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callmeelle22 · 3 years

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Blue Dream III

Pairing: Iris West x Barry Alen

Rating: E

Chapter Word Count: 4, 559

Summary: A series of sporadic dates between Iris and Barry turn into something more, a story in its own making.

Chapter I: Primetime

Chapter II: It's Cool

Chapter III: Anything; It would make sense, she supposes, if looking at her also feels like this for him, like her heart beats in time with every breath he takes and like time slows or stalls or...like every minute here is infinitely longer and in these moments… in these moments, she thinks that the world must somehow tilt on its axis because she feels...i feel you comin' down like honey, do do you even know i'm alive?, do do you even know i, i... she feels… (Read below or on the AO3 link on the chapter title.)

Chapter IV: Comfortable

Chapter V: The Way

Chapter VI: Can't Take My Eyes Off of You

Chapter VII: I'm in Love with You

Chapter VIII: Blue Dream

Anything

Maybe I should kill my inhibition

Maybe I'll be perfect in a new dimension

On the Saturday the week after Barry’s impromptu visit, Iris finds herself down on Main Street about half an hour after 10 in the morning. Nearly the entire 8 blocks of the street are sectioned off, with a plethora of white tents set up on both sides of the street. She glances on as she makes her way down the sidewalk, as people set up books and jewelry and clothes; beer and wine and harder liquor; food and sweets and other treats.

It’s the setup for Central City’s Fall Fest, one of a multitude of fests in the city that Iris calls home. It’ll be open to the public in a few hours and, like usual, Iris will make her way up and down the blocks a few times, holding a beer in one hand and something fried on a stick in the other, a couple of bags filled with things she doesn’t need in the crook of her elbow.

Now, though, she steps into the alley that leads to the side door of Golden’s, an Asian and American fusion restaurant and bar owned by the parents of her best friend, Linda Park. She gives a heavy-handed couple of knocks and only moments later, Linda opens the door to let her in.

Iris first met the other women when they were in the 7th grade. Iris’s parents had divorced several months prior to a new school year and for reasons not then known to Iris, her dad had gotten full custody of her and six-year-old Wally. They’d moved into a new house on the other side of town and that had meant a new school for her. Linda had sat beside her in their homeroom/advisory class and the girl with beige skin and long dark brown hair was constantly scribbling something in a notebook. Iris had discovered that they’d been stories, usually with families as the starring characters. By then, Iris had begun to write in her own notebook—musings and wonderings about the neighbors she’d just met, about what it meant to be the oldest child of divorced parents. They’d bonded over their writing; well, that and being two of only a handful of girls at the school with skin darker than the pale and spray-tanned skin of their classmates.

For over a decade, it’s been Iris and Linda. Through the messy stages of puberty and their even messier interactions with high school boys; through late-night study binges and even worse interactions with college boys. Through the drug addiction that took Iris’s mom and the car crash that had put Linda’s older brother on life support until he’d succumbed to his own injuries, they’ve navigated it all together.

Now, life gets in the way. Linda, almost immediately after undergrad graduation, had begun shopping around a number of short stories and personal essays she had written until, finally, a publisher had bit and opted to publish them as an anthology. A few years and too many nights spent locked in a room later and Linda’s book is a New York Times bestseller. Iris’s own success story is pending. In addition to completing her graduate degree (which, at 26, she’d started late, after taking some time off and working at a local newspaper), she runs a blog, one she’d started by accident. Her middle school musings had become pointed interviews and, with the classes she’d taken in college, had gotten the necessary skills to begin writing up her own human interest stories. It’s amazing, she’s learned, what people will tell you when they can hide behind the face of someone else. What a Life You’ve Lived is growing in popularity, making some money too, and it’s starting to become more than just a hobby for Iris.

Neither Iris nor Linda is ever truly free; but in a concentrated effort to make time, they brunch at least twice a month. This morning, it’s at Golden’s (where Linda is working as a bartender while she writes her next book) because her parents want them to try out new menu items. When the door shuts behind them, Linda turns and gives Iris a hug, wrapping her arms around her neck. Iris returns it, smiling into her hair, her familiar lavender scent a warm comfort she didn’t know she needed.

“I’ve missed your beautiful face,” Linda says, squeezing her hard once before letting her go.

“Yeah?” Iris asks, mouth lifting in a smirk. “Is it because you’re tired of looking at Daniel’s beautiful face?”

Linda rolls her eyes. “Never, though I’d rather put my eye out before I tell him that.”

Linda has been dating her boyfriend Daniel Ngyuen, nerdy engineer and man ridiculously head over heels for her, for a few months, after they met at a book signing hosted by Linda’s parents.

“You’re ridiculous,” Iris tells her, and Linda preens in response.

Something in Iris tightens, a faint film of green clouding her view for all of a millisecond. She’s ashamed she even had the thought, that she feels anything but happiness at the light in her friend’s chocolate brown eyes or the glow in her cheeks. She’s not jealous of Linda, of course she’s not. But Iris can’t help but find some envy at the feeling of contentment that so obviously surrounds her friend and the juxtaposition of her own drifting existence.

It’s almost tangible, these differences, at least to her. Iris can see the confidence practically emanating from Linda’s dress-clad form, the long-sleeved maxi dress and tall sandals, her wavy shoulder-length hair, making her look a little like a goddess. But Iris imagines that’s what it must look like, to be at the start of a career you’ve always wanted, to have the love of a man you’re secure in, to just...know your place, your purpose.

And maybe Iris is being dramatic. She supposes she looks as put together as she’s always thought she needed to be in her light denim jeans, pale pink cropped sweater, and tan block-heeled sandals. She’s been wearing her natural hair out this week and the wavy curls are piled up in an artfully messy bun. Still, even if Iris can’t touch on why she feels so scattered, like all of the pieces that make up the whole of her are floating aimlessly around her body, she cannot deny that the feeling is there, taking up space in her head like the songs she latches on to keep focused, maybe I should pray a little harder, or work a little smarter.

They walk through the restaurant, bustling with the waitstaff preparing for the 11 am opening. Golden’s isn’t an overly large place, only able to fit about 50 people at a time, but Iris thinks it’s a part of the charm. It’s decorated in dark brown wood and bright white and gold light fixtures; the tables and booths are spread out in a way that allows for privacy, making customers feel as if they’re in their own little worlds.

Linda leads them to their usual table, one actually tucked into a little alcove where only the Parks and their guests are allowed to sit. At the table, there’s already a carafe of juice too close to red-pink to be orange juice, along with a bottle of champagne. Outside of the wine and marijuana Friday nights and the occasional party or club, Iris only really indulges in alcohol when she and Linda have these brunches. They slide into the booth and Linda immediately reaches for the champagne.

Over the next couple of hours, Iris is reminded of why, regardless of her own issues, she loves his woman. They laugh, sharing stories of Iris’s students and the customers who come into Golden’s. They get on each other’s nerves, making jokes and ribbing the other any chance they get. At one point, Linda’s parents come out, her honey-skinned Chinese mother Xuan and her dad Theo, Chinese and white with skin like baked sugar cookies, and Iris blinks adoringly up at the both of them, always lost in their beauty—both tall and elegant with ridiculous cheekbones.

“It’s sickening,” Linda mutters as she watches Iris watch them walk away, “how you look at them.”

“I’ve had a crush on your parents for as long as I’ve known them,” Iris replies. “If they ever want a thre-”

“Don’t you finish that fucking statement,” Linda gripes and Iris howls in laughter until Linda points out the attractiveness of Iris’s own father. “You know I’d always hop on the chance to be your stepmom.”

“And I’d happily sabotage your wedding day.”

“But it’d be worth it when I got to climb on top of Daddy West during the honeymoon.”

Iris throws a strawberry at her.

She hears him before she sees him. She’s been at Fall Fest for only about twenty minutes after leaving Golden’s, full and tipsy, walking through the steadily filling streets. Of all of the festivals in Central City, of which there are several (seasonal fests like the Fall and Spring fests; food fests like the Food Truck and Italian Food fests; cultural fests like the Juneteenth and Hispanic Heritage fests), the Fall Fest is one of her favorites. It’s during the best time of the year, when the sun is still blazing but the wind cuts through the heat. When the leaves have begun to drift off trees and dance onto the ground, changing into the shades of yellow and orange and red that only nature can paint. When the booths run the gamut in what they sell, from cooked and packaged foodstuffs, to clothes and jewelry, to dance or golf lessons. It’s the one festival, besides the Pan-African Celebration, that their entire family would attend, even for a few years after the divorce. Her parents would take off work and put aside their differences to spend time together--until Wally had felt too old and her dad had needed too many more work hours and her mom had gotten too lost; and then Iris had started coming with Linda and then, this year, alone.

But she doesn’t dwell—she tries not to dwell these days—and besides, she’s just heard him.

He doesn’t sound any different in the light of the day. In her head, she keeps hearing him as he is in the throes of passion, when his voice is more of a throaty curse, when it’s a rumble against her heated flesh. Here, out here with children screaming from their blocked-off sections and ladies laughing as they smell through candle selections and men arguing from the faux sports bars set up at random tents, he should sound like anyone else. He shouldn’t even be heard over the music coming from the speakers they can’t see—down for the ride, down for the ride; you could take me anywhere; do do do down for the ride, down for the ride; you could take me anywhere; i hope you will, I hope you will, I hope you will—or the sheer noise that’s true for events like this. But he is.

She looks up, ignoring the woman still trying to convince her to buy a bottle or three of perfume, and she sees him, right at the booth beside hers. He’s with two other men, one shorter with light brown skin and dark brown eyes and black hair pulled back in a ponytail; the other only a bit taller than the friend, with skin darker than Iris’s, glasses, and a short afro. Iris vaguely thinks that the three of them together are some sort of setup for a bar joke. They’re dressed similarly, in pants and t-shirts, though Iris’s eyes catch onto Barry’s hunter green chinos and white shirt, the beige pocket square matching his desert boots. All three of them have relatively full beers in their hands and Iris is looking at the cup in Barry’s hand (or rather, his fingers wrapped around the cup) for about three seconds before it jerks, beer spilling out. She looks up to find he’s looking back at her too, muttering “Iris,” in surprise.

She watches her hand and smiles back at him, a bit awkwardly, stepping away from the booth where the woman has already moved on to a new customer.

“Hi Barry,” she responds, walking over to them. She spares a glance at the other two, the Black man looking at her curiously, the Latino man a bit more humorously. “Fancy seeing you here.”

It’s not her smoothest line, but Iris thinks she might be in shock. When he’d left her, again, before she woke up on Saturday morning, she’d found his number written in tiny handwriting on the notepad on her desk, the unimaginative “call me” scribbled beneath it. She hadn’t. She’d thought about; oh had she.

On Monday, she’d debated calling him up to grab a coffee during her break. On Wednesday, she’d gotten an email about a new story and she’d wondered, for a moment, what he might think about it. But then she’d thought of his sweet mouth telling her “I wanted to know if it was as good as my memory,” and she had decided that he likely wouldn’t care about her days.

Now, he gives her a thorough once-over, probably remembering, and Iris feels a flush of heat run through her that she knows has very little to do with the warm late September sun.

“Iris,” he says again, his voice a touch higher than normal. His companions look at each other, eyebrows raised.

“Iris,” the long-haired one repeats, laughter coloring his tone. “I’m Cisco.”

“And I’m Chester,” says the one with dark skin, and they both stand there looking at her, grinning like loons until Barry cuts in.

“Alright, stop being weird.”

They don’t. Barry rolls his eyes and pushes past them to stand in front of her. Even with the heels she’s wearing, she has to stretch her neck a little to look up at him.

“Hey,” he says, this time lower, a soft breeze on her skin.

“Hi,” she repeats, just as softly.

The sounds of the carnival don’t disappear so much as they become muted, such as if she were submerged in water or if there was a rushing in her ears, because everything becomes background noise save for the concentrated sound of his voice.

“You didn’t call,” he says to her.

“I—” she starts, but she’s got nothing to say, not anything that won’t make her sound needy or desperate.

“Hey Barry,” Cisco calls.

“Yeah?” Barry answers, but he doesn’t turn away from her. No, he’s looking at her still, assessing her almost. He’s trying to figure something out, she decides, or at least that’s how it seems, what with the way he stares so intently, blue-green eyes pouring into her, bringing up images of them staring up at her from between her thighs, bringing out impressions that feel like more than lust, like more than just two people who’ve only ever bared their bodies to each other.

“We’re gonna go to another tent,” Chester says. “Catch up with you later.”

“Alright,” is the reply, those eyes glittering like the sea in the afternoon sun, still fixed on her. There’s a slight frown to his mouth, and when he speaks again, she can’t tell if he’s reached his conclusion or not.

“Walk with me?”

She nods before she even thinks about it. “Sure.”

They start back down the path. The booths are in abundance this year; it’s a bigger festival than she’s seen before. For a while, they don’t talk. They walk side by side, arms brushing every so often, stopping at booths that catch their attention. For him is a booth with a variety of multi-piece puzzles, some featuring landscapes and gardens, others of the solar system or space. For her, it’s one selling notebooks, beautiful leather-bound journals. She stops, enthralled, picking up one in coral-colored leather with rose-gold edging.

“We can also engrave the name,” the sun-tanned woman with pale blonde hair behind the tent says. “Or you can order custom colors.”

Iris nods, murmurs, “these are really nice,” and continues flipping through the heavy cream paper in the coral notebook. These days, much of her writing gets done on her overused Macbook; it’s just easier that way. But when she writes, for herself—little anecdotes about her day, her feelings spelled out in poetry—she does so in notebooks like these.

“You’re a writer,” Barry wonders and it’s a statement as much as it’s a question.

“Yeah.” She looks up at him and nods. “I’m actually getting my master’s in journalism.”

She puts the journal down once she notes the $40 price tag and thanks the woman as they walk off, Iris looking back at the notebook with longing.

“I also run a blog,” she tells him, and the words tumbling out of her mouth are a shock.

“Really?” he looks at her in surprise. “What’s the site? Is it popular?”

It’s not like she’s embarrassed of her blog or anything, but it feels different, to tell people she knows about her work. Because it’s one thing for strangers to read what she types out in earnest, and in tears and in vulnerability, but it’s something altogether different for people she knows to do the same. They aren’t her stories, not actually, but they are always her words, always her emotions she puts into them, and it feels too, too telling somehow.

“It’s growing in popularity,” she tells him, because she’s the one who opened this can of worms. “It’s called What a Life You’ve Lived.”

He hums, like that means something to him, but before she can ask what, two kids come barreling through the aisle. Iris tries to step out of the way and she slips, her heel catching in a small crack in the asphalt. Her knees buckle, but before she can hit the ground, Barry’s arms are around her. One of his large hands holds onto her, pressed against the bare skin of her belly, and then she’s pressed fully against him.

It’s absurd how much she likes the feel of him—the slim but corded muscles in his arms, the apparent strength in his fingers; and she likes the smell of him too, the faint hint of his laundry detergent mixed with the heat of the sun mixed with the citrus of his cologne. It’s another moment (™), which doesn’t make sense because he’s only just caught her from falling. But he’s looking at her like there is more in her gaze besides the brown of her irises, the flutter of her lashes. It would make sense, she supposes, if looking at her also feels like this for him, like her heart beats in time with every breath he takes and like time slows or stalls or...like every minute here is infinitely longer and in these moments… in these moments, she thinks that the world must somehow tilt on its axis because she feels...i feel you comin' down like honey, do do you even know i'm alive?, do do you even know i, i...she feels…

“Are you alright?”

Barry’s voice is quiet, too quiet for the energy they’re surrounded by. And maybe she doesn’t even hear it as she does read the movement of his pink mouth.

“Yeah, I am.”

He straightens, then, and gives her a half-smile. “You know, Iris, if you wanted to fall all over me, you could have just called.”

He likely had been trying for levity, but it’s pointed, right there at the end. She steps away from him and he lets her, his fingers sliding along the small of her back until they’re no longer on her skin. It leaves her cold

(only that can’t be true, because it’s far too warm out)

and she watches as he stuffs his hands into his pockets.

“I was waiting on your call, Iris.”

They've moved into a corner where the direction of the festival booths turn right. Straight ahead of them is a 21+ section; it features a stage where performances will begin around 5 as well as a number of makeshift bar stations. There’s a similar set-up with kid-friendly activities on the other side of the festival. Barry’s friends are standing at one of the bar stations talking to two women, both with chestnut-brown skin and long kinky hair. Iris’s eyes shift to take in the rest of her surroundings, to the sound of people laughing and the couples holding hands and the families who seem elated to be together on a day like today.

When she turns back, Barry is patiently watching her, head tilted to the side, expression thoughtful, like it always tends to be.

“Have dinner with me tonight,” Barry suggests “We can walk around some more. And once we get sun-tired, I can take you to this spot that I like nearby and we can talk. Maybe about why you didn’t call.”

She licks her lips, pulls the bottom one between her teeth. She hedges, long enough to tell herself that this would be a foolish endeavor, that she should just say no, that he’s nice and cute and what harm would it do. But, really, when he asks, those cyan eyes gleaming and his cheeks faintly pink and his face so goddamn hopeful it almost makes her look away, she really has no other choice.

“Okay, sure.”

She doesn’t tell him why she doesn’t call.

What she does is tell him about her dad and how she’s always been in awe of him, of his grace and his strength and the lessons he’d taught her. She tells him about Wally, who’s brilliant and searching, trying to figure out his way (not unlike her, though this she doesn’t say). She tells him about Linda, her sister in all of the ways that count, who’s always with her, even when she isn’t. And when he asks, because of course he does, she tells him about her mother who was beautiful and kind, all the way until sickness took her away.

She tells him this because he tells her first, about a larger-than-life father whose proximity to wrong-doing bureaucrats had landed him in prison, and an easy-going mother whose life had ended because someone else had been desperate for the money in her purse.

They do indeed walk around ‘til they’re tired, until around 6. Then Barry takes her to a little American bistro where they pride themselves on grass-fed meats and homegrown vegetables. They devour burgers the size of their heads and a mountain of fries that deserve their own table. He stuffs her with food and a piece of pie after, and he asks her some questions. He wants to know her favorite color and the television show she’s currently watching and if she’s always wanted to be a writer: yellow and Bridgerton and only since her parents’ divorce, when she’d needed to know that hers was only a unique story—or maybe she had needed confirmation that it wasn’t. She wonders about his dream job, his favorite hobby, the one thing he wishes he could do: forensic scientist, which he is, amateur theater, and getting his dad out of prison. That opens up a space for more convolution than should be allowed on a first date, and so she asks him more about amateur theater.

