#music was like my whole life from like age 12-20 and I truly can’t relate to ppl who didn’t have that experience

[cxhnow]

THE KIDS ARE MORE THAN ALRIGHT: CHLOE AND HALLE ARE KILLING IT

At only 21 and 20 years old respectively, Chloe and Halle, the sister singing duo signed to Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment, have an almost preternatural poise and polish. You see it in on-camera interviews, their big smiles never breaking, or when they’re singing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl, their harmonies as sweeping and pristine as harmonies can be. Even in the homemade YouTube covers which made them Internet-famous as adolescents — a cover of Beyoncé’s “Pretty Hurts” (a song, interestingly enough, about the demands on young women to be flawless) caught the attention of Queen B and got them signed in 2015 in the first place — they have a peaceful and almost uncannily seasoned presence.

This seeming perfection has made them into major role models to young fans, and one of them into a future megastar fronting the massive Disney machine, as the younger Halle takes the lead role of Ariel in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid expected out in 2021. They’ve had real world ambitions for the entirety of their teen years, starting their YouTube channel when Chloe was 13 and Halle 11, criss-crossing the country multiple times as the opening act for their mentor Bey, and dabbling in acting, with roles on Kenya Barris’ sitcom Grown-ish.

But beyond the sheen they’ve developed, it’s nice to hear, on a quarantine Zoom call one Friday morning, that they are more steadfastly committed — even dogged — about their craft than they are the presentation. They write, arrange, and produce much of their own music in their home studio in Los Angeles. While their sophomore album, Ungodly Hour, features guestwork by super-producers Scott Storch and Mike WiLL Made-It, the sisters executive produced the whole thing, and still brought unfinished collaborative tracks home from sessions to tighten them up in their own way, on their own computer software.

Though their debut, The Kids Are Alright — an unlikely but satisfying cross between SZA and Björk — hinted at this artistry, Ungodly Hour is the true breakthrough. It’s a grown-up album in a number of ways, with lyrics about hook-ups, break-ups, and mess-ups. But it’s also just undeniably and straightforwardly cool. In the choreography-heavy video for the excellent “Do It,” their astonishing maturity begins to look more like bravado. They mine sounds from late-’90s R&B, recalling forebears like Aaliyah, Destiny’s Child, TLC, and Blaque, but have come up with something refreshing and personal. There are no lags on Ungodly Hour, no saccharine ballads or misplaced attempts at massive over-the-top pop — just easily enjoyable bops with silky harmonies and relatable themes. That’s an achievement for an artist of any age.

In conversation, they are, yes, incredibly composed, but also engaged and interested in talking about a range of subjects, from 808s and Atlanta to politics and pain. Here, the two sisters offer a little glimpse into their lives — and how they got to be so on top of everything to begin with.

Note: This interview occurred after the death of George Floyd but before demonstrations surrounding the killing fully heated up across the country, and the sisters have since delayed the release of the album from the original June 5 to this Friday, June 12. At the bottom of this Q&A, we’ve included some questions and answers the two responded to by email this week concerning moving the release date and their solidarity with the protestors.

Have you been quarantining together?

Halle: We are quarantining together in Los Angeles. We’re in our family home, so it’s really nice to all be together.

Chloe: I think, you know, with any family being in close spaces, you all have to relearn each other. You can’t, like, escape and go to your own corner.

H: We’re learning more every single day in quarantine what not to do [laughs]. We know the trigger points for both of us. We both love to get our feelings out, so once we do that, I think it’s good.

Let’s get into the album: In the past, your music has had an innocence about it, but this album is pretty grown.

C: You know, with anything in life, we never like to force it. Halle just turned 20. I’ll be 22 in July. Naturally, the music will just grow with that. We’re sharing our experiences, sharing what we’re going through, whether it’s heartbreak or falling in love or our insecurities — what makes us tick. People only really know us as, like, little sweet angels and all of that. And everyone is multi-layered.

“Busy Boy” is about a guy who sleeps around and sends you unsolicited late night photos of, well, a very particular body part of his. Are lines like this born from real life?

H: Absolutely. All the songs on the album are pulled from real-life experiences, real-life relationships. And for “Busy Boy,” everyone can relate to knowing this guy who is just so hot, he is just A+ everywhere. But everyone knows him as a player. They know he jumps around from girl to girl. It was funny to talk about that because in our little girl group [of friends], sometimes we do find that one dude who has tried to talk to all of us. And we laugh about it and we kiki about it.

Are you able to find time to date and have fun, and do what young people do?

H: Of course!

C: You know, we explore. We date around. We’re learning as we experience life. And it helps stimulate the lyrics.

There’s a lot of tense back and forth between the sexes on the album, and I wonder if you thought of it as a kind of break-up album.

C: It’s that back and forth because that’s how it was in our lives at the time when we were creating this album. You know, my sister and I, we’re at that age where you’re learning yourself through relationships, learning how people work. Even though Halle and I are a year and a half apart, we were going through the same thing at the same time when we were writing. We were heartbroken and putting that into the music. But we also wanted to come from a point where we don’t have to be these weak girls crying over it, but instead take our power back.

H: Love is a huge theme of the album. But also feeling alone, and the rawness. These were all themes that we hadn’t really talked about before in music. Our deepest, deepest feelings. The title, Ungodly Hour, stemmed from everything that happens during those hours, you know, in the middle of the night when you’re about to go to sleep. You’re thinking of all your insecurities — your mind is swimming. You’re thinking of lustful things, you’re thinking of heartbreak.

C: It feels conversational because when we were writing it, we were simply having a conversation. My sister and I tell each other everything when it comes to these things. And as we’re sitting down, explaining, “I’m pissed because of this,” or, “I’m happy because of this,” we would just write it into the music.

You worked with the 2000s producer Scott Storch on “Do It,” and there’s almost a nostalgic feel for that time in R&B and pop.

C: He’s really a legend, and just seeing him on the keys when we had multiple sessions together, we were always left in awe. Production-wise, I’ve always been inspired by experimental sounds and the weirder side of music. But while we were making this album, I really started falling more and more in love with ’90s music and early 2000s production; listening to a lot of Kelis. We wanted this album to feel fun and flirty, but also grunge, in a way, and a little dark and mysterious and sexy. And I really feel like ’90s production with beautiful melodies on top truly embodied that. [‘90s producers] weren’t afraid to experiment.

How do you balance creative freedom and experimentation with what I imagine to be a lot of pressure to make a hit?

H: We were feeling a little bit, like, “So where do we go from here? What do we do now?” We were a little bit stuck at the beginning, because we were hearing from the label about doing songs a bit more commercial. Whenever we are given direction, it always throws us off. Whenever somebody tells us what to do, we don’t like it. At the beginning, we were making songs that didn’t really sound like us. And we realized we were trying to please everyone else.

So then we were like, You know what? Scratch that. Let’s go back to the beginning. Let’s remember why we’re doing this. Let’s make the sounds that make us happy. Let’s go back to doing those experimental things that have made us so happy all the time. With these sessions with [Ariana Grande songwriter] Victoria [Monet] and Scott [Scorch], we can also add a bop or two in there and find a beautiful way to do it without sacrificing our musical integrity. We never want to feel like we’re selling out.

You taught yourselves how to produce, arrange, write, and record your music at a very young age, but now that there is this bigger spotlight, is it important to still create in that more organic way?

C: Absolutely. Yeah. If we didn’t keep that, I don’t think we would even have finished this album. We love creating at home so much. You know, [our first album] The Kids Are Alright, we created the whole thing in our living room. [For this album], we converted the garage and carpeted it up and made it into our little studio here. We always prefer home and working on our laptop and arranging all the weird harmonies together and recording each other.

We worked with so many amazing producers and songwriters on this album, but at the end of every session, we would take the stems, and we would revamp them up and really add, like, our sauce to the songs afterward so it really felt like us. But also, half the album is strictly just us and our production and writing as well. We executive produced it. That’s the only way to do it. If it starts to feel forced or bad, we walk away.

What programs do you use to produce on your laptop?

C: I’m a huge Logic Pro girl. When we do live shows, I use Ableton, but when we’re recording each other and I’m making the tracks, it’s all on Logic.

You’re known for your harmonies, and you also produce all your own vocals. How do you think about the resonance and affect and power of your voices? What are you aiming for with a vocal?

H: There’s something really special about singing with your sibling, or singing with somebody who has the same blood as you. The Clark Sisters are one of our favorites, and every time we listen to their harmonies, it just takes us to another world. And I don’t know what it is, but every time I sing with my sister, I do feel like it’s a power, like it’s something special that’s happening when the two of us are singing together. It’s different than when I’m just singing alone.

C: We know how to fit and blend with each other. Usually I’ll take like more of the lower notes, and Halle will take a lot more of the higher ones. For me, ever since I was a little girl, I loved Destiny’s Child and Toni Braxton and Nina Simone. Our family would always play Erykah Badu and Jill Scott around the house. So I have grown up loving soulful tones. As I got older, being a female producer, I was really inspired by other female producers, like Grimes and Imogen Heap and Merrill Garbus of Tune-Yards, and I really started appreciating and loving alternative music, where they use different experimental sounds. More recently, I was listening to a lot of Kelis and Missy [Elliott] and Timbaland production, and Aaliyah and all of that. All of my inspirations… I love how it’s in contrast with my sister. Because, you know — and she’ll tell you this — she is a huge jazzhead. She loves jazz melodies. And when the two worlds come together, it kind of creates us.

You mentioned Erykah Badu and Jill Scott as influences, so I gotta ask — what’d you think of the Erykah and Jill Verzuz on Instagram?

H: We loved it so much. We put it on our TV and watched the whole thing.

Who do you think won?

H: They both won. You know, you could sing those songs every single day and never get tired of them. We want our music to live on like those songs live on.

You both have childhood roots in Atlanta, which has become essentially the musical epicenter of America in the last 20 years. Does that influence your sound?

C: Oh my gosh, yeah. Atlanta music is so incredible. We’ve always been so inspired by OutKast. Ciara. Donald Glover.

H: Janelle Monáe.

C: It’s so much soul and rhythm and bounce. And I think that’s why I love big drums and 808 so much. We are true Atlanta girls at heart. And I think that also comes into why we’re really kind. It’s just southern hospitality.

You’re signed to Beyoncé’s management company, Parkwood, and I’m curious what kind of creative notes or advice she gives you when you’re working on an album.

C: She allows us to grow and flourish on our own. And, you know, as we’ve been finding our sound through the past five years, she’s just kind of sat back in the wings and let us do what we want to do. When we feel like we got the music to a special place, we always want her input. It’s Beyoncé! She has the experience, she’s incredibly talented, and she has such good instincts.

With her notes, a lot of the time, we’re on the same page. Whether it’s about what she hears in the layers of the production, if she thinks the production should change on one part, or how we sang a certain word or something, she’ll always recommend, but it’s up to us whether we want to do it or not. She allows us to do what we want to do, musically.

When we sent this album to her, she didn’t have any notes. Halle and I were like, whoa. She must really, really like it. And she could give us as many notes as she wants! She’s Queen Bey.

Halle, you’re about to be Ariel in the live-action version of ‘The Little Mermaid’ for Disney. What is it like wearing the mermaid tail?

H: [Laughs] Well, I can’t really .. [laughs] … that was a good try [laughs]. I can’t really tell you about that [ed. note: Disney is notorious for strictly enforcing a code of silence about a future production]. But it’s really cool being able to play one of my favorite characters from my favorite Disney movie. And show other little black girls that, yes, you can be Ariel too. That the part is not just for anyone who does not look like us. We can do it too.

There was a really dumb conservative backlash when Disney announced it was casting a black woman in the role.

H: Yeah, well, I don’t really pay attention to that stuff. People are hurting right now, so a lot of the times people take their hurt out on you. And you can’t do anything about that. We just gotta move forward in love and light and say a prayer for them, you know?

On one very serious note, you posted a cover on Instagram that blended the hymnals “We Shall Overcome” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” as a tribute to George Floyd. I’m wondering how you’re viewing what’s happening in America right now?

H: [That] week was very difficult for us. Just that video of George — I couldn’t watch it. This keeps happening to our people. When I see George, I think of my father, and I think of my little brother, and I think of them just wanting to live and to not be killed just for living their lives. I don’t think we will ever understand why it keeps happening. I don’t think we could ever wrap our heads around it.

So we just thought, What can we do? What can we do to make ourselves feel better? What can we do to make everyone feel better? And we decided to sing those two songs that have been sung for many, many years. It made us feel a little better, but it didn’t take it all away. It’s crazy that this keeps repeating itself. [That] whole week was kind of wonky for us.

When I see you two on camera and in interviews, I’m struck by how poised you both are, from such a young age. You present yourself almost perfectly. But I wonder if that ever feels like pressure? You’ve had to be really mature since before most kids ever really do.

H: It’s not a persona. It’s not something that we turn on and we turn off. It’s just the way that our parents raised us. Sometimes, we do get compliments, like, “Oh my gosh. You guys are always so happy and positive. You guys are angels!” And, you know, that’s one side of it, of course. I know some people put us on a pedestal. And I think that what hones us in on continuing to just be positive beings and lights is the way we grew up, our parents constantly reminding us that all of these things don’t matter. All of these grand things don’t matter.

But there’s also the other layers of us that people don’t see when we’re not in the spotlight. We do overthink. We do have insecurities just like everybody else. And that’s what with this album in particular we wanted people to get through their heads. Like, hello, we are just like you. At times, yes, it does get overwhelming. But that’s just a part of life. And that’s more fuel for inspiration for us to write.

As previously noted, the original interview occurred before demonstrations surrounding the killing of George Floyd reached full steam. Here, the two sisters followed up by email more recently in a joint statement to address changing the release date of the album in light of the uprising and how they are participating in protest.

Originally you were meant to release the album on June 5, but now it is coming out this Friday, June 12. How’d you come to that decision?

These past two weeks have definitely felt like an emergency call to justice that is much needed. It was important for us to push our album and bring awareness to everything else that’s been going on. We didn’t want this moment to be about us, but rather about getting justice for our brothers and sisters and making a change.

What are you feeling in heart and mind about what we’re witnessing?

Honestly, it has been very, very difficult for us this past week. Having to witness someone’s life being taken away just because of the color of their skin is just traumatic. Even though these days have been hard, we are thankful that people are now seeing what has been happening for a while. And we are grateful that the world is finally doing something about it! Seeing these protests happening all around the country and world truly makes us hopeful that a change is coming. We are so much stronger than we think and so powerful when we come together.

It’s your generation that’s in no small part fueling this movement — how does it make you feel to see people in your age group activated in this way?

It makes us so proud to see our peers standing up for what’s right. We are the future and deserve to be in a world that protects us, rather than harm us. We deserve to live a life not in fear.

How are you two approaching contributing to the protests — what do you find effective?

We are doing everything we can to speak up for what’s right: signing and posting petitions online, donating, etc. We will not let anyone silence us. We have also been singing a lot more, trying to use our voices as healing for the world right now. Music always tends to be the best therapy.

Where are you turning for information, solace, discussion, leadership, and creativity in a moment like this?

Social media has definitely been one of our main sources. We’ve been seeing and sharing content from our peers who are actually out there protesting on the frontlines and experiencing firsthand. We can now view videos and photos and form our own opinions, instead of being swayed by mainstream media. There’s a lot of stuff that’s not being shown on the news, that we may find on Twitter or Instagram. Because of social media and technology, more light is finally being shed on the injustices being done to our people. It’s helping change our world for the better!

Though it’s an invigorating moment in a lot of ways, it’s also a difficult one, and I’ve been hearing from people that they’re excited to be protesting but also feeling anxious and not sleeping well. How do you keep your mental and physical health up while staying activated around the movement?

As much as it’s our main source of information, we also take frequent breaks from social media. We will delete the various apps from our phones and almost block out the world, in a way. And when we really begin to feel hopeless, prayer and mediation has been so beneficial during these times. As well as working out, to clear our heads and let out any built-up frustration.

Do you have recommendations for your young fans of readings, songs, or movies that they can watch to further educate themselves on racial justice?

The movie American Son shows firsthand what it feels like for a mother to lose her son to police brutality. The book The Water Dancer reminds us of how our ancestors overcame slavery and found freedom through the pain. And even though Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On album was released in the 1970s, it’s still so relevant to what’s going on now in the year 2020.

[Photos were retouched by High Snobiety to make the girls appear lighter. I have included two of the original versions where they are unretouched.]

#ungodly hour #ungodly hour articles #ungodly hour interviews #interviews #articles #june 2020 #june 11 2020 #2020 #chloe bailey #chloexhalle #chloe x halle #halle bailey #chloe and halle #chloeandhalle #news #ungodly hour news #gifs #photos #ungodly hour photos #high snobiety

[bloodopal420]

Today, I’m 25 years old.

Quarantine has given me time to reflect on how I feel about today. I’ve never been one for birthdays (at least not my own) and although I am not afraid of dying, the idea of getting older is rarely appealing past the age of 21. More than a quarter of the way through my life, I realized that a lot of the core lessons I’m going to learn in my life, I’ve learned already. Now I am going to spend the next 3 quarters of my life growing and sharing the lessons I’ve learned in my life.

Starting now.

Here’s 25 lessons I’ve learned in my 25 years of life.

1. The only person you can change is you. Don’t waste your time trying to “fix” other people. At the end of the day if they want to change, they will.

2. Your thoughts and feelings are valid. You are allowed to and have a right to feel and think the way that you do in any situation. However, this does not mean that everyone has to agree with your thoughts and feelings.

3. No one owes you anything. Not explanations, information, respect, or anything in between. And vice versa. Communication is important but if emotions and situations cause it to be impossible or just that you don’t want to interact anymore, Then so be it. But don’t expect things to go back to how they were if you choose to leave it that way.

4. To get respect you have to give respect. The golden rule applies in most areas of life. If you want people to appreciate, love and respect you, that’s the energy you have to put out.

5. Nothing is permanent. So take pictures, make memories, pick up that phone when your friend calls, go to that party when you’re invited. Don’t let fear keep you from living in the moment

6. You are not a failure for making mistakes. Everyone on the planet makes them, and a few of them are pretty damn successful. The difference between you and them, is letting mistakes defeat them.

7. Passion should always be a priority. You need to make time in your life for your passions and the things that make you happy. Self care is just as important as self-preservation.

8. Money is great, but it’s not as important as happiness. There is nothing wrong with working a job just because it pays well, but if you don’t enjoy it, it tears away at your soul. Set yourself up for financial success, but don’t risk your long term joy in the process.

9. DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY. Yeah you need to pay your bills and act your age (sometimes), but you deserve to be happy! Take the time to listen to your favorite music, go for a walk, dance around in your room, read a good book, whatever makes you feel good.

10. Never let someone else tell you what to do with your life. Other people may have your best interests at heart but at the end of the day, this is your life. You decide what to do with it.

11. Toxic is toxic. It doesn’t matter if they are a stranger on the street yelling slurs or a blood family member that digs into you at Christmas. Relation does not excuse toxicity and abuse. You have every right to separate yourself from the people that hurt you.

12. There is a difference between criticism and hate. There will always be toxic people in the world, but true friends will call you on your shit. Know the difference between someone who loves you but is trying to give you a swift kick in the ass. And someone who kicks you when you’re down.

13. Smile. When you’re sad, mad, happy, confused, try to smile. You never know how much good will come of it. Worst thing is you feel a little better from the endorphins.

14. No one has the right to make you feel less than. You have just as much a right to be on this planet as anyone else. And you have a right to happiness, not existence.

15. There is not right and wrong when it comes to opinions and beliefs. Unless your beliefs are harmful to yourself or others, there shouldn’t be a problem with them.

16. Don’t let fear run your life. Let it guide your life. Take chances and fight your fears head on. There is nothing wrong with falling down as long as you pick yourself up back up.

17. The only person that knows your whole story, is you. Don’t live your life expecting people to automatically know why you are the way you are and expect them to respect and understand it. Instead be open about your problems and allow the people that don’t care or can’t handle it to weed themselves out.

18. Happiness is a choice. You can either wake up every morning and focus on every bad thing that happens or has happened. Or you can look ahead and see opportunities. Choose to be happy in the moments where there is a choice. So when there is no choice, you can truly let everything out.

19. Unplug sometimes. When you are unhappy and overwhelmed, remove the added stress of the barrage of social media. Even just the notifications can cause so much unneeded negativity.

20. It is ok to be alone. And it’s important to be able to be alone sometimes. Learn to reflect without a backboard, instead find healthy outlets to release your thoughts. Meditation is great but you can also do it while working out or doing other individual activities that make you happy.

