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stevesnailbat · 4 years

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rock me | steve harrington

REQUESTS USED:

Hey!! Can u write something where reader is a rock n roll girl and is a drummer so she and steve are like polar opposites and he's like mesmerized by her and falls in love with her? bonus points if its enemies to lovers with lots of sexual tension

Can you write something with Steve being whipped for this rocknroll girl 🥺 Reader is kinda like Billy you know, same style, same music etc. Thank you!!!

warnings: underage drinking?, mentions of smut, sexual tension/themes, pining/desperate!steve

word count: 1.9K

a/n: i’m sorry this took so long but i’m back and ready to keep writing! enjoy :)

“Are you sure these will work?” Steve questioned, flipping the ID over in his fingers a few times as they waited in line.

“It’ll be fine, I promise!” Robin assured him, taking the card from him to stop him from overthinking. “We have to get in to watch this band, they’re so good.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’ve told me that like twenty times so far tonight.” he breathed out in reply while rolling his eyes, earning a playful shove of his shoulder from Robin.

As Robin had told him, they did get into the bar and were able to find somewhere close enough to see the band perform. Once the band walked out onto the stage, something clicked in Steve’s mind, or so he thought it did. He watched as the drummer sat down, the dim white lights of the stage made it hard for him to make her out fully. She looked beautiful, though. She wasn’t anything like anyone he had ever liked; he usually liked Nancy Wheeler type girls, not rock band girls who listened to Metallica and wore leather jackets. The look on her face was smug as she twirled one of her drumsticks in her fingers, she knew that she was good at what she did.

“Is she why we’re here?” Steve asked as he nudged his friend, pointing to the girl on stage.

“I mean, not really? I found out about them through a friend, I haven’t talked to her in ages.” Robin replied with a confused expression after sipping her beer. “We were friends in high school, she was in band with me and was great on drums then. But now? She’s impeccable.”

“You’re telling me that you brought me to this bar just because you wanted to see them perform? You don’t have a crush on the hot drummer?” he implored.

“Well, considering she’s not into girls, that would suck if I came here to pine after a straight girl.” Robin chuckled sarcastically while rolling her eyes at his curiosity about her love life. “And yes, I did just want to come here to see them perform. Is that okay with you?”

Steve shrugged, making Robin roll her eyes in his direction before staring up at the stage as the band was introduced. He didn’t want to admit it to Robin, but he truly was enthralled by the girl in front of him at the drums. She was beautiful and seemed so confident, so sure of herself. That was when he realized that he was already finding himself falling for her.

He started to feel like an ass in that moment, too. Robin said she went to school with them, but he couldn’t remember seeing her around at all. It was hard to believe that he hadn’t seen her, too. Because now, she caught his eye and he wanted to know her better.

“Hey, dingus. There’s other people in the band besides Y/N.” Robin joked as she shoved his shoulder to get his attention. “You’re staring so hard that I think she might be able to see you even through the stage lights.”

Before he could reply, the band started to play. Steve seemed to be entranced by the girl at the drums the whole time, though. The music was great, but he couldn’t help but watch her as she expertly played, a smirk on her face the whole time. After their set, Robin brought him along to talk to the band, saying she knew one of the guitarist and wanted to say hi.

“Before we go, I wanna go say hi to Y/N.” she said, tugging Steve along with her.

He was pulled to where Y/N sat, not wanting to speak to her. He knew he would be a stammering mess if he tried to talk to her, but Robin insisted, mainly because she wanted to see him get really nervous.

“Robin, oh my god, I haven’t seen you in so long! It’s great to see you!” Y/N said as she pulled Robin into a hug.

As Robin rambled on, Y/N locked eyes with a very nervous Steve behind her. When her mind processed who it was, her smile faltered for a moment. It was the last person she wanted, or expected, to see at this bar on a Saturday night with Robin Buckley of all people. She thought the two were an unlikely duo, but knew they were anything but together.

The look on her face made Steve’s heart nearly drop to the floor. Of course, he knew that he didn’t deserve anything more than a scowl from her, but he wanted something more; a smile, a laugh, anything else but the look she was giving him.

“Uh—Y/N, you remember Steve, right?” Robin asked as she saw her looking at him.

“Oh yeah, I remember Steve.” she scoffed, rolling her eyes slightly as she spoke oh-so confidently. “I’m just not sure he remembers me.”

“Of—Of course I do! We had history together senior year, right?” he stammered, eyes going wide at her boldness.

“Nice try, but it was biology.” she nearly snorted, laughing at his nervous demeanor before turning her attention back to Robin to ramble on about music and the band.

While the two were talking, Steve couldn’t help but stare at Y/N, just like he had when she was performing. She was beautiful, but nothing like anyone he would have expected to be so attracted to. He knew she hated him, but he wanted to change her mind.

After a talking for a while, Robin saw his dazed stare and said goodbye before following him out of the bar. Steve was silent when they got to the car, still deep in thought about how he could get a girl who hated him to like him back.

“Earth to dingus!” Robin called as he drove away silently, her jokes about him having a crush falling on deaf ears. “Did you hear what I said?”

“No.” he laughed, realizing how long he’d been spaced out. “What’d you say? Something about Y/N?”

“I said that you look like a lovesick puppy over there, it's a little ridiculous.” she teased. “She made you seem like an ass, which you used to be, and you still have a crush on her?”

“What if I do? It doesn’t matter anyways, she hates me, if you couldn’t tell. There’s no way I could even try to ask her out.” he sighed, resting his head on the steering wheel as they waited at a stop light.

“Maybe there’s a way that you can get her to like you, dingus. She can’t hold that much of a grudge against you if you actually prove her wrong. Show her that you aren’t the same asshole King Steve you used to be!” Robin suggested.

And so that’s what he tried to do. At first glance, it would have seemed like he was stalking the girl, in a way. He started to drag Robin along with him to the band’s shows at the bar, trying to get Y/N to notice his interest in her. It was hard for him to understand, but he was just so mesmerized by her. It took Steve another three shows and four beers to get the courage to talk to her after the show.

Their conversation was short and he could tell she wasn’t too interested but was intrigued by his interest in her for once. He gushed about how great they did while Robin backed up what he was saying, while Y/N only thanked him and laughed to herself about his desperation. Although she wanted to hate him so bad, his effort was growing on her already. His nervous smile and habit of running his fingers through his hair when he was trying to calm his nerves made her realize that this wasn’t the same King Steve she knew and hated so dearly.

She saw his face in the crowd at every show after that day and his eyes were only on her the whole time. He grew more confident around her as time went on, seeing that she was actually willing to talk to him. It was a back and forth with her, though. One time, she would be very talkative and happy towards him, then other times she would almost brush him off as soon as he approached her. In reality, she was trying to figure him out, trying to see what he was like under pressure and when dealing with annoyance. He didn’t know what she was doing to him, but he kept coming back, no matter how many times Robin told him to give up.

It wasn’t until the night that Steve got confident enough to ask for her number that he realized he was tired of her stringing him along. He was alone that night because Robin was out of town, so he had nobody to go to for advice. Her reaction to his question was shy, she just ignored his question at first and pretended she didn’t hear it.

“Let’s go over here, yeah?” he started, gently grabbing her hand to pull her to a quieter corner of the bar.

“Is there something wrong, Harrington?” she asked in an amused tone, seeing his frustration.

“Yeah, a little bit.” Steve scoffed, letting out a small huff of annoyance. “Listen, Y/N. This is making me crazy, pining after you when I can’t — I can’t read you. I can’t tell if you’re just dragging me along for a good laugh or what! But, I actually do like you and want to get to know you. I know you probably think I’m still an asshole like King Steve was, but I promise I’m not. If you don’t give a damn about me, I’ll back off —“

Before Steve could finish his spiel, he was cut off by her arm snaking around his neck to pull him into her, kissing him deeply. It was the last thing either of them expected in the moment, but it was what both of them needed. The feeling of their lips on each other’s was a relief, something that they had both wanted to do so badly for weeks. After a few moments of a deep and passionate kiss, Y/N pulled away with a satisfied smile on her face.

“You’re kinda hot when you’re so frustrated, Harrington.” she giggled as she brushed his slightly disheveled hair from in front of his eyes, noting his shocked expression.

“I’m going to take that kiss as a yes for you feeling the same way about me.” Steve chuckled nervously, raising his eyes brows as she laughed at him.

“Of course, I just had to string you along to get you back for all the girls who pined after you for so long in high school.” Y/N joked, but went silent when a feeling of desire took over; she wanted to kiss him forever, it felt so right. “Do you want to get out of here?”

“Where to?” he asked, eyebrows raised with sudden amusement.

“We can go to my place, get to know each other much better.” she suggested with a smirk on her face. “I’d love to get the King Steve experience all the girls would gush about without the asshole personality that you had then.”

“Oh really?” Steve chuckled as she nodded, grabbing his hand to pull him towards the door before he could answer.

Once they reached the car after pushing through a sea of people, Steve pulled her in for another deep kiss. She was the one caught off guard this time, but kissed him passionately in return.

