#i have to figure out how to organize my embroidery stuff -_-

[boyfeminism]

made a lot of progress cleaning / packing please be thrilled for me

#speaking #i want more excitement abt this im pretty prouf #*proud #got a little bit ): so ive lost momentum so im finding the effort to clean up and not just stand here #i am hungry #i may order food as a treat #having a weird brain moment i want to talk abt my cleaning progress so i'll just do it here its fine #i have a few decent sized empty boxes now #n we're gonna vacuum seal my yarn so it takes up less space bc rn its in my biggest suitcase #which is less than ideal #my plan ish is to put my clothes In my dresser during the move? #and pulling them out to get the dresser upstairs?? to save space #i found my kalimba box #i tossed a few things i didnt want to and im being very brave #i got rid of a bunch of like. honestly trash. #i have to figure out how to organize my embroidery stuff -_- #but yeah i need to clean up the like mess made by cleaning #and its befome daunting but im doing my best o7 #i want a snack n i want attention so once im done i'll probably go downstairs and have my roommate dye my hair #we postponed it a lil so i could clean (: soon to be pink boy #i like that oink and pink are very close. pig moment <3

[lemonhemlock]

your previous ask makes me think- what would you have liked to see for helaena? i find her more interesting in the show (dreamer, autistic coded) and didn’t feel she had much of a presence in the book, although that may have just been my reading! i certainly hope they expand on her as a character beyond “sometimes saying prophetic stuff” lol. what would you want to see for her?

Interesting question! I honestly don't know! They changed her character so much - not that I necessarily disprove. I think making her a dragon dreamer could be a very potent addition if they did something with it, like making her a Targaryen Cassandra. For now, she is just relating imagery she sees, but doesn't understand & no one around her has figured out she is a prophet.

In the books, she was a sweet and jolly girl, who was even a little sassy & was not intimidated by her husband, even offered her own input in such a way that Aegon listened to her advice. So I would like some of that? More agency, I guess. Give her something to do. More scenes with her children would be a start.

Helaena was beloved by the commons and the smallfolk were outraged at her death, so I imagine she'd spend time doing charity work and being involved in city matters, if the people of King's Landing came to know her. So many ways they could play with this. Have her act like some kind of proto-mayor? Organize fêtes? Sponsor various urban planning enterprises? A new fountain, a paved street, some sewerage work? Clean water? SO many interesting ideas other than "weird girl who spends most of her times indoors". You can still keep her neurodivergent-coded and give her these jobs; she'd actually be quite the busy person this way, having meetings with all sorts of people in and out of the castle.

I did like that they included embroidery as one of her hobbies. Her spider looked really nice. So show her in clothes she makes herself with bug themes. Maybe she goes into the city to visit fabric shops and meet with seamstresses and compares notes on how to sew caterpillars.

The wildest wish I have is if they pretty, pretty please, with cherries on top, show her flying on Dreamfyre and maybe even engaging in battles or at least aerial reconnaissance. I mean, if Rhaenyra can spend the entire books sitting on her arse with the most useless dragon in the world and the show-runners STILL decide to give her more flying action scenes......... why couldn't Helaena receive the same treatment?

#ask #anon #helaena targaryen

[pbandjesse]

What an excellent day off. I had a great time just resting. But it was also a productive day.

I was really happy to be home. I had a great weekend in Philly but it's not the same as being home. And waking up with James is always really good.

I actually slept really well. Waking up was hard but it was okay. I felt kind of gross. I am still upset about cutting my bangs to short but I'm trying to not let it upset me. Though it is.

I got washed up and dressed. I had pulled this dress out of my dresser back at my parent's house. Felt nice and colorful. And it helped me feel a little nicer.

James had been doing the laundry. And was finishing up getting the clothes form the dryer. Which allowed up to really jump into our practice packing for the honeymoon.

I was really looking forward to this. I love packing and honestly it went so well. My list I made a few months ago really helped streamline the whole thing.

James would run around and grab everything that was nonclothes. And once that was all gathered we would both pull out clothes. I had made a list of types but I'm still not sure exactly which pieces will be coming with me. But that's alright. I had the size and amount. And so we were able to figure out which packing cubes we each needed. What bag is holding what things. And we did such a good job!! I had so much extra space in my backpack! I'm thrilled.

James said it was really a good idea to do this. Because they didn't know how their clothes were going to fit in the suitcase I gave them and now they have a better idea and really I just had fun.

Once we were done that we both put stuff away. I spent some time picking outfits for the week and then picking outfits for camping with Jess over Easter weekend. Which was hard only because I have so many good fleeces now. But I figured it out and I'm very happy with my choices.

James would go for a bike ride before it started raining. And I just enjoyed my time alone. I decided to finally start my next embroidery project. James got me this white bag last year. And it's just such a good open space to work on. So I'll fill it up. And it will just be a continuous project like my puhtok bag is.

I would do that for a while. And soon James was home. And it started to rain soon after that.

James would have lunch and get a shower. I was just chilling. And then it was time to go get groceries.

Which was a bit demoralizing. Everything is just so expensive. Yogurt was $3. The rice I like was $4! A two pack of peanut butter was $20!! It just felt bad. We both made guess for the total and James guessed only $1 off. But it didn't feel like we got much.

We drove over to the Walgreens to see if they have the magnesium I wanted but no luck. Though James thought it was interesting that they had krill pills.

We made one more stop at the fancy grocery store to get the vegan shrimp I like. And then we went home. After James put the groceries away I would get to work reorganizing our snack basket and the freezer. While James would work on the other room cutting bears out for my workshop this weekend. James is the best.

It was nice just organizing. Making things feel a little less cluttered. And once I was done I would have a snack and start working on my tablet.

James would come and lay with me for a bit. We watched tiktoks and just chilled until they made us dinner. I had a quesadilla and drew for the rest of the night.

Mom asked me to update the bear I made of her. Change the color to more of a periwinkle and give her better bangs. It took a while to get the color right but we got it! And then I spent the next few hours drawing the entire solar system. Which I am absolutely thrilled with. I learned some new stuff about the brushes I have and mixing colors. I was just having a ball.

Making them all on one sheet was also fun and a challenge. Trying to make them relatively in scale took a whole. It's just a really nice project.

I took a shower and washed my hair and now I am chilling in bed with James and Sweetp and I am going to dry my hair a bit and get ready to sleep.

Tomorrow I am at the museum. And it should be a good day. I hope I have good kids. I hope you all have a great night. Sleep well and be safe!!!

[bagelsmendsandbagelsmakes]

Introductions

Hallo there! I figure I should introduce myself. As the blog description says, I'm Bagels and I use he/him pronouns. I've dabbled in various fiber arts (knitting, crochet, needle felting, embroidery, uhhh bookbinding? technically?), and am a very enthusiastic jack-of-all-trades. I've been wanting to post the stuff I do, so I figured I could make this so it's at least a little organized.

If my blog strikes your fancy and you want to follow me, please make sure that you have a title and/or chose a non-default icon so I know you're not a bot (please. Please I am begging you I don't want to block an actual person but we have been battling the bots and they show no signs of tiring)

All of my original posts with pictures will have image descriptions, and if anything needs to be clarified I will be more than happy to do so.

This will probably start out being dominated by sewing and knitting, but it's anyone's guess how long it'll stay that way. This is bound to be updated as I figure out what I'm doing, but hopefully this is a good start :)

#pinned post

[evilasiangenius]

For the Ask meme:

💫what is your favorite kind of comment/feedback?

💞what's the most important part of a story for you? the plot, the characters, the worldbuilding, the technical stuff (grammar etc), the figurative language

💝what is a fic that got a different response than you were expecting?

💫what is your favorite kind of comment/feedback?

I love any non-hate feedback, but it is especially nice when someone leaves me a comment that is hard to respond to, because it's so kind/thoughtful/interesting <3 Speaking of which, I have a small backlog of comments to respond to...

💞what's the most important part of a story for you? the plot, the characters, the worldbuilding, the technical stuff (grammar etc), the figurative language

I can't pick one (they're all so important!) so I'll add a few more: 1. Believable characterization/voice

2. Is the idea interesting enough to spend time and effort exploring?

3. Is the idea contributing a different/new/unusual perspective?

💝what is a fic that got a different response than you were expecting?

I never really know what to expect when I post things, so often there are pleasant surprises. I'm not really good at the marketing of stories, and I recognize my writing may not be to everyone's taste, so often I just write, post, and hope for the best.

However, upon reflection, one fic stands out in recent memory that may fit this criteria:

Mistakes Were Made: The Book of Crowley

The actual writing, especially in the first half, was more like the backside of a beginning embroidery work - I went through a large number of drafts as it was extremely difficult to structure the parts I had written, interlocking Crowley's story with Aziraphale's and getting them timing down correctly (I still feel sorry for Prereader Elena who read everything). So to find out that the story turned out well and that there are readers that found it deeply meaningful was surprising. I don't know what I expected, but the responses have been amazing. Some readers were very excited about the Jewish content and representation. Others liked the asexual representation, and still others liked Crowley's genderfluidity, which throughout the story shifted between male, female, and genderless depending on mood or company or social pressure.

I think this is in part what makes the writing so enjoyable; not really knowing how people will respond.

#genderfluid crowley #crowley's shifting genders in the Mistakes series makes editing Very Interesting. #readers find themes and subtext that I may not have even noticed while writing #I find that fascinating especially since in hindsight #subtext found by readers tends to work out exactly as the readers have pointed out #and often it wasn't intentional at all!

[lyndsea-learns]

Sewing Room Organization

I still have that weird burst of energy for reorganizing my sewing room (I have my theories about it being an effect of the cocoa- enriched diet I'm trying out—apparently cocoa has some effects on neurotransmitters involved in migraines, ADHD, and depression so I figured why not), so I've been researching what people do with their sewing rooms, organization-wise, because I have to fight for every bit of organization in my life—it doesn't come naturally to me, so I have to study it.

But you know what's annoying about all of the "how to organize your sewing room" articles and blog posts I've seen? They're basically just listed of things you can do, without any exploration of why you would prefer one over another, or any exploration of what makes one system work and another fail, which means you're more likely to buy a bunch of organizational stuff and end up in the same position in the future. So here: an exploration of those things which may be applicable to other workspaces but which is targeted towards sewing.

For context: I primarily sew apparel. Although I've done a number of fiber arts, embroidery and quilting are not among them; if the organizational requirements are significantly different, my information might not be applicable. However, I do think that a lot of this is applicable even outside of sewing. I have ADHD and depression, which impair my ability to organize and stay organized. I live alone, without pets 😿, and don't invite anybody over to my apartment, so I'm free to use all of my rooms however I want.

Hidden Vs. in the Open: Furniture

A lot of furniture which is targeted towards sewists—especially the high-end stuff—folds neatly away (at least in theory) and looks like just a generic cabinet when closed. That certainly has its place, looks really neat, and has a long tradition behind it, but I think that for a lot of sewists it ends up being a feature that you pay money for because it looks cool/because the furniture is branded as sewing furniture, and then you never end up using it.

If your sewing furniture is in a public area of the house where you might want to hide it from the guests, or you think that it'll keep your equipment safe from children, animals, and anyone else who might wreak havoc on it (and you think you'll actually use it consistently), hide-away sewing furniture might be a good option for you, but do be aware that if you're not building it yourself you are paying extra for that feature.

If you have the luxury of an actual sewing room, made all pretty for your use, do you really want to hide away your machine, sewing table, and other accessories that would be in the hide-away sewing furniture, or do you just want it because it looks fancy? If you sew frequently, do you really think you're going to stow everything away when you're done working for the day and take it out again when you're ready to start working again, or will you end up leaving everything out so you can get back to work as quickly as possible?

Hide-away furniture might be a good solution in certain types of limited-space situations. Of course, at the extreme end of the limited-space spectrum, having actual furniture dedicated to sewing is completely out of the question, but there's a lot of space between that and having all the space you could need for your personal sewing studio. If you have enough space to buy furniture but have to share space between various activities, especially in an area shared with others, hide-away furniture will make it faster and easier to switch the space between activities . . . but that comes at the cost of being unable to use the furniture for other purposes. Because of the trade-off, it might be a better solution for a space shared with other people than for a single-user, multi-activity space. However, everyone's workflow is different and I'm sure that there are people in both situations who hide-away furniture will help, and people in both situations who it will hinder.

The main reasons to choose hide-away furniture are aesthetics and protection, but it's important to remember that for the most part those benefits only apply when it's closed—and it's not going to be closed while you're using it. You also may or may not have the discipline to close it after every session (I know I don't).

A non-hide-away table or desk will obviously display everything that's on it, at all times. For some people, that's unacceptable because they want to hide it when it's not in use. For some people, it's asking for trouble—cats, kids, other people, even the sewist themself is a hazard to their tools and supplies. For others, showing off their sewing tools and supplies is desirable and they don't want to hide them away (as long as the mess can be tamed enough).

For those who don't have a strong opinion either way, the fancy hide-away furniture can be tempting just because it's fancy, especially if you don't think it through. And if you use the space for multiple purposes, being able to easily switch from one activity to another sounds really nice. But a multipurpose table(s) and dedicated storage space for supplies when they're not in use might be a better idea. It will take more time to switch activities, but the space will be more versatile. You'll be able to use all of your tables for whichever activity you're currently doing. I'm not gonna lie, at least in theory this is more likely to result in massive mess than the hide-away furniture, but theory and practice are two very different things. Which brings us to the next part, which is

Active Use, Active Storage, Short-term Storage, Normal Storage, Deep Storage

Yes, it's true, there are multiple types of storage. I'm willing to bet that you already have your storage categorized the same way with only some minor variations.