After, he walks her back to where her car is parked past Golden’s. When they get there, he listens for the sound of her car alarm, and then he turns her around, pressing her back against her car door. He walks closer, a hand at her waist, the other reaching up to cup the back of her neck, thumb circling lightly around her throat.

“Thank you for dinner,” she whispers. “I had a really nice time.”

“Yeah?” His mouth ticks up, that half-smile that is somehow both charming and a little bit maddening. “Enough that I might get a kiss?”

She tilts her head as if in thought, even as she gives in to her desire to touch him too, reaching up to finger at the faint moles dotting her cheeks. She only barely nods her acquiescence when he closes whatever distance is left and kisses her. Iris is always surprised by how warm his mouth is, by how sweet he tastes. He tastes like the apple pie they had earlier, but also like early sunset coffee on cool fall mornings and like how slow sex in the middle of the night feels.

He’s gentle in some ways, his mouth moving slow against hers, his tongue licking into her mouth like he’s trying to find life inside of her. But he’s a little rough too, squeezing at her waist so he won’t fondle her in the middle of the street, tightening his hold on her throat, only a little, but enough that Iris begins to feel the action in the throb of her sex. They kiss, eyes closed, her own fingers scratching at the nape of his neck, her hips thrusting against his in time to the flick of his tongue across her bottom lip, until she feels the swell of his dick against her belly and her loud moan tears him away from her.

“Fuck Iris,” he all but growls, licking his lips as he looks her over, a little wrecked. She hadn’t even realized she was doing it, playing with the soft strands of his hair, until she notices it’s all messy, matching the state of his swollen mouth, his wrinkled skirt, the heavy dent in the center of his pants. She wonders what she looks like.

“Get in the car, baby.”

Wide-eyed at the endearment outside of sex, Iris does as he tells her to, sliding in and buckling up before he closes the door. When the purr of her engine starts, he motions for her to roll her window down. She does, waiting as he plants his elbow on top of the car, bending his lean frame down so that his face is level with her.

He smiles softly at her. “Go out with me next Sunday.”

She bites at her lip, if only to give herself another moment to breathe. Because this date would be moving beyond a two-night stand, beyond an impromptu date, far beyond kissing on the side of the street.

“What time on Sunday?”

“Early afternoon,” he says and leans in even closer. “I’ll pick you up.”

She nods before she can talk herself out of it, even if she knows that she should. Barry motions for her with a crook of one of his long fingers, and it makes her think of what’s been playing in her head, of down for the ride, down for the ride; you can take me anywhere, and when she comes to, he places a sweet kiss on her mouth.

“I’ll see you next week,” he says, pulling away slowly.

And then Iris watches him—his strong and assured walk, his compelling and commanding aura—until she can’t see him anymore.

Do do do down for the ride, down for the ride

You could take me anywhere

I hope you will, I hope you will, I hope you will

#westallen fanfiction #strangers to lovers #iris west #barry allen

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idiot-enthusiast · 3 years

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To celebrate me finally making a sideblog for my Hetalia bs instead of weebing on main for ten years, here’s hetalia characters as fucked up/traumatic things (that’re actually kinda funny) that have happened in my life!

Italy: I was so scared of the public as a child that I would just sit in school and hope nobody would look at me or talk to me or talk ABOUT me. around 3rd grade i started a bad habit of holding in sneezes because i didnt want people to say “bless you” to me. like actually. this led to me almost rupturing my eardrums and bursting blood vessels on multiple occasions! yay!

England: gave my entire family food poisoning on the night of Christmas Eve because I undercooked food in my new easy bake oven. i was never allowed to cook with the easy bake ever again but honestly, it was probably for the best

Japan: when i was 7 i got a ramen noodle stuck in my throat and my mom had to pin me down on the living room floor and reach into the back of my throat to grab it out with her bare hands. that same week i spilled scalding-hot ramen on my lap and burned myself really bad so my mom didnt let me eat ramen for a year after that

Canada: an elementary school teacher used to think that me disassociating during class was me having petit mal seizures, so she sent an email to my mom to tell her to take me to a doctor because she was concerned. my mom’s response to the email said, and i quote, “Thank you for showing concern for my daughter’s health, but thankfully she just has depression!”

America: an old friend and i went onto a rock trail behind her house. on one side of the trail was houses, while the other was dense forest that we’d sometimes go into and pretend we were warrior cats in. after goofing off in the woods for an hour or two, we started walking back home and found ourselves back on the rock trail. we heard rustling to our right, and in the woods, was a scary, disfigured creature. he was pasty white, on all fours, with holes in his ear and scars all over his body. he was naked, and his ribs were jutting out because of how skinny he was. his limbs were paper-thin and it looked like his knees bent backwards to how they should. we ran before we could see his face. im not even sure i can say it was an alien because of how disgustingly human this thing looked. everyone says im faking the story or remembering wrong, but i know what i saw. we’re lucky we left when we did cause i dont know what wouldve happened if we didnt

China: an old group of friends and i were out at a chinese restaurant, where the staff were all of chinese descent and spoke the language when talking to each other. all was peaceful as our hostess showed us our seats, and a waitress took our drink orders before stalking off. suddenly, the only girl at that table who spoke chinese started cracking up, and told us that our hostess had just gossiped to the waitress that i had the flattest ass she had ever seen on a woman. i get it, i mean i have absolutely NOTHING back there, but like. c’mon man. im sensitive.

#hetalia #hws italy #hws england #hws america #hws japan #hws canada #hws china #ok but that last one hurted tho jshrmhghjm #probably cause its so recent but like DUDE GIRLS WITH FLAT ASSES LIKE WEARING LEGGINGS TOO

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beclynn-herondale · 4 years

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Chapter 6 - the Company of the Carstairs Family

( the world and characters except my OCs belong to Cassandra Clare)

Mina was getting ready for the day ahead, her family was coming to visit and she was overjoyed. She missed her younger siblings and big brother and her mom and dad of course. It had almost been a year since she came to live at the New York Institute and she was settling in okay. When she arrived her room was a plain white but she painted it a lavender Purple and Had Tessy paint lavender flowers on the walls as well, Mina loved it, her bed was a queen sized four corner bed with grey sheets and purple comforter. She had four pillows with purple pillows cases. She had pictures of her family hung up on the walls and special family outings they had, her mom and dad have always told her she's loved adventure since she was a baby. She also had a nice collection of blades, swords and knives in cases at one end of her bedroom. She had her violin on the fireplace and a guitar in a corner. Her floor was wood tile, her bathroom was painted a light blue. She was thinking about what her family will think when they see her making herself at home, here in New York Institute-

"Mina the Beautiful!." Said her Parabatai Charlie, coming into her bedroom. "You know if you keep up those nicknames people will start to think we're more then Parabatai." Mina told her Parabatai with a teasing tone. "Don't worry I am totally platonically gay for you." Said Charlie with a amused tone in her voice. "So what brings you to my bedroom?" Mina asked Charlie with a smile on her face. "Well I wanted to bring you downstairs to your family, cause they're here my dear." Said Charlie. "They are!?" Mina replied back. And then she was out of her bedroom, down the stairs with Charlie behind her like she always was.

When Mina made it to the main room in the Institute her parents and siblings were there talking to her Clary and Jace Fairchild-herondale. "Mom! Dad!" Mina called, they looked up at her and Mina ran to them and hugged them both "I missed you all." She said. "We missed you more Mina mine." Said her father. "My baby girl." Said her mom. And then her big brother Kit hugged her so tight she couldn't breathe "kit...i... can't...breathe." "oh sorry Mina I just missed you." Said Kit. "I missed you too, but if you crush my wind pipes then I wouldn't be able to talk to you." She said teasingly. "Hahaha". Said Kit. Then her younger siblings the twins both gave her hugs "missed you big sis." Said her younger brother Jonah. "The house has been weird without you and Kit has been here so the boys are taking over." Said Cecy her younger sister with a playful voice. "Well I suppose we'll have to gain up and teach a lesson while you're all here won't we?" Said Mina. "Yes!" Said Cecy. After that everyone burst out laughing. And Mina felt at home even more.

"Well". Said her Aunt Clary, "lunch is ready in the dining room, so how about we eat and talk." "That sounds like a great idea." Said her mother Tessa. And then they were eating Tessy herondale and her sister Cecy were sitting by each talking about blades and training, Mina noticed Jonah was watching tessy and grinned, he was always watching her these days when he saw her and Mina couldn't help but smile, her baby brother had a crush. Charlie was next to Mina and eating her food. "Charlie" Mina whispered. "What?" Charlie whispered back. "I think we should take our younger siblings out for a walk around New York later." Whispered Mina. "Okay sounds like a great Idea, but why are we whispering?" "Because I felt like it you goof." "Ohh my Parabatai and her beautiful weirdness." Said Charlie." And they both giggled.

"Knock knock." Said a voice in the doorway of the dining room and Mina knew who it was, Max Lightwood-Bane, her boyfriend. "Max!" Said Charlie and she got up and hugged her cousin. "Charlie how have you been my dear cousin?." "I have been amazing, and you my loving cousin?" "I have been great." Said Max. "You two." Mina said. "There she is my beautiful girlfriend." Said Max, it made Mina blush, he could always do that.

After lunch they all went to the training room in the Institute, including Max and they trained the younger kids and they themselves trained. They had plans to go out for dinner so Mina supposed they could go for a walk through the park after dinner.

After several hours of training, and teaching the kids to balance properly, Charlie was heading to get ready for going out to dinner, she loved having family meals with her family, and tonight the Carstairs were here to. She decided to throw on some nice Jean's and a fancy tank top, with some boots, she pulled her into a high ponytail, she insisted her necklace, it was a pendant with a heron and wings on it, it was to honor both her Herondale and Fairchild heritage, she was proud of both, her family fine also had it but this was a birthday present from Mina and she loved it.

After that she headed downstairs and saw that Mina had changed into a beautiful light blue strappy dress, it fit her well, Charlie thought, "The Beautiful Mina," Charlie Said, "oh my lovely Parabatai, you look beautiful!" Mina told her, "not as beautiful, as you," Charlie told Her, Max came into the room, wearing a nice shirt and a nice pair of Jean's, "someone's looking handsome," Mina said. "And someone else is looking so beautiful, it could make a gentleman lose his mind," Max replied to her, Mina blushed and it made Charlie miss Mari, she was on a mission in LA and wouldn't be back for a few more weeks. Charlie pushed the thought out of her mind, tonight was going to be a fun night and she wanted to make sure she didn't bring anyone's mood down.

Mina was excited and nervous, to show her family around New York and have them visit the New York Institute, they decided since they were such a big group to go to a Chinese restaurant that Uncle Jace and Aunt Clary often would get, and said is the best Chinese food around, and it was really good, Mina loved getting it. After everyone had ordered they decided to get it to go and eat at a park, which Mina loved, it was like a picnic and she loved picnics, after they all ate the adults talked and the kids ran around the park, Clary and Jace grateful that Lexy was getting energy out, she had a lot of energy and was a very busy toddler and Mina couldn't blame Jace and Clary for wanting a night where putting her to bed was easy.

Mina looked over at Max who was talking to Charlie, they were talking about fighting demons like they often do, "Max, Charlie, do you two still want to take the kids on a walk around the park?" Mina asked them, "yes!" They both answered at the same time and they ask the adults, who said yes and took the kids for a walk. It was actually easy considering how many there were, though they had never been bad kids, Mina's sister Cecy was looking around and taking in the sights of the New York park, Mina loved that her siblings were enjoying themselves, she turned to her brother Kit and Asked "how's Ty?", "he's great!, he is currently studying all kinds of things, Plants, Languages, Science's and many more things, he is helping with learning more about Mundane medicine and I am so proud of him," Kit answered, "you're so in love," Mina teased him, "my dear little sister you will understand one day, I hope," he told her, "I think I do a little already," she replied, "that's great to hear," Kit told her.

"Shall we head back now," Charlie said, with Lexy in her arms almost asleep, Uncle Jace and Aunt Clary will be happy for that, "yes, let's head back, the kids look tired," Mina said, they went back to where the adults were and made their way back to the Institute.

When they got back Jace and Clary took Lexy to bed, the other kids heading to their rooms to get ready for bed as well, Mina told Max goodnight, "I'll see you soon my beautiful Mina," Max told her and kissed her forehead, he went out the front door of the Institute and headed back to his parents apartment in Brooklyn, she loved him there was no doubt about that. "Well," said Charlie, "I guess we better head to bed to," "yeah I suppose so, I have a feeling tomorrow will be busy again," Mina replied to her Parabatai, "yeah me too, hey Mina I was wondering can I um.... could I maybe sleep in your room tonight?, like let's have a sleepover kind of thing but in your room?" "Of course, you can Charlie," Mina told her Parabatai, she saw the look her Parabatai's eyes which said please I don't want to be alone tonight, she must be having nightmares about her late sister again and Mina wished she could take the pain away from her Parabatai, but there were some things you can't do. "K, I'll put on my PJ's and you can put yours on to and then I'll be in your room in about ten or fifteen minutes," Charlie told her and raced up the stairs, "okay dear, I'll go get ready for bed, and bring A Tale of two Cities with you so we can read before we fall asleep," Mina called to her Parabatai before she was completely to her bedroom, "will do," Charlie answered back.

And Mina was off to her bedroom, she put on shorts and a tank top, brushed her teeth, washed her face, and got under the covers, awaiting her Parabatai, who came in at that moment, he PJ's were shorts and tank top too, she got into the bed with Mina and handed her the book and they read, after an hour of reading they both were to exhausted to read anymore and fell asleep.

( hopefully you enjoy this, thanks! to everyone who has been supporting me with my fic, I hope to get another chapter out soon)

@daisyherxndale

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phoenixkaptain · 3 years

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Love, Lights, Hanukkah Hallmark Movie Complaint Time

1. Of fucking course the single, Italian woman who just wanted to have kids but just couldn’t, adopted the Italian child. The Italian mother who owns a restaurant because the movie is rascist and is determined to tell us all about how “Italians-a are obsessed-a with-a the food!”

2. The main character who doesn’t know her heritage only listens to Italian opera or Christmas songs

3. “I’m fifty percent Jewish according to this DNA test-“ FUCK you Hallmark that isn’t how dna tests worked i literally googled it fuck you that isn’t how it fucking works

4. The Jewish family owns a Jewish restaurant because of course they do

5. The Jewish mother collects dreidels becuas eof course she does

6. “I can’t pronounce or understand these Hebrew dishes even though I speak Italian!”

7. The fucking French-Chinese restaurant with fucking fortune cookies that actually tell the future

8. “Why aren’t you married yet? You should be married. Why aren’t you married?”

9. “I’ve had two moms but if only I had a dad, it’s so sucky that I don’t have a dad, I love my mom but I wish I knew my dad.”

10. The main character is literally obsessed with Christmas. Why does our main character have to be obsessed with Christmas? Why does this Hanukkah movie have to have all the Christmas celebrating fuckers so defensive over their celebrations? As someone who celebrates Christmas, I am telling you outright that this woman has an obsession and a problem and has too many Christmas decorations. She bought four wreaths in the first scene we meet her in, she has a problem

11. Expanding on the above, the romantic interest is like “this is sure a lot of Christmas decorations” without any judgement or inflection or anything negative in his voice and the response is “Do YoU hAvE a PrObLeM wItH tHaT?” like bitch, he was pointing out a fact

12. The Italian food being “predictable” so he keeps giving her menu suggestions because he’s a dick

13. “I don’t think right now is the right time or place to talk about this big important revelation.” Love interest: “WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT’S NOT THE RIGHT TIME OR PLACE TO TALK ABOUT?”

14. Just realized, of course the Jewish love interest is named David

15. Why is David such a bitch about this woman liking Christmas? Like I’m upset too, Bitch, but I’m not going to fight her in the streets about it

16. This romance is boring and predictable

17. She has a palm tree in her kitchen decorated with Christmas lights, I changed my mind, fight me in the street, woman

18. They keep talking about menorahs and what they mean over and over, which would be fine if they said something different instead of the same thing twenty different times!

19. All these Jewish people eat is latkes and bagels and lox fight me bitchmark

20. Licorice for a snowman’s smile? What the fuck? Licorice?? ???

21. The snowman is so fake

22. “I met you five days ago but now we’re family as though we’ve known each other forever, the magic of being from a mother’s womb, I suppose”

23. Her restaurant is literally just pine and ornaments she needs help

24. Of course they still put in a Hallmark style Christmas tree lighting ceremony even though they’re all Jewish

25. WHY ARE YOU LIGHTING SO MANY CANDLES YOUR RESTAURANT IS COVERED IN PINE AND RIBBON FIRE HAZARD FIRE HAZARD

26. They explain every Hanukkah thing ten billion times but don’t translate the fucking Italian

27. OH MY GOD MORE FUCKING LATKES

28. The fucking Italian dad is named Giorgio because he’s fucking Italian I guess

29. Don’t want to be rude but why do all the actors have big noses, Hallmark? Why do they all look like that, Hallmark?

30. OF COURSE GIORGIO IS ALSO A FUCKING CHEF FUCK YOU HALLMARK I’M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE UPSET BY THE RASCISM I WAS PREPARED TO BE UPSET ABOUT ANTI SEMITISM BUT FUCKING RASCISM???

31. “I’m a bilingual Italian man and when I am shocked I resort to my mother tongue becuase that’s definitely how it works”

32. Of course the Italian mother was obsessed with angels do you know how much I hear that stereotype this is infuriating

33. The cabbage display is so upsetting why is the cabbage on ice

34. “Look at all this food!” There are five dishes that each might feed four people that you expect to feed ten fight me

35. Another DREIDEL

36. I was enjoying this for five seconds and then the fucking mom said Giorgio was “very Italian” and I’m fucking pissed I am so incensed I am furious I am shaking with anger wait to make this beautiful moment fucking useless, Hallmark. The Italian man is Italian? I’m shocked. I’m amazed. I’m so stunned that the Italian man who speaks Italian, is in the Italian army, and lives in Italy is Italian I am going to fight Hallmark in the street

37. Hallmark pretending long-distance relationships are the most impossible things in the world

38. The Christmas celebrating main character is named fucking CHRISTINA I hate everything

39. They met each other less than a month ago and she’s already “the one?” That’s not how it works

40. This movie is not about Hanukkah. Every other scene is about Christmas. Why is Hanukkah in the title when it’s about Christmas more than Hanukkah?

