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mkstrigidae · 3 years

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This might be a lot since there’s so many characters in APWH, but could you share something secret about each character that no one else knows or maybe just a fun fact?

I am so sorry I’m answering this so late- I try not to be a human disaster, but inevitably end up being one most days.

Oooooooh this one is very interesting- they might not all be secrets, because for some characters, that would be giving away major plot points, but fun facts I can do! Let’s see what I’ve got (below the cut):

Robb: Has definitely licked a bone on a dare before, is actually a decent artist (much like Sansa) and does a fair amount of sketching in the field, and has an engagement ring for Tal in his work locker that no one knows about yet :) Inherited Catelyn’s ability for leadership, and is really good at dealing with Logistics, management, and the bureaucracy involved in his job. Hangs out with the experimental archeology students a lot (he’s like the accidental older brother for half the department) and would definitely wear handmade linen armor from someone’s project and let an undergrad shoot arrows at him to test it. (For those of you unaware, linen armor is next to impossible to cut without an extremely specific and sharp type of electric saw). Is good friends with Sarella, who’s going through grad school in Oldtown as well. Has been reluctantly dragged into the feud between the archaeology/anthropology and paleontology departments.

Aegon: is a fairly talented piano player, has always liked to cook, but got really good at it when he was dating an adjunct professor in grad school (none of his family knows about the relationship, but Theon does). Has been taking night classes recently to try and learn the Old Tongue bc he and Lyanna are particularly close. Dates casually, and volunteers at a community center for at-risk kids in Kings Landing on weekends. Is the only Targ sibling emotionally aware enough to spend time with Viserys, and is his grandmother Rhaella’s favorite.

Rhae: Actually really likes listening to heavy metal, especially when she’s working, and is really into the Westerosi equivalent of late night comedy. Will get really invested in hobbies for like, a few months and then move on to something completely different. Is her grandfather Aerys’ favorite, and has him wrapped around her finger. Makes a game of antagonizing Viserys at Targ family functions, and has been inseparable from Margaery since they met in college. Thought her cousin Obara was the coolest person in the world when she was a kid. Most likely of all the characters to do a triathlon without breaking a nail.

Bran: Might be one sociology class away from identifying as an anarchist. Kind of wants to be a professor and will probably write novels someday. Is really into flea markets and will go antiquing with Ned and Elia and sometimes Cat. Loves kayaking and decorates his wheelchair elaborately for holidays. He’s won several costume contests at school for it. Very snarky. If Sansa had been raised by the starks, they would have had a standing Saturday lunch date to snark and gossip about the rest of the fam.

Jon: wanted to be a forest ranger for the longest time and then a writer, but felt like he had to choose a more reputable career, and is kind of jealous that Robb decided to say ‘fuck it’ and become an archaeologist. Really wants to travel, although he picked law after His Valyrian is passable (the targ sibs spoke it anytime they were with Rhaegar and fam), but he speaks Rhoynish fluently and is close to his cousins on the Martell side of the family. Really likes hiking and will often go with Cat, who is also fairly outdoorsy. Likes epic high fantasy novels and would really love LOTR.

Mya: is weirdly into dream interpretation, is bisexual, and has fallen into one of the canals in Braavos before on a school field trip. She was born in the Vale, and her mom moved to Braavos when she was five. Would definitely eat a bug on a dare. More tomboy than anything, but really enjoys getting dressed up and being feminine. Likes painting her nails fun colors. Who gives a shit about gender expectations? Not Mya.

Sansa: the first person she kisses in APWH isn’t going to be Jon…;) If she’d been raised by the Starks, she might have gone to school for journalism or become a novelist. Hates math, but is a passable accountant because of what Baelish taught her to help him with the books for his restaurants. Doesn’t like to ever wear her hair down, and has a collection of decorative bobby pins for updos that she’s acquired from flea markets in Braavos. Really loves to swim. Pushed the boy who knocked Mya into the canal in after her, but none of the teachers believe him when he accuses her, because it’s sweet, kind, well-behaved Sansa.

Robin: Secretly likes to listen to musicals and is a fairly good singer. In a group chat with Doree and Loree who are drastically improving his social skills and the three of them are parent-trap level plotting. Really dislikes doctors and hospitals. Used to ask Sansa to draw birds for him a lot when he was younger and still has most of them.

Rickon: is actually better with computers and smarter than anyone realizes, because he’s such a jock on the surface. Very used to going with the flow and adapting to change. His favorite classes are chemistry and bio, but he doesn’t really like writing. Is really popular and well-liked among his classmates, but can have a temper when he thinks an injustice is occurring. Is generally just good with animals.

Catelyn: Grew up going hunting with her uncle and always had a stronger stomach for it than Lysa and Edmure did. Is half-estranged from her father because of a disagreement they had regarding Catelyn’s inability to move on after the kidnapping, and a tense relationship with her brother after he married Roslyn Frey (The Freys were vocal supporters of Roose Bolton’s politics and had a hand in publicizing the rumors about the Starks being responsible for Sansa’s disappearance- Walder Frey owns several prominent southern newspapers), but they’re working on mending fences. Takes fairly long walks outside regularly, and would be a bruce springsteen fan. The most intimidating of the entire family.

Arya: Went through a true crime phase. Really enjoys learning languages, her favorite classes this past semester were her Ancient Ghiscari course and her global politics seminar, because they got to debate current issues every week. Like Sansa, she really likes people-watching. Will probably end up at the Olympics for fencing at some point, but was also a sprinter in high school on the track team.