Active use is not in any type of storage at all. You're using it right this very second. The scissors in your hand, the fabric currently under the presser foot. The only time something is in active use is if it is being actively manipulated. The moment you set it down, even if it's only for a second, it goes into

Active storage. This is a much-neglected part of the storage hierarchy, because it doesn't feel like storage at all. You've only put it down for a second! You need it to be accessible in the next minute! But if you neglect to consider your active storage, you'll end up with the scissors lost beneath the sewing machine manual, pins swept off the table and stepped on, things getting lost forever or damaged . . . and a cluttered workspace which eventually becomes hard to work at. Sure, you can periodically pause and clean up, but if you put some thought into your active storage you won't have to do it nearly as much. The goal for active storage is to reduce your obstacles (both physical and mental) to keeping things organized. Because you're taking things in and out of active storage so frequently, even tiny obstacles can get in the way of staying organized. Especially at the beginning of trying to keep your active storage organized, you may have to reevaluate your methods several times before you find a setup that works for you.

The most important aspects to think about for active storage are accessibility and organization. You need to be able to access the right item as soon as possible, without digging around or going any further than absolutely necessary. Because quick access is the entire purpose of active storage, you don't need large amounts of storage, and most of the time you don't need for the storage to be very differentiated: it's fine if the scissors and the thread are in the same place, because it's a small place and there isn't a lot in it. Ideally, each workstation will have certain items that live in the active storage within arm's reach of that workstation. You're almost always going to use scissors when you're at the cutting table, and unless you put everything into deep storage you'll visit the cutting table on a regular basis. It just doesn't make sense to put your fabric scissors into normal storage.

I know that "lives there full time" sounds like normal storage to most people, but this is not a spatial hierarchy of organization even if it has some crossover, it is a hierarchy based on groupings of how things need to be stored. Items that are accessed very frequently should be treated the same way for immediate-term storage and long-term storage. When you put down your scissors, you should have no more than a handful of places you allow yourself to set them down, regardless of whether you're just stretching your hand or don't plan to be back for a while. If there are some items in this category that need to be protected while you're not present (e.g. there are people in your family who would use fabric scissors on paper) you may have to modify my guidelines, but ideally those items would have a place to live (tray, cup, etc.) that would be easily accessible while you're there and that place can be easily moved into a safe spot when you're not. That way you're always storing them in the same place no matter how long you put them down for—it's just that the storage place his its own storage place. I find that it's easy to be consistent when each item has one place to be stored, and nesting the storage.

What kinds of storage would be both easily accessible and organized enough? (This is not a comprehensive list) Pegboards. Shallow trays. Pencil cups. Pincushions. Magnetic trays. For some items, such as pattern pieces or fabric that's about to be used (whether cut or uncut), the only workable solution may be to lay it out or stack it up. Hangers. On the dress form. They should each be ideally within easy arm's reach (or, if used when standing, 2 steps) of where they'll be used—don't store the thread snips with the fabric cutting tools, store them near the sewing machine. Store the pins near where you'll pin fabric together, and have a pincushion near the sewing machine, where you'll be taking them out. If you use one item in more than one location and it's not too expensive for your budget, get one for each location you'll use it at.

For active storage, scalability and long-term protection are not high priorities; regardless of how much space you have available, active storage should be kept small in scope. If you won't use it for this particular project and it's not one of the items that lives in active storage, it should go back to its home. After every project, your active storage should be purged of everything that doesn't live in active storage. In the same vein, most of the items that are in active storage won't be there for long, so you don't have to worry much about whether the light is going to fade the fabric or if the pattern pieces pinned to it are acid-free.

Whenever items are moved between types of storage, you should do at least a minimal inspection and perform any necessary maintenance, upkeep, or preventative maintenance. Because items that live in active storage are rarely, if ever, moved between types of storage, the end of a project or the beginning of one (whichever works better for you) can be used as a cue to do an inspection and maintenance of those items. That's not to say that it can't be done at other times; I just think they're good cues to act.

Short-term storage is the next category. It's actually a pretty small category, because it's very close to active storage. The difference is that short-term storage is basically when you're stepping away from the workstation for a while. If you need to protect items from other people or animals, you move those items into a protected area. You make sure the iron is off. You put the dust cover over your sewing machine, because every little bit helps keep it clean. If you don't have a dedicated sewing area and need to pack up, you pack it all up. Everything is almost ready for you to start, but it'll take a little bit of time to get started again rather than the no time at all. The emphasis with this category is added safety while you're away.

If you work on multiple projects at a time, you might want to move the current project into a storage container in short-term storage as soon as you're done with a session. If you do, it will make it easier to work on whichever project you're inspired to do next time, and if this project goes dormant it's already packed up and ready to move to normal or deep storage. If you tend to be laser-focused on a project until you get it done, this is probably unnecessary for you.

Normal storage is, well, normal. It's accessible, but you're not worried about keeping it in arm's reach. It's for stuff that you're likely to use on a project, but not on every project. Most notions and fabric will probably live here, and tools that don't take up too much space.

Projects that you're still working on, but are not the one you're working on right this instant, should each have their own designated storage area. What that storage area should be will vary depending on the project, but it should keep all of the pieces and notes (you do take notes, don't you? Future you will hate you if you don't—take it from someone who knows.) contained together and not mingled with anything else.

At this point in the storage hierarchy, it starts to become important to worry about scalability and long-term protection. You might start out with only a few fabrics and end up with a lot; you might start out with only a few fasteners or buttons and have your collection expand exponentially. Obviously, if you only have 5 of them further organization is unnecessary, but if you have thousands it's probably better to have some sort of classification system so that it's easier to find what you want when you're shopping your stash. The sooner you set up a scalable system, the easier it will be to deal with: you'll be able to put all of the #2 hooks into the #2 hook storage container as soon as you get them, rather than having to figure out what size your hooks are after the card is too chewed up to read. Also, not to be morbid, but sewing notions tend to get inherited by the next generation (I've literally inherited hooks and eyes that are old enough to have a "patented 1905" notice on them) and having them sorted is much-appreciated by the next generation.

As for long-term protection, I don't know much about it yet, but factors to remember are that acid and light are the enemies of long-term storage. If you wrap your fabric around something, it's best if you make sure it's acid-free (comic book boards, which many people recommend, are acid-free—comic book collectors are also worried about acid damage over time. There are other solutions that are also acid-free if you look, but if it doesn't specifically say it's acid-free you should assume it will eventually degrade your fabric). Unless you're the type to only keep enough fabric and thread for the current projects (and thus are not concerned about long-term storage), consider storing them in dark areas rather than on display. I know thread racks and neatly-folded fabric are very pretty, but the dye and thread are slowly degrading. You also want to make sure that everything is clean (not just from an "ew" perspective; dirty fabric attracts moths) and in good condition when you put it into normal storage, so that when you pull it out to use it'll be ready to go.

As for how to organize within particular categories, consider how you'll go through them. Will you need to look at all of your fabric at once to decide what to use, or will you be looking at only one color or material? If you need a button, will you be looking for a particular size, or a particular color? You'll have to consider your own workflow to decide. If you'll be looking for a button of a particular size, you should group by size, not by color. If you look by color, that's how they should be grouped. As much as possible, things that you'll be looking at together (e.g. red fabric) should be kept together, though it's all right if categories of the same type of object that you won't be looking at together are stored separately (e.g. red fabric is stored in the sewing room, blue fabric is stored in the closet).

In normal storage, items don't need to be kept as accessible as possible. It's okay if you have to do a little bit of digging or go to a different room to access things in normal storage. For the most part, you'll be accessing normal storage when you're preparing for a new project: figuring out what fabric, thread, notions and tools you'll need for it. What you don't want for normal storage is for things to be hidden. Huge totes of fabric that you have to dig through? Not for normal storage. That's for

Deep storage. If you have a large stash, you probably have some of it in deep storage already. Accessibility is not an important consideration for deep storage, because you don't expect to access it frequently if at all. Huge plastic totes stuffed full, piled 6 deep, at a storage unit? That's deep storage.

The number one consideration with deep storage is preservation. Keep it dark, keep it dry, keep it acid-free, keep it climate-controlled (I'm not 100% sure on the climate control being necessary, so please do extra reading on the topic—again, I'm not well-versed in preservation). Make certain that it's clean and maintained before you store it away.

Strict organization isn't necessary, or even always possible, with deep storage, but it's highly recommended to make a list of what's in each deep storage container and store the list with the container, like a shipping manifest. You're probably going to forget what's in which container by the time you open them next, so why not make it easier for yourself to find what you're looking for?

Garbage isn't really storage in the usual sense, but you do store it until you get rid of it, and it has its own requirements. You don't have to worry about preservation or special storage—everything can be thrown into the trash together. But one special requirement of garbage is that you need access to it at multiple locations. You don't necessarily need a large trash can at all locations; for instance, you're probably mostly going to have to deal with thread snips at your sewing machine. However, each location should have its own appropriately-sized receptacle within easy reach.

Items for sale or donation may be another category you have. They should be separated from the items you're keeping, but should be stored neatly. I don't use this category much so I haven't given it much thought.

But How Do You Actually Organize?

There are literally millions of storage containers out there, and you shouldn't limit yourself to looking at only ones marketed towards sewists; many activities have similar storage requirements. What you should worry about is whether your storage solutions will make it easier to access and store away the items they'll hold (because that's one of the keys to maintaining a method of organization), and whether they'll cause problems for items held within them for a long time (especially in the case of items that you intend to store for long periods of time). The best organizational method is the one that is easier to use and maintain than it is to not use or maintain.

I can't tell you "store this category of item divided up into one container for each size" or "store this category of item all together" because we're all different. For some people, it's stressful to have to sort everything into its own tiny container; for others, it's stressful to have everything thrown together. You'll probably find that for some items you prefer for them to be very sorted, and for others you prefer to do less sorting. The key, I think, is to imagine how you'll approach that category when you're planning to use it, and imagine what it would be like to retrieve it from various storage solutions, and to store away new items in that category. Does that storage solution energize you or do you feel a bit of resistance to the idea of doing things that way?

#craft room #organization #sewing #sewing room

[andmaybegayer]

Last Monday of the Week 2021-12-06

First week at the software factory but my work laptop is trapped in customs so I've just been tooling around in the company slack. Finally did some embroidery again after several months. Significant improvements all around.

Listening: Spotify Top 100 was out this week, so let's put in my #1 from there: Boy With A Coin from Iron and Wine, which is funny because I actually don't like most of the things I've heard from Iron and Wine. This one is good though.

Watching: Tenet (2020) was on TV and I had heard good things. Love a story with Time Bullshit. Excellent classical spy thriller vibes, I am a slut for organizations with seemingly limitless resources. I wouldn't necessarily say it's "good" but it has very many moments that feel good and the action is competently shot which is frustratingly uncommon.

The Time Bullshit only really gets good in the back half, but with a sharp transition from "oh this is vaguely interesting" to "we are using this all the time to do very interesting things." starting with a point where two groups of people who are moving mutually backwards in each other's time flow try to get information out of each other.

Reading: Closing in on the end of Children of Dune, which is so good but so very ridiculous. I know a tiny amount about the reign of Leto II which means that I have this horrible shadow hanging over how the remaining chapters of this book have to end. God I fuckin hope that Dune (2021) is somehow so successful they have to do this book. As a treat. I was already robbed of Insane Sci-Fi Sequel Movies once when they fucked up Ender's Game.

Making: Embroidery! Finally! The Big Fuckin Project I started last year stares directly through my soul so I figured that rather than working on it I should do something I can finish in a day or two, so Hollow Knight.

Not so happy with that fill, I've done better satin stitch and the cloak is a little weird looking, but I can live with it. Hollow Knight is also in our

Playing: Video games! I've had Hollow Knight for a while but the first time I played it I got lost, wandered around aimlessly, and gave up. Started over this time and set some goals. I've never played a Metroidvania before so it is a little overwhelming in scale. Gorgeous art, the hand-drawn video game style is fantastic, love it when Supergiant does it and I love it here.

Computer Stuff: udisksctl! If you are the type of person who doesn't want disks to automatically mount on Linux, but you also want to be able to mount them quickly without generating your own paths, udisks is what powers automounting. I have aliases hooked up to the mount and unmount commands so I can just pass through block device paths and it'll mount and unmount them, exceedingly useful.

#last monday of the week #Youtube

[sailorzeo]

I need to work on organizing my stuff again. I started yesterday a bit, getting smaller soap & sundries stuff in one of the plastic drawer towers.

This freed up shelf space so I could get all my lip balm containers on one shelf, and emptied a larger plastic box I can clean out (mica spill) and use for jars or bottles.

I still need to figure out how/where to store both the finished incense (where I can get to it to fulfill orders) and the containers used to make it (away in the closet). And the squeeze bottles I use for scented oil rollers. And I need more boxes for the empty bottles and jars. Right now, I have 3 sizes of bottles, 2 (I think) sizes of jars, metal tins for beard balm, and the assorted lids/sprayers/pumps/sealing disks.

Plus I need to get the upstairs craft room sorted again. I got like, halfway done and just stopped. I need to finish getting the yarn in the shelves, put together the second shoe organizer for over the door, and figure out what to do with the latch hook and punch embroidery supplies.

When the room was neater. I still need to get the black, white, and brown yarns up.

Problem with figuring out what to get rid of is that so much of it requires taking sales pictures, and that's like, my least favorite thing to do. I have an entire trunk of vintage Tri-chem iron on transfers, preprinted pictures, etc. There are a lot of duplicates, but still. I have bags of precut latch hook yarn, at least two shoeboxes full of punch embroidery yarn spools.

It's times like this I wish I could invite my crafty friends over and say "Have at it!"

[sunflowersseemhappy]

would you be down to do the m6 with an apprentice with adhd 🥺 i would lov u 5ever (i will lov u 5ever anyway u r very talented)

I honestly have no idea how good or bad this is (but I live in hope), I don’t think I’m great at mental health headcanons so any criticism is welcome.

REQUESTS ARE CLOSED, but for now here is my Masterlist!

Thank you for the request @opprose, love u 5ever for the kind words! 

Asra

Asra’s always been pretty patient, and that’s no problem when it comes to your ADHD, he has godly amounts of patience to spare even then.

But he’s learned about how to keep you engaged, he knows your tendencies better than you do and usually adapts the situation if needed.

Asra just kind of accepts the way things are, he knows you don’t mean to be rude if you look away and do something while he’s talking or if you forget to do the tasks he set’s you whilst he’s out of town.