41. This woman has fifteen Christmas trees and three menorahs please calm down

42. Kissin in front of the Christmas tree and three menorahs, like ya do

43. Giorgio has been waiting at his counter for the phone call from his surprise daughter for days now

44. The bitch is COOKING in a DRESS SUIT. PUT ON AN APRON

45. The butchering of language really was the perfect end to this fucking mess

Conclusion: Hallmark, please set aside the Christmas and rascism and anti semitism for five fucking minutes and make a halfway decent movie

#hallmark #christmas #hanukkah #movie rant #0/10 i’m furious at everything except for the pretty colours

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sacredlettersspn · 4 years

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Letter #1: Fear (Pilot, 1x01)

Welcome to the first letter of The Sacred Letters of Supernatural. I’m glad to have you here with me on this journey. I want to take a moment to say thank you to those who have already shown their support for the project on Tumblr and Twitter. You gave this project the kickstart it needed to get off the ground. And for those who will be jumping on board now and in the future, thank you.

I also want to thank the people over at Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, the podcast which inspired this project. I hope to take the inspiration and love for Harry Potter that you show through your podcasts and channel that into my love for the show Supernatural. I also hope to take this project and make it my own while learning from the work put into Harry Potter and the Sacred Text.

As I begin my work on this project, I find myself wishing I had a text to hold. There is something special about holding a book in your hands as you read from it, something about feeling the physical object in my hands helps me learn. But Supernatural is primarily a visual and auditory experience and I think there’s something special about that, too. We can see more details, see how characters react in body language and tone of voice. The set design, lighting, and color choices can clue us into what’s happening on screen. We don’t get internal dialogue or exposition of a character’s introspection on television, but I think many of the visual and auditory aspects make up for that.

So with that being said, let’s begin the first Sacred Letter of Supernatural.

I want to start with a personal story. When I was a young child, I did not like Chinese food. I wouldn’t eat it. When my dad tried to convince me to try Chinese food as a child, it would usually result in tears. It wasn’t until years later as an adult that I learned that when I was about four years old, I had Chinese food for dinner and a stomach bug the same evening. You maybe can see where this is going? My parents’ bed sheets were ruined, let’s just say that. But that moment, the feeling of that memory, stayed with me many years even though I couldn’t remember the actual incident. This aversion was something my dad didn’t understand. I remember very vividly sitting in a Chinese buffet with my plain chicken, french fries, and a few vegetables. My dad is trying to make me try various different foods. I keep saying no and become so upset at the pressure to “just get over it,” I cry in the restaurant. To my dad, Chinese food was just chicken or pork with noodles, rice, and vegetables. It was delicious. To me, Chinese food was the reason I had become violently ill, and my body couldn’t forget that. The body’s memory of fear can be a powerful force in our day-to-day lives.

By now, you may have guessed our theme for today’s letter: fear. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines fear as “an unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.” I also like the definition given by Google which defines fear as “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.” I like how the second definition highlights the idea that fear is tied to our own beliefs that something is dangerous. This says to me that some people can believe that something is scary and experience fear, while others do not see the same danger. Like in my story about having this fear of Chinese food, I expected it to be dangerous while those around me did not. They couldn’t understand my fear.

But I think we can understand the fear that’s happening in the pilot episode of Supernatural. For the fandom, this episode is iconic. We will likely never forget the visuals and lines of dialogue, many of which are echoed in episodes fifteen years later, but I’ll still give you a quick recap of what happens in this episode.

The year is 1982, and we are introduced to the Winchester family on the night that their mother, Mary Winchester, dies. She is murdered by a mysterious figure who breaks into baby Sam’s nursery. When Mary goes to check on Sam, she interrupts this figure and is attacked. We see some of the ordeal, most poignantly the image of her stuck to the ceiling, stomach cut, and flames igniting around her. Her husband, John Winchester, sees her on the ceiling as well. John knows something is not normal about the way she dies.

When we fast forward twenty-two years, Sam has been in college and is living with his girlfriend. He seems to be enjoying life. But he hasn’t talked to his family in four years. Unexpectedly, Dean shows up, tells him that their father is missing on a hunting trip, and Sam agrees to help Dean find their father. To track his whereabouts, they listen to a voicemail in which John says something bigger is happening, something dangerous.

On the search for their father, they are led to a potential haunting where several men have been reported missing on a stretch of highway over the years. John had been on the case before he disappeared. The boys find out which motel John was staying at and find his room, but are caught by police and Dean is arrested. However, they are able to figure out that the ghost they’re hunting is a Woman in White and Dean’s arrest leads them to John’s journal where John has recorded everything he knows about the supernatural.

The boys end up getting rid of the Woman in White, and they find out where John wants them to go next. However, Sam insists on being back home for his law school interview the next morning, so Dean takes him home. When Sam goes inside, he lays down in bed, looks up, and finds Jessica on the ceiling like his mom. The ceiling catches on fire around her. She can’t be saved. The episode ends with Sam and Dean outside of their car, the 1967 Impala. Sam says, “We got work to do,” before slamming the trunk full of hunting supplies shut and leaving with Dean for the next case.

Moments of fear are littered throughout this pilot. Given that the genre of the show involves ghosts, monsters, and demons, it makes sense that fear would be an integral part of each episode. But I want to focus on a key scene of this episode and how fear plays a special role in defining the Winchesters’ lives.

The opening scene of the Winchester family tucking in for the night is heartwarming. Everyone smiles at least once, John and Mary are doting on their children, John appears to be an involved, helpful father as he helps tuck the boys in for the night. There is a lot of focus on Sam. We get this shot of just Sam in his crib, laughing, playing with his feet, a shot of Mary kissing him goodnight, and a shot of John specifically saying, “Sweet Dreams, Sammy.” It sets up an expectation that Sam is the main focus, if not the main character, and it adds to the sweet feeling I get while watching this scene.

But there are hints that something isn’t right. The opening scene of this episode is an exterior shot of the house at night with shadows of tree limbs crawling up the side of the home. The limbs are moving unnaturally. There’s suspenseful music playing. You know something is wrong and your fears are confirmed when the mobile in Sam’s nursery begins moving on its own, the clock stops at 8:12pm, the nightlight flickers, and the baby monitor in the parents’ room makes odd, high frequency noises. When Mary wakes up, John is not in the room. Mary sees John standing in Sam’s nursery, with more lights flickering in the hall. While Mary does not seem to be afraid, the viewer by now knows that she should be afraid. And that moment comes soon enough when she hears the tv on downstairs, and sees John asleep in a chair. She runs back upstairs to Sam with who she now knows is an intruder. We don’t see what happens between Mary and this mysterious figure, but we hear the screams and we see what happens next. John runs upstairs, finds Sam alone in the crib, and thinks everything is fine until he notices the blood dripping from the ceiling. That’s when he looks up, sees his wife on the ceiling, a slash across her stomach. He falls to the ground, looking up at the ceiling with horror as fire bursts around his wife and Sam begins to wail.

What strikes me about this whole first scene is how much we don’t see, and we can only notice what’s missing after having watched this show for its many seasons. We don’t see what happens to Sam, so we don’t know the reason for the man visiting his nursery. We don’t see Mary’s interaction with this man. John doesn’t even see the man. He only sees his wife on the ceiling, dying. And that’s why this scene is so horrifying to me. It turns the world of the Winchesters upside down, ruins every good thing we saw in their warm, family interactions, and it leaves us with many more questions than answers.

The reason the scene works as being scary is because it leaves much unknown, and fear festers in the unknown. It seems that some of the most scary moments in life are when big, important questions are left unanswered. When you’re at the doctors waiting on potentially bad news, when your life plans are derailed because you didn’t get that job or that person left you, or when you see horrendous acts of violence on the news and you can’t fathom why humans would treat each other this way. When we are left to grapple with life’s big, important questions without anyone who can give us definitive answers, it can be terrifying.

I believe the person who is trying to handle the biggest questions in this episode is John Winchester. He sees and remembers the most from the night Mary died, and therefore he has the most questions and a lot of weight to carry. Sam will never remember this night and Dean was too young to realize what was happening. None of them saw Mary on the ceiling except John, and he alone carries that image, that burden. John had just experienced an unspeakable tragedy.

The thing with tragedies is that even though they can often be explained in some way, humans still have a hard time grappling with the aftermath. While some may move on, many others become stuck in grief for extended periods of time, possibly for the rest of their lives. This is what happened to John. He didn’t have a “natural tragedy” to deal with; there was no hope for a natural explanation. And now, the world was no longer safe to him. There were new, unexplainable threats that could take his family away from him at any moment. I can imagine he felt alone in his knowledge of these threats and I can imagine that he felt completely powerless in that situation. That feeling of powerlessness, coupled with fear of the unknown, can make humans do dramatic, unhealthy things. John Winchester was no different.

A sense of control is really important for humans. We all need to feel that on some level that we are able to choose a direction for our lives, and that our choices will directly affect our environment. So, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that John’s actions after this night were an attempt to regain control after an event that shook his foundation. Thinking about John in this way helps me see his actions in the rest of the series as his way of trying to gain back a sense of control in his world. He wants to control the thing that scares him, much like I think we eventually see Dean doing. John’s fear led him to do many things that the fandom has deemed unforgivable. Whether or not you sympathize with John Winchester is entirely up to you and is influenced by your own personal experiences, but I think we can all relate to the feeling of fear in the face of the unknown, and the utter powerlessness we can feel in uncertain times.

Lectio Divina

The next segment of this letter is where we use a practice to analyze a part of the episode. We will be using “Lectio Divina,” a Christian spiritual practice for reading scriptures that involves interacting with the text on four different levels. I am following Harry Potter and the Sacred Text’s use of this practice and adapting it the best I can to the visual format. Normally, you pick a scripture or a line of text to analyze. I randomized numbers between 1 and 42 (the amount of minutes in the episode), and picked the first full line after the minute mark I was given.

Line: “That’s cus you’re out of practice… Or not.” -Dean Winchester (7:00)

Now we analyze this line on the four levels of Lectio Divina : literal (narrative), allegorical (metaphors and symbols), reflection (how do I connect to it), and invitational (what is the text asking of us or teaching us).

Literal: What’s happening on a literal level in this scene is that Dean has broken into Sam’s house, Sam has snuck up on him, and they’ve just fought because Sam didn’t know who was in his house. Dean ends up pinning Sam to the floor, saying that he was able to do so because Sam was out of practice. “That’s cus you’re out of practice.” But when Sam promptly flips him over, pinning Dean to the ground, Dean proudly but surprisingly says, “Or not.” The scene comes across as a little heartwarming, a little funny. The two seem like natural brothers.

Allegorical: To me, this is a scene about returning. Here we have the loyal child who has stayed with his father and continued the “family business” confronting what I think of as the prodigal son. You can see the tension between the brothers play out in the fighting. But this prodigal son story is not the same one that we’re used to. This isn’t the prodigal son coming back home because he realized he was wrong. Sam left something horrifying. He left for safety and found love, a career, and independence. But despite his reasons for leaving, there’s still tension when he returns. Stepping away from your family, a friend group, a job--that’s never easy even if you have strong convictions about your reasons for doing so. There are relationships there, shared experiences, and bonds. So, I think there’s a sense of betrayal from Dean’s perspective, an invisible contract that Sam broke. Then Sam and Dean have to confront all of these feelings and experiences again. I'm impressed with the way Sam and Dean handle it. Dean could have grilled Sam about why he left, made him feel bad, or approached with a hostile attitude, but he very much is happy to see Sam and wants his help. Sam ends up helping Dean even when there’s a possibility of Sam confronting his father, and Dean risks being rejected to ask for Sam’s help. They’re each risking the status quo of their lives and making themselves vulnerable to one another by reaching out and deciding to take on this task together.

Reflection: Watching this exchange between the two of them, it reminded me of when I used to play soccer as a kid. I played for about four or five years and like to think I developed a few skills. One year recently, I was playing soccer with my younger siblings on Father’s Day and I could tell that I was out of practice, but dribbling, kicking, stopping the ball -- those movements still felt natural. I was even able to give pointers to the kids. I hadn’t touched a soccer ball in years, but that knowledge is still stored in my brain.

I think that, in the same way, Sam was forced to play out his own muscle memory while fighting with Dean, and through that, is forced to acknowledge once again the reality of his childhood and his family, of what lives in the dark and why he ran. In one fell swoop, Dean shoves that all into the forefront for Sam. A few years of building walls of safety around him and now Sam is vulnerable again, using his fighting skills to protect himself when I imagine he had begun to settle into a “normal” life.

Invitational: There’s a question that jumps out at me after spending time contemplating this scene: how do you have the courage to confront burned bridges with other people? I don’t have a clear-cut answer but I think it takes some courage and understanding on both sides. There should be a realization from both parties that each person assumes some responsibility for what happened between them, and for this to happen, there needs to be a cool-down period and opportunity for forgiveness. Forgiveness is rarely easy. I can think of situations in my own life in which forgiveness seems impossible, and maybe it isn’t always an option. But for those situations in which time can heal, I think repairing a burnt bridge can be worth the effort. I see this play out between Sam and Dean. Dean has to overlook his feelings of abandonment by Sam, see the decision from Sam’s perspective, and practice some forgiveness. Sam has to have hope that he will be accepted by his family again and courage to face the people who feel hurt by his actions. I think there would be a lot of fear on both sides: fear of another fight, fear of rejection. But Sam and Dean are able to put aside their own fears and their own hurts for the sake of family and the bond they share. So maybe one thing this scene is asking us to do is to practice forgiveness despite our fears.

Thank you all for reading the first ever Sacred Letter of Supernatural. I hope you enjoyed our exploration of the theme this week. Before I finish this letter, I would like to end with a question for the audience. This question is for personal evaluation, but if you would like for your answer to be featured on the blog or to contribute to a discussion, please send your answers to my Tumblr inbox.

This Week’s Question:

How do you recognize when you’re afraid and how do you make decisions in the face of fear?

#pilot 1x01 #fear #season 1

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peterstanslizzie · 5 years

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Re-watching Lizzie Mcguire: Episode 1.8 (Misadventures in Babysitting)

- In the kitchen, we see Lizzie making scented candles, I believe? While her mom, Jo is prepping for dinner. Jo gets a call from their regular babysitter, Debbie and informs her that she won’t be able to babysit the kids tomorrow night. Frustrated with the news, she takes it out on a slab of meat.

- They try to come up with an alternative babysitter but their remaining choices don’t seem very appropriate. Lizzie tries suggesting herself but her idea was immediately shot down by her parents because they feel as though she’s far too young and this doesn’t seem like the first time this has been brought up.

- Also, poor Sam thought that the mixture Lizzie was preparing was cheese but as I had guessed, it was candle wax.

If Kate Babysits, So Can Lizzie

- During lunch hour at the cafeteria, Lizzie and Miranda are complaining about having to do a boring assignment where they have to design a model community that includes housing, hospitals, schools, police and a fire department. It actually sounds like something I would enjoy doing if I am allowed to inject some of my imagination and a little creativity into it.

- Lizzie asks Gordo what he would include in his own community design and he gets real specific about what he wants from having a bookstore containing the works of Navajo and Greek philosophers to the mayor being Tyra Banks. If Tyra was mayor of my town, she would pretty much re-name it as Modelville or Tyraville lol.

- Kate pops up and asks Gordo where the nearest software store is and if they sell a software that can design cities and towns, to which he suggests ‘Cybertown Maker’. Lizzie reprimands Kate for being lazy and trying to find an easy way of completing the assignment but in fact, she was mad at Gordo for not telling her about the software in the first place.

I will be surprised if she’s still allowed to babysit after this

- Gordo says that the software costs $60, which is expensive but this doesn’t rattle Kate as she has saved enough money from her babysitting job to purchase the product.

- Because of that, Lizzie is taken aback because she couldn’t believe that Kate is allowed to babysit while Lizzie isn’t. Plus, Lizzie is the person who gets ‘babysat’. They, mainly Gordo then discuss about Kate’s developed figure and how she gives off a more mature vibe than most girls her age, which probably signals to adults she’s capable of handling the responsibility of babysitting. Miranda calls her ‘stacked’. I don’t this term is even allowed in children’s television today due to how PC our culture is nowadays.

- Lizzie brings Kate up with her parents and Jo seems pleasantly surprised to find out Kate babysits. She does all that she can to convince her parents to allow her to stay at home and take care of herself and Matt for the night. Luckily for her, she manages to do so!

The Adventure Begins

- Sam and Jo are about to leave the house to go on their dinner date and they go over some basic rules and safety precautions with Lizzie. Sam tells Lizzie he trusts her, which is essentially music to her ears. Oh and Gordo and Miranda are there to help Lizzie. Well, as the saying goes, there’s safety in numbers.

- Matt wants to play Pledge of Allegiance but Lizzie tells him they have their assignment to do and will consider it after they have finished their work. However, moments later, Matt gets a little too hyper-active and starts jumping on the couch and running around the living room like the Energizer Bunny.

Sam needs to relax a bit but I get where he’s coming from. Maybe if he had installed security cameras around the house, that might help a little?

- Sam and Jo arrive at the Chinese restaurant they made reservations at and just right at the moment they sat down at their table, Sam starts acting a little nervous and fidgety because he’s worried about the kids. Jo tries to calm his nerves down but nothing she says is working.

- They come to a compromise where Sam can go back to check in on the kids through the window and once everything looks okay, he will come straight back to the restaurant and will eat his meal in peace.

- Meanwhile, back at the Mcguire home, Lizzie is frantically trying to wipe grape juice stain off their carpet because Matt had accidentally spilled the drink that Miranda had given to him. Matt is also not listening to any of Lizzie’s orders but will actually listen to Gordo because he’s an “older male’.

Home Alone Vibes

- Matt accidentally triggers a fuse to blow when he was playing with a mini vacuum cleaner (I think). This causes the whole house to end up not having any electricity and it is pitch dark. The kids starts lighting up some of Lizzie’s home-made scented candles and turns out, the candles smell really bad.

- Sam arrives at the back porch and he tries standing on a chair to get a small peep through the top window because it’s the only section of the window not covered by curtains. He makes the dumb decision to step onto the top rail of the chair and he loses his balance and falls and hits his throat on the tip of his lawn gnome statue’s hat. Ouch! That has gotta hurt.

