#and then used the rest of that piece of yarn to hang it ^_^

[clockworksheep2]

once again, hoarding (what is a better word to use... i cannot think of one but i feel like perhaps using hoarding in a casual way is not great) win bc I didn't want to throw out this "scarf" i knitted when i was first learning fibre arts a couple yrs ago (and then promptly switched to crochet LMAO) and I've finally found a use for it :]

i have some other dangley earrings but they are not hook earrings, they're either hoops (that are REALLY difficult to open and close so i never wear them... i feel like theres gotta be a trick to them that I'm not getting but they're probably just mass produced and badly made -_-) or stud style so they cannot go on here fjdkdl

[cursedcola]

ALRIGHT EVERYONE!

Nobody asked - but I broke down the construction of Epel’s cardigan from the sleepwear card as best I was able (aka. Me zooming in on him and staring very intensely).

This is the pattern idea I’ve come up with and a few grid charts. This is not finished, but what I’m going forward with to make his coat this month. My goal is to be done by the end of June.

So. Looking close at his sleeves - the closest resemblance we’ll get in the crochet world is the honeycomb stitch for the argyle diamonds. My plan is to break his sleeve into fourths. Three large panels of honey comb for the diamonds, and two smaller panels of a curved half-double-crochet to create dividers. The cardigan is clearly oversized on him, and even if it’s because of his smaller stature - I want to be SWAMPED in this thing. So the cuffs need to be CHUNKY. I’ll be going in with either a ribbed stitch, or a back stitch of double crochet. When the time comes I’ll test both to see which looks better.

Now - we’ve got the granny squares.

Looking at my little dude - we can see that they’re not just the front panel. They’re going on the back as well. Since I can’t see behind him, I’m going to take creative liberty and make one large panel of honeycomb stitch to be a central strip on the back. The front panels and side panels are going to be made of jumbo cranny squares.

For those of y’all who don’t crochet - the average granny square is about 25x25 stitches. Except oversized cardis use 8 of these bad boys per front panel. So since Epel has only four on each side, that means those squares gotta be JUMBO.

Zooming in - we see that the patterns are more embroidered. They’ve got texture. Since we’re crocheting, the best way to achieve this is to do pixel crochet for the squares and then go over the designs with a basic embroider stitch. This can be any of your choosing - I’ve yet to pick but will note what I want when the time comes.

There are THREE types of squares on Epel’s coat. I’m just calling them blossom, diamond, and apple. Since there are only three, it would have been difficult to make an entire back with them without having two of a kind touching or diagonal from each other (this is personal preference. I hate how this looks) which is why I’ve decided to go for that middle panel of honeycomb stitch.

The rest of the cardigan seems simple enough. The collar and trim is likely a simple ribbing, and those look like classic farmhouse wooden buttons if I’ve ever seen them.

EDIT (5/6/25): So. Complete change of plan for the sleeves now that I’ve gotten some sleep and thought on it. There’s a cable-knit stitch in the crochet world that closely resembles knit cables. Also lattice stitch or Tunisian crochet can be used for the diamond pattern. So if you want simple/beginner then do the honeycomb with a twisted hdc. If you want advanced then mix the cable-stitch with lattice.

Now - let’s talk materials.

I’m going with acrylic for this. Would it be absolutely divine as wool or a nice, dense alpaca blend? Definitely. I bet that’s what Epel has since his family runs a farm.

I am broke so I’ll be going in with a medium - weight acrylic, hook size 6, and all the granny squares will be done with basic hdc. Although acrylic is a bit itchy - id any of y’all choose to do this? Soak that finished product in a fabric softener solution. It’s a few dollars and your project will lose that scratchy texture. Just don’t let it hang out in the bath too long or the fibers will loosen more than you’d like.

^^^^ This is my general eyeball for how I’ll be constructing this piece. There aren’t any measurements since I’ve get to get my yarn and do a gauge…also, I’m not too sure how oversized I want this. I want to be swamped but not weighed down so hmm…

-

I don’t know how many of y’all like to crochet or do fibre arts - but I fell in love with this coat the moment I saw it and knew it had to be mine. I’m the impatient sort, and already ordered my supplies despite telling myself to wait. Pixel crochet does take a hot minute, so I’m hoping for June but the finished product will likely be more around late-july or august. Just in time for fall and market living where I live!

I could go quicker - but uh, I work as a bridal tailor and Run my own small shop off this app. I spend most of my day sewing lol. It’s been a hot minute since I made something for me, but dang it Epel made it look so cute. I just have to.

No one’s asking, but I’ll be updating. I’m literally so excited and my package of supplies can’t get here quick enough

[halexxsam]

thinking about Mountain and his huge antlers and how the rest of his pack like to try and hang stuff off them without him noticing….

Dew likes to hang old guitar strings and see how many he can loop around before Mountain finally feels something tickling him. He has learned that bass strings are his best way to go.

Swiss is a little devil and likes to put the girls underwear or sports bras and sees how many he can put on Mountain before someone looses it and bursts out laughing.

Rain is more carefully with it, placing vines and sticks on the tallest part of his antlers, decorating his ghoul in his element (this makes rain the champion of this game, as it is harder for mountain to detect his own element until he inevitably looks in the mirror and sees the mini forest rain has placed).

Phantom likes to use Cumulus’ extra yarn and makes his own version of a cats cradle. Bonus points if it’s one of those really thick and fuzzy threads of yarn.

Cumulus always has a hard time with this game because she is prone to laughing. Seeing the earth ghoul walk out of the den with her underwear, vines, bits of yarn, and guitar string always blows their cover. But sometimes, she will sneak into Papa’s room and steal some of his tealight candles and place them in the smaller holds of his antlers. (& sometimes Dew even lights them, carefully, of course).

Aurora likes to tag along with Phantom, finding fun scraps or small forgotten pieces of last weeks board game and try to plant them on Mountain. He once walked around the entire day, and even attended Mass, with two plastic figures from Candyland stuck on the top of his antlers.

Cirrus prefers to watch. She is coy, no doubt, but she likes to be part of the action. While Swiss undoubtedly creeps up behind Mountain, she will smile and come over to the ghoul and occupy him. Mountain wants to retire to his room after an early lunch? She will grab him and take him out to the gardens and give him a back rub.

And Copia? Oh does he love this game. His favorite accomplishment was putting one of his baby rats on Mountain’s antlers, a couple sprouting pieces forming the best seat for the little rodent. All was well until dinner time came around and the little guy wanted some action, effectively jumping off Mountain and landing on his plate, in the smack center of his mashed potatoes. Mountain jumped so hard he fell off his seat.

[hunnylagoon]

Candy

PT1: Sober to Death

Ellie Williams x Reader

I’m home and here to stay like a ghost to haunt. You can’t shake me off your back for I linger in your head like carelessly uttered curse. Summer falls to ashes in my mouth and so I will spit them into your urn, just like that all of my devotion turns violent.

Premise: After a mental break you are being held together by nothing but glitter glue and craft yarn. You seek refuge with an old friend in a coastal town to live the life you thought you left behind.

Warnings: SENSITIVE THEMES / reader is a recovered addict / mentions of drug and alcohol abuse / angst / brief mentions of violence / possibly triggering discussions of drug addiction

Read at your own discretion

Inside me, something seethes. Inside me, some feral animal has been forced into a cage where it thrashes and screams. Perhaps I will turn into a snarling wolf and rip out the throats of each girl who made me go home crying in middle school. Maybe I will don the pelt of a sheep and surprise all of those who convinced me it was a good idea to try ketamine when I shed my cloak and reveal my long curled claws and fangs sharp as knives.

I'm heartless at worst and helpless at best.

I don't know how else to be. I was raised like a stick of dynamite lit from both ends and I can describe in detail how the earth warps beneath my feet or how I watch the sky bend until it snaps and collapses onto a body too tired to lift it back up.

Everything miles ahead of what I was, to them, I was only ever an addict. Cursed with the nickname 'popper' since tenth grade and everyone thought it to be nothing more than a joke they didn't know how I found serenity in the tablet of acid that rested on my tongue. 

It started with pot and drinking on the weekends then flew into full-blown benders when I swallowed back synthetic sunshine like it was candy. None of my friends thought I would end up with my back plastered on my dorm floor, eyes wide with what once was a bottle of pills frothing out of my mouth. 

It took me two overdoses to get here, had to put my white blood cells to work.

"I didn't think you'd be up this early," Joel smiled at me, he was nursing a mug of coffee, a plate in front of him with a half-eaten piece of toast and a golden yoke running onto the porcelain. That might've been my favourite thing about the farm, fresh eggs. Once you have them you can never go back to the sad pale grocery store eggs.