Ned: Probably dropped acid at least once in college. Really enjoys skiing. Learned how to play the guitar as a part of his midlife crisis. Met Cat after she went on two dates with his brother Brandon and they decided they were better as friends. Brandon brought her to a party, and Ned ended up giving her a ride home after his brother found another girl to chat up. They quickly found out that they had a lot in common, and she got along famously with his mother, who Ned was extremely close to. Has a serious sweet tooth

Elia: Likes to paint, but doesn’t think she’s very good at it. Grew up speaking Rhoynish with her family, and taught it to the kids. Has forgotten more about art than most people will ever know, and is extremely efficient when set loose in a flea market. Really likes theater and ballet, and took ballet classes through college.

Lyanna: is working on a book about money in Westerosi politics that’s tied into her current investigation of the Boltons, but only Elia knows about it. Grew up far north, and her first language was the Old tongue rather than Andali, but didn’t want her kids picking it up, because the accent is stigmatized. Keeps notes for her articles in the Old Tongue to keep her nosy kids from reading them.

Theon: Is doing a psychiatry residency in King’s Landing currently. Does a fair amount of biking, and 100% does a polar bear swim in the ocean every winter (Aegon always shows up to cheer him on and they go out for drinks afterwards- his girlfriend, Jeyne, thinks this is insane). Refuses to eat blue foods and was actually a decent French horn player in high school.

Thank you- this was a fun one!! :)

#APWH #ask memes #Anonymous #ask answers

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buckyisabigmood · 3 years

Text

Basic Character Questions

First name? Hera

Surname? Kane (Murphy?)

Middle names? Lee

Nicknames? (Murphy?)

Date of birth? 9/24/02

Age? 18

Physical / Appearance

Height? 5'6"

Weight? 125lbs

Build? thin, muscular

Hair colour? dark brown, curly

Hair style? bun

Eye colour? grey

Eye Shape? almond

Glasses or contact lenses? reading glasses, night glasses

Distinguishing facial features? n/a

Which facial feature is most prominent? nose

Which bodily feature is most prominent? hair

Other distinguishing features? height

Skin? fair, tanning

Hands? average

Make up? occasional; sharp cat eye, foundation, dark lips, blush, dark eyeshadow

Scars? inner left bicep, mid back across spine, right wrist

Birthmarks? oval inside of right knee

Tattoos? various across entire body

Physical handicaps? bad right hip, fibromyalgia, migraines, chronic fatigue, overall worn joints

Type of clothes? men's button ups, men's dress clothes, vintage men's and women's attire

How do they wear their clothes? tucked in, loose fitting

What are their feet like? (type of shoes, state of shoes, socks, feet, pristine, dirty, worn, etc) callused feet, hammer toes. men's shoes, 6in heels, oxfords, good quality

Race / Ethnicity? caucasian, Irish heritage

Mannerisms? leg bouncing, lip biting, sitting with leg propped, limp on right side

Are they in good health? no

Do they have any disabilities? not legally

Personality

What words or phrases do they overuse? like, probably, uh, I mean

Do they have a catchphrase? indeed

Are they more optimistic or pessimistic? pessimist, though tries to encourage optimism in others

Are they introverted or extroverted? ambivert

Do they ever put on airs? no

What bad habits do they have? zoning out, talking too fast, not sleeping, not eating enough, binge eating

What makes them laugh out loud? whose line, crush flattering them

How do they display affection? compliments, affectionate touches, mock insults

Mental handicaps? depression, anxiety, overthinking, slight adhd

How do they want to be seen by others? strong, confident, capable, protector

How do they see themselves? crippled, broken, worthless, challenged

How are they seen by others? stubborn, loud, capable, caring

Strongest character trait? unforgiving

Weakest character trait? impatience

How competitive are they? very

Do they make snap judgements or take time to consider? impulsive

How do they react to praise? hide away, deny it

How do they react to criticism? shamed, crying

What is their greatest fear? secrets being discovered

What are their biggest secrets? they are polyromantic greysexual, a feminist, have long term online friends, (hopefully) will soon be dating a woman, is an independent

What is their philosophy of life? do no harm but take no shit

When was the last time they cried? a week ago, having a mental breakdown

What haunts them? inevitability to disappoint their family and be disowned

What are their political views? independent, leaning left

What will they stand up for? the treatment of others

Who do they quote? carrie fisher, hozier, brie larson

Are they indoorsy or outdoorsy? both

What is their sinful little habit? listening/watching 'none christian' things

What sense do they most rely on? hearing

How do they treat people better than them? respect, positivity, optimism

How do they treat people worse than them? assuming the worst, judging, sarcasm

What quality do they most value in a friend? loyalty

What do they consider an overrated virtue? prudence

If they could change one thing about themselves, what would it be? physical strength

What is their obsession? swords, women

What are their pet peeves? incorrect animal care, being talked down to, loud chewing

What are their idiosyncrasies? doors must always be closed and locked, gets up two hours earlier than needed, will fall asleep if reading on the computer

Friends and Family

Is their family big or small? Who does it consist of? big; mother, father, five older brothers, two older sisters, one younger sister, three nephews, two nieces, four aunts, five uncles, many cousins, two grandmothers, one grandfather

What is their perception of family? overrated; the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb

Do they have siblings? Older or younger? 8 siblings; five older brothers, two older sisters, one younger sister

Describe their best friend. the same as them. fight more than flight, major physical problems, mentally worn out, respect is given until proven undeserved, funny, caring, heart over head