“I’d love to give you that experience.” he said and she giggled happily, both getting into the car a little too excitedly.

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flowapuddle · 3 years

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Just a bit of info on you and Aaliyah and the family

Okay just little info page for anybody who is reading this and wondering what the fu** is happening 🧍🏾‍♀️

BASIC INFO:

:Full Name: (Y/n) (M/n) Immah

:Meaning of name: Immah meaning a Girl Who always Loves To Make People Smile. She is a person who tries to help people out & she hates seeing people suffer for nothing. She always Smile Even when she get in trouble . she is loyal , sometimes she can be immature , nice , amazing & all those good stuff. She has a high Future ahead of her . - Urban Dictionary

:Nickname(s): sweetie/honey

:Gender: female

:Age: 16

:Date of Birth: August 25

:Place of Birth: In (C/n)

:Native language: English (sorry if it isn't)

:Languages spoken: Japanese & English

:Ethnicity: Whatever ethnicity you are

:Occupation: Athlete

:Education: Highschool 1st year

MEDICAL INFO:

:Allergies: dust

APPEARANCE:

:Height: 167.64 (5ft, 6)

:Hair color: black-brownish with a white streak

:Hairstyle: usually down or half up and half down

:Eye color: (e/c)

:Piercings: ears

:Tattoos: none

:Scars: only on her arm but it's a tiny cat scratch

Beauty Mark: (Y/n) has a beauty Mark under her left eye like her mom

:Clothing/Style:

(If you don't wear anything like this then f**k 🧍🏾‍♀️ I am sorry for the sake of this book you wear this )

:Jewelry/Accesoaries:

Chocker/Necklace/Earrings

(Remember guys the same of the book 🧍🏾‍♀️)

:Scent: vanilla/cherry

:Others: uhhhh yes .

PERSONALITY:

:Overall: happy and joyful

:Likes: playing volleyball/collecting jewelry/ and whatever you like doing also/sleeping

:Dislikes: grunge things but will tolerate, not being organized, teachers who give out too much homework 🧍🏾‍♀️

:Fears: I already mentioned spiders ?

:Secrets: that's in 3rd grade she accidentally fell off the playground because she was trying to impress her crush 🤧

:Hobbies: playing sports, collecting things, simping, modeling

:Dreams: of being the #1 ranked volleyball player when going professional

:Flaws: overthinks

:Fun facts/Habits: (Y/n) is very expressive so you can tell what she thinking by the look on her face

:Others:

Quote(s):

Aaliyah: Just ramble (y/n) like you always do.

(Y/n): I don't ramble on. I know I am a great speaker and all but I don't ramble. People who ramble just keep talking and talking on and on without stopping. I can stop talking because I don't ramble. For insist you remember that one time I talked your ear off about literally what would happen if a kite caught electricity. Now that was rambling

Aaliyah: *faceplams* Ugh, thats 50 seconds of my life I will never get back

Favorite season(s): Summer

Favorite food(s): (f/f)

Favorite color(s): (f/c)

Favorite holiday: April 1st (in attempt to get Aaliyah, but fails)

Favorite animal(s): (f/animal)

—

BASIC INFO: THIS IS YOUR OLDER SISTER

:Full Name: Aaliyah Harper Immah

:Meaning of name: She's beautiful. She doesn't realize how beautiful she is. She may have a lot of enemies- Urban Dictionary

:Nickname(s): gumdrop/love

:Gender: Women

:Age: 17

:Date of Birth: April 16

:Place of Birth: Hospital back in (C/n)

:Native language: English

:Languages spoken: Japanese & English

:Ethnicity: Black/Mexican

:Occupation: Athlete

:Education: highschool 3rd year

MEDICAL INFO:

:Allergies: dust, pollen

APPEARANCE:

:Height: 182.88 cm (6'0 ft) tall ass mf 😐

:Hair color: black that fades into brown that fades into dirty blonde color (her original hair color was brown but she bleached her hair)

:Hairstyle: Long curly hair that reaches the back of mid back, but it's usually half up with space buns

:Eye color: bright blue

:Piercings: bellybutton, tongue & ears

:Tattoos: none

:Scars: on her leg from a fight she got in with (y/n)

:Clothing/Style:

:Jewelry/Accesoaries:

Belly/Tongue Piercing

: Earrings

Chocker/Rings that are worn on thumb and middle and first/Necklace

:Scent: Roses & Sugar Plums

PERSONALITY:

:Overall:(fuck 🧍🏾‍♀️) dense lowkey like Ushijima but have a sense of humor more on not very emotional (on rare occasions yes very emotional) nor expressive

:Likes: music, writing, modeling, playing basketball, cooking/baking, clothes & jewelry

:Dislikes: cockroaches & loud people 👀

:Fears: not succeeding

:Secrets: won't admit that y/n is generally a funny person & won't tell anybody she likes taking photos of the clouds and ladybugs 🤫

:Hobbies: taking photos, traveling, sweets

:Dreams: of being #1 best girls/women basketball player

:Flaws: dense, emotionless, says what's on mind

:Fun facts/Habits: Tends to scrunch or wiggle her noise like a rabbit lowkey when something interests her

Quote: "She never spoke, never made a sound, but the look in her eyes told me exactly what was about to happen"

Favorite season(s): winter & mid-fall

Favorite food(s): ramen, pho or anything sweet

Favorite color(s): royal blue, bright purple and electric yellow

Favorite holiday(s): Christmas, she likes giving gifts to (y/n) knowing she will enjoy them makes her generally happy

Favorite animal(s): polar bear, cats & owls

-Credit to CookiiesPWN on DeviantArt for template

Extra:

Your dad: Elijah Jager Imaah

Age: 40

Race: African-American

Profession: (was a professional basketball player retired after having his first daughter is now a trainer)

Height: 6'6

Languages Spoken: English/ Japanese/ A bit of Spanish since his wife sometimes talks to him in Spanish

Your mom: Homura Yua Imaah

Age: 40

Race: Japanese/Mexican( more mexican than japanese)

Profession:(Was a professional women volleyball, retired to give birth to her first daughter and shortly after started a sports company with her best friend in Japan)

Height: 5'9

Language Spoken: English/Japanese/Spanish

Aaliyah

-Artist Credit to @/AlohaSushicore on Twitter found her artwork on Picrew me and did my OC's in her style and I absolutely love it

Part 2 is here!!

Back to Storyboard!

#x reader #x oc #haikyuu boys #haikyuu x me #haikyuu x oc #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu x self insert #haikyuu x y/n #haikyuu x you

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lieutenantgivesnoshits · 4 years

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Mun Musing About Multiple Main Muses

So I’m going to go on a mini ramble about writing my muses. My thoughts, my reasonings and shit like that. Now in this musing I’ll be talking about Hank and muses that are OCs. So if that’s not your cup of coffee just ignore this. If you do feel like reading this... the fuck is wrong with you?

Oh! I’m also on my phone so I have no clue how to do that “under the cut” thing. So sorry about that.

So for those who don’t know I have 4 main muses. Hank (obviously), Lyra, Rose, and Kiara. The last three found on my other RP blog. The thing about writing multiple muses, for me at least, is making sure each one is unique. Now I don’t just mean the way they look or the way they talk. When I write each character I tend to change a lot about my writing.

When I change from muse to muse the way they talk changes. Their speech pattern. Their slang. How talkative they are. How much they use their hands. I change habits for each character’s personality. Heck, even the very style of writing can end up changing just to match the character. I find myself more often than not actually acting out what each muse would do.

Responding as Hank? I end up raising an eyebrow like him. Responding as Rose? Snort laugh and smirk. So on and so forth. It helps me get into their mindset. To answer as them and not like one of the other muses. Cause let’s me honest, none of my muses would react the same in any given situation. They are all VERY different people.

And I think I like that. I really let’s me be diverse in my writing. And I hope it comes across that way to my RP partners. It would suck to hear that interacting with Lyra is just like interacting with Rose. Or that interacting with Kiara was just a female Hank. Cause even if they are similar in some personality, they’re not identical.

Lyra is shy, soft spoken and very formal when first interacting with. Then she opens up. Laughs more. Speaks more, though still in an odd way. Old with some Gaelic tossed in. She speaks almost poetically on life and gives advice. Lyra’s a mothering and healing soul. When I write Lyra things just seem to be a smooth motion.

Rose is chaos. She is energy and trouble. Rose speaks with a mixed accent of Irish and slang. A girl who grew up in the city most her life and then ended up with gaelic Faes as family. Rose is a physical woman. Pushing or hugging others. Maybe picking fights. A hot temper that explodes but quickly cools. This makes writing Rose like bursts of fireworks. Calm one moment then POW!

Speaking of cool. Kiara is ice cold. When she speaks it’s always propped, though sharp. Getting to the point quickly and can be rather blunt. This makes her seem rude. Uncaring. Simply she just never was allowed to express emotions properly growing up. Yet there’s a fierce protectiveness underneath for her family and friends. Everything from her speech to writing style is stiff.