"That makes two of us," I pulled out a chair from the wooden dining table and sat down. Joel had put so much love into this home. These days I’m too nauseous to eat breakfast.

"Ellie doesn't even wake up this early," He took a slug of his black coffee, the scent was strong, filling up the entire house, I could smell it the second I woke up. "How's the room? Is everything to your liking?"

I had felt so guilty for free-loading off Joel whom I hadn't seen since I was twelve, it had been eight years. He sent me cards on my birthday every year but I never was able to grasp how close our parents had been. I'm pretty sure I was friends with Ellie when I was little, there were pictures of the two of us hugging each other and playing beneath sprinklers, my front teeth missing, Ellie covered head to toe in Spider-Man band-aids. I didn't have any recollection of us when we were close, as we got older we got more stiff around each other. When my family would visit, she would hang out with her friends and I would keep to myself. Of course, my parents moved us to the city where everything hit me too hard all at once. "It's perfect, thank you."

"It's pretty hard to peel yourself off that mattress, huh?" Joel smiled at me, showing me every ounce of warmth he had when I was a child.

I nod in response "So much more comfortable than those stiff dorm mattresses," It almost felt like I was making conversation with a ghost.

"Since you're up so early, care for a tour while I do some chores?" He asked. I had been here a few days already, though I just kept to myself I didn't want to impose on his pleasant life with his daughter who hadn't called him at three am sobbing because she had too many opioids. I had wandered briefly around the farm of course and I had remembered bits and pieces of it from my childhood but I felt so out of place that I mainly locked myself inside of my temporary room and lived through my friend's Instagram stories.

"I'd love to," I smile politely, unsure of what else to do. 

 "Do you think you're gonna go back to school?" Joel asked as he stood up with his plate and mug in hand and began to wash them in the stainless steel sink. "No pressure, there's life outside of a lecture hall."

This was a question I had been thinking about day in and day out. I was a year and then some into getting my degree when my 'fun habits' began spiralling uncontrollably. My parents had managed to snag me a two-year deferral so I could go to rehab and go back to school the following year but I was so full of shame that I shook with the thought of going back. For the first time in my life, I am afraid I have no real desires. 

When I was dead inside a motel bathtub, I thought I needed to be somewhere different but now that I'm there, I need to be someone different too. "I'm not really sure right now, just please don't tell my parents I said that."

"Secrets safe with me," He opens a cabinet and pulls out a bag of cat food, shaking it until a scrawny calico cat appears out of thin air. Pepper happily devours the food Joel puts in her little bowl. I remembered Pepper, she was a kitten way back then and I would cut open socks to make clothes for her. "You should just know that it's never too late."

Very early in my life, it was too late. "Thanks, Joel," Not yet a corpse and still I rot like all of my ambitions turn to sludge at my tired feet.

He looks around, exhaling a deep breath, trying to scope out anything else he has to do in the kitchen. "You outta get geared up, I'm gonna wake up Ellie then me and you can get to work."

I nod in agreement even though I'm not sure what he means by 'gear up' so I figure that's just him saying to put on a hoodie and some rain boots. I stand awkwardly by the door, waiting for Joel. Absentmindedly I rock back and forth on my heels hands clasped together. I'm twenty years old but I feel like I'm twelve again, trying to find a place for myself in someone else's life. 

I thought of the last time I was in this house. I was twelve, unaware of the future that awaited me, I had buried a time capsule with Ellie and her cousins somewhere on this property. Writing to my future self, talking about all of the things I should be. If only she saw the brain-rotten zombie that was her destiny.

My parents had told everyone back home I was backpacking across Australia and taking a break from academics to see the world. In the eyes of those who knew me well and were more than aware of what happened, it was a shame to them that I had wasted a sharp brain and a pretty face. It takes a whole lot of strength the endure myself.

It doesn't take long for Joel to walk back down the creaky stairs, Ellie trailing behind him, sleep in her eyes. She's in boxers and one of Joel's old t-shirts, hair still messy and unbrushed. Ellie yawns and gives me a little wave- it wasn't really a wave, just her raising a hand in my direction as an acknowledgment. 

We hadn't spoken much since I got here, I had met her in the past but we didn't know each other. A lot can change in eight years. She wasn't unfriendly toward me, we indulged in small talk and laughed at each other's jokes but each conversation was so shallow I wanted to lay face down and drown in them. 

Ellie goes straight for the fridge, unlike her dad, she pours milk into a sickly sweet cereal which seems cavity-inducing. She was back from college for the summer, taking advantage of her father's love and food. Joel walked over to where I was standing at the door, slipping into his mucking boots. "While you're both here," He says before looking at me "How much do you know about boats?"

I furrow my eyebrows "A good bit I guess?" I answer, figuring he was just trying to rekindle a spark between Ellie and me that had been put out eight years ago by rain, ocean spray, and vodka.

"Y'know, Els," He gestures towards me "This one used to work at her parent's marina, they tell me she's done a couple of repairs and I bet she could give you some pointers on how to fix up that boat." I'm confused by his words, this is the first I've heard about a boat. Joel can see the uncertainty on my face "Her uncle gave her a piece of shit boat last summer before she went back to school, over the year I guess some teenagers thought it was a good hideout and trashed it even more."

"Seriously?" Her head pokes up "It would be great if you could come down with me later, she just needs a little love," Ellie spoons some cereal into her mouth. I had always thought it weird how people spoke about their boats like they were women, I even caught myself doing it on occasion. "Only if you want to, of course."

"Sure," I agree, no idea how much repair this boat was in need of "I've got nothing better to do."

I could tell Joel counted this as a win. I knew he had been commuting with my parents and how desperately they wanted me to keep myself occupied for the summer. "Well, we've got some work to do, kiddo."

After a solid five hours of following Joel around like a duckling and re-learning all the names of the animals, I was walking with Ellie toward her pickup truck. "Wanna drive?" She asks as we walk to the long beaten driveway

"Oh, I can't." The coolness of the morning has ebbed away into a borderline unbearable heat, I wasn't sure how Ellie was absolutely unfazed in her Jeans, T-shirt, and trucker hat. 

"You never got your licence?"

"No, it got taken away."

She cracks a grin "Jeez, what did you do? Hit a pedestrian?" Ellie teases.

"Something like that," Truthfully, my licence got revoked after I got a DUI and swerved my car off the highway, I was too high to realize the danger I was in and laughed the entire time warm blood pooled from a gash in my head that had to be stapled shut. Luckily my parents can throw money at anything and the problem will go away. 

She hops in the truck, there are little bits and pieces of it that show how it's lived in. A rubber duck with sunglasses sits on the dashboard and I'm partially surprised it hasn't melted in the sweltering heat. 

As beautiful and scenic as the drive down to the docks is, it's also extremely awkward, only on my end, Ellie seems completely unfazed. Travelling down the dirt roads until we finally hit the pavement. 

The salty breeze of Andromeda Cove carries conversations of clubbing and tanning, mingling with the sweet scent of coconut sunscreen and sea salt. Colourful beach umbrellas dot the shoreline. Seagulls glide effortlessly overhead, their calls blending seamlessly with the distant laughter of beachgoers. Quaint shops and cafes line the bustling boardwalk, offering an array of surfboards, souvenirs, and freshly caught seafood delicacies.

The Cove was immune to those gross and bland modern buildings that looked like something I would've made in Minecraft as a kid. Everything down here was local and kept its charm even after all these years. "Do you ever miss it here?" 

"I don't remember much of it to be honest."

"Really?" She asks, taking a turn down to the docks "It doesn't seem like it was that long ago."

"Yeah, my memory just isn't very good." My lungs are burnt and my brain is fried. You could tell me that I was in cheerleading for five years of my life and I would probably believe you. 

"Alright." 

I hadn't remembered her being this quiet but then again I don't remember much, I should probably write down everything I can before Alzheimer's sets in. There are lapses in my mind where memories should live, I recall my life through glimpses.

Ellie takes her keys out of the ignition and hops out of the truck, leading me down the docks. I keep guessing in my head which boat belongs to her and then the second I spot it, I know and how I dread. It's a sailboat or what's left of one, sharpie graffiti scribbled all around it. The word 'wanderlust' had once been titled along the side though the first half was scratched out by what I assume were those teenagers Joel mentioned so it just said 'lust'.

Ellie had no problem climbing aboard, I on the other hand had doubts that it could support the weight of two people, let alone itself. There were chips of white paint scraped off, Ellie motioned for me to get on deck  "How long has this been abandoned?"

She waves me off  "There's freedom that comes with abandonment."

I raise an eyebrow "Sinking in a boat that's docked is a very lame way to die."

"Nah," She says "We can haunt the marina."