21. Always share your passions with the world! Not everyone is going to share your love for things, and some people are going to hate them. But you’ll never find compatible people to walk through life with without putting yourself out there. And there are always people out there like you

22. It’s ok to cry. Being sad is part of life. And tears are the bodies way of releasing our emotions in a physical way. It’s necessary and healthy to let out your sad and negative feelings. Just find your safe place and let it out.

23. When it comes to friends, quality over quantity is always key. Try not to spend your energy on “friends” that don’t expend the same amount of energy on you. And communication and respect of values is key.

24. You are never alone in this world. People are out there that understand. You just have to find them.

25. Always remember to take care of yourself. Eat those sweets and foods you love, get out of bed in the morning and watch the sunrise, stay up late watching movies and laughing until you cry, travel when you can, make blanket forts when you can’t, let your inner child out every once in a while. But take showers and pay your bills. That’s important too.

I am finally at a point in my life where I truly see a purpose and reason for life. And I love it. I love the opportunity to wake up every morning to impact other people in a positive way.

Here’s to the next 25 years, happy birthday to me🎂

#stoner chick #birthday #happy birthday #lessons #quote of the day #dabgirls #dab #photography #stoned #dabbersdaily #stoner

[artemis-crimson]

@onewhoturns tagged me!

1.) Real name: Clara 2.) Nicknames: Arty? 3.) Zodiac Sign: Capricorn! 4.) Gender: Female? 5.) Nursery: Dunno what this mean, it���s a solid word though I guess? 6/10 6.) Primary School: Oh! It’s about what happened when we went to school! Fucking miserable but hey figured out I was bi as all hell  7.) Secondary School: Gee I sure hope so 8.) Hair Color: Dark brown 9.) Long or Short: Short but I’m growing it out again 10.) Loud or Quiet: Loud but it’s funny to walk around for hours and nobody notices you’re there or if you where there and now you’ve been missing for ages 11.) Sweats or Jeans: Fuck pants dude, skirts. I wear skirts 12.) Phone or Camera: Phone! My camera is old and fills up fast 13.) Health Freak: I’m here for a good time not a long time 14.) Drink or Smoke: Unfortunately 15.) Do You Have A Crush On Someone: Yeah! I have a girlfriend, I love her! 16.) Political orientation: Left? Society is to serve humanity, governments exists to protect their people, everyone deserves a fair chance, ect? 17.) Piercings: I’ve just got my ears pierced but microdermal piercings are kinda really pretty too 18.) Tattoos: Also pretty but piercings are better cause they fucking sparkle, look at that there’s fucking metal in your skin and you can have cute things or fucking gems attached  HAVE YOU EVER [BEEN IN]: 19.) Airplane: Fuck yeah! And a helicopter! I love flying! 20.) Car *Accident*: A truck bumped me once? 21.) Fist Fight: Several! Many? More sanctioned ones than just brawling and I think that’s rather mature of me FIRSTS: 22.) First piercing: Ears 23.) First Best Friend: A girl named Olivia! I’ve known her since kindergarten and we’re still friends 24.) First Instrument played: I played the xylaphone and glockenspiel at school and I was the worst at it 25.) First award: I won a medal for the best grades in the worst class in high school, I’m only counting the things I actually worked for and not participation or consolation prizes cause y’know, they don’t count 26.) First Crush: In retrospect probably one of my friends from when I was little and clueless but first one from post oh shit I’m queer realization is said girlfriend 27.) First Language: English. 28.) First Big Vacation: I went to Hawaii with my whole family on my mums side (and my dad) for my oma and opa’s anniversary  LASTS: 29.) Last Person you talked to: My little sister! 30.) Last Person You Texted: Ana! who is the girlfriend I keep mentioning 31.) Last Person You Watched: I was watching Prey stuff to reference something earlier? Last human would also be my sister who I watched get a blanket for the plus nineteen degrees celsius heat the absolute madwoman 32.) Last Food You Ate: Pizza! meaty meat pizza 32.) Last Movie You Watched: Infinity war unfortunately, I wanted to see the moon throwing scene so I skipped through everything for that. 34.) Last Song You listened to: Bad Believer by St Vincent 35.) Last Thing You Bought: Poutine and bubble tea 36.) Last Person You Hugged: This is depressing, I don’t know. Does my PC count? I needed to adjust it again and that’s the last thing of any importance I’ve touched in a while now soooo FAVES: 37.) Food: Chocolate! Fish! Meat! Bread! Sugar! Curry! Ice cream! 38.) Drinks: TEA! Hot Chocolate! Milk! Horchata! Bubble tea! Soda! Port! 39.) Clothing: Comfortable skirts and t shirts with hoodies/sweaters and fuzzy leggings and scarves but it’s too warm for that 40.) Book: Tin Star by Cecil Castellucci 41.) Color: Purple! especially lavender 42.) Flower: Also lavender  43.) Music: Miracle of Sound! he’s got lots of different genres, Hozier and Seeming are great too and a bunch of video game soundtracks are great too 44.) Movie: Pacific Rim I think 46.) Subjects: Science! I want to know how everything and everyone works and then I want to help all of it

IN THE PAST YEAR I… 47.) [ ] Kissed in the rain 48.) [ ] Celebrated Halloween. 49.) [ ] Had Your Heart Broken 50.) [x] Went Over the Minutes on Your Cell Phone  51.) [x] Someone Questioned Your Sexual Orientation. It’s a constant state of denial babe 52.) [x] Used a Weapon Technically 53.) [x] Breathed fire I inhaled a candle flame that count? 54.) [ ] Had an Abortion 55.) [x] Done something you’ve Regretted   56.) [ ] Broke a Promise 57.) [x] Kept a Secret 58.) [x] Pretended To Be Happy 59.) [ ] Met Someone Who Changed Your Life 60.) [ ] Pretended To Be Sick 61.) [ ] Left The Country 62.) [ ] Tried something you normally wouldn’t like, and liked it. 63.) [x] Cried Over The Silliest Thing 64.) [x] Ran a Mile 65.) [ ] Went To the Beach 66.) [ ] Stayed Single CURRENTLY: 67.) Eating: Avoiding sleep 68.) Drinking: Oolong tea 69.) Getting Ready To: Sleep 70.) Listening To: I did forget to change this whoops, I’m listening to this https://youtu.be/4MN8gw6S4kM 71.) Plans For Tomorrow/Today: Berry farm trip! 72.) Waiting For: Sleep YOUR FUTURE: 73.) Want Kids: Not especially? I don’t think I’d be good at it 74.) Want To Get Married: Yeah! I’m sappy and it’s useful incase someone is hospitalized or for taxes or wills or visas which is less sappy and more practical but is there anything more romantic than making sure your partner has safety nets and an easier life? Huh? 75.) Careers in minds: I want to help people, I just don't know how yet? WHICH IS BETTER ON A GIRL/GUY: (again blatant nb/gq/ag exclusion) ON A PERSON/PARTNER: 76.) Lips or Eyes: ...Eyes? 77.) Shorter or Taller: All the same to me? 78.) Romantic or Spontaneous: This is vague and weird really, like what if you think romance is spontaneity? however since it’s capitalized I’m assuming you mean like the Romance period and I think that’s pretty good 79.) Nice Stomach or Nice Arms: Also weird! who wants their partner to get sick? I don’t want them to get sick? Arms are for holding, stomachs are for eating these things are not related  80.) Sensitive or Loud: None of these questions make any fucking sense 81.) Hook-up Or Relationship: Relationship? 82.) Troublemaker or Hesitant: These things are not mutually exclusive either HAVE YOU EVER: 83.) Lost Glasses/Contacts: My glasses once got smacked off my face with a boom and into a reservoir 84.) Ran Away From Home: Nope 85.) Held A Weapon, For Self Defense: I do not believe it has been self defence technically no 86.) Killed Somebody: I’m onto you you dirty cops 87.) Broken Someone’s Heart: Sure hope not! 88.) Been Arrested: Can’t catch meeeeee DO YOU BELIEVE IN: 90.) Yourself: I am here, I am trying, I am failing, I will try again or I will die, there’s no belief involved 91.) Miracles: Sort of? Not really? I don’t think the universe is going to make anything happen for a reason kind or cruel 92.) Love at First Sight: No, love needs you to know someone 93.) Heaven: Nope! 94.) Santa Claus: Nope? Never have, wrong cultures for Santa  95.) Easter Bunny: Nope, wrong cultures again 96.) Magic: I’m not sure, insufficient evidence ANSWER TRUTHFULLY: 97.) Is There One Person You Wanna Be With, Right Now: Yes! Cause I’m taken! Am dating! Have girlfriend, I’m girlfriend! It’s great! 98.) Are You Seriously Happy With Where You Are, In Life: Nope! Can’t remember ever being truly seriously happy but that’s alright though cause nothing lasts forever and either I’ll get around to it eventually or I just won’t? No point in worrying 99.) Are You Happy With The Person You’re With: Also yes! Incredibly! I try to not get started cause I’m told I can be insufferable about it but so very very happy 100.) Post as 100 Truths and Tag five People: this is more 99 truths ain’t it, so here’s the last one, I am constantly terrified my plants will die but act tough in front of them cause someone has to not wilt under pressure 

@alienhazy, @nightcoreapologist, @kajafrompluto, @criticalrolo, @elvenorc

#ask & answer by artemis

[prettywordsyouleft]

50 Questions Tag

Tagged by @g-exo Thank you sweetie! <3

1. What takes too much of your time?

Working and writing. 

2. What makes your day better?

Writing, k-dramas, crafting, bullet journalling, chocolate lol.

3. What’s the best thing that happened to you today?

This is going to sound odd, but we have 3 little kittens (and their mama) who we rescued from our horses’ hay shed a few weeks ago. The kittens started on solids like two days ago and one of them hadn’t pooped and was pretty full. After some assistance from me, she went and pooped. I could have cried with pure happiness. Poor thing was so uncomfortable.

4. What fictional place would you like to go to?

The world of Howl’s Moving Castle. To be able to use the door in Howl’s Castle to go to different realms and places would be truly magical.

5. Are you good at giving advice?

I believe so. Not so good at taking the same said advice though >_<

6. Do you have any mental illness?

Generalised Anxiety.

7. Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis?

Nope and I’m grateful that I haven’t :/ << same.

8. What musician inspired you the most?

SHINee as a group. I was in a hard place when I got into kpop with being unable to walk. I was entirely depressed from my accident and thought I would never get anywhere again. Their music gave me an escapism that I needed at first, and then I found the confidence in myself to get back up and try again. 

9. Have you ever fallen in love?

I don’t think I truly know what love is aside from familial love. I’ve not had the opportunity to fall in love. 

10. What’s your dream date?

I don’t think I have one. Something simple yet fulfilling with a person who is actually engaged in the date happenings and wanting to be in my company would be enough for me!

11. What do others notice about you?

I like to give. Everyone who has come across me - whether in passing or actually get to know me, all say that I have this ability to share with others and make their lives brighter by doing so. 

The ones who know me well complain that I don’t know when to stop and rest because I’m so focused on completing my tasks/ giving to others lol. 

12. What is an annoying habit you have?

I guess the above - being too stubborn to know when I need to rest. I’m pretty bad about it. I overload myself and then get too stressed out. It’s something I’m working on!

13. Do you still talk to your first love?

Not applicable to me.

14. How many ex’s do you have?

Zero.

15. How many songs are in your playlist?

6456 is the amount I have on itunes. I have various playlists that I listen to despite my mood though.

16. What instruments can you play?

None.

17. Who do you have the most pictures of?

Uhhhh on my phone it’s Mark Tuan. Followed by Kyungsoo and both Jung/Park Jinyoung’s.

18. Where would you like to go before you die?

Italian Peninsula is my top pick. Other places would be Greece, Japan, Korea and England.

19. What is your zodiac?

Gemini technically.

20. Do you relate to it?

I fall on the Gemini-Cancer cusp and relate to articles I’ve read of Gemini-Cancer cusp people than pure Gemini traits. I’m definitely not an outgoing, carefree person as Gem’s are describe to be lol.

21. What is happiness to you?

My family, friends and even our pets succeeding in life. Seeing their happiness makes me feel good.

22. Are you going through anything right now?

This whole year has been a “going through” kind of year. Every time I think things are settling, another thing is thrown my way. But I’m optimistic it means I’m getting stronger with this testing period. 

23. What’s the worst decision you’ve ever made?

Not buying VIP tickets when B.A.P came here for their L.O.E tour. I chose Gold tickets because they had seats and as a partially disabled person through my right leg, I didn’t think I could stand for the duration of the concert. It’s something I’ve regretted for years - they were so amazing to everyone, but those in VIP were so darn lucky with all the interactions they had!  

24. What’s your favourite store?

I guess Gordon Harris, the local art store, because I am always there picking up new stationery supplies for bullet journalling. 

25. What’s your opinion on abortion?

It’s a very personal choice. As a person who wants to be a mother one day, it’s an option I could never ever bring myself to do. However, it’s not my place to judge, condemn or preach at those who feel it’s their only choice at the time. 

26. Do you keep a bucket list?

Kind of? In my bullet journal for the past 2 years I’ve done the whole “19/20 things to do before 2019/2020″ but I don’t have an official bucket list or anything.

27. Do you have a favourite album?

Probably Verse 2 - JJ Project because I listen to it all the time. Otherwise, Good Timing - B1A4 is probably another long time favourite.

28. What do you want for your birthday?

Not really sure... my birthday is hard because it’s ten days before my Dad’s death anniversary. So I just try to do something to smile each year. Maybe go out for dinner to celebrate mine and Mum’s birthday (she’s a week exactly after my birthday)

29. What are most people’s first impression of you?

I’ve been told most people think I’m shy and awkward but once I talk, they are surprised with how engaging I can be in conversation. Which makes me laugh because generally on the inside I’m panicking as I have social anxiety issues. 

30. What age do you seem according to most people?

I’m 32 but people never seem to think it. When I was at university, I was older than everyone else as an adult student but they all thought I was around 20-21 when I was 24+ hahah. 

31. Where do you keep your phone while you’re sleeping?

On top of Octavia’s crate which is next to my bed. Or if I need to charge it, I leave it on my desk. I’m a very light sleeper so when my alarm goes off, it doesn’t need to be next to me to wake me up.

32. what word do you say the most?

When I’m talking - “like” (which really annoys me). When I’m writing - “but”.

33. What’s the oldest age you would date?

I try to believe I would date anyone regardless of age. But I’ve been known to have put an age limit of no more than 8 years older when I was feebly using dating websites. I don’t actively search for someone anymore, so if they came into my world and matched me well in a natural way, then I don’t think age would deter me. 

34. What’s the youngest age you would date?

I’m a bit more carefree on this one... I think it comes from being an older kpop fan and liking on younger idols because there’s hardly any idols left that are my age/older lol. Again as above, I wouldn’t let a younger age deter me in the right setting.

35. What job/career do most people say would suit you?

Author. I’ve even done those career quizzes on multiple occasions and the first choice is always Author/Writer. 

The second choice people say is teacher. Which I was training to be until my injury. 

36. What’s your favourite music genre?

K-Pop. 

37. If you could live in any country in the world, where would it be?

I’m happy where I live. I’ve never thought of being able to live elsewhere.

38. What is your current favourite song?

White or Feeling - both by Jeong Sewoon. 

39. How long have you had this blog for?

I started it on July 2nd, 2018.

40. What are you excited for?

Uh, I’m not really excited for anything? 

41. Are you a better talker or listener?

A bit of both.

42. What is the last productive thing you did?

Yesterday I made a new paddock up for our horses, cleaned out my guinea pig’s house, cleaned out the entire bathroom where Byul and her kittens are staying. And then last night I did Chelle Chats which was pretty busy! 

Today I’ve been pretty chill compared so far. 

43. What do you want for Christmas?

I’m not sure. I’m never good at knowing what I want. Better at knowing what to buy others.

44. What class do you get the best grades in?

In high school, it was English and Biology. In university, it was Classics/Ancient History.

45. On a scale of 1-10, how are you feeling right now?

6

46. What can you see yourself doing in 10 years?  

Not sure. I had an image of how I hoped to be a mother, and continuing on with my art business, but with puberty rocking our house with my sister and my finances taking a nose dive, fertility treatment is long gone sadly. I’ll just think I’ll focus on the now and improve/appreciate what I have! 

47. When did you first get your heartbreak?

I’m sure this question is related to dating but for me, when I was 14 my heart broke when my Nana died. And in 2012, when my Dad was killed was when I gained another ball in my box of grief. Last year was tough losing my dog of 15.5 years too. Got three balls in that box now :( 

As for dating, sure, I’ve hurt from limited attempts to confess and being rejected... but I’ve never had real opportunity for heartbreak like that.

48. At what age do you want to get married?

Lmfao. I’ll probably be single for my whole life. Marriage is so far from the cards for me, I can’t imagine it. 

49. What career did you want to have as a child?

I wanted to be a Veterinarian or Teacher.

50. What do you crave right now?

Food cos it’s 1.34pm and I’ve not eaten yet oops.

Tagging: @this-song-thats-only-for-you @mark-tuan-and-namjoon-lover @katdefbeom @listlessmaenads @tuanyiems @peachyparkjinyoung @jinyoungmoans @ahgase55g7 @itsallabigmess and anyone else who wants to do this! 

#get to know the blogger #pwyl; tagged

[rosytteok]

50 questions tag.✍🏻

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tagged by the sweetest human ever;; @stuipdgirlxbtsx ily bud ty💞‼️

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1. What takes up too much of your time?

lmaooo school, schoolwork, homework. anything related to school.

2. What makes your day better?

To be honest, scrolling through tumblr, laughing, talking to mutuals, writing when I’m very inspired. basically a lot of things make my day.

3. What’s the best thing to happen to you today?

My mom brought me my nana’s soup and other goodies for lunch and I was THRIVING!!!

4. What fictional place would you like to go to?

Maybe Hogwarts, P.K Academy, Ouran Academy(even though I’m poor as fuck) and that would be it.

5. Are you good at giving advice?

I think I am??? Sometimes in certain topics I can really let loose and advise someone from experience or from what I’ve been taught growing up.

6. Do you have any mental illnesses?

None at all.

7. Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis?

Nope.

8. What musicians inspired you the most?

Hm, Freddie Mercury(or Queen as a whole), BTS, and many others.

9. Have you ever fallen in love?

Yup.

10. What’s your dream date?

Nothing special nor fancy either—prolly something like going out to talk or eat fast food or ice cream. maybe a simple movie date.

11. What do others notice about you?

I have no idea lol. Probably like my face, mostly my eyes I think.

12. What is an annoying habit you have?

For me, since I bite the insides of my lips a lot, I find it annoying cuz I wanna stop but I just can’t??? ugh skskskks.

13. Do you still talk to you first love?

Never have had a bf. So no, I don’t even know where the hell my first crush at kdkdkdk.

14. How many exes do you have?

None.

15. How many songs are in your playlist?

A. Whole. Freakin’. Lot.

16. What instruments can you play?

None lmaooo but I’d love to learn how to play the piano, or the guitar.

17. What do you have the most pictures of?

Probably most kpop/bts related pics or pics of me lmao.

18. Where would you like to go before you die?

Truly...I’d love to travel the world but places like Italy, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Spain, France, etc. They really catch my attention so maybe one of those, hopefully, in the near future.

19. What is your zodiac?

Gemini.

20. Do you relate to it?

Sometimes I do, not frequently though. I just think back on a Gemini’s attributes and characteristics and be like: “oh! maybe that’s why I’m like this.” but then poof. I don’t pay them much attention.

21. What is happiness to you?

The people that surround you. Your loved ones, precisely. Family and friends to me are happiness. Also, my hobbies and interests. Like dancing, listening to music, and writing.

22. Are you going through anything right now?

Stress. Lots of finals to be done and I’m s t r e s s e d. But I’m managing.

23. What’s the worst decision you ever made?

No idea. Currently, can’t remember any.

24. What’s your favorite store?

I normally dislike shopping so I don’t know. Maybe somewhere with a makeup aisle, or like beauty related stuff kdksksk.

25. What’s your opinion on abortion?

(yikes oh god) although the thought of killing an innocent human being disgusts me, if it’s the product of some sort of sexual abuse then, if the female feels uncomfortable having the child since it may remind her of the assailant and/or the memory, it’s her choice to abort or not. Now, if the child were to be a mistake made by reckless behavior or malfunctions(?) on behalf of the pill or condom, then I believe the baby should certainly not be killed. Just because you didn’t plan it or if it was a mindless error it’s not the child’s fault. They shouldn’t be immorally punished.

26. Do you keep a bucket list?

Nope.