It’s just normal.

Of course the burnt to a crisp cookies in the oven would beg to differ but...

Asra soon made a habit of leaving Faust with you when he could, so you didn’t forget about the cookies the next time. It seems snakes have pretty good time management.

The only thing Asra has ever had to worry about is impulsiveness, which when practicing magic, can be a dangerous game.

Asra has always strived to teach you the importance of only using magic when actually necessary but should you ever pick up a book of spells you’re sure to find a very colourful note put there by Asra to suggest against it.

Other than that Asra has just never really preferred it any other way; cluttered messes from projects you’ve forgotten about, tens of little lists pinned to the walls, or watching your face as your brain switches between one topic or another. Lighting up as you talk about things that interest you.

Nadia

At first the fact that you couldn’t seem to sit still made Nadia worry, only because she believed she was making you uncomfortable in some way.

But no, it turns out you’re trying really hard to listen but your ADHD is just making it a bit hard to concentrate. Nadia is both relieved and finds it endearing that you were trying so hard.

It both gives you the opportunity to relax because in reality the both of you were ready to burst from your respective troubles, but from that moment on Nadia is a bit more at ease with whatever ends up happening.

Although she did not expect to lose you midway through the palace tour.

An hour later she found you in the kitchens talking the chef’s ear off.

Over time she’s become less worried when you wander off (to be honest she can’t blame you, a lot of the things she has to do through the day are so tedious) but the servants have a great system for letting her know where you are.

Over time Nadia has come to adore your restless nature, it makes life all the more interesting when you’re up for an adventure that most people would shy always from.

Given that the two of you both just seem to live in the present you make the perfect pair between Nadia’s calming serenity and your energetic energy, it’s like your made to keep the other strong.

Julian

Your ADHD wasn’t necessarily the first thing Julian noticed about you but he notices how distracted you get when there’s a lot going on.

Not that he minds, he finds it quite charming that you are so interested in what's going on around you, and it’s certainly helpful having an extra pair of eyes.

And if he’s being honest he could listen to you ramble about random things all day, he finds it oddly comforting and lying back with you as you fiddle with his hands and talk is just comforting.

And it’s so strange because he thought he took ages to get some sleep in, but you? He’s impressed and worried about your up from dusk till dawn habits.

He learned three things over that week: 1) Hide the coffee, 2) Remove distractions and 3) No matter how interesting your chatter gets he has to resist encouraging you on, for your own sake and sleep’s sake.

Of course he worries about you, he knows that ADHD can be a difficult obstacle through daily life and in a place like Vesuvia those obstacles could go any which way.

What if impulsivity gets you in trouble? What if you forget to eat? What if you’re feeling down and he’s useless at comforting you? So many ‘what if’s?’ that they make him feel like he’s not cut out for it.

But when you forget something because you got distracted and Julian reminds you what you were doing, those ‘What if’s?’ don’t seem to matter as much.

Muriel

Muriel doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with you really, sure you talk a lot, but then compared to him everyone does.

Other than that you just seem to be really invested in whatever is going on in the forest, always alert and noticing the small details, like the sound of baby birds in their nest or the sound of the stream 100 yards away.

Your ADHD seems to just make you fit nicely into Muriel’s lifestyle and he likes the company even if you are noisy and tell him stuff that is weird.

But like he’s said before you’re weird, and he really likes that.

But he definitely finds it strange that you are reading five books at once, the stack keeps falling over.

Also he’s just the perfect person to keep you grounded, and he has a routine (which is more than you can say for yourself) and that routine helps you manage the disorganized chaos you often find yourself in.

Not to mention he’s strong enough to wrap you in a bear hug and keep it that way so you get at least a couple of hours sleep, fortunately your daily hikes seem to get you tired enough for that.

What Muriel finds so wildly interesting is the fact that although your ADHD can make you space out or distracted, once you’re hyper focused on a project you just sit there and do it. Enjoying every second that you’re buried in a book or carefully weaving a flower crown to put on Muriel’s head. You’re weird, but he loves that.

Portia

You are the perfect person to keep up with Portia, and being with her is like a non-stop conversation (the only difference being that Portia knows to go to sleep after midnight).

What’s more she has lots of things for you to focus on that allow you to both talk and keep your hands busy, gardening has been especially helpful as it feels productive and calming.

Not to mention you get to spoil each other with pretty flower arrangements or interesting bugs that you find.

But Portia is an oddly organized person, maybe because her own life has a lot going on in it, but she is great at reminding you to do things you may have forgot.

The notes she leaves you are always cute and remind you that to eat a banana at the very least or that you need to make sure you go to the market to pick up the bread for dinner.

Also she has a cuckoo clock, which does indeed make a sound to remind you of the time. You have yet to find a place in the cottage that you can’t hear it from so it works perfectly to keep you on track.

Portia’s favourite thing you do (once she figured it out) was when your were talking to yourself in your head, one moment you’re saying ‘that’s a nice embroidery (of an apple)’ and the next you say ‘I’m going to go climb a tree’. She quickly realized you were having a conversation in you head but it cracks her up all the time.

Lucio

He was not prepared for you, he comes back from the dead and wants to talk about how horrible it was for him and then you change the topic to something so random he’s just like; “What?!”

When he gets the memo about the whole ADHD thing, he’s still not sure what it entails but at this point he’s afraid to ask (you’d probably get off topic anyway).

The first few weeks it drives him crazy, especially when you completely blank on the thing he was talking about three minutes ago or forget the dinner date he had set.

Lucio learned very quickly that he needed to not take things so personally.

What’s more he even began to plan things out with you properly, giving you a cute little diary to write things down in so you wouldn’t forget the next date he had planned.

Once you get down to it Lucio can be just as talkative, disruptive, and get just as distracted as you can be. It’s between the two of you to work things out properly because you can end up either understanding each other completely or having no idea what the other is saying/doing.

#the arcana #lucio #asra #muriel #nadia #portia #julian #apprentice #julian devorak #arcana #adhd #apperentice #mc #story #headcannon #headcanon

[your-daily-biaswrecking]

Serva me, Servabo te

save me and I will save you

pairing: photographer!Taehyung x f.reader

genre: angst, slight enemies to lovers, slow burn, lil spooky, lil fluffy

word count: 8k | reading time: 45 min

chapter summary: even more bonding over food

warnings: nothing much, just a lil spooky house

All chapters | Masterlist | Read on AO3

Chapter 3: No man is an island

Even though it had taken you a lot of turning around in the bed to actually fall asleep, once you did, it proved hard to wake up. Something about the heavy covers and the thick curtains seemed to have sealed you in with a spell. When you first opened your eyes, you found it hard to move, and by the time you finally rose, the sun was peeking through the window which could only mean one thing: it was late. The fire across from you was crackling and the air smelled of-

Wait, what?

You did a double-take on the fireplace. Yep, it was lit. You scratched your head trying to remember if you had actually managed to light it last night, but you were fairly certain you had discarded the wood inside with no success. Had you lit a small spark that had turned into a big fire through the night without your knowledge? Probably not. Somebody else had probably lit it and you had an idea of who that might be. As you were getting dressed, you noticed the floor was clean, too. That is, from all the wax that was on it due to last night's accident. What the hell? Was he trying to get on your good side or something? Trying to make you like him? It was a little too late for that, didn't he think? A tat difficult to change your impression of someone after you had already formed it three years ago.

You wandered around the east wing of the Manor, not sure which room was Taehyung's. But you took a guess when you saw that there was only one door closed amongst the rest of them. You knocked, and when you didn't get an answer, you walked in. The room was definitely bigger than yours, boasting a king-sized bed with dark colors opposite of the entrance, along with a large balcony to the left. You could see Taehyung's stuff lying around, yet not the man himself.

You jogged down the stairs, questioning your next move. Going left, you walked to the sitting room, however, apart from the lit fireplace, that, too, was quiet and soulless. You even checked the library but were met with the same results. As you walked back, you kept your eyes out the windows, trying to catch a glimpse of him anywhere around the house. To be more certain that he wasn't blocked from any plants or flowers in the garden caught up in his photographing like last time, you went so far as to go out and have a stroll up and down the pathway. After having been disappointed yet again, you set the way for the small kitchen. Unsurprisingly, that was empty too, and you were running out of ideas of where the man could be hidden. Alas, any time you wanted to avoid him he magically appeared in front of you, yet now that you were looking for him, he had vanished.

"Well, well, well... look who finally decided to get up," you heard a raspy voice coming from behind you. You jumped slightly and frowned at the well-dressed man standing by the door, offering you a smirk. Where on earth had he been and how had he managed to materialize right behind you without you realizing? Was he a ghost, or something?

You almost asked him where he was, but quickly realized that would sound like you cared about him. Instead, you decided to comment on his uncalled-for remark. "Why, had you been waiting for me?"

He chuckled, leaning against the doorframe. "No, but the pancakes got cold by now. They won't be as tasty."

"Pancakes?" With a motion of his head, your eyes fell on the plate with a tower of medium-sized, fluffy pancakes on the counter. "You made these?"

His eyes rolled to the side. "No, the fairies did," he mocked you.

You shook your head. "Why? Why are you doing all of this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean making me breakfast when I didn't ask you to."

Taehyung watched you with his half-lidded eyes, his tongue running over his teeth. "Relax. I didn't make you breakfast, princess. I just made it for myself and had some leftovers. If you don't want to, don't eat it."

It felt like he was teasing you for wanting nothing to do with him. Why was he teasing you? Hadn't he acted like that, too, for the past three years? "Oh, yeah? Then what about the fireplace? And the candlewax?"

His cheeks swelled up with air as he slowly let it out. "Yeah, I'm- I'm not following. What fireplace?"

"My fireplace."

He frowned. "You mean... the one in the sitting room?"

"No! I mean the one in my bedroom."

He continued to look confused. "Okay. What about it?"

You bit your lip at his reaction. Now, you were confused, too. "Didn't you light it?"

"No... Did you want me to?"

Your mouth froze mid-sentence, trying to figure out what was happening. "I... I woke up and it was..." You took a look around you. "Did the housekeepers come here this morning?"

Taehyung shrugged. "I didn't see anyone, but maybe... It's a big house, it's easy to miss someone."

Not as easy as missing him, though. Big house and you always ended up in the same, small space. "I guess they came," you mumbled as you started to notice other little things, like the clean plates, were also in their place. "I mean, I found the fireplace lit and the wax was gone..."

Then Taehyung laughed. "Wait! Are you telling me cleaning ladies came into your room, lit a fire, and cleaned the floors while you were sleeping...? And you didn't understand a thing?" Well, you didn't usually sleep so deep but be it the fatigue or the aura of the Manor, you slept like a dead person that night. Taehyung's laugh continued. "And you thought that was me?"

Thinking he had perhaps done those things for you turned out to be a better feeling than realizing he hadn't. You felt so silly. And what were you even supposed to say now? You turned around, scratching your head. The plate with the pancakes seemed rather inviting now, a good change of the subject.

"Thank you for the breakfast," you simply said.

Taehyung smirked at you yet again, his eyes following you around as you grabbed the plate and sat down to eat. "Sure thing, love," he purred. You shot up, a tingling sensation covering your cheeks that you were sure it was shock and distaste, and nothing else. But he kept his stare on you, making you look back down. "What are you going to do after, if you don't mind my asking?" you heard him say in an exaggerated formal tone.

"Why?" you simply asked.

Taehyung looked over his shoulder. "Well, I've got some work to do. On my laptop. I was thinking about occupying the sitting room if that's alright with you."

You took a bite out of the pancakes, shaking your head. "Do whatever you want. You don't have to ask my permission, you know." You made eye contact one more time. "This is your vacation here, too. Don't let me stand in the way."

He turned around and left without another word. You scoffed, rolling your eyes, but decided to not dwell on the boy's acts. You weren't sure what he was trying to do, get on your nerves or the opposite -whatever that was- but you didn't want to use up all your energy on thinking about him. Instead, you enjoyed the pancakes with the pine tree honey, as it was labeled, and some fresh butter. You weren't sure if it was because of the organic toppings or Taehyung's skill, but those ended up being the best pancakes you had ever had. You scrunched your nose. They were so good, I guess you had to compliment him, say something, anything. It was only fair.

You found a piece of paper and a pen in the next room and wrote a small note for him to find on the counter, instead of having to say something to his face. And after having cleaned up your mess, you went back into your room.

Really, what were you going to do?

You fixed the flame, then marched in the bathroom to find your dress, now clean, hanging to dry. The signal wasn't good enough for you to contact Yoonji or anyone else, so you were left with whatever was in that house to occupy you. Well, a house like that should have enough things to keep you busy, right?

You set out to explore the rooms and the floors. The portraits on the walls of people unknown to you, people that seemed to be long gone. The sculptures at the corners of the halls that you couldn't decide whether they were very classy or very outdated. The embroidery pieces adorning the furniture, even some frames, and the random, vintage objects used as decoration. You discovered a room that seemed to be a home office on the first floor, with a big, wooden desk with old pen and ink on one side of it and a typewriter on the other. A metallic globe the size of your hug standing by the window, inconsistent books about the classics all around. A dining room, two rooms away from the kitchen, that boasted the longest table you had ever seen, set with pretty porcelain plates, crystal glasses, and silver cutlery. Another room, next to the library, whose only purpose seemed to be that of a museum; more paintings and sculptures, bizarre collections and jewelry presented all over.

The basement didn't share any of the upstairs' atmosphere. There was no decoration, no natural light. The air was humid and chill. The colors were grey and brown, none of the crimsons or the golds. You found the main kitchen, the one that seemed to be made for a whole staff to work in, but it was empty and dull. Anywhere you stood, you felt uneasy. As if you were standing in the way of someone; perhaps all the ghosts of the workers that slaved themselves away for the elites living above. A breeze made the hair on your arms float, and you deemed the moment perfect to get out.