She holds out her hand for me to take it and with hesitation, I do. Stepping over the gap between the dock and the boat, I haul myself over the rails. Even in the dark, I could make that climb, it was almost like muscle memory from working at my parents marina summer after summer. "She's a beauty, yeah? In her own special kind of way," Ellie pats the side of the companionway. "I actually made some progress on it last summer, if you can believe me."

"I don't know if I can," I look around, following her as we duck into the saloon.

She reaches for a notebook with a pink sharpie clipped onto it on the table of the saloon and turns to face me "Whoever was here must've been a real wordsmith, what I can't figure out is how the words got out of the notebook and onto my walls." 

I crawl onto the cushioned V-berth to get a better look at all of the writing on the walls. Most of it had been poetry, not Edgar Allen Poe but the kind that only an angsty teenage girl on the verge of a mental break could've written. 

The Statue of Juliette:

May I ask what you have done to women?

That your hands have only learned to harm one

Hand after filthy hand

Is dragged

Groped

Caressed

Prodded

Over my rusted skin

The things I have seen

The things I have endured

No water can clean me

No blanket can warm me

Take a hammer to my bronze flesh

And I will thank you for your kindness

As my body crumbles and clatters against cobblestone

I am eternally grateful

For this is the gentlest act I have ever faced

"I know," Ellie says, and I look back to meet her sharp gaze "A real Sylvia Plath.”

"Is this your candle?" I reach for it on the ground, it's halfway through its life. A vanilla bean bath and bodyworks candle.

She takes it from my hand and gives it a sniff "I was wondering why it smelled so good in here, I just thought that was you." She places the candle back onto the saloon table "So, Neptune's daughter, where should we start?"

I snatch the notebook from the table and flip it open to a page clean of any writing. It takes a little less than fifteen minutes to seek out all of the trouble spots. Ellie followed behind me and nodded to everything that I was saying. 

The boat isn't in nearly as bad of condition as I expected. I suspected that the teenagers who occupied it while Ellie was away at college had all been girls, they took relatively good care of the boat aside from the graffiti, allegedly most of the damage had been there when Ellie got it from Tommy a year ago.

We now sat next to each other in the booth around the saloon table, the ocean rocked the boat beneath us ever so gently, the same way a mother would rock her child's cradle. I missed the sea when I was in college, on a bender I had driven three hours just to be back with it, it seemed the only safe place to let go and be reborn. I liked the sharpness of the air, the vastness of the horizon and the mystery beneath it. I thought I would rise from the seafoam a new woman the same way Aphrodite did but no, I threw up on the sandy shores and called my parents to make it go away.

I give the notebook over to Ellie, a new entry written in bright pink Sharpie amongst the poetry and anecdotes. 

Wanderlust's issues:

Mainsail and jib seem sketchy; Unfold the hoist for a full assessment

Wiring issues are out of my hands but a probable concern-should probably call in an expert

Nav instruments are cracked

Leaks on starboard window, probs cracked moulding

Interior woodwork is original, mainly solid despite a bit of mildew

Graffiti and chipped paint, graffiti likely cleanable (May need a new coat of paint)

Possible rigging issues

Underside? That's a question for the experts

Final Verdict: Wanderlust is a seaworthy vessel in need of some love

Ellie lets out a low whistle "God, I love a girl who knows the difference between a mainsail and a jib." She cracks a mischievous grin.

"You're teetering very close between sexy and crass," I tease her in return.

She seems a little taken aback by my comment, like she hadn't anticipated a response but ignores it nonetheless "What would it take to make you my first mate?"

"I'm sorry?"

"For someone with a bad memory, you seem to know your boats, Joel said that you used to work on charters. You gotta know more about sailing than me. It'll be a fun summer project, get you out of the house a bit."

I furrow my eyebrows as I look at her "You want me to work on the boat with you?"

Ellie nodded. She didn't rush to fill the silence that stretched between us, she didn't bother to sweeten the deal or hunt for some reason I would like working with her. She just let it stand. I looked her in the eyes, trying to figure her out. She goes from being almost non-verbal with me and now she asks me to spend the summer on a boat with her. I wondered if she knew what she was doing at all and if I would be carrying her through this.

I had a feeling that Ellie would become my next bad habit. It's easy to get addicted when everything interests you and nothing satisfies you. "I'm in."

"You won't regret this," Ellie almost jumps up, I swear I could've seen her making calculations in her head "So, I'm thinking we get rid of all this junk and get a good look at it bare bones, make a list of supplies and give her the spa day shes in desperate need of."

On my second day as first mate, I had been scrubbing away inside of the saloon while Ellie did some work on the exterior, my Scrub Daddy was being put to work. By the time I even made a dent in all of the Sharpie poetry, it was nearly falling apart and begging to be killed.

When I emerged from the companionway to replace my filthy bucket of water I spotted Ellie chatting up a girl on a dock. She had long glossy black hair that cascaded down her back in strategic ringlets. "So you're gonna sail on this thing?"

"Rebuilding her first," Ellie tells her, leaning against the railing. The girl she's speaking to looks like she's freezing, denim shorts cropped high and a white tank top.

"Do you need help?" She smiles and even I'm seduced by it. She has tanned skin that she's clearly been working on and sunglasses pushing back the silky hair from her forehead. "I've been on boats, lots of times," Her arms are crossed over her chest. I can see goosebumps all over her legs from the chill brought to us by the gray sky above and the frigid air. 

"That so?" Ellie asks, rising to her full height. A wrench in hand, it looks like the beginning of a really bad movie, not a family-friendly one. She saw me then, standing behind her. I watched her facade drop. Her smile changed as I approached, turning from flirt to friend in two seconds.

"Oh, hey," The black-haired girl regards me like I'm some kind of threat. "So do you need help or what?" 

Ellie looks at me and then back to her "Thanks for the offer but we're all set."

"Do you maybe wanna grab lunch or something?" She completely ignores me.

Ellie shakes her head "We've got lots of work to do, but-" She takes a deliberate pause and I almost cringe "I'll probably be at the shipwreck later. Stop by if you're around."

"See ya'," She grins and takes the sunglasses off the top of her head, placing them on the nose bridge before walking back down the dock.

"Wow," I dump my bucket of water over the rail of the boat "Looks like super difficult work out here, you are so brave." Sarcasm drips from my tone "Without you, who will flirt with all of the hot girls at the marina?"

"No need to be jealous," She says "I'm spending every waking minute with you after all."

I gave her the evil eye but I truly wasn't jealous. I didn't chase the thrill of a fling or late nights with girls whom I would forget by morning. I had dropped that by college and replaced it with ketamine and opioids, I abused liquor like I was its two-faced love. Now the only thing I chased was calmness. 

I wasn't jealous, just briefly reminiscing over how carefree I used to be. 

The tide was rolling and the sky above us was gray and angry as if something was raging within it. "Shit," I mutter, waves shifting from a distant hiss to a closer hush. The air hung heavy, I hadn't even noticed the change in weather from what seemed like the century I spent scrubbing away in the saloon. 

Ellie must've noticed what I was. "So, I'm thinking we should go?"

"You think?" I retort.

Moments later we're packed and rushing down the dock to find her truck. It doesn't take long for rain to begin to splatter on the ground beneath us, it isn't light and gentle, it's harsh. It sounds like pebbles being tossed onto a sheet of glass.

By the time we reach the truck, I'm soaked, hair sticking to my forehead and neck "You didn't want to poke your head into the saloon and say 'Hey, it's looking like there's gonna be a storm'?" 

"I was a little preoccupied," Ellie isn't much better off than I am, she takes off the flannel she had on top of her tank top and tosses it into the backseat, her tattoo out on full display. The rain is so heavy that everything on the outside of her truck looks like a blur. 

"Can you even drive in this?"

"No, can you?"

"No, I told you I have a DUI," The second the words leave my mouth I regret the slip-up. My eyes go wide and a hand slaps over my mouth, I'm acting like I just told her I was the one who took out JFK.

"You didn't tell me that."

"Well," I look forward, ignoring her piercing gaze, "I thought I did."

If not for the rain outside that pounded against the glass as if it wanted to be let in, we would've sat in complete silence while we drowned beneath all of the words going unsaid. My mind begins to wonder, first I think of the black-haired girl at the docks; I hope she didn't get stuck outside in the rain, especially with her lack of clothing. Then I think about what Ellie's thinking, did she know already? Had Joel told her? I'm humiliated all over again like I'd been when the paramedics dragged my half-naked body out of a bathtub.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" She asks. I don't say anything and she takes this as a hint "We don't have to talk about it."

I'm beginning to grow comfortable with the silence. I almost preferred it to the back-and-forth banter Joel and Ellie constantly had, which was more so father and daughter teasing each other.