27. Do you have a favorite album?

Not precisely. Since I mostly listen to just some songs from a certain album and not like the whole thing, I can’t say. Maybe MOTS: Persona??? Idk man kdksksk.

28. What do want for your birthday?

Makeup maybe??? Money??? the MOTS: Persona album?? A vacation??? I have a lot of things in mind ksksk.

29. What are most people’s first impression of you?

Can’t say, really. Prolly that I’m a saint with no sense of dark humor. Like a nun maybe. Lmaoooo skskks.

30. What age do you seem according to most people?

17-20 ksksks.

31. Where do you keep your phone while you’re sleeping?

If it’s charging then, it’s on a table in front of the foot of my bed, sitting on top of a Bluetooth speaker. If it’s already charged then it’s in my purse.

32. What word do you say the most?

Somethings like: “uwu”, “hot”, “cute”, “baby”, “lmao”, “look—bye.”, “what the fock.”, “specimen” (weird selection, right? lsksksk.)

33. What’s the oldest date you would date?

Max one to two years older than me. MAX. M A X. I can’t go any higher than that, sorry fellas.

34. What’s the youngest age you would date?

This is going to sound so stupid but again, max a few months younger. I stand being like years older than a guy. It’s just not in my persona.

35. What job/career do most people say would suit you?

God forbid but, a teacher. Especifically, an English teacher or like a Science teacher. I’m shaking but God, no.

36. What’s your favorite music genre?

Pop, rock, kpop, and a little bit of R&B on the side.

37. If you could live in any country in the world, where would it be?

Hm, maybe just America or Canada. Although, I like other countries, I don’t feel like I’d be ready to live in a foreign country yet skskks.

38. What is you current favorite song?

Killer Queen by Queen, bad guy or COPYCAT by Billie Eilish.

39. How long have you had this blog for?

No freaking idea. Maybe for like a year now? Two maybe soon? This blog initially wasn’t planned ksksks it just came out of nowhere but I’m glad now that I made it.

40. What are you excited for?

My birthday and summer vacation.

41. Are you a better talker or listener?

A mix of both. Sometimes when I don’t know what to say, i just lend my ears all the way. But when I do, the words flow through as I advise skskks.

42. What is the last productive thing you did?

Do the dishes later today skskks.

43. What do you want for Christmas?

A miracle sent from Heaven and makeup(maybe??? Or like an album possibly??? Too soon to tell y’all).

44. What class do you get the best grades in?

Not to FLEX but honestly, all of them. Although, English is my forte (it has been since I was little) and I always get the highest grade rank in my class.

45. On a scale from 1-10, how are you feeling right now?

A pretty chill 9.

46. What can you see yourself doing in ten years?

Studying hard on what I love, cramming for exams in some dorm late at night. Maybe even finishing my dream. Living the stressful life that is college skskskks.

47. When did you get your first heartbreak?

Never have gotten one lol.

48. What age do you want to get married?

I truly do not want to get HUSBAND UP but who knows??? Maybe in my early to middle twenties??? I don’t know since I haven’t put much thought into it.

49. What career did you want to have as a child?

I remember like wanting to be a model, singer or like an actress or fashion designer.

50. What do you crave right now?

For school to hurry up and end, something sweet, and a good fucking nights’ rest skskks.

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this took so much skskksks anyway,,,,I’m tired so imma post this and chill.🤟🏻

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💌;; @gukgalore @palepinksuga @carry-on-my-wayward-bts (not an obligation since i know it’s a pretty long tag)

#me #tagged #tags💌

[kennedy-writes]

Some More Info About Aidan :)

So @decantae tagged me in the Character Creation Tag (thank you!), which is perfect because I’m posting lots about my OCs this week. I made a post about Aidan here, and now here is some more info: 

1) What was the first element of your OC that you remember considering (name, appearance, backstory, etc.?)

In the earliest stages of my WIP, back in summer of 2017, maybe earlier, Aidan was named Elaine. The story was suuuuper different it’s crazy. But the concept of her role in the story was the same, and I believe this was the first thing I considered for her. She would be the first to break away from the cruel programming/conditioning imposed on her generation and successfully escape to discover an alternate way of living and feeling. She also always had a close ally in a man whose name has been Thor, Jagger, Aryeh, Lev, and now Sammie. Jagger is a different character now.

2) Did you design them with any other characters/OCs from their universe in mind?

Elaine (proto-Aidan?) was the first character I really designed, but I designed her knowing that she’d have a close platonic relationship with someone like Thor. Elaine was re-designed into Aidan, and it’s the same thing: I designed her knowing she’d have a close relationship with two other people: Stella, a girl from the city, and Aryeh, now Sammie, the librarian. I’m thinking now that Stella might actually be unnecessary to the novel so I may have to cut her out though :( but we’ll see

3) How did you choose their name?

I love names for girls that are traditionally masculine, and I wanted something that meant sunny or fire or something of that sort. This was because I was toying with the idea of having her with a fiery name and then Thor with the thunder-god name. But it also fits her personality so I didn’t change it after Thor left the picture.

4) In developing their backstory, what elements of the world they live in played the most influential parts?

I don’t have all of Aidan’s backstory perfectly figured out yet (I’m doing this as I go whoops). But the city is a proclaimed techno-utopia run by rich inventors, scientists, and engineers acting on their wildest fantasies and discarding all ethics, a utopia that serves only their society (governors, celebrities, the wealthy and their favored individuals), at the expense of a class of laborers and staff who were literally made to do certain types of work and nothing else. SO Aidan was one of these people but she was a bit different because she was designed to play in the orchestra. The environment of the city - very sterile, imposing, restrictive - is probably the most influential part in her development once she runs away.

5) Is there any significance behind their hair colour?

Sort of, not really. I think black hair is cool. I dyed mine black a bit ago and felt good about it. I wanted Aidan to evoke that vibe. 

6) Is there any significance behind their eye colour?

No.

7) Is there any significance behind their height?

No. She is shorter than most other characters though. 

8) What (if anything) do you relate to within their character/story?

Her whole arc is partly a metaphor for coming into your emotions after having them suppressed for so long, and navigating what that feels like. So that’s a thing I can relate to. 

9) Are they based off of you, in some way?

Yeah, somewhat. She’s the only one who is, though. The others may have bits of me in them, but not Based On Me. 

10) Did you know what the OC’s sexuality would be at the time of their creation?

Yeah! I mean I thought bisexual at first but I changed it to pansexual because it seemed to fit her better.

11) What have you found to be most difficult about creating art for your OC (any form of art: Writing, drawing, edits, etc.)?

I don’t do art (yet. I try, sometimes) but I have made a mood board for her. So no difficulty to report yet. Here is the moodboard btw:

12) How far past the canon events that take place in their world have you extended their story, if at all?

This is a hard one to answer because I don’t know when the canon events end. There might be more than one book? I don’t really think too far in the future for her, as I don’t imagine she does much either, because the desert is a very in-the-moment kind of space. Aidan hardly knows what she’s going to do tomorrow, and neither do I.

13) If you had to narrow it down to 2 things that you MUST keep in mind while working with your OC, what would those things be?

1. The trauma from having to suppress her emotions and being forced to play music for the rich for so long absolutely informs the way she goes about her new life. She is angry. She tries to just forget about everything about the first 20 years of her life, and truly believes it doesn’t affect her anymore, but it totally does in ways she doesn’t realize. She’s also a little jealous of people who’ve lived in the desert all their lives.

2. This anger often mixes in with the overwhelming love she feels towards all the new things - the friends, the landscape, the freedom and agency she has now, etc. At her core she’s very much in love with the world and wants to help others. The desire to help feels like an immense pressure, and she often overdoes it on her training with Vala. She’s just a very intense but compassionate bean.

14) What is something about your OC that can make you laugh?

When she gets to the desert, she might as well have been born yesterday, everything’s new to her. Her enthusiastic reactions to ordinary things that everyone takes for granted are funny in my head. (Haven’ t written this yet!)

15) What is something about your OC can make you cry?

Aidan wants to be close to people, wants to let them in. But she’s afraid that there’s nothing insider her, because she’s from the city and was “made” rather than raised in a human household. She’s scared that she will bring people close only for them to find out she is empty with nothing to give. She covers this up with a loud and energetic demeanor. She’s also very emotionally open and candid despite this fear, which is proof that her fear is unfounded, but she still freaks out when people get too close. The emotional turmoil that comes with that is super heartbreaking to me. Also how attached she gets to Sammie - this will Hurt later. 

16) Is there some element you regret adding to your OC or their story?

Not necessarily a regret (I’m not so far in that I can’t change something), but I’m like…. How am I going to come up with a plausible way for her background in the city to deprive her of a sense of humanity - sci fi isn’t my forte, but then again, fiction isn’t either. I’m a poet, mostly. I’m just figuring stuff out as I go.

17) What is the most recent thing you’ve discovered about your OC?

That she isn’t in love with the librarian. It’s very specific, but Aidan wants platonic intimacy more than anything. She does experiment with sex but her relationship with the librarian must be platonic. Aryeh became Sammie, an eccentric gay man in his late 30s. (That they don’t fall in love allowed me to widen the age gap; I felt that Sammie had to be a bit older.) He has a huge collection of curiosities and books and artefacts, and Aidan’s drive to learn as much as she can about the world that’s been hidden from her brings her close to him.

18) What is your favourite fact about your OC?

She has a segment on Laurie’s radio show called The Finest Hour, in which she talks about music and plays her favorite records she finds in Sammie’s archives. I really really could not resist giving her my music tastes. also she loves climbing rocks.

So that’s Aidan! Next up is Sammie!! I was going to do Vala next but I’m really excited about Sammie because he’s basically the newest character and I love him a lot. After him is Ryan - I did merge and adapt that one flash fiction piece with my bigger WIP and I have no regrets. and then Vala, then Marian, then maybe Laurie then Jagger, then anyone else I didn’t do. Cool? Cool. 

I’ll also take this time to apologize for all the WIPs I sort of started or teased a bit ago, I saw a post yesterday that made me really self conscious about that lol. I don’t mean to do it. but also those WIPs came from a different me and I’m not that me anymore, if that makes sense. If I do pick them back up, and I do intend to for some of them, they’ll be a little different.  But my main focus right now is Where Stars Go To Die. Thanks for understanding!

#aidan #my ocs #where stars go to die #my characters #tag game #long post #kit writes #writing fiction

[rinnnyxr]

Bold Survey | Bold what’s true:

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01. I’ve kissed someone whose name begins with the letter: D, J, K, M, P, R, T.

02. My favorite books are: Inkheart, Elsewhere, Speak, A Mango - Shaped Space, Stargirl, The Anatomy of Wings.

03. My favorite candies include: Milk Duds, Snow Caps, Jolly Ranchers, Skittles, Peanut M&Ms, Reese’s Cups.

04. I’ve seen/am going to see these artists live: Muse, New Found Glory, Paramore, Tegan & Sara.

05. I’m related to someone who: has diabetes, has died of cancer, has broken both legs, is divorced, is bankrupt, is a writer.

06. I have (had) these types of pets: dog, cat, fish, hamster, bunny.

07. My favorite foods include: blueberries, green grapes, yogurt, strawberries, bananas, cereal, watermelon, peas, chicken, tuna, brown rice.

08. My least favorite foods include: pork, celery, grapefruit, shrimp, spinach, onions, hot wings.

09. I have an account on the following websites: Tumblr, Twitter, Flickr, We♥It, Last.Fm, Listography, LiveJournal.

10. I used to really like: The Powerpuff Girls, Lisa Frank, Hello Kitty, tie-dye clothing, “skater” stuff, American Idol.

11. I’ve been to the following places: California, Canada, Florida, Hawaii, New York, Pennsylvania.

12. I don’t agree with/dislike the idea of: animal cruelty, the oil spill, and the way it’s being taken care of, school on the weekends, drinking/smoking/doing drugs.

13. I do agree with/believe in: gay marriage, working for what you want and not having it handed to you, the golden rule.

14. I am/have been friends with a: Adrianne, Amy, Amanda, Bob, Brett, Caroline, Chloe, Christina, Dan, Elizabeth, Emily, Gabby, Jack, Jake, Jen, Kaleigh, Kelly, Ken, Lauren, Leighann, Madison, Marielle, Marina, Mike, Melinda, Meghan, Natalie, Nick, Olivia, Patrick, Patrice, Ryan, Sam, Shelby, Timothy, Tyler, Zach.

15. I am related to someone named: Anna, Beatrice, Debbie, Dennis, Donna, Gregory, Kevin, Kimberly, Mark, Michael, Rita, Rob, Timothy.

16. I’ve crushed on a: Bob, Brett, Connor, Dan, Jack, Joey, Kevin, Liam, Matt, Max, Mike, Nick, Tyler.

17. I like to wear: hoodies, T-shirts, tank tops, polos, strapless bras, denim shorts, guy shorts, skinny jeans, fuzzy socks, mittens, winter hats, slip-ons, Vans, Converse.

18. I fear: death, losing loved ones, never being fully happy with my life, never being totally content with who I am, never accomplishing my goals/dreams, being murdered, drowning, heights, airplanes, lightning.

19. Some of my favorite musical artists include: Yellowcard, The Beatles, Something Corporate, Jack’s Mannequin, Dashboard Confessional, Muse, Tegan & Sara, The Eagles, Pink Floyd, Jimmy Eat World, Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, Rogue Wave, Vampire Weekend, OK Go, The Killers, New Found Glory, Rilo Kiley.

20. I like the following names: Christina, Holly, Jack, Jake, Kimberly, Melanie, Melody, Peter, Ryan, Sean, Theo.

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Gemini a very loyal friend always puts others first has an answer for everything can’t pick an aesthetic loves thriller movies moods change pretty quickly good at reading people dislikes having a plan hates being timed gives good advice knows every obscure loses their temper easily loves to debate their bedroom is kinda messy loves to explore quite confident and extroverted good sense of style loves reality tv and Youtube changed their mind a lot secretly loves drama good at making people laugh dislikes authority figures very intuitive loves bright colors loves being around people 12/25

Libra loves historical fiction and poetry can be very selfless keeps their hair long can’t make decisions has a varied taste in music artistic and creative gets hurt easily gives great hugs gets bored easily always finds the good in people always trying to learn runs late a lot keeps secrets well can be very self-critical happy staying inside could stay up all night easily has a big group of friends has a favorite clothing style doodles on their notes drinks too much tea gives great advice very polite always tells the truth comes up with creative ideas always overthinks 13/25

Aquarius cries a lot knows lots of random trivia loves fantasy movies and books can be a little awkward small but close circle of friends very strong opinions needs their alone time hates being told what to do very creative and crafty vegan/veggie has a sweet tooth always has 50 projects on the go varied taste in music loves thrift shops can never pick an aesthetic gets lost in daydreams good eye for fashion adores spooky things very loyal makes things for their friends spends a lot of time alone can be blunt adores dad jokes stubborn as hell loves to travel 17/25

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In 2020 so far, have you

felt comfortable with the way you look? exercised because you weren’t comfortable with your body? applied makeup and felt a lot prettier than before? worn contact lenses? worn something you felt extremely uncomfortable in? tried to cut your hair by yourself? dyed your hair? gotten your hair cut really short? wanted to be someone else?

been to the principal’s office? gotten so drunk you couldn’t remember a single thing? been addicted to smoking? overdosed? had detention? cheated on a test? made someone else write an exam for you? been arrested? done something illegal and nearly got caught? witnessed a crime? been out past your curfew? lied to your parents because you wanted to hang out with a boy? lied to your parents about someone’s age? lied about your age to someone? been to a club? been to a bar? been to a casino? won a lot of money? earned money by doing something illegal? failed a class? had sex with someone you weren’t dating? reached 2nd/3rd base with someone you weren’t dating? kissed someone you didn’t have feelings for? received oral? been caught having sex? been caught cheating on someone? made out with a friend? had a friend with benefits? made out in a movie theatre? made out on a train? had sex on the beach? had sex in the pool? lost your virginity to someone who didn’t mean anything to you? said the wrong name while having sex? seen someone of the preferred sex naked? met someone because only you wanted sex? tried to stay away from someone but didn’t?

harmed yourself? lost a lot of weight? been suicidal? attempted suicide? cried yourself to sleep? cried so hard you threw up? cried on someone’s shoulder? gained a lot of weight? hated yourself? been hurt by someone you loved? felt broken? felt extremely happy? received a very special compliment? loved yourself? felt truly loved by others? laughed so hard you started crying? not been able to stop smiling? been to Disney world? felt accepted? crossed out something that’s on your bucket list? swum with dolphins? went skydiving? seen a meteor shower? seen a shooting star? owned a lot of books? owned too many clothes? had your room rearranged? received a postcard? written a letter? watched TV the whole night? watched all Lord of the Rings movies in one sitting? watched a movie online?

fell in love with someone you met online? met a good friend online? had more friends online than in real life? had a fandom blog? had a funny blog? had an advice blog? had a personal blog? had a survey blog?

[therainshow]

I made a Taylor Swift Music Education Lesson that covers each album, in order, and my favorite songs from said album. I included bits of each album’s prologue and background information on each album, plus my personal opinions on each. I made this for some coworkers that want to learn more about Taylor, feel free to look it over and pass it on to anyone you’re trying to convert someone into a Swiftie :) There is a Spotify link for a playlist I made that has all these songs. You can find that at the bottom :)

Welcome to your Taylor Swift Music Education Lesson. Please read carefully.

 For your education and enjoyment (hopefully), I have included a detailed track-list of all the songs on your Spotify playlist. These songs appear in order of album, beginning with Fearless and ending with reputation. I did not include Taylor’s debut album in this lesson. It’s a great album, but has a heavy country influence and was written when she was 14, so it is difficult to relate to and/or isolating to those who do not appreciate country music. Within each album, there is no specific order. As I introduce a new album, I provide you with a bit of background information to give you a more thorough understanding. This background information begins with a blurb taken directly from the prologue that Taylor wrote for said album. With each track title I have included my favorite lyric from that song. You may also see some asterisks with notes scattered throughout. I couldn’t resist. The songs I chose are either a) my favorite, b) a fan favorite, c) generally iconic in nature, or c) songs I think, or hope, you will like. My favorite song off each album is indicated with multiple exclamation points. Let’s begin.

 FEARLESS: “To me, “FEARLESS” is not the absence of fear. It’s not being completely unafraid. To me, FEARLESS is having fears. FEARLESS is having doubts. Lots of them. To me, FEARLESS is living in spite of those things that scare you to death.”  Fearless is Taylor’s second album and was released in the fall of 2008 when Taylor was 18. It is actually the most highly-awarded country album of all time. Fearless won Album of the Year at the 2010 Grammy’s when Taylor was 20 years old. Taylor is the youngest person to ever win that award. There are 13 tracks on this album, and 8 were written solely by Taylor. This album cemented me as a stan, and the songs saved my life in high school. I have Fearless tattooed on my back, and I truly believe that I wouldn’t be who I am today without this album. I’d probably be dead in a gutter somewhere. Joking, but seriously, high school was rough. Thank God for Tswift.

1.      Forever & Always!!!!!!!!!!!: “It rains in your bedroom when everything’s wrong. It rains when you’re here and it rains when you’re gone.”

2.      Fifteen: “Back then I swore I was gonna marry him someday, but I realized some bigger dreams of mine. And Abigail gave everything she had to a boy who changed his mind, and we both cried. ‘Cause when you’re fifteen and somebody tells you they love you, you’re gonna believe them.” *Abigail was Taylor’s best friend in high school, and they’re still friends today.*

3.      Love Story: “This love is difficult, but it’s real. Don’t be afraid, we’ll make it out of this mess.” *This is Taylor’s first #1 song. It went #1 on both country and pop radio. She attributes her career to this song. She wrote the song in 20 minutes solo on her bedroom floor after an argument with her parents over a boy.*

4.      The Best Day: “I’m thirteen now and don’t know how my friends could be so mean. I come home crying and you hold me tight and grab the keys. And we drive and drive until we find a town far enough away, and we talk and window shop ‘til I’ve forgotten all their names. I don’t know who I’m gonna talk to now at school, but I know I’m laughing on the car ride home with you. Don’t know how long it’s gonna take to feel okay, but I know I had the best day with you today. *Taylor wrote this song for her mom.*

5.      Breathe: “People are people, and sometimes it doesn’t work out. Nothing we say is gonna save us from the fall-out.”

6.      Fearless: “We’re drivin’ down the road, I wonder if you know I’m tryin’ so hard not to get caught up now. But you’re just so cool running your hands through your hair, absent mindedly making me want you.”

7.      Tell Me Why: “Why do you have to make me feel small so you can feel whole inside? Why do you have to put down my dreams so you’re the only thing on my mind?”