And last but certainly not least, Hank. Being my first and only male muse, I got to do a lot different with him. For one, Hank can be a lot more physical to get his point across. Being almost a foot taller than Lyra, Hank can use his height, his bulk, Hell even his lower voice as a way to intimidate or express himself. Hank is a much more physical being. Come on. Hank hugs?Hes a big softy. And when he does talk he curses the most out of all my muses. He’s the muse that commands the attention of the room as soon as he walks in. A big personality to go with his big size.

Sorry for this long ass thing. If you actually read it... what the Hell is wrong with you? But also, I love you. God damn has it been great to write. And I hope for those who have interacted with my muses that they are unique and different. That you feel a difference when you interact with each one.

#(mun talks too much)#(munday shit)

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cvrnelivs · 4 years

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— ( harry styles, cismale, he/him ) &. * — meet ( cornelius ‘ oliver ’ edwards ) ! ( he ) is ( twenty five ) years old and has lived in st. helens for ( two ) years . when they’re not helping the town prepare for halloween , they work as a ( baker ) . around here, they’re known to be ( idealistic ) & ( intuitive ) yet ( unpredictable ) & ( destructive ) and apparently their favorite fall activity is ( visiting the farmer’s market ) . safe to say it really wouldn’t be halloweentown without them !

hiya! i am kt &+ underneath the read more is a LOT of info about my bb, cornelius/oliver. ** insert clown emoji but make ‘em yee-haw ** if you’d like to plot you can reach me on here or at space cowboy#8536 on discord !! <33 v excited to interact with y’all and your bbs !!

( DISCLAIMER : THIS IS LONG - WOW !!! just felt a lot of muse !!! apologies !! )

𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖈𝖘

name: cornelius oliver edwards.

nicknames: ollie, ol, lee !! literally whatever - “hey, you” dkjfgn

gender: cismale. pronouns: he, him.

age: twenty-five.

birthday: june 27th.

zodiac: cancer !!

orientation: pansexual / panromantic.

occupation: baker // aspiring filmmaker.

languages spoken: english & french.

𝖎𝖓𝖘𝖕𝖎𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓

- PINTEREST - featuring his wardrobe, his home, his aesthetic, some character inspo and olive, his german shepard pup !!

- SPOTIFY PLAYLIST - what oliver is currently listening to !!

personality type: INFJ-T / THE ADVOCATE

moral alignment: chaotic good

style-wise: oliver is v stylish, but isn’t overly flashy by any means. he’s intuitive in the sense of what works and what doesn’t. willing to explore the latest wardrobe craze, but also just likes what he likes and likely won’t venture out unless pressed by another to do so. post coming soon for his wardrobe !!! they say that the cancer man’s clothing is selected to reflect “ sophistication over flash “ but kdgjn i’ll let ya’ll be the judge of that. he’s v much harry inspired clothing wardrobe, but also tones it down with some casual looks, especially with being in the bakery and getting his hands dirty in creative aspects !!

𝖇𝖆𝖈𝖐𝖌𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖉

oliver was born in kent, england. he’s the youngest in his family of three, having an older brother and sister w/ two loving parents. when he was nine, his family packed up and moved to southern california, where they resided until oliver left for college on the east coast - his family trading off between living back in england and on the west coast throughout the year. upon moving to a new country at a young age, oliver truly found himself via escaping into various books and movies. often attempting to write his own and would force encourage his siblings to act his skits/plays out for his parents enjoyment. growing up, oliver also enjoyed playing all types of sports ( his parents kind of threw him in hoping he’d make friends ), but when it came down to it, athletic abilities-wise, there truly wasn’t anything that he wasn’t ‘ good ‘ at, and that’s simply because he’s always been such a competitive individual / as well as a perfectionist. that competitive/perfectionist energy caused him to go home and practice a skill or trick for hours in order to be able to come back the next day and whoop everyone’s asses. throughout highschool ; oliver was a v dedicated student. although he’s a bit reckless and loved to goof off, he was always acing classes and applying himself. he genuinely cares for others, you could’ve seen his ass volunteering at a soup kitchen with his mom on sundays and what not, as well as take part in various clubs and sports ! just SOFT and sportythings.

post-high school, oliver attended NYU double majoring in film & television and dramatic writing. despite his extensive and well received portfolio, oliver has always been a perfectionist and overcritical of his work, unwilling to share his projects with anyone until he deems them to be ~ perfect ~ himself. after graduating, he spent a year traveling, trying to find a bit of inspiration around him and taking up odd jobs to get some $$ of his own, dog walking, attempting his best at being a handy man, etc !! he moved back home to socal, and eventually made his way up to st.helen’s after he was sent a job posting for the bakery in town !! although he knows he doesn’t want to pursue a career in baking forever, he’s enjoying his time while trying to find a bit more muse for his future film&writing career.

overall, oliver can come off as a bit reserved, and distant whether that be a result of his untrusting nature of others, or simply unfamiliarity. it takes a bit of time before he feels comfortable to share his true opinion / commentary / only doing so when he feels secure to do so. he’s not necessarily unfriendly, just a bit distant / lost in his thoughts. which varies, as with most ppl ofc, upon person to person and his level of comfortability among them. despite his often lack of conversation, he abhors an uncomfortable silence to settle and will fill it with nonsense to simply avoid the feeling altogether. so, if you ever want to catch him rambling, just making him uncomfortable dkjfngdf. he definitely approaches most things with a bit of ‘ tough love ‘ . he doesn’t mind getting into a quarrel or two if he knows its worth the outcome he’s envisioned. oliver will tell others when they are fucking up, and if they are throwing a punch as a result - catch him leaning into it, which explains his bout of reckless antics. he can come off as a know it all, when it comes to advice giving, but more so because he thinks he’s really good at analyzing others and situations they are in, not necessarily because he’s lived through them himself, he’s just rather intuitive and able to empathize quite easily with others despite his verbal admittance of it. when it comes down to this binches reckless bits, he just feels so intensely that he ends up numbing himself in the aftermath of it all ( especially bc he’s definitely not sharing those feelings with the people around him ), therefore he’s willing to put himself into harms way in order to get a bit of that - happiness / pain, it doesn’t matter to him as long as he no longer feels overwhelmed by numbness. so, if ya see him with some scrapes and stitches ~ mind ya business. but he’ll likely try to drag somebody else into it, and make it seem like it was their idea. but if he is truly comfortable with somebody, he walks a fine line of won’t stop talking, especially if it’s an interest of his, and comfortable silence.

𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖞 & 𝖍𝖆𝖇𝖎𝖙𝖘

he is a CANCER, therefore in this essay i will..... kidding but here’s some fun cancer info i saw that applies to my bb !! at first he appears to be wistful, sarcastic ( maybe a lil crabby ) , shy, distant and mysterious. this personality remains if he isn’t completely comfortable around somebody. but overall, that’s just his facade, his ‘smokescreen’ of sorts to scare off the world from his outwards persona. underneath that layer ( makes me think of shrek metaphor with onions // don’t mind me ), BUT he’s gentle, kind and affectionate ( if you manage to make it to that level * bell dings * ) !!! overall, oliver is a sensitive soul, a bit emotional although he’d rather d*e than show that to others. likely will internalize anything that can hurt his feelings / a low blow and will do something chaotic as a result later on bc of it. very polite, and a little worldly, he is truly the epitome of old-school gentlemanly manners. chivalry coming as a second nature to him !!

that was getting ramble-y, so continuing HERE. but when it comes to romance, as per the cancer man, the concept of love is a mystery, one that oliver is trying to attain. however, his shyness and innate distrust of others make it difficult for him to allow himself to fall in love. his guard is always up when it comes to his emotions, and it’ll take a bit of prodding before he’s willing to speak up on what’s desired from him. he’s v picky when it comes to finding the “ partner of his dreams “ - but he’s def willing to throw himself into the romance of the situation, i.e. buying flowers, riding white horses, and slaying metaphorical dragons. the traditional side means that he will shower his partner with thoughtful gifts, wine and dine them in the best restaurants, and try to grant their every wish. he will take the garbage out, fix that wobbly shelf, navigate on road trips, and kill more so trap and release bugs for his partner, and most important of all he will do it all without being asked. his loyalty and keen attention to the needs and wants of his potential partner. so basically, more so willing to showcase through actions than speak on it. it’s the little things, right ??!?!?! he def cherishes not just the act of being in a relationship, but what it means to become one with another person in mind, body, and soul.

prides himself on being able to make a mean cup of coffee, likely the worst person to watch a movie with bc he knows exactly how it’s going to end after only watching five minutes of it, he has a godawful sense of direction, will walk in circles for fifteen minutes before even raising a question about it/noticing ( but he refuses to acknowledge it. )

his house, car, workspace, junk drawer, closet….you name it - it’s organized, practically sparkling. often times arranged by color, and / or style. nothing is ever out of place, and if it is - there’s trouble brewing. but, more than anything, if he’s visiting somebody’s place and it’s messy, he will spend a solid thirty minutes picking everything up before doing whatever it is that was intended.