Ideal best friend? see; best friend

Describe their other friends. overall kind, caring, considerate, musically talented, loud

Describe their acquaintances. annoyances, loud, bubbly, hyperactive

Do they have any pets? one dog, two horses, six sheep, many chickens, many snakes

Who are their natural allies? minorities, protectors, those who need protecting

Who are their surprising allies? church youth, some police, nurses

Past and Future

What was your character like as a baby? As a child? easygoing as a baby, wanting attention and to be part of older siblings' group as child

Did they grow up rich or poor? lower-middle class, wanting some but getting few

Did they grow up nurtured or neglected? nurtured physically, neglected emotionally

What is the most offensive thing they ever said? 'it is disgusting gay people can adopt' (a lie)

What is their greatest achievement? having the courage to come out to online friends

What was their first kiss like? n/a has not kissed anyone

What is the worst thing they did to someone they loved? thoughts of abandoning family

What are their ambitions? to marry someone they love, have a self built farm, foster teenagers, be a freelance artist

What advice would they give their younger self? don't give up, you are not an abomination for being attracted to women, do not tell youth leader about suicidal thoughts

What smells remind them of their childhood? homemade pizza, pines, dogs

What was their childhood ambition? to be a veterinarian

What is their best childhood memory? being with older siblings and hanging out with their friends

What is their worst childhood memory? figuring out they were polyromantic, the fear of being found out and disowned

Did they have an imaginary childhood friend? n/a

What past act are they most proud of? talking to other kids first

Has anyone ever saved their life? doctors; had major kindey infection at age of two, had major uti at age of eight

Strongest childhood memory? disappointing parents

Love

Do they believe in love at first sight? infatuation at first side, that may develop in to love

Are they in a relationship? working on asking a woman out

How do they behave in a relationship? caring, prioritizing spouse, lots of gifts

When did you character last have sex?

n/a, does not desire sex

What sort of sex do they have? n/a

Has your character ever been in love? currently in love

Have they ever had their heart broken? no. has ghosted a fuckboy and thought they had broken his heart

Conflict

How do they respond to a threat? defensive, posturing, threatening

Are they most likely to fight with their fists or their tongue? fists

What is your character’s kryptonite? children, sob stories

If your character could only save one thing from their burning house, what would it be? electronics

How do they perceive strangers? men are possible threats, women are in danger

What do they love to hate? disney villains

What are their phobias? aquaphobia, entomophobia, atychiphobia

What is their choice of weapon? longsword

What living person do they most despise? larry nassar

Have they ever been bullied or teased? yes

Where do they go when they’re angry? bathroom, bedroom, outside

Who are their enemies and why? n/a, enemies are unknown

Work, Education and Hobbies

What is their current job? apprentice horse trainer and farm hand

What do they think about their current job? too physically taxing, worsens already poor physical condition

What are some of their past jobs? n/a

What are their hobbies? reading, writing, drawing, video games, research on medieval times, watching tv, movies, youtube

Educational background? homeschooled highschool graduate

Intelligence level? low, cannot do simple math, does not know history

Do they have any specialist training? n/a

Do they have a natural talent for something? art, slightly

Do they play a sport? Are they any good? equestrian sports, intermediate

What is their socioeconomic status? low social status, seen as unlikeable, n/a economic status

Favourites

What is their favourite animal? wolves

Which animal to they dislike the most? insects

What place would they most like to visit? mountains of utah

What is the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen? mountains

What is their favourite song? in a week by hozier

Music, art, reading preferred? alternative, metal, emo music. realistic, stylised, comic-esque art. fantasy, medieval, adventure, action books.

What is their favourite colour? black, blood red

What is their password? "I love you for who you are"

Favourite food? steak, homemade rolls, pizza, salad

What is their favourite work of art? women with umbrellas, reunited

Who is their favourite artist? mambo

What is their favourite day of the week? friday

Possessions

What is in their fridge? frozen pizzas, salad stuff, soda, beer, snacks

What is on their bedside table? mace, a notebook and pen, phone, cologne, empty cans

What is in their car? mask, air freshener, large knife, window breaker, charger

What is in their bin? candy wrappers, cans, bottles

What is in their purse or wallet? pepper spray, bible, book, keys, pen, pencil, mints

What is in their pockets? knife, carmex

What is their most treasured possession? their truck

Spirituality

Who or what is your character’s guardian angel? Gabriel

Do they believe in the afterlife? Yes

What are their religious views? non-denominational Christianity

What do they think heaven is? where there is no pain, or hurt, where you can be with your loved ones (including pets) for eternity without getting tired of their company

What do they think hell is? suffering, eternal torment, both physical and psychological pain

Are they superstitious? no

What would they like to be reincarnated as? a sandcat

How would they like to die? by sword

What is your character’s spirit animal? house cat

What is their zodiac sign? libra

Values

What do they think is the worst thing that can be done to a person? rape, mutilation, taking away loved ones

What is their view of ‘freedom’? being able to do as you like, as long as it does not harm others

When did they last lie? earlier in the day

What’s their view of lying? not necessarily good, but needed on some occasions for safety

When did they last make a promise? tonight, promising to get a full night's sleep

Did they keep or break their last promise? break it

Daily life

What are their eating habits? hectic- binge eating one day and eating nothing the next. usually eating on impulse rather than specific times

Do they have any allergies? lactose, sulfa

Describe their home. medium sized, lots of storage space, including many closets. an organized mess, knowing where everything is exactly without putting it away, unless it is clothing