 SPEAK NOW: “What you say might be too much for some people. Maybe it will come out all wrong and you'll stutter and you'll walk away embarrassed, wincing as you play it all back in your head. But I think the words you stop yourself from saying are the ones that will haunt you the longest. So say it to them. Or say it to yourself in the mirror. Say it in a letter you'll never send or in a book millions might read someday. I think you deserve to look back on your life without a chorus of resounding voices saying 'I could've, but it's too late now.' There is a time for silence. There is a time for waiting your turn. But if you know how you feel, and you so clearly know what you need to say, you'll know it. I don't think you should wait. I think you should speak now.” Speak Now is Taylor’s third album and was released in the fall of 2010 when Taylor was 20. There are 14 tracks, all written solely by Taylor. There are no co-writers on this record. After Taylor won AOTY for Fearless, many of her critics said that it was impossible that she carried her weight in those writing sessions. Basically, the songs on Fearless were so good that a lot of people didn’t believe that she actually wrote them. To prove them wrong, she decided to write the album entirely by herself. This album is the fan favorite, and is my second favorite. I feel like this album was way ahead of its time. Speak Now is the kind of album I’d expect a musician to write towards the end of his/her career once they stop caring about crafting the perfect song, and start making great music for the hell of it. Most of the songs on Speak Now are over 5 minutes in length with many clocking in over 6 minutes. Definitely not suited for radio. Taylor is known for painting stories in her lyrics, and I’d say Speak Now does that the best. I met Taylor during the Speak Now Era, the most lauded of eras amongst fans. To have seen the Speak Now concert is a huge deal in the Swiftie fandom. The concert was absolutely magical. If you don’t believe me, you’re welcome to come over and watch the live DVD. Most of the general public knows next to nothing about Speak Now because none of the songs really charted on radio. However, Speak Now is the first of her albums to sell a million or more copies in the first week (a pattern not broken thus far. #blessed). Speak Now Era was sort of the golden age because she had proved herself to be incredibly talented and cemented her place in the music industry, and yet her PR stunts were at a minimum. Nobody hated her yet, and she kind of went back under the radar despite being at her prime. It was downhill from there, but we were all oblivious to that fact. We were just so blissed out, we couldn’t see the impending doom on the horizon. I could honestly write an entire thesis on Speak Now. Anyway, it was a strange time, indeed.

8.      Mean: “You have pointed out my flaws again, as if I don’t already see them.” *Like I said above, the songs on Speak Now were not widely popular and didn’t chart on radio, with the exception of this one. ‘Mean’ won Country Song of the Year at the Grammy’s in 2012. Taylor wrote this song as a way to cope with relentless and over the top, mean-spirited criticism from a specific music critic named Bob Lefetsz. Suck it, Bob.

9.      Mine: “But we’ve got bills to pay, we’ve got nothin’ figured out. When it was hard to take, this is what I thought about.”

10.  Last Kiss: “How you’d kiss me when I was in the middle of sayin’ something, there’s not a day I don’t miss those rude interruptions.”

11.  Haunted: “Come on, don’t leave me like this. I thought I had you figured out.”

12.  Never Grow Up: “You’re in the car on the way to the movies, and you’re mortified your mom’s droppin’ you off. At fourteen there’s just so much you can’t do, and you can’t wait to move out someday and call your own shots. But don’t make her drop you off around the block, remember that she’s getting older too.” *Taylor wrote this the night she moved out of her parent’s house and into her first apartment in Nashville.*

13.  Sparks Fly: “You’re the kind of reckless that should send me runnin’, but I kinda know that I won’t get far.” *Taylor first performed this song back in 2006 at a random live show when she first started out. Fans recorded it and it went viral. For years fans begged her to record it for an album. She did! Thank you, Taylor! We are #blessed.*

14.  Enchanted!!!!!!!!!!!!: “The playful conversation starts, counter all your quick remarks like passing notes in secrecy.”

15.  Back to December: “It turns out freedom ain’t nothin’ but missin’ you.”

 RED: “My experiences in love have taught me difficult lessons, especially my experiences with crazy love. The red relationships. The ones that went from zero to a hundred miles per hour and then hit a wall and exploded. And it was awful. And ridiculous. And desperate. And thrilling. And when the dust settled, it was something I’d never take back. Because there is something to be said for being young and needing someone so badly, you jump in head first without looking. And there’s something to be learned from waiting all day for a train that’s never coming. And there’s something to be proud of about moving on and realizing that real love shines golden like starlight, and doesn’t fade or spontaneously combust. Maybe I’ll write a whole album about that kind of love if I ever find it. But this album is about the other kinds of love that I’ve recently fallen in and out of. Love that was treacherous, sad, beautiful, and tragic. But most of all, this record is about love that was red.” Oh, Red. I have so many thoughts about you. For starters, Red is Taylor’s fourth album and was released in the fall of 2012. Red is comprised of 16 tracks. Like I said previously, the Speak Now Era was such an incredible time, and Swifties didn’t want to let it go. We didn’t want things to change. I think the Red Era is the only era that Swifties didn’t welcome with open arms. We just didn’t know how to feel, and were afraid of things changing. But Taylor was headed in a more pop direction, and we could all sense it. Of course, Taylor had always been pop, or country pop, but that’s neither here nor there… And so, Red was Taylor’s “pop” debut, because she wrote three songs with pop hitmakers Max Martin and Yohan Shellback. But, it was also her rock debut if you ask me. Red was like a patchwork quilt of music: differently styles, production types, collaborators, producers. Taylor was trying new things and flapping her wings. And it worked. At first, I was hesitant to leave Speak Now behind, but Red quickly became my favorite album and still is. Taylor’s best songs are on Red. That is unanimously agreed upon in the fandom and throughout. Red is Taylor’s crown jewel, her zenith. Unfortunately, Taylor suffered a lot of hate and backlash for her dating life during 2012 and 2013, and that really clouded the success of Red. Like Taylor has said before, she was promoting a massively successful album and touring the world, and all people wanted to talk about was her personal life and it broke her heart. Well, Taylor, it broke mine too. Next to Fearless, Red is the album that helped me most in life. Red chronicles a disastrous heartbreak from beginning to end. The anger, the frustration, the sadness, the regret, the hopelessness, the pining away. You name it, she wrote about it. If you’re ever heartbroken, put on this album. (Except I hope that never happens to you!!) It’s interesting to me that she wrote the songs for Red while she was touring Speak Now, because we thought she was really happy at that time. But, what do we know? We never really know. Well, Red was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2014 Grammy’s and lost to Daft Punk. Whoever announced the winner that night really dragged out the R when he said “Random Access Memories Daft Punk”. So naturally, Taylor thought she had the award and her face lit up. Only to see that she did not, in fact, win. So, she stood up and clapped, although still looking a little miffed/embarrassed. Well, what do you know, the next day the internet is tearing her apart and making fun of the face she made when she thought she had it and then realized she didn’t. She became a gif, a meme, everything. I have seen the waves of irrational, baseless and crude hatred and bullying of her on the internet over the years and that, to me, was the worst. UNFORGIVABLE! So, anyway, it didn’t win the award, but fans and music critics unanimously agree that it should have. Speak Now might be the fan favorite album, due to the attachment to the Speak Now Era, but we all agree that Red is her best work. Alrighty, let’s dive in! Finally, right?!

 16.  I Knew You Were Trouble: “Flew me to places I’d never been,  ‘til you put me down.”

17.  Everything Has Changed ft. Ed Sheeran: “All I feel in my stomach is butterflies, the beautiful kind, makin’ up for lost time, taking flight making me feel like I just wanna know you better.” *Taylor and Ed are best friends in real life. They claim they wrote this song whilst having In n Out burgers on her trampoline in the backyard. I believe them.*

18.   Treacherous: “Nothing safe is worth the drive and I will follow you home.” *This song is cowritten and produced by Dan Wilson from Semisonic.*

19.  Sad Beautiful Tragic: “Distance, timing, breakdown, fighting, silence… the train runs off its tracks.”

20.  Red!!!!!!!!!: “Moving on from him is impossible when I still see it all in my head, in burning red.”

21.  Holy Ground: “We took off faster than a green light go, yeah you skip the conversation when you already know.”

22.  All Too Well: “I’d like to be my old self again, but I’m still trying to find it.” *The original version of this song is over ten minutes long. This is, unanimously, Taylor’s best song of all time. Check any list by any critic and this song will be at the #1 spot. I think, for me, Red and All Too Well are tied for favorites.*

23.  Begin Again: “You throw your head back laughin’ like a little kid. I think it’s strange that you think I’m funny, ‘cause he never did.”

24.  The Last Time ft. Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol: “You wear your best apology, but I was there to watch you leave.”

 1989: “I wrote about moving to the loudest and brightest city in the world, the city I had always been overwhelmed by… until now. I think you have to know who you are and what you want in order to take on New York and all its blaring truth. I wrote about the thrill I got when I finally learned that love, to some extent, is just a game of cat and mouse. I wrote about looking back on a lost love and understanding that nothing good comes without loss and hardship and constant struggle. There is no ‘riding off into the sunset’, like I used to imagine. We are never out of the woods, because we are always going to be fighting for something. I wrote about love that comes back to you just when you thought it was lost forever, and some feelings never go out of style. I wrote about an important lesson I learned recently… that people can say whatever they want about me, but they can’t make me lose my mind. I’ve learned how to shake things off. I’ve told you my stories for years now. Some have been about coming of age, some have been about coming undone. This is a story about coming into your own, and as a result… coming alive.” Oh man. I have a lot of feelings about this one, too. And not the good kind. Let’s start with facts. 1989 is Taylor’s fifth album and was released in the fall of 2014. There are 13 songs. And that’s it for the facts, because now I’m going to dive into my feelings and opinions about this one. Which are basically facts, but anyway... So, like I said previously, Taylor did not win AOTY for Red and that bothered her. She went home to her hotel room, gorged herself on In n Out burgers, and cried (Dramatic much?!? It’s okay though ‘cause it was a rough night. And I’m not making this up, she really told us that’s how the night went down. POOR TAY!). Next thing you know, she wakes up in the middle of the night with an epiphany that she is going to make a sonically cohesive pop album. She said the problem with Red was that it wasn’t “sonically cohesive”. Swifties hate the word sonically cohesive. It hurts me that I am even typing it. If you are in my presence do not say the word sonically cohesive, okay? Moving on. In a way, she was right. Red WASN’T sonically cohesive, but that’s kind of what we loved about it. Every song on Red sounds exactly like the feeling the lyrics portray. We didn’t think it was an issue. But Taylor wanted to hone in on a specific sound and perfect that and keep things neat and clean. And, of course, that sound was going to be pop. EXCEPT SHE’S ALWAYS BEEN POP BUT SURE. So, Taylor decides to try 80s synth pop (I guess?) and go with that. And so 1989 is born. Look, I love the narrative and inspiration behind 1989. I am really inspired by the prologue I shared up there. It was all about independence and friendships and not needing a man because she had stopped dating. But she also said she had to stop dating because the hate got so bad. So, the whole single life thing was kind of forced on her, but whatever, she embraced it. Except we all know she wasn’t *really* single (Hello Karlie Kloss!!). When the first single from 1989, Shake It Off, came out, I cried incessantly. I was inconsolable, and my friend’s dad had to make us grilled cheeses to cope. Shake It Off never grew on me, and to this day it’s my least favorite Taylor song EVER (it’s borderline unbearable), but the rest of the album did grow on me. To a degree. The problem with 1989 is that a handful of the songs are incredible, and the rest feel incomplete/watered down/like filler. I feel like she really worked to perfect a few of the songs and geared them in a way to be popular on radio, and the rest were afterthoughts. 1989 is the only Taylor album where the best songs were chosen as singles (except for Shake It Off). With Taylor’s albums, usually the best songs feel like hidden gems because they’re never chosen for radio, and so the public doesn’t know about them. I’m happy that everyone got to enjoy her songs from 1989, but it also felt like there was nothing left over for the fans that felt special. The best songs on 1989 ended up overplayed and overdone. 1989 is the first tour I did not attend. I can be honest with you and say I regret that. 1989 isn’t a bad album, it’s a good album, but as far as Taylor’s work goes, it’s just not the best. But it did win Album of the Year in 2016, making her the first woman to win that award TWICE.  To go a little deeper, it wasn’t even so much the 1989 album that I disliked, I think it was more the Era/Taylor in general during 1989 that didn’t jive with me. She got obsessed with appearance, and status, and there were some strange business dealings that left fans feeling used and abused. Before 1989, Taylor felt like the “girl next door” (I do realize she’s a celebrity and not the girl next door at all, but her perfected relatability factor became part of her marketing image), but during 1989 Taylor threw that all away to be #squadgoals with the Victoria’s secret models. Whatever, it was a strange time. Glad that is over. ALSO, listen to Ryan Adams cover of this album. It’s better than the OG at times. Aight aight, let’s dig into these sick beats (ugh).

25.  Welcome to New York: “When we first dropped our bags on apartment floors, took our broken hearts, put them in a drawer. Everybody here was someone else before, and you can want who you want, boys and boys and girls and girls.” *Taylor moved to NYC the summer gay marriage was legalized in New York. Thanks for the shoutout Tay.*

26.  I Know Places: “Just grab my hand and don’t ever drop it, my love. They are the hunters, we are the foxes, and we run.”

27.  Clean!!!!!!: “It was months and months of back and forth, you’re still all over me like a wine-stained dress I can’t wear anymore.” *Despite 1989 being my least favorite album, this song is one of my all-time favorites. It’s brilliant how she compares a relationship to an addiction. And Imogen Heap comes through for some dope ass background vocals.*

28.   Out of the Woods: “The monsters turned out to be just trees, when the sun came up you were looking at me.” *Ryan Adams cover is amazing, and so is an acoustic piano version Taylor did for the Grammy museum. Check youtube.*

29.  You Are In Love: “You keep his shirt, he keeps his word.”

30.  Style: “I say ‘I’ve heard that you’ve been out and about with some other girl. He said ‘What you heard is true, but I can’t stop thinkin’ ‘bout you.” I said ‘I’ve been there too, a few times.’”

31.  Wildest Dreams: “You see me in hindsight, tangled up with you all night, burning it down. Someday when you leave me I hope these memories follow you around.”

32.  This Love: “Tossing, turning, struggled through the night with someone knew… Lantern burning, flickered in my mind for only you, but you were still gone and gone, gone and gone.”

 Reputation: “We think we know someone, but the truth is that we only know the version of them they have chosen to show us. We know our friend in a certain light, but we don't know them the way their lover does. Just the way their lover will never know them the same way that you do as their friend. Their mother knows them differently than their roommate, who knows them differently than their colleague. Their secret admirer looks at them and sees an elaborate sunset of brilliant color and dimension and spirit and pricelessness. And yet, a stranger will pass that person and see a faceless member of the crowd, nothing more. We may hear rumors about a person and believe those things to be true. We may one day meet that person and feel foolish for believing baseless gossip. This is the first generation that will be able to look back on their entire life story documented in pictures on the internet, and together we will all discover the after-effects of that. Ultimately, we post photos online to curate what strangers think of us. But then we wake up, look in the mirror at our faces and see the cracks and scars and blemishes, and cringe. We hope someday we'll meet someone who will see that same morning face and instead see their future, their partner, their forever. Someone who will still choose us even when they see all of the sides of the story, all the angles of the kaleidoscope that is you.” Last album?!? I can’t believe we’re here already! Reputation, Taylor’s 6th album, was released in the fall of 2017 and consists of 15 tracks. At the start, reputation was a wild ride. During the 1989 Era, Taylor managed to crawl out of the pit of hate and despair that the Red Era brought, and she soared to popularity. I’ve noticed this happens with Taylor, the love/hate comes in waves. One day everyone loves her again, and then the next they hate her. During 1989 Taylor was flying high. Highest grossing tour, AOTY, “dating” (I have to put that in quotes, but that’s a whole other can of worms) Calvin Harris… but, nothing good can last forever, and so literally everything fell apart. Messy break up with Calvin, even messier drama with Kimye (can’t even get into that). Things weren’t going so well. Taylor had reached overexposure and she went into hiding for almost a year. No performances, no candid shots, no interviews, no mags, nothing. She usually releases a new album like clockwork every two years, but she skipped her typical release season and tacked on another year to the wait. Well, while she was hiding, Taylor was doing what she does best.. making music. At some point during the summer Taylor put all of her music back on streaming accounts, and so I knew then that something was brewing. She finally announced the name of the album and released the first single, “Look What You Made Me Do”. The day she dropped “Look What You Made Me Do” was one of the craziest days for just about everyone, let alone Swifties. It felt like the world was literally collapsing over this song. The internet was breaking. A few people loved it right away, some people thought she had cracked and was finally losing her damn mind, and I was just confused and depressed. The day it was released I spent a large portion of the day crying. I cried and clutched onto my 1989 CD (but I never even liked 1989 that much… which shows how much I was worried….) But, before I knew it, I was bopping along to the song and loved it like the rest. And once the music video came out, I realized that everything was going to be okay. If you haven’t seen the music video, you need to. It’s iconic. It broke Youtube’s record for most views in 24 hrs. A few more songs came out before album release and I wasn’t *that* crazy about most of them. Turns out that reputation is like all of Taylor’s albums before 1989, the best songs were not released as singles. Back 2 Basics, guys. The fans get everything, and everyone else gets the scraps. When the album finally did come out I was overjoyed. Now let’s see why!

33.  Delicate: “Is it cool that I said all that? Is it chill that you’re in my head? ‘Cause I know that it’s delicate.”

34.  Getaway Car: “I wanted to leave him, I need a reason.” *Jack Antonoff produced this song and many others on reputation. We are #blessed. I recently read somebody say that Jack has a stranglehold on pop music. I WISH!!*

35.  Dancing With Our Hands Tied: “I loved you in spite of deep fears that the world would divide us.” *Beginning at some point in 2014, Karlie Kloss and Taylor Swift entered a torrid love affair. It’s possible they are still together today. That’s a discussion for a later date. Anyway, this song is definitely about her. Funny how some people think Taylor hates gay people (why?) when really she writes songs for them. Thanks Tay.

36.  Dress: “I woke up just in time, now I wake up by your side.” *Also for Karlie.*

37.  Call It What You Want!!!!: “I brought a knife to a gun fight, they took the crown but it’s alright.”

38.  I Did Something Bad: “They’re burning all the witches, even if you aren’t one, so light me up.”

39.  Don’t Blame Me: “For you I would fall from grace just to touch your face. If you walk away, I’d beg you on my knees to stay.”

40.  King of My Heart: “I’m perfectly fine, I live on my own. I made up my mind, I’m betting off being alone. We met a few weeks ago, now you try on calling me baby like trying on clothes.”

41.  New Year’s Day: “You squeeze my hand three times in the back of the taxi. I can tell that it’s gonna be a long road. I’ll be there if you’re the toast of the town babe, or if you strike out and you’re crawling home.”