Joel had probably known more about me than I did, my parents liked to keep him filled in after all. They just loved to keep tabs on me, if it was legal I'm sure they would put cameras behind my retinas and watch my every move. Eight months ago when I was in rehab, that was the most peace I've ever felt. As much as my parents wanted me clean, they held resentment since I ruined my life and was destroying theirs by association. Joel didn't seem like the type to gossip to his daughter but it nagged at me regardless. "Did Joel tell you anything?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just-like," I search through my brain to find the words "Like what I've been up to?"

She shrugged "He just said you are on a deferral and need a break from the city."

"Okay," I say, my voice so quiet it was almost smothered by the obnoxious rain. 

"Are you hungry?"

We had thrown on two jackets Ellie had in the back seat of the cars. She offered me Joel's black raincoat while she humbly took the bright yellow rain poncho. It took everything in me not to laugh at her, she looked like Georgie.

Ellie slung one arm around me, we were both hunched over as we ran as fast as we could. She was shouting stuff at me but I couldn't hear her through the rain, I just nodded in agreement and hoped she hadn't said something awful.

She tugged me left, the deluge chasing us into Salty's for cover. It was nearly dead in there, two other tables, one was an elderly couple and the other was a group of girls, laughing like hyenas while one of them showed the others a picture on her phone.

Ellie wasted no time in taking off her poncho and I didn't blame her, no one wanted to be seen in that. The second we settled into a booth by the huge glass window which took up the entire storefront, an over-eager waiter came up. He was tall, had dark hair and had handsome features, he must've been bored with how slow it was in here. "Hey, Jesse," Ellie said "Can I have water and a big-buck burger?"

He nodded and swerved his body to look at me, "Alright and for you-" He looked up from his notepad and paused for a moment before a huge smile cracked on his face "I haven't seen you in so long!" 

"Hi," I smiled, my mouth hanging openly awkwardly as I tried to recall him.

"Do you remember me?" He asked, his hand dropping to his side "Jesse," He reminded "We used to go to school together."

I had no idea who he was "Oh my god, yes!" I say "I remember."

His smile grows "God, you look so different."

"You too," I gesture at him "You're way more-" My mind falls flat "Grown."

He nods along to my words "Have you had a chance to look at the menu?"

Wanting this conversation as soon as possible I nod despite not even opening the menu “Yeah, I'll just get the, uh, big-buck and a club soda.” I repeated Ellie's order.

He jots it down onto his notepad "It'll be right up."

"Ellie, I don't know who that is," I say when I see him retreat to the server station to fill in the order. The entire restaurant is nautical-themed, the walls painted black, and there were nets with faux fish covering every square inch of the ceiling.

"Wow, I had no idea," She says, sarcastically "Damn, your memory really is fucked." 

Trust me, I know or at least I think I do. I disregard her comment "Water? Don't you wanna get rootbeer or something? Joel said you drink so much soda that your blood is made of corn syrup."

She grins "Gotta keep up the tough guy act."

Across the restaurant one of the girls waves to Ellie, this one has curly brown hair and a sundress "Hi, Ellie!"

Her eyebrows furrow "Hey there-um...you," Ellie said "Good to see you again."

The girl smiles slyly at Ellie before turning back to her friends. "Looks like I'm not the only one forgetting people, what's your excuse?"

"There's a lot of girls in the world, I can't remember all of their names."

"You must've gone through every girl in the cove, power to ya'," I say "No idea you had such a reputation."

"You don't know a lot about me."

I shrug "You know even less about me."

"I bet I could guess."

"Be my guest."

She leans back like she's carefully considering her next words, choosing them very wisely before she finally settles "You picked a major like communications and got bored quickly, decided you needed to do some soul searching. Probably read 'Eat, Prey, Love,' then went on a backpacking trip, expenses paid by your parents. Alternatively, you lived in a van and pretended to be a broke hippie."

I shook my head "Very cliche and you were only right about one thing."

"What?"

"I got bored quickly," The rain outside was failing to cease. Across from me, it looked like Ellie was calculating my every move. Her auburn hair was still wet, and from her hairline, a droplet of water dribbled down onto her button nose to rest on her cupid bow.

"Can I have a hint then?"

"No."

I see a realisation hit her "You partied with frat guys?"

I shook my head "I've always been too cool for them." I wasn't too cool for them, I was too fucked up to even know they were throwing a party until someone verbally informed me, by that point all I've ever done at a frat party was break in through a window and steal a keg like the disgusting fiend I was. It was nothing to be proud of, my friends thought it was hilarious and posted it on their Snapchat stories, egging me on and feeding into this sickening behaviour. What wasn't funny was how I got caught and winded up with a busted lip and broken rib. With pupils the size of my iris, I couldn't feel the pain I was in.

"Okay, now you have to tell me."

"I can't, I lose my mysterious allure."

The bell above the door chimes signalling the arrival of another customer and said customer makes a b-line for our table. She takes a seat next to Ellie "Jesse texted me that you were here.”

"Dina, were you at work?" Ellie furrows her eyebrows.

"Yeah, it's not like anyone's buying souvenirs right now and Jesse told me you finally came back," She whips her head to look over at me.

I genuinely remembered her, unlike Jesse. She had buried the time capsule with Ellie, her family and I. I also recalled how her older sister used to give us hand-me-down clothes. "Dina, hi."

She has freckles scattered across her face the same way that Ellie does. Her smile was so comforting, I forgot that I was soaked to my bones and shivering. "Well we should all do something together tonight," Dina grins "You're doing Ellie a huge favour by helping her fix that rig, she better give you some good head for it."

I almost choke on my saliva while Ellie just groans with disappointment like she had anticipated Dina saying something along those lines "D, you can't say that stuff around every girl I'm with, this is essentially my sister for the summer."

Dina raises her hands in defence "Sorry, my bad, I was unaware since you failed to mention that you have my old friend living with you." Ellie looks like she's going to say something but Dina speaks up again before she has the chance to "Let me give you my number."

Wordlessly, I hand my phone over to Dina who fills out her contact information and then gives my phone right back to me. I study Dina's face and her mannerisms, hoping that something might bring me back to my childhood which has been wiped away by every upper and downer you could put a name to. Something about her seemed familiar, maybe we had been closer friends than I thought.

I nod along to whatever she and Ellie are saying, chiming in random bits of dialogue but my mind is stuck on the two of them side by side. They're what I could've been if my family never moved us away and I hadn't turned my brain into sludge.

The life I could've had.

 Ellie smoked from what I knew, maybe Dina or Jesse were into something a little more hardcore. Hardcore? If hardcore qualifies as drowning in a concoction of cough syrup, Vicodin, codeine, and Gatorade to balance out the flavour of self-destruction. The bottles I swallowed to sleep, I showed up to almost every lecture high. Here I was handed what was nearly a good life and I tossed it away for something with a sweeter taste than a stable job and proper education.

The horrors I've committed. No good deed will ever outdo the bad that I have unleashed upon this godforsaken earth. From my clouded brain, paralyzing thoughts come to life to curse myself, the nightmare no mother would wish for her child to endure. 

Relapse after relapse, I would fall sick with the thought of how many times I had to relapse until I was finally clean and that bitter flavour washed from my mouth.

"Are you okay?" Dina asks with a smile and furrowed brows "We kind of lost you there."

It's one in the morning and I want to drink wine then slip beneath the rapid waters that will gladly pull me under and claim me as theirs.

Instead, I opt for a class of water. As Dina had said earlier, she wanted to get a bunch of friends together but the second we got home, I showered and locked myself away. Echoes of laughter and chatter drifted through my window.

I slip down the steps that lead to the kitchen. Outside the rain has finally dissipated and Ellie, Dina, Jesse, along with a handful of people I don't know crowd around a bonfire. The kitchen is illuminated only by moonlight, the moon hung over me as I poured myself water from the tap, a dead thing over a dying thing. 

I have seafoam in my veins and centuries-passed sunshine that induces my craving for some pills that will put me to sleep. Three months completely clean and yet that doesn't end the yearning for the drugs that comforted me more than any human ever had. 

The door cracks open and in comes Ellie, she's laughing and from the uncontrollable giggles, drowsy gaze, and slightly disoriented walking I can tell that she's been smoking. "Hey," She smiles at me, reaching passed me to grab a mug with Garfield on the front and fill it with water but she doesn't take a sip, she just sits it down on the counter behind us and stares at me.

Our faces only inches apart, I contemplate her next move. This close I can smell the marijuana on her and I almost want to scuttle upstairs and light a candle. Ellie hugs me, wrapping her arms around my midriff and letting her head find its resting place in the crook of my neck "Are you okay?"

"Mhm" She hums "I'm just glad you're here, whatever the circumstances are, I'm happy that you're helping me with the boat," I'm carrying almost her full way, and she's slouched against me "I love you man, I know you don't remember a lot from when we were kids but we had a lot of fun together."