- The kids heard the fall and are immediately startled. They wonder if that sound came from a burglar or a wild animal. The intelligent, Gordo fixes the circuit and the power is back on. All of a sudden, Sam tries to force himself through the latched front door by slipping his right hand through the door. Also, when he tries to call for the kids, he sounds very different because his voice box was affected by the fall.

I feel so bad for Sam Mcguire. He should have just stayed at the restaurant.

- They obviously do not recognize that it was Sam and Lizzie runs towards the door and slams it on Sam’s hand, hurting him in the process. Lizzie then calls the police for help.

- Back at the restaurant, the waitress is suggesting Jo should date her cousin because she thinks that Sam has actually left her. Like left her, left her. Lol, that woman needs to mind her own business because I would have told her to buzz off.

- The house phone starts ringing and Lizzie answers it. She hears and recognizes the same voice of the man who was just outside their house trying to break in and immediately hangs up. Sam gets very frustrated and he grabs a saw and tries to cut through the chain of the latch.

- With some quick thinking, the kids set up a trap for the intruder and just when they discover it was actually Sam, it was already too late and the trap is already triggered; A tin can filled with flour swings its way towards him and hits him in his ‘crown jewel’.

He has gone through so much pain in one night. Like I said before, he shouldn’t have left the restaurant PERIOD!

Aftermath

Despite being a so-called ‘helicopter parent’, he is really a sweet dad and really cares about his kids.

- The police arrives and they catch Sam and threaten to arrest him. But after questioning Lizzie’s if Sam is her father, the police lets him go.

- Lizzie is pretty mad at her dad for not trusting her to babysit for the night, which she should be but a father cannot help but be worried about his children. So, I don’t blame either of them. Sam recognizes that her daughter is not a little girl anymore and is willing to let her take on more responsibilities, which is babysitting Matt on more nights. Lizzie isn’t too thrilled.

Overall Thoughts

- I felt that this was a very well-balanced episode because there’s no separate A plot and B plot; Every character’s storyline intersects one another, which gives us time to breathe and really experience the episode.

- I like how Lizzie is willing to show to her parents that she can be a responsible person and she certainly stepped up to the plate. Sam Mcguire also shone in this episode in terms of his involvement in the main storyline. I also appreciate how protective he is over his kids.

- Gordo and especially, Miranda didn’t have much to do here. If their characters were absent, this episode would have been just as strong. But they are part of the main cast, so they have to be in the episode one way or the other.

#lizzie mcguire #lizzie mcguire revival #hilary duff #lalaine #adam lamberg #disney #disney channel #disney series #disney plus #episode review #episode recap #misadventures in babysitting #babysitting #babysitter #lizzie mcguire episodes #episode 8 #helicopter parents #home alone #kate sanders

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purplesurveys · 5 years

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429

England Do you like to drink tea? I only drink iced tea and only the artificial kind, so I don’t think that even counts as tea. My tongue never did adapt well to traditional ones. Do you like to put sugar in your tea? I like my iced tea super sweet if that counts. Have you ever explored an ancient castle? No but it would be interesting to enter one! If you're a Christian, are you Catholic or Protestant? I was baptized and still legally Catholic. Philippines is predominantly Catholic, with 80% of the population; I don’t how the % of Protestants, but it’s definitely a much smaller bit of the pie since the rest of the religions are divided into different Christian denominations, then Islam. Do you live in a big house? It’s definitely bigger than my childhood home, so that’s more than enough.

Are there a lot of seagulls where you live? I don’t think seagulls fly over to this side of the world? Correct me if I’m wrong though. Do you have a garden? Only a very small one. Name something you own with the British flag on it. Probs an old UK-themed notebook lying around, but I’m not sure if I still even have those or if they already got thrown out. What's your favorite part of London? I dunno. London always seemed like such a hectic city for me and I’ve never really had an idea about its identity. If you've been to England, what was your favorite city you've visited? If applicable, what is/was your favorite store in London? I’m not sure I know any London-based stores. Have you ever been lost in London? Nope. Would you say your personality is British? Do you think you'd fit in there? I’d say my personality is the furthest thing from that since I’ve never been submerged in their local culture. I don’t know if I would fit in; a lot of them seem pretty short-tempered lmao. Do you have English ancestors, or are you from England? I’m positively -60% English. Ireland What is one of your favorite celtic songs? I don’t know anything about Irish history/culture other than Becky Lynch, Sheamus, and Niall Horan. I’m laying that out this early. Do you have red hair? Absolutely not. Are you Irish? No Irish blood in my system at all.

Name 5 redheads that you know. Becky Lynch x2.5, Sheamus x2.5 lmao. Who in your family is/was a redhead? Nobody. If you've been to Ireland, what was your favorite city you visited? I haven’t been to Ireland but I would rather take a trip there than to London definitely. Did you have any bad experiences in Ireland? Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day? No but Western social media shoves it in my face every year. I have no idea what it’s about other than they turn the Chicago River green. Do you like Irish food? I don’t know much about their food actually :o I don’t think there are places that serve it. What's one thing you like about ancient cathedrals? The fact that millions of lives with different experiences, all in different contexts have come and gone within them. Do you like rolling hills of green? ...I don’t know what you’re talking about. Are you just talking about hills? Because yes, hills are fine with me lmao. Do you like bagpipes? No. All this question gave me was the image of Ross Geller playing them on a Friends episode because he wanted to surprise Chandler and Monica on their wedding. If you're Irish, what part of Ireland is your family from? Do you like English accents or Irish accents better? I like both but I find English ones a wee bit more satisfying to listen to. China What is your Chinese zodiac sign? Tiger. ^Do you like it? Do you feel it fits your personality? I don’t give a shit about it. Do you like your American zodiac sign or Chinese zodiac sign better? I don’t give a shit about either, either. Do you like Chinese food? LOOOOOOOVE good ol’ family-style Chinese food. None of that fake Chinese takeout. List three of your favorite Chinese foods. Minced pork with eggplant, century eggs, spring rolls. Are you familiar with the topic of footbinding? I do. We were taught about it from very early on. What are your favorite books about the Chinese? I don’t really read books about the Chinese. I’ve read readings on Chinese history in high school and college–which I all enjoyed–but I’m not passionate about them enough to pick a favorite. Do you know anyone Chinese? I know a lot of them. Philippines has a very large Chinese Filipino/Filipino Chinese community thanks to their mass migrations way way back–they’ve since heavily integrated their native culture to the country, so we have a lot of Chinese restaurants and Filipinos typically love Chinese food, and we also (by law) celebrate Chinese New Year. There are also a lot of private schools established for kids of Chinese descent. Who is your favorite Chinese youtuber? I don’t have any. Have you ever cooked Chinese food at home? Not me because I don’t cook. My grandma and my dad have. Are you familiar with the Great Chinese Famine? Only a bit. Do you wish your school would teach you about other countries' history? It already does! UP’s very fortunate to have a very well-endowed history department: there are courses for West, East, Southeast, and South Asian, Latin American, United States, European, Spanish, and African history. We ain’t the top school in the country for nothing. Would you ever want to go to China? I already have. The old people there are SO rude and their sense of hygiene and manners is so different from what we have :( I’d still want to go back just for shits and giggles but their people are generally meh. Do you have any Chinese in your family? We do but they aren’t related to us anymore. The relatives who are Chinese are those who married into our family, but my family per se isn’t Chinese. Japan Do you like sushi? I’m fucking craaaaaaaazy about sushi. And sashimi. ^If so, what are your favorite kinds? Any kind as long as the main part is tuna, unagi (eel), or uni (sea urchin). What is your favorite manga series? I don’t read manga. Do you love Japanese street fashion? I appreciate it, but it’s too...hip for me hahaha. I’d stick to my preppy wardrobe. What color hair would you have as an anime character? Light pink maybe. Are you aware of the struggles of Japanese Americans during World War 2? Admittedly, not so sure about the situation of Japanese-Americans; but in general, the Japanese were unnecessarily big fucking bullies throughout WWII. They don’t even have the balls to say sorry completely until today. As a Filipino (PH was one of the countries it essentially raped head to toe), this continues to make me angry today. What is your favorite Japanese name? I don’t have. Do you like bonsai trees? They’re cool but I’m not like gaga over them. What's one thing you think Americans should adopt from the Japanese? Intelligence? Have you ever listened to Jpop? No. Do you like Hello Kitty? No. But my sister loves everything Sanrio. What is something you want to know about the Japanese? Why they can’t seem to apologize for their war crimes and criminals and and sex slavery and using of comfort women and cases of rape, torture, and abuse in my country. Do you know anyone who's Japanese? Yeah, I had a classmate from last sem whose last name was Mizushima and looked Japanese. Would you ever want to go to Japan? I already have. The people were very nice. Australia Do you have blonde hair? No trace of blonde anywhere on me.

Do you live near a beach? I live in an archipelago, so technically yes. The nearest beaches are still 3 hours away though. Do you surf? Nah. We’ve been to so many beach resorts that offer basic surfing lessons, but ultimately it’s only my dad, mom, and sister who try it out. I have bad balance so I was always too scared to try. Who is your favorite Australian youtuber? I like Jamie Zhu, but only the videos of him pranking his dad. I haven’t seen any of his other material. Do you watch The Norris Nuts? Never even heard of it. Who is your favorite Australian fictional character? I don’t know a lot of Australian characters other than Hi-5!!! Lmao. What is your favorite song by Hillsong? Fuck no. Have you ever tried to surf? See a few questions above. Do you skateboard? Nope. I can’t balance well other than on the ice skating rink. Have you ever been on an island? I live on an island. Do you live on an island? Yes. A country with 7,641 islands. Do you like Australian accents or British accents better? British ones. Have you ever heard the term, "Crikey, mate!" No...I’ve only ever heard of it stereotyped in the media, too. Is there any Australian here who can confirm if people say this everyday lol Have you ever met anyone from Australia? I probably have but my memory is rusty at the moment. Africa Do you know anyone from Africa? Yeah, I have a mutual friend who’s Nigerian.

Are you familiar with the War on Sudan? A little. I got most of my knowledge of it from my international relations class. Do you own an Invisible Children shirt? I don’t. Have you been to Africa? No, but I want to pay a visit so bad. What's your favorite wild animal? Elephants. Do you prefer dancing or drumming? Neither, but if I absolutely had to pick: drumming. Do you have good rhythm? Not at all. Would you ever want to go to Africa? Yes. What is a great African song? I don’t know any. Have you ever tried African dancing? Nope. Do you own any African jewelry? I don’t. Ever danced to "Waka Waka"? I never did like that song. No. What's the furthest you've ever walked in one day? Probably that time we were in Bali and felt like we walked for 7 days. It was soooooooo humid that day so I was really cranky after. Do you live in a mud hut? No. Mexico List 3 of your favorite Mexican foods. I’m not big on Mexican food that much so I’m sorry if my picks are a little basic haha. I like chimichangas, burritos, and nachos. List 3 Mexican names you like. Ines, Luis, Antonio. List 3 people you know who are Mexican. I only know wrestlers...Eddie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero, Gory Guerrero? Aka members of the best Mexican wrestling family there ever is, was, and ever will be. Have you ever been to Mexico? I haven’t. Would you ever want to go to Mexico? I would love to go to every possible spot in the world at least once, so it’s a yes for me. Do you think you could handle being around people all the time? ...How is this related to Mexico lmao? Anyway no I don’t think I can. I’m a huge introvert so I’m bound to get tired some time. Do you like spicy food? I love it but only when the spicy factor is integral to the food, like in curries or in spicy dips. I can always tell if spiciness is artificial. How do you do with crowds? I’m alright with crowds as long as people are not screaming all at the same time and if it’s not super compressed. Is it hot where you live? Very hot at the moment. There are places in the country with actual heat indices of 65ºC. HOW IS THAT REAL LIFE????? Do you like bright colors? I hate them so much. Can you speak Spanish? No but I can understand the contexts of some sentences and have what I’d say is an extensive Spanish vocabulary. Makes sense if you consider the fact that the Philippine was under Spain for 333 years. The effects, especially language- and religion-wise, are still very very strong today. Have you ever been to a fiesta? Yup. I was once part of a parade. Ever smacked a pinata? Nah we never used those for my birthdays. What's your favorite thing to order at Taco Bell? I don’t get Taco Ball because the branches that do exist are sooooo faaaaar away from where I live and from where I study. The Middle East Are you Muslim? Nope. Do you know any Muslims? I don’t know anyone personally but it’s not unusual to see Muslims around here. Do you know anyone who wears hijab? Again, not personally. What are some of your favorite books about Muslims? Ever been to a desert? I wish the Philippines could count as a desert lmao but no I haven’t. Would you want to ride a camel? Is that ethical? I gotta make sure it’s a green-lit thing first. Did you watch the show Legends of the Hidden Temple? I was obsessed with it when I was younger. It was on every 5:30 AM, so it was the program I watched everyday while preparing for school. Korea Have you read To All the Boys I've Loved Before? Please don’t mention that stupid book/movie. ^Have you seen the movie? Did you know that North Korea is closed? I mean, it’s not literally closed; you can still book trips there but they’re still definitely super strict about what you can and can’t get away with. Would you ever want to visit South Korea? I already have. In terms of people’s niceness, they’re in the middle of Chinese (the shits) and Japanese (absolute angels). Most of the Koreans I dealt with were nice save for this one woman who shooed me away when I was taking a photo of something from her little bazaar. Have you ever had Korean food? YESSSSS I love Korean food so much, it’s so underrated. People gotta go deeper than sushi and Chinese fried rice cos there’s another East Asian with food that slaps as fuuuuuuuck. South America Have you read The Spirit of the Rainforest? I have not. Name one fact you know about Venezuela. I know nothing about Venezuela other than they also seem to be favorites in Miss Universe pageants every year along with PH. Do you know anyone who lives in Peru? I do not. That’s very far from where I’m at. Have you ever tried Peruvian food or drink? Nope. I definitely would if there were places that served such here. Have you ever been to South America? No. Do you know anyone from Brazil? I don’t think so. Would you ever want to visit South America? Yes. Name someone you know who owns llamas. Nobody. Do you like llamas? I like all animals except for cockroaches and other weird insects, so yes. Have you ever sewn on a loom? I haven’t had the chance to. Do you own a skirt from Guetamala? This is...specific. No. Do you ever wonder why we don't hear much about South America? Probs because people and media play a hand in painting it in such a bad light, e.g. poverty, drugs, crime and otherwise glorify its big brother North America as a place of freedom and diversity and liberty when it’s just as big of a shithole as anywhere else. But I’m glad social media exposes issues in countries that often go unignored, South American ones included. Thailand Do you like elephants? I LOVE elephants, they’re my favorite creatures. Would you ever be brave enough to try walking on stilts? I’d be so scared but wouldn’t be opposed to trying. Do you know about sex trafficking in Thailand? I’ve heard enough to be actively aware of it, but I don’t know specifics. Do you like Thai food? Obsessed.

Do you know anyone who's Thai? I don’t think so. United States If you live in the US, which state do you live in? Which states have you visited? Which states have you lived in? Have you ever been to Washington D.C? No. What is your favorite American food? I don’t know...I’m genuinely not sure what counts as American food because the ones I know were influenced one way or another from other cuisines. Maybe burgers? I love me a juicy burger with brioche buns, caramelized onions, and a mayo-based sauce. Do you listen to popular music? Hahahaha, guilty pleasure. Do you dream of having two kids and maybe a dog? Yesssss. ...and living in a two-story house with a white picket fence? House yes; not so much on the fence. Fences aren’t the norm here; people have big-ass gates instead. ...and having a good job and saving for retirement? Why is this just an American thing? Isn’t this like a people thing? ....where you can retire to Florida and live on the beach? Florida was never my ideal home. Did you go to college? If so, what was your major? I’m in college atm. Journalism. Were you abused by your parents? Emotionally/mentally/verbally. Do you know any nice people? ???????? I do, but I’m starting to dislike how general life questions were all clumped into the American category as if the whole world lives an American-centric life. Anyway IT’S NOT THAT SERIOUS ROBYN MOVE ON How often do you bbq? What's your favorite ride at Cedar Point? Other What's the best family vacation you've been on? Palawan was amazing. It was a local vacation but it was so much good fun. What countries have you visited? My own; Japan, China, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia. What countries do you want to visit? Morocco, South Africa, Egypt, Canada, Peru, Malta, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia. Have you ever been to NYC? No. Do you live in a big city, small town, or other? Big city, but I live in the quiet, more suburban part of it so it feels small.

Do you live in the city or country? City. What is your favorite country besides your own? I never claimed that the Philippines was my favorite country hahahaha um I don’t have one. What country do you live in? The Philippines. What is your ancestry? Filipino, Malay, Austronesian, possibility of Spanish. Are you happy with the American government? Right now? It sucks. I only recognize and like AOC. What currency do you use? Philippine peso. Do you think you have an accent? Everyone has an accent. I don’t know why this is a question. Have you ever been told you have an accent? Sure.

#survey #surveys

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diannaphantomfiction · 5 years

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Karivarry LifeSwap AU Writing Prompts. Prompt 9/15: These Are My Partners

THERE IS NOW A LIST OF CHARACTERS: HERE

Prompt requested by an anonymous @mewwitch. Here’s the Prompt:

If you are still taking prompts for the lifeswapAU, how about their first meetings with each other? Or maybe the first time they introduced each other as romantic partners?

Barry hopped off the couch with a skip in his step. Lazy nights in were a rare occurrence and lazy night in with both his partners were even rarer. Had they had to call the Chinese place again because Kara had severely underestimate how much food Oliver would eat today? Yes. Did they scare the poor family that runs the restaurant by just how much they ordered? Probably. But they were cuddled up together on their couch, eating, and watching Star Trek (made hilarious by Oliver whispering ‘gay’ whenever Spock and Kirk were on screen together) with their phones turned off.

So, when Barry opened the door, he was expecting food.

“Diana?”

Diana Prince, better known as Wonder Woman was standing at his door, looking as frazzled as she got. She easily towered over Barry at 6’5”, and her muscles made it clear that she was nearly as strong as Clark. She was wearing a pair of leggings, a plain t-shirt, and her long black hair was wrangled into a bun instead of it’s usual low ponytail. Diana was leaning against a suitcase and holding a large purse.

She smiled at him. “Hello, Bar-El. I hope I’m not intruding, but you didn’t pick up your phone.”

“Of course not,” Barry stepped forward and gave her a quick hug. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes. My flight to Gotham was late so I missed my layover and I’m stuck until tomorrow and I was hoping you’d let me borrow your couch?”

