s blush is all she needs for confirmation, regardless of the stuttering affirmation he gives her. “See? Ready to sweep some girl off her feet and ride into the sunset.”

“But romcoms? I understood the anime, okay, they have some great plotlines, but romcoms just… it’s the same movie! Over and over, the exact same movie!”

Adrien frowns. “No, sometimes the girl falls first, and sometimes the guy does, and they really beautifully portray relationships as both fun and emotionally deep if you watch the right ones.”

Marinette sips at her milkshake. “He’s got a point.”

Nino points a fry at her. “You stay out of this. Alya, come on, dude, back me up!”

She shrugs. “Sorry, I like them too.”

“Oh, come on!” He shakes his head, almost as pitiful as the orange sherbet melting away in his bowl. “…I need new friends, dude.”

The Bastille isn’t far from the café, but after walking for a little while Alya begins to playfully complain about how tired she is from walking. Nino offers to carry her on his back, then turns to Adrien.

“Bet we could beat you and Mari to the Bastille.”

Adrien immediately bends down so Marinette can climb onto his back. He holds onto her legs carefully as her arms loop around his neck, and he hopes that she can’t feel his pounding heart. “You’re on.”

The two take off, holding tightly to the girls as they zip through streets and sidewalks. Marinette and Alya seem to be having more fun the boys are, yelling insults at each other and encouraging Adrien and Nino to run faster lest the other get ahead. It’s neck and neck all the way to the Bastille, until Adrien is forced to stop for an old man hobbling across the road (who may have been familiar but neither he nor Marinette was paying very much attention). Nino and Alya celebrate their victory, cheering and good-naturedly boasting their win to Adrien and Marinette. Adrien takes the loss well and congratulates them, though Marinette is a little sore and it takes a few silly faces from Adrien to get her to cheer up again, promising to beat them next time.

Mrs. Bustier smiles and checks the four of them off her list as they step onto the bus, then follows them inside. Alya and Nino sit in front of Adrien and Marinette, and Mrs. Bustier double checks that the entire class is present before taking a seat herself. The bus driver then shuts the door and they drive off, heading back for school.

With the rumbling of the bus, the warmth radiating from Adrien, and the exhaustion from a long, full day, Marinette falls asleep in no time, resting her head against Adrien’s shoulder. He is startled at first, but smiles and wraps an arm around her, wishing her sweet dreams under his breath. Alya and Nino turn around and snap a few pictures of the two before Adrien catches them, his face flushing red as he insists they turn back around before they wake Marinette.

Outside, the city is bustling, people hurrying into shops and houses with their arms loaded with bags. Cars honk and street vendors call to the people passing by, the smell of fried food permeating inside the bus. Gone is the peaceful moment of dawn, yet still Adrien would call this time magical, not because of faeries and spirits, but because of the life that flows throughout Paris, from its people to its streets to the bright blue sky. The city is alive, Adrien thinks as he leans his head against the bus window. And as the Eiffel Tower comes into view once again, he knows that is what makes Paris beautiful.

#miraculous summer exchange #miraculous ladybug #what makes us beautiful #adrienette

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eldritchsurveys · 4 years

Text

631.

1. What are you doing at this exact moment? (I want details, people!) >> Drinking a bit, compulsively checking Discord even though no one’s ever online at this time of day (but there are several discussions I want to have so I’m... waiting), and intermittently thinking about/talking to Can Calah about weird multiplicity things. Also, this survey.

2. The one song you will never get sick of? Additionally, any song recommendations? >> I don’t know what song I will never get sick of. I’m sure I’m capable of getting sick of any song if I hear it too much (what “too much” is, exactly, varies by the song, I guess).

3. Name everything you have ever wanted to be (occupations and random things, like animals!) >> Meh.

4. What is the best fanfic you have ever read (lmao) >> My own, because they were the ones written specifically about things and characters that I care about. I can’t count on that from anyone else (although sometimes I get lucky and I do appreciate those writers), so of course my own will be my favourite.

5. Name every fandom you have ever been in! >> The franchises for which I’ve actively written (whether through roleplay or fic) are Axis Powers Hetalia, Homestuck, Dragon Age, Fable, The Elder Scrolls, Marvel, Person of Interest, Kingdoms of Amalur, and Pillars of Eternity. I think that’s all of them. Oh, and Carnivale.

6. What is the saddest movie you have ever watched? Additionally, movie recommendations? >> I don’t know, most movies that are intentionally written to be sad don’t do it for me, because they’re about things I either don’t care enough about or don’t relate to.