Not letting the uncomfortable setting get to you, you continued exploring. Going up three flights of stairs, you reached the highest floor, the attic. The halls there were significantly less extravagant, the rooms notably smaller. It didn't quite reach the tone of the basement, but some similarities had to be pointed out. Some doors were locked, and the ones that were open, lead to places that had nothing to keep you there. The view from the windows wasn't much changed from the one from your bedroom, definitely wasn't worth a swap. You noticed that although there were beds and wardrobes, none of the rooms were made for guests. Maybe you weren't supposed to be up here.

That thought, instead of making you flee the way the basement had, made you want to dive deeper. You looked around the few pieces of furniture as if you were searching for something specific, looking over your shoulder as if someone would walk in and scold you for snooping around any time now. A wind blew your hair around your neck, almost like it was telling you to stop. But why did you have to stop? What weren't you supposed to see? The windows in the corridor were all closed, anyway, so where was the wind coming from in the first place? You felt it again, caressing your ears nearly like a whisper. Like a voice calling to you.

Amy...

Was it the wind, or was it the walls? Was it all the olden, inanimate objects that had gained life from the numerous generations they had incorporated? Or was it all just in your head?

"Amy!"

You jumped. You heard it, you actually, definitely did. A voice. Not just the wind, not just your imagination. There were voices coming from these rooms. You rushed outside and ran to the stairs. Then you heard it again, and you froze in place.

You frowned slightly, still not having entirely grasped the reality of the situation. "Yeah?" you shouted back.

"Food's ready."

Right. The mystery voice that whispered your name through the wind at the attic wasn't a spirit or a ghost; simply your vacation buddy shouting from downstairs. Well, good. That was good.

"I'm coming!" you let him know as you skipped down the steps.

You hadn't realized when Taehyung had moved from the sitting room to the kitchen, had no idea he had taken it upon himself to cook once again. Having had a late breakfast and a lot of exploration to do, the time had gone by unnoticed, without any thought of lunch. That was until the delicious smell reached your nose as you were getting closer, making your stomach immediately protest in hunger.

"Hey," you called when you walked in, finding Taehyung setting the table. "I didn't know you were cooking."

"Why, would you have helped me if you did?" he said smiling at you. Don't get confused, he wasn't smiling because what he had just asked was genuine, and thought it was sweet. He was definitely teasing you again.

You took a plate from his hands -well, more like grabbed- and set it on the table yourself. "I thought you were a great cook, why would you need my help?"

His stupid smile got wider. "Maybe you just wanted to spend more time with me."

"Does anyone ever spend time with you unless absolutely needed?"

Taehyung gasped and then chuckled right as he set the food in the middle. "Well, you're welcome for the lunch, I guess."

You rolled your eyes making sure he would see it, dragged a chair out, and sat down. "Thank you. What did you make?"

"Mushrooms," he said, pointing at the plates in front of you. "And other vegetables, since you wanted to have an organic meal. And I found those in the fridge, so I think it's safe to assume they won't kill us."

You shot him a tight smile with your eyes narrowed. Just as you were about to reach for the rice, he started serving you himself. "I can do it," you let him know.

He groaned in response. "I bet you're also the kind that won't let a guy pay for dinner or walk you home, aren't you? Let a man be chivalrous for once, Amy. The Mansion demands it, don't you think?"

You bit your lip trying to stop yourself before an apology escaped you. "Right, I'm sure chivalry runs through your veins and fuels your every action." You tried to take the vegetables, but he blocked you again.

"Well, no," he annunciated through his teeth, then started serving you again. "But at least when I make an effort, it should be respected, don't you think?" He finished your plate and raised his head to look at you. Why were his eyes staring into yours always putting you in an awkward space?

You cleared your throat. "Alright, your actions are noted and appreciated," you murmured, picking up a fork and preparing a bite. "If they're not fake," you added under your breath and popped the food in your mouth.

But he heard you, and like always, he laughed. "You really think I have some ulterior motive in being nice to you? What, am I trying to trick you into thinking I'm not a terrible person?"

You looked at him out of the corner of your eye while you chewed, trying to hide a tiny smile. "Yeah."

His eyes read yours for a second before he reciprocated your smile. "Is it working?"

You finally swallowed, taking a moment to close your eyes and take in all the flavor you had just experienced. "With this food, kinda, yeah." The vegetables had just melted in your mouth like cotton candy, had managed to taste like a honeycomb.

"You like it?" his face lit up as he asked you.

You nodded. "You know, I hate to admit it, but it's really good. Now, I don't know if it's the organic ingredients or the cook..."

He dismissed you with a wave of his hand. "Oh, it's the cook. Considering the pancakes were also... Ah, what was it? Superb?" You put your fork down to glare at him. "It couldn't have been easy for you to write that," he laughed at you. You knew you shouldn't have left that note; compliments only made his ego grow, and he already had plenty of that.

"Do you always talk so much when you eat?" you snapped. "You haven't even taken a bite."

"Apologies," he mumbled with a grin and started eating, too.

But the silence was too awkward. In the silence, all you were left to do was stare. And staring at your plate would quickly become tiring, and staring out the window would quickly become boring. And then, all you could stare at was the man in front of you. Staring at his brown flocks falling over his eyes as he swallowed down huge bites. His lips, shiny and slippery from the grease, moving around and making sounds. The veins in his hand popping and following down his long fingers, longer than you'd call necessary. You thought he hadn't noticed, since he hadn't looked your way. But when he suddenly glanced up and found your eyes right away, it was obvious he already knew where they were. And the look he gave you was worse than just saying out loud I thought you didn't want to talk, yet you're gawking at me.

You choked on your food, immediately looking away and trying to clear your throat. "Uh... Have you- have you been up at the attic?" you asked, needing an escape.

"Very briefly, why?" he casually answered.

You shrugged, playing with your food. "Oh, nothing. I was just up there and..." Well, you didn't know what to say. And you thought there were ghosts calling you when it was actually him?

He shook his head slightly and looked back down. "I don't like the atmosphere up there," he said. "It's kind of creepy."

Your eyes widened. "Oh my God, I know, right? You felt that, too? It wasn't just me?"

He grabbed his shoulder with one hand, rubbing it. "Yeah, I don't know what it was about it, but I wouldn't go back up there again."

You nodded in agreement. "The basement was even worse, felt like it was haunted."

"Haven't been down there, but I believe you." He gave you a small smile and, paired with his words, it made you smile back with warmth. "We should just stay here, on this floor," he added. "It's nice and cozy down here."

You chuckled. "Yeah, even my room is a little scary, especially after last night."

He looked at you again in a way you couldn't look away, almost like holding your hands so that you would stay close. "You shouldn't be scared. If you are ever scared, you should come to find me."

What... What do you respond to that?

"I mean, there's two of us in this house," he continued when you didn't say anything. "You don't have to sit alone and afraid."

"Um... yeah, I guess," you mumbled and immediately cleared your throat upon realizing how hoarse your voice sounded. "Same goes for you, or whatever."

Taehyung suddenly got up and smiled down at you, while you had to crane your neck to look at him. "Good to know. You'll do the dishes, right?" You frowned momentarily at the abrupt change of subject.

"Ye- yeah..."

"Great, I'm going upstairs." And with no more input, he was gone. Didn't even put away his plate or something, didn't even wait for you to finish.

What a dick. I mean, sure, you would've offered to do the dishes anyway, but now that he had just assumed it like that, it bothered you. You exhaled, pushing your plate away. Oh, it bothered you a lot. You looked over your shoulder, looking at the empty hallway he had just passed through. How was this man managing to make you hate him one moment, then warmed you up until you lowered your guard the next, and then pissed you off again right after? Staying with him there just felt like a big headache.

You cleaned up everything and then moved upstairs, passing by him on the way, but neither of you spoke. You went straight to the bathroom. You deserved a nice bath after that, to calm your nerves. And there was a long, porcelain bathtub inside the well-lit, room, along with many bath salts for the warm water and candles to set the mood. It was indeed relaxing. Moments like this made you really appreciate your chance to stay in that Manor. It wasn't all the moments, all the time, but there were enough of them.

After soaking up in there for nearly an hour -or maybe it was more- the water started getting cold and you decided to get out. You wrapped yourself in a big, soft towel and went to your room. You took your books with you and went looking for that office that was near the library. Taking another look at it and really taking the time to light the lamps and sit on that desk, made you like the room even more. You enjoyed some peace and quiet for the rest of the afternoon in there, switching between studying and exploring the place. You only wished you could have an office like that. The heavy atmosphere really sealing you inside and making you lose track of time.

Lost track of time so much it had felt like only two minutes had passed when you heard the door opening.

"Oh, there you are," Taehyung said in a low voice after he peeped through the door. "Are you working?"

At the moment, you had your feet propped against the bookcase behind the desk and a leather hardback copy of Frankenstein. You let it drop on the desk and close. "No, just chilling," you explained. "Why?"

The young man appeared more behind the door, yet still just standing there instead of coming in. "Can I ask for your help with dinner, then?"

Your eyebrows rose high while your lips pursed up. "Oh, the great cook needs my help?" Regardless of your comment, you got up and started switching off the lights to follow him.

"Actually, I need some help with the fireplace."

"The fireplace?"

He wiggled his eyebrows at you. "Yep. We're barbecuing tonight!"

You gasped and jumped to him. "Oh, really? We can do that?" No thought that would normally cross your mind about your behavior and distance toward this man seemed to be appearing now. He extended his arm to you, almost to catch you, and your hands wrapped around his forearm instinctively.

Taehyung chuckled as he held your arm back, and guided you into the hallway. You followed suit, still glued to him. "Yeah," he told you. "I found a grate that we can use. Have you ever done this before?" He looked at you over his shoulder.

"I have been a part of barbecue parties before, but I didn't exactly do the barbecuing," you mumbled, smiling and looking down.

Taehyung pushed a door open and you appeared in the sitting room. The fire had died down but had left a decent amount of coals behind it. The man broke free from your hold and moved closer to the fireplace, picking up a metal poker, and started annoying the low burning, red coals emitting warmth. You looked at him, wondering if he knew what he was doing because you certainly didn't. And he had asked for your help... Well, we'll see how that will go.

"The fire is almost out... Can we really do this here?" you asked while your fingers played with the hem of your shirt.

Taehyung glanced at you and nodded. "Yeah, this is the perfect level of fire you need. Which is why I thought about it in the first place." Then he pointed at the corner of the inside of the fireplace. "See? I have already put in some potatoes to cook because they need more time." Something shined in the direction he was showing you. Something covered in tin foil.

You opened your mouth in understanding. "Alright... What do you need me to do?"

The boy moved his jaw around as he checked you out before he motioned towards the door. "Let's go to the kitchen and get things ready."

The kitchen island was covered with what you could only assume was everything edible found in the fridge and cupboards. Plates and platters filled with raw meat, vegetables, cheese, spices, sauces, salads... Had he invited something like 15 people to dine with you, or was he under the impression you eat as much as bigfoot does?

"What- is all of this?" you stammered. "You know it's just the two of us, right?"

He rolled his eyes at you, but with a smile. "We're not gonna everything, I just have it out trying to decide what's best." He grabbed two plates, one on each hand, and pointed them at you. "For example: sausages or pork ribs?"

"Um..." You kept looking back and forth between the plates with your jaw hanging low, struggling to pick the most delicious looking one.

"A little bit of both?" Taehyung offered with half a smile when you still hadn't chosen.

Your face lit up. "Yeah, a little bit of both sounds good!"

He nodded immediately. "Do you want to make some grilled tomatoes and peppers as well? They always turn out great."

You shrugged. "Sure, maybe a few. Let's not make too much and have to throw them away, though."

Taehyung nodded once again and handed you the plates with the veggies and some cheese. "Alright, take these inside while I get the rest ready, please."

"Sure thing, chef."

You cleared the table in the sitting room, making room for every plate that you brought in. Following Taehyung's orders, you organized the veggies on the grate and the other appetizers on the platers while he marinated the meat. You paid great attention to the way he poised the grate on top of a little old metal thing a small way over the burning coals. Juices started falling once the tomatoes got hot, landing on the fire and immediately evaporating with a loud, sizzling sound that filled the room like the rhythmical beat of a lo-fi song. The smell that invaded your senses was something between smoke and sautéed onions and your stomach hurt in anticipation as you sat there and waited.

You sat there and waited quietly, watching the boy squatted in front of the fireplace looking over the food. As his eyes were otherwise occupied, yours had the chance to travel down his form once again. He looked small and fragile the way he was sitting, drowned in his large, knitted sweater, but you knew the moment he got up he would assert himself differently. Not that he was particularly tall and at all bulky, but there was something about his stance that demanded everyone's awareness. Maybe it was something about his eyes that made it hard to look away or his face that tricked you into thinking you were gazing at a piece of art. And you stared, not thinking you'll get caught, not thinking he will smile at you the way he did when you still hadn't noticed he was now turned towards you.

"Uh- Bread!" you squealed in panic. You got up, dusting your clothes off the nothing that was on them. "Should I bring the bread now?" you added in a weak voice.

Taehyung gave the grate over the coals one last glance. "Yeah... These are almost done, I think we can toast some bread and start eating now."

You nodded once and ran out of the room. Your hands were shaking slightly as you tried to slice the bread and you couldn't understand why he put you in such an unnerving state so easily. Okay, so you got caught looking at him. So what? You were allowed to look at people, right? He did it all the time, anyway. And, okay, you kind of don't like him... But is it really to the point that being next to him makes you hold your breath and numb your limbs? He didn't seem bothered by your presence at all, and he apparently didn't even remember you. You should really do better than this.

When you walked back into the sitting room, Taehyung was arranging the ribs that he had just taken off the grill on a platter. Then he took the bread you handed him to place it near the fire. The whole table was a mouth-watering view, and if these tasted even half as good as the food he had made up until now, you were sure this was going to be the best barbecue you've ever had. Well, if you could pull yourself together and actually act like a normal person, you would be able to enjoy this. Perhaps talking to him would be better, it had worked the last time. Kind of.

"Are the potatoes ready?" you asked. Alright, it wasn't the best conversation starter, but your hunger controlled you more than you'd admit.

"Oh," Taehyung chuckled. "I forgot about those, let's see." He fished them out, squeezed them a few times, then gave you one. "What do you think?"