Barry smiles. “Of course! But, I’m not alone tonight…”

Diana’s smile widened. “Your famous partners?”

Barry blushed. “Yeah. Would you like to meet them?”

“I would love to.”

Barry stepped aside to let her in and walked with her to the living area. “Guys, this is Diana, she’s an old family friend. Diana, this is my boyfriend, Oliver, and my girlfriend, Kara.”

Diana shook both their hands. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. I’ve heard a lot about you from Barry.”

“Good things I hope,” Kara said with a smile.

Diana gave Barry a very familiar, very smug, and very calculating. “Oh, it’s rarely anything but.”

Barry blinked. Well, he did not like the look of this. At all.

Kara was on edge, Oliver was sure that if he wasn’t holding her hand, she would have attacked someone and jumped out a window by now. She didn’t like locks. Or bars. Or pat downs. Or people that had a largely group us vs them mentality. Basically, prisons in general. They made her twitchy and when Kara got twitchy, she got violent. Barry was doing better at least, even if he kept looking at the guards nervously. Barry, who was bulletproof.

“You guys really don’t have to be nervous.” Oliver smiled and squeezed Kara’s hand. “Everyone here knows me. As long as you don’t do anything stupid no one is going to say or do anything.”

“I don’t like it here,” Kara mumbled, looking very seriously at the window of the waiting room.

“Kara…” Oliver said with clear warning in his voice.

“Queen, West, Danvers-Grant!”

Oliver tugged Kara up and they went through the regular pat down procedure before being led to the women’s visiting room. It was...easier to deal with then the men’s where you had to speak to the person you were visiting through glass and a recording phone. There was no touching. On the women’s side, the visiting room was as dull and drab as you could imagine, with metal tables and benches bolted to the floor. Oliver could hug her when at the beginning and end of the visit, but quickly and if a guard didn’t like the look of something, he could end the visit early.

Getting Barry and Kara on his mother’s visiting list was an experience. Oh, Barry was easy enough. He was a good kid, stellar record, adopted out of foster care, successful in therapy, no criminal record, he’d easily passed all the checks. Kara was more difficult. She’d never actually been convicted or sent to trial over anything, but it was pretty well known that she had “fits of instability,” a term that Oliver hated. Kara was perfectly stable, but the rule had changed for her. Everything “unstable” about Kara made perfect sense if you understood her. For instance, she was currently stressed out because she’d been chained and caged in makeshift prisons before where guards had abused her to the extreme. They almost denied her entry, until Oliver promised he’d take responsibility for anything that happened. He hadn’t told Kara that bit.

“You’re doing great, Kara.” He whispered as they sat down. She was currently glaring at the guard that had yelled something about ‘Little Ollie getting a girl’ and ignoring both him and Barry.

Then, the door opened and the prisoners started to file in. Oliver watched as the women’s faces lit up as they saw their families and walked over to tables as fast as they could without getting yelled at. His mother entered about halfway through the group and Oliver immediately let go of Kara’s hand and rose to his feet. He took a few steps forward to meet her halfway and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

“Hey Mom.”

Moria smiled and cling back just as tightly. “Hello Oliver.”

Oliver pulled back, going to sit between Barry and Kara as Moria sat down across from them. “Mom, this is Barry and Kara, my romantic partners.”

Moria rose her eyebrows sky high, “When you said you wanted to introduce me to your partners, I figured it would have more to do with...your work.”

“Oh! That’s how we met.” Barry spoke up, “Through work.”

Realization dawned on her face. “Well. I apparently owe Brianna a Snickers bar.”

Kara leaned forward and for the first time, didn’t look nervous by the very nature of the building they were in. “Ms. Queen. I understand this relationship seems abnormal, even strange perhaps, but Barry and I love Oliver very much. We would give anything to see him happy and what we’ve discovered is that the three of us are happiest together.”

Moria stared down Kara for a couple seconds before her face softened. “Well, what sort of mother would I be if I denied my son that sort of happiness? Now, why don’t you two tell me about yourselves?”

Kara patted Mike on the shoulder as she headed off the mat. “That’s enough for today. You’re doing really well, Mike. Ted would be proud.”

Mike smiled. “Thanks.”

Kara nodded and started her her cool down stretches. Mike really was doing well, he still had a long way until he was even on the same level as Lena, but he was getting along with the team (mostly) and learning his limits and how to push them safely. Who knows? soon, she may let him go out on real missions.

She turned back to Mike, who was getting water, “Don’t forget to stretch. And don’t spend to much time lifting weights. Remember…”

“I know, I know.” Mike rolled his eyes. “Balance.”

“Good man.” Kara smiled and headed out to the main area. Winn, loud as ever, was talking to someone, though Kara couldn’t see who yet. Lena was leaning up against one o the desks, laughing happily along with Winn and…

“Barry! Oliver! What are you doing here? Is everything alright?” Kara’s mind was reeling, thinking up everything that could go wrong in her brain. The list wasn’t exactly short either. There were speedsters and various aliens, not to mention all the other trouble these two got into.

“We just had some free time and wanted to surprise you.” Oliver said, moving to her side to kiss her cheek.

Barry waved from his cross-legged perch on one of the desks. “We brought pie!”

“How many pieces did you eat?”

“...We brought three pies!”

Kara let a smile tug at the corners of her lips. “That sounds more realistic.”

Winn spoke around a mouthful of pie. “It is awesome pie!”

Barry sits up a little straighter. “It’s Ma Kent’s recipe! She taught me how to make it when I first came to Earth. I already make a pie for Team Flash once a month, I can make one for you guys too.”

“That is the greatest gift you could ever give us.”

Lena rolled her eyes. “No it’s not. Don’t listen to him.”

Winn nodded furiously as soon as Lena turned in another direction, causing Barry and Oliver to stifle laughs and Kara to smirk.

“Sure, Winn. I’ll make you guys a pie.”

“YES!”

“Did you guys forget to introduce me to team members?”

Everyone turned to see Mike walking up, a towel wrapped around his neck and a water bottle in his hand. Kara had forgotten about Mike. She had been trying not to overwhelm him, Barry and Oliver were overwhelming. Their lives were overwhelming. Their villains were overwhelming. Kara loved them, but sometimes one of them would say something and she would just stare because it was that unbelievable.

“Uh no. Barry and Oliver have their own teams. Barry, Oliver, this is Mike, he’s the new Wildcat. In training.”

Barry smiled and waved from his perch as Mike looked them over.

“Uh, wait… Superboy… and the Flash? We knew Superboy and the Flash?”

Barry and Winn start to snicker and Oliver smiled.

Lena covered her mouth to hold back a laugh. “Oh, Mike… we more more than know them…”

“...What?”

Kara sighed and ran a hand down down her face. “They’re my boyfriends. I am dating Oliver and Barry. Yes, both of them. Yes, they are also dating each other. No, it is not confusing. We loved each other very much and I know about seventy ways to kill you without weapons.”

Mike blinked. “...What?”

Everyone burst out laughing. Oliver took Kara’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “Great mentee you’ve got their.”

“He’s not usually this speechless.”

#fanfiction #Writing Prompts #Karivarry Life Swap AU #Arrow #The Flash #Supergirl #AU #prompt #Karivarry #Life Swap AU

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emphasis-all-mine · 6 years

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Paper Skin Trivia/Headcanons

Well, here’s my (abbreviated) Paper Skin headcanon/trivia lists for the main characters. Let me know if you have any questions or want me to expand any more?

Lance

Cuban and Spanish, raised by his Mom and Grandma, came to US when he was 4.

06/21 ETA: Born a werewolf, as were his brothers and sister (werewolf bloodlines in this AU are Matrilineal and he's descended of only wolfmothers, more on that soooooon).

Refers to Cindy as Mama Garrett and Henry by his first name because he is still a little detached (was raised without his dad present in Cuba so it feels weird)

Loves to climb trees and go up high, instinctively longs to climb mountains.

Didn't do that great at school so he decided to put off college and wound up becoming a jack-of-all-trades and a self-taught chef.

Cooking helps him remember his mother, makes him feel closer to her.

Is a cat person, doesn't like dogs and especially hates coyotes and jackals instinctively. (Will try to maul a jackal on sight. Coyotes just get angry growls.)

LOVES cats of all kinds. Will befriend mountain lions during full moon much to their surprise, or break into a zoo and make nice with all the big cats if left unattended.

Okay so one time when he was a teenager he got into the Bronx Zoo and first tried to chill with the leopards/black panther in the jungle exhibit but it was closed, then he tried to go see the snow leopards & the tigers but couldn't get into their enclosures. Somehow figured out how to get to the Lions.

He mauled a rare deer and dragged it into the Lion enclosure to present to them and become an honorary member of the pride.

The Garretts and some other members of their pack had to break in and drag him away

The Lions were not happy that they lost their new pack member but got over it.

Whenever he visits the zoo as a guest you could SWEAR they recognize him and call out to him.

When he's a wolf he prefers deer or other hoofed mammals and second favorite is rodents. (Ends up eating birds just because of his natural tree-climbing instincts. Also he knows Hunk likes them so he brings him pigeons and quails.)

All time favorite thing he's eaten as a wolf was a Moose that he caught for Keith (will explain in a future chapter) with a very lost and confused Caribou as a runner up.

Least favorite is crow or birds of prey but he gets short-sighted when he's wolfy and sometimes just hunts for the thrill of it. He's taken down a red-tailed hawk and an Eagle owl.

Favorite music: Shakira (prefers her ¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones?-era stuff), Gorillaz, TV on the Radio, Robyn, Rihanna

Keith

Was brought into the Shirogane clan at around age 12/13.

Identifies as Asian-American since his Dad was part Korean but does not know where his mom came from. Assumes she was of a mixed background as well.

His dad was sired by Akira Kogane, who was of Chinese and Japanese descent so he wonders if that filters down with vampire progeny?

Speaks very little Japanese, enough to answer Shiro if he uses a well-known phrase but not enough to converse

Has a recurring nightmare where tree branches start growing out of his throat and choke him

Really wants a motorcycle but will settle for a car of his own. Doesn't want Shiro to buy it, he's saving his own money.

He's actually a very good driver and Shiro will let him drive his vehicles.

Studied outside of school with help from coven members that were teachers as also some help from Pidge and the Holts so he was able to get his GED at 19

Very glad he has Umbra for a pet because she is very good at helping him figure out the time of day based on her behavior and feeding habits (yes he forgets that his phone will tell him the time and weather conditions because he is so used to living completely indoors)

Has a bug-out room in the apartment he shares with Lance. It's much bigger than the closet corner and has room for some emergency supplies and he's put up some corkboards on the walls.

Prefers type O blood and tries to avoid AB because it's like OJ with pulp (there's too much extra antigens in it). Loves pork blood when it's Lance's recipe.

Favorite music: Dolly Parton, The Cure, MCR, Siouxsie & the Banshees and PJ Harvey

Hunk

Born a werewolf, mostly Grey wolf but there's some Asian/Japanese wolf ancestry

Full name is Tsuyoshi Garrett (born Tsuyoshi Seido but had it legally changed when Henry Garrett adopted him)

His mom is Cynthia Tsukiyama-Garrett, and birth father is Tsutomo "Tommy" Seido

He considers Henry Garrett his Dad, hence why he took his last name instead of going by Seido or changing it to Tsukiyama

Henry gave Hunk his nickname after his half-brothers teased him about being a "runt"

Was great at school and did some undergrad at Hunter, then left to go to culinary school.

He finished culinary school and worked at his Mom's bar while trying to figure out if he really wanted to work in a fancy restaurant that wouldn't give him time away for full moon stuff

First time he met Shay he choked on his own spit because his mouth went dry and he nearly passed out

Second time was a better impression, his little sisters both caught the flu and were in wolf-form and was finally able to be his sweet charming self because he was so focused on his sisters' well-being that he forgot to freak out that the pretty veterinarian was smiling at him.

Had a full blown panic attack when he cooked for Shay without knowing she was a vegetarian and inadvertently won her heart with how caring and concerned he was.

Is practicing making Kushari because Shay's family is Egyptian and he wants to impress them. He already makes fantastic hummus.

His preferred food as a wolf is any kind of fowl (sparrow, chicken, turkey, etc.) Secretly loves peacock, but resists the urge to break back into St. John the Divine's Cathedral to snarf one up.

Least favorite food as a wolf is any kind of seafood or fish. Loves them as a human but finds them too bony and briny when wolfed-out.

Favorite music: Matt and Kim, LCD Soundsystem, Beck, The Hold Steady, Broken Social Scene

Pidge

Irish-Italian, her parents are very lapsed Catholics

Currently in High School and will end up at Columbia after timeskip

Needs to study an animal before trying to shift. Often pictures or online video is enough but really does prefer to be up close and personal so she can nail any vocalizations that the audio distorts or doesn't quite catch.

Her dad has a mastery of most animal forms and also can do inanimate objects. Pidge will work on that next. It takes a lot of concentration and holding her breath

Keith is her favorite because he'll support her delinquency (he doesn't realize it) and she likes helping him figure societal conventions out. They talk or visit at least once a week if not more.

Pidge would make Keith do her homework as a way of home-schooling him (and it also reinforced whatever she was learning, meaning she'd ace every subject and test), it dropped off after Keith got his GED and started working. Schoolwork still is rather easy for her after so many years of teaching herself good study habits by tutoring Keith.

Shiro being ageless is a stable presence in her life, but she thinks of him as more of her brother's friend or like an eccentric uncle

(Pidge has many eccentric uncles and aunts due to her family being half fae descendants, and half metahumans)

Her favorite food is pancakes. Least favorite is eggplant.

Favorite music: Zoë Keating, Tricky, Portishead, Massive Attack, Modest Mouse

Allura

Was introduced to the underground supernatural community of NYC by her godfather, Coran.

Born and raised in London. Westbourne Gardens area.

Came to the US on student visa and goes to grad school for biochem. Phlebotomy is a way for her to make money and help out Shiro, as Coran's family has known of his for years

No, she doesn't know why Coran has that accent even though he's lived in Brooklyn for as long as she knows

Her pet "mice" are actually Degus. She likes carrying them around in her pockets or purse, they are very well-behaved.

She's never going to bring them NEAR Lance because she knows how much he loves eating fuzzy little rodents

Her favorite food is Candy Floss, least favorite is tomatoes.

Favorite music: Nina Simone, Lana Del Rey, anything Stevie Nicks has done, Ms. Dynamite and Kylie Minogue

Shiro

Names all his businesses after vampire things because he believes in hiding in plain sight (Shuten-dōji was the yokai/vampire that turned him)

Didn't return to his hometown after being turned into a vampire. Was too ashamed and scared he would hurt them. His neighbors and friends assumed he died in the Great Tenmei famine.

Despite his issues with aging, he's tried dying his hair but it looks awful so he just leaves the white streak

Was a very good horseback rider in his youth. Joined the military and was a skilled fighter.

It took a while for him to adjust to motor vehicles. He hit Hunk's grandmother with his car, (but that's how he found the Tsukiyama pack so it worked out and she was fine.)

First cat was named Bobō, a calico. Current cat is Kikō, a tabby.

Prefers type B blood but will settle for O or AB. Type A makes him sneeze after he eats.

Not really a music fan, prefers quiet. He really liked jazz when he first heard it so he sometimes puts on very old, worn-out LPs.

He answers to Takashi or Shiro. Shi-kun or Shi-chan to friends that use his honorifics, later Shiro-kun or Shiro-chan, when he took the nickname referring to the white streak in his hair.

He still has a bad habit of not responding if people address him by Shirogane alone.

(Because "Shirogane-san" was his twin's preferred name)

#em rambles #Paper Skin #paper skin lore #fic: paper skin #klance #vampire keith #werewolf lance #em answers #anonymous

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surveys-at-your-service · 6 years

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Survey #107

“i love everything you do, when you call me fuckin’ dumb for the stupid shit i do.”