7. If you could direct your own TV show/movie, what would it be like? >> I really have no interest in doing anything like that, so I couldn’t tell you.

8. The cringiest account/fan account you’ve ever made? (oh god) >> I don’t think I’ve ever made anything I’d call “cringy”. I’ve made stuff when I was a teenager that I obviously wouldn’t dream of doing now, but that’s because I was a fucking teenager. I’m not going to be contemptuous of young!Mordred for being young and a little silly, and that’s that on that.

9. What is your aesthetic? Describe it to us in list form. >> I don’t know what my aesthetic is. Black holes and shit. Tentacles. Ram horns. Slapping skulls on everything. I don’t know.

10. What is one thing that has been bugging you recently that you just need to talk about? >> Mostly just multiplicity and stuff related to, you know, being a fictional character. Not anything I expect anyone in the survey community to grok, so I’ll keep it to my personal tumblr, Dreamwidth, and the one Discord server.

11. One thing you’ve always wished you could do / be good at? >> I wish I cared more about writing, but I think that was more the province of... well, anyway. Moving on.

12. Put a picture of your best (or your worst!) fanart/drawing ever! >> I mean, none of my art is worth showing anyone right now because it’s all... practicing. Me trying to find my footing.

13. The best book you have ever read? Additionally, any book recommendations? >> There is no “best book ever”. I don’t recommend books willy-nilly, I have to know something about the specific person and their tastes and what they’re looking for.

14. Most exotic food you’ve ever had? >> I don’t know.

15. Post a picture of the weirdest/funniest text conversation you’ve ever had! >> All my text conversations would seem weird because Sparrow and I have a funny kind of shorthand that would be tricky to explain (which mostly involves knife and gun emoji and sometimes a turtle).

16. Random fun fact about you! >> In one lifetime, I had four parents and they all sucked. Well, Mia was all right, I guess. But the rest of them sucked.

17. What do you think of me? Ahh! >> I don’t know you.

18. Do you have any fake names? Pseudonyms? Idk, stage names, street names? If not, what would it be? >> I have several names, but I don’t think any of them are fake (nor are they performance names or anything like that). They’re just... other names. It’s like how Odin has eight billion fucking titles and names. It just be like that sometimes.

19. What is your idea of a perfect life? >> I don’t care about perfection.

20. Finish the sentence: “Oh, to be a _____” >> spider on the wall.

21. Is there a stranger you would like to meet again? >> I mean, probably, but I can’t remember one off the top of my head. 22. Post a picture of you/someone you know doing something weird. Do it, you won’t. Coward. (Obviously the pic doesn’t have to have a face in it) >> I won’t because I don’t feel like taking those extra steps right now. Also, like, yawn.

23. Is there a place you feel homesick for even though you’ve never been there? >> Yeah, because as a person who is distinctly aware that its existence is spread across time and space, having impressions of loss about things the body has never experienced or places it’s never been is... pretty par for the course.

24. Basic, but what’s your sign? >> Gemini Sun.

25. What sign do you act like? What sign do you wish you were? >> The Scorpio influence is very heavy (it’s my Ascendant and dominant sign). My chart makes sense the way it is, so it’s pointless to wish it was arranged differently -- unless I literally wanted to be a different person.

26. What is one unusual thing you do? >> This survey is littered with unusual things, pick one.

27. Tell us in the 3rd person who you probably were in your past life. >> Ha... well, “past life” would be kind of... reductive, I guess, because it assumes that time is linear-- you know what, never mind--

#surveys #survey #random survey

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2traveldads-blog · 7 years

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By now you know how much fun we’ve had through the years in Disneyland, and now especially with our kids in the Parks. Both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure are loaded with fun experiences, but it really is smart to prep for a visit to either spot. California Adventure with kids is non-stop fun (and perfect for adults too!).

So you’re visiting the Disneyland Resort with the fam. Awesome. If you’ve only got one day, do Disneyland. If you have two days or more, you’ll for sure have to spend time in California Adventure with kids. It’s a really fascinating park highlighting the many aspects of California, but then it’s also totally Disney with seamless integration of everyone’s favorite characters and theming. Here’s how we recommend approaching California Adventure with kids.

Priorities in California Adventure with kids

Just like we said with planning a day in Disneyland it’s helpful to plan and prioritize your time in California Adventure with kids. You only have so much time in a day and California Adventure isn’t open for all of your waking hours.