Are they minimalist or a clutter hoarder? somewhere in the middle, though leaning towards clutter hoarder. loves collecting shot glasses

What do they do first thing on a weekday morning? get dressed, feed the animals, have breakfast

What do they do on a Sunday afternoon? eat pizza, hang out with friends or family, watch a movie

What do they do on a Friday night? drink with friends at home, hang out

What is the soft drink of choice? dr pepper

What is their alcoholic drink of choice? whiskey

Miscellaneous

What is their character archetype? The Trickster

Who is their hero? Gal Gadot, Gideon the Ninth

What or who would your character dress up as for Halloween? Gideon the Ninth

Are they comfortable with technology? somewhat

If they could save one person, who would it be? Hozier

If they could call one person for help, who would it be? best friend

What is their favourite proverb? the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb

What is their greatest extravagance? clothes

What is their greatest regret? not being who their parents wanted them to be

What is their perception of redemption? if you truly change and do your best, most everything is redeemable, but there are some things which can never be forgiven

What would they do if they won the lottery? buy a cottage, clothes, animals, and put some into savings

What is their favourite fairytale? the three bears, by robert southey

What fairytale do they hate? the little mermaid (original)

Do they believe in happy endings? yes

What is their idea of perfect happiness? being loved, loving others, and being content with what you have

What would they ask a fortune teller? will they find a spouse who loves them wholeheartedly?

If your character could travel through time, where would they go? the 1830s, dressed as a man and supporting women, whom know they are a women themselves

What sport do they excel at? n/a

What sport do they suck at? all. unable to do physical sports

If they could have a superpower, what would they choose? super strength

#character sheet #but like #me #I'm the character #some of it is for my current situation #and some is what I hope to happen in the future #not gonna tell you what parts what tho

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ganymedesclock · 6 years

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Do you have any headcanons for the Voltron teams child selves?

Honestly, anon, I’m really glad that you asked this because I think that people often... really underestimate the amount of personality and autonomy children have? I’ve seen fics and RPs of younger versions of the paladins that seem to sort of assume there is a single default “child personality”, or maybe like... two or three of them, that are consistent from age 2 to age 13 when being a kid is pretty much just the first part of the process of being a person.

Shiro

My impression of a younger Shiro is really... earnest? Kind of a ‘teacher’s pet’ in the sense of, with an authority figure he really looked up to I can see him being very eager to please because he wants to be Good and Responsible, he wants to be a hero and a role model. At the same time, I get a sneaking suspicion that part of the reason Shiro in present is so drawn to Keith is because they had some things in common in the past, which... a glaring similarity between them is temper.

Shiro is frankly really short-tempered and snappy in the present so I figure any younger version of Shiro had kind of a worse handle on it, especially if he felt like something was really wrong. He’s the sort of person who would stand up to bullies no matter who they were, and with that kind of fearless I can see him actually getting into fights on occasion himself.

The real interesting thing with a really young/ “kid” Shiro would I think be watching him assembling that moral viewpoint and sense of values that are so dearly important to him. I like Josh Keaton’s headcanon that Shiro was raised mostly by his grandfather and a lot of that sense of old familial wisdom that he tries to piece together into something cohesive with his day-to-day life. As he gets older, I can see him being not quite so eager-to-please but in other ways, emerging even more as a peer leader and someone who’s quick to take responsibility for others, especially those younger than him. He was probably good at sports, too!

Another thing that I expect would be a factor here is Shiro as a quick study and someone who performs well academically, and with that and his sorta natural leader attitude and desire to make people proud, he’d come to put a lot of emphasis and effort onto his education. I can see him being a sort of student council figure in school but then, once he gets to the later grades and things get tougher, him going through a really difficult phase in late middle/early high school where he stresses out a huge amount and pushes himself way too hard trying to keep up that Straight-A reputation and his relationships/social life suffering, and that being kind of a dark chapter in his life that he worked through and let his hair down a lot in the timeline of the main show. Especially if he lost his grandfather around this time.

Though, Kerberos and its missing year would probably bring some old bad habits out of the woodwork for him...

Keith

Honestly I can see younger Keith as really, really subdued. Before meeting Shiro I don’t think he had much of that confidence to assert himself, at all, and being shuffled between foster houses, after losing his father I can see Keith having kind of shut down a lot. Just sort of keeps all of his limbs inside the vehicle and waits for everything to stop moving, doesn’t try very hard to connect with people because it’s not going to last.

Keith is super sensitive, emotionally, and, like what I said with Shiro and anger, I think the younger you’re spinning Keith the easier it’d be to get under his skin and upset him, especially around or before the age where he lost his dad because the implication we have is that Dad Kogane was a very soothing presence- Keith related to him mainly in that he was someone Keith looked to for comfort, so I think Keith at that age where, if he was upset, he’d be loud and proud about it, none of the internalizing and burying that he got into later- just plunk on your butt and bawl because that alerts Dad and Dad will make it better.

Of course, after losing his dad, I sorta feel like that crybaby inclination can’t go away- he’s still really sensitive, and easily overwhelmed, and his world has become very volatile and very upsetting so he’s overwhelmed a lot, and nobody will leave him alone but nobody’s filling that consistent comforter role that his father lived in, so he starts lashing out. I can see him having some really awful meltdowns, that he’s scolded for more than the grief and loss of security at the root of it is recognized.

So he internalizes it as he’s a “problem child”, he’s “angry”, he has “too much of a temper” and that makes him bury feelings of discomfort and fear, while, a certain amount of living up to expectations means he gets more comfortable expressing frustration. And that just gives him his tendency to explode that he has in canon- because he keeps stuffing his emotions until he can’t handle it any more and it overwhelms him.