The beach or the pool? The pool. Cleaner, less risk, no sand. Do you have many internet friends? Most of my friends are online. Do you think those friendships are on level with your real life ones? Shit, I'm closer to some online friends more than I am "real" ones. Did you name all of your dolls and stuffed animals? I think I might've... I know I named the ones I really loved. Is your middle name plain? Pretty sure it's one of the most common middle names. Do you like Resident Evil games? RE4 is in my top 10 fave games. I've played some of the original RE, but I didn't like it. Controls were awful and I didn't find the story all that interesting. I played like the first 30 minutes of RE6 with Jason, but for some reason we never finished it? I'd love to play more, even though I've heard it was terrible. Def wanna play the 7th too bc Leon is love. Eeeeven though I heard that one was awful, too. What would you say is your WORST phobia? I actually recently found out what pisanthrophobia (fear of trusting people due to negative, past relationships) is, and it is 100% that. Do you wish your last name was more interesting? Sure, I don't like my last name. If you wrote a novel, would you give the characters ordinary names? Some would be, some wouldn't be. What’s your favorite leaf color? Orange. Have you ever had a close friend get knocked up early? I don't know why the term "knocked up" is annoying to me, but whatever. Anyway, no. Have you yourself ever gotten close to getting pregnant? No. If you were to get pregnant as a teen, what would happen? Have the baby and give it up for adoption. Do you have any pictures of you kissing someone? A few exist, but I no longer have any. Are you afraid of needles? No. I mean the idea of getting a deep shot is unpleasant, but I'm not afraid of them. Do you find piercing attractive or unattractive? It really depends on the piercing and the person, but usually attractive. What's your most popular post? I actually made a gif of Chica and Mark almost two months ago (this isn't my main blog obvs.) that took way too long and Mark actually reblogged it (he controls his own social media) and???? A whale-like sob escaped from the very core of my soul????? And I couldn't sleep for two days?????? Manga or anime? Anime, I don't read. I've never read manga, actually. A card game that you're good at? None. Favorite flavors of ice cream? My favorite is vanilla with chocolate syrup, but I also like plain chocolate or moose tracks. Have you ever overcome a disease that was life-threatening and, if so, which one? No. Have you ever sent a text to the wrong person? Yes, but thankfully nothing embarrassing. I've come close, though. Do you like Subway? Yes, but I always get the same thing there. Would you rather lose your best friend or your boyfriend? *girlfriend, but I'd rather lose my other best friend. Have you ever dated someone in secret? My relationship now is secret to most people in my face-to-face life. I mean I wouldn't lie if I was asked, but I'm not going to tell most people otherwise for a few reasons. Do you ever send people good morning texts? Sara, sometimes. Do you kiss your pets? I kiss Teddy. I would happily kiss Venus is it wasn't for salmonella. Would your parents approve of you dating someone of a different race? Yes. How old is the oldest person you know? Hm... I'm not sure. Maybe this woman my mom used to watch; I met her once, and she was such a sweetie. I think she was almost 90. Have you ever had to put your hand over someone’s mouth to keep them quiet? Yes. Do you have an accent? People tell me I don't really have one, even people from outside the state, but with some words, people can tell I'm from the south. Do you own any figurines? Of what? I have one of a small dragon. How long does it usually take you to get to sleep? Now that I take Melatonin, like, 15-20 minutes I'd guess. What was the last picture you took with your phone? My dog because he was being precious. Do you have trouble waking up in the morning? What gets you up and awake? I tend to lie there for a while, so kinda? And I just get up once I'm not incredibly drowsy. What is one thing you and your best friend have in common physically? With Colleen, we both have blue eyes, with Sara, we both have brown hair. Now based on your interests, what is one thing you both have in common? Sara, we both love reptiles, with Colleen... Jesus, like nothing. Where do your grandparents live? Florida (but she stays in New York a lot) and Michigan. When is the last time you went out to dinner with a friend? Where did you go? Who paid? Earlier this month with Dad. We went to a Mexican restaurant whose name I can't remember. Aaaand I hate Mexican food. Do you get excited when you learn you have to dress up? Not really. Too much work. What’s your ideal first date? Don't have one. Plenty of things can be fun with different people with different interests. If you type for awhile, do your fingers start to hurt? Boi step yo game up that's some amateur shit *doesn't mention how I have carpal tunnel so my wrist disagrees* Chinese or Mexican food? Hate Mexican food and don't like much Chinese, but Chinese. Are you the type of person who would study for a test for hours? No. I'm not willing to invest THAT much time into studying. Do you hate when you’re in a good mood and one person ruins your mood? Ha, yeah. People can do that easily for me. What’s worse: Rude people, two faced people or fake people? Rude or two-faced. Does your house have a doorbell? Shit, does it? o_o I don't think so... Do you know someone who has dropped out of high school? A few. Has your Facebook ever been hacked? I don't think so. Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook? I love Tumblr so much help I didn't want this. Do you have any quotes on your bedroom walls? The serenity prayer, yes. Do you wear earrings? Ugh no because all of mine are silver, which I'm allergic to. I want to get gold or surgical steel ones so I can actually wear them, I like earrings. Is your WiFi protected? Yes. Does your phone have a cover on it? No, but I'd like one. Would you ever lie about your past? Already am about some things to people in my "real" life. Some say that high school is the best time of your life. Was that true for you? It was in some ways, others not. Is it good to have pride in your own race or does that separate people from each other because it makes them think of everyone else as ‘outsiders’? It's perfectly fine to feel proud of your race as long as you don't look down on others. What’s the bravest or most daring thing you have ever done? Shit, probably speak my mind to my mom since she's scary as fuck when I disagree with her. Who owes you an apology? A number of people. Who deserves an apology from you? My dad deserves another, for one. Is a prenuptial agreement necessary or does it take the romance and trust out of marriage? Fucking destroys trust, imo. Know of any conspiracy theories you think might be credible? Not off the top of my head. I do find the theory of the moon landing being fake very interesting and there is some compelling evidence, but I still believe it was real. It's my fave theory, though. How do you go about losing weight? I don't eat nearly enough most days. What is the worst mistake you’ve ever made? Overdosing. I mean it led to my recovery, but I could've achieved that in a different way. Are you patriotic? Not especially, but I don't hate America either. When you ask people how they are doing you actually care about their answer or is it just polite? Yes, I care. Would you consider yourself to be very polite? In most ways, yes. Which group generally annoys you more, people older than you, or people younger than you? Younger. What do you think of crop circles? They're interesting, but I don't blame them on aliens. Have you ever written graffiti on anything? Nope. Should birth control be taught in high school? How about in jr. high or elementary school? Around 4th/5th grade. Some kids start having sex early, and it's about this time where a girl can get pregnant. Do you use bad grammar or hate bad grammar? I only ever use it sarcastically or comedically. Last time you fed your pets? My mom always feeds all the dogs simultaneously, and Venus hasn't wanted to eat since I got her. If she doesn't eat by mid-November, then I'll be concerned (already kinda am). Do you know/ have you met your significant other’s ex? I know Sara's online but obviously never "met" him. What do you think about censorship in music? I honestly think both versions should exist. Some people don't like profanity and I don't believe children should hear it. Do you have any of your teachers on MySpace/Facebook? I have a few. Have you seen your family tree? Someone made one, but I've never seen it. What are you most likely to do first in the morning; grab a cup of coffee, have a cigarette, or use the bathroom? Use the bathroom. I don't smoke and I hate coffee. What are you most likely to do when you are upset; talk to somebody you’re close to, cry yourself to sleep, or bottle it up inside? I've finally learned how to talk to someone. What are you most likely to do if you get drunk; pick fights, hook up with people, or socialize with anybody & everybody? Never been drunk, but apparently I'm seriously giggly and social when I'm tipsy. What are you most likely to pick if you got to choose your topic on a research paper; drug abuse, mental illness, or the death penalty? Oh, I can write a damn novel on mental illness. What are you most likely to do if there are no good surveys floating around at the time; make some new surveys for yourself & everyone else to take, bitch & complain about how there are no good surveys then take a survey you don’t even feel like taking, or go find something else to do besides taking surveys? Oh hun. I get surveys from about a billion sources so I will never run out. *cackles* Do you hold grudges or forgive easily? If someone is truly sorry, I forgive easily. In a relationship, how important are looks? I don't care. I care about your personality. Sure, it's nice to be attracted physically to your s/o, but it's not a determining factor on whether I date you or not. Do you have to know someone for a while before you will date them? I mean I won't date someone too quickly, no, but we don't have to have known each other for months or anything. Jason and I started dating I don't even think two weeks after meeting, and we had a great relationship for almost four years 'til the end. What do you consider the greatest threat to mankind? Hm, deep question... probably lack of compassion. Describe your music taste in one word: Consistent. In the event of a zombie apocalypse, where would you go to hide? Ideally a brick building or something likewise. Who’s your favorite character on That '70s Show? AHHHHH I LOVE THAT SHOW!! Probably Hyde. Maybe Kitty. But I love them all omg <3 All the characters are SO memorable. Do you fangirl/fanboy over anyone? hahahahahahahhHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH Have you ever said 'I love you’ and didn’t mean it? I've said it back to Mom when I feel that I didn't, though I know I did. Use one word to describe your last kiss. Awkward. How much is gas where you live? Two-something. Mid twos. What has caused you to reinvent yourself or reevaluate who you are? Absolutely Holly Hill. It saved my life. I looked at my situation in a totally different light. Short, knee, or ankle skirts? I tend to aesthetically like those that are a little above the knee. What couldn’t you live your life without? My mom. I don't think I'd survive. She's the one who makes sure I keep myself on the right path. Would you be on that who wants to marry a millionaire show as a contestant? 1.) Why the fuck would I marry someone just for money and 2.) why the fuck would I want to go into a relationship with someone I just met. Is it easier to live when you’re evil? Sure, no remorse. <<< Yeah. Have you ever given blood? Once. Are you a miracle? I consider every single life a miracle; it's the source of one tattoo I have. This world being created and adapted as it has is miraculous enough, and then the odds of you exactly being conceived is SO fucking rare. Can musicians be held responsible for influencing people to behave badly? No. People make their own choices, lyrics don't change that. What annoys you the most about yourself? I immediately assume the worst end result of any situation. Is it better for people to change and evolve their ideas or always be consistent? It depends on the belief. Do you want a girl or a boy as your first born? I don't want kids, but if I did, definitely a girl. Do you have any embarrassing usernames? Eh, don't like some anymore, but no. Have you ever scratched yourself until your skin was raw? I have six long scars on my left shin (one being the worst scar on my body) and four more mild ones on my right front scratching the fuck out of them after I shave and then shower. I don't know why the fuck it happens, but it's awful. Even lotion doesn't really help. What is the longest essay or research paper you have written? Ten or so pages. Do you worry about being judged by other people? I shouldn't be but I'm heavily concerned with it. If someone doesn’t like you, do you usually want to know the reason? Duh. I want to know if it's petty or something I can improve on. Can you do a flip on a trampoline? I used to do front flips, but I was too scared to do back flips because I had this intense fear of breaking my neck or something. Stopped entirely because of that fear. Does your doctor freak you out? She doesn't freak me out, she's just unfriendly. Does it annoy you when people’s eyebrows are a different color than hair? Don't care. Has your grandma ever cussed in front of you before? More like at me. But in front of me, too, once or twice. What primary color is your Christmas tree? Green. I want a black one, man, but since it's a family thing, it's obviously not just up to me. What’s the best camera brand? I think it's technically Canon. Where do you go fishing at? Dad and I haven't gone in forever, but it was pretty much always somewhere on the Tar River or Sapony Creek. How old were your parents when you were born? Uhhh I don't have my parents' ages memorized, but Mom was around 35 and Dad's one year younger than her. Is there one song that you know all the lyrics to? A decent number, yeah. Has a cat/dog ever thrown up on your bed? Omg no I'd never sleep on that bed again pretty much. Have you ever had a concussion? Ugh, yes. Can't even explain how bad it was. Have you seen the movie "The Dark Knight?" You can't date the world's biggest Joker fan and not at some point. Do you know anyone who has a pet gecko? Summer has a leopard gecko and he's super-duper cute. Is there an animal that you’re afraid of? Maggots and slugs are the worst, whale sharks, some spiders and bugs. Kissed someone who was a really bad kisser? Tbh. Gotten in trouble for public displays of affection? OKAY SO. Jason and I used to ride the bus home together and one day I was falling asleep in his lap, and he was too. Our friends were joking around and yelled something along the lines of us being too affectionate, so the bus driver came back to see what was up, and she looked so confused when she saw we were just trying to sleep lmao. But she still told us to just sit next to each other. Looking back on it, it was funny. Do you get bad hangovers? Never had one. Have you ever sent a friend request to someone who you thought was someone different? No but true shit the only reason I accepted Jason's friend request was because I thought he was a different Jason lmao. Have you ever chatted with someone on webcam? No because it's awkward as fuck. Wait. I did once with Jason. Never again. Jeez, three questions I've mentioned him in the last four ones. Ew. Have you ever solved a Rubik’s cube? I ain't got the patience for that shit. Are you embarrassed/uncomfortable dancing in front of other people? YUP. One reason why I don't. Do you ever drink directly from beverage containers because you don’t want to dirty a cup? No, because I don't want other people drinking my backwash?? This is such a backwards question. If you carry a purse, roughly how big is it? What do you carry in it? It's small. Phone, iPod, wallet, keys, hand sanitizer, a few other miscellaneous things I may need. Of all the pets you have had throughout your life, which one has meant the most to you? Is there a reason why? My current dog Teddy. He's an absolute angel that adores me probably even more than I adore him. He's been an important part of my life for 11 years, and I could never love a literal child more. Imagine it is a dark night, you are alone, it is raining outside, you hear someone walking around outside your window. WHO do you wish was there with you? My mom 'cuz she'd kill a bitch. Is love a commitment to one person, or can you love more than one person at the same time? I believe it's totally possible to be interested in more than one people, but love? Only one. I believe loving someone is about putting him/her above all others. What is your favorite kind of incense? Omg I had this one, red incense that smelled fucking AMAZING, but I don't remember what it was called! D: Who is the most immature person you know? *winks @ Sara* Do you read your friend’s surveys? Yes, because it's a cool way to learn usually miscellaneous things about them you wouldn't have known. If you had to get a tattoo tomorrow, what would you pick? I wouldn't want to get one tomorrow, actually. I want to get a Markiplier tattoo I designed for Christmas, and I'm going to estimate it'll be around $150-$200 (I'm not good at estimating tat prices, so take that with a grain of salt), so I want to be sure we have money for that first. Literally the only thing I'm asking for for Christmas, I just don't ask for much anymore. How do you feel about band tattoos? I'm not against them or anything, but I'm not sure I'll ever get one. What piercing do you like most on the opposite sex? Opposite or same, lip piercings. What brand of hair dye do you prefer to use? Splat is the only kind that's ever actually made the color stick for months. Won't use anything but that anymore. Would you ever get your hips pierced? No, seems painful as fuck and dangerous with pants and all, and I'm not skinny enough to look good with them. Have you ever gone to court? Not for a "real" trial, but I did have to give my reasoning as to why I felt I should be discharged from the hospital earlier (I think they wanted me there a month) to a judge, and it was one of the most nerve-wracking things ever. I did win the case, though. Would you ever want to swim with the sharks? No. I'm not necessarily scared of sharks and even believe they're immensely misunderstood, but I don't trust a shark enough to swim with it. Do you like sushi? I can pretty much guarantee I'd absolutely loathe it. Never trying. What is the worst thing that could possibly happen to you? Relapsing. I will fucking not go through that again. Who is your favorite visual artist? NukeRooster and Culpeo-Fox of dA. Their styles are super recognizable and just wonderful. I actually want a tattoo of one of NukeRooster's pieces ("Denialism") and actually got her permission, but it would be INCREDIBLY expensive with how intricate it is, so it's gonna be a looooong time 'til that happens. How old were you when you figured out what you wanted to do for a career? Lmao last month, so 21. Is there anyone with whom you would like to be better friends? A LOT of people. Mostly online friends, but some irl too. Who was the last person you cried in front of? Mom. Do you like pretzels? I have a massive preference for soft ones, but I'll eat either. Do any of your friends have children? My best friend's pregnant and I have some friends I used to be closer to who have young kids. Would you rather cry in public or make someone else cry in public? I'd rather cry, but either would suck. Would you rather re-live today forever or not live? I have absolutely zero desire for immortality. Have you ever truly thought you knew who you were going to marry? Yeah. Who was the last person of the opposite sex to be in your bedroom? I actually don't think a guy has ever been in this bedroom... Well, maybe save for when people were helping us move in, but I don't remember. Do you like kissing in public? Only if it's just a simple peck. Is the male or female body closest to perfection? I don't think either is "better" than the other. Four guys/girls whom you find attractive: 1.) Mark Fischfuck, 2.) Link Neal, 3.) Hannah Hart is like my biggest female celeb crush, 4.) uhhh... I'm not really sure. Maybe Johnny Depp? What is your definition of cheating? As soon as you're flirting with someone else in an obviously non-playful way, you're cheating. Do you tend to go for older or younger when looking for someone to date? Older guys for maturity, no preference with girls. When do you want to get married? I don't have a specific time in mind. I don't want kids, so it's not like I'm racing the biological clock. Describe your personality in 3 words or less: Really Fucking Awkward™ What size bed do you have? Queen How many friends do you have? Very few that I consider "friends," really. Around like 10, and most I include are more like... a bit higher than acquaintances, but not really "friends?" What's the worst thing you have ever done? It's something I don't talk about because it's humiliating to think I've done it. What is your skin type? (oily, dry, etc) Dry as actual fuck. Are you going to change your last name when you get married? If I marry a man, yes. If I maybe a girl, depends on whose name sounds better with whose last name lol. What is your phone background? Lock screen, Mark Fischbach, home screen, the magic sigil from "Shadow of the Colossus." Have you taken self-defense classes? No, but I should. Particularly with how much I distrust people. What are you known for among your friends? Being very quiet. The person you would never want to meet? A rapist. For someone who's never even been harassed, I am fucking terrified of them and rape in general to the point my mother and therapist have asked multiple times if I've ever been molested. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? The divorce. I would say the breakup, but that, in the end, had an amazing effect on me. Have you ever built a snowman? Yeah. What is your favorite milkshake flavor? Vanilla, but sometimes I'm in the mood for chocolate. What is the last thing you drew a picture of? The picture I did of one of my RP OC's scars to demonstrate how it looked since it was hard to describe. What do you think about babies? I'm very uncomfortable around them and feel like I can just touch them and they'll break. And unlike, like, everyone, I don't find newborn/very young babies cute. What is the effect on you of having people physically nearby, if they’re not interacting with you? AWKWARD AS FUCK I GET SO UNCOMFORTABLE. Like whenever my mom sits on the couch (it's directly outside my door), I have to close it because her being able to see me and me being able to see her is awkward to me. If I'm sitting in the front seat of a car with someone, I need music on. Have you ever been extremely tired but refused to go to sleep? I do that a LOT. Have you ever experienced something paranormal? I feel I have at least twice. What’s the longest amount of time you’ve been stuck in traffic? I don't know. You don't get AWFUL traffic jams in this part of NC, but we've definitely waited a while. Best field trip experience? The zoo in 5th grade!! Saw meerkats for the first time and I was fucking ecstatic. How much time do you spend on Facebook, if you have one? Sometimes I don't go on for days, and if I do, I go through my news feed once and am done. What is the worst thunderstorm you’ve experienced? Maybe this one time when we still lived in Sharpsburg... Mom came to get us from our friend's house, which was maybe like 15 minutes away, and I was having an absolute panic attack. Favorite episode of Spongebob? Hm. Maybe the Slasher one. Or the pizza one. What bug frightens you most? Rhinoceros beetles and wasps. Do you hate your weight? Yup. But it's getting better. What do you usually order on a pizza? Jalapeno from Domino's, pepperoni from Little Caesar's because their jalapeno is too hot for even me. What is one thing that the Titanic has taught you? Don't go on a ship in a fucking arctic ocean. What is one thing you dislike about sheep? Why? I'm going to assume they smell bad? But otherwise, I love sheep, they're super cute. What do you think is an assumption that someone could make about you, just by looking at your Tumblr? Would this assumption be correct? That I love Mark, Rhett, and Link more than I love myself & they're probably right lmao. Do you sleep with your door closed or open? It's usually open, but I sometimes close it because Bentley annoys the fuck out of me because he comes into my room just to scratch himself relentlessly and get more fur in my room than there already is. Like he ALWAYS comes to my room just to do this shit. It's most annoying just because he's obnoxiously loud when he does this and I'm trying to sleep. Do you sometimes need help opening water bottles, Gatorade bottles, etc.? YUP. My hands are extremely soft, so it hurts easily. What would you say is your number one priority in life right now? My mental health, 100%. Are you someone who has to hide the things you like around friends? I don't have to, no, but I ABSOLUTELY do. I'm way too easily embarrassed about what I'm passionate about. But for some reason I'm not online. Do you like word or picture tattoos better? It depends on the style, how well it is done, and the placement. <<< This. When will your driver’s license expire? My permit expires in December. If you did, did you have to get a Tetanus shot? I think? Isn't that a required vaccination? What color lipstick do you think looks best on you? Black. I think me being so pale actually makes it look nice on me. Do you prefer pastel colors or dusty colors? Forests or beaches? Strawberries or bananas? Pastels, forests, strawberries. Do you prefer sunshine or moonlight? Gardening or baking? Flowers or succulents? Moonlight, neither, uhhh flowers maybe. Or maybe the latter. Idk. Do you use emojis when you text or type online? No, I use emoticons. It's a fucking miracle if I ever use an emoji. Do you like playing games by yourself or with other people? If you're talking about video games, usually alone. Do you prefer honey or jam? Roses or sunflowers? Oatmeal or cereal? Jame, roses, probably cereal. Give me a random word in another language. Tell me what it means. "Erdmännchen" is German for "meerkat." A romantic meal, a trip to a theme park, or go to a concert? Concert, dude. When was the last time you had an alcoholic beverage? Two months ago because Mom felt like getting Smirnoff's and apparently we have the same favorite (the Jamaican one) and she laughed "well you better drink it before me or Nicole do" so we shared two. Do you believe you'll find someone better than who you're with now? Honest opinion, I think she's perfect for me. So finding someone better would surprise me. Do you like pineapple? YES Would you ever smoke? No. I don't fancy cancer, bad breath, and a likely addiction. What was the first thing you are/were excited to do upon turning 21? Even when I got out of the hospital, I did nothing to celebrate. There wasn't really anything I looked forward to besides just legally being an adult. You’re drunk and lost walking down the road; who is with you? I don't ever want to be drunk considering I don't like the idea of not having a full grip on myself but if that was to ever hypothetically happen, it'd be Colleen, I'm sure. Do you like hickeys? If they're not obvious. Do you always answer your texts? If I have nothing to say, no. Do people ever call you by your last name? No, I'd hate that. I don't like my last name, plus it's masculine. What do you most like about making out? It's just a passionate experience. When you kiss someone for the first time, is it usually you who initiates it or the other? Huh. Kinda split according to history. Are you too shy to ask someone out? Apparently not. If an attractive person was pursuing you, but you knew he/she was in relationship, would you go for it? 1.) Looks are whatever and 2.) I'm not an ass, and even if they broke up, I wouldn't date a disloyal person. Is it hard for you to imagine life away from your hometown? I don't live in my hometown already. Do you expect to move out in the next year? That'd be pretty much miraculous. Name something you have always wanted and never got. An iguana, for one. Do you want a small or big wedding? I'm sure it'll be pretty small. I'm not close to enough people to want them to come, but it obviously also depends on who my s/o wants to come. Do you actually participate in gym class, or just stand there? Participated considering you couldn't graduate without it. Which was fucking stupid. Have you ever found yourself worrying about commitment? I've never had that fear. Are you dressing up for Halloween this year? I'd like to, but I doubt it. Do you have unlimited texting? Yes. Have you ever slept a whole day away? Accidentally and I had a massive panic attack because it totally screwed me up. Do you like those ramen noodles? I actually really dislike ramen. There was this one spicy kind, though, that I essentially survived off of in the apartment, and it was good. Don't remember the name, though. What’s your favorite song by Daughtry? "No Surprise" Do you make good first impressions? I honestly doubt I do because I'll just make it fucking awkward because I'll be uncomfortable. Are you ashamed of your past? Many parts of it. Name all the social networking sites you use: Just Tumblr and Facebook. Do you watch "The Walking Dead"? No. Are raisins good? Omg no. Disgusting. Do you get cold easily? I get hot easier. Have either of your parents gone to jail? No. Do you think homosexuality (anything beside heterosexual) is a choice? I personally believe it's a mutation considering it defies the biological plan, BUT a mutation does not equate to being wrong. I fully support it. I don't believe it's a choice either because you can't force yourself to be sexually attracted to a certain gender. Do you wax, pluck, or leave your eyebrows? Leave them. Mom takes Nicole and me to get ours waxed for only special occasions. There's really just no point. Do you like guns? NO. I'm not into extreme gun control and overall do support the 2nd Amendment (but with some degree of improved control), but I'm personally horrified of them and never want to touch one. They hold way too much power. Do you sleep with all the lights out, or do you leave a lamp or even the television on? I keep Venus' light on. What do you think of mosh pits? Seems pretty stupid, honestly. I've never heard of someone not being in pain after a mosh pit. Do you wear hoop earrings or studs more? Eh, kinda tied. Have you ever had stitches? Twice. Does heat seem to drain you of your energy? Completely. Who do you think has it harder in terms of expectations regarding physical appearance: men, or women? Elaborate on your choice? Women, easily. We have an absolute novel of societal expectations. Who is the most emotionally strong person that you know? I have a number of people in mind, but I don't know about most. Do you feel comfortable staying over at other people's houses for the night? I have to know the person very well. Or would you rather they stayed over at yours? No, my place is boring as fuck. Do you spend time online when your friends are over? I'll twiddle on my phone if we're doing nothing, but I don't use my laptop. Do you spend [too much] time texting when you’re around others? No, I try to refrain from texting when I'm with friends. Who was the “bad guy” in the last book you read? That I finished, Ner'zhul was the "main" one if we're being technical, but Arthas was a villain as well. Are you an insomniac? I officially do have insomnia. I now have to take Melatonin every night if I at all hope to sleep.