"Thanks, Ellie," I give her a little pat on the back "That's really nice of you."

She peels herself away from me, using the counter to lean against instead. She looks me up and down, having an intense staring contest with my pyjamas "Do you wanna come out and smoke with everyone?" She's shed her tank top and thrown over a gray hoodie to shroud her from the oncoming cold.

I shake my head, no "I don't mess with that stuff."

"That's smart," She says "Have fun in your room, stowaway, I'll see you tomorrow to work on our boat," With that Ellie leaves without grabbing the Garfield mug she came in here for.

A/N: Hey, y’all. I’m aware I have a million open docs, I assure you they are all getting some love but I needed to come back to my roots and write some angst. These are some issues I have struggled with and I feel that it’s important to bring attention to it so it’s not taboo.

[jasperthehatchet]

Some necklaces and bracelets I made a while ago. Thought I'd post them here for solarpunk aesthetic week 🌿☀️🌻🌿

[Image ID: the first image is of three bracelets. One made of three silver metal beads in between one reddish wood bead (thats the pattern), the second is completely made out of safety pins and the last one is made of green wooden oval beads that I weaved yarn through to connect them so they all lay vertically next to each other.

The next image is of a large piece of twine layered over itself, a necklace, with random colorful glass, wood and metal beads scattered all throughout it about an inch apart from each other. They're held in place on the twine with knots so they don't slide around.

The third image is a necklace with a light colored leather cord, with varying colors and shapes of wooden beads on both sides of the pendant. The pendant is an aged gold colored metal sun with a black crystal center. The colors of the beads include dark brown, light brown and in between, with two different sized sphere shapes and lighter tube shaped ones.

The fourth image is of two necklaces almost identical to each other. Both have five small wood beads on both sides of the pendants near the bottom, and multiple small green wood beads tied onto the thin twine cord almost an inch apart from each other. Both pendants are smooth stones, one is a yellow triangle shape and one is a dark grayish blue sharp tooth shape.

The next necklace is on a light colored leather cord. The pendant is a light pink jade donut shaped stone and the beads are varying sizes of wooden beads that are light brown and green with some metal ones in there. The bead closest to the pendant at the bottom holding both sides of the cord together is a white plastic bead with a black spiral design and there are two metal tube beads splitting the cord into two sections, then the rest of the beads are strung up from there

The final necklace is made of varying colors and shapes of steampunk gears. There are bronze, silver and green oxidized copper ones all about the size of a quarter. Some are a little bigger than that. They're all attached to each other in a chain linked together with large silver jump rings and the part that hangs it from the neck is made of silver necklace chain. End ID]

And here's two soda tab arm cuffs I made as well

[Image ID: two images of large bracelets/arm cuffs I weaved out of silver aluminum soda tabs, using black cord. I don't really know how to describe how I made them but it's the same method people use to make soda tab belts as well. End ID]

I have a hard time describing things or wording stuff correctly so I hope my image descriptions are sufficient. If anyone reading my posts can do better, please don't be afraid to add more detailed ones in the reblogs or comment, I will reblog them and/edit my posts to add them as well <3

[leapingbadger]

The Final Gift

Summary: The Batch celebrate their first Life Day since settling on Pabu. Omega is surprised by a gift from her brothers.

The common room was warm with the glow of Pabu’s nightly light display. It was their first Life Day Celebration since they had settled on Pabu and Hunter had insisted that Echo join them. It was rare for Omega and all her four brothers to be together for an extended period of time, these days. Echo’s mission took him to far flung planets and his visit had become brief over the last few months.

The tree in the corner of the room, brought by Echo from a distant, snow-covered mood, was strung with golden lights, offering a cozy warmth that was sometimes lacking in their sparsely decorated home. As it was their first Life Day tree, they hadn’t been sure how to decorate it. Omega had gathered blossoms from the weeping maya tree and tucked the pink flowers sporadically in between the green branches.

Wrecker had concocted a recipe similar to her favorite, Mantell Mix. They had sat on the floor at the base of the tree for hours, carefully stringing the purple and pink pieces to wrap around the branches. Of course, some of the mix found its way into their stomachs, but that was just payment for all the hard work, Omega thought with a smile.

She heard low murmurs outside as her brothers cleaned up from the feast Wrecker had cooked for them. Even Echo, who was the fussiest eater Omega had ever met, had devoured the fish, fruit, vegetables and desserts that had covered the table.

Omega sighed as she relaxed into the soft couch, scratching Batcher on the back of the head as she slept, her long pink tongue lolling out of the side of her mouth.

She smiled down at the soft ragdoll Hunter had awkwardly handed her that morning. She had wavy, yellow yarn hair, brown button eyes and a thread mouth turned up into a wide smile.

“I saw it at the market…thought you’d…made me think of… I hope you like it.” He said with a smile, handing the doll over.

“I love her! Thank you, Hunter.” she had said, throwing her arms around his shoulders, his long hair tickling the side of her face.

“You’re welcome, Kid.” He replied, his hands closing tightly around her back.

Hunter was more relaxed these days than she had ever seen him. The almost permanent crease at the bridge of his nose had all but disappeared since they had settled here. His days were restful, with early morning walks to lower Pabu, swims in the crystalline water and afternoon chats with Shep and Phee.

A painting from Crosshair sat on the table in front of her, a beautiful landscape of a cliff edge and gold and scarlet sunset. He had gotten so good over the last few months and Omega already knew exactly where she would hang it in her room.

He complained about it, stubbornly telling them that painting was a means to an end, a way to fully integrate his new hand into daily use, but as always, he couldn’t fool her. Crosshair thrived on art. He was the squad’s resident tattoo artist during the war and his talent hadn’t subsided since his retirement.

He had waited until the rest of the squad were out of the room before giving it to her, rolled up and tied with a red bow that looked suspiciously like one of Hunter’s bandanas.

“Here,” he said, “big sister,” he said a grin.

Omega had unfurled it reverently and gasped as she took in the beautiful swirls of color. She recognized the spot in the painting immediately. It was where she and Crosshair would meditate, overlooking Pabu’s beautiful ocean.

“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful,” she said in a soft voice.

Crosshair had chuckled, “I highly doubt that. But I’m glad you like it.”

“Thank you, Crosshair.” she said, hugging him around his chest. He gave her a quick squeeze, two quick taps on the back and smiled down at her.

“My pleasure.”

Omega yawned and rubbed her eyes. She would have gone to bed by now if it wouldn’t have disturbed Batcher. She yawned again and noticed her brother’s voices get louder and they came in from outside.

“We wondered where you were,” Hunter said, coming to sit next to her on her left side.

The rest of her brothers filtered in. Echo moved the new crossbow he’d given her off the chair in the corner and sat with a sigh. Crosshair stood in the corner, leaning on the wall and Wrecker sat at the foot of the Life Day Tree, surreptitiously picking Mantell Mix off the string.

“Figured I’d give you some time to catch up.” She said, fingers entwined in her doll’s wool hair.

“Or you didn’t want to listen to the debate of which blaster is better,” Wrecker said with a laugh.

Omega shrugged, “Maybe a little.”

Her brothers laughed. Omega was convinced it was perhaps the best sound in the whole galaxy.

“How was your first Life Day?” Hunter asked, bumping her shoulder playfully and adjusting the green, woven bandana she had given him earlier.

“It was amazing. I wish we didn’t have to wait another year for the next one.” She said.

“That’s what makes it special.” Wrecker said, his voice muffled with Mantell mix.

“Well, if it makes it better, we have one final gift for you.” Hunter said with a nod to Echo whose hand was tucked behind him.

Echo heaved himself out of the chair and leaned over to Omega, his hand outstretched with a strange, lumpy shaped present.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“Something from all of us,” Echo said with a quick look to Hunter, Crosshair and Wrecker.

Omega took it happily, ripping off the paper to reveal a small, grey datapad. There were nicks out of the side of it and a deep scratch on the screen. She turned it over, revealing a skull emblem with a lightning bolt behind it.

“It was Tech’s,” Hunter said unnecessarily. “One of the older ones from our early missions. He kept them all when he upgraded to a new one, but we needed Echo to help recover some of the content.”

Omega looked around the room. Each of her brothers was smiling at her, but the smiles had an underlying bittersweetness to them. Crosshair was avoiding eye contact and Wrecker swiftly wiped away a tear from his cheek.

“You’re giving this to me? Don’t you want it?” she rasped out, her throat feeling tight.

Hunter put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. “We got a lot more time with Tech than you did. We wanted you to know him the way we did, and this is your chance. Echo managed to recover his old research, recordings, and voice notes.”