I can see him taking up a lot of outdoorsy hobbies, his interest in photography and exploring areas just because he’s gotta get away from it all, and especially with how much I read Keith as an autistic kid who was diagnosed pretty late/close to the start of the show, and his alien heritage, Keith just feeling this profound awkwardness and sense of disconnect- but conversely, he’s athletic, and the natural world, compasses, weather follows fairly predictable patterns, they’re things he can deal with and prepare for. And with that, he starts to get his legs under them, a bit of a sense of confidence that maybe he’s not awful at everything, there’s safe places where if he explodes it doesn’t hurt anybody but him.

I think he met Shiro at around this point, a few years before his canon age, and sort of the work he’d done connecting with the outdoors and building confidence there gave him a better foothold for Shiro to just start towing that confidence into more populated environments, into school, towards accommodations where he can apply himself and start feeling more positive and in control of his life. Leaving the foster system, and thus not being reassigned to new houses, actually makes him feels like he has a consistent environment so that helps too.

Lance

I can see Lance just, being kind of a total ray of sunshine as a kid? Like, he’s the youngest but he’s totally his mom’s favorite, just a little, he’s kind of spoiled and he knows if he has an argument with his siblings he can leverage the advantage of running crying to mom.

He’s super squirrelly too, and impulsive, and it makes him a little difficult to manage and he probably has a lot of bumps and scrapes and broken bones, but he loves swimming, he’ll scrabble over everything and fidget and jump around and tackle people and he’s just this overly physical kid who doesn’t ever actually want to fight anybody he just loves everyone and it takes him a while to figure out how to be gentle with other people (and his own body). He might feel a little under pressure because there’s this really big family and all these different people, and he’s not sure he can keep up with them sometimes.

Personally I like the idea that he was influenced a lot by movies since that was one of the main bonafide ways to make him stay in one place, he’d just sit and watch movies for ages, in Spanish, and in English with subtitles, and while English isn’t his first language he grew up hearing it thanks to a lot of his favorite films and that affected his pronunciation when he did start learning. Just imagine kid Lance, lying on his stomach with his head propped on his hands, kicking his legs and watching old action movies.

He probably started going to school in the states before the Garrison. Initially it was part of a school exchange thing and he stayed with a host family (that he’s still really close friends with) but just, his whole sense of adventure and excitement going into it. And nerves, of course, because he’s new kid in the country, and I think a lot of the, wanting to be liked and seem cool is what really got him trying to take up a lot of the traits of his favorite action stars, because even if he didn’t have his family and especially his mom there for comfort, his heroes were still with him. He could’ve even had dreams of becoming a movie star himself.

It didn’t always end well, there were people who took advantage of his trust and newness and made fun of him or teased him, but, that’s also when he met Hunk, who, honestly, I really can see their friendship starting with Hunk standing up to Lance’s bullies because he’s seen this happen before and Lance just keeps trusting them and he doesn’t get it but not on his watch. That could even be the thing that pointed Lance towards the Garrison, and that pupates into the mostly-fearless Lance we see in canon.

Hunk

I’m going with the headcanon/theory that Hunk is related to Commander Hawkins and, like Pidge, he’s a Garrison Brat through and through.

From the start, there’s a certain amount of stress because there’s this clear Expectation of Greatness and, is he gonna live up to that? Sure, his dad is the coolest guy ever and he’ll totally tell everybody about that, smugly, but, he’s not his dad, he’s a lot smaller than his dad, and he cries a lot.

But he’s really curious and also kinda spoiled and can cute his way out of getting punished that time he took apart the TV and broke something important, so as much as it stresses him out to be in such illustrious company and inevitably greeted with “Oh, you’re Hawkins’ boy! He’s told me so much about you!” at every turn by strange and very important adults, he’ll keep soldiering on.

He gets into constructive toys and simple dishes and science fair projects and then starts playing with real ovens and motors, since he’s good at that, and that makes him confident, and he’s not so sure about talking to strangers because he’s a chubby kid who cries a lot, but, the more he studies and the more he tinkers, the more confident he gets and the more he starts to resent things that get in the way of him and really cool stuff.

And then happens puberty and a particular eventful growth spurt he hits faster and stronger than most of his peers and Hunk starts to realize he has some real power here. The smart aleck bully kids hesitate to mess with him or steal his books, the football coach and the boxing coach are having a small-scale personal war over him and are a little heartbroken when he joins the cooking club instead. And so begins a long quiet creep towards nearly unstoppable when he’s confident about his position, which starts to head towards a lot more situations.

I said before that I think that Hunk met Lance by confronting his bullies but after that, I can see Hunk being kind of charmed by Lance’s sense of adventure, only, they’re getting into the Garrison at that point and suddenly Hunk is reminded that there are, in fact, gods he fears, like his dad and the people who employs his dad.

Pidge

Personally my image of really young Pidge is absolutely nothing so much as this triumphantly beaming kid in overalls, absolutely covered in mud, showing you that she just caught a frog. Her dislike of the outdoors is a recent addition because at first she’s super excited by any new thing, as a pre-verbal infant I just imagine her as a bright-eyed fountain of happy babbles and noises and flailing.