#survey #quiz #questions

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mrsrcbinscn · 3 years

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BDRPWriMo Task #16: TV Soundtrack -- Music In Just Trust Me

So, I was gonna do ten songs but I ran out of interest so here’s just two. I’m gonna re-do this task as just a part two of last years, where The Robinsons were a tv show lmao.

But I wanted to post this bc I did work hard lmao

so here’s 2 songs in the fake tv show Just Trust Me

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Just Trust Me is an American TV show produced by Netflix. Franny is one of the show’s co-producers, along with fellow Seoul Hanoi’d band member Mary Xiong, and several other Southeast Asian Americans connected to entertainment.

Just Trust Me is loosely based on the lives of Franny Sor Robinson, Mary Xiong, and Lydia Manivong, a Lao-American director and screenwriter who grew up in the same small Georgia town as Franny Robinson.

The show is set in the current day though, not the 90s, which is when Franny was growing up.

The five main characters are:

Zoey Vongvilay - a Lao-American girl whose mother immigrated from Laos and whose father is the first-generation son of Lao refugees; the character is played by a Canadian actress who is mixed Lao-Chinese-Vietnamese. Lydia Manivong’s life provided a lot of inspiration for the character.

Serey Sim/Nielson - a Cambodian-American girl whose biological parents both immigrated from Cambodia, but they divorced and her biological father isn’t in her life. The character has a white American step-father (whose last name she legally takes in season 3 when she surprises her family with the name change on a visit home from college) and step-brother, and a biracial little sister. She is played by a Cambodian-Burmese-American actress. This character is based heavily on Franny, with some key differences

Franny is biracial, her biological father is white

Franny’s real life step-father, who adopted her and IS her father as far as she is concerned, IS white but he is from Switzerland, not the US

Franny has two step-brothers, not just one, and has no younger half-siblings

Her mother didn’t immigrate by choice, she was a refugee resettled to America in the 70s, but since the show takes place in the 2010s-2020s, that had to be updated so it would make sense for the mother to have a teenage daughter

Song Bee - A Hmong-American girl whose parents immigrated to the US, her mother as a child, her father in his 20s. She is played by an actress of mixed Hmong-Thai-Indonesian-Pakistani-white background. Parts of her are inspired by Mary Xiong

TaShana “Shayna” Brewer-Pham - A girl with a Jamaican immigrant father and first-gen Vietnamese-American mother. Franny was insistent that one of the main characters be biracial. Originally, it was going to be Serey’s character (her original name was Serey Nielson, a nod to Franny’s husband’s first name being Cornelius), but when the Japanese-black actress auditioned for what was supposed to be a recurring character with no specified ethnicity named “Julie”, the writers, one of whom was black-Vietnamese herself, wrote TaShana for her.

George ”Fitzy” Fitzpatrick VI - A boy who is fifth generation Japanese-American on his mother’s side, and even more Irish-American on his father’s side. He was a recurring character in the first season and was moved to main in the second. He’s played by a biracial Japanese-white actor.

Setting: Originally, a small town in Texas, then, in season three, when the main five move on to university, largely in Austin with scenes in their hometown as well.

Premise: Just Trust Me is a comedy-drama about five young Texans of diverse backgrounds as they struggle with identity, expectations, stereotypes, school, part-time jobs, romance, and social lives. There are subplots involving many other characters, but the main 5 are in every episode.

Franny’s character in the show: Ary Meas/Aunty Ary, Serey’s aunt, is played by Franny Sor Robinson. She is a recurring character (usually in 3-5 episodes every fourteen-seventeen episode season) and is usually there to bail Serey out of trouble with her mother (Ary’s sister), or who Serey tests out sharing major news with. Ary is eccentric and a bit of a disaster, but a disaster who loves her niece. She always has a new suitor, and has been married and divorced since the series began.

Theme song: Geraldine by Avett Brothers

1: Episode 1x01: San Rafael

Song: Jeas Cyclo by Yol Aularong

The scene opens with Serey pedaling furiously on her bicycle, at an ungodly speed with her backpack on. She almost hits an armadillo but shrieks and swerves out of the way and not long after she’s back on course, she hears a car engine rev and laughter. She looks over her shoulder and rolls her eyes and groans because coming up behind her are the biggest assholes in school. They drive recklessly and speed through a muddy puddle, splashing mud all over her, and startling her off her bicycle and into a ditch. She looks up into the camera and spits out ditch water and dirt.

Serey flicks some mud off of her and hops back on the bicycle.

Cut to school and Serey beelines for the girls’ bathroom. As the song fades out, another student appears from out of frame with some clothing folded up in her hands.

“Brought your real clothes!” She chirps.

“Thanks, Zoey.” Serey sighs, drying her hands, then she begins stripping right there in the main part of the bathroom and changing outfits.

The true Franny story: [from an interview given at an event premiering the first episode] “We lived pretty close to my high school, so even if we could afford cars for my brothers and I, I probably would have bikes before it got to be winter anyway. But some people really hated me, like really hated me, so I’d been run into ditches like Serey, yeah. It got to the point where I’d keep my real nice clothes at Daniel’s — Daniel Maitland, my partner in Dara & Danny — at his house, and call him every night and tell him what outfit pack for tomorrow. That went on for a school year, until those kids graduated.”

Why Franny chose this song for this scene: “I wanted the first song the viewer heard to grab them and let them know what kind of show this was, like who it was a show about. It’s about Southeast-Asian-Americans living in the South. They are influenced equally by pop music they listen to with their friends, the indie music they discover on Spotify alone in their rooms, the country music playin’ at restaurants in their towns, and the music their parents and grandparents brought with them from Asia. So I wanted the Asian influence to smack everyone’s ears in the face.

2: Episode 3x05: George Not Straight

Song: The Cowboy Rides Away by George Strait

This is the episode where George “Fitzy” Fitzpatrick comes out as ga to his conservative Catholic parents. He’s at a Mexican restaurant on karaoke night in their hometown during fall break with his parents and the rest of the Core 5, and the actor that plays Fitzy actually sings this song. In the scene, Fitzy sings his karaoke song but he keeps looking between his parents, his friends, and the Latino man who is a recurring character (Jose Ruiz) and was Fitzy’s ex boyfriend.

Jose broke up with Fitzy in season two after Fitzy refused to come out to his conservative family. Jose respected his decision but also asked that his decision to not want to be a secret be respected as well, and ended the relationship.

Before he can finish the song, Fitzy just trails off and sighs and stands there on stage, frozen. He looks dead at his parents as the karaoke track continues on and says into the mic. “Mom...dad…”

Serey gasps, TaShana mutters ‘he isn’t…’, and Song goes ‘he is!’

“I’m gay. I love men.” And drops the mic and calmly walks off stage, into the throng of tables, and his four best friends scurry out of the restaurant behind him.

The original song plays while they’re running to the pond in their favorite spot in the woods, and they jump in the water in their clothes and splash each other, they’re having fun!! But Fitzy’s expression flits between joy and anxiety as he plays with his friends like they’re kids again

Franny, on this episode: I’m queer. I came out as bisexual before I even knew that there was a word for what I was. I told my family “I feel about girls the same way I feel about men.” They accepted me, but they were worried about me. We were from a conservative, rural area, and was already a woman of color you know? But I knew kids at my high school - White kids, black kids, Asian kids, Hispanic kids, whose parents were ultra conservative. And some of those parents loved their kids more than their wrong opinions, but others were like Fitzy’s. Like, I had a black male classmate that was kicked out of his home for being gay sleeping in my bed with me for two weeks until he moved on to the next friend’s house, becasue he had nowhere else to go. Queerness is not exclusive to white people and neither is homophobia. Serey’s character has always been openly bisexual, like I was by her age when the show started, and for our families it wasn’t a big deal. But we wanted to represent multiple queer narratives, not just one.

#bdpwrimomckala #&&...hc

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willreadforbooze · 5 years

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Hello fellow boozie readers!

Sam’s Update:

This week was pretty decent. I was trying so hard to finish some books for the start of Magical Readathon!! Which starts this week. Working hard to be a Metal Charmer.

What Sam finished this week:

The Defiant Heir by Melissa Caruso: I really enjoy this series and I’m so sad it doesn’t get any hype. I thought that it was a duology and that I’d be checking this series off my list, but alas, there’s a third book. Fortunately, it comes out this month! I’ll be drunk reviewing this so I don’t want to write too much here. Review for The Tethered Mage here.

Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik: I adored this installment of Temeraire. We get to see a POV from Temeraire himself, and we get to see him grow and achieve his goals and WOW I just. And Lawrence, he had some baggage to work through and I think Novik did a fantastic job wit hit.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black: So this is the book that Ginny and I listened to on our way to and from Mama’s. This book is about a human girl who was raised in Fairyland with the Fae. She just wants to fit in but she’s constantly underestimated and bullied because she’s mortal. Political machinations and spycraft and other things happen, she’s just trying to live her life. Man. The ending to this book… I’m still like… she is so. dumb. SO DUMB.

What Sam’s reading now:

It’s O.W.L.s Magical Readathon bitches!!

Charms: A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay: I am barely in to this one, but from what I can tell it’s a story about a coup. We began with the assassination of the brutal governor by a neighboring rival. I don’t think I’ve quite mastered the writing style yet, but I can tell you that I’m enjoying it. I’m also not sure who the main characters are so… more information to come.

Potions: Tongues of Serpents by Naomi Novik: This is the next installment of Temeraire. Do you see the pattern here? I am LOVING these. This book takes place in Australia. I’m audio-ing this one as I have with all the others and it’s good so far. Not as good as the previous but good.

Ginny’s Update:

Hi Everyone, hope you’re doing well. I was sick last week (but still went to work because colds suck but not enough to take time off- especially once you’re passed the contagious stage) so I ended up canceling a bunch of plans and watching a lot of dumb tv… Hope you had a good week!

Currently Reading:

Mr. Hotshot CEO by Jackie Lau: Yeah, it’s another romance novel. Look, I know what I’m about. Julian Fong is being forced to take a vacation by his family, and needs help having fun. Enter Courtney, who has never necessarily been considered the life of the party but knows how to enjoy the small things in life. Julian asks Courtney to help him enjoy life and boy does she… The writing can be a little bit stilted at times (though that might just be the way the characters think/talk) but boy is it still fun.

Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay: This is a book club book. I’ve technically started reading but haven’t exactly gotten too far into it. This book is a literal brick. It is pretty big and more weight than I feel like carrying around (at least on the metro) so I’m gonna need some solid time at home to knock out some chunks of it.

How Long ‘Til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin: I got this as an audiobook, and I can’t do short story audiobooks. I’ve heard the first two stories and they’re captivating, but I think I’m going to need to get a physical copy of this.

Completed this week:

Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath: This was kinda great. It was mostly a study in case studies, looking at why certain ideas are successful… and yeah I’ve definitely decided to use a few of these tips in my day to day life. Still, if anyone is looking into making some life changes or just wants to feel a little bit hopeful about how change is possible this is a pretty good option. 4/5

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black: I still hate some of the tropes in this book, but I very much enjoyed some of the twist and turns. I’m not sure I’d end up continuing the series (there was a lot of telling rather than showing, and god was the main character dumb sometimes) but I would definitely want to get the sparknotes version. 3/5

The Year of the Crocodile by Courtney Milan: This was a really short extra story to go with the Trade Me book I read the other week. Blake Reynolds and Tina Chen’s parents haven’t met yet because Blake’s dad is basically the founder of Apple and Tina’s parents were tortured by the Chinese regime. This ended up being absolutely hysterical. Adam Reynolds is certainly a character and his thought process is so well mapped out that it is easy to understand why he thinks the way he does. The verbal sparring between Tina’s Mom and Blake’s Dad was charming in the most asshole-way possible. 5/5

Minda’s Update:

Let’s go for Magical Readathon! Taking my O.W.Ls for my magical career path as a Librarian & I am so pumped.

What Minda is reading this week:

These Rebel Waves by Sara Raasch – This fills the Herbology O.W.L exam, which is not actually needed for my career but helps me earn an “Exceeds Expectations.” Risky move, but it’s the first due back to the library.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik – This has been on my tbr since reading Spinning Silver for book club and fulfills the Ancient Runes requirement. This was on a few lists as an awesome fairytale/retelling so sounds super promising.

Linz’s Update:

If you didn’t see our IG account, I was fostering a six week-old pupper all week, which is NOT conducive to getting my reading list done. I also hit a few books that I just couldn’t finish.

What Linz took a stab at but DNF:

The Resolutions by Mia Garcia – Four teen besties write each others’ New Year’s resolutions and try to follow them for a year. I dunno, this just wasn’t doing it for me. I felt like it took WAY too long to establish that all the characters are Latinx, it was REALLY hard trying to keep track of what time of year it was, the perfectionist’s storyline was super predictable, and there’s a character who works like, way too much in her mom’s restaurant and you’re telling me no one was dinging CPS at any point in her youth?

For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig – A girl has powers over souls and also lives in a country with a lot of political and military turmoil. I actually tried reading The Girl From Everywhere before this, and I just couldn’t get into either book. I didn’t like how the worlds were built and couldn’t sink into them.