You looked at him, then at the tin foil covered potato. "What, am I supposed to know if they're ready?"

He chuckled again, trying to hide the fact that he had just rolled his eyes. "It's soft, isn't it? Must be cooked."

You squeezed the potato the way he did. "Uh, yeah... I guess."

"I'm just trying to teach you how to do this, princess," he called as he grabbed the potato out of your hand again and placed it on the table.

You snorted. "Why do you keep calling me princess?"

Taehyung shrugged without looking up at you, keeping his gaze on the potatoes as he uncovered them and cut them up. "Well, didn't you choose the princess room?"

"It's not that and you know it. You say it as if it's a bad thing."

He took the butter and began to apply a very generous amount on the steaming, soft potatoes. "Hmm, I don't know..." he mumbled as he added seasoning and cheese. "Sometimes you just seem a little ungrateful and condescending, like a real princess would be." He gave you a quick, tight smile with his lips pressed together.

You couldn't help but scoff, folding your arms over your chest. "I'm condesc- Well, if I'm a princess then you- you are a king, 'cause you're worse than me!" Taehyung paused and looked at you. You looked at him, too. "Wait," you mouthed, mentally scratching your head. "Wait! Why does princess sound so insulting but king doesn't? That's not fair!"

Taehyung burst out laughing. "Sexism," he blamed with a shrug. You chuckled along, forgetting you were supposed to be upset. Something easy to forget when the man in front of you served you the potatoes he had been preparing, giving you the cue that it was okay to start piling on the food now.

You started with the sausage and a soft moan left your lips before you could stop yourself. But it was alright since Taehyung seemed to be doing the same as he bit down on the ribs. You moved on to the peppers, and the potatoes, and anything else your hands could reach. You had ended up making more than enough food, probably because neither of you could decide on what to eat exactly, but you didn't fear there would be any leftovers. No, you would fill up to your lungs and then hibernate the rest of the week if you had to.

You took a break to cut up the food on your plate and observe Taehyung. He kept looking at you every time you put something in your mouth, perhaps trying to read your reaction, desperate for praise. Or desperate to please you. He said you were ungrateful, but he didn't act as if he meant it. Sure, he never missed a chance to banter with you, but he also seemed to actively try to be nice to you. Give you something to be grateful for. Was he even the one who believed what he had said, or did he blindly have some idea of your character with no proof?

"What has Jimin told you about me?" you asked then, breaking the near silence.

His eyebrows rose high and he looked at you with wide eyes, kind of lost, as he munched on some well-toasted bread. "Wha- what? What do you mean?"

You resumed your eating, trying to appear nonchalant. "I mean... You said you don't remember meeting me, yet you know who I am. Jimin must have spoken about me, then. What did he tell you?"

Taehyung swallowed hard avoiding your eyes -something that he hadn't done before- and falling back in his seat, almost like he was trying to take up less space. "Nothing," he chirped. "Just... that you... exist."

You narrowed your eyes at him. "Really? So he just said my name and nothing more?"

Taehyung nodded. "Pretty much. I don't remember," he rushed to say and stuff his face with more food.

Well, he was clearly lying. Not that you thought Jimin would have said something bad, you knew he liked you. But you were intrigued. "So you know nothing about me? I'm just a stranger to you?" Taehyung looked at you without replying. "You stayed in a house in the middle of nowhere with a stranger?"

He pushed his hair back with his free hand. "No, well... You're Jimin's friend. And my friend's friend... is my friend," he said without sounding too convinced with himself. Probably because of the graceless way he kept repeating the word "friend". You were about to say something when he suddenly turned the focus on you. "What about you, then? Am I not a stranger to you?"

You were caught off guard. Was he a stranger to you? You looked at his face, those eyes you had seen before, that nose and lips you had inspected a lot. His voice and his attitude that you remembered clearly, even though it had been years. He wasn't a stranger to you because you knew him. Pretty well, you could add. But he wasn't your friend just because you knew people in common, either. Nor your enemy since you didn't care enough to concern yourself with his person. What was he to you?

"No..." you simply said, avoiding a longer explanation. "Because I remember meeting you."

"Sorry," Taehyung whispered while biting his lip, having caught the innuendo easily. He wiped his mouth and looked up at you. "But you treat me like one. Don't you?"

You chewed on the inside of your cheek. Did you? Were you cold to him because he was like a stranger, or were you cold to him because he wasn't? "I don't see you as a stranger," you sounded more confident than you felt. "If I did, I wouldn't have stayed here with you."

"Right... Big, old house with a strange man in it... Not ideal."

You eyed him for a second, not sure if he was mocking you or not. "Right..." you repeated and you both kind of nodded at the same time.

It was true. You obviously wouldn't have stayed if it was someone you didn't know. But you stayed. Which made you realize that, no matter what you had been telling yourself or what Yoonji knew, or perhaps even what he thought, in the end, you knew Taehyung was in that house and you didn't leave, which could only mean one thing. You hadn't stayed in spite of him. You had stayed because of him.

"Or perhaps this house and a stranger sound less scary than this house and all alone?" he added with a chuckle then, and you laughed awkwardly, thankful that you were thrown out of your thought process.

The food was almost over, or at least your ability to eat had reached its peak, and you were gazing at the dying fire since you didn't know what else to do. Was this the time you part ways again? You had only agreed to eat together and that's what you've been doing up until now, but for some reason, it felt like whoever would get up first now would be rude. It's not like you needed to leave, you didn't have anything better to do. You just wished you had something -anything- to do instead of sit next to Taehyung silently.

"Do you play cards?" you heard him say eventually, and you almost cracked a huge smile at him in relief.

Then you frowned for a second when you really thought about what he had said. "Um... used to when I was a kid. Why?"

Taehyung grinned at you. "Well, I found this deck, was thinking we could play and the loser has to do the dishes. What do you think?"

Ah, the dishes. If you had to be honest you had completely forgotten about those. But that was good, considering you would probably have to do them anyway. At least now you had a chance to get out of it. "Depends on the game we play," you answered.

"Any game you want," he exclaimed as he jumped up and ran on to some drawers at the other side of the room.

"Oh man, I don't remember any games..." you mumbled, scratching the back of your neck. "Hold on, give me a second." Taehyung returned with a metallic, little box and sat right in front of you, cross-legged. He opened the box up and revealed a rather dark deck of cards with golden flares at the back. "Beavers," you finally settled. "Do you know it?"

"Beavers? No, enlighten me."

"Well, it's normally a game with its own cards, like Uno, but I remember we used to play it with regular cards all the time when we were kids." You turned to face him better, crossing your legs the same way he had. "Uh, okay... I might not remember the rules very well, but here goes," you started explaining while showing him at the same time. "We both get four cards dealt in front of us, but we only see the two on the side. The goal is to have the smallest score, so you want to have cards like two or ace or- oh, the joker counts as zero. Good so far?"

"We add all the cards and the one with the smallest number wins?" he asked, fully focused on your words.

You nodded. "Yes. After we see our two cards, we start picking cards from the deck and if we like it, we can change it with our own, if not, we discard it. If you get a Jack, you draw again. A Queen means you can switch one of your cards with one of the other player's, and the King means you can look under any card and see what it is. When you think all your cards are small, you say 'stop' and we reveal our cards. And that's it."

"Huh," Taehyung mumbled and started shuffling the deck. "Sounds pretty simple. How many times do we play?"

"As many as you want. Do you want to play one introductory round just to see if you understood everything?"

"Nope. I got it." And with that, he dealt both of you your cards.

You were silently laughing at him, thinking you would kick his ass and definitely not do the dishes that night. Then he picked his first card and changed it with a hidden one. "Uh, Tae..." you mumbled, thinking he was confused. "You should change the ones you know first, or wait for a King to see what you've got. You don't know what's under there, it might be something good."

He simply said: "I know." Then he changed his other hidden card too. Throwing away a three, too.

"Tae, you-"

"Stop."

You blinked at him. "What? You're done?"

He just nodded. "Uh-huh. Stop."

There was no way, you thought. You drew one card for the last round, begging to get a Queen so that you could steal one of his cards or something. But no, just a nine. You sighed and revealed all your cards: a three, a four, and under the ones you hadn't seen you boasted a six and another nine. "Ugh," you exhaled. "I got twenty-two. What have you got?"

Taehyung smirked at you before he started revealing his cards. A joker on the left, a two on the right, and then an ace and another joker in the middle. "I got three."

"What?" you screamed. You fell forward, trying to look at his cards better. "What?" you yelled again, slapping your own cheeks. "Two jokers? Motherfucker, there's only two in the entire deck and you got both of them right away?"

Taehyung was just laughing. He started picking up all the cards and shuffling them again while you were still having a mental breakdown. "Do you wanna play something different?" he asked you.

Hell no, you didn't. No, this was a matter of dignity at this point, the bet of the dishes long forgotten. "No way!" you let him know passionately. "That was just beginner's luck, anyway! I'm gonna beat your ass."

But you didn't. And that wasn't just beginner's luck. There are just some people that have fate on their side, always, no matter what you do. Taehyung seemed to be one of those people. Oh, how it got on your nerves. He always got all the aces and all the jokers, even when they were hidden and he didn't know about it until the end. You barely got some twos, the occasional ace. Out of about twenty or thirty rounds, you had managed to say "stop" only a few times. The worst times were the ones you thought you could beat him, and then right at the end, he got a Queen and stole away your only good card.

"I love this game," he was chuckling after having won yet another round with an embarrassing on your part gap.

"Of course you do," you groaned.

"Do you want to stop?"

You shook your head maniacally. "No, no... One more round, I need to get ahead."

"Amy, you have, like, sixty points more than me. How are you gonna get ahead?" he teased you, lowering his head to meet your slumped form and make you look into his eyes. You did him the favor and looked at him, but were pouting the entire time. Then he did the unimaginable -or, well, perhaps you should have gotten used to it by now- and gave you a sweet smile. He was enjoying himself and still being nice about it, which made it all that worse for you.

You clicked your tongue and looked away in the process of rolling your eyes. "Fine, I guess I'll do the dishes."

Taehyung helped you take all the plates back to the kitchen, and they were a lot. You tried not to sigh in front of him or complain too much since you didn't want him to have yet another reason to be calling you a princess, but it was really hard when it was nearing midnight -god, you played a lot- and you had just lost all sense of honor to a game of cards. A silly, childish game of cards. Playing poker and losing money perhaps would've felt better.

The moment he laughed and left to go upstairs, however, you had a whole new thing to concern yourself with. You were alone. And it was suddenly silent and cold as if Taehyung was radiating heat himself. The single lamp in the kitchen only offered a bleak, white light that flickered every now and then, and the hallway stood in the back dark as ever. The windows that in the morning provided sun and a change of scenery now only stared back at you from your reflection, making it impossible to see anything that was outside. The thought alone made you uneasy. You looked at the hallway over your shoulder, then back out the window, again and again as if you were trying to catch a glimpse of something that wasn't there.

You gathered all the plates on one side of the counter and put some water to boil to help you with the grease. You had to stop imagining things, it only made you paranoid. Made every little sound seem suspicious. Even the running water, or the plates clicking together, or the footsteps in the hallway... Wait, what now?

"Hey."

"Jesus Christ!" you shrieked just as you turned to see Taehyung standing by the door.

He raised his hands defensively. "Wow, sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you."

You took a couple of deep breaths and turned back to the sink. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just a little edgy, it's not your fault."

You could see out of the corner of your eye that he was rubbing his neck as he walked closer. "No, it is my fault. In a way. I shouldn't have left you here all alone, it's kinda scary." He leaned on the counter next to you, displaying a smile.

You hummed, maybe in agreement but he'd never know. "What do you want?" you asked, having immediately assumed he needed something in order to be there. Especially since he was dressed differently now, in black sweats and a black t-shirt; what you could guess was his pajama outfit.

"Oh, I thought I'd help you a bit with these," he replied, making you turn to face him just to make sure you were hearing that right. He had already turned to the sink, picking up a plate.

"You don't have to."

"It's too much work."

"It's alright, I lost fair and square." Your tongue probing your cheek, you were trying to understand why he was there, but you couldn't read him. All he did was give you a quick glance, followed but a scrunch of his nose.

"I'm not sleepy, anyway."

You didn't object any further. Perhaps because you wouldn't know how to object to that statement in the first place. But you just stayed there, standing close to each other, exchanging the plates you washed and cutting down the work to a half, in what might have been the first comfortable silence between the two of you since you got there. But you couldn't help but occupy your mind with why he was there when he didn't have to be, and what he had said. He wasn't sleepy. That didn't mean he had to come back down, he could have hanged around in his room. "I'm not sleepy, so I thought I'd do the dishes" is what you first assumed to be the full sentence he wanted to say. Yet that didn't feel right. You knew the dishes weren't his true concern. You knew he could have left you like you both had been doing all along. Maybe he was scared up there, too. Maybe he had nothing better to do. No, no... The longer you were next to him, the more apparent it became; that what he really wanted to say was:

"I'm not sleepy, so I thought I'd spend more time with you."

Next chapter

#kim taehyung #taehyung fanfic #bts #bangtan #v #fanfiction #multichapter #taehyung x reader #taehyung x oc #enemies to lovers #slow burn #angst #bts x reader #serva me servabo te #save me and i will save you #chapter 3

[crescent-quill-writings]

Feywild Fates

Fandom: Hamilton - Miranda

Words: 5154

Relationship: Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson

Additional Tags: Magic AU, Fantasy AU, D&D AU, Adventure & Romance, Sorcerer!Thomas Jefferson, Ranger!Marquis de Lafayette, Fluff, Only One Bed

Summary: Thomas' magic had always pulled him, always kept him searching for answers and looking for new ways to develop as a person and advance as a sorcerer. It's this same pull that takes him to the little mountain town of Whinterhavenne after hearing rumours of access to the illusive Feywilds in the area. What he doesn't expect is for it to lead him to a handsome ranger with kind eyes and a soft smile.

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Between two snow-capped peaks was a valley warm with the vivid greens of late spring, and nestled in that valley was the quaint mountain town of Whinterhavenne. The town itself was simple, and those living in it lead equally simple lives.