About the time she goes into kindergarten she starts getting more discerning, and more disappointed, and a little more inclined to run wild because things are obviously wrong and people can be mean and what do you mean she has to share, these people don’t know the right ways to play or the important things like Matt does-

(and Matt is older enough that they don’t often want the same toys at the same time, at least, in the same way- and he’ll compromise when it comes to Pidge because he just adores her, right from the start, even if they squabble sometimes and he never quite forgave her for that one time she puked on his favorite shirt)

-but suddenly there’s these other kids, and she doesn’t like this at all and she wants to go straight home to Mom and Dad and Matt because she wants a refund on her entire peer group.

School is hard and frustrating and stressful and she usually doesn’t focus on projects or assignments because she’s too busy being upset at first and this warrants a pretty major response from the Holts because their baby girl is unhappy, and this gets a whole bevy of tests and observations and the conclusion is, yeah, she’s definitely autistic and probably ADHD, and adjustments are made and accommodations but there’s still this awkwardness, this difficulty between her and the other kids.

Free time becomes important, computers become super important because nothing is more important than having environments that are Just Hers, she wants her own room and her own things and her own space and that’s when she withdraws from the outdoors, grumbles about family camping trips more even though when her mom talks about types of flowers, the way that leaves works, soil and its properties, she still hangs on every word, chatters back fast and excited and happy. Because it’ll still be okay, as long as she has this, as long as the safe place is here- it’s her greenhouse, her safe place away from the wind and the cold and the elements.

And then it’s still safe, but it’s not full enough any more- and then she needs to go find them.

#voltron legendary defender #vld #Shiro #Keith #Lance #Hunk #Pidge #readmore #Anonymous

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rina-rambles · 5 years

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My Version Of Heaven - Shivpuri 2017

Here at the Shivpuri White House, the routine is very often just my style: relaxed and peaceful, but never for a moment dull. The family was disbelieving yesterday when I told someone on the phone that the peace keeps my writing flowing because the frequent fanfiction is not necessarily a valid outlet in their eyes. But luckily for them and blissfully for me, today was the kind of day so perfect I can’t end it in any other way except to play You’ll Be In My Heart on Youtube and let my heart speak for itself.

I love babies and pets and I can’t really understand how anyone can not, to be quite frank. But it was the combination of both that made today the perfect day. Getting lost in an excellent novel until I dozed off in the super-comfortable blue leather recliners in our link was an ideal morning, so I didn’t feel the absence of a nap despite the heat starting to set in. Gayatri, of course, is less of a fan of the strong sun because it means she has to stay indoors more often, the girl is more adventurous and outdoorsy than I can relate to. I live for the rare quiet moments when she chooses my lap to curl up on, thumb firmly in her mouth, even if it is just to demand her favourite nursery rhymes on Youtube. I play the auntie card all the time; because I know my days to grab those memories are limited every year.

Her old football was punctured recently and the latest trip to town was productive for my girl. Sam returned home with a plastic cricket bat, a small white plastic ball to hit it with and a mini basketball. My own hand-eye coordination is utterly hopeless, but for hours I soaked up the feeling of being needed to slam the little ball around for her with the bat. Once it rolled behind a chest of drawers and the face she made was the cutest thing, along with a surprised little hand motion to indicate the disappearance of her precious ball. For ages she chased that ball around the entrance hall, crawling at times and running impossibly fast at others. I think the main reason the words are flowing tonight is some kind of desperation to commit to memory how her gleeful laughter sounded. Last time I met her was ten months ago, at five months old instead of fifteen she couldn’t even roll over yet and her laughter was for something as simple as a rattle shaking in her face.

Fifteen-month-olds are temperamental, I’m learning now. The girl who can blow kisses fearlessly to a roomful of people she loves made her adorable squawk of protest when I tried to take video of her today. That’s why this piece is happening, to rave about my happy bubble and hold on to it next time I need that feeling of pure joy. When she’d had enough of chasing after the little ball, Gayatri lay down suddenly on the cool tiles of the entrance hall floor, as if determined to go to sleep on the spot. It didn’t last long but then every moment is fleeting with this girl, and as a creature of habit I admire her fearless spirit. Of course at her age, it’s because she doesn’t know any better, but I hope she never loses that easy smile and endless curiosity. The way she dribbles imaginary basketballs watching the schoolboys play with a ball she can barely lift, feeds her loved ones imaginary food from her empty bowl and touches peoples feet for no reason – these are the things I will carry with me when I inevitably miss her.

I have the embarrassing feeling my life-size toy baby doll will find her way out of the storage in the coming months, because the instinct with Gayatri I too rarely get to act on is to snuggle and protect her with all my heart. I hope someday she feels the love in the baby blanket I knitted her, because the peals of laughter as we played hide and seek behind bushes and living room drapes is all I’ll ever need. Since her conception, that little girl has been the missing piece I didn’t realize my family needed. Their world revolves around her and she holds my happiest and most peaceful memories in her little hands. The longing to just steal her when she climbed into my empty suitcase voluntarily was unbelievable; it’s too bad her parents adore her (kidding, sort of).

Between her love of hiding behind the curtain and the addiction to the red gravel I demanded be flown all the way to Switzerland when I was two, in some ways Gayatri does remind me of myself. Every day with her is a trip down memory lane in subtle ways, like the time I was on a flight with her and she demanded her favourite book be unpacked right at the baggage claim. Today we put some of the red gravel in an empty plastic bottle, so she could drag it along on the dog leash instead of taking herself for a walk. For some reason, the rattling noise the gravel made in the plastic bottle scared her and that nervous face was again so cute I would have loved to have captured it. She has that same reaction to the spinning Barbie which wrongly calls itself a Frozen doll. I can’t blame her for that one; the Barbie looks nothing like Queen Elsa and plays the same two lines of Let It Go over and over again. It’s hardly an improvement from the singing Minion toy she once loved, but this doll sometimes freaks her out because the head has a tendency to fall off, it’s slightly disturbing, never mind for a baby.