Picking attractions for kids

We’ve found that California Adventure with kids is most fun when you start your time there with a totally realistic expectation about the types of rides you’ll get to do. We were just there with a 5 and 2 year old, and although tall enough for almost everything, not everything was a good idea. Example: when we did the Cars 3 Premiere and had an exclusive chance to experience Cars Land with very few people, we took advantage and did Radiator Springs Racers with our oldest. Apparently the speeds and overall racetrack experience was just beyond his enjoyment level.

Another thing to consider is that even the silliest rides are going to be more fun than you might expect. As an adult riding a children’s ride I have to say that I always enjoy them, if nothing else but for the happiness of watching the kids have a blast.

Tip: for the big ticket attractions, leverage the FASTPASS / MaxPass system and pay close attention to the time noted on the pass for when you’ll have another FASTPASS available. This’ll help you prioritize and plan your day.

Planning for entertainment

California Adventure has a lot of entertainment options in terms of shows and parades. Stage shows abound, which is actually super cool and also something to plan for. On Buena Vista Street you’ll find jazz performers (including Mickey Mouse). Within Hollywood Land there are superheroes on stage, or Frozen live in the Hyperion theater. Paradise Pier is home to the World of Color as it overtakes the lagoon each night.

Note: despite how much time we’ve spent at the Disneyland Resort over the years, we’ve never been able to catch the World of Color because we always prioritize other parades or fireworks over it, but we hear that it’s really incredible.

The entertainment highlight for us when we did California Adventure with kids was the Pixar Play Parade. Showcasing the characters of Finding Nemo and Finding Dori, Toy Story movies, Monsters Inc, the Incredibles, and Cars films, this was right up our kids’ alley. True, shows and parade change or leave and return to the Parks, but being aware of what’s available during your visit can really help you prioritize what you all want to experience.

viewing area for World of Color in Disney’s California Adventure

Parades and World of Color vs Disneyland shows

Like I said, we haven’t seen the World of Color yet, but this is why: we always aim for the shows that could be cancelled if the weather turns. If we have the chance to catch the fireworks in Disneyland because it’s not windy or raining, we’ll do that. If Fantasmic is available due to the day of the week we’re there, we’ll pick that over a show that happens more frequently. If there’s a limited engagement for a parade or a special event, that’ll take priority, such as the limited time return of the Main Street Electrical Parade.

It’s all about prioritizing and what your family will enjoy more. Our friend Erin, the Thrifty Travelista, provided some World of Color pics for us. She digs the show and has us planning to catch it next time.

courtesy of The Thrifty Travelista

Family Guide to California Adventure with kids

We have hundreds of hours of experience in Disney’s California Adventure, so know that our tips are coming from that experience and not just what everybody else loves. We like to enjoy the Park, not just do as much as we can as quickly as we can.

Hollywood Land

Over the years Hollywood Land has changed so much. It’s a must visit when you do California Adventure with kids. Hollywood Boulevard may not be that awesome to little ones, but there are great dining options along the way as well as cool attractions relating to animation and movie production.

The big ticket items in Hollywood Land are Monsters Inc and Hollywood Tower of… wait: Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout. Monsters is fun if you’re a fan of the movie and kids LOVE it. Guardians is a little different. Just like the Tower of Terror was scary for it’s random elevator drops, Guardians is droppy and freaky, but now with all your favorite 80s hits! It’s not one little kids are going to dig, but if you’ve got a tall child who’s brave, why not try it out.

The biggest hit for our family in Hollywood Land is Turtle Talk with Crush. Who doesn’t love Finding Nemo? So, you go into the theater and sit on the ground… and somehow or another Crush, the green see turtle, swims up and completely engages with the audience. It’s weird and so cool!

Tip: now that MaxPass has launched and Guardians: Mission Breakout is so new, it’d be worthwhile to get a pass for the attraction at the start of your California Adventure day.

Characters to meet

Kids who are into superheros are going to be super stoked in Hollywood Land. From Spiderman to Captain America, Gamora from Guardians to Queen Elsa… because she’s kind of a superhero. Also, there’s a great assortment of random other Disney friends to meet.

Bug Land

Bug Land is the spot that was, I’m sure, created with parents in mind. The over-sized cloverleaf shade structures and the subtle bug sounds make it a parental paradise, and then the rides are pleasant and mostly silly. The highlight though is definitely the 4-D show, It’s Tough to Be a Bug. We won’t give away the bug farm, but it’s awesome and hilarious.

Tip: Bug Land is a great escape on hot days. There are some great oversized garden hose fountains for kids to play in. FYI, shirt and shoes are required.