What had brought Thomas Jefferson up the mountain path was not the town, but the area around it. Rumours travelled far, and word spread of hidden paths and secret gateways to the Feywilds. An average traveller would keep their head down and stick to the main roads or avoid the area entirely, but the high-elf sorcerer was no ordinary traveller.

He lowered his hood as he stepped into the market square, allowing the late afternoon sun to illuminate his thick onyx curls, pointed ears, and the sharp line of his jaw. The market was organized in a pair of rings, creating a path between them that'd allow one to browse the various wares Whinterhavenne had to offer.

Thomas wandered along between the stalls, a small smirk making his lips twitch upwards as one of the stalls caught his attention. It was draped with displays of quilts, cloaks, tapestries, and other kinds of decorated fabrics but the tabaxi with leopard spots and soft grey fur sitting behind the wooden table interested him more. He began to approach, the quiet clicking of his boots against the cobblestone pricking the shopkeeper's ears and garnering her attention.

"Well hello there, stranger! We don't get to see many elven folk all the way out here, what can I do for you today?"

Thomas gave a small smile in response, glancing over the various wares before he spoke, "I couldn't but notice all the colours you use in your wares... Do you make the dyes yourself?"

"That I do!" The tabaxi replied with a proud grin, watching as the high-elf felt the violet fabric of a cloak between his thumb and two fingers, "I gather almost all my materials from the area, including stuff for the dyes."

"Interesting," Thomas began, nodding as he looked over the cloak. He noticed a subtle pattern of roses around the edge outlined with faint golden embroidery. He had to admit, it was a very pretty piece, "They're quite exotic for a mountain town, where do you get them?"

The shopkeeper chuckled in response this time, covering her mouth with a furry paw-like hand as a little twinkle appeared in her lilac eyes, "Something tells me you already know the answer to that question, stranger..."

The high-elf smiled with a breathy laugh in response, his gaze falling to the table covered with folded quilts and rolls of fabric before the tabaxi continued.

"You're cloak, it's an elven weave, yes?" She pointed to the mauve fabric draped over the high-elf's shoulders, earning a nod in response, "I'll trade you it for the one you've been eying but you got to tell me what's gotten you so invested in Whinterhavenne's secrets. If your answer's interesting enough I'll add a pretty little pin to the deal, what do you say?"

Thomas couldn't help but smile as he mulled over the offer, giving the shopkeeper another nod in response. He had learned of tabaxi nature before and how they prefer to trade in stories and fascinating new things rather than coin. This was exactly what he had hoped for.

"You have yourself a deal, ma'am," He confirmed, and the tabaxi leaned forwards with intrigue as her eyes shined with curiosity and Thomas began to tell his tale, "I am a sorcerer and my magic... It guides my travels the same way I guide its power when casting a spell. When I heard the rumours of this place crossing over with the realm of the Fey, I could feel it pulling me towards the mountain paths. I believe it's trying to lead me to something, and so I'm searching for whatever that something is."

Once he had finished he took off his cloak with a flourish, folding up the mauve fabric and placing it on the table. The shopkeeper's eyes were still shining as she handed over the violet cloak and begun to search a small drawer for another item, "I don't get to see many brave enough to face the Feywilds out here either, good luck to you, stranger."

She then held out her closed fist, waiting until Thomas held out his open palm in turn before dropping the item into his hand. It was a golden pin with a pink, glassy orb that had a blooming rose etched in beneath the surface.

"Thank you for everything, ma'am. Oh, and I have one last question."

"Hm?"

"Do you have any good inn recommendations?"

________________________________________________________________

Thomas fiddled a bit with the rose pin as he secured his new cloak around his shoulders. It suited him quite well, though he was curious as to the kind of gemstone that decorated his new look. He rubbed his thumb in a small circle over the smooth surface of the glassy gem, casting a small identification spell.

"Rose tourmaline... Hm, interesting." He was aware of tourmaline's use in various protection charms, but the specifics of its pink variant were unknown to him.

At the very least, it was pretty.

The high-elf gave a nod to himself as he checked himself in the vanity mirror, quite satisfied with his appearance, before he stepped out of the rented room. He had already paid for a few week's worth of room and board, so he simply gave the innkeeper a curt nod and a subtle smile as he left.

The pull of his magic had only grown stronger since he arrived in Whinterhavenne, becoming something Thomas could no longer ignore. He let it become his compass and followed its directions as he made his way out of the town and found himself facing the southern peak.

"I must be close... I've never felt this way before." The sorcerer murmured as he paused where the cobblestone roads shifted into dirt pathways. He took in a deep breath, steeling his nerves and calming the fluttering butterflies in his chest before he continued onwards, determined to find the source of what had been calling for him as long as he could remember.

He continued forward, following the path up the side of the valley and into the forest that climbed up the side of the mountain. At some point, the dirt path faded into flattened grass of deer-trails, and it was here that Thomas felt the pull shift inside him to guide him in another direction. He hesitated for a moment, trying to peer through the trees to get a good look at the wilderness he was being led into before he took his first step off the beaten path.

Thomas tried not to trip over the tangled roots that hid beneath soft mounds of moss as he pushed his way through the trees and held his cloak close to his body so it wouldn't snag on any of the needle-covered branches of the pines he passed. He lifted the violet fabric higher as he stepped over a mushroom dotted log, but when he boots met the mossy turf on the other side a shift inside the sorcerer made him pause.

The pull of his magic had always been consistent, a steady, pointed force that guided him along the paths he took. Now it was concentrated, buzzing presence within his chest that felt like a compass gone haywire after being held too close to a magnet.

"What on earth...?" He muttered, placing one of his hands to his chest. He looked behind him, hesitating for a moment before he steeled his nerves and turned to the path ahead.

If he was to find his way on his own, then so be it.

Thomas marched forwards into the forest with a determined furrow in his brow. The deeper he went the harder it was to ignore the arcane aura of the place that was thickening with each step, "This must be the Feywilds then..."

The forest wouldn't have seemed any different to the high-elf if it were not for the nearly suffocating presence of pure magic, but this did not surprise him. He knew that the Fair Folk liked their illusions and used them most to protect their realm from the prying eyes of outsiders. He wasn't worried. He was a sorcerer, after all: he'd find a way to break through.

All of a sudden Thomas was met with the sound of high-pitched, mournful wailing. The sound sent a shiver down his spine and forced him to pause his determined march to search for the source of the crying. Through the trees ahead of him, he could make out the figure of a woman in a clearing just ahead of him. The high-elf began to approach, ducking a bit and keeping his steps as quiet as he could to try and get closer.

Standing just within the treeline he could make out more details of this mysterious woman. Her back was turned so the sorcerer wasn't able to make out her face, but he was able to see her stark white hair that reached just below her knees and the faded, sickly sea green hues of her tattered dress.

Thomas stepped into the clearing, concerned but also untrusting of the mysterious woman before him. He was only a few feet away when his heel met a stray twig in the grass. The resounding sharp snap! put a sudden stop to the woman's wailing, and she slowly lifted her head from her hands before suddenly whipping around with a howling screech.

This was not a woman, but a Banshee, a foreteller of death. It seemed like Thomas was to be the next victim.

Despite his efforts to brace himself against the assault of the sound, he couldn't stop the feeling of needles digging into his mind or how the screech melded into the high-pitched ringing of his own ears.

Gritting his teeth, forcing himself to pull his hands away from his ears so he could face his enemy. He weaved arcane energy between his fingers and conjured ten small yet radiant stars that moved to hover in rings around his wrists. The sorcerer sent a pair of the stars flying towards the banshee, streaking through the air like comments in the sky and bursting into bright sparks of celestial energy upon collision with the fey creature. She screeched again from the impacts, the sound piercing into the high-elf's mind again.

Thomas was about to send another pair of stars in a volley towards the Banshee, but she got to make her second attack first. She lifted off the ground, arms out by her sides and let out another horrid screech that cast the sorcerer into arcane darkness. He could barely make out the little stars that orbited his wrists and luckily his feet were still on solid ground, but still only able to hear the Banshee's ringing shriek and being shrowd in the darkness he was left entirely defenceless.

The fey creature let out another shriek, this one causing the high-elf's heart to seize with fear as he dropped to his knees. Beginning to hyperventilate he pressed his hands to his ears and dug his nails into his scalp, desperate for relief from the sound piercing through his skull.

Suddenly there was a bright sphere of light cast into the arena, hovering about six feet above Thomas' head. He had to blink against the sudden brightness that washed away the darkness, his eyes adjusting to the new light just in time to see a pair of arrows pierce into the Banshee's throat and chest.

She was still standing and hissing at the new foe, but with her throat pierced she could no longer shriek. While his ears were still ringing the relief he felt as the needles piercing his mind was immense. The sorcerer was able to steel his nerves again and push himself up into a kneeling position and send the rest of the starts shooting at the fey creature.

In barely a moment, the situation turned from hopeless to triumphant as the Banshee fell to the ground and began to dissipate into an ashy mist.

Thomas let himself take a deep breath as he rubbed his temples, trying to relieve the spikes of pain in his head before a hand was placed on his shoulder. He couldn't help but jump despite the gentle touch. Quickly looking up to face the stranger, he focused on their words through the dull ringing the remained in his ears.

"Monsieur... Monsieur sorcier! Can you hear me? Are you alright?"

He managed a nod in response, taking the stranger's outstretched hand, "Yes, I think I am... Thank you, sir."

"That is good to hear," The stranger began with a soft smile that reflected in his kind eyes as he helped Thomas to his feet, "I have been tracking that Banshee for about a week now, hoping to kill it before it caused problems in the town... I am sorry she got to you first."

"No, really, it's alright. I'm just glad you got here." The high-elf replied as he brushed himself off and straightened his cloak before looking to his rescuer. Thomas would've disregarded the copper tone of his skin were it not for its subtle metallic lustre and the thin, tapered points of his ears, "You... You're a wood-elf, aren't you? No wonder you are such an excellent ranger..."

"That I am, yes," The ranger replied with a small laugh and a smile that crinkled around his eyes, "I should be saying the same about you, Monsieur sorcier. Only a high-elf could cast spells as swiftly and elegantly as you."

Thomas couldn't help but smile at the wood-elf's words before he extended a hand as he introduced himself, "My name is Thomas Jefferson, though please, just call me Thomas."

"I have many names, though the townspeople here call me Lafayette. It is very nice to meet you, Thomas." Lafayette replied with a brighter smile, moving to wrap an arm around the high-elf's shoulders and pull him closer.

He would've appreciated the friendly action were it not for the spikes of pain the sudden jostled movement sent shooting through his skull.

"Oh, Dieu... I am sorry, mon ami, I forgot that Banshee's shrieking gives terrible headaches." The ranger murmured, cupping the sorcerer's cheek for a moment with a small frown like he could see the psychic damages down to Thomas' mind, "Why don't you come back to my cottage with me? I'll make us some lavender tea with honey, it should help fix you up!"

"Well, if you insist... By all means, lead the way."

________________________________________________________________

The path that Lafayette led them through was strange, to say the least. It winded through the trees, shifted between wading through pools of thick ferns and treading over soft carpets of moss, and definitely doubled back on itself more than once. Though Thomas was cautious of the twilight realm he had wandered into, the ranger's cheery confidence was too contagious for him to really be worried.

When they reached a stream bridged with a fallen log, the sorcerer had to pause. The looping rings of mushrooms over the log seemed to line up with a strange veil in the air, and if he squinted Thomas could almost make out faded shapes on the other side.

He opened his mouth to question the strange sight, but Lafayette had already started to answer as he hopped up on the log and extended his hand.

"My home is just on the other side of this stream, but it'd be best if you stayed close and held on to me, Thomas. Borders are tricky in these lands; the wild loves to welcome newcomers but rarely will it let them go without a guide."

"Ah, I see. I am very glad to have someone like you by my side, then." The sorcerer replied, taking hold of the wood-elf's hand and carefully stepping up onto the log next to him.

Lafayette's smile turned warm and bashful from the compliment, a quiet giggle escaping him before he turns and leads them across the mushroom dotted bridge.

Thomas couldn't help but hold his breath as he followed behind the ranger with careful steps, giving his hand a squeeze as he pushed through the illusory veil and the wild whirling of his magic chest finally settled to pulse along with his heartbeat.

He couldn't help but sigh in relief as he stepped off the log and onto the soft grass of a meadow, pausing for a moment to take in the new space.

The stream they had just crossed followed along the treeline for a little while before turning into the meadow and lazily winding through the grass before it reached a small pond. Directly ahead were a few smooth stepping stones pressed into the soft soil that led up to a cottage. It was a small, but quaint and fit right in with the peaceful scenery. The sorcerer couldn't help but think it'd make for a perfect place to study.

"You have a very wonderful little home... Do you live out here by yourself?"

"Yes, I do," Lafayette replied with a small nod, still holding onto Thomas' hand as he led him over the stepping stones and to the front door, "Not many are willing to live so close to the Feywilds as I do, and Elvish lifespans make relationships a little tricky."

The high-elf hummed quietly in response, unsure of what to say as the ranger unlocked the door and welcomed him inside.

The interior was just as quaint as the exterior, with a kitchen filled with fresh herbs, fruits, vegetables, and flowers to the left and a little living room with a small table set up next to the fireplace. Just against the far wall was a ladder that led up to a loft space he could only assume was where the wood-elf slept.

"Make yourself at home! I'll bring you the tea I promised in just a moment." Lafayette explained with a shining little smile before he went to put a kettle on the stove.

Thomas nodded with another hum, glancing around the space as he walks into the living room and quietly kneels down on one of the square cushions set next to the table. He couldn't help but smile at the homey space, already finding wondering if he could stay the night, "It's much more comfortable than the inn, anyhow..."

"Hm? Did you say something?" The wood-elf questioned with an innocent little tilt of his head as he set down a tray with a simple tea set on the table and knelt on the other cushion across from Thomas.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just muttering," The high-elf replied with a small wave of his hand, not wanting to impose as the ranger poured two cups of tea and added a swirl of tea to each.