Spotify link:  https://open.spotify.com/user/22xaifvaciqklwgcnidnxuuhq/playlist/7ssFqGusg3Sf1sPe5cS7hR

#taylor swift #fearless #reputation #1989 #speak now #red #taylor

[kxlebcross]

[ even numbers for the weird asks, pleaseeee ]

me: has to google what are even numbers lol

2. chocolate bars or lollipops? lollipops, cuz after that i can munch on the lil lollipop stick too which keeps me busy lol

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you? i know it totally doesn’t look like that but i used to be the class’ smart kid who participated in all kind of competitons and shit like that, was in the school choir, went to music school... so yeah, i was pretty much your average nerd, but then i grew up stewpid haha

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear? a weird mix of tomboy and grunge, depending on the day and actual mood, weather and whatever the hell i got clean lol

8. movies or tv shows? movies - i usually lose interest in every series after like... 2-3 episodes? i only finished like 3-4 deries in my whole life so i guess the number speaks for itself

10. game you were best at in p.e.? i used to be pretty good at volleyball back then, though i was always considered too short to be on the school team haha 

12. name of your favorite playlist? am 4:44 with a little moon emoji, made by yours truly (aka me)

14. favorite non-chocolate candy? i don’t really eat sweets... but when i do i go for sour jellies but idk if that counts as candy haha

16. most comfortable position to sit in? have you ever saw one of those “bisexuals can’t sit normally” memes? pretty much all of those, i always sit in random poses until my back gives in, i don’t have a favorite position tho

18. ideal weather? the summer night’s warm weather with a little breeze, maybe with some clouds... but i usually enjoy rains and thunderstorms too unless i have to go out because then i’m like bruh

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)? depends on what i have to write - for school notes i usually use a notebook and/or my laptop; for stories - my laptop or my phone’s notes if the inspiration gets me outside; everything else i’ll just write on random scraps of paper or in random notebooks just to never find them again haha

22. role model? i don’t really.... have one? i rather have a motto to live by but i don’t really look up to anyone tbh

24. favorite crystal? don’t have one, i dunno shit about crystals lol

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather? go out for a nice walk or some drink with my friends, walk my cat outside or just chill on my balcony with a boo while terrorizing my neighbors with a randomly chosen edm playlist

28. five songs to describe you? human by sevdaliza badmind by kuzi scar by foxes throat full of glass by combichrist 5:3666 by machine gun kelly

30. places that you find sacred? uhhh..... i can’t really think of any that would fit here? but i never really step in weird plant formations in forests and shit like that, cuz better be safe than sorry

32. top five favorite vines? i literally only have one favorite vine and it’s the two guys chillin in a hot tub, thats it

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head? every seasonal whiskas one because of the baby cats.... but other than that i haven’t seen an ad in ages, i don’t have tv and use adblock on pc haha

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing? i...c an’t remember, it was probably one of the rage comics or trollface comics? can’t really recall tbh it was ages ago

38. lemonade or tea? lemonade, with lots of ice cubes and mint, give it to me pls

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school? well in elementary some guy from the older classes took a sh*t then went to one of the classrooms to wipe his ass with the curtains there lol also some other time someone pissed out of the window on the first floor  in high school someone gassed the whole school with pepper spray, but like an insane amount, and everyone went immediately panic mode, police and firemen were called, the whole school evacuated..... and the one responsible for that had to pay like an insane amount of money for the police/fire dept. action haha

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets? pants pockets, i don’t trust jacket pockets cuz they usually dont have a lil zipper to close them up and i’d totally lose my phone if i put it there, im stewpid like that

44. favorite scent for soap? orange-vanilla or some other citrus-y scent

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in? anything oversized will do with some pants/underwear

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be? probably a grapefruit, fucking bitter about everything lmao

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have? once i laughed at a plastic bag being dragged around by the wind for like 10 minutes while being fucked up drunk... does that count?

52. favorite font? hands down times new roman

54. what did you learn from your first job? that the customer isn’t always right and that apparently i had a knack for putting down tiles

56. favorite tradition? does halloween count? i love halloween

58. four talents you’re proud of having? i’m a really good driver.... and i think that’s it? i really can’t come up with anything else... does being loud and obnoxious sometimes count? and i think i’m good enough with people too... and i think i’m a good listener? idk, i’m pretty useless tbh

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be? give me the good old horror and make me the obnoxious side character who rarely ever speaks cuz no one ever asks them anything, that would pretty much resemble my actual life

62. seven characters you relate to? bojack horseman, sal paradise, loki from mcu, wednesday addams, oba yozo from no longer human, richie tozier, holden caulfield

64. favorite website from your childhood? club penguin! i wasted sooooo much time on there, sheesh....

66. favorite flower(s)? i really like succulents and ferns! and cactuses... or anything that’s low maintenance tbh

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried? licorice... and also cucumber lemonade, gross

70. left or right handed? right

72. worst subject? i’m really bad with history and physics, i’m just way too dumb for those

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen? around 9-10, i’m pretty much used to all my chronic pains and tbh i don’t like taking pain meds cuz i always have to take double because once i was misdiagnosed and spent almost a year on painkillers so barely anything works for me now... thanks public healthcare

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)? fries... i’d love some now, i’m actually hungry 

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store? coffee from gas station, now pretty much all of them have decent coffee machines and the prices are okay too and i definitely trust them more than any boxed sushi ever

80. earth tones or jewel tones? jewel

82. pc or console? i grew up as a pc kid and tbh never had the money for a console so i just got stuck with it haha

84. podcasts or talk radio? if i necessarily have to choose then podcasts

86. cookies or cupcakes? both as long as its witch choccie

88. your greatest wish? let’s be realistic - i’d like to have my own place and little car and cats and i’d be all good

90. luckiest mistake? drunk kissing this one guy from my esports team after telling him i was a lesbian and he told me he had a girlfriend, it was stewpid tho, lets not get back to it

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights? sunlight and fairy lights, the latter necessarily in blue, it’s just neat and doesn’t bring in all the mosquitos at summer when i leave the window open

94. favorite season? spring

96. desktop background? some assassin’s creed logo fanart i’ve found on alphacoders

98. favorite historical era? i.... really...... hate....... history...... blame it on my middle school teacher who made me hate it lol

#answered #kush speaks #thanksies <3 #kuwentista #i really cant do math huh......

[matty-colt-blog]

how to be three and a half hours late. // timeline.

subject: the ride up to the mountains & related hijinks.

characters: @matty-colt, @mvcnessa, @cassandra-rainwater, @eamon-eldridge

setting: day one, eight am to three-thirty pm.

content warning: drinking & driving.

tl;dr: the girls took forever to get ready, eamon almost bailed, matty had a run-in with a cop, and the gang got stupid lost in the mountains (thanks, linda).

note: this timeline was written one character at a time, starting with matty, then passed onto peach for vanessa’s perspective, then to jess for cassie’s, then to john for eamon’s. finally it got a few edits by yours truly and then was sent back in its entirety to all the writers for any final adjustments. what resulted was a much more complete picture of the drive up, and it was a fun way to get around the whole multiple-muses-one-event issue without doing a 4-way para or a bunch of canon-diverging self-paras. if anyone wants to try this in the future, i'd recommend it! 

the good stuff’s under the cut.

Cassie, 7:55 AM: God, no, is that my alarm already? Nessa and I stayed up way too damn late last night.

Vanessa, 8:03 AM:Whose idea was it to get up at 8?

Cassie, 8:35 AM: Okay, shower done. I need to dry my hair and then I should probably help Nessa finish packing.

Vanessa, 8:37 AM: I’ve finally made it into the shower, but it was probably a bad idea to get in last since I’m not completely finished packing… Oops.

Cassie, 9:25 AM: Shit, where are my boots? Please don’t tell me I left them at home.

Eamon, 9:30 AM: My third alarm’s gone off but I’m still laying in bed.  Matty’s supposed to be here with his car in like a half hour and I haven’t even showered. Shit, I should definitely shower. 

Matty, 9:32 AM: Car packed, XM station picked (Road Trip Favourites), ready to hit the road. Next stop: V’s place. Let’s all pray that the girls are ready. We’re on a tight schedule here.

Vanessa, 9:44 AM: Matty’s here and we’re still not ready. I’m getting my last minute things together, but I don’t really know where Cass went? I yell for her.

Cassie, 9:44 AM: Nessa’s calling for me and I still haven’t found my boots. Fuck.

Matty, 9:51 AM: Been outside V’s place for about five minutes. I wanna go in and check on them but god knows if I do we’ll never get out of here.

Matty, 9:57 AM: Texted V. She says they’ll be five minutes, so it’ll be at least fifteen.

Eamon, 9:58 AM:  And I still haven’t showered.  Instead I’m looking at Cassie’s Facebook feeling like a loser.  Wow, how the fuck am I supposed to face her?  Or anyone.  I text Matty to give me like, five-ten extra minutes and hit the shower.

Matty, 10:00 AM: I text E back three robot faces. Hopefully that gets the point across. At this point, I have no idea when we'll get to his place.

Vanessa, 10:02 AM: Where the fuck is my backpack???

Cassie, 10:03 AM: Found my boots, but now Nessa can’t find her backpack. We’re never going to leave.

Matty, 10:05 AM: Rush comes on the radio. Nice. Jam out for a while.

Matty, 10:12 AM: Going a little stir crazy. Got my ball and started doing drills up the sidewalk. Got bored with that and just started seeing how high up in the air I could throw it.

Eamon, 10:13 AM:  I get out of the shower and start moving downstairs.  I put all my stuff together last night at like, 4AM because I couldn’t sleep.  At least it’s saving my ass now that I’m late.

Matty 10:18 AM: Apologized to Mrs. Martin across the street for throwing a basketball into her prize rosebush.

Vanessa, 10:19 AM: Just watched Matty assault Mrs. Martin’s garden. Not to be mean, but her reaction was hilarious. I swear I saw Matty laugh.

Cassie, 10:19 AM: Matty just ruined Mrs. Martin’s rosebush. I half expected her to turn him over he knee in the middle of the street. It was amazing.

Matty, 10:20 AM: THE DOOR IS OPEN. HALLELUJAH.

Eamon, 10:20 AM: Where the fuck are they?

Matty, 10:22 AM: Give Mrs. Moore a hug and shake Mr. Moore’s hand. Tell him he better lock up the Missus or I’m gonna scoop her up for myself. They both laugh. She is pretty hot, though. In a MILF-y way. V’s gonna age real well.

Vanessa, 10:22 AM: They laughed, but they don’t really know him. I roll my eyes before hugging my parents goodbye.

Matty, 10:25 AM: V and Cassie are still standing in the foyer trying to figure out who’s gonna carry what to the car. I’m losing my mind waiting, so I tell them I’ll take it all. V looks skeptical. Cassie outright laughs.

Eamon, 10:29 AM: I’ve convinced myself they’ve ditched me and start pacing the foyer of my apartment complex.  I start berating myself for thinking anyone wanted me to come on this stupid trip.  Sam probably only sent the event to me out of pity.

Matty, 10:32 AM: Okay, so, the important part is that we all know that I am very strong and got all of the bags and the cooler, like, three-quarters of the way to the car before I tripped on a decorative rock. In my defense, the cooler was blocking my view of the ground.

Cassie, 10:34 AM: I’m never letting Matty try to show off again. (That’s a lie. It’s kind of cute when he does.)

Vanessa, 10:35 AM: Matty ate shit trying to play strong man and carrying our stuff to the car. I appreciated it to begin with, but after laughing so hard I nearly fell to the ground myself I have a new found love for that kid.

Matty, 10:36 AM: The girls seem... charmed? Apparently I'm so lovable I can pull off the hapless idiot look. Nice.

Matty, 10:40 AM: Car packed, road drinks distributed (none for me until we’re out of city limits), radio on (although this station seems to have taken a distinctly country turn). Cassie called shotgun infinity when we were like ten (a source of much debate, but I don’t fight her on it), so she’s up front.

Cassie, 10:41 AM: Settled in my forever seat up front with road drink numero uno. This is going to be a fabulous trip. Although this Kenny Chesney song is killing me slowly.

Eamon, 10:41 AM: I think about texting Matty but decide against it.  It would just seem desperate at this point.

Matty, 10:43 AM: Back on the road, forty-three minutes behind schedule.

Vanessa, 10:44 AM: Oh. My. God! MR. AMAN in his pink shorts!!! I can’t believe he still runs this route every day! Literally nothing has changed in this place.

Matty, 10:44 AM: Vanessa nearly screams and I jump. She points at Mr. Aman, running the same route he has since we were toddlers in his same ridiculous pink short-shorts. We all laugh and wave. Some things never change.

Cassie, 10:44 AM: I cannot believe Mr. Aman is still running around scarring children for life in those shorts. That guy’s gotta be like 90 or something now right?

Eamon 10:45 AM: Fuck it, I’m going back upstairs.  I start lugging my gear back towards the elevator.

Vanessa, 11:02 AM: I forgot that Eamon was driving up with us for a second, we’re so close to the mall. He’s lucky he lives so close… Did I bring my other boots?

Cassie, 11:04 AM: I totally forgot Eamon was coming with us. Haven’t spoken to him since senior year. This is gonna be hella awkward.

Matty, 11:06 AM: Finally get to E’s place. The proximity to the mall makes me nervous that V’s gonna suddenly remember something she needs.

Eamon, 11:07 AM: I’m finally finished getting the three of my bags and my iced tea back upstairs when I get the ‘We're here’ text.  I plunge deeper into self-loathing as I text him back, claiming to still be running late as I hurriedly get all my shit back into the elevator.

Vanessa, 11:07 AM: I can feel Matty staring at me through the rear view mirror. I’m gonna ask Cass if she remembers if I brought those boots, they’re a necessity.

Cassie, 11:08 AM: Thankfully Nessa didn’t forget her boots, but part of me is tempted to pretend that she did just to give us an excuse to go to the mall for a bit. I don’t think Matty would appreciate it though.

Eamon, 11:17 AM: I’m super out of breath but I try to play it off, waving at everyone as I finish dragging everything back out towards the car.

Matty, 11:18 AM: Get out to help him with his stuff. Go for a hug, and regret it immediately. I don’t think he’s into it.

Eamon, 11:18 AM: Matty goes to hug me and I shrink away.  I don’t want to give away how sweaty I am.

Matty, 11:20 AM: …I’m pretty sure one of these bags is just candy.

Matty, 11:23 AM: Car packed, radio on, second round of road drinks distributed (this time I take a swig of Cassie’s, wink at E in the back.) This is how an efficient pick up is done. Take note, ladies.

Eamon, 11:23 AM: I sit in the very back, avoiding eye contact with both of the girls.  I’m not still mad at Cassie, but I’m sure she’s still pissed at me.  I look up at the front and notice Matty taking a swig of something definitely alcoholic and he winks at me.  Dear Jesus, this was a horrible idea and we’re all going to die.

Matty, 11:25 AM: On the road, headed towards the 60. I yell back an apology to E, explaining that some people don’t just wake up as naturally stunning as he does. I smirk at the girls.

Eamon, 11:26 AM: I tell Matty I didn’t mind and that it gave me time to herd out the guys from last night’s orgy.  I am immediately filled with regret and decide to dig into the pixi stix in my bag.

Matty, 11:26 AM:I make some joke like 'Where was my invite?' but I say it too quiet and Cassie's the only one that hears.

Cassie, 11:27 AM: Only Matty has the ability to make me roll my eyes twice in as many minutes.

Matty, 11:29 AM: Getting sick of this XM station. Too much John Denver. Switch to Club Hits. The girls seem into it. I don’t think E knows I can see him rolling his eyes in the rear-view mirror.

Eamon, 11:29 AM: I should have expected to have my ears assaulted like this.  Fucking hell, why did I forget my fucking earphones.

Cassie, 11:31 AM: Now this is a station I can jam to. I’m the right amount of tipsy for it.

Vanessa, 11:32 AM: Finally, some fun music. One whole not-water bottle later I’m a little too lit for acoustic, Cass clearly agrees. I try to get E to jam with us.

Eamon, 11:32 AM: Nessa’s positivity is infectious, so I laugh and tell her that I had a reputation to uphold as resident music snob.  I can’t be seen dancing to this.  I don’t mention how I’m pretty sure the whole car would make fun of me if I did.

Matty, 11:45 AM: Third round of drinks. I take a swig of V’s this time. I follow it with a shit ton of Gatorade, so don’t freak out or anything, it’s fine. Kinda gotta piss, though.

Matty, 11:55 AM: Nope. I really gotta piss.

Matty, 11:57 AM: We’re not quite out of civilization yet, but we’re a good half hour from the Last Chance gas station, so I pull up to the side of the road and tell the gang I’ll be right back. (Eye rolls, a “Gross, Matt”. They’re just jealous none of them can do it.)

Eamon, 11:57 AM: I give Matty a hard time, but…I’m jealous.  Fuck.

Matty, 11:59 AM: Sweet relief.

Matty, 12:00 PM: I swear to god, that cop car appeared out of thin air. Do people get booked for public urination? It’s gotta be a fine, right?

Eamon, 12:05 PM: I am melting into my seat when the police officer pulls us over.  I’ve done nothing wrong, but they’ve always just made me nervous.

Matty, 12:21 PM: Good news! The kindly officer of the law was a Devils fan! Once he realized who I was, he ripped up the ticket and we took a couple selfies and shot the shit. A little bit of a hold up, but we’re off scott-free! Gotta admit, there are some serious perks to this line of work.

Vanessa, 12:22 PM: Who would’ve thought Matty’s basketball career would save us? I’m just relieved I didn’t have to call my dad to get us out of it.

Cassie, 12:22 PM: I cannot believe Matty managed to not get a ticket because he plays basketball. What fucking luck.

Eamon, 12:22 PM:  Thank you Jesus.  Thank you God.  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

Matty, 12:23 PM: Wow. I am so lucky he didn’t look in the car. So many open containers.

Matty, 12:42 PM: We are officially off the beaten path! Well, I mean, I guess it’s still the highway, but theres nothing but red dirt and cacti ahead of us, and not so many cars on the road. It’s not like the Superstition Mountains are exactly a vacation hot spot.

Vanessa, 12:47 PM: I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen the red sand. It feels like I’ve been gone for so long… It also makes me kind of miss California.

Cassie: 12:52 PM: Spending the last few years in Massachusetts has made me forget just how big and sparse this place can be. I kind of miss it a bit.

Eamon, 12:53 PM: On days like this, I get really nostalgic for the green trees in Montana.  Being able to look so far you can see the curve of the earth has always made me feel lonely.

Matty, 12:54 PM: The Last Chance gas station. Dirty as fuck, but they’ve got the essentials. I fill up the tank and grab a sugar-free red bull and some jerky I probably won't eat. Flirt with Cassie a little while V and Eamon use the washrooms. Fiddle with the hem of her shirt. Stare at her lips and ask how her fiance is. I’m a bad person.

Cassie, 12:54 PM: This place is disgusting there’s no way in hell I’m peeing here. I’ll just hold it until we get to the campsite or something. And to be honest I’ve kind of missed Matty’s blatant flirting too. Sending nudes just isn’t the same. He asks about Kate and I just chuckle and tell her she’s doing fine. I know he doesn’t really care.

Eamon, 12:56 PM: As much as I truly loath public restrooms, I’m not looking forward to having to squat outside.  I regret never getting the hang of an STP.  It hits me just how dysphoric this trip is going to make me feel.  I decide to take a few moments to look in the mirror and focus on good changes.  Like the fact my facial hair is coming in nicely, and that my scars have faded enough that I can actually take my shirt off on this trip.

Vanessa, 12:57 PM: These bathrooms are disgusting. Everything is stained red from the sand, covered in scuffs and scratches; and god only knows what else. I would honestly rather pee outside, it’d probably be more sanitary. Matty had the right idea.

Matty, 12:59 PM: V comes around the side of the building and I wrap an arm around her shoulders and pull her in with me and Cassie. The Three Amigos. Just like the old days. We’re gonna have a reaaaaal good time together up on that big, scary mountain. They roll their eyes in such perfect unison that I could’ve sworn they practiced it. V elbows me in the side and Cassie laughs. Ah, friendship.

Vanessa, 1:02 PM: Things are starting to feel more like home. I really missed these guys.

Cassie, 1:04 PM: The three musketeers are back together again. It’s amazing that it took so long for all three of us to be back in the same place at the same time. I worry that Eamon is feeling left out, though.

Eamon, 1:05 PM: I finally get out of the bathroom and see everyone laughing and talking and I feel my stomach drop.  I debate getting a pack of cigarettes to help feel better, but I decide against it since I can never remember DD’s brand.  Instead I head back to the car without so much as making eye contact.

Matty, 1:13 PM: Back on the road for the last leg of the trip. I crack a beer of my own now that we’re well and truly clear of any patrolling officers.

Eamon, 1:13 PM: I think about saying something about the beer, but I know Matty has a high tolerance and I’m knee deep in self-loathing so I leave him to it.

Cassie, 1:14 PM: I totally should have gone to the bathroom at the Last Chance gas station. Shit. I’m gonna have to ask Matty to pull over. 

Cassie, 1:16 PM: Thank god I had the foresight to pack some toilet paper.

Cassie, 1:30 PM: Okay, back in the car. Here we go.

Matty, 1:30 PM: I try to give Cass a public-urination-solidarity high-five, but she looks at me with an unprecedented level of disgust. And that's really saying something. I've said some weird shit to her in bed.

Matty, 1:35 PM: Wow. I forget how big mountains are up close.

Matty, 1:41 PM: The road is getting pretty bad. The car handles it fine, but it’s too bumpy to drink any more. Bottoms up!

Vanessa, 1:42 PM: All of us trying to chug the what was left of our drinks while Matty continued up the road was as challenging as it was funny. We surprisingly didn’t make a mess and managed to finish every last drop. The fact that we’re that good makes me think we love alcohol a little too much, but it’s 5′o’clock somewhere.

Cassie, 1:42 PM: Wow, I am honestly so proud of us for not spilling any of our alcohol.

Matty, 1:50 PM: Thank god for satellite GPS. I named this one Linda. Thank you, Linda.

Cassie, 1:51 PM: I can’t believe he named his GPS Linda. What the hell kind of name is Linda?

Matty 1:55 PM: Linda, are you sure?

Matty, 2:02 PM: This can’t be right.