likes : reading, flowers, handwritten notes/letters, deep cleaning, baking, curating soundtracks for his film projects, watching the history channel and true crime docs and playing / watching hockey !!

dislikes : artichoke, clutter, sandals ( fkjgh ), unrealistic plotlines in movies &+ burnt coffee.

habits : smoking cigarettes - although he’s been meaning to quit. likely has a severe caffeine addiction, although he’s now normalized having six cups of coffee throughout his day. he’s an early riser, no matter how little the amount of sleep he’s received, he’s always the first to rise - for his early morning runs !!

strengths: creative, insightful, inspiring, convincing, determined and passionate, decisive, altruistic, intuitive !!

weaknesses: sensitive, extremely private, perfectionist, low-key always needs to have a cause / purpose, can burn out easily !!

overall : oliver truly strives to be kind, and genuinely wants for everyone to get along. treat people with kindness and the like. he has the best of intentions, but often times that can get a bit muddled with the way he goes about things due to his bit of chaotic energy / as well as his often points of getting lost in his thoughts. he won’t realize he’s been quiet for the last three hours unless it’s mentioned to him. he will do anything to lighten a dark mood, and will sacrifice / throw himself under the bus if its needed. however, he also is the type to cause the dark mood depending on the day. wahoo! his more reckless antics increase when he’s feeling a bit emotional !! but he’ll likely try and convince somebody to propose the idea so it’s not on him.

𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖔𝖒 𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖉 𝖈𝖆𝖓𝖔𝖓𝖘

in an attempt to throw himself into the town’s traditions and what not, after moving to st. helen’s oliver decided it was upon himself to put on a very spooo0ooky haunted house! so, catch him converting his home into a haunted house for the month of october !!! nothing cheesy either !! it’s more a psychological scare dkjgn with some gore elements !! EnTeR iF yOu DaRe !!!

he bounced around playing sports growing up, but favored ice hockey and field lacrosse out of them all.

HE WANTS TO JOIN A BOOKCLUB PLEASE !!!!!!!! or at least have some casual moments of silence with another reading. plz and tysm.

he is a vegetarian ! he has been since his freshman year of high school and has no plans on eating seafood/meat ever again.

he loves fancy wine ~ he’s cultured. visits seb’s winery v often !!!

he can play the drums !!

he collects vintage matchbooks and the stickers off of various fruits ( he puts them in a little notebook - can be found on his bookshelf ).

saves handwritten notes and letters from pals.

he loves to garden !!!! he has a specified rose shearing hat.

to make things a bit simple, he has all of harry’s tattoos !! might add more along the way !! stay tuned, folks !!

𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖉 𝖈𝖔𝖓𝖓𝖊𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘

honestly, i am so up for anything !!! please accept this ramble of ideas thrown below. if you have any other ideas, lmk !!!! <3333 :’-)

( 2 / 2 ) - BFFZ : the z for an added emphasis dkfjgnd. somebody who likely has a key to oliver’s house, they can enjoy one anothers company as well as the bouts of comfortable silence. you know how best friends are but kdjfngd still !! whether they are likeminded or polar opposites that just flow ~~ down for anything !! even a trio of sorts ?!

( 0 / ?? ) - MUSE(S) : somebody that he often strikes inspo from for his short films and what not !! or has starred/he plans to have them star in his future compilations of sorts !! can be simply from their own ideals, their look / ~vibe~ dkfjgn // whatever !!

( 1 / 1 ) - RIDE OR DIE / CHAOTIC COMPANION : it would be wrong to say one is the more likely the bad influence over the other, although oliver may just be. these two find themselves bounding into, well hell, ( i guess??? ) together. playing on one anothers impulsiveness and if one ends up in the back of a police car, the other is handcuffed to them. and yet despite the length of their potential injuries, they find themselves thinking of something crazier to subject them to the next time around.

( 1 / 1 ) - GUARDIAN ANGEL / GOOD INFLUENCE : with ollie being a bit chaotic in nature, he needs somebody that is likely going to steer him clear from all the ideas that’ll bring him to the brink of disaster. he’s impulsive and in that desperate attempt to feel again, he’s very likely to bring a bit of mayhem upon himself. so while they may be worrying and attempting to talk his ideas down, he’s trying to get them to go along with his plan. it may be rare that he actually takes their advice, but when he does it seems to be for the best.

( 0 / 1 ) - PARTY FRIEND : these two know how to have a good time together. despite the amount of alcohol they are throwing back and the shenanigans they find themselves in as a result, this is a time where they also find themselves confiding in one another. if you look at their camera rolls, it’s likely they have tons of embarrassing and unflattering videos and pics of one another, in between their sob-worthy confessionals and venting/rants. these two trust one another, and although they love getting wreckT together, they find themselves discussing very raw and personal details. likely the only person oliver confides in, simply bc he’s completely plastered.

( 1 / 1 ) - SIBLING-LIKE RELATIONSHIP : these two have a love/hate relationship, very sibling like filled with pranks, competition, teasing and playful banter. however, when it comes down to it they have so much love and respect for one another. they know that no matter what happens they will always have one anothers back and be supportive of the other. truly a pure content filled relationship.

okay quick mention, ENEMY PLOTS ?!?!?!?!?!? i would live for one. i can’t imagine oliver being hardcore nasty, but i’d like to see whatever version comes out for this. so let’s get it djfngjakdfg maybe they just hold different viewpoints on the world and what not and clash, anything really !!! v open !!

( 1 / 1 ) - MENTOR - oliver needs a bit of structured or unstructured guidance, all depending on what their deemed mentor is wanting to impart on him, a bit of wisdom or slight chaos. kdjfgn he’ll take anything !! life advice in any and all aspects. maybe they come into the bakery, or maybe they help him with his garden. who knows, i certainly don’t know how they met, but we’ll figure it out ?!?!

RANDOM LITTLE IDEAS : maybe they’ve heard of one another in town, but haven’t quite met yet! or maybe they see each other around all the time, but have yet to introduce themselves to one another but low-key maybe in some online forum for the town together ?! who knows some fun things kdjnfg i AM OPEN !

ooh maybe a slowburn of sorts ?! something spicy to wreck ollie’s and my life with. dkfjgn we can base this off of chemistry !!! :’-)

#( ❛ ᴏʟɪᴠᴇʀ ᴇᴅᴡᴀʀᴅꜱ | ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ . )#htintro #excited to plot with y'all <3333 :)

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yume-x-hanabi · 4 years

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Writer Meta Meme

I decided to do all the questions on this meme :)

1. Tell us about your current project(s) – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?

My current project is Concubinage, my gaiwin arranged marriage AU. It started as a random, entirely self-indulgent idea, but it has since grown into an actual project. Progress is good, I’ve managed to do bi-monthly updates and I have 30k in my drafts so far.

What I love the most about it is that, since it’s an AU, I’m pretty free to do whatever I want. I don’t have to be too careful of timelines and so on. Plus, in this AU, Gaius and Wingul are able to get closer than they otherwise would, due to the different circumstances. They have their own trials, but it’s different than in the canon timeline.

Another current project is Tales of Xillia Week, but I didn’t get much inspiration for it so I think I’m gonna do meta/headcanon posts more than fics ^^;

2. Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

I’m looking forward to getting to the part where it’s just domestic fluff haha. It’ll take a while to reach that point though.

3. What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway)

Not just one scene ig, but I’ve been wanting to write one-shots showing how the Chimeriad survived, and... haven’t gotten around to planning it. So it’s pretty low on my project list tbh.

4. Share a sentence or paragraph from your writing that you’re really proud of (explain why, if you like)

I have... a few, but they’re all spoilers for future chapters XD;;

5. What character that you’re writing do you most identify with?

I don’t... really identify with characters. I mean, they’re pretty different than me in personality, life and circumstances...

6. What character do you have the most fun writing?

I love writing Gaius and Wingul of course, but Agria’s probably the most fun. She’s completely unrestrained, which makes her pretty easy and fun to let loose XD

7. What do you think are the characteristics of your personal writing style? Would others agree?

Exposition and worldbuilding XD

I can’t help it, I always need to develop the setting...

8. Is what you like to write the same as what you like to read?

Yes. I would love it if more people wrote gaiwin XD

9. Are you more of a drabble or a longfic kind of writer? Pantser or plotter? Do you wish you were the other?

I used to be more of a ficlet writer, but I’m currently doing well with a longfic XD

As for the rest, it varies. I like to plot and outline a bit, but it’s often rather loose and I let inspiration guide me.

10. How would you describe your writing process?

Wait for inspiration time, energy and motivation to align.

11. What do you envy in other writers?

Those who update super long fics every week. How do you do it????

12. Do you want your writing to be famous?

Naah, I’m fine in my corner of fandom. Though I wouldn’t say no to a few more readers, if only to know that the ship still sails xD

13. Do you share your writing online? (Drop a link!) Do you have projects you’ve kept just for yourself?

Yep, I post on AO3. And all projects are meant to be posted one day, but some aren’t simply because they aren’t finished.