He took the cup with a thankful nod, breathing in the gentle scent and letting a wider smile spread across his lips as he took a sip. Already the soft sweetness of the tea helped restore him after the beating he took from the Banshee.

"I see you are enjoying yourself," Lafayette commented with another one of his little giggles that graced his expression with a shining kindness, "I am glad. It is my own special blend of tea and it always helps me to unwind after a hard day..."

After another small hum in response from the sorcerer, a comfortable silence fell between the two elves, both simply allowing the tea to soothe their bodies and minds after an adventure. Eventually, Thomas took in a breath and ended the peaceful quiet with his words.

"There are many things I wish to know about you, though I'd hate to impose by bombarding you with too many questions," He began, setting down his teacup for a minute to meet Lafayette's eye, "But I must know, how are you so familiar with the Feywilds? From everything I've read the place is unnavigable by those who aren't within the Seelie or Unseelie courts..."

For a moment the wood-elf's eyes were misted with a sort of sadness that made Thomas wonder if he had done something wrong as Lafayette replied, "It is alright, mon ami, I expected you to at least be a little curious..." He murmured, pausing as he closed his eyes and took another sip of his tea before his smile and shining kindness returned to his face, "The details of my story are complicated and I do not wish to bore you, but when I was very young I managed to wander into the Feywilds on my own while searching for my mother's favourite flowers. I was very lucky to run into a very sweet queen of the Seelie courts who helped me find the flowers and then returned me home... Later on in life, she sheltered me when I had no other place to turn, and I learned how to navigate the wilds under her care."

"I... I see." Thomas said quietly, looking away and down from the ranger's face as his fingers tapped nervously against the side of the teacup, "I'm sorry, I don't really know what else to say."

"It is alright, mon ami, I expected this sort of reaction as well." Lafayette replied with a small shake of his head, offering the high-elf a reassuring smile, "But I think it is fair I get to ask you a question now, yes? So what brings a man like you all the way out here to the little town of Whinterhavenne? You don't seem like one to wander into the Feywilds on accident, were you looking for something? Someone?"

The sorcerer couldn't help but smile at all of the wood-elf's innocent little questions and the way he tilted his head and leaned forwards to rest his elbows on the table and create a perch for his chin with his folded hands.

Just how could he say no to a face like that?

"The answer is... A little bit complicated, I'll admit, so I'll do my best to answer succinctly but-" He took a quick sip of his tea- "As a sorcerer, I've always had an interesting relationship with magic. Magic doesn't like to stay quiet or to be kept hidden away behind theoretical lock and key, and with as strong as mine is I've always felt this sort of pull. I think it's trying to test me, making me travel and see what I learn and how I grow to know if I'm worthy of its power. I think the Feywilds were another test, though..."

As Thomas trailed off his brow furrowed and a concentrated frown spread across his expression. He placed a hand on his chest, carefully pressing the pads of his fingers into the muscle like he was searching for something inside him.

"Is something the matter?" Lafayette asked cautiously, already having sat up and ready to leap into action if the sorcerer needed help, "Are you alright?"

"No, no... I'm fine, it's just," Thomas began, stopping himself with a short sigh and blinking a few times before continuing, "The pull, it's not there. It's different, I don't know-"

He stopped himself again, closing his eyes and shaking his head. He lifted a hand and conjured a chromatic orb in his palm. He made sure to carefully watch the energy inside shift from crackling blue sparks to whirling frost-bitten winds and then to fluttering ashes and embers. Anxieties quelled, he closed his fist and allowed the spell to harmlessly dissipate.

"My magic is still there, but it's not pulling it's just... There. It's pulsing a little, but it's following right along with my heart I hardly noticed it." The high-elf trailed off again, lowering his hand and taking hold of his teacup. He felt lucky its contents were so calming.

The wood-elf frowned, tilting his head as he contemplated his next words, "Maybe this is a good thing, maybe it means you are worthy like you said."

"Pardon?"

"You still have your magic, yes?" Lafayette began again, a contagious little sparkled shining in his eyes as he began to smile, "Yet you are no longer being pulled by it so it can test you, so that must mean you are worthy!"

Thomas couldn't help the smile that spread across his face at how joyous the ranger was in explaining his little epiphany. He really was something, "I can't be sure, but I hope that you are right. You're a very kind man, Lafayette... Thank you."

The ranger only smiled more in response with a small shake of his head, lifting a hand as if to say, "There is no need to thank me," before he takes hold of his teacup. The little action made the sorcerer smile as he followed suit, moving to take a sip of his own sweet, soothing liquid.

The moment was peaceful, both having shared a small part of themselves and found comfort in the presence of the other. The calm might've stayed forever if Lafayette hadn't caught a glimpse of the setting sun through the window.

"Oh dear, is it really this late already?" He questioned, sitting up straight before frowning a little and looking to Thomas, "I am sorry, mon ami, I meant to take you back to town but it looks like you will have to stay the night."

"Really, it's alright," Thomas replied with a small smile and a shake of his head, "I don't mind spending the night. You have quite a nice place, actually."

He watched as Lafayette nodded with a little smile of his own, then standing and taking the dishes to place them in the kitchen sink, "I'll admit, I do take pride in my little home. If you like it too, I won't mind giving you my bed." The wood-elf offered a playful wink to punctuate his sentence with.

Though the sorcerer's heart fluttered at the little action, he still stopped him as he began to pull out spare blankets, "Really, Lafayette, I can't take your own bed away from you. The floor by the fire will be just fine for me."

"Non, mon ami, I must insist. Take the bed, you need a good rest after today-"

"- Which is why I can't let my hero sleep on the floor in their own home, I was raised better than that."

With only one bed and the elven pair insisting that the other have it, there was only one outcome where they'd both be happy.

"I guess that leaves us with no other choice then; we will share the bed!" The ranger announces with an innocent smile and a clap of his hands, startling the sorcerer.

"What?"

"It will be like a sleepover! I have many fond memories of having friends overnight." Lafayette adds with a little laugh as he takes the high-elf by the hand.

"I suppose..." Thomas murmured, unable to bring himself to deny such a sweet offer when Lafayette seemed so excited by it.

The ranger was able to scale the ladder with just a few leaping steps, no doubt a perk of spending all your time in the forested Feywilds. The sorcerer, on the other hand, was much more cautious with his steps as he climbed up the home-made structure.

The loft was just tall enough for the elven pair to be able to stand up in, and many of the decorative themes in the rest of the house carried into the cozy space. Still, Thomas couldn't help but blink at the sheer volume of warm quilts and soft blankets strewn over and around the mattress that was set into the floor.

"You have... Quite the collection. Is this a hobby of yours?" He asked as he slipped off his shows and unclipped his cloak from around his neck.

Lafayette chuckled a little in response as he shook his head, "Non, they are gifts. Back in town, the resident weaver is a very sweet tabaxi, you might have met her. I help her find flowers for dyes, and she often gives me some of the things she makes in thanks."

"Ah, yes, I did meet her," The high-elf replies as he sets his boots in a little corner and begins to fold his cloak, "She gave me clues on where to find the Feywilds in exchange for my story. She's also the one I bought this cloak from."

"That certainly sounds like her..." The wood-elf replied with a nod as he begins to settle into bed, "I'll have to thank her soon. Now, it is time for bed mon ami, come." He added with a smile, lifting part of the layered quilts and patting the space next to him.

Thomas couldn't help but smile at the sweet little action, allowing himself to get comfortable without taking up too much of Lafayette's space, "Thank you for everything today, Lafayette, goodnight."

"It was my pleasure, mon ami... Bonne nuit."

________________________________________________________________

It wasn't long after dawn when Thomas next opened his eyes, making an "Mmnff," sound under his breath. He rolled over in bed, blinking when he came face to face with a butterfly resting on his pillow. Curious, he lifted his head and reached for the little creature, only for it to flutter away and rest on Lafayette's cheek.

The wood-elf was actually covered in many butterflies, each glittering with their own exotic patterns and colours. It made the high-elf smile to see such a gorgeous man in the company of beautiful little creatures. Somewhere in his sleepy mind, Thomas remembered Fey liking to give cute little gifts like to the ones they favour.

One of the butterflies came gliding over from where it was fluttering between Lafayette's curls and landed on the high-elf's shoulder. It was lavender with silvery speckles that reminded him of the first stars that appeared just after sunset. It made him smile, "How sweet..."

Thomas shifted a little bit, lifting an arm and carefully wrapping it around the wood-elf's waist. The butterflies moved to allow for the action, and in turn, Lafayette snuggled closer and pressed his nose into the high-elf's chest.

His heart fluttered at the sleepy affection as more butterflies landed across his shoulders and in his curls. Thomas began to close his eyes, letting out a quiet hum as he settled back into sleep.

His magic had always pulled him, taking him places and presenting him with situations where he could test his abilities. He was always moving, never being able to stay in one place for long before the pull became too much to ignore and he was made to follow it again. Now it was calm, following along with his heart, and his heart told him to stay right where he was.

#Lafferson #Thomas Jefferson #Marquis de Lafayette #Magic AU #Fantasy AU #D&D AU #Sorcerer!Thomas #Ranger!Lafayette #Fluff #Fey #Only One Bed #my writing

[dapper-ships-herself]

I hear wedding bells 💜 ~

So yeah, I figured I would probably just do the one prompt from yesterday for @fofebruary that I posted, then last night I got soft thinking about the poetic beauty of mafia! Gillian and Dazai finally getting married, so here we are.

The proposal actually happens a while before they start for real dating.

There's a moment sometime during the story, where they've kept having to see each other through all these events and having to confront their feelings and their pasts and each other, and one night after an arc gets wrapped up, Dazai comes home and I'm just sitting in his house like "what's up, we need to have a talk."

And we pour our hearts out and it's a struggle because we're both pretty emotionally supressed, but we both know this is long over due and needs to be done, and we talk about why Dazai left me and the mafia without a word, how we've both been feeling and dealing with everything, and so on. Then I get up and walk by him on my way to the door but he catches my wrist (a little parallel to our reunion, if you remember from that piece I turn away from him and he tries to grab me but I vanish into the shadows before he can, so this is like, there's no more running from each other, no more turning our backs, we're connected and we can't deny that), and he says "I've missed you, Gillian."

And then:

Gillian glanced down at their joined hands, the soft moonlight making it seem as if they glowed in the faint light. She looked back up into Dazai's earnest eyes. "I... I've missed you too, Osamu." Her smile is small, but it's genuine.

He's not done talking yet, though. "I know I abandoned you, I left you alone in a horrible nightmare, and I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry. I can say I thought I was doing what was right and best for you all I want, but that will never change the fact that I was wrong. Hurting someone like you is the greatest sin I've committed, and if nothing else what I will likely burn for. But, if there's any reason for me to stay alive it's to spend my life making up for that mistake."

His eyes hold hers in an iron gave, so captivating and strong that she wondered for a moment if his true ability is some kind of hypnosis. "What are you saying?" She whispered.

He moved, still looking her in the eyes and never letting go of her hand, so he was kneeling on the floor in front of her. "I promise that you will never be alone again, that I will never leave you alone again. I will never let you go again, and I will remain with you forever, dedicated to you."

"What, you know I'm still in the mafia right? And you're in the agency? How- How are you supposed to stay by my side when we're enemies?"

"I know all that, but that's not what matters to me. Even if our organizations clash, no matter which side either of us is on, the mafia, the agency, light, or dark, it won't make me break my promise. Not again. I betrayed your trust once, please let me spend every opportunity I can fixing the bond I broke." His series face changes to have a small smile as he gazes up at her. "You've said before that we were the only ones keeping you sane within the mafia. I always thought that was funny, as I never particularly felt I did anything to warrant that. If anyone was a bright spot in that place, it was you."

Her hand trembled and she had to bite down on her lip "I'm nothing but darkness, how can someone like me be anyone's light?"

"One day, I promise that I will tell you everyway you've made this life worth living." His thumb rubs across the back of her hand, and he breaks their eye contact only to close his eyes and kiss her skin. "Will you wait with me for that day? When we can both be together?"

They both knew that whatever this not fully spoken thing between them could not bud in their current circumstances, but... but could it really one day bloom into something beautiful?

"Okay," she said "I will wait with you."

---

That's basically how it goes!

Then there's more story stuff, eventually everyone thinks I get killed at one point but I survive and spend some time with an all girl biker gang (more on them later) and have a fun female empowerment adventure, come back to Yokohama after a bit and reveal I'm still alive, but I learned some stuff and finally decide I no longer have to feel chained to Ogai and after a tense talk he lets me leave the mafia because no matter what I am his daughter and he does care, and not right away but I do join the agency and a bit after that Dazai and I start for real dating and a while after that we make good on that proposal~

Dazai's wedding party consists of Kunikida as best man, Atsushi, and maybe Tanizaki and a sort of begrudging Ranpo (who's mainly there for the cake).

Ango could be in his party to, but he might also just be a guest.

My wedding party consists of Yosano, the leader of the biker gang (the whole gang wanted to be in the wedding party but it was agreed the leader would represent them), and Chuuya.

Yumeno is the ring bearer, and Kyouka is the flower girl along with maybe Kenji.

Ogai does walk me down the aisle, and the whole thing is a neutral occasion for the Port Mafia and the detective agency and there's quite a few mafia members there including Higuchi (who cries), Akutagawa, and the black lizard. It's a whole party of celebrating not only live but also our differences and it's a night of no fighting and coming together!

Kouyou definitely cries but pretends she's not.

Fukuzawa is the official. Or maybe it'd be funny if that guy who heads the special abilities division did it, that guys definitely there and gets drunk either way.

And Odasaku is watching the whole time, proud of these two crazy kids who managed to find love in the dark.

Bonus, the wedding outfit sketches:

(the skirt is not see through, though there is a see through fabric around it, I just wanted to sketch the shoes too. The sleeves are see through save for the embroidery.)