Matty, 2:14 PM: Linda, where the fuck are we?

Vanessa, 2:15 PM: Listening to Matty have a one sided argument with “Linda” had to be the highlight of this entire car ride.

Matty, 2:17 PM: Okay, fuck GPS. We are strong, capable men and women. We can do this.

Matty, 2:32 PM: We’re never gonna find them. We’re gonna die up here.

Matty, 2:35 PM: We get out of that fucking car to brainstorm (and have another beer).

Vanessa, 2:37 PM: None of us know where the fuck we are. It probably doesn’t help that we’re not only a little drowsy but tipsy, too. It’s fine though… It’s fine. We’re fine. (Not fine.)

Cassie, 2:38 PM: I have absolutely no clue where we are or how to get where we need to go. I just got out of the car so I could have an excuse to drink another beer.

Matty, 2:41 PM: We get back in the car. The car has AC.

Eamon, 2:42 PM: I am the only one not diluted with alcohol so I stay outside of the car and try to find a landmark of some kind.  This should not be the near-sighted-one’s job, but here we are.

Eamon, 2:55 PM: Eventually I think I spot a familiar blur on the horizon and try and get Matty’s attention to confirm what I see.

Matty, 2:57 PM: EAMON SPOTTED ASH’S CAR. WE’RE SAVED.

Cassie, 2:58 PM: GOD BLESS, EAMON.

Vanessa, 2:58 PM: Thank God for E. I hugged him.

Eamon, 2:58 PM: I am suddenly being showered in praise and attention.  I actually hug Vanessa back and get back into the car feeling good about myself.

Matty, 2:59 PM: Okay, so, we’re on the wrong peak of the mountain. We have to drive back down and then up again, but I don’t really mind. At least we know where the fuck we’re going now. Bless you, E.

Matty, 3:32 PM: We have arrived! Reunions, hugs, awkward handshakes! Another, much needed, beer! And only…. Oh fuck. Three and a half hours late.

Vanessa, 3:32 PM: Reunited and it feels so weird, but so good. Time for hugs! This trip was definitely the right thing to do.

Cassie, 3:32 PM: I have never been so happy to be at the top of a mountain. Also, I’m not getting in a car for at least three days. Now for more drinks.

Eamon, 3:32 PM: Now that we’re actually here, it’s time to try and make amends with all the people I disappeared on.  First thing’s first: Peach O’s.

#[ day one. ] #[ i: self. ] #[ i: vanessa. ] #[ i: cassie. ] #[ i: eamon. ] #yo we fckn did it yall #were funny im proud

[shuaffeine]

The questions are pretty interesting . Here are some... i'll save others for some other time. It 's quite long . Here it goes : 1,2,3,9,11,12,13,14,18,19,20,24,28,32,37,39,41,43,44,47,49,50.

ahh thank you for the long list! sorry it took some time to get through and finish them ;A;♡ here comes a long list of answers, with more under the cut!

send me some bts asks!

1. How and when did you get into BTS?early 2015! a junior of mine from our choir recommended I Need U, and i completely fell in love with the song and m/v plotline! (I still remember the way she screamed everytime JK shows up lmao she’s a cutie) although i’ve listened to their previous releases (Boy in Luv was my first song by them) i only really got into them after INU.

2. Did you make new friends thanks to BTS?Yes! All the nice lovelies here on tumblr I could meet and get to know because of them, but in real life there are quite a few acquaintances that became my friends because of bangtan ♡

3. Has Bangtan influenced your life in any other way?a lot, actually. with the way I look at life (joon’s hyyh: on stage ments wow) and the way I listen to music are just starters, but they definitely played a part in shaping my current view of the world in general. (i still think humans are shallow but humanity might still be saved somehow)

9. Your favourite AGUST D and RM track?…………………………………………….how does one choose, though?from RM, probably Life. I really enjoyed the lyrics for this onefrom AGUST D, most likely So Far Away. again with the lyrics, but also because I like the arrangement of the song and I relate to the lyrics a lot. sometimes, though, if I’m feeling like I’m back in high school with all the rebellious soul resurrected in me, Agust D is my jam.

11. Is there any BTS song that has a special meaning for you?Whalien52. on the surface, the song seems to be just about the 52Hz whale, but I see it as a cry for help from someone who’s just out of place in their world.

12. Your favourite live performance?I’m torn between INU+Run or Perfect Man, both in 2015 MBC Music Festival….. I would also mention First Love and Stigma in Wings Tour Seoul though, but I only watched it through fancams……

13. Your bias?yoongi ♡

14. Your favourite ships/interactions?OT7 interactions are life tbh, I just really like the dynamics between all the members I can’t possibly choose just one.

18. Which member matches with your personality the most?i’m probably a mix of yoongi and taehyung - an unlikely combo but it really depends on my mood or situation. 

19. Who do you think would be your best friend in BTS?jungkook? i game a lot and am competitive as hell, and probably because he’s the closest to my age.

20. Which member caught your attention first?jimin! he first caught my attention in MAMA2014 (guilty as charged rip) and that was really how I got to know some of the members’ names at first.

24. What immediately comes to your mind when you think of Yoongi?min cutie is too soft these days my heart can’t handle his presence

28. What immediately comes to your mind when you think of Taehyung?leica. leica leica leica. (also he’s such a qt omg)

32. Rank the rap line in terms of favourite rap style!1. yoonnamseokI can’t rank them because their styles are slightly different? like yoongi carries so much emotion, hoseok’s flow is insane, and namjoon the power force. they fit together so well i can’t rank them in any way.

37. What variety show do you want BTS to be featured in?idk if this counts as variety, but Fantastic Duo or I Can See Your Voice? I really wanted them to come on Knowing Brothers and they did, but other than that I’m not sure :/ maybe Master Key, since I’m also watching that right now xD

39. Have you ever been to a fansign or concert of BTS?……no :’) I would have gone to Wings Tour in Sydney if it hadn’t been on week 12 and we were scheduled an exam revision workshop which ended up being cancelled and i was about to commit muRDER

41. Did you ever join a fansite’s birthday project?unfortunately no, I could barely support my fangirl life as it is with all the official content churning out like no one’s business tbh

43. Do you talk openly about BTS in front of friends and family?YES HAHAHAHA my bestie got into k-pop again because I replayed bangtan songs waaayyy too many times in front of her, although it’s a bit unfortunate that she eventually got into Big Bang and Got7 more :’) my brother, though, is the only person who can stop me from talking anything bangtan (because I don’t want to get hit by him lmao)

44. If you were given the chance to say one sentence to all of them, what would you tell them?thank you for existing in this universe of ours, and I’m thankful to be born in the same timeline as you boys ♡

47. Do you prefer Hip-Hop BTS or the more Pop-ish BTS?depends on my mood!

49. What kind of concept would you like to see in the future?virus? HAHA when DNA came out, ms. janwong was the target of this genetics major’s triggered moments. “What are they coming out with next? Virus?? Penicillin can’t kill the virus is it so they’re attacking the DNA? gdi PLS STOP TRIGGERING ME” basically something like that xD

on a more serious note, I would love for them to come out with a soft, R&B/urban concept for a whole album, although it might be impossible lol

50. Your thoughts on BigHit?I think they’re a legit and just company (unlike TShit) as the members have continually expressed their delight in the way the company runs, etc. They seem to be really close as well, and I really hope that behind the scenes, they are truly like a family.

#pinkpjmin #q&a; #bts asks #ask game

[wumbleberry-fc]

All of them :P

1:Full name

Alexander David Walter, but please call me Pete

2:Age

18

3:3 Fears

I’ll die early and break my promise to my best fried to not die for “many, many years to come,” getting anything- even water- in my eyes or close to my eyes, my parents finding out about my beliefs and kicking me out

4:3 things I love

My best friend, my best friend, and, um, my best friend

My best friend, cuddling/hugging, and being cold

5:4 turns on

Uhh, I only get “turned on” if I haven’t ‘done the deed’ in a while, but I don’t really have any stimuli that can sexually “turn me on” consistently.

6:4 turns off

Honestly? Nakedness. And also…… gosh, I don’t know. My lack of sexual attraction is not helping me come up with an answer…

7:My best friend

My best friend is Rachel and she is a first violin in the top orchestra at my former high school and we met through a school club and we had lunch every day almost all of my senior year and she is the best and I love her

8:Sexual orientation

Sexual orientation? Asexual, or on the Ace spectrum at least.

9:My best first date

Uh, what in my life classifies as a date? I’m so ??? on everything, but….. I’m going to claim that I haven’t had a true first date with anybody. However, I did go to dinner with someone (who was forced to go with me by her parents 1/10 would not recommend at all) before the homecoming dance in my freshman year and the pasta wasn’t terrible and we did have some moments of sustained conversation…

10:How tall am I

6′ 1″ (186 cm)

11:What do I miss

My best friend, getting to eat lunch with my best friend and another of my closest friends every day at school, the high school clubs and band, marching band, my AP Gov class, playing games with people

12:What time were I born

11:55 am on a Monday

13:Favourite color

Onyx, cerulean/cobalt

14:Do I have a crush

I wouldn’t classify anything I have as a crush right now, neither romantically nor platonically

15:Favourite quote

“You’ve got opinions, manWe’re all entitled to ‘emBut I never asked

So let me thank you for your timeAnd try to not waste any more of mineGet out of here fast”

from the song “King of Anything” by Sara Bareilles

16:Favourite place

Next to my best friend. Otherwise, the city where I grew up.

17:Favourite food

A cheeseburger with an egg on it. A bun, a burger patty, american cheese (or cheddar), bacon, an over-easy egg, and lettuce. Plus, I love biting into the burger and then letting the runny yolk drip onto the fries and if I’m lucky, some cheese will also drip onto the fries over time and so I can have cheesy, egg-y fries and they just taste so good

18:Do I use sarcasm

Yeah, I would say so.

19:What am I listening to right now

The ringing in my ears from my hearing damage

20:First thing I notice in new person

Their faces (more specifically, their lips)

21:Shoe size

Men’s 11-12 Wide

22:Eye color

Blue most of the time

23:Hair color

Dirty Blond

24:Favourite style of clothing

Whatever is clean, or if not, whatever I can slip on in a few seconds. Often a T-shirt and basketball shorts

25:Kiss someone that starts with the letter “R”?

Yeah

27:Meaning behind my URL

I play the tuba and wanted to join the Jesus SquadTM

28:Kiss someone that starts with the letter “M”?

No

29:Favourite song

“She Used To Be Mine” by Sara Bareilles

30:Favourite band

Panic! at the Disco

31:How I feel right now

Unstimulated

32:Someone I love

My best friend

33:My current relationship status

Content

34:My relationship with my parents

I’m not all that open with them and don’t feel that it’s worth it at this point to let them into my personal life

35:Favourite holiday

Christmas, honestly. It’s one of the two times I get to see all of my mom’s family, guaranteed, and it’s much better than Thanksgiving

36:Tattoos and piercing i have

None, and I don’t want any either

37:Tattoos and piercing i want

Oh. Well, what I typed five seconds ago still stands, I don’t want any.

38:The reason I joined Tumblr

Uhh, I’m not going to say… Let’s say the puns, yeah, the puns…

39:Do I and my last ex hate each other?

She should hate me, but I don’t hate her. I just feel incredibly guilty…

40:Do I ever get “good morning” or “good night ” texts?

My best friend and I try to say good night every night.

41:Have I ever kissed the last person you texted?

No

42:When did I last hold hands?

Sunday

43:How long does it take me to get ready in the morning?

However long it takes to find clothes and get up

44:Have You shaved your legs in the past three days?

It’s been a good two years or so I think, but I want to do it again

45:Where am I right now?

My living room

46:If I were drunk & can’t stand, who’s taking care of me?

I wouldn’t be drunk, alcohol in no way tastes anywhere close to as good as root beer does

47:Do I like my music loud or at a reasonable level?

However loud it needs to be for me to clearly hear it, and loud if I’m trying to drown out noises I don’t want to hear (the television about once a week average)

48:Do I live with my Mom and Dad?

For 11 more days and then whenever I’m not at college, and we’ll see after I graduate

49:Am I excited for anything?

I’m going to my best friend’s first cross country meet of the season today and so I get to see my best friend today!!!!!

50:Do I have someone of the opposite sex I can tell everything to?

My best friend

51:How often do I wear a fake smile?

Talking about my life or the future or anything around my parents and church friends

52:When was the last time I hugged someone?

Sunday

53:What if the last person I kissed was kissing someone else right in front of me?

I’d be really confused but I’d support and accept it

54:Is there anyone I trust even though I should not?

I only fully 100% trust one person, and I’m fairly sure the people I’ve talked to on here aren’t bad

55:What is something I disliked about today?

I once again didn’t do anything productive towards getting ready for college

56:If I could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

Barack Obama would be pretty neat to meet

57:What do I think about most?

My best friend

58:What’s my strangest talent?

My buddy, I have no clue. Probably making alright sounding composition things with no knowledge of theory or anything.

59:Do I have any strange phobias?

emailing people, talking on the phone with people

60:Do I prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?

I don’t like filming, but I also am not the most comfortable in front of a camera at all times

61:What was the last lie I told?

Probably something related to emailing my professor about renting a tuba for band

62:Do I prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?

Video chatting online is better than talking on the phone, but both are fifth out of five methods of communicating that I detailed up yesterday for my best friend.

63:Do I believe in ghosts? How about aliens?

No, and probably not. I do think aliens exist, but I don’t believe in aliens? Like, it’s rational to think that given the entire space, aliens have to exist, but also any thoughts we have about aliens don’t strike me as believable??

64:Do I believe in magic?

No

65:Do I believe in luck?

Yes and no, it depends, it switches back and forth. Kinda like if I believe in a monotheist God.

66:What’s the weather like right now?

Recovering from the ash from the wildfires. Also we’re transitioning from summer drought to our rest of the year “This is why Seattle has the reputation it does” weather, slowly but surely over the course of the next month before it truly kicks in mid-October.

67:What was the last book I’ve read?

The last book that I read start to finish every word was probably Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner”

68:Do I like the smell of gasoline?

Not particularly, no

69:Do I have any nicknames?

(Hot) Pete, and my last name

70:What was the worst injury I’ve ever had?

Split open my head and needed a couple stitches when I was 8

71:Do I spend money or save it?

If I had any self-control or discipline, I’d be that rich teenage white boy you hear a lot in the media

72:Can I touch my nose with a tounge?

No.

73:Is there anything pink in 10 feet from me?

Same as yesterday, the stuffed animal, pillow, and folder are all still here and my hot pink tie is still in my room about 40 feet away

74:Favourite animal?

I feel uneasy around pretty much any non-human sentient being, and then most human sentient beings as well. I just… don’t know how to answer this question honestly

75:What was I doing last night at 12 AM?

I was finishing up answering the rest of the asks last night at around midnight

76:What do I think is Satan’s last name is?

Satan is just a myth to scare people into being “better” people, where “better” is just a specific lifestyle dictated by whoever managed to gain influence in the doctrine and teachings of the religion.

His origins also come from a time where surnames and ‘last names’ were not a thing, so Satan is most likely a stand-alone name, much like Plato and Zeus.

77:What’s a song that always makes me happy when I hear it?

“She Used To Be Mine” by Sara Bareilles

78:How can you win my heart?

I’ll be the judge of that. It just… happens. Rachel, Kyle, Grae, Haley, Katie, Hot Luke, and others just……. existed, and then pretty much somehow they just became a big part of my life and I…. I just love them

79:What would I want to be written on my tombstone?

That I was a beloved friend who made a positive difference in their lives

80:What is my favorite word?

Aaaaahhhh! I know so many words, like, more than 5, and there are so many good ones!!!!!! Right now, I’m feeling music as the best word of the moment.

81:My top 5 blogs on tumblr

No. This is so rude. Why? Why must I single out a few blogs and tell the world that the interaction we’ve had isn’t enough for me and that you’re just not special enough to me? I refuse to do this.

82:If the whole world were listening to me right now, what would I say?

“I love my best friend, gay people are amazing, fund the arts, respect the arts, respect people who work the “undesired” jobs, work to protect the environment, and try to do things that make you happy while not harming other people or sentient beings.”

83:Do I have any relatives in jail?

Not that I know of

84:I accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow me with the super-power of my choice! What is that power?

I’m firmly in the teleportation camp. I hate being late and I’m not a fan of travelling.

85:What would be a question I’d be afraid to tell the truth on?

Hygiene-related questions… please…. I’m working on it…. let me be…..

86:What is my current desktop picture?

The default background

87:Had sex?

No, ew.

88:Bought condoms?

Never actually seen them accept in memes and once during health class in freshman year

89:Gotten pregnant?

No

90:Failed a class?

Yeah….. and it was the second semester of APUSH too…

91:Kissed a boy?

On his hand, which I’ll count

92:Kissed a girl?

Yeah

93:Have I ever kissed somebody in the rain?

No

94:Had job?

I became a CYO volleyball referee and reffed two seasons so far.

95:Left the house without my wallet?

Often, and since I’ve been driving, only twice (although one was driving up for a the campus tour at the college I ended up choosing, which was about 5 total hours of driving that day, a week after I got my license). I try to remember it when I go out because I saw a few months ago a post on here saying how valuable it is in case of an accident or something and the person has an ID, and I’ve been watching crime dramas for years and having an ID is always good.

96:Bullied someone on the internet?

Good heavens, no!

97:Had sex in public?

No! Ewwww, God that’s even worse

98:Played on a sports team?

I sooo miss volleyball, and soccer was fun too

99:Smoked weed?

I hope to be able to say no until I die

100:Did drugs?

I occasionally took my prescriptions… for like 2 months… whoops

But no, not for the intention of getting high or anything, I hate drugs, even advil and tylenol

101:Smoked cigarettes?

Fuck cigarettes (and no, I haven’t)

102:Drank alcohol?

A drop of an IPA when I was 13 and a sip of a red wine when I was 16 (with parental supervision that time), and nah, it isn’t my thing.

103:Am I a vegetarian/vegan?

Show me a well-prepared vegetable that has a decent flavor and I might be open to eating them more often

104:Been overweight?

Ever since I was like 2

105:Been underweight?

Never

106:Been to a wedding?

I think I’ve been to 5?

107:Been on the computer for 5 hours straight?

what do you think I do every day?

108:Watched TV for 5 hours straight?

So many wasted hours...

109:Been outside my home country?

Not yet

110:Gotten my heart broken?

Actually? Seriously? Like, more than just butt hurt over an infatuation? No, not really

111:Been to a professional sports game?

A couple baseball games

112:Broken a bone?

My ulna and radius, just above the wrist, on my dad’s 48th birthday back in fifth grade when I tripped over my two feet in the middle of our street and landed poorly. We didn’t go to the hospital for like 3 days

113:Cut myself?

Like, as in self-harming? No.

114:Been to prom?

No, freshman homecoming was off-putting enough for me after the aftermath…

115:Been in airplane?

Yeah! Flying is great!

116:Fly by helicopter?

No

117:What concerts have I been to?

I apparently went to two The Wiggles concerts when I was a baby, and since then it’s only been school concerts

118:Had a crush on someone of the same sex?

I think the desire was enough to elevate it past a mere infatuation, but it wasn’t like a full-on crush if you know what I’m saying.

119:Learned another language?

Not fully… I’m that kind of white person (minus the complete snobbish elitist attitude)

120:Wore make up?

It isn’t bad, but it’s too close to my eyes for me to be comfortable, and it’s wayyy too much work to do like every day just to look better than my meagerness. I’m already bad enough with basic hygiene, this would be too much (although I guess if I cared that much about it it might help this problem…). I’ll gladly wear it for a show, though.

121:Lost my virginity before I was 18?

The concept of virginity is complete bs to oppress women and “weak” men and is only fun in the ‘sacrificing a virgin into a volcano’ trope but even then I don’t like it (again, sex is gross for me, so no)

122:Had oral sex?

I have kissed and been kissed on my lips, various spots on my face, and my hands, and that’s it.

123:Dyed my hair?

No

124:Voted in a presidential election?