Characters to meet

There aren’t a ton, but Flick and Princess Atta both tend to pop in and out of Bug Land. There are lots of hidden bug characters all around the area though, so that’s a fun thing to play Eye Spy for with kids. Really, Bug Land is for the relaxing parent experience over anything else.

Cars Land

OMG. Our favorite land to visit as a family. We got to have a super special experience in Cars Land when we did the unforgettable Cars 3 Premiere. That was the first time the kids had visited Radiator Springs and it was seriously cool. There are three primary attractions in Cars Land: Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree, Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters, and Radiator Springs Racers. The first two are great for any age, but the last, the Racers, is a big kid ride. Our oldest was tall enough to ride, but the speed was a bit much for him. He loved the slow parts and seeing his favorite Cars characters, but at the end was insistent that he didn’t like the ride because it was too fast. Use your judgement.

Tip: Flo’s V8 Cafe is some of our favorite dining in either of the Disney Parks. Great selection for all kinds of tastes and even their allergen-free menu was great.

Characters to meet

No trip into Disney’s California Adventure with kids is complete without meeting Lightning McQueen or Mater. Now there are even more Cars friends to meet, including Cruz Ramirez, Red and Jackson Storm. We loved seeking out our favorite friends.

Note: don’t touch the cars unless their cast member hosts say you can. Just like you wouldn’t randomly poke a stranger in the face, the Cars don’t like it either.

Paradise Pier

Paradise Pier is a huge land. It goes from the Palace of Fine Arts in the San Francisco area to the Wharf and then all around the lagoon. A large part of Paradise Pier has many of your standard carnival/pier style rides, but it’s also got some wonderfully Disney attractions.

The kids enjoyed the Little Mermaid ride, which is one of the coolest animatronic ones the Parks, but us dads LOVE California Screamin’ While Screamin’ isn’t as intense as some of the roller coasters you’ll experience in a Six Flags theme park, it really packs a punch for a Disney coaster.

Toy Story Midway Mania is also a really great ride with kids. It’s like an over-lifesized arcade game that you’re in and it’s all kinds of midway games that you normally could never win at in a pier setting… but here you can! And the 3D factor of it is also fun.

Tip: another attraction in the Paradise Pier area is Mickey’s Fun Wheel. It’s huge for a ferris wheel and is worth the wait if it’s 20 minutes or less. ALWAYS choose the line for the cars that swing. So much more fun.

Grizzly Peak and rustic California

We’ll say this now: do Grizzly River Run and be cool with getting soaked. You’ll get soaked and it’s fine and fun. California Adventure with kids isn’t complete without taking them rafting and watching the crazy fun they have. If you’re littles aren’t big enough for it yet though, you’ll have to make the most of watching others getting splashed.

Soarin’ Around the World is another fun experience in the Grizzly Peak area. What used to be Soarin’ Over California, the concept stayed the same but now you get an awesome IMAX-style adventure as you fly all over the world, feet dangling as you soar. Really fun.

Note: the two main attractions in the Grizzly Peak area have height restrictions, so if you’re visiting California Adventure with kids smaller than 42” tall you’ll not be able to take them on these rides.

Tip: if you’ve got a few adults and also a child who’s too small to ride, ask a cast member about doing rider-switch to handoff the little ones so big kids (aka adults) can still do some of the more fun stuff.

Staying at the Grand Californian Hotel

We were really fortunate to get to stay at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel when we took the kids. We have a few ideas for where to stay when you visit the Disneyland Resort, but if you are able to stay at the Grand, here are some perks to it.

Guests staying at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel have their own security line for getting into Downtown Disney as well as directly into California Adventure. It’s wonderfully convenient. An option to add to your reservation at the Grand is Craftsman’s Club access (depending on availability). They’ve got you set for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert, as well as fireworks viewing from their balcony, complete with music.

And it’s not like you’ll want to be hanging out at your hotel when you’ve got Disneyland right outside your door, but if you do want to the pools at the Grand Californian are awesome. We enjoyed the water slides and shallow pool to break up our days a bit. Oh, and they have life jackets for little kids in case they’re not the best swimmers.

Staying at Disney’s Grand Californian is really a treat if you have it in your budget. There are lots of other great Good Neighbor Hotels for you to choose from though, so don’t think that your experience at Disneyland or California Adventure with kids must including staying on property; it’s just nice if you can.