“You’ll probably hear all of us on those,” Crosshair interjected.

Tears swam in Omega’s eyes. She hurriedly wiped them away as her fingers turned on the datapad and the blue screen sprang to life. She scrolled through the files, selecting one at random.

“While not entirely surprising given the climate and seasons of the planet, this rodent-like creature seems to be able change its appearance depending on temperature and light. It is quite fascinating and does not appear in any current records. It is possible it is a new discovery entirely…”

“Maybe they’ll name it after you, Tech,” Crosshair’s distant, snide voice called. Laughter erupted in the background.

“With it’s tendency towards aggression, Brother, I think it more likely it will be named after you.”

The background roared with laughter again.

Omega shut off the recording and looked around the room. Hunter, Echo and Crosshair grinned while Crosshair looked a little sheepish.

Batcher woke with a bark as Omega sprang to her feet, throwing her arms around each of her brothers in turn. She clutched the datapad to her chest.

“This is….this is…” she looked down at the datapad, running her hand over the device her lost brother had treasured. “This is the best gift I could ever hope for.”

Raucous laughter filled the common room as Omega and her brothers listened to recording after recording. Tech’s distinct voice seemed to fill the space, making it feel like he was there with them.

One by one they fell asleep, Wrecker curled up with Batcher under the tree, Echo, limp in the reclining chair, the bolts in his head shining under the glow of the tree light. Crosshair’s head flopped on his chest as he snored lightly, leaning against the wall of the common room.

Omega woke with a start and found herself leaning against Hunter, his hands aimlessly tracing through her hair.

“Ready for bed?” he asked with a low chuckle.

She nodded, sitting up and letting him scoop her in his arms. He laid her gently in her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin.

“Night, Kid,” he said before slowly moving towards the door.

“Hunter?” she asked, pulling her new doll close to her chest.

“Hmm?”

“Do you think Tech would have liked living on Pabu?” she asked.

Hunter smiled and crossed back over to her, “I think he would have loved it.” he said, putting the datapad on the bedside table, next to Tech’s cracked goggles. “But he’s always with us, Kid. With you.”

Omega smiled sleepily.

Hunter hesitated before leaning over and kissing her gently on her hair. “Goodnight, Omega.”

“Goodnight.” She yawned before sleep took her away on an adventure, with all of her brothers.

[berrythep4nda]

HeadCanon time

Have this for today

///////

We all know the ninja trains their elemental power and physical strength together, fighting/combats/harsh or difficult movement/etc, it shows a few times throughout the series, but I like to imagine them having different individual training on their own struggle and needs outside of it (fun creativity edition!)

Either Wu introduce it to them or they find it themselves

Here are some of the ideas I thought about for each of the ninjas :

Jay - i feel like he'll enjoy playing puzzles, It can help his focus and create some images other than blueprints, it also helps him develop an ability to solve a problem from a different perspective (finish the puzzle from Whatever piece first) and he have a bunch of puzzle set collection with different size either he find from his parents place or the ninja buys some for him just for fun, he never gets bored of playing them

Kai - I'd put him in knitting, it can help with his patience lesson, he'll learn soft creativity and take a rest from his long history of black smithing (fire, iron, hammer, etc) (+control his fire power as to not burn the yarn)

Cole - i think pottery fits him, it helps him to learn how to manage his strength level, balance, patience and creativity, and it helps to express his joy in being messy in what he does, at the monastery that is

But I think gardening fits him in the flying bounty, there's a special room for his potted plants in the bounty and at the door hang a sign that said "Cole's green village", no ninja complains at the name, and Cole love that room very much, it helps him connect with his earth power while being high above the ground, who knows how many feet away they sometimes are

Zane - cooking, we can see that through the series, but I feel that fits him in a way, it helps him in terms of creativity outside of the book, he can make something new based on his knowledge on the use of the ingredients, baking too! He likes the warm soft/chewy-like texture, different from his hard cold metal

Nya- GIANT CANVAS WATER PAINTING, that's something fun she'll like, and she doesn't need to make a clear drawing, she can create an abstract base on her emotion/feelings, I imagine she'll love the freedom of pulling that brush wherever she like and the giant size of the canvas would be enough space whenever she have big thoughts, and the result doesn't have to be something logical, doesn't have to be something perfect in symmetrical and use, math isn't in the topic neither does wires and machine, she can create anything freely just how she want it to without thinking about the failing and the uses

Lloyd - oooo this one I'm not too sure, I was going for a bonsai tree gardening, with it being a long lasting plant and him being kinda immortal (I don't think he's immortal, he can just live long, what's the name for that?) he'll have something to rant to that he feels can understand his perspective

But now, I feel like he'll enjoy whatever his siblings do,

he'll play puzzle with Jay,

he would be a size example whenever Kai wants to make something wearable or Lloyd would even learn a bit or so by watching Kai

He'd be happy to receive a pottery gift from Cole, asking him how he made it or even watch him make it, he'll help at tending Cole's garden alongside Zane if Cole can't (sick/mission/etc), learning the meaning of flowers and what good they can make out of the plants

Zane, ooooh he'll have the first taste of Zane's successful new baked goods, he even let Lloyd steal a few cookies before dinner and kept it a secret between them, while the other ninja accused each other on who finished the last cookies

He would gladly be nya's model for her new painting or even play some color beside her with a paper or a smaller canvas, nobody is surprised when they find the both of them covered in paint by the end of the day

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

a terrible practice in what not to do when plant dying: an example

[a terrible practice in what not to do when plant dying: an example]

every year family friend send us expensive premium giant!!!!! waxberry/bayberry/idk what english speaking ppl usually call it. they delicious!! only slightly smaller than mouth open widest

n every year there juice inside package. this year had idea do plant dying. < impulse decision

not prepared. have unmordanted cashmere yarn (really inexpensive got second hand idk if it real) & unmordanted cotton fabric. this be interesting.

[id: left picture show waxberry, there 4 stack on top of eachother in small bowl size of hand. right picture have bowl of waxberry & bowl with little juice with fruit fork in it & cone of yarn n some already dyed pieces on paper. end id]

grabbed white vinegar as “last minute mordant”, n to be honest was just at most dip soak, few seconds at best, so it do anything? shrug

mid way realize should probably pre wash fiber (should specifically scour but ehhhhh)—especially for this cashmere (“cashmere”) yarn because for easy (machine) knit it been coated with something that help cashmere down not get all fluffy fuzzy hard knit with. n you suppose wash out after knit n yarn will bloom n be softer. so, thought may affect dying. so pre washed some samples before dye. by “wash,” specifically mean run under regular temperature water for like some seconds until complete wet n maybe use hand soap. it do anything? shrug again

n also. know animal protein & plant fiber sometimes have different dye process. but ehhh *throw hands*. proceed “mordant” one of cotton scrap same process as wool yarn.

previous dye experience: need heat source. last time was get help keep boil. this time too little liquid n don’t want get help boil anyway. so got help put in microwave…

[id: line up final product taped on white paper. labeled as yes/no prewash, white vinegar, & heat. there 5 pieces for yarn with varying amounts. all yarn visually look same color & stiff. there 2 piece cotton fabric. they look same as eachother but slightly more vibrant than yarn. end id]

result is…. everything pretty much look same.

because like. yeah. “mordanted” but not really, not suprise 10 20 second dip in room temp white vinegar going make giant difference. microwave for 10 seconds especially without proper scour mordant fixative, also doubt make big difference.

but, is really pretty color. it prettier in liquid, n when squeeze liquid out, get more muted, but still very pretty color, pinkish purplish. beet color but lighter?

n this without wash afterwards—found that. when wash, because not soak for long, n not mordant fixative properly, not heat properly, color mostly get out. some color still stay n become more of a muted almost pastel (as pastel as natural dye can be). n normally like pastel, but want keep this as waxberry-like as possible. so, didn’t wash. result is keep about same color when dry, but stiff n not that soft, as expected.

was just for fun, not going make anything out of, not to wear, not going hang as decoration so not worried abt lightfastness. so, satisfy with whatever this is.

then, with leftover dye, didn’t want waste, so threw in as much vinager dipped yarn as can cover liquid. heat it n let it be in heat for 20 minutes.

bad lighting, but. when wet:

[id: very saturated reddish pink yarn in bowl stained slightly pink & brown. end id]

n after, still damp so feel softer:

[id: first photo two small skein of yarn in pinkish purplish color on top of plant notebook. second photo in ball with one strand yarn lighter than rest. end id]

same yarn, main color difference because lighting not because inherent yarn.

except that one strand lighter than rest—that was test how yarn look like how much dye actually took with all improper but still slightly more effort process (more heat, longer). took more dye than when no heat or 10 second heat, but still visibly lighter.

when dry, that washed strand much softer than rest of stiff unwashed yarn. unwashed yarn slightly darker than previous attempts.

now room reeks of white vinegar.

but. will be enjoying delicious waxberry for rest of week >:)))

.

google search results: “did you mean: how NOT to dye natural fibers”

ultimately knew bad practice from beginning, but not really care, because meant be impulse fun anyway. n occupied me in special interest land for afternoon.