No, but I registered to vote on my eighteenth birthday this year and I voted in the primary elections back in August and I can’t wait to vote in the November elections because VOTING IS IMPORTANT ESPECIALLY IN NON-PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS WHEN ONLY A VERY LOW PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION VOTES!!!!! LIKE, IT’S DISAPPOINTING THAT ONLY ABOUT 50% OF THE POPULATION VOTES IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, BUT THAT NUMBER DROPS TO 30-40% IN MIDTERM ELECTIONS AND ONLY 10-20% IN LOCAL-ONLY ELECTIONS (READ: ELECTIONS IN ODD-NUMBERED YEARS) AND THOSE NUMBERS BREAK MY HEART AND WE NEED TO VOTE MORE BECAUSE VOTING IS THE EASIEST WAY TO HAVE SOME LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS AND IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE TO BE HEARD AND IF YOU ONLY VOTE IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS OR NEVER AT ALL, THEN THE PEOPLE WHO FAITHFULLY VOTE EVERY YEAR, AKA RICH OLD WHITE CONSERVATIVE MEN, ESSENTIALLY HAVE ALL OF THE VOICE IN THE ELECTIONS AND WE DO NOT NEED TO HAVE EVERYTHING ABOUT OUR GOVERNMENT DECIDED BY RICH OLD WHITE CONSERVATIVE MEN IF YOU’VE EVER READ ANY HISTORY TEXTBOOK OR REALLY ANYTHING, YOU SHOULD EASILY BE ABLE TO SEE WHY! PLEASE VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION!!!!!!!!!

125:Rode in an ambulance?

No

126:Had a surgery?

Do stitches count? Otherwise, no.

127:Met someone famous?

No

128:Stalked someone on a social network?

Too many times, sadly, and sorry

129:Peed outside?

Yeah

130:Been fishing?

No

131:Helped with charity?

I’ve volunteered with some non-profits, but I don’t think I’ve done so with a quote “charity” unquote.

132:Been rejected by a crush?

Probably? Most things were minor infatuations that I used to think were crushes, so I’m not sure. You could say that the most recent potential qualifier rejected me, but I would beg to differ given things now

133:Broken a mirror?

I was a reckless child

134:What do I want for birthday?

More time to spend alone with my best friend, more time to be with my best friend, a sudden influx of cash (and/or guaranteed financial stability), root beer and food and people to play games with

135:How many kids do I want and what will be their names?

Zero (0). However, if I do have kids, I’d probably adopt them, and I’d probably let them choose their names. Otherwise, I really like the names Luke, Pete®, James, Haley, Sara, Nicole, Alex (particularly for non-binary or female identifying persons), Rachel (though I probably wouldn’t name my kid that bc it’s too special for me), Hannah, and Emily.

136:Was I named after anyone?

My parents don’t say so.

137:Do I like my handwriting?

I’ve spent a long time crafting this efficient style, so yes. Also I have like three style to choose, my Most EfficientTM style, my All Caps (with the first letter taller than the others) style, and my fancy style with all of the tails at the end of the letters, the a like this font has it, the curls, anything I find to be   fancy   *jazz hands*

138:What was my favourite toy as a child?

Probably my little cars that I would move around on my city roads carpet along with a motorcycle that made had a brief jingle and then a simple noise that was super cool for 6-8 year old me

139:Favourite Tv Show?

Phineas and Ferb, or How I Met Your Mother

140:Where do I want to live when older?

Ideally, somewhere here in my hometown, I just love it here.

141:Play any musical instrument?

I can make a sound, but is it really playing? *suspenseful music crescendos*

142:One of my scars, how did I get it?

My Aunt re-married when I was 8 and the guy had a son a few months older than me, and we babysat him for a month during their honeymoon. Well, this boy wasn’t a good influence on me at all, but that’s beside the point. I thought he was… you know what, that actually is the point, but…. I though he was cool, and he could do things and did things that I wanted to try.

Well, one day, we laid out flat a futon and covered it with all the cushions and pillows from the couch that was also downstairs. Then, he grabbed an exercise ball, put it on the futon, got on it, rolled across the futon over the pillows, and stood up on the other side of the futon when he was done and I was so impressed, it blew my mind that he laid his midsection on the ball and rolled the ball like 6 feet and didn’t move or fall off of the exercise ball as it rolled.

So I tried it. And at the end, I slid off the ball, but not to land. I didn’t know how he stayed horizontal, and it showed, as I fell forward and slammed the side of me head into the corner of a cabinet right next to the far side of the cabinet. It hurt, and so I didn’t try a second time… until he successfully did it again a few minutes later. So I, desperately wanting to do it right and be “cool” like him, tried to do it again.

And I hit the exact same part of the side of my head on the corner of the cabinet again, almost exactly how my run went the first time. After the second hit, my head really hurt, and so I put my hands to my head, ran halfway up the stairs, and began to cry.

Also know that I was going through a phase where I loved to fake cry. I thought imitating the sounds of crying without the tears was one of the funniest things. And my mom hated it. She was a stay-at-home mom at that point, had been from a few months before I was born until my youngest sister entered elementary school with us. And so she was at home all day, every day (hence the babysitting). So, for the two months of summer by that point, my fake crying obsession was driving her up the wall.

Back to the story. Now, I’m sitting on the staircase, hands on my head because it hurts, tears forming in my eyes and my voice beginning to make all the crying sounds that I made when I was fake crying all summer so I guess my imitations were spot on. But after about a minute, I decided remove my arms from my head, and I looked at them, and there were lines of blood all the way from my fingers to my elbows and drops had fallen from my elbows onto my sock, and I shrieked.

I immediately went back down the stairs to the office where mom was on the computer, and the tears were coming almost as steady as the blood, and I was full-out crying. My mom, who was looking at the screen and thus only heard me crying, lashed out angrily, telling me to stop bothering her with that freaking fake crying. That is, until I got her to look at my arms. She took me upstairs and cleaned me up a little, but, while my bleeding slowed significantly, it didn’t stop.

After about 3 hours, my dad came home from work, and the bleeding still hadn’t stopped, and so we went to the hospital. I ended up getting 5 or 6 stitches, and when my hair is cut short enough, you can see the small white line.

That’s the only scar that I definitely know that I have. I haven’t really done anything physically risky since. That’s also pretty much when I stopped crying all that much…

143:Favourite pizza toping?

Extra cheese. Otherwise, sausage.

144:Am I afraid of the dark?

Only if I’m trying to sneak through somewhere and I can’t see where exactly I’m going

145:Am I afraid of heights?

Yeah, I would say I have a mild fear of heights. Specifically if I have to go down somewhere (like downhill slightly and there is a sharp decline on one side), or if I have to jump more than like 3 feet

146:Have I ever got caught sneaking out or doing anything bad?

I’ve been reprimanded for going out for most of the day and not saying anything, just disappearing for like 6 hours on a Sunday morning

147:Have I ever tried my hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end?

I never try my hardest

148:What I’m really bad at

Emailing people I need to, cleaning, hygiene, contacting people, calling people on the phone/talking to people on the phone, doing what I need to do

149:What my greatest achievements are

I graduated from high school, I won an CYO volleyball championship in sixth grade, I won a math competition in 7th grade (by guessing better than 19 other 7th and 8th graders from two different schools), and I…….. I haven’t really done much yet, nothing truly worthwhile (except maybe hs graduation)

150:The meanest thing somebody has ever said to me

I can’t think of anything, really. Although some acquaintances of mine made anti-Semitic “jokes” in front of me during summer camp this year and it bothered me a lot

151:What I’d do if I won in a lottery

I’d buy a large enough apartment to have space to wander around (picture Castle’s apartment from the show Castle, and pretty much like that but a little less opulent and I don’t need all the ornate luxuries around. Just the space of like 5-7 medium/large open rooms with a comfortable bed and a non-cramped bathroom or two, and a nice big kitchen for all the food I’m going to have.

I’d always have root beer in stock, along with some snacks that I like, and I’d have whatever foods my friends like because my closest friends would have invitations to come at literally any time (like, this is for max 6 people), and I’d like to regularly meet up with my closest friends and I’ll treat them to nice filling dinners at the local diners, Denny’s, wherever they want, even McDonald’s or whatever, and I’ll tip really well, like at least $50 dollars because those people are always so nice, and I’ll splurge so much on my friends.

I’d also donate a bunch to all of those people who really need it that I see come across my dash, and I’ll donate a crapload to my high school band because they meant the world to me, and I’d FUND THE ARTS BECAUSE THE ARTS ARE IMPORTANT.

152:What do I like about myself

I like that I love the arts and that I play the tuba and that I am getting into writing music and that I write poetry and that I love my friends especially my best friend and I like that I try to be positive and supportive of the LGBTQ+ community and that I actively try to make the world a slightly happier place most of the time

153:My closest Tumblr friend

Katie

154:Something I fantasize about

Getting to spend long periods of time with my best friend, having a bunch of money to spend on my best friend, being happy

155:Any question you’d like?

What is your favorite video game that you own that you’ve never seen elsewhere and is likely not well-known at all?

I love the game Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords for the Wii, and I can play it for hours upon hours for days and not get bored. It’s a really fun game with a long storyline that is entertaining and original, and I just love playing it and have literally only ever seen it at our house since my mom somehow found it and bought it like 7 years ago.

(yes, I made that question up myself)

Thank you for asking all of these!!!!!

(when I copied and pasted it to a google doc in case the computer shuts down and I lose the whole answer, it said that I had 4825 words and it took up 17 pages. So, yeah, this is 4867 words long!)

(And I was right, the everything disappeared and so I had to post it early so I could go back and edit it, so now it’s 4900 words long in total, after editing.)

[meingenious]

Asha Bhosle Birthday Explicit: 10 Timeless Primary Bollywood Songs That We Love As Millennials

http://www.digitalmarketingbyrohit.com/?p=2805 Asha Bhosle Birthday Explicit: 10 Timeless Primary Bollywood Songs That We Love As Millennials - http://www.digitalmarketingbyrohit.com/?p=2805 Every time one listens to Asha Bhosle, one can’t help nevertheless be enchanted. For a millennial, like me, who pines over primary Hindi songs from the yesteryears, it’s like travelling to a whole new world filled with novelty and old-world attraction. The rockstar diva that she is, Asha Bhosle has an unprecedentedly gifted voice. The way in which by which that the exuberant singer can combine into assorted genres and moods seamlessly is just distinctive. Proudly holding a mind-boggling entry throughout the Guinness Book Of World Knowledge for recording a whopping 11,000 songs in 20 fully completely different languages, Asha Bhosle has given the Hindi film enterprise a repertoire of peppy numbers. And whereas most singers in the meanwhile have bracketed themselves in a safe zone and tend to tread solely in that path, Asha Bhosle is a trailblazer. Whenever you ask me if there is a voice throughout the youthful know-how that resonates collectively together with her, I’d say, “Are you mad?” On account of, personally I don’t assume that anyone throughout the crop has managed to appreciate the rhythmic flexibility and adaptability that Asha Bhosle revels in. Bollywood may very well be so colourless with out her! As a result of the evergreen star turns a 12 months ‘youthful,’ in the meanwhile, now now we have catalogued ten of her legendary pop songs that had been meant to be a seamless in every millennial playlist! Piya Tu Ab Toh Aaja Movie: Caravan (1971) | Music: R.D. Burman Critically, can any karaoke get collectively be often called over with out not lower than as quickly as making an attempt this monitor? Bollywood hasn’t had a further seductive and dramatic monitor than this one ever since. Explicit level out to R.D. Burman who fuels life into this monitor alongside along with his rugged chants “Monica, Oh my darling!” Dum Maaro Dum Movie: Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971) | Music: Rahul Dev Burman In a time when refined lovey-dovey songs had been in, ‘Dum Maaro Dum’ emerged as a full-blown explosion! Thus, it turned the anthem of the budding Indian hipsters. And the lyrics are so relatable even in the meanwhile, they merely hit dwelling every time I be all ears to this monitor! Chura Lia Hai Tumne Movie: Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973) | Music: R.D. Burman If there could also be one monitor that I hum every single day of my life, it is this one. The endearing enchantment that it has merely can’t be put into phrases. And gosh, these opening guitar notes are soul-touching! ‘Chura Lia Hai Tumne’ might be essentially the most romantic monitor of the century, interval! Jawaani Jaaneman Movie: Namak Halaal (1982) | Music: Bappi Lahiri Being an ardent Asha Bhosle fan, her filmography tells me that she excels throughout the disco model. She has obtained the correct cadence and glamour that she is going to vocalize just so fully! Moreover, Bappi Lahiri and Asha Bhosle make a deadly combo! ‘Tis grooviest retro monitor ever! Raat Akeli Hai Movie: Jewel Thief (1967) | Music: Sachin Dev Burman The gradual, refined seduction and drunkenness throughout the singer’s voice throughout the monitor’s hook always get me! Moreover, the wondrous saxophone and harmonica musical notes set the mood of the monitor good. It’s as if the singer has lived the lyrics, and he or she is enacting them in her singing talents. ‘Raat Akeli Hai’ is legit ear candy! Hungama Ho Gaya Movie: Anhonee (1973) | Music: Laxmikant-Pyarelal I obtained’t be incorrect if I acknowledged that this monitor stays to be the fad in the meanwhile! No marvel the makers of 2014’s Queen picked it up and remixed it. Even so, nothing can ever match as a lot as playfulness and candour that Asha Bhosle has been blessed with! Undoubtedly the correct membership monitor ever, genuine or remix! Ye Mera Dil Movie: Don (1978) | Music: Kalyanji Anandji Whenever you didn’t already know, ‘Ye Mera Dil’ has been utilized by The Black Eyed Peas for his or her hit monitor, ‘Don’t Phunk With My Coronary coronary heart’ (2015) and as well as coated by Sunidhi Chauhan throughout the 2006 Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 2006 Don. Info aside, Asha Bhosle was always a crooning glory of Helen’s dances, akin to on this one. O Meri Jaan Maine Kaha Movie: The Put together (1970) | Music: R.D. Burman Solely Asha Bhosle could have dropped at quite a bit glitz and sizzle proper right into a monitor. The jerky twists and turns and high-pitched notes that the singer pulls off on this merchandise amount add as a lot as the final wacky actually really feel. ‘O Meri Jaan Maine Kaha’ could be considerably necessary on account of it was the first monitor that Asha Bhosle and R.D. Burman recorded collectively, and boy, they made the proper duets! Le Gayi Le Gayi Movie: Dil Toh Pagal Hai (1997) | Music: Preeti Uttam Singh I can’t begin to elucidate how quite a bit I’ve danced to this monitor! ‘Le Gayi Le Gayi’ was my full childhood! Have you learnt that this very catchy monitor was to be sung by Lata Mangeshkar nevertheless ultimately, went to Asha Bhosle! It went on to be a smash that 12 months and I can’t agree further! Raat Shabnami Album: Jaanam Samjha Karo (1997) | Label: Frequent Music India Pvt. Ltd. Most 90s kids have listened to ‘Raat Shabnami’ first-handedly on the TV. Indie albums once more then had been an element and music buffs took delight to be all ears to their favourite retro artists in a brand-new mild. I really feel this monitor is among the many first electro-pop experiences that the Indian viewers had. With developments throughout the music manufacturing know-how in that interval, the quintessential singer had her private magical contact in order so as to add to it! Rightly famed for her soprano voice, the Padma Vibhushan awardee singer celebrates her 86th birthday in the meanwhile, nonetheless its easy to miss the amount. In her career spanning six a few years, Asha Bhosle has given Bollywood quite a few memorable songs which have been etched in our hearts and minds eternally. Her voice has aged like good wine. And truly, how superior it may very well be to have her age backwards, on account of that will merely suggest many further years of primary, timeless music! Provide hyperlink JOIN DIPLOMA IN DIGITAL MARKETING https://www.ingeniousacademy.in/digital-marketing-classes-aurangabad-digital-marketing-course/

[shanethvarosa]

2018: In Review

At this point in time, I feel like my blog is 100% reblogs of memes and ridiculous videos of animals and maybe some gratuitous selfies. Originally, Shaneth Varosa was supposed to be a place for me to publish some of my articles about music and try to facilitate discussion about these releases. Unfortunately, life gets in the way, and I can’t write like I used to. While here on Christmas break from work, and with the next hour or so of free time I have, I wanted to go over some of the artists that did The Most this year and recommend their work in case you’re in need of something new and exciting. See more after the cut! 

I’d like to start with about five honorable mentions and then move in to the ten artists who did the best job at promoting their craft and developing something sincere and meaningful. These honorable mentions all had really great releases, but overall didn't feel very impactful to pop culture overall. 

1. Florence And The Machine - High As Hope  was absolutely one of my most anticipated albums this year, especially after the amazing lead single was released out of the clear blue sky. The follow up single, Hunger, is one of the most relatable tracks in her discography. However, the lack of overall energy was somewhat disappointing despite the lyrics being 100% on point. 

2. Miyavi - I’m not sure I’m as big a fan of the Samurai Guitarist as I used to be, however he really is expanding upon his talents and schmoozing with the right people. A feature from Samuel L. Jackson was no small feet and he really did some neat guitar work on his third collaborative album this year. 

3. Crystal Kay - A Japanese/American pop star with a voice like Janet Jackson, but does not always make the strongest choices when it comes to album tunes. Her singles for this era were almost entirely ballads, so when she released an album with actual bangers for the summer, I was very impressed.

4. Cher - Usually, when Cher releases an album it is a shoe-in victory for album of the year. However, she really only did a cover album of songs, even if they were completely amazing songs. Here’s hoping she has a collection of original material to release soon. 

5. DADAROMA - A newer VK mainstay, but they haven’t actually released a full collection in over two years. Instead, they’re focusing on singles and EPs. This year, they began with “This is Live” which really blew me away following their lackluster third installment of the Dadaism series. They rounded out the year with the fourth installment which was also a significant improvement. However, in 2019, they should consider an album. 

Without any further ado, the top ten artists who really Did That this year:

10. Troye Sivan: I am a sucker for a good Gay Tune and “Bloom” had 12 of them. It’s rare when you find an album that has no tracks you want to skip, and maybe I’m biased, but there isn't one track that isn’t relatable to me and most of my pals. Highlights: Plum, Dance to This, Animal. 

9. CHVRCHES: Every couple of years, I’m guaranteed an over-the-top synth album from this group. Their debut found me at just the right time and their follow up found me at just the right time as well. These two albums really struck a chord with me personally and so naturally I was through the roof the Love is Dead was announced. While the production and vocal performance was totally still there, the lyrical content didn’t quite get me the way the previous albums did. Highlights: Graffiti, Graves, Deliverance.

8. Kamijo: Interesting how my favorite male singer and my favorite female singer both released albums this year and how neither of them made top five. Well, of course they were both excellent, but something stopped them from being everything they could be. Kamijo’s newest solo effort came in four parts and they were all a little confusing. Sang’s main storyline seemed to insinuate Napoleon Bonaparte was a vampire and the third installment of the album was a duet with vocaloid Hatsune Miku. Not to say the vocal performance and composition weren’t top of the line, but I just don’t know what he was trying to do with this era. Highlights: Sang II, Emigre, Nosferatu. 

7. Dir en grey: The world’s most iconic shock-rock band finally returned to us after a four year hiatus. This year’s Insulated World really did give us something to behold: A concept album that wasn’t completely based on mindless violence and fake-deepery. Sure, Kyo does his standard noise-making throughout a lot of the album, but I firmly believe this is their best work in about ten or more years. Highlight: Ranunculus, Keigaku no Yoku (Ravenous Greed), Ningen wo Kaburu (Suffering Human Beings). 

6. The 1975: A recent favorite of mine. Their singles for this era really enraptured what it is to be in your late 20′s in today’s day and age. Their whole album ended up being somewhat bizarre and ballad-heavy, but everything they put out before the main LP was fire and deeply, personally relatable. Highlights: Give Yourself a Try, Love it If We Made It, I Like America and America Likes Me. 

5. David: Most who will read this post will probably not know that “David” is a pseudonym for VK heavy-hitter Sui. This man started out in Metis Gretel many years ago, moved to a band called Megaromania, worked briefly with Lin before ultimately achieving his solo project which is easily the best thing he’s ever done. Probably because it is produced by Kamijo, but I digress. This year, he gave us his first solo album released in too-many parts, but the overall product was outstanding. His visuals even made him look like a true-blue cartoon character. Highlights: Confession (Awakening and Genesis), Genesis (In Bible), Metempsychosis. 

4. Panic! At the Disco: This band, whom we all know is just Brendan Urie, blew me away several years ago with Death of a Bachelor and the only way he could go at the time was down. DOAB was one of my top 25 albums of all time and I didn’t think he could outdo himself, but the energy given to us on Pray For the Wicked was genuinely dumbfounding. His lyrics were and are always at the forefront of what makes him special and for that reason I’m ecstatic that I have “Filthy as Charged” on a t-shirt. Also, he managed to make the title track of “The Greatest Showman” into the banger hit I knew it could be. Highlights: Dancing’s Not a Crime, Dying in LA, Old Fashioned. 