Now, doesn’t it sound awesome to pack up the fam and head to SoCal for a Disneyland trip? You should feel good picking and planning what you want to spend your time doing. California Adventure with kids is super fun and if you’re going to be doing Disneyland for more than one day it’s totally worth your time. Go, have fun, meet characters and then tell us what your favorite memories are!

And feel free to pin this for later when it’s time to plan your own trip to Disney’s California Adventure!

Dads in Disneyland: a guide to California Adventure with kids By now you know how much fun we’ve had through the years in Disneyland, and now especially with our kids in the Parks.

#california adventure #disney vacation #Disneys Grand Californian #family travel #travel planning

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writtenbehindthescenes-blog · 7 years

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I’ve been writing blogs about everything happening behind the scenes with Robb Murphy for a couple of years now, but while writing the blogs about the band members and introducing them, it came to mind that I never really wrote a blog like that about Robb. It’s about time!

Those of you who’ve been reading my blogs already know a bit about Robb. Next to being a songwriter, creator of music and producer, he’s an outstanding pizza maker, coffee and tea lover, vegan, vinyl collector and he’s always up for silliness….a lot of silliness… Robb likes to challenge himself but, maybe more so, he likes to challenge others…yes I’ve been there ;) It’s not easy to fool him…but occasionally I manage to do it… Robb always tends to be late and I remember that during one of the tours we had to be at a radio station very early in the morning. I had reasons to believe that we would be late if I told Robb the exact time we had to leave, so I added 30 minutes spare time to that, without Robb knowing… Due to that we arrived at the radio station earlier than expected… That trick never worked again after that btw! And I have to admit…that trick was never needed again, because we’ve managed to be on time everywhere we had to go ever since.

And…there’s that thing with reading… Robb doesn’t always read everything…of which he recently posted proof…just a few emails to read…

Sometimes I have to be creative when it comes to making sure that Robb reads what I send him…by adding silly things for example. A while ago I made a to do list and I needed to be sure that Robb would read it. I added ‘practice choreography’ to that list and when he asked me what that was about, I knew that he had read the file ;) And there’s another example of Robb not always reading everything…it sometimes leads to funny situations like this:

All joking aside…I’ve been working with Robb on the music for 4 ½ years now and it’s been a pleasure. We’ve done so much, had ups and downs, but one thing for sure…things are never boring behind the scenes. There’s always a lot of work to do but we’re always having a lot of fun! Robb, the band and me…we’re all very lucky to have the support from partners, wives, husband and family, because without that we would not be able to do this. We have a lot of plans and are working on some exciting projects, so the work continues….onto the next 4 ½ years!

Time for a Q & A with Robb now…Just like all band members Robb was sent a list of questions too… He complained, saying that I sent him 9 million questions to answer – I think math is a problem here ;) – but he answered the questions, here’s what he said:

What drives you to write? Something compels me to write, I do not know what but I need to write music. Things that influence what I write about are just everyday situations, nature, and dreams. I also like trying to put myself in other situations, imagining how it would feel.

Can you remember the first time you wrote a song? Describe it to me. One of the first songs I wrote was called, “Turtle Dove”. Lyrics were; “I’m a turtle dove, I’m a turtle dove”. Half of this song credit goes to Rick from the band.

What’s your favorite piece of music and why? So many to choose from but for now I will pick Holocene by Bon Iver. I am usually more about the lyrics of a song but the melody, arrangement and textures created are what never fails to get me. I have been listening to it for years and have not once got bored of it.

What’s the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to you while working on a song? When I was working on Stars from the Sleep Tonight album I heard a few xylophone notes during the instrumental that really worked, but were not recorded in the mix, I thought I was going mad! What actually had happened was we had guests in another room where I had left a small xylophone, one of them by chance played a few notes at that particular time. So I had to put it in the song !

Have you had any crazy fan encounters? Not many, but the first time I was asked to sign something I just assumed the person meant one of the other acts that had played so I went to get them. #Awkward

How would you describe your music? Lyric focused, emotive, my personal therapy! The music is arranged by whatever instruments and gear I have at hand, and whoever of my musical friends want to be involved.

Best advice ever given? Don’t try to copy current musical genres, trends will change so just be true to the type of music you want to create, and maybe a future trend will sync with one of your songs.

First song ever sung? The earliest song I have memories of singing is Nelly The Elephant, The Toy Dolls version. It was a birthday party favourite !

Secret craving? Sultanas, in anything

Favourite food? Pizza

What’s the hardest part about producing your own music? And what’s the easiest? Hardest part is not having other people’s input, meaning I am sometimes unsure if something is working. Easiest part is not having other people’s input so I can do what I want.