14. At what point in writing do you come up with a title?

The beginning, usually, but I might change it

15. Which is harder: titles or summaries (or tags)?

Tags are easy. Titles and summaries are hard, and I always end up with something boring but heh, as long as they get the meaning across...

16. Tried anything new with your writing lately? (style, POV, genre, fandom?)

It was last year, but I tried first person pov with my Agria fic, because that fits her well. I’d like to try poetry, maybe.

17. Do you think readers perceive your work - or you - differently to you? What do you think would surprise your readers about your writing or your motivations?

I have no idea tbh. When I write, I like to imagine what my readers will think (especially like when I write funny scenes, I hope they’ll make people laugh), but idk if it’s exactly like I think.

18. Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations?) Tell us about them.

In Concubinage, I considered adding a plotline where Arst met an ex and had to deal with complicated feelings about it -- being reminded how it was to be in a loving relationship vs political marriage, craving intimacy like he used to have with said ex, etc. I ended up scrapping the idea though.

I also have... two or three possible ways things can play out in a much later plotpoint, and I think I’m pretty sure of which way I’ll go already, but the other possibilities exist. Maybe I’ll make a post about all abandoned plotlines one day...

19. Is there something you always find yourself repeating in your writing? (favourite verb, something you describe ‘too often’, trope you can’t get enough of?)

“And, but, and, but...” XD;

Also characters often find themselves doing something before they knew it...

My style is probably pretty repetitive. I’m not a native speaker, and I feel limited sometimes...

20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

Concubinage is the result of watching too many sageuk and taiga drama. No I’m not sorry.

When writing AU, I always like to include “cameo” of the original storyline (for example, as the plot of a book, or treating the canon games as a fractured dimension in Chimeriad Live AU’s, etc)

In Fractured Lives, I try to alternate Wingul and Gaius’ pov. It’s probably gonna bite me in the ass when some plot points work better in one pov but the chapter requires the other. I’ll probably have to come up with some fillers or something...

I have extensive headcanon about Auj Oule’s geography, history etc, which pops up in a lot of (planned) fics. Even if it’s different fics/AU’s (ex. Concubinage vs my pre-game gaiwin project vs the Wingul fic I was writing for the big bang), I reuse the same settings and OC’s. Most of those aren’t written/posted yet so it’s pretty self-contained for now, but if I ever get to completing those projects I hope it won’t be too confusing to readers who don’t follow all the stories...

21. What other medium do you think your story would work well as? (film, webcomic, animated series?)

If I had the art skills, I’d love to turn some of them into comics ;A;

22. Do you reread your old works? How do you feel about them?

Sometimes. Usually because I need to refresh my memory before writing a new chapter XD

23. What’s the story idea you’ve had in your head for the longest?

That project to write the whole pre-game Gaius & Wingul history, that’s something I’ve been wanting since forever. Well, I originally wanted to read it, but since no one’s gonna do it, I started thinking I should write it. It’s gonna be a huge project though...

24. Would you say your writing has changed over time?

I honestly have no idea. I do sense a difference in that it’s much easier for me to just write now; I guess habit helps. But I have no idea if style changed or anything lol.

25. What part of writing is the most fun?

Filling the tag with my OTP XD

#yume fanfiction #ask meme

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interesting-blog-name · 4 years

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Frank Ocean - Blonde Review

All my time listening to rap, whenever Frank Ocean was featured on a track, everyone commenting on the song would praise him extremely highly, and honestly, I never saw the hype. The verses he’d write weren’t that good, in my eyes, but he’d have this mythical aura whenever someone talked about him, like he was the perfect singer, God’s musical gift to Earth. I never looked into his music that much, because I was too busy getting my ears blown out at age 15 from bass-boosted angry rap to look into what I assumed was an average R&B singer, a genre I didn’t have much knowledge on. So, as an introduction, I picked up Blonde.

I’m going to have somewhat of a hard time reviewing this one, and I feel like it’s because, to me, this album doesn’t really need to be written about. For Blonde to work, you have to let yourself be submerged by it, by the wonderful production mixed with Frank’s always-on-point singing; let yourself be carried by how the tracks progress, let the emotions drown you. My mistake in my first listen was that I pulled up Genius to read the lyrics while listening, and only in my second listen did I realize that’s not how it works. As Shawn Cee said when listening to Frank’s Moon River cover: “You don’t listen to Frank Ocean lyrics, you feel them.”.

Way before I thought about playing this album, I downloaded Nights and Pink + White in my phone, and - like any other song I get even a little bit attached to - played the shit out of those two tracks. This was a big mistake of my part, as when I listened to them in the context of the album, I was way too familiar to them. This is something I’ll try to overcome, this instant attachment and overplaying of tracks, where I play the same 10 songs for weeks, and then grow tired of them; I’ll try to substitute this habit with just trying to open myself up to new music, and letting the albums I’ve already listen to have a bigger effect on me when I replay them, due to me not growing tired of them from listening to them over and over. Anyway, I’m rambling.

Blonde is great at what it does, and that’s all that really matters: it is the definition of an emotional rollercoaster. The progression in the tracks is marvelous, whether it’s the beautiful closing verse over the violins in Self Control, the classic beat switch in Nights, the subtle change from synth-heaven to acoustic guitar in White Ferrari, or the voyage that is Seigfried (by the way, why is the song misspelled, couldn’t someone have looked the guy’s name up? Just a pet-peeve of mine). Frank’s vocals are so controlled and precise, they seem to just hit the perfect spot in the brain, and he and his team had this in mind; the tracks are built around his voice, the instrumentals are simplistic and at the same time beautiful, toned down, but crucial and memorable. The organ played by James Blake in Solo and Godspeed (easily the most gospel-influenced and gentle track here), the guitars in Ivy, the piano in Good Guy, they are all finely crafted in an intentionally lowkey fashion. That’s not to mention the instances where Frank’s voice becomes an instrument itself, being dowsed in effects in tracks like the just-mentioned Good Guy, the weird, distorted closing to Ivy, the high-pitched first leg of Nikes, and most notably and well-executed in my opinion, the gorgeously melancholic shorter track Close To You, where Frank sounds like he’s shapeshifted into a depressed microwave, and I mean it in the best way possible.

The impassioned scenes Frank recalls are very powerful, graced by his invested singing and simple, relatable style of songwriting. He seems to convey his feelings and memories in such an effortless, but amazing manner, that when he’s speaking of loves and summers that won’t come back, you can’t help but feel an urge to cry (or maybe I’m just too emotional). Ivy’s and Skyline To’s nostalgic tone (“That’s a pretty fucking fast year flew by, that’s a pretty long third gear in this car”), Solo’s and Nights’ wonderful, memorable choruses (“There’s a bull and a matador dueling in the sky. Inhale, in Hell, there’s Heaven.”), the rejection of the American dream in Seigfried (“Maybe I should move, settle down, two kids and a swimming pool. I’m not brave! I’d rather live outside”), stick to the listener the very first listen, and make this album more than just gorgeous melodies and strong-ass vocals.

There really isn’t much for me to say about Nights that hasn’t been said. Working brilliantly as the divisor between the two parts of the album, “Blond” and “Blonde”, the morning and the evening of the album; this song deserves all the praise it has gotten along the years, and the worst thing I can say about it is it is so addictive I almost got sick of it. The beat switch is legendary, the difference between the two parts makes the song memorable, and Frank’s vocals and flow are, of course, on point.

I can’t help but love what Frank does in Blonde, but it does have a few setbacks. Pretty Sweet is a chaotic definitive transition into the second leg of the album (separated by the beat switch in Nights) that I think could have been executed much better, as Frank’s vocal inflections in this song are probably the worst of the album, and the beginning distortion in the song is not a very welcome change of pace, and just ends up feeling out of place. The track Skyline To is not so special either, and I’m afraid I’ve grown out of Pink + White, as it doesn’t bring me the same feelings it once did when I first listened to it; that’s obviously my fault, but still, I don’t feel the song, as beautiful as Beyoncé backing vocals are, and as uplifting and nice it is on its own, shines so bright within the context of the entire album; not only that, but it also ends very abruptly, which is unfortunate.

My biggest problem with the record has to be Futura Free, however. I have very mixed feelings towards it, because in one hand, I enjoy the fresh beat drop and how the album offers it right at the last track, bringing some very standout excitement to the song, but I just can’t understand why Frank would put a 4-minute long interview with his friends, separated from the song by 32 seconds of pure silence. I appreciate all the interludes’ sense of nostalgia, the small little glimpses into Frank’s more personal life (especially with the very nice Buddy Ross sample present in all of them), but surely this interview could have been shortened and separated from the song it’s attached to. I know the album being exactly one hour long is a big deal to it, and it’s probably very difficult to round up that time perfectly without stretching some songs somehow, but surely there was space for at least a two-minute song to replace two minutes of the interview, which is mainly comprised of background noise between the chatter anyway.