[underthetree845]

Underneath the tree (You're all that I need)

Armin/gn! Reader (drabble/oneshot)

Cws: gn! reader, established relationship, christmas tradition, decorating the tree, childhood memories, implied modern au, tender moments, fluff

About 1.1k words

Summary: Just a sweet drabble of Armin and Reader decorating the tree for Christmas together <3 Armin being a really sweet boyfriend.

A/n: I hope all you lovlies can have a good holiday/winter season! And here is @/estrelinha-s requested credit for the second set of Christmas dividers ^^

The faint crackling of a woodwick candle on the coffee table. Wax a deep maroon, scented cinnamon, the faint glow of the flame matching those of lights wrapped around the tree. Each little bulb twinkling as if to the rhythm of a heart, not so different from the stars outside that hang lithely above a blanket of fresh snow. Tilting your head, you slipped the ribbon of another ornament onto another branch, jumping slightly when a pair of warm arms encircled you from behind. You immediately relaxed, that familiar warmth creeping into your chest, similar to the one enveloping the room with a gentle glow. 

“I made us some tea, Angel,” the blonde boy mumbled, resting his chin on the crook of your neck with a dreamy pair of eyes. “Thank you Armin,” you cooed in response, shifting to place your hand on his cheek and plant your lips on the other, lingering for a moment before moving over to approach the two steaming mugs on the coffee table. Armin smiled softly and knelt down to pick up his cup again, blowing on it with care. “Careful to not burn yourself,” he told you with a light breath as you picked up the tea, “I just made it, so it’s kind of hot.” You nodded slightly, allowing your breath to pass over the drink for a moment before sipping the warm liquid down your throat. It formed a comforting heat in the pit of your stomach. “Mm, Love, did you make my favorite?” you hummed softly, noting the way a small grin tugged on Armin’s lips. “Maybe,” he replied, lowering the mug from his face, “Do you like it? I tried to make it the way you prefer.” “I don’t like it,” you started, noticing the beginning of a pout on your boyfriend’s lips, “I love it.” Your smile was warm, the soft lights from the tree illuminating you so perfectly; Armin couldn’t help but blush. 

“How far did you get with the ornaments while I was gone?” he asked, glancing over at the tree. “I’m almost done, I’ve just got one box left,” you replied, standing up again and pulling Armin along with you by the hand. “Which box?” he inquired as you turned to grab it from the floor. Taking it from you curiously, he opened the lid and you saw a million different emotions flash through his eyes. “Oh,” Armin breathed, “this box.” 

The first ornament was one made from a pinecone. Two clay arms jutted out unevenly from either side, a pair of googly eyes hot glued to the front. A red scarf (a few pieces of yarn) ran around the neck, and a bent paperclip had been forced through one of the seed pods on the top to function as a hook. Armin ran his thumb over the toy ornament fondly. “God I remember this,” the boy didn’t trust his voice any louder than a whisper. The corners of his lips crinkled into a smile. A tender one, the one he always made before he was about to cry. “Oh Sweetheart, come here,” you beckoned him softly. Armin barely took a step forward before being swallowed in your embrace; his chest rising and falling shakily. Your fingertips dragged up and down his spine, soon his breathing turned steady and he pulled back from the hug, a single tear escaping the corner of his eye. 

Armin held the memory of his parent’s last Christmas with him delicately as he hung it from a branch of evergreen near the top of the tree. 

A few childhood ornaments and paper snowflakes later, you came across a memory that made you giggle.

A distorted snowman-shaped ornament, its coat of paint shiny under the lights of the tree. Cracks in the white glass that had long since been mended by a bottle of super glue and two tiny pairs of hands. You still remember what the ornament sounded like when it shattered. The way you and Eren scrambled to pick up the pieces and carry them upstairs.  Thankfully there weren’t many, the snowman had broken into five main chunks. The frantic whispers and hushed panic when glue stuck to your hands. 

Your mother hadn’t noticed the newly odd shape of the ornament until January when the time came to pack everything away. Her eyes studied yours and Eren’s with suspicion, and it wasn’t until the following year when decorating the tree again that the two of you took responsibility for your mishap. By then it was a laughing matter, and a light scolding on how it’s better to tell the truth upfront to avoid further conflict. You settled the ornament deep inside a hollow in the tree branches, a place that ensured it would not fall again. The chair was held steady with a firm grip as you teetered on the edge to wiggle the star into its proper place. Twisted flakes of metal and glitter to reflect the lights; it was the housewarming gift Armin’s grandfather had crafted when he heard you and his grandson were moving in together. He even built the wire frame himself. Craftiness really did run in the family. There were five points; two slightly lopsided and one a little too short, but it was perfect in your eyes. The star smiled down at you and Armin as you admired the tree with a soft grin on each of your faces. 

You let out a sigh and fell back into the couch, half draping a red and white blanket over your body and beckoning the blonde boy closer. You tilted your head when he sprinted off to your shared bedroom and raised your eyebrows when he came back carrying a small box, neatly wrapped in your favorite color and bearing a pretty bow on top.  “You’ll get to open it soon enough, don’t worry,” he gave a small smile as he slid the gift beneath the branches and came to join you on the couch. He pulled the candy cane blanket over himself and snuggled his body close to yours, allowing his head to rest on your collarbone. You draped your arm over his shoulder and tangled your hand in his blonde locks. He listened serenely to the constant beating of your heart; a sound that had lulled him to sleep on more than one occasion. “You know, you still haven’t given me any clue as to what you want for Christmas,” you pointed out. Armin hummed as you began to run your fingers through his hair. “But I told you, I don’t really need anything,” he replied, and you sighed through your nose. “Yes I know,” he could hear the pout on your lips, “but I want to get you something. You’re special to me, you know that.” Armin shifted his head up to meet your eyes, the lights of the tree reflecting brilliantly in his blue irises. “Angel, you’re all that I need,” his voice was soft as he hugged you just a little bit tighter, “Promise.” 

A/n: Thank you for reading! I hope you sleep well tonight and can bundle up nice and cozy.

[dangerphd]

This is a vest done in brioche stitch, out of some yarn I got through Shave ‘em to save ‘em. The yarn is gorgeous…but I don’t wear white or cream. I’m thinking about frogging this, dyeing the yarn, then re-knitting. I’ve never dyed yarn before. Any thoughts or advice?

all the Internet advice is probably good with regard to what kind of dyes you can use versus what kind of fibers, I assume if it's from shave to save them it's 100% wool? I am perfectly happy with food color and occasional natural dyes and alum and iron mordants, and can personally attest that wool dyed with Kool-Aid not only stands the test of time with regard to color retention, but kind of still smells grape-y sometimes, twenty years later.

after tinking back an entire knitted piece to reclaim, lots of people like to give the wool a steam bath to relax it before they dye, but I like to wet the wool before I slide it into the dyed bath anyway (evens out color distribution), so I usually skip the steam step…

With regard to fancy technique, you can mordant the wool before dying, in a separate bath… Meaning you could mordant half the yarn in iron and half in aluminum, and then slip them both into the same dye bath after the fact to see what kind of color changes you get; but it's also totally fine to just dump the mordant into the dye, stir the whole thing up then add the fiber and let it simmer… I personally enjoy stove top, because I like being able to see it, but I know a lot of people prefer the oven method… I think they work basically the same. along those lines, I notice no difference between using vinegar, or citric acid to reduce the pH of the bath, doesn't seem to matter. Be careful using too much acid if you want to dye purple though because it can break spectacularly. 