By the time I went for my daily walk this evening, a sliver of moonlight was up in the sky already. As ever, those few circuits of the driveway was where I tuned into the peace of the day, playing a fitting song from One Tree Hill’s soundtrack, Feeder’s Feeling A Moment.

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I felt every crunch of my beloved red gravel under my shoes which never stay their clean black for long out here. And feeling the moment, I was thinking of Max, who is the reason I visit the expanding pet cemetery every day. The red leash Gayatri insists on being walked around with these days was once his and seeing her fascination with it, it’s like he’s still here. What made today complete was Cloey climbing into the space between our legs when Mom and I sat on the floor to play with Gayatri.

It gets no better than the freedom to read myself to sleep and then awaken to a dog and baby, both equally desperate to play and be loved. Luckily for them, that’s what I do best and luckily for me, they exist. At the risk of super-predictably ending this capture of a blissful day, to quote One Tree Hill “In my heaven, it’s you and me.” This day was in every way, my version of heaven and I will hold on to it with these words, my memories and the endless love I feel, always.

#personal #india #family #shivpuri #love #home #safe haven

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lenaglittleus · 7 years

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6 Months In San Francisco | My Initial Thoughts + Your Questions Answered!

Confession, it’s actually been 8 months since we landed in San Francisco. We technically got here at the end of November (the 22nd to be exact), but there were a lot of unknowns when we first got here, including, will we stay? So I’m counting from when we moved into our apartment in the city in mid-January, which makes it about 6.5 months of living here so I’m not completely lying to you!

But whether it’s been 6 months or 8 months, I still feel like a newbie to the city, which also means I’m still in the honeymoon-phase as well. I’ve pretty much experienced every type of emotion under the sun since moving here and have learned A LOT about the culture. Some good, some bad but mostly very, very good.

So I’m writing this post for anyone who is curious about San Francisco, is planning a big move and also for me, because at the end of the day this space is my online diary and I want to chronicle these emotions. Of course, these reflections are entirely my own and I may be making some sweeping generalizations here, but this has been my experience so far.

THE CULTURE

When we told people we were moving to San Francisco, most people nodded their heads and said something along the lines of “mhmmmm sounds like your kind of place”. And yes, they were entirely right. This city is made up of entrepreneurs, foodies, health nuts, outdoorsy folks and I swear the median age here is 30. It is very much as tech-forward as it seems and oftentimes I have to check myself about the reality that most of the world does not live with an app that can pretty much do anything for you or casually see self-driving cars riding down the street.

It’s definitely not a late-night city, which is great because my stamina peaked at 23 and I can’t stay up past 11:00 PM. Consequently, most people spend their weekends looking for some outdoor activity or way to get out of the city. So yeah…totally my jam.

It’s also an incredibly expensive city. This was something I was aware of, though I didn’t anticipate how widespread it would be. I expected rent prices to be astronomical (they are), but everything from a burrito to a workout class is insanely pricey. Luckily, I’m thrifty and we were willing to live in a less cool neighborhood so it’s been an okay adjustment for us, but yeah, it’s a bit of a shock to the system. Not complaining, just adding my two cents.

Because of the influx of young people and specifically those in the tech scene, there are a lot of socioeconomic issues at play. I’m not going to get into these but want to acknowledge the fact that while this city is wonderfully thriving, there are also a lot of people struggling to live because the city has just simply become way too expensive for most. I also acknowledge that I am very much a part of the problem. But that’s all I’ll say about that for now.

Perhaps what I love most about San Francisco is the community feel. Even though it’s a city, it’s still a small one (less than a million in a 7 x 7 mile radius) and there’s definitely a culture of collaboration and team work. Maybe it was because I was coming from Toronto, which is HUGE, but I’ve felt a lot more supported personally and business-wise since moving here. Everyone is friendly and willing to help you out.

I’m definitely drinking the San Francisco koolaid.

THINGS I DIDN’T EXPECT

While there was a lot I was prepared for since we have family here and have visited several times over the last couple of years, there were a few things I was surprised to discover in our 6 months in San Francisco.

There are a million neighborhoods – despite being small, I swear SF has more neighborhoods than any other city. Some neighborhoods feel like they’re only 4 blocks long! It’s made it tricky to get to learn the city, but I’m getting there.

You need a car – I’ve only ever lived in cities where having a car isn’t necessary (Toronto, Montreal, NYC). We technically had a car, it just didn’t quite make it to San Francisco (whomp whomp), and while we’ve managed to survive without one, it’s certainly a nice perk. Because of Lyft and Uber, it isn’t nearly as challenging to get around the city, and we both take public transit, but it’s for adventures outside of the city that it gets tricky. Fortunately, our friends and family have been generous with us and we’ve made do until we decide to invest in our own.

The city is tiny – I mean this both physically and population-wise. You could run across the city and have only done a quarter marathon. And besides actually being small, it feels small. I’m pretty new to the city but even I’m running into the few people I know on the street. Everyone feels like they’re one-degree of connection away from the next person.