Despite that, the album has way more highs than lows. The Andre 3000 verse has to be the best in the album, switching up the meanings in Solo, and even in its less memorable moments, Blonde displays an admirable elegance that will keep me coming back to it, an elegance that is displayed upfront in tracks such as Godspeed, where Frank sings a breakup song of unconditional support appreciation for his ex, for a very nice change of pace.

Overall, the production is meticulously calculated, Frank gives his best performance, it is personal, powerful, touching, and you have to be in the mood for it to work. Sit back and enjoy the experience.

FAVORITE TRACKS: Self Control, Nights, Solo (Reprise), Close To You, White Ferrari, Seigfried, Godspeed

LEAST FAVORITE TRACK: Pretty Sweet

8.1/10

“In the wake of a hurricane. Dark skin of a summer shade. Nosedive into flood lines. Tall tower of milk crates.”

#frank ocean #blond #blonde #album #album review #r&b #alternative r&b #pop #woooooooooo

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fashion-noodle · 5 years

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Voice Meme: Itara Irispyre

Bold what applies to your muse italicize situational ones. Feel free to add your own suggestions and carry it on.

Itara does the best she can to not have any accent at all. But, when she’s been drinking (or is otherwise inibrated) it comes out. And concidering her general state these days… that’s pretty much constantly. The severity of the accent depends on the level of intoxication. A mild buzz gets her with a slight country drawl, but once she starts getting properly sloshed she will start mushing words together like a really backwoods girl (full y'all'd've, style). She’s also spent a significant amount of time in Limsa and around Pirates, so she can get a bit of that sort of inflection on some words, and has picked up a good deal of the slang.

► ELOQUENCE educated │ uneducated │ doesn’t use conjunctions │ shortens words │ just makes up their own words! │ old English │dependent on mood or setting

Itara doesn’t have a very expansive vocabulary and doesn’t often speak in a grammatically correct way (to the ever irritation of Grammerly). She often mispronounces words (especially foreign words) or uses words with the wrong meanings. And as I mentioned before, she will straight up combine words to make new ones.

► TONE loud │ soft │ room volume │ high pitched │ low pitched │seductive │velvety │ speech impediment │ abrasive │ gruff │ shrill │ booming │ matter-of-fact │ toneless │ husky │gravelly │ breathy │ nasal │ barking │ chatty │ condescending │ musical │ suave │ world-weary │brash │ authoritative

Most are surprised when I tell them that Itara’s voice is supposed to be fairly… annoying. She’s loud and shrill, and her voice tends more high pitched than the seductive velvety way most expect form a character like her. Especially her laugh. We’ve all heard the woman laughing to loud at a restaurant and its like nails through the ears… That’s Itara. And the drunker she gets the louder she gets. Not that she can’t be seductive, and she often does take on a smoothness that dulls some of the sharp notes of her voice, its just not the default.

► HABITS refers to self in third person │ incorporates different languages/terms/sayings │ uses gender-specific terms │ adapts to audience │ changes pitch around animals or children│ shifts tone when lying │ gives others nicknames │ uses terms of respect towards others

Itara rarely calls people by their real name (unless she’s mad at them). If she knows them well they’ll end up with a specific nickname usually. And she has certain pet names she uses for different races in general (Au’ra girls are all “dolls”, Miqo’te boys are all “kits”). At the very least a person is a “darling” or a “dear”. If she’s not using pet names, it’s a sure sign that she doesn’t like you, even if her smiling face says otherwise.

A few other fun habits Itara has: She does not introduce herself unless forced. She will dodge doing so as long as possible. And in general, doesn’t like talking about herself (but she loves it when other people talk about her). Itara doesn’t say “please” or “thank you” (A constant struggle for my ever-polite ass during rp) and as a general rule is void of any manners. And she will say what could be said in one word in 15. She likes to ramble and chatter on endlessly.

Itara’s speech has a very specific set of rules I have to follow and if we are ever rping and it seems im taking too long to reply… likely I typed something and then realized it was either 1) too fancy for Itara or 2) too polite and thus had to re-write the whole damn thing. I really wish I had a dollar for every time I typed something and then went “nope, that words too big for Itara” and had to think of something else XD

Voice Claim: Krysten Ritter (specifically as Chloe form Don’t Trust the B in Apt 23)

youtube

Tagged by: @sedatayuun and @mischiefandmystics Thanks for the tag! I enjoyed reading about your boys!

I’m going to tagggg.... (i never can think of people ugggg) @egrine @lazarusffxiv @shroudwayman @talysings @savothesewercat @danteredstonexiv and @carmen-ffxiv and everyone else who wants to do it! and please tag me, i love reading these things!

#Itara Irispyre #voice #[Itara's voice claim]#sorry i went a little ham #Itara's speech is one of the most well developed things about her and i love talking about it

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one-true-houselight · 5 years

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[image description: A pencil drawing of my Dungeons and Dragons character named Johnathan. Johnathan is a lanky human man with short hair that is styled vaguely upwards. He is wearing a cuffed shirt with diagonal stripes, leather body armor that fastens on his right, forearm guards, and fingerless gloves. He has long, slightly fitted pants, a belt, and boots. On his right hip, he has a pouch with the bottom of a flute sticking out of it. We can see the string of a necklace around his neck, but whatever occupies the string is inside his shirt and armor. He has his right hand behind his back and is gesturing with his left hand to the written words: ‘Hi Fantasy Reddit! I’m Johnathan, Ask Me Anything!’. He is smiling at the viewer. /end id]

Hey look, it’s my new character!

As a way for me to get into this character and write the appropriate backstory for my wonderful DM @stella-clara, I’m going to do as it says above: Ask Me Anything! Below the cut I’m going to put questions and answers of stuff I want to cover, and if you have questions you want to ‘ask’ him, feel free to send them my way!

Q: What’s your story, Johnathan?

A: Now, that’s a very broad question. I have many stories. I have the story of how I found my boat, the story of the time I broke my arm when I was 7, the story of when I accidentally brought home a possum...

Q: How was your childhood?

A: Well, about as good as can be expected. There’s sometimes not much to do as a kid, you see, so I came up with slow activities to fill the day. My parents were great, they taught me a lot of things that help me on my ships. I mean...I don’t know how to explain this, but there was always a sort of odd air in my house. I assume most places are like this, like there’s something happening beyond the range of a kid’s understanding, you know? Like I said, probably pretty common, but it something I always kind of picked up on. I have an acute sense for this kind if thing, which is frankly pretty annoying.

Q: So, it seems like you were close with both of your parents.

A: Yeah! They were both great. My dad was a clerk at a shop down the road, and sometimes brought that home to me. My mom taught music around town, including me. Music is a big part of who I am...I don’t know if it’s because I was a little closer to my mom, or I was close to her because of music? Anyway, I can actually play the flute, the lute, and the viol! Which is pretty cool.

Q: How often do you play those?

A: Well, I usually play the flute because it’s easiest to carry around, you see. I can stow it away if I need to attend to some rigging or whatever. And my crew mates love my music...most of the time. I have a bad habit of doodling with my flute in stressful situations, so they threaten to throw my spare flute overboard every once in a while.

Q: Spare?

A: Yeah, I have two. I got a second to use in dangerous situations, to lend out, or whatever. This one...my main one I guess...my mom gave it to me. She always played it through my life, and I always admired it. See these carvings? That was my shit right there. And when I got ready to go off for the first time, she gave this to me, and told me it would always help me know who I am. You know. Fun stuff like that.

Q: That’s lovely. How are your parents doing?

A: Well, they’re both dead. No no, don’t worry about it, it wasn’t particularly tragic or anything. My dad died a few years after I left, so about five years now, and my mom passed about two years ago. I haven’t actually been able to get back to go through the house since she died, but I did visit both a few times before they each went. It was all in their sleep, there was at least some warning for both. I’m rambling, sorry. I’m hoping I can get back soon.

Q: Can you play us something?

A: Unfortunately, Fantasy Reddit is still fairly text based, given it’s just pieces of paper that people run around. I do shows sometimes, though. Try to make it to one of those!

Q: What’s that around your neck?

A: Oh, this? Piece of sea-glass from my first trip on my first ship. We were going to help deliver supplies to victims of that awful storm ten years ago? Well, we stayed a bit to help rebuild and such, and I was helping some of the adults watch the kids at one point. We all took turns, it was a good change of pace. There was one kid, about 6, whose parents died in the storm. I apparently looked just like her dad, so she gravitated towards me. She only called me dad the first time she saw me, but seemed to realize I wasn’t pretty quickly. But she still found comfort in my presence, you know. And I’m there, 18 years old, thinking I know everything, and here’s the thing. The destruction I saw in that town was enough to knock that out of me real quick, but to have this kid, this tiny human forced to become singular that young? It took my breath away.

I know the question was about the necklace I’m getting there.

Anyway, so she usually hung with me, and sometimes would come into where repairs were happening, and of course the whole crew also adopted her as well. She was the only orphan from that storm. Can you imagine? We helped clear the roads so they could get their usual supplies through; that’s why we came over water, because the roads were blocked. After about a month, we were ready to head out. The town was starting to come back to life, and they didn’t need us anymore. When we left, there was a huge celebration to thank us, and she gave me this piece of sea glass, saying it would be my lucky charm. So I got it made into a necklace first chance I got, and I wear it all the time now. It’s a good reminder of what I’m trying to do in this world, you know?