3. Asagi: For those of you who don’t know, Asagi is another heavy-hitter in the VK world. He did attempt a solo project back in the day, but it didn’t take off. This year, thankfully, it really did in the biggest way and he didn't let his main project, D, suffer at all. Fans were getting bored of D’s constant Vampire and/or Alice in Wonderland themes and so he basically said “I hear your pleas, here is what we give you” and released a traditional Japanese album with a modern twist in January as the true beginning of his solo presence. The man then followed up with several incredible singles with D including Revive and Deadly Sin, both of whom had insane B-Sides. Highlights: Madara (Chestnut Tiger Butterfly), Gekkai no Miko (Children of the Moon World), Homuzakura (Hidden Cherry Blossoms). 

2. the GazettE: An absolutely legendary band, one of the fewest VK success stories to be told. They’ve released so many concept albums over the years with stacks and stacks of successful singles, but 2015 really was their comeback year. They revamped everything about themselves and gave fans the darkest album in recent history. How do they follow it up? With their 9th LP of varying intensity, which was actually quite refreshing. My personal favorite aspect is how absolutely self-gratifying it was. Highlights: Ninth Odd Smell, The Mortal, Sono Koe wa Moroku (This Voice is Weak). 

1. BoA: My favorite multi-national pop-star had a... Kind of ridiculous last few years. In 2014 she released a Japanese comeback album that was literally a collection of singles that came out since her last album. In 2015, though, she brought us back with a Korean album really showcasing her talents as a singer/songwriter and then in 2018 she did THE MOST!!!! She starts the year with a Korean EP called “One Shot, Two Shot” which was all bangers, and then followed up with a Japanese LP called “Watashi Kono Mama de ii no Kana (I Wonder if I Can Remain this Good).” This album was a little less perfect than the EP, however it will be forgiven as it had a perfect selection of ballads with one of the hottest tracks of the year: Mannish Chocolat. Don’t ask me what that means. Almost immediately after, she released an EP called “Unchained” which was an acoustic set of some of her recent ballads. Most notably, “Close to Me” was released as a completely acoustic piano ballad. Several months go by, and she comes back with a Korean LP called “Woman” which was almost completely perfect as well. “Encounter” and “No Limit” are probably the hottest tracks, but the title-track really showcases her feminist nature. She rounded out the year with yet another Japanese single called “Amor” which is, truly, the hottest dance track of 2018. I hope she keeps this momentum up next year! 

#BoA #the GazettE #Asagi #panic! at the disco #The 1975 #Sui #Dir en grey #Kamijo #chvrches #troye sivan

[whoisashleya]

30 Amazing Things That Happen When You Finally Reach 30

It’s cliché but true: something changes in you once you hit your 30’s. It’s like, you finally just “get it” and ‘it’ completely changes the way you think and live. My year of 30 has consisted of extreme shifts in every area of my life. It has been a time of stepping into who I truly am and who I want to be. It has been a hard but incredibly freeing and amazing journey. Without further ado, here are 30 things I have learned since turning 30.

1. It’s okay to say no.

Being a self-proclaimed people pleaser, I have said yes to things most of my life that I didn’t always want or believe in. Once 30 hit, it was like I had had enough. I was tired of saying ‘yes’ and decided that I was going to start saying ‘no’- even at the risk of disappointing others. The world hasn’t fallen apart since I started that, in fact, it has gotten a lot better and a lot more free.

2. You realize your worth.

It’s as if, you finally look at yourself and go, “Wow, I’m actually pretty awesome and I’m going to start embracing that!” Whether relating to jobs, relationships, or even self-reflection, you start owning that you’re worth a lot and that you will no longer put yourself down or accept things that do not acknowledge and reaffirm your worth.

3. You begin to understand what’s really important in life.

Your priorities change to highlight more meaningful things. You realize that time and life are precious and that you want to start focusing on the things and people that truly matter to you.

4. You start living.

Maybe it’s that I finally realized it is okay to mess up, or that there really is no “perfect time” to do things, but all I know is that ever since turning 30, I have started looking at my life and all the things I want to do and I have started doing them! Even if it’s just one little step in a new direction, I have started choosing to live the life I have always wanted.

5. You begin to know and accept who you are.

30 seems to give you permission to accept yourself and start thriving in being that person. You finally shed the idea that you have to be who everyone wants and expects you to be. You decide that the only person you want to be is who you really are and you’re finally okay if others don’t accept that. Whether it be tastes in music or personal style, you finally decide what YOU like and not just accept what’s trending.

6. You realize it’s okay not to have a cookie cutter path.

Society tells us that everything in our life has to look a certain way, but in reality, we are all individuals on our own unique journeys and we have to respect that. At 30, I can finally accept that this path is uniquely mine and it’s okay that it doesn’t follow the “rules.”

7. Boundaries are important.

I feel like when I turned 30, all of the sudden, I understood why boundaries were important. Boundaries help us protect ourselves and live our best lives. They keep us away from toxic people and situations, they allow us the opportunity to do what is best for us, they allow us to create safe places in our lives. They help us live the life that brings us the most fulfillment and joy.

8. Self-care is a top priority.

I’ve always been into taking care of my body but once 30 hit I realized I wanted to take the absolute best care of my body that I could. Skincare became more important, exercising to create a lifestyle and not just to stay fit, taking care of my mental and emotional health, etc. I have learned how to let myself be in tune with what my needs are each day-whether it’s a nap, a walk, a night in, or a glass of wine, taking care of myself has become a huge priority!

9. You quit waiting for things to happen and start making them happen.

Things I have talked about doing for years suddenly became things I decided it was time to do. From starting yoga to traveling to Bali, to allowing myself to create a writing career, I finally decided I would start trying things and I would allow myself to enjoy the growth process that came from it all. Making excuses is no longer part of my routine!

10. Your confidence gets really strong.

You finally have this amazing sense of self. You’re taking all these steps to be who you want to be and do what you want to do and the reward that comes from it is a huge amount of belief and confidence in who you are.

11. Age really IS just a number.

You realize that you are the only person who can make the most of their time. The years go by but they don’t feel so scary when you’re choosing to live fully, making the most of them.

12. You begin living fully in the present.

For someone who has always worked towards a goal and lived for future experiences, I finally realized that NOW is the only certainty I have, and it made me want to embrace it. I have learned how to put down my phone, go outside, and spend time with people who mean something to me. Being present has become my new mantra.

13. You don’t have time for things that bring you down.

People, situations, jobs, whatever it may be, you realize if something is not building you up but rather bringing you down, it’s got to go. No if’s and’s or but’s about it!

14. You begin to trust the universe a little bit more.

You realize that things really do come together if they are meant to and that life has a way of working things out even when you don’t understand. You accept that you can trust the ebb and flow of it all.

15. You decide to get your shit together.

Getting more involved with your finances, eliminating debt, moving on from things that aren’t helping you-you finally decide that you can’t put those things off any longer, so you start making the necessary changes to achieve that.

16. You realize that you don’t know as much as you think you do and that that’s okay.

You finally accept that no matter how much you DO know, there are plenty of things you don’t know. You realize that life is a continual learning and growing experience and you accept that you are in a constant state of learning and growing.

17. You stop expecting others to be the source of your happiness and you find happiness within yourself.

You finally realize that the only person who can make you happy is yourself! People will disappoint you, but your peace and joy no longer depend on them.

18. You start traveling.

I quit talking about traveling and started doing it. From 2-hour road trips to 28-hour flights, I decided to do them all.

19. You quit trying to be perfect.

You realize the first draft of the article isn’t going to be the best, you know that some days you’re just not going to feel that great, and you realize that all of that is okay. Being perfect and having it all together seems like a waste of time. Why not just be real instead?

20. It’s okay to change.

I always thought that I had to be the same person people knew me to be, I thought that that meant I was loyal and consistent, and that change was a bad thing. I now understand that you don’t have to be the same person you were yesterday, you’re allowed to be different. You’re allowed to change. Accepting that my ideals, habits, and views, etc. have changed to something I never thought that they would isn’t the end of the world, it’s simply new growth.

21. You learn to laugh more and not take everything so seriously.

Sometimes reality is really hard but if you can find ways to laugh in the midst of it all, somehow it just makes everything better. Not taking things so seriously is a beautiful gain from turning 30. I am finally letting my hair down and breathing a little bit more.

22. You show your loved ones you love them more than you used to.

That whole realizing how much your parents mean to you when you’re older stuff is true. Spending time with the people you care about becomes really important. You do things for them and you begin to invest more in them.

23. You just have to show up.

Even when you’re afraid and you don’t know what to do, choosing to be brave and continue showing up is one of the most life-changing things you can do.

24. You start accepting people for who they are and loving them as they are.

You quit trying to make everyone fit into your ideal of them and decide to start loving them as they are. Allowing others to be themselves is one of the best gifts you can give them!

25. You’re not afraid of risks.

You’re finally okay with failing at things, you decide that taking a risk is worth it. You realize that you will learn and grow any way you look at it, so taking the risk really isn’t so scary anymore.

26. You toughen up.

You just have more courage and assertiveness than you used to. You’re over being pushed around and begin standing your ground more.

27. You realize the opportunities that are right in front of you and you start taking advantage of them.

There is no more waiting until tomorrow. You decide that you have everything you need to start creating the life you want. You acknowledge what is available to you and you start there and grow more opportunities from it.

28. You feel more comfortable in your skin and you feel beautiful because of it.

I finally feel beautiful without makeup on, I finally feel like I like my body even with its imperfections. 30 makes you start appreciating yourself.

29. You realize that the future is unknown and that you can only take life one step at a time, one day at a time.

All we are given is the moment and that’s the only way to really live. 30 has taught me to make each moment count and to finally enjoy my life exactly as it is for however many more moments I have.

30. Discovering yourself is one of the greatest gifts.

The journey of the 30s has been said to be the most amazing season of your life. And honestly, from what I’ve already experienced, I wholeheartedly agree. The gift of living and being yourself, the growth, the experiences, it’s unlike anything I ever could have imagined. Cheers to being 30.

#primetime #30s

[thesinglesjukebox]

THE 1975 - GIVE YOURSELF A TRY

[6.56]

Dawn of the Second 1975 Day...

Claire Biddles: If I Like It When You Sleep... was characterised by its excess of drugs and sax solos and pathetically doomed romance, perhaps the next album will be characterised by its excess of earnestness. "Give Yourself a Try" spills over with sincerity and solemnity. These characteristics have always been present in The 1975's music, hidden with irony, or in the last two tracks of a long, long album, or buried in parenthesis -- "Before you go (please don't go)" -- but they have never been so pronounced. From the gentle encouragement of the title to the wise old man lyrics, a millennial "My Way," any worries of self-help corniness are instantly dampened by Matty Healy's careful, generous, knowing delivery. The characteristic musical steals are earnest too: Joy Division, Sunny Day Real Estate, The Postal Service, bashed-up CDs on a Mancunian teenager's shelf; the return to the parental home in a crisis. There are quotes from their own songs, too, because The 1975 are the only (white, rock-adjacent) band audacious enough to position themselves as equals to their greatest musical influences. Irony is present ("getting STDs at 27 really isn't a vibe"), but spoken in the deadpan voice of a friend who has only ever been able to tell you that he wants to kill himself in the format of a joke. There are the familiar competing layers of profundity and jokes psyching each other out: Matty's wide-eyed tribute to sincerity in the context of getting clean and surviving his 20s that introduced the song's first radio play is repeated almost verbatim from a therapist's couch by the coked-up rock star cliche he plays at the start. He knows that advice from a famous rich man is laughable, but he's going to do it anyway. And I'm glad he has -- maybe I'm projecting, but I can hear the exhaustion that comes from rapidly switching emotional states for months, and specifically the hopeful exhaustion of getting to the other side: a culmination of the self-knowledge, the diagnosis, the reflection, the therapy. Even though I don't know him, and it's childish, it feels like Matty is two steps ahead of me, like he always is. Listening to "Give Yourself a Try" feels like readying myself to be exposed to the viscera of life while having my hand held by the person I love the most after months and months and months of mutual struggle, and I am so, so glad that The 1975 are back. [10]

Vikram Joseph: Like Matty Healy, and like a lot of my friends, I've found myself with my toes dipping into the cold waters of my early 30s without really knowing how the fuck I got there. And for the most part, I feel pretty good about it, more at ease with myself than I've ever been. But there are questions, and they don't disappear quietly. Surely I should be more settled by now? Have I wandered too much, or not enough? Why did a lack of self-confidence hold me back from what I really wanted for so long? "Give Yourself A Try" addresses all of these, in its own way. Healy's lyrics scan like a good Twitter feed -- scattergun and conversational, flipping from jokey to profoundly sad without any warning at all. There's a fair bit of Los Campesinos! in its twitchy, propulsive angst, and a lot of LCD Soundsystem buried in its DNA -- this might be "All My Friends" for those of us who deal with our problems exclusively by making jokes about them. Most of all, it sounds like Pulp would if Jarvis Cocker was a millennial and grew up dancing to The Strokes and Robyn. It's emotionally generous and exhilarating and kind of heartbreaking. [9]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: Hell yes it's jaded and encouraging and sincere and the guitar line is emblematic of how dizzying life feels in your late 20s and the repetitious chorus acts as a soothing repose to Matt's typically loquacious verses and the balance he finds between unapologetically honest and crass allows for an internet-era relatability that succeeds because of how his self-deprecation creates a familiar distancing. The 1975 are truly the greatest guitar band around. [2]

Alfred Soto: With the drum machine as intentionally tinny as a TV on the Radio single and guitars echoing "She's Lost Control," the latest by The 1975 buzzes and grinds through its insights into male aging, insights that, in Matt Healy's reckoning, depend on one's attitude toward possessions. I don't know if a 20-year-old kid in Sarasota will make as much money as Healy, certainly not enough to start coffee collections. So Healy replaces the dreams of youth with the vanities of being 30. Advice or self-medication? Give it a try. [7]

Jessica Doyle: So my theory is that Matty locked himself in a room with 12 Rules for Life for a couple weeks, and anyone who banged on the door got back only Berlin's "The Metro" on repeat. (Which, fair: there are few better songs to play on repeat while contemplating that time you can't get back, when conspicuous self-destruction was a lot more fun, only now the past is the past and the present is ashes and you're tempted to romanticize your own self, against your better judgment.) And by the time Matty said, "This is gobshite; I'm going to write about character and self-improvement THE MATTY WAY," and emerged with the lyrics, the reluctance to work further on the music was severe. [6]

Nortey Dowuona: Shrieking guitars, a near invisible bass and flat, plastic drums gird Matt Healy's soft, tasteful vocal without really ever bounding into something bigger -- or better. [4]

Maxwell Cavaseno: For all Matty Healy's seeming openness and saliva-mouthed TMI dribblings, he's got his masks of self-effacement and insipid wit that work their best to deflect and refract so you can never ever properly judge him for his narcissism being cushioned by a gaping chasm of self-loathing. "Give Yourself a Try" nags with a guitar whine that works more like a dental drill than a riff, while Matty performs verbal capoeira as a furious abandon of implication. The song itself feels surprisingly without footing compared to a lot of 1975 singles, yet doesn't ever sound like a proper retreat from what's already worked for the band. If anything, the insistence to proceed feels less determined and more avoidant, as if the weight of actual self-realization could sink the whole rush to flight. [6]

Edward Okulicz: I detect a twinge of genuine sympathy in Matty's delivery of the chorus. His cocaine-and-breasts arseholery of previous songs tells me not to accept it at face value, because it's probably being delivered to himself in a mirror, but I like it anyway. The 1975 do not chuck out the biggest riches as the first single, anyway. [7]

Scott Mildenhall: For a song that near enough espouses stepping away from the internet, "a millennial that baby boomers like" is a real step away from the internet line (and not least when you look at the country-by-country data on the use of those terms). At times the meandering lyrics veer so close to the least insightful marketer's flipchart -- coffee! vinyl! beards! -- that they come to seem like they were written about Shrimpy from EastEnders. But simultaneously, they sound clawingly human. Semantically ambiguous as the title is, it caps off a sense of someone seeking self-acceptance with a desperation, uncertainty and self-laceration that makes any resolution of their unease hard to imagine. When contentment is a high bar, committing to it might just cause more anxiety. [7]

Katherine St Asaph: I have listened to Colleen Green's "Deeper Than Love" far too often to non-hypocritically comment on the quarterlife angst here. But this is still Father John Misty for people who secretly miss Cobra Starship. Docked a point because the vocals make the Dirty Projectors sound like the Three Tenors. Docked another point because "like context in a modern debate, I just took it out" is so sneeringly self-satisfied that repeating it three times in a mirror -- where you probably were already -- will cause Betelgeuse to appear with tickets to a Reddit convention. Docked infinite points because bloviating that "the only apparatus required for happiness is your pain and fucking going outside" right before mentioning a teenage girl's suicide is either staggeringly oblivious, staggeringly callous, or staggeringly misjudged sarcasm. [1]

Nicholas Donohoue: I hate being so disarmed by a song that I'm fundamentally at odds with. This still has the usual The 1975 habit of being too verbally erudite for its own good in the verses while being direct to the point of passing as kindergarten lessons in the chorus. But there's a spark here that I haven't felt from their prior songs. Somewhere in the conga line of listing your own issues and then counterpointing with how your own genuine self is mired in the bullshit, I feel it. Even referencing the specific instance of a fan's suicide, which reads as exploitative to me, I let slide. The best case I could give for my unabashed love of this song is that I love songs that are about accepting culpability, and somehow The 1975 is taking the blame and responsibility without ever saying so. They're less asking for my sympathy as they are for their own forgiveness. [10]

Ryo Miyauchi: The titular advice in the chorus is meant to be sardonic, I'm guessing, as most of Matty Healy's gestures tend to read. But "Give Yourself a Try" is not entirely dismissive of life. The crude, motorik version of the band's "Sex" that jitters underneath him is too restless to let him give up; I would hope for this to be the case in a song throwing in a questionable aside about suicide. Instead, it's just accepting of how pathetic all of it can be, and Matty once again stands in as the clown to represent that idea. As much as he beats on with an groan-inducing gallery of personal anecdotes, his lyrics are too cloyingly specific, more than the previous album, for his lessons to speak for experiences beyond his own. Honestly, in the case of The 1975, that's for everyone's own good. [7]

Elisabeth Sanders: When "Sex" hit the scene what seems like at least two, maybe three lifetimes ago it felt revelatory, electric; equal parts yearning and snide, that strange knife-edge of wanting somebody and wishing you didn't, of being hurt by rejection and not even, like, caring, anyway, so like, whatever. The 1975's subsequent debut album rolled that vibe out into a whole mood, intensely specific, rude and depressed and kinda horny, taking place in real space, youth's graceless moments tinged with the romanticism that sits inside most kids that wish they hated everything more than they actually do. But as they moved away from talking about dirty floors and the curve of somebody's mouth and into the inevitable arrogance of young men who think they understand the whole world, the freewheeling idiotic heart that once made the band great became tiresome and thoughtless. I'll listen to almost anybody, no matter how myopic, examine their own interiority; I'm a lot less interested in those people's general thoughts about the state of the world. If I wanted to hear a guy with a guitar tell me about what's wrong with society I'd still be straight. [4]

Leonel Manzanares de la Rosa: Millions of people in their late 20s may (and will) deeply relate to the words of Matty Healy in "Give Yourself a Try", not because he's a bearer of truth -- he's equally prophet and charlatan -- but because these are times so confusing, we tend to turn to the unreliable narrator to make some sense of them. Only in this generation, where the lines between irony and sincerity are so blurred, could we use (and need to use) the language of self-deprecation to convey hope, speak of isolation to form of communal bond, and take a freakin' Joy Division guitar line for a track that we can all agree to call uplifting. [8]

Stephen Eisermann: Hearing Matty be so open and playful about the hardships he's faced is refreshing and inspiring, but it's made better due to the guitar loop that serves as the anchor for this track. Life is noisy, like this song, but you have to find your path through all of the ruckus. And with this song on repeat, I'm confident you'll at least start to see the path. [7]

Will Rivitz: For me, songs are most alluring when an artist takes a limited number of musical ideas and milks them for all they're worth, enmeshing me in a hypnotic loop of sound that morphs and evolves so glacially that I have no choice but to be pushed along with it. I'm having trouble thinking of a song that embodies exactly what I love about music, particularly pop music, quite so well. The instrumental entrances, mirage-like, precisely three notes of bass counterweighting precisely two notes of guitar so accurately that I'm not sure why we'd ever need more frets. Those three seconds' worth of a perfect loop distort and compress over time, Matty Healy singing ever more desolately as his band disintegrates behind him. So much is made from so little, like a clown car if each clown that stepped from the buggy were Dr. Manhattan. "Give Yourself A Try" is an atom bomb: only one or two nuclei need tear apart, and the whole world follows suit. [10]

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