People freak out if you say “San Fran” – Yup, it’s a big faux-pas to call it San Fran. While I don’t personally care, it’s sort of this untold sign that you’re a foreigner and locals roll their eyes when people call it that. Call it San Francisco or SF or be prepared to be judged. God forbid you should call it “Frisco”…

Everyone here is new – Literally everyone I meet “just moved to San Francisco”. I felt like the new kid on the block for 2 weeks after which I was surprised by a whole slew of people. Suddenly I became a local. Of course, there are people who are born and raised here (they’ll let you know), but most people are new to the city.

It’s cold – This coming from a Canadian, I should add. While, it isn’t actually cold, it is not the typical California weather that people picture. The weather fluctuates between 50-65 all year long. The summer is actually the coldest because the fog rolls in. I had only ever visited in the Spring and Fall so I never realized what fog actually meant. Needless-to-say, we now have to warn all friends and family visiting to not bother bringing shorts.

There’s no such thing as air-conditioning– No homes come with A/C (unless you’re living the lux life) and it takes one hell of a cold spell for people to turn on their heat. When we first moved here I was shivering for 2 months straight and then we moved into our apartment and I cranked the heat to 72. No shame.

The fog has a name – his name is Karl and he has a hilarious twitter account that I’m pretty sure is the funniest on the internet. You get to know him pretty well when you live here.

YOUR QUESTIONS

Since moving here, a lot of you guys had questions so I thought I would answer them all in one place. If you have any others, feel free to drop them in the comments below and I’ll respond to them!

1. What visa are you on? I am not on a visa. I have dual citizenship (as does C…I know, not fair!) from my American Mom so I didn’t have to deal with visa issues. Taxes on the other hand…nightmare.

2. How do you feel about the weather? March through May and September through November I am obsessed with the weather. It’s sunny, cool and perfect for any outdoor adventure. The rainy season (Winter) is pretty brutal but not nearly as bad as snow IMO. I think I’ll miss the Fall changing of leaves, but I can always visit somewhere in the midwest or east coast if I want to see foliage

3. How’d you handle the anxiety/stress of change and the unknown? Well, the truth is that I didn’t handle it very well. To be honest, I was not focused at all on the anxiety and stress that moving inevitably induces and instead got wrapped up in what life would look like when it was finally settled. When the shock of it all hit me, I was so unprepared them I ended up feeling extreme anxiety and stress. I learned a lot from the process, which you watch here.

4. Have you noticed any small signs of it being the right move for you? I love this question (thanks Kelsey!). TBH I can’t remember if there were any small signs (I was in a very emotional state when we moved and I can’t say I was paying attention), but I do think that all of the stressful situations we went through all happened for a reason. Things like totalling the car, having credit issues (two Canadians who had zero credit in the US) and struggles with finding a home actually made us more resilient and tested mine and C’s relationship in a big way. It’s not that we became closer, but we did discover our capacity for working together through stressful situations, which I am forever grateful for and definitely made us feel ready to take the next step. I also think we have so much more appreciation for the life we’ve created because we REALLY had to work for it.

5. How has it been making friends in a new city? Easy! Like I said, so many people here are new so everyone is really open to making friends. We came into our move knowing a lot of people but have made lots of new friends and it was wayyyy easier than I’d imagined so long as you’re willing to put yourself out there.

6. How have you handled being away from family and friends? I miss my friends and family back home in Toronto, but when you move to a desirable city, you can expect they’ll come visit. Since April it’s pretty much been a non-stop series of visitors so we certainly haven’t felt lonely. I’m also back in Toronto every couple of months so even though we miss our people on a daily basis, we still get to see them often.

7. What are your favorite healthy restaurants and brunch places in San Francisco? I’m planning on writing a post similar to this one that I did for Toronto once we’ve spent a bit more time here and have been able to explore more. But for now, here are so favorites:

–Seed and Salt: a bit overpriced – everything is here – but their chocolate chip cookies and turmeric latte is amazing –Marla Bakery: We loveeee the sourdough and the farmer’s cheese on an everything bagel –Blue Barn: Best place to get salads twice the size of your head –Jane on Fillmore: Love everything about this place but especially their fast wifi and plenty of seats to bunk-up and work for a couple of hours –Nourish Cafe: Their green acai bowl is bomb –The Richfield: My favorite Matcha Latte in the city –Burma Superstar: Not exactly the healthiest but I love their Fiery Tofu with Veggies and Tea Leaf Salad. –Zazie: Go for brunch. Thank me later.

There are soooooo many others that I didn’t include or haven’t explored, but stay tuned!

8. How has the blogging scene been in San Francisco? I had no idea what to expect when it came to meeting other bloggers. It’s actually ended up being super awesome! This is all my own experience, but I felt like the Toronto scene could be very cliquey at times. I met some amazing people through it, but other times it felt like bloggers were more like socialites who were creating content for brands, rather than something that might be valuable to their readers.

I’ve had the complete opposite experience here. First off, I’m surprised at how few bloggers are doing this full-time. I expected it to be much higher, since it’s such a tech/entrepreneurial scene, but for most people this is a side-hustle. It’s been hard meeting other bloggers who get what it means to have this be your business, but everyone here has been so kind, inviting and willing to help me out as I get to know the Bay.

Let me know if you guys like these updates and I’ll keep em’ coming! Stay tuned for an apartment tour and my favorite places in San Francisco coming soon.

Have you ever been to San Francisco? Is this what you expected it to be like?

The post 6 Months In San Francisco | My Initial Thoughts + Your Questions Answered! appeared first on The Healthy Maven.

from News About Health http://www.thehealthymaven.com/2017/07/6-months-in-san-francisco.html

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