Q: How’s the girl doing now?

A: Oh, Diana? She’s great, I see her every few years. She’s apprenticing on a ship now, and is already a better sailor than me!

Q: What made you decide to start sailing?

A: I lived in a coastal town all my life, so it was always around. And the idea of traveling like that always sounded freeing to me. I joked about finding slow activities to fill the day, but for me, staying in one town was never really how I saw my life going. And I’m not knocking people who do that, of course. Everyone’s different, you know? But the sea always had new things, and led to new places and people. Just being on a ship makes me happy, you know? I would sometimes play songs with the waves and the creaking of the wood.

Q: Do you ever get nervous?

A: Asking me if I ever get nervous is like asking a normal person if they ever breathe, you know? Everything makes me nervous. Talking to you, right, now? Nervous. Walking through town? Nervous. I’ve learned to control it and cope with it, but it’s always there. I mean, I’ve almost died like, 238 times. I can get through it, but afterwards I go lay down and scream for a while.

Q: How are you with that sword?

A: Are you flirting with me? Because I’m not opposed. Oh, both. Cool, we’ll talk about that first one later, but this old thing? I’m alright. My parents taught me how to handle myself, and I’ve used both this and my dagger a good number of times, and I’m still here? So I guess not bad?

Q: What do you drink?

A: Nothing. Well, nothing alcoholic, I guess. I don’t drink nothing, then I’d die. You know what I said about being nervous all the time? Well, I used to deal with that with drinking...let’s just say I was told I ‘ruined parties’ enough to look into that. Also, my captain having to talk to me was another clue. I have much better mechanisms now, don’t worry.

Well, that’s all the questions I have! If you’ve read this far, you may have noticed that Johnathan resembles a real life funny-bard. That is intentional and you KNOW my ass is going to have fun with that. Send in questions if you’d like, and have a lovely night!

#mine #dnd #artist described #accessible

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sentrava · 6 years

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13 Questions NOT to Ask a Travel Writer

Writing about writing—how cliché, right? And yet, if I learned anything over this past decade of living, it’s that people love a good industry post. And I’m all about giving the people what they want, which today just happens to be a compilation of commonly asked questions not to ask a travel writer.

It never fails when I’m meeting someone for the first time and they find out what I do for a living a firing squad of inquiries is forthcoming. I can almost predict how the interrogation is going to go down: “what’s your favorite country?” “I’m going to Jamaica soon, what should I do there?” and “Can I have your job?”

Just for fun, I put the question out there in one of my think tanks of fellow veteran travel writers to see what nettled other writers; the feedback was off-the-chain, some of it hilarious, others OMG-inducing. Below, with the permission of each writer mentioned, I’ve included a few of my favorites.

(Note that this is a bit tongue-in-cheek. We all love what we do and fully realize it’s a bit of an enigma to many. So take this post with a grain of salt. And if you have asked me any of the below questions before, no, you will not be struck from my Christmas card mailing list.)

“What’s your favorite country?”

Assumedly, most of us have been to dozens of countries—for me, it’s somewhere over 120, last I counted. Could you pick one child you prefer over the other, one city you can’t live without, one food you’d eat every day for the rest of your life? That’s the equivalent to asking what my favorite country is. Similarly, many writers noted cringing when being asked how many countries they’d visited; personally, I’m not a passport stamp-counter, but I have been interviewed for publications before where I was made to tally up everywhere I’ve been, so I have a general sense of the range I’ve visited.

Instead, ask this: Be specific. Say, “I’m a fan of adventure and I like warmer destinations. I don’t want to fly more than four hours from my home base. Do you have a country recommendation for me based on those parameters?” To which, I would say, “YES, ABSOLUTELY,” then ramble on about Portugal/South Africa/Grenada, depending on where you live. I’m not a mind-reader, and I can’t suss out your budget, your travel style, your hobbies if you don’t tell me.

“I’m going to X destination. Do you have any tips?”

Well, first of all, that’s pretty vague. Secondly, if it’s somewhere I’ve been, it’s highly likely I’ve blogged about, which is why I’ve spent hours of my life organizing my content and building out a destinations page that makes it easy for you to find said posts by the country or the state. Start there! It’s also likely that if I have any tips at all, I’ve shared them via this free resource—I promise, I don’t squirrel away my best bits in the back of my mind; on most subjects, I’m an open book. If your question isn’t answered, be a tad bit more specific. I’m more than happy to answer requests for travel tips, so long as it doesn’t take me hours of research to do it.

Instead, ask this: “I’m going to Scotland, and I know you’ve blogged about it ad nauseam. I read all your posts on planning a road trip to the Highlands and was wondering if you think three days is enough to see the major sights?” I love a good to-the-point question that I can respond to instantly, and bonus points for you for having already done the research and read the posts I have contributed on the topic.

“You haven’t been to Thailand?!? How have you not been to Thailand?”

Well, I don’t know. It’s never been that high on my list, every travel blogger from here to Timbuktu has covered it extensively, not to mention, it’s hella far from where I live. I looked at visiting a friend there this winter, and while flights weren’t bad (around $1000 round-trip), it was going to be a logistical nightmare—a minimum of 30 hours in transit each way. That means, I’m going to need to stay two to three weeks to feel like it’s worth the trip. At this point in my career, I don’t have two to three weeks to spare as we’re booked on back-to-back projects constantly (it’s a good problem to have). The good news is that when (if?) I retire someday, I’ll have plenty of unexplored territory to conquer!

Instead, ask this: “Is there anywhere you’re dying to go that you haven’t been already?” To which, I’d say: “Absolutely! So many places. Just a few off the top of my head: Thailand, Indonesia, Palau, Greenland, the list goes on.” And there are plenty of places I’m dying to go back to for a second, third, fourth visit, as well (see: India, Vietnam, Cambodia, most of the world). It is a bit insulting, though, when someone feigns offense that I haven’t been somewhere—people, it’s a huge world, and I’m not in any big rush to see it! In an ideal world, I’d adopt the slow travel mentality and take a few months in each place I visited (but again, see: have a career, a house, a dog).

“So … how much do you make as a travel writer?”

I was surprised how many in my secret travel writing group said this is a common question they receive (the nerve of some people!). One fellow travel writer told me: “The boldness of questions like ‘so how much do you make as a travel writer?’ is very irritating. I walked out of a business one time because the CEO started his presentation with ‘since you don’t make much money, I’m sorry to disappoint that we won’t be providing swag.'” Look, unless you are my spouse or my accountant, stay out of my finances, please. I’ve gotten variations from PR folks I know who just assume that freelance writer = makes peanuts (or maybe they’re projecting their own paltry salary onto us? … I’m not quite sure). That’s not necessarily true. Those of us who were smart and have been in the game for quite some time have likely diversified into other ventures—corporate copywriting, project management, consulting—that can be rather lucrative. Check out how my writing/photography idol Lola Akinmade Åkerström does it here.

Instead, ask this: Nothing. There’s nothing you should ask instead of this, as you don’t broach the subject of money with any professional. One question I don’t mind getting, however, is something a bit pointed like: “There’s no denying that working in media has taken a hit over the past decades as publications have shuttered and rates have dropped significantly. You’ve clearly weathered the storm. What’s been your key to survival?”

“What do you do when you aren’t traveling?”

“WRITE. What else?” exclaimed one of my freelance pals, exasperated by having to answer this all the time. Sure, the travel is the glamorous part (but it’s not all glamor … if only I could take you along for a true peek behind the curtain!), but the majority of time when I’m not on the road, I’m pounding on my keyboard in long 16-hour-a-day stretches trying to meet existing deadlines, and do all the normal admin stuff that accompanies running your own business. And yes, there are plenty of days I never get out of my pajamas (unless to go to the gym), and my personal hygiene definitely takes a hit. #RoadWarriorProblemsYall

Instead, ask this: “Wow, that must be exhausting being on the road all the time. Do you ever get down time? What do you most look forward to when you’re not on the road?” For me, I’d answer: “having a routine. Traveling so often can make it hard to keep a steady sleep cycle, and my fitness activity suffers. When I’m home, I try to develop good habits and a daily routine that starts with a workout before I’m seated at my desk for a long 12- to 14-hour day of writing.”

“That’s a real job?”

Yep. Just like being a surgeon or a weather analyst or a circus performer is a real job, so is travel writing. In this day and age when newspapers are virtually non-existent and magazines are filling their pages with thinly-veiled advertisements, many of us have ventured into more tourism marketing kinds of content projects. I’d say a solid half of my friends and acquaintances still have zero clue what I do (nor do they ask, tbh) and assume that the blog is my job (and sure it’s a part of it, but more like 30 percent of the overall work we do).

Instead, say this: “That sounds like a very cool gig! It’s no doubt a lot of work, too. How did you get into such a profession?” I’m always more than happy to share my trajectory from newspaper journalist and sports marketer to entertainment reporter to, much later, travel writer.