(not to be completely shameless but reblogs are appreciated ✌️)

#self ship #selfship #self shipping #selfshipping #self ship wedding #self ship community #promomyselfship #dapper draws #dazian #dapper inserts: mafia #dapper inserts #are you watching us odasaku? are you smiling down on us right now? #yeah. you kids have done well for yourselves

[lifesizehysteria]

Tagged by @sa-lo-vie

How has your day been?

Today was alright. The kids were A LOT today and my nerves are a little shot by now but overall, not a bad day.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

Sending my bestie some snapchats

What is keeping you entertained these days?

In what little spare time I have, FINALLY writing some fic, embroidery, writing poetry, and rewatching Schitt’s Creek with my wife on the evenings she’s not too tired after the kids all go down.

If you’re in some sort of quarantine or self isolation situation is there anything you’d like to accomplish?

A million things - I’d love to clean and organize all the kids toys, get rid of a lot of stuff, there’s a ton of little things that need fixing that I could probably figure out myself if I had the time. But I’m lucky to get my living room vacuumed regularly at this point and am just happy all my kids are still alive. 

Post a selfie you’re comfortable with:

Just took this tonight. Turns out growing three humans will suck so much life outta ya it’ll make your hair curl! 😅

Tagging @rahnesinclair @momqueer and @englishstrawbie

#my life #probs gonna post that selfie separately #tag meme

[mrswhozeewhatsis]

Getting to know me

I was tagged by @mummybear and @crashdevlin and @wingedcatninja and I’m gonna try to spit some of this out before I head to bed. Love you girls!

Not gonna tag anyone because I’m a bitch that way. Tag yourself, dudes!

Nickname: So many...from start to current: Mickey, Misha, Mishy, SheDragon (SheD for short), Fairy Godmother (to my godkids), and @manawhaat calls me Saint Michelle (and she’s my cupcake).

Real Name: Michelle (I also answer to “Mrs.....????” which is how Mrs. Whozeewhatsis became a thing, and Elaine, which is a long story.)

Zodiac: Sun in Sagittarius, Moon in Libra, Year of the Tiger. (I had to look most of that up, and the Libra moon meaning thing had a startling accuracy to it.)

Favorite musicians/bands: Too many. Let’s just list the obvious: everyone remotely related to SPN, plus Ed Sheeran, Sara Bareilles, and more.

Favorite sports teams: ????? Sports??? What is this “sports” you speak of? *yells in the background where her mother and BFF are watching football (Go, Eagles!)

Other blogs: 

@oxfordcommalover - Where I was putting my fanfiction and writing stuff until I decided to let my freak flag fly and keep it all here. I’ve got some post over there that I still reference, though, so I haven’t ditched it.

@mrswhozeewhatsiswrites - My library blog, or masterlist blog for my writing.

@jaredquestions @jensenquestions @mishaquestions - Blogs I created because everyone wanted them, but then they never took off. They are related to the Twitter handles I created, too.

@spnfanficpond I’m an admin there, trying to do whatever I can to encourage other writers!

Do I get asks: Not too often. Sometimes. I’d love to get more!

How many blogs do I follow: 384 (I just culled some inactive blogs.)

Tumblr crushes: We would be here all day and I would break the post. Y’all know I love you. This is what xkit says, though:

peridottea91

jensensjaredsandmishaslover

waywardjoy

wingedcatninja

deanwanddamons

wi-deangirl77

negans-lucille-tblr

kittensfiction

notnaturalanahi

(I just read a long series by peridottea91, which is why she’s #1. I really expected Rhi and Bee to be closer to the top since they write so much and I read so much of what they write!)

Lucky numbers: Just one, and it’s 9.

What am I wearing: Jammies. If I’m at home, I’m wearing jammies.

Dream vacation: Have a huge RV that probably qualifies as glamping and just drive all around the country visiting friends and family and seeing stuff. It would take about a year. I’d spend a week or four in NOLA in the winter, and the same in New England in the summer. We’d hit Austin, for sure, too. I’d need a driver to take care of the RV, and a friend to go with me to have fun. To do this, I’d be independently wealthy, so we’re also gonna stop at every SPN con. After that vacation is done, then I’d look into going overseas and hitting up SPN cons over there, and some other stuff like visiting my husband’s family in Sweden and stuff. 

Favorite food: It changes and I go through phases of craving things, but the one thing I will always want, and I will never turn down, no matter what, is pie.

Drink of choice: I drink a lot of water because it’s got no calories and quenches thirst. I used to be a Mt. Dew junkie. Alcoholic? Anything sweet, really. I recently had a Peach Moscato that was a little tingly on the tongue and I LOVED IT. Sadly, it kept me up at night. I don’t understand that.

Instruments: I’m assuming we’re talking musical and not, like, surgical? I used to play piano. Badly. I used to sing. Not so badly. Now it’s all Caraoke and shower concerts.

Languages: I speak a handful of words in Swedish, Spanish, and German. Enough that I might be able to find a bathroom and count to ten. Otherwise, it’s all English, baby!

Celebrity crushes: Like y’all don’t know this already because you follow me? I don’t think I’ve hidden any. Ones that might not show up on this blog as often: Nathan Fillion, NPH, John Barrowman, David Tennant, Eoin Macken....and then @manawhaat​ dragged me into Henry Cavill and @littlegreenplasticsoldier​ keeps shoving me into the Chris Hemsworth dumpster, but I know very little about them or their lives outside what I’ve seen them in. Oh, and I spent all of Wonder Woman thinking Gal Gadot is amazing and questioning my lack of interest in kissing women.

Random facts: I have the stuff to do all kinds of crafty projects (scrapbooking, jewelry-making, knitting, embroidery, etc etc etc), and keep buying more, but haven’t organized it or really done much with it for several years (and several moves), so I have ALL THIS STUFF to do ALL THIS COOL SHIT, but it’s all packed away and I can’t find any of it and I spend all my time on Tumblr doing posts like these. My goal in life is eventually be completely unpacked in my house, and to figure out how to balance my time so I get to do more things like photography and writing and crafting and DIY house stuff and less time staring at piles of boxes and feeling overwhelmed. Oh, and I absolutely LOVE putting together furniture, like from IKEA or wherever. Like, that shit RELAXES me.

#incoherent babbling by mrswhozeewhatsis #long post #about me

[pbandjesse]

I am ready to go to sleep. Today was a good day. But it was way too hot. And that made everything pretty hard.

Just slept okay last nightbot I woke up feeling okay. I got up and and sweet pea. Got dressed and felt okay. I had a nice morning.

I stuck to my schedule of working on a lesson plan. I'm almost done the one. I think I'm going to have to stick to you like a half hour a day because that seems to be all I can focus on. But it was something.

She spent the rest of the morning just kind of chilling. Watching videos. Playing with sweet pea. I was very annoyed about my wagon. Because I waited for it to be delivered last night and then I got a message that they lost it in the mail. So I got a refund and I'm going to wait till Wednesday when the refund goes through before I rebuy it. And it looks like it's $10 cheaper now anyway. Still very annoying.

I left here around 11 and like two streets. I got watermelon and iced tea and a cookie. And I sat outside and enjoyed my snack. I brought a mozzarella cheese from home as well and I just enjoyed the nice weather.

It did get way too hot today though. It got up to about 90 and it was very very sunny. By the end of the day there was sunshowers and that was nice. But right now I'm just kind of laying in front of my fan. Tomorrow supposed to be cooler. That'll to be nice

I got to work around 12:30. And did a bunch of cleaning and organizing. Got all the kids artwork sorted so that I could ask them what they wanted to hang in the shower and told them that everything else is getting thrown out. And we stuck to that. I also organized the coloring book so when Chelsi got there I asked her if she could get all the copies made of that. She's such a good teammate.

While I was back in our storage area I was checking on eBay because I wanted to post some stuff to my Instagram and ended up finding the last color variant of the clock Furby that I don't have. And I made an offer in the person accepted after some back and forth. And so I'm really excited that I won the last wish Furby I have wanted. So that was really cool. I'm still always going to be on the lookout but this is still very exciting.

And today was a lot of fun. The kids were good. At recess we finally got to use the basketball court again we skateboarded and worked on things. And that was nice. I got to sit and talk to Tiffany for a bit. I did fall on the skateboard and ripped my shoe which was annoying. But I hot glued it when we got back inside so it was fine.

We have to push bookbinding till tomorrow because of some printing issues. It just took longer than we thought it would. So I jumped in with the project that we were going to do tomorrow which was beading. Teaching the kids how to attach beads on fabric. When I was in grad school I took that workshop with a Native American girl who taught us how to bead traditionally and so I just adapt that.

We talked about Joyce Scott and Native American beading. The kids told me some stuff that they knew about beating. And then I have them all go sit down and wait to be called up to get their Fabric and their thread and their needle. I told each child that they only got one square of fabric and one needle and if they lost it they would be sitting for the rest of the week. I was very serious about that because our needles are kind of terrible. But we don't have a lot of time. They're all kind of chewed up on the inside of the eye so it's hard to string the embroidery floss through it. I was able to make most of it work but some of the beads which is too small and they wouldn't go over the needles. We figured it out.

They really took to it once we got the needles threaded though. At first I was saying I wasn't going to help them. I just didn't have the wherewithal to try to help every single student. But after 10 minutes of them trying I did go around and help them out. Some of them got it better than others. I switched out needles for better ones and figured out a good system. But I am going to bring in different thread because the embroidery floss is just too much to deal with. It just doesn't want to work with these needles. Hopefully they have better luck tomorrow.

They did work very hard though and they all got a little bit strong. Tomorrow I think because we're going to do a little bit of bookbinding and then we met scrap one of our projects that they can keep sewing next week depending on how well it goes on Wednesday and Thursday. We'll see. I'm not that concerned.

There was one issue because Damon stole Ahmad's needle. And then he threw it across the room. So I took Damon's needle and gave it to Ahmad. And told Damon that he can go find the needle that he threw. He then proceeded to have a hissy fit and I told Chelsi that he's not going on the field trip. It was already a close call because he's barely ever with us anymore. But after that it's just not going to happen.

We cleaned up at the end of the day and with the last 5 I had we play the vocab game. Finished up and went home.

I was able to catch the early bus and looked out because the next one wasn't coming for 40 minutes. I'm at James at Straits and we got drinks and snacks. A lemon and an avocado. And then we biked to his house

Jimenez quesadillas for dinner. And it worked on our puzzle. I'm just not good at it. I get too overwhelmed. But it's fun watching him do it. We cleaned up his apartment a little talked about what furniture is coming to his house and what's going to storage. And then I headed home.

I got back here and fed my cat. Took a shower. Talk to a kid on Instagram about Furbys for an hour. I thought they were just weird but it turns out they're just 13. Kept telling me that he was like an adult. I just kept telling him that you were 13. But he was nice and just wanted to talk about robot toys and that was cool. Seems like a nice kid

I'm going to go brush my teeth now and get ready for bed. Tomorrow is a long day. Have to be at the museum at 8:30 because I have an in the neighborhood and city builders. Another small group so we'll see how it goes. I think it'll be okay but still. Wish me luck. At least it will be cooler.

Sleep well everyone. Good night

#ootd #work #sewing #good day #monday #sk6 #clouds

[frogsandfries]

Never enough bobbins

Don't tell my manager, but I spent my shift, for the most part, winding bobbins of embroidery floss. Go figure, there never seem to be enough bobbins. The other day, I spent my whole afternoon off with my kittens locked out of the bedroom while I sorted through my thread that my sister recently sent me. I spent the whole afternoon organizing everything so I could find one single color.

Guess what.

Apparently, I don't even own this color.

Go figure. I was trying to take a project that I started last summer, 2019, that I guess I got discouraged about, since I wouldn't have been able to dry clean it or frame it, let alone with UV-resistant glass, never even mind hang it on my wall. So I put it away and just figured it for a waste of time. But now, I have walls that need to be decorated and I figured this was a fun yet sophisticated way to do so. So here we go.

I think I'm hacking great chunks of it away every few evenings. Maybe by Christmas, we can get it cleaned and framed. I'll either buy frame by the inch from Blick, if they do that, or maybe get a regular poster frame and UV-resistant glass somehow. I'm pretty excited to see it finished.

I'm so torn between working on sticker stuff and working on cross-stitch, but I think it'll be nice to take a chunk out of this project. We're also getting serious about getting me a new tablet. I guess we settled on an apple??? I'm nervous to see how that goes; I live out of my Google account. I've been storing everything from college papers to photographic records of sculptures to cross-stitch patterns and sticker designs in there since at least 2012.

My partner keeps bringing up having like an external hard drive, and I have to admit, that would be kinda cool. It'd be resistant to any failures Google might have. I think like a lot of things though, any massive organizational project like that might demand a more full computer than I currently have full access to.

It's interesting to think how, all the information I might leave to any kids I might have, would be a collection of digital files. It's scary to think that in a few years, all of my file types may no longer be accessible. It's kind of cool to think, by that time, there may be ways to automatically update file formats. Or maybe I'm getting scifi brain because I don't comprehend computers at all. It's interesting to imagine that they may not care, but I could give them hundreds of pages of journals, at least thousands of photos of my family, my travels, and my art work if they care, in less than a shoebox worth of space. It'd be really cool to have things arranged into ebooks or whatnot, accompanied by journals and reminiscences. I think the pinnacle would be to give my children baby books, professionally printed books of my journey through parenting them. I know it's egotistical to be like "my journey", but even as the child of someone else, I think my childhood was as much for my parents as it was to lay the foundation for me to be who I am today. I think it would have been cool to get a journal or something from at least one of my parents admitting to me what they thought of me and being a parent. But that's not how their generation is.

I know one of my friends is really in to scrapbooking. She loves washi tape and cutting up photos and making cute pages. I'm a very minimalist, spartan kind of person. I don't really add pops of color; I'm terrified of cutting up or otherwise defacing photos. I have a hard time altering anything like that. I think it's kind of odd that I'm such an un-frivolous person for an artist.

You know what should be a tangible object every time, though? Even when I've dumped all of the recipes I've hoarded over the course of my life into a blog or a doc, I still want to eventually create a beautiful, expandable, customizable cookbook, with colorful gel pens and washi tape and laminated pages.