Is there someone you’d secretly love to work with? Not really, I am a loner. I am most comfortable writing among people I know and am close to. Songwriting for me is a very personal thing so it’s hard to switch it on if I am not relaxed. I love bringing songs to the band that are not fully finished, songs I am not even sure I like, hearing their opinions gives them a burst of new energy.

What do you like to do for fun outside of working on music? I like traveling, going for a drive, gardening.

You’ve toured the Netherlands quite a few times now, what’s your favourite thing about the Netherlands? I love the feeling of space in the country, the openness and fresh air. Also the people, always very helpful and welcoming.

Favourite Dutch word? Stroopwafel

Oddest thing that has happened while touring? It’s all weird, but one that sticks out happened when on tour in The Netherlands. Returning home late from a gig, my turn to drive, and in front of me was a cyclist riding from side to side on the road. We laughed at this but I just assumed it was someone not realising there was a car behind them. As I slowly approached him he swerved out again to the middle of the road, cycled in a big circle and I will always remember as the car headlights shown on his face his very large grin! He was a happy Chappy without a care in the world !

Cats or dogs? Don’t mind either but cats seem to find me, so I will go with cats

Favourite gig so far? A gig at Theater ‘t Heerenlogement in Beusichem during last year’s tour. It’s a great old theatre venue, we had a lovely meal with the owners Tineke and Gerard Holst, and a full house! Oh and wine back stage ;)

3 places you’d like to play? Coachella, Burning Man, Dublin Olympia Theatre

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I would love to have a recording studio and work with other artists to record their music. Other than that just be alive, healthy and happy!

Best software you’ve used for producing so far? I use Pro Tools for recording as it’s what I learned in university. But actually before that, though it’s not software, I used a tape dictaphone for recording ideas and I would also record sounds I like when I was out. There will be a lot of weird stuff on there!

Best hardware investment for music production? When recording sleep tonight I got a Focusrite ISA 828 pre amp, a set of 8 preamps that can be used on a bunch of things, I think I will always use it even if I get a larger variety of pre amps!

Favourite instrument? Acoustic guitar, trumpet & wurlitzer close 2nds

How many instruments do you play? A few, but variety of skill levels! Main instrument is the guitar and this feels most natural to me which is why I usually write with it. I play a bit of keys, harmonica, trumpet / trombone (badly out of practice) and the belly slaps.

Favourite place in Northern Ireland? Anywhere near the sea! North coast is great. The Mourne Mountains too. Not in the north but a recent favourite is Kellybegs, a small fishing town near Donegal in the North West of Ireland.

What trivial knowledge may save your life one day? I know how to open a bottle of wine with a shoe

If you could live anywhere on this planet and take everything that you love with you, where would you choose to live and why? I like it here, but it does lack some sunshine. So I would go somewhere in Tuscany, Italy, a farmhouse just outside Florence. I would take my new wife (not that I have an old one, but recently married) and my guitar. I could also take my macbook and phone, but I can live without them really. Tuscany has a lot of things I love, mostly reliable weather, scenery, art and culture all around. Oh plus coffee, wine and pizza are pretty good there too.

Top 3 songs on your playlist? Currently on my phone they are: Bon Iver – Holocene Traveling Wilburys – Tweeter And The Monkey Man Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Man On Fire

Favourite song from high school? A few that always remind me of high school are: Crash Test Dummies – MMM MMM MMM MMM Wet Wet Wet – Love is all around The Cranberrys – Linger The Corrs – Runaway Enigma – Return To Innocence The Connells – ’74-’75 REM – Daysleeper

Favourite thing about music? Writing and recording, the buzz when something works.

Least favourite thing about music? Promoting it, needs to be done but I feel like a broken record.

If you were a vegetable, which one would you be? A chilli pepper

One perfect day… what would it include? Big sleep in, good food, sunshine, sea, maybe a sneaky wine

Thanks very much for this Robb!

You can follow Robb on Twitter and Facebook. Stop by and say hello!

If you’ve missed the blogs about band members Kevin, Dave, Rick and Al, click on their names and you can read all about them!

Robb Murphy…Q & A I’ve been writing blogs about everything happening behind the scenes with Robb Murphy for a couple of years now, but while writing the blogs about the band members and introducing them, it came to mind that I never really wrote a blog like that about Robb.

#Singer-Songwriter #Blog #Coffee #Music #Musicbiz #Musicbusiness #NI Music #Northern Ireland #Production #Recording #Robb Murphy #Silliness #vegan #vinyl collector

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