“Wow … you mean you, like, get to travel for FREE?!?”

I mean, free is relative—and let’s revert back to the previous question and remind you that this is a job. If your firm were to send you to Vegas for a week for a conference to collect CE hours, would they expect you to foot the bill? Unlikely. But just like you incur out-of-pocket expenses, so do we. And because the majority of us are freelance, we have no one to reimburse us (and if you’re on a magazine assignment, your per diem is paltry at best). So, plenty of costs like airport parking, meals, all tips and bar bills do, in fact, come out of our overall paycheck, which isn’t awesome.

Instead, ask this: I’ve got nothing.

“Oh, you’re always on vacation!”

Ha! This is one of those questions us writers just smile, nod and internally sigh about. Do we have jobs that look enviable from the outside and are, no doubt, far more fulfilling than sitting in a neon-lit cubicle? Absolutely. Do we have to hustle our asses off, put in long 16-hour days no matter if we’re in our home offices or on the road? Also, true. And that beach shot you saw on our Instagram? Was probably something we walked out onto a balcony to snap in between site visits and interviews to do our job of content marketing and researching the destination, not necessarily what we were doing all day. There have been plenty of assignments I’ve gone on to tropical destinations where I didn’t put on a bathing suit or step out onto the sand once. (I know, I know, it still beats being in an office, and I agree.)

Plus, just because we’re on assignment in one destination doesn’t mean that deadlines for other publications or client work just waits for us to return home; while traveling, I’m constantly looking for a coffee shop with reliable WiFi to pop into midday or between meetings to put out a client fire or two. If you’re going to run your own business, you have to be accessible at all times, so unless I’m in a small town where there’s no cell service (Lord help us all because then the panic attacks really ensue!), I’m likely checking my email on my phone every 15 minutes or so. Not to mention, destinations really want to get the most out of their money and, thus, often don’t leave us much free time at all when we’re on the road, so often I’ll finally get to my hotel room at 10pm for the first time all day, only to pound away on my keyboard filing copy until 2am, then wake up at 6 and start that cycle all over again. TL;DR this career is not for those who need eight hours of sleep a night.

Instead, ask this: “If you were traveling for vacation and not for work, where would you go?” People always seem surprised that despite my far-flung travels to Borneo, Rwanda, Brazil and beyond, I prefer Florida’s own Gulf Coast for all my leisure travels. When I’m not on assignment, I want the most relaxing place I can reach in the least amount of time. No need to kill my coveted time off on a long-haul flight. Or best of all, I stay home in that gorgeous Victorian I rarely get to see!

“Do you need an assistant to carry your baggage?”

“If I could afford someone to be my sherpa and otherwise share the experience, I probably would,” travel writer Terry Ward and mom to two babies under 2 tells me. “But I’d also probably ask my husband, dad or sister first. It’s like a script. I get this question all the time.” We get it; you’re (kinda)(maybe)(probably) joking about wanting to tag along, but it’s a question we collectively get so often, the humor has worn off. It’s definitely in good fun, but I also sometimes wonder if those who ask such things genuinely think that a writer a) can dictate the terms of an assignment and b) is presented with a bottomless expense fund covered by the publication. Rather the opposite; you’d be surprised how many bills that we have to cover on our own! And even if we’re paying for a meal to do a restaurant review that we’re not being reimbursed for and it is technically considered a write-off, we can still only write off half. As for traveling with a plus-one, I’m grateful to have created a business with my partner that enables us to travel together more often than not, but this has been a shift that just took place in the past 18 months as we ventured into bigger destination marketing projects and I stopped taking on so many low-paying print gigs.

Instead, ask this: “Do you always travel solo? Wow, that must be a hard life. Do your partner or children ever get to go with you? It must be so hard to be away from them so much!”

“Your husband lets you travel alone?”

I’ve gotten this one plenty of times in the past, and Florida-based travel writer Susan B. Barnes says little irks her more. “First off, anyone who has met me for one slight moment knows that no one—NO ONE —’lets’ me do anything. I don’t ask permission to do my job, nor would my husband ever expect me to. He knows me.” Ditto. I don’t think you go into an independent career like travel writing and marry someone who doesn’t support your dream.

Instead, say this: “It must be hard to sustain relationships when you’re on the road so much—it’s almost like you’re in a long-distance relationship part of the time. What’s the key to balancing your job with your marriage?” Basically anything other than implying a husband has ownership over his wife works in this case.

“Who looks after your children when you’re away?”

“Um, their perfectly capable father,” retorts Canadian writer Lola Augustine Brown. “This pisses me off so much. I’m often tempted to say, ‘oh I just leave the TV on and give them a big bag of Cheetos.’” I’ve noticed several of my friends who travel a lot for work get the mom guilt. Being childless, it’s obviously not a question I get, but it is interesting how even in the 21st century when most moms and dads I know work full time, the mother is still expected to be the primary caretaker. And no doubt, it would be very tough to be a single parent and a travel writer (or like us, a dog mom without family nearby to care for Ella when we’re on the road). But for those married (or with a partner) and children, it seems obvious that the non-traveling parent would be the one to stay home with the little ones.

Instead, say this: “You’re a mom, right? Your kids must have so many cool adventures under their belts! How often do they get to go with you? And how admirable that you sometimes are able to travel far and wide with your whole family.” Or ask specific tips a traveling mom (or dad) might be able to share on how you could travel more with your own children.

“So, can you write a story about me/my business?”

Nope, sorry. It doesn’t work that way. Those of us still in the print game report to editors who report to other editors, and so on and so forth. Print space is a commodity, and much of the game now (at least in magazines) is pay-to-play. So, no, no, no, I can’t help you by landing a story in a national magazine about your business, though I wish I could! Getting press for small businesses is like the equivalent of a runner’s high for writers, but sadly, the media just doesn’t make it that easy anymore (which is why many of us started blogs a long time ago: so we could control the conversation about topics that matter to us most).

Instead, say this: “Do you have any advice on how my [name the kind of business] company can get more exposure? What are some marketing tips you could share for getting the word out?” Granted, I might tell you to hire someone with experience on this side of your business, but I a) would possibly have a referral for you and b) might also have some social media tips you could incorporate on your own.

“I want to be a travel writer, will you help me?”

This is a loaded question. First things first: I LOVE helping people (see: previous question). I’m a natural connector, and if “connecting others” were a love language, it would no doubt be mine. I host not-for-profit networking meet-ups every month in Nashville, as I’ve been doing for more than four years. I mentor many young writers, speak at high schools and colleges whenever I’m asked, and occasionally run writing workshops. And when someone writes me and says, “I’ve been to journalism school, I’m interning at X publication, and I really want to get into travel writing,” then follows that with specific questions, I almost always respond.

But (and here it comes), the people asking for help becoming a travel writer are usually ones who have not put in any work, have zero experience writing or working in any form of media, and are often in other established careers and travel writing just sounds like “a fun thing to do” to kill the time. The quickest way to insult a travel writer is by saying, “I love traveling, and I’m not bad at writing—how hard can it be? Maybe I could be a travel writer, too.” This is what gets under the skin of other travel writers, those like me who held three (unpaid) internships at a time and worked retail to make ends meet. Those who took puny assignments for years (or decades) before landing a coveted byline in a Conde Nast Traveler or Travel + Leisure. Those who are still scraping to get by in times when publications are assigning more web content than ever and paying less than they ever have. What makes one writer more successful than the next may not necessarily be the writing skills, but rather work ethic and business sense.

You want to be a travel writer? Great. Put in the work. Get an editor coffee. Intern your little butt off. Start pitching smaller publications, then when you’ve had success there, move up to regional pubs and, later on, your dream titles. Then, when you’ve had skin in the game or at least proven you’re serious, only then do you write your idol (or the closest travel writer you know). But be polite, keep it short, have specific questions ready and by all means, DO NOT start by asking: “can I pick your brain?”

Instead, say this: “I’ve always been interested in pursuing travel writing and actually have a background in [insert related field]. Do you offer consulting services or could you point me toward a class I might take or any other resources you find useful?” This is the way to get an answer from a busy writer juggling deadlines, editors and the daily hustle.

**********

I feel like I have to reiterate this once more, because the Internet is full of trolls and someone out there will no doubt take offense to the previous 3,000 words: I do really love what I do; all of us who weighed in on this topic do. And as I was riffing with the other travel writers I interviewed, we all agreed upon one thing: We have enviable jobs and are sure others in equally enviable positions get comparable questions, too. So if you do ask one of the above, we’ll likely let it slide, answer the questions as succinctly as possible, then move onto more important things (like asking you about yourself! after all, we are journalists … we care a lot more about interrogating our subject than we do droning on about our own boring lives).

Fellow travel writers, what have I left off? And those of you in other careers, what questions do you despise hearing about your own job? Educate the rest of us so we don’t make comparable faux pas!

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13 Questions NOT to Ask a Travel Writer published first on https://medium.com/@OCEANDREAMCHARTERS

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