L.A. West REPRESENT

[fyasummershowdown]

Attention, tributes: #YASummerShowdown 2015 is officially over!

Thanks so much to all participating players and gamemakers for a summer to remember! Stay tuned to Forever Young Adult to see who’ll be crowned this year’s winner.

[fyalaw]

Animals and toys left behind.

+30 [MW]

[fyalaw]

My DnD character: Zanna Murnig Stumbleduck. A level 3 bardic gnome. And the maps of our quests.

+5 [MW]

[fyalaw]

+5 [MW]

[fyalaw]

+5 [MW]

[fyalaw]

Pie 3

Peach Pie from Akasha

I had it warmed up with ice cream, so maybe that automatically makes it better, but this pie was delectable. The crust was unobtrusive and the oatmeal top gave it a nice crunch. 

9/10

Check out Pie 1 and Pie 2, too!

+30 [MW]

[fyalaw]

Pie 2 Mixed berry pie from Big Sugar Bakery. Amazingly balanced. Not too sweet and the perfect amount of filling, which tastes like blueberries and blackberries. Finished with a crumble on top. Rating: 8/10

Check out Pie 1 and Pie 3, too!

[fyalaw]

Pie 1 Earl grey tea pie from The Pie Hole. The earl grey mousse is light, airy, and slightly floral. It complements the layer of dark chocolate nicely. The pie is finished with whipped cream and pistachios. This pie is a little sweet and rich for my taste, but it is perfectly delicious. Rating: 7/10

Check out Pie 2 and Pie 3, too!

[fyalaw]

Jude’s Bible of Superstitions

+10 [MW]

[fyalaw]

In high school, my group of friends all used livejournal. We made friends from all over the country by writing down our deepest thoughts and angsty feelings. In retrospect, that is pretty embarrassing, but I do think about those people from time to time that I only knew via comments. Here I am in front of my first journal entry, which was from junior year of high school.  My username has been blocked out because shame.

+5 [MW]

BEST BONUS: +1 MW

[fyalaw]

To: A character in Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Dear Primrose Everdeen,

The end of the world has come and gone. 

The uprising that was a direct result of your sister saving your life has taken your life in the process. What an unfair end for many. But life and death are both rarely fair. The death of a young person is always more meaningful compared to someone that was able to live a full life. But let's not focus on your demise. No, let's not focus on the tragedy of your story. Let's instead shine a spotlight on the fact that you at least died by being a part of something much, much bigger than yourself.

You were able to take part in something that actually made a difference. You were a healer. You were nurturing. You were brave. Many people never have the chance to be any of those things. The bravest thing that I've ever had to do  has been moving away from home, far away from the people that I love. But that wasn't brave. That was just part of growing up and the natural transition of things.

So many of us take for granted what you and your sister had to fight for: for the freedom to actually live your lives and for the right to live and breathe. Losing you has been a great defeat, most of all for your family that tried so ardently to protect you. But rest easy knowing that your life made a difference. When anyone stumbles upon a growing, living primrose, you will be there and you will be remembered.

Goodbye, sweet Prim.

+5 [MW]

[fyalaw]

I chose to create a menu based on Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour. This meal consists mainly of easy-to-make cuisine that Ava, Charlotte, and hopefully even Emi could cook. I chose food items and refreshments that I could truly see the characters choosing to enjoy, even if the flow of the menu is somewhat disjointed. We all know that Emi and her family enjoy Chinese food, which inspired a few choices on the menu. As a nod to Clyde Jones's cowboy days, I included a Texas Chili entrée, but I wanted to also include his luxurious lifestyle, which is why the highballs were included in the refreshments. Ava loves baking, so I included her famous strawberry cake as well as items that she aspires to create, including French pastries and bread. The other items are acknowledgements to Toby, lazy afternoons at Chateau Marmont, the setting of southern California, and a little bubbly for some celebrating. This meal is the perfect feast for three teenagers that are ready to embrace the summer and the rest of their lives.