Black Wings Beating by Alex London – So, I’m an idiot because I definitely read the description about these bird-centric religious groups, and didn’t process it. I really liked where the book was going and like London’s writing, but I really really really do not like birds, and it was more bird-y than I could handle.

What Linz is reading:

Vita Nostra by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko – Sort of The Magicians but in Russia, and also Quentin is played by Sasha (a less intense Alice). It’s a weird book because it’s translated, so some stuff doesn’t quite work, and Sasha’s constant dread and confusion is a little heavy because the reader only gets as much knowledge as Sasha, but I’m gonna try to stick with it.

On The Come Up by Angie Thomas – Do I need to summarize? I was just sure if you hadn’t been waitlisted for it, you’d already gotten a copy. The Hate U Give was a little heavy-handed but necessary, still relatable, and very readable, and I’m feeling things for this sophomore effort. (BTW my god if I’d only known of true heavy-handedness before I read The Hate U Give.)

Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay – Honestly I have no idea what this is about, because I kept trying to read it between the puppy’s naps, so I have to restart reading it this week.

Until next time, we remain forever drunkenly yours,

Sam, Melinda, Linz, and Ginny

Weekly Wrap-up: Mar 25-31, 2019 Hello fellow boozie readers! Sam's Update: This week was pretty decent. I was trying so hard to finish some books for the start of…

#Wrap Up

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foursprout-blog · 6 years

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50 Proposal Ideas That Will Make Her Say YES In A Heartbeat

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/happiness/50-proposal-ideas-that-will-make-her-say-yes-in-a-heartbeat/

50 Proposal Ideas That Will Make Her Say YES In A Heartbeat

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Unsplash / Nathan Dumlao

31 adorable Proposal stories

1. He Proposed With Origami Cranes

“There’s a Japanese tradition that says if you fold a thousand cranes and make a wish, that wish will come true. So, over the course of several months, I folded a thousand origami cranes and hid them so he wouldn’t find them. Once I had a thousand, I woke up early and hung them from the ceiling outside our bedroom, making a forest at the end of it. I stood at the end, holding up a note that explained why there were cranes, and that my wish was for us to spend the rest of our lives together.

It worked.” — Quouar

2. He Proposed On A Roller Coaster

“I’m not married but I’m recently engaged. I proposed by holding a piece of paper on a rollercoaster ride and unfolded it when it took a picture during the ride. I then took her to the screen and stood behind her while she looked at the picture and held out the ring.” — stagedivesandhigh5s

3. He Proposed During A Play

“My parents love to act and they were playing opposite each other in a play at a local theater after they had dated for a while. My Dad’s character in the show falls in love with my Mom’s character and proposes during the show. During one performance, my Dad switched out the prop ring for a real one and proposed on stage during the show. No one knew he was really proposing except for them, even though they were in front of 300 people.” — brenswen

4. He Proposed With A Prank

“My father had a friend on the police force. He called ahead and asked him to wait at a certain spot in the road, While my father tried to impress my mother with some speeding in the car his cop friend pulled out behind them and pulled them over, My mother didn’t think anything of it, because after all they were speeding. So the cop asked my father to get out of the car and put his hands on the hood, then asked to tell my mother to do the same, When they both get out there together in front of the car, My dad got down on one knee and proposed.” —[deleted]

5. He Proposed While Playing A Video Game

“I beat Pokemon Blue with only a Blastoise and a level 11 Sandshrew for HMs. He knew I was doing this.

After beating the game, I went and caught five more and asked him if he thought he could beat my Pokemon team. He was confused as he thought I just had a Blastoise so he said yes!

I kneeled and handed him my game, open to my six Sandshrew that had the names ‘Will’ ‘You’ ‘Marry’ ‘Me,’ ‘First Name’ ‘Last Name?’.

Still married!” — this-is-my-design

6. He Proposed With His Camera

“I do photography as a hobby (well, used to). I created a ‘will you marry me’ sign, and took a photo of it, and left it on my memory card.

A few days later, while my girlfriend and I were on holidays in Canada, I was taking some photos, and after she had walked a few meters away, I quickly flicked back to the proposal photo, and called out, ‘Honey, come and have a look at this photo!’ (this was nothing unusual). While she came over, I knelt down and got a different lens out of my camera bag, as well as the ring, surreptitiously.

When she came over, I handed her the camera, which had ‘will you marry me?’ on the screen, got onto one knee, and held up the ring.

Then she just started crying, and I was like ‘oh shit’, but it turned out crying meant yes.” — [deleted]

7. He Proposed Before A Run

“We had planned to go for a run on Saturday morning. So When she was out with her friends that Friday night, I tied the ring to her running shoes. Then the morning of, I was all excited for a run, and she couldn’t figure out why. Then she went to put her shoes on and saw the ring.” — borno23

8. He Proposed During A Scavenger Hunt

“I’ve made a scavenger hunt type thing where she has to solve a riddle to find the next one, leading us around town to all the sentimental places of our relationship. Going to pop the question on the last one!” — Nikantor22

9. He Proposed With His Cat’s Help

“I hung the ring on a ribbon around my wife’s cats neck to let her find it. When she saw it she had to chase the cat, catch him, and get the ribbon off (he bit the shit out of her!) She put the ring on and we were engaged. I never asked the question.” — twinsrule

10. He Proposed With A Picture

“My husband took me to the San Diego zoo (my favorite place) and we decided to get a caricature. When she turned our drawing around it was of him on one knee and me with hearts for eyes. I looked over at my husband and he was on one knee with a ring. It was really cute. He had arranged the whole thing with the artist days before.” — hugitoutguys

11. He Proposed At Disney

“We are both big Disneyworld fans. We took a week-long vacation there, and on our fourth day, took a break from the parks for some spa time and general relaxation. That evening we had dinner and Victoria & Albert’s (which is phenomenal). On the way out of the restaurant, we were greeted by someone dressed as a Disney cast member.

The ‘cast member’ invited us to take part in a Disney promotion, we just had to take part in a short treasure hunt. My then-girlfriend eagerly accepted, and soon we were down on the beach near the Seven Seas Lagoon. We found a star in the sand, and dug up a small treasure chest that had been shallowly buried. Inside was an electric candle and a note (because I didn’t trust them with the ring).

I took a knee and gave my speech, perfectly timed with those reliable Wishes fireworks. She smiled. It was perfect.” — [deleted]

12. He Proposed With A Fortune Cookie

“I’m Chinese. I made her Chinese food and afterwards gave her a fortune cookie. I’d taken the fortune out and replaced it with my proposal, and re-heat-sealed the package.” — Bramphousian

13. He Proposed With A Card Game

“We’re both big fans of the card game Dominion. So I organized a game with her and my friend (who had the ring, since my wife has a tendency to touch around where my pockets are… I was afraid she’d feel the ring), and I took one of the blank cards that came with the game, and created my own Action card called Engagement.

It had a crudely-drawn picture of a ring (I’m an absolutely pathetic artist), and underneath it said

+1 Ring

+1 Fiancée

+1 ‘Yes!’

If you’re wondering about the presumption of the +1 ‘Yes!’ I was already very confident she’d say yes. Anyway, I rigged the card setup so that I would start the game with that card. Normally (except for Dark Ages expansion) nobody can play Action cards within the first 2 turns, so when I announced in my first turn that I’d be playing an Action, it confused her.

So I played the Engagement card, and then my friend handed me the ring and I got down on one knee, yadda yadda yadda.” — Erekai

14. He Proposed In His Pajamas

“At home, on the back deck, summer evening, after I cooked her her favorite meal, candlelight, lanterns, she was wearing pajamas. Was perfect.” — Bangkok_Dave

15. He Proposed Beneath A Waterfall

“I proposed to my wife under a waterfall in a cave.

Eden Falls Cave is in the Boston Mountains in Northwest Arkansas. We had hiked there once before, but hadn’t made it to the waterfall in the back of the cave. You have to crawl for a good 10 meters, but once you make it to the back, it opens up into a large circular room with a high waterfall. Glad a chose the spot, and wouldn’t change a thing!” — SargePants

16. He Proposed Using Books

“I folded the words ‘Will you marry me?’ into books and presented them to her. I also made the ring box out of a R2-D2 mint tin.” — troddeh

17. He Proposed On Christmas Morning

“Christmas morning at her parents house. We had been dating for 11 years so I don’t think anybody thought we would ever get married. We got through all the presents and I go, ‘Wait a minute, I think there’s one more’ and knelt on the floor to rummage through my jacket. Then, knee on the ground, I pivoted towards her and said, ‘I have one other thing for you… but you have to marry me to get it.’” — linecookdaddy

18. He Proposed At A Stadium

“I was the Bud Light ‘Mr. Stadium Scoreboard Marriage Proposal Guy’. Cringe worthy on the surface, but it was perfect for us.

It was the 1 year anniversary of our first date, which was at a baseball game. I arranged to get the same seats and got the front office to work with me, etc. However, I took it a step further, and had all of her friends/my friends at the game. They all ‘hid’ in a restaurant overlooking the field until the time came. In between innings they had one of those trivia games where they ask fans to guess an answer from the scoreboard. She was the fan, per the plan. She got the damn question wrong – which meant no $50 Dave and Busters gift card – but then they told her I had another question. Yada yada yada, she said yes, tried to call all her friends, they didn’t answer, went to the restaurant overlooking the field and they were all there.

It was pretty awesome to share it with all our friends and we made the 11pm news…the sportscaster used the pun ‘instead of dime-a-dog night, it was diamond dog night tonight at the ballgame’. I’m pretty sure my parents have it on VHS somewhere.” — CJsDad

19. He Proposed Like The Movie Tangled

“This just happened a few weeks ago for me. She always joked that if I proposed it had to be like the lantern scen from Tangled. So, I bought 10 paper lanterns, drew Rapunzel’s sun on one of them with gold marker and was set. Plan was to set it up in our place before meeting her downtown fit dinner. Problem was that because I work out of town, her dad has our spare key to watch our dog and I forgot to ask her to leave the main key for me, so I was locked out. On our way home from dinner I suggested she take a bath; I’d even run it for her and make it all nice. Didn’t fly, she just wanted a quick shower and watch some TV before bed. While she was in the shower, and getting changed, I quickly set up 5 of the lanterns and locked her in the bedroom while I finished. I got her to close hey eyes and led her out and got on my knee. Didn’t go as planned but, she still said yes.” — huntergreenhoodie

20. He Proposed Through A Love Letter

“My step dad was in the air force and got stationed over in Korea for a few years after him and my mom had started dating. They wrote each other back and forth, huge 20 page letters, this was back in the early 90’s so cell phones weren’t a thing and international calls from landlines were mega expensive, so they only talked like once a month on the phone and other than that wrote huge letters. Then one day my mom get a letter from him. One page, written in huge letters, ‘WILL YOU MARRY ME??’ Obviously she accepted, and they just celebrated their 20th anniversary on Valentines Day.” — breezy84

21. He Proposed In Front Of Cinderella Castle

“I did it alongside the Disney World castle. I wanted to do it in front of the castle but there was a show going on in front of it — therefore a lot of people and thus made me even more nervous. So I found a little place off to the right. Asked her sister to take our picture and dropped to one knee. As she said yes, the show ended and fireworks went off. You can see the fireworks in the pictures. Ultimately it was perfect timing. Free fireworks as she said yes.” — Tyler2191

22. He Proposed Inside A Movie Theater

“I made a fake movie trailer and had it played inside the theater before a movie.” — roryfox

23. He Proposed At The Renaissance Fair

“At the renaissance faire. I found a nice clearing off to the side and suggested to the group that it would be a good place to take some pictures of all of us in our outfits. We started with just the girls, then the guys, finally couples. I handed my camera to my friend and he took some simple pictures of my then-girlfriend and I together. Then I dropped to one knee and took off my hat, he captured every moment. The look on her face was priceless. When I rose back to my feet, there was a small crowd gathered behind our friends, applauding. Then we celebrated with some mead! For the rest of the day, visitors, performers and cast members all congratulated us. We were like celebrities, it was awesome.” — CoffeeJedi

24. He Proposed On Easter

“I put it in a plastic Easter egg along with others that had candy and gave her an Easter basket. I love things like this. She wasnt impressed. Been married 7 years now.” — UselessGadget

25. He Proposed During A Prayer

“It was our first Thanksgiving together and we had only been together three months. I was very pissed off at him because even though he promised me we could go to my family’s Thanksgiving first we ended up at his.

His mom kept giving me glasses of wine and I got mildly buzzed. If I had drank one more glass I would have tipped over into the drunk category. Finally we sit down to dinner, and I’m still fuming to myself about missing my family’s Thanksgiving.

I should have known something was up when he volunteered to pray. He hates religion. Near the end of the prayer he says ‘… And I hope she says yes.’ I look at him, nearly drunk and confused. I look around the table and his entire family is just staring at me, smiling. I’ve never felt more awkward in my life.

He said, ‘Will you marry me?’ Of course I said yes! Other then the fact that I was head over heels in love with him I was drunk at his aunts house with over 10 people staring at me expectantly. Sometimes I regret saying yes, but i never regret loving him. We have a beautiful son and another baby on the way. We’ll be married four years in April.” — MrsKristyLynn

26. He Proposed On The Side Of The Road

“Had a horrible weekend visiting my witch of a mother.

Driving home and he totally threw me off even entertaining the thought of marriage by misleading me in regards to how much money he had at the time.

He said, ‘I have to pee’ and pulled onto the side of the road.

And then in the pouring rain he ran around to my side if the car, opened the door, knelt in the mud and proposed. It was very cute.

He also then spent the next week fretting over whether he did it right!

This was literally a week ago, so still feeling pretty chuffed.” — Tj08

27. He Proposed At Her Graduation Ceremony

“I proposed at my now wife’s Master’s graduation ceremony since her whole family was there.” — MasterAdkins

28. He Proposed During A Picnic

“We’d been talking about getting married for months, and had even gone to a custom jewelers to create our ring together. I knew the ring had been completed, and that he’d gone to pick it up, so I knew the proposal was coming!

He took me to a cafe in the morning for breakfast, then organized a picnic in the park. It was absolutely pouring down with rain though, so we ended up putting down the seats in the back of the car and having a car picnic…he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him with the sweetest and most romantic speech. I still burst into tears, even though I knew it was coming!” — dyingofthefeels

29. He Proposed On A Cruise

“On a cruise, I proposed to him on the bow of the Independence of the Seas while we were there at night watching the stars.” — dhemrick

30. He Proposed First Thing In The Morning

“My now fiance guaranteed that she would be able to sniff out my plan ahead of time, so I took a surprise day off of work and surprised her at 6am with flowers, breakfast in bed, and a ring. She was pleasantly surprised.” — Kramanos

31. He Proposed After The Fireworks

“This past year. Brought friends out from another state to go to Disneyland. Planned it out for my friend to take her camera and take our picture in front of the statue and castle after the fire works. After he took the first one he delayed saying it was out of focus, which distracted her while I pulled out the ring.

She was a bit awe struck and forgot to answer but said yes.

A couple of tweens started bawling and one of them exclaimed rather loudly, ‘I want my love life to be like that!’

While we all laughed, but couldn’t help thinking, ‘You’re 14, you got time.’” — guanerick

50 Proposal Ideas

1. Propose by hiring a skywriter to write Will You Marry Me in the sky.

2. Propose by having the question written on a slip of paper and sticking it inside of a fortune cookie.

3. Propose by attaching the engagement ring to your dog’s collar and letting him bring it to her.

4. Propose on the kiss cam during a sporting event.

5. Propose by creating a scavenger hunt around town for her that ends with you down on one knee.

6. Propose by putting her ring in the bottom of her champagne glass at a restaurant.

7. Propose by having a caricaturist draw a picture of you asking the big question.

8. Propose by getting her favorite author to sign a book for her — and having them write Will You Marry (Name) inside.

9. Propose by creating a scrapbook of pictures and taping the ring to the last page.

10. Propose during a game of Pictionary.

11. Propose by entering a photo booth with her and showing her the ring as the camera flashes to catch her reaction.

12. Propose by giving her a ring or necklace with the words Marry Me inscribed.

13. Propose by writing out the words on a Scrabble board.

14. Propose by getting together a flash mob.

15. Propose by having a celebrity ask the question on Cameo.

16. Propose by hiding the ring inside of her dessert.

17. Propose with a temporary tattoo that says Marry Me.

18. Propose by having your child (or younger sibling or cousin) ask the question for you.

19. Propose while playing The Whisper Challenge.

20. Propose in the middle of karaoke.

21. Propose with a choir.

22. Propose by calling into a radio show and asking the host to dedicate a song to your person.

23. Propose by ordering personalized M&Ms that say Marry Me.

24. Propose with a rap.

25. Propose by hiding the ring inside of a plastic egg during an Easter egg hunt.

26. Propose by carving ‘Marry Me’ into a pumpkin for Halloween.

27. Propose by writing the question on a billboard.

28. Propose during a game of Heads Up.

29. Propose by writing the question in the snow.

30. Propose by writing Marry Me on a message in a bottle and making sure she ‘discovers’ it when you walk along the beach.

31. Propose by writing the message in Christmas lights.

32. Propose by giving her a Build-a-Bear with a voice recording of you popping the question.

33. Propose by hiding the ring inside of a box of her favorite snacks.

34. Propose during a game of Speak Out.

35. Propose by writing the question underneath a kite and then flying it above her.

36. Propose by creating an entire webpage about how much you love her and how you want her to be your wife.

37. Propose by writing Will You Marry Me in the sand at the beach.

38. Propose by hiring a band to show up for a surprise performance.

39. Propose by letting her unwrap her ring as a birthday or anniversary gift.

40. Propose by taking her back to the place where you first met and recreating your first night together.

41. Propose while skydiving.

42. Propose by writing the question in chalk on your driveway.

43. Propose by slipping the ring onto her finger while she is sleeping and seeing her reaction in the morning.

44. Propose by writing and performing a song for her that ends with you popping the question.

45. Propose by making a video compilation and having her watch it with you.

46. Propose by writing the question in rose petals inside the bedroom.

47. Propose by buying space in the local newspaper to tell her how much you love her.

48. Propose by creating a recording of you asking her to marry you and then secretly downloading it onto her iPod.

49. Propose by having your friends and family wear custom t-shirts with the words ‘will’ and ‘you’ and ‘marry’ and ‘me’ written across them.

50. Propose by writing into a television show and asking to pop the question live on air.

#Happiness

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