+5 [MW]

[fyalaw]

The Winner's Curse playlist: FYALAWest & CLTFYA

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/user/1215945652/playlist/1zn8Ck8lvF12G0llDMIr7k

Faint - Linkin Park

The Herroni rebellion would not be ignored. -EAO

Stolen Dance - Milky Dance

Kestrel & Arin would have liked a stolen dance, but they couldn't talk about it. -EAO

Hero - Regina Spektor

Kestrel’s independent spirit and desire to live on her own terms and not submit to the confining standards set by her family is perfectly expressed by this song. You can see this when Spektor sings, “I’m the hero of this story. Don’t need to be saved.” This is perfectly followed by the melancholy ending of the song, much like the melancholy ending of the book - repeatedly singing to herself over and over, “It’s alright, it’s alright.” Between the lyrics and the piano, this song screams Kestrel in Winner’s Curse. - MS

We Float - PJ Harvey

This PJ Harvey song is both a rebel song and a love song, doomed and hopeful at the same time. So it's very appropriate for our main characters in their slow orbit of each other in Winner's Curse. You don’t get the sense in book one whether or not Kestrel and Arin will ever get together, they sadly may end up floating around each other forever if they can’t break free of all the rules. - MS

Stay - Rhianna

This song seems to fit the less than ideal romance between Arin & Kestrel. -EAO

The Arabian Dance “Coffee” - The Nutcracker Suite - Tchaikovsky

I imagine that while Kestrel is coming up with the battle plans, something with a gentle march quality would fit well. This also displays the grace of her plans and not the brutality with which they will be carried out. - MC

Skull and Crossbones - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl soundtrack

I imagine Kestrel and Irex having a large orchestral number behind their duel. - MC

Walk the Plank - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl soundtrack

As Kestrel is going to the fight, it is very much like walking the plank to her demise. The chaos of the music reminds me of the fact that she is walking into an inhospitable area where people are gossiping about her. - MC

I Don’t Need a Man - Pussycat Dolls

Kestrel makes it clear that she is independent and does not need to be married and taken care of. - MC

I’m a Slave for You - Britney Spears

Kestrel and Arin meet at a slave market. He works hard in his position, but in the end, is she a slave to her feelings? - MC

+20 to both FYALAWest and CLTFYA [MW]

[comofya]

Spotify list: https://open.spotify.com/user/22agblnjr2p6ifpaczzvzo22a/playlist/4cHLkPx7k1KI9hD0mHoXxs

(unfortunately, the video game themes were not available)

[fyalaw]

+20 to both COMOFYA and FYALAWest [MW]

[fyasummershowdown]

Attention, tributes: this is your 24-hour notice to post your #artifact hunt 2015 submissions, as well as any miscellaneous items.

#YASummerShowdown 2015 artifact hunt and miscellaneous submissions will still be accepted until Thursday, August 13, at 11:59pm Pacific.

[fyalaw]

Bertha Burns the (Ale) House Down Inspired by Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre

British ale (suggestion: Boddington's)

Strong non-alcoholic ginger beer (Make sure it's ginger BEER, Reed's Extra Ginger or something with bite; Seagram's or other ginger ale will be too sweet)

Orange bitters (suggestion: Fee Brothers)

Pour your ale, letting foam settle and leaving room for the ginger beer.  

Add ginger beer, around a 1 to 2 ratio (i.e., 1 part ginger beer to 2 parts ale).  

Top with dash of orange bitters. (For a substitution, use a grapefruit twist or garnish for the citrus aromatics).

MOCKTAIL:

Use non-alcoholic beer!  These all tend to be lighter, so start with less ginger beer and add more to your preference.

[fyasummershowdown]

Attention, tributes: this is a reminder for teams to submit their YA Mixology cocktail scores by tonight, if they haven’t done so already. (Please submit one set of scores per team.) 

And please post those party pics ASAP if you want them included in the Week 7 recap!