The most critical advice I would have, is to tie your skeins looser than you think. like barely even a loop around the skein even if the individual strands were spread completely out. The tiniest bit of compression will act as a resist and prevent the dye from getting in there… I have found this happens with professional/commercial dyers, Etsy Dyers, everyone… There will be just a pale spot in the skein and so then you have a pale spot every 61 inches or whatever, and I am the kind of person that that will make absolutely crazy if the rest of the dye is solid. and a super loose loop will be plenty for figuring out how to untangle the yarn soup when you're done. 

if you would like to dye the skein in a repeating colorway, my best advice is to lay it out on plastic wrap, add your dye just to areas you want to receive it, wrap the plastic wrap tightly around the now dyed skein such that all of the yarn is in contact with the dye (squish it together as you roll it up), then place your entire plastic wrapped tube into a baking pan and pour boiling hot kettle water over it, to steam set the dye. I probably have pictures of this process when I was space-dying so I could do the float pattern. 

finally, just a question, do you hate the vest? Cause it looks like it fits well, and you could just dye the vest… Not that you asked, but if I were going to dye the vest I would dunk the whole thing into a bath let it sit for a little while, then pull it out and hang it up to get a drip dry gradient vest… 

[pixiestein]

my first meowlody & purrsephone designs vs my second designs

i usually don’t like to post my drawings but idk i just rlly enjoy the progress btwn these two designs. im gonna explain my thought processes but im sooo sleepy so bear with me & my rambling or scroll on if u want :3

at first i thought- they’re tuxedo cats, it would be cool to incorporate tuxedo jackets into their outfits! but yeah, i couldn’t figure out how to integrate fancy suit jackets into the casual styles that i wanted for them. maybe i’ll do a formal design w tuxes later but it’s jus not working for this one. most of my version of monster high is based mainly on gen 1 with aspects of gen 3 & ofc my own thoughts. so that’s what i’m going for here. i love meowlodys hair buns in g3 so i wanted both of them to have buns, one up & one down. g3 also inspired the doc martin style boots & using the yarn as shoelaces. i wanted to keep the stripy hair from g1, as well as have them wear the same skirt in different colours like in g1. & ofc the tuxedo jackets styled differently w different tops. as for the tops themselves idk…purrsephones was a bit thrown together based on the tuxedo theme, but for meowlody i knew i wanted a mock neck bodysuit, which didn’t work well w the tux look bc there wasn’t room for a tie. so i gave her a bolo tie type thing w yarn but ehhh. it doesn’t look right. i also knew i wanted each girl to have a different cat toy accessory, & a feather toy seemed like a good choice but i couldn’t think of another. so purrsephone ended up with those like, tube thingies that have holes for cats to play in? those weird things? she has one of those as an arm cuff & at the top of her boots. yeah idk why i thought that would look good. but anyway, i wanted more yarn in the outfits so i gave them yarn belts but it just looked weird!! i made the ball of yarn the belt buckle but it looks so clunky right there in the middle of the waist. they also needed to share more of their colours to look more cohesive w each other.

so for the second design i put the ‘ball’ part of the belt on the side so that the string is hanging down around the hips. & i thoughtit was important for the belt yarn to match the shoelace yarn bc it looks wrong for ver1 meowlody to have orange yarn in her belt & tie but black+red yarn on her shoes.

i eventually decided the structure of their outfits would be bodysuit + partial skirt with different clothes on their limbs. they have silver bands throughout both of them (main belts, boots, meowlodys collar & purrsephones bracelets) each band having studs that match their respective yarn colours. again, i wanted them to accessorize with different cat toys, but looking at the g3 designs i remembered about bells! duh. so i gave meowlody little bells-on her collar, earring, & hanging from her belt- because meowlody is the more mischievous sister & generally when a cat is too mischievous they put a bell on their collar to make it harder for them to hunt. idk why that’s what i thought of but it’s funny to think her parents made her wear bells bc she kept sneaking up on ppl & scaring them or smth 😭😭 meowlody is the softer sister so she got the feathers :P on her belt & earring.

they each have a silver earring & a fish skeleton earring, meowlodys black & purrsephones white. the soles of their shoes also have the design of ribs on the sides, which would extend with the rest of the fish skeleton on the bottom of the boot. the soles are opposite colours to the fish earrings & match their hair, with meowlodys white & purrsephones black, so the very top of their heads match the bottom of their feet. the toes of the shoes also have the shape of the top of a cats head. the fish imagery is also in the centre of purrsephones mock neck bodysuit, with a zipper down the fish spine.

as for the main pieces, both wear short bodysuits. purrsephones is a sleeveless high neck, with her arms covered by detached arm sleeves. meowlodys is a scoop neck with a high neck long sleeve shrug overtop leaving just a bit of space btwn the bottom of the shrug & top of the bodysuit. purrsephones bodysuit is orange with her sleeves & tights being white with black stripes. this is reversed in meowlody, who has a black bodysuit with white stripes with orange sleeves & tights. so their bodysuits+sleeves+tights are different but balanced. one has patterned bodysuit & solid coloured limbs, while the other has solid coloured bodysuit with patterned limbs. i try to avoid using a lot of patterns, bc i find too many patterns esp when they’re close together is just annoying to my eyes & makes everything look super busy. i think one of my mistakes with ver1 was not using any patterns though. i think the mirrored stripe patterns on ver2 are one of the things that rlly brings it together, both individually & as a pair.

+ just extra thoughts, ik their official designs have white stripes on their limbs, but i wanted them to look like real tuxedo cats, whose white patches are usually on the tips of their paws, tip of their tail, & the centre of the face extending down their chest. so those are the markings i gave them even tho it’s hard to see w their feet being covered & most of their hands being covered. also just wanna say!!!!! i just love designing monster high characters!!!! i’ve been doing it most of my life & it’s so incredibly important to me!!!!! that’s why i don’t usually share them lol, it feels like sharing part of my soul. but it brings me so much joy even tho my hand hurts & im sleepy, i rlly need to get better at digital art so that i can post drawings that don’t get ruined by my shitty phone camera😭😭 speaking of which here’s a terrible terrible guy who interrupted the photos:

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Ocean View

Fandom: Superfam, Batfam, DC Comics

Summary: A pair of shoes, a fragmented memory, and a collection of newspaper clippings.

An empty box of cigarettes, a second phone, and a beach house with locked rooms.

Chapters: 3/?

Characters: Laney Kent, Jason Todd, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Chris Kent, Tim Drake

Relationship(s): JayLaney, Clois

Additional Tags: No Powers AU, No Capes AU, Secret Identity, Social Media, Romance, Angst

Chapter Three: Beached

It rained that morning. I drove out to the beach house in swim trunks and rainboots. It was beautiful. I got out of the car and knocked on the door. "Hold on, I'll be right there," Jason panted through the intercom. I waited a little while longer, and he pulled the door open so fast that I let out a noise. "Sorry, I was getting the—. You look cute," he smiled.

I followed him into the house and took off my boots, and he offered me a pair of slippers to walk around in on the tile. I shuffled around in them as he led me to the kitchen. Jason made breakfast. I smiled at him, and we made our plates. "Did you get any sleep?" I asked. Jason shook his head gently. I noticed a piece of yarn hanging out of his pocket, and I pulled at it. "What's this?"

"Oh, I'm crocheting," Jason explained. I liked looking at him. The longer I looked at him, the prettier he looked to me. I caught a glimpse of light brown freckles just underneath his eyes. He chuckled nervously, and I looked back down at my plate. "What were you staring at?"

"You're good-looking," I whispered. Jason frowned and looked past me. "Did I say something wrong?"

"I—. No, you didn't say anything wrong. I just—. Can I show you something?" Jason asked. I finished my plate and washed my dish. He playfully nudged me out of his way and washed the dishes. "You gonna let me show you something?" His voice was soft and sweet, and I wanted to kiss him more than I wanted to breathe. I nodded. I wished he would look at me.

After he dried his hands, he took me upstairs and showed me the bedroom. "This is your room if you want to stay the night," Jason whispered. I blinked at him. "This doesn't have to be weird. I know it's still in the city, but—."

"I can stay... Jason, how many rooms does this place have?" I asked.

Jason counted on his fingers. "The attic, the basement, four bedrooms, the downstairs office... Seven technically," Jason answered. Once the sun came out and the rain let up, we went on a walk on the beach. He wore a wig and a hat out. He laced his fingers with mine, and I looked up into the sky. "Do you get to come down to the beach a lot?"

"Mostly for work stuff, but no. Even if I did, I don't think it'd ever get old," I whispered. I loved the gentle mist of the ocean blowing in the wind. I liked the chill. I loved feeling like I was steps away from being swallowed up by the ocean and spit up into the sky. "Can we go swimming?"

Jason nodded, and I took him to the ocean. The waves nipped at our ankles, and I stopped. He gave my hand a little squeeze. "Second thoughts? Too cold?" Jason asked. I took him the rest of the way into the water, and the moment I felt the cold saltwater in my hair, I turned to look at him. He squeezed my hand so tight I thought he'd cut off my circulation.

"You okay?" I whispered. I stopped floating on my back so that I could look at him. "You can swim, right?"

He nodded. "I don't think I've ever been in the ocean before. It's a little offputting," Jason confessed. I noticed that his wig stayed in place, and I laughed. "What?"

"Your W-I-G stayed on," I chuckled. He laughed with me, and his nose wrinkled up and his eyes shut. A small wave hit us, and then there was silence. Jason let go of my hand and floated on his back before grabbing my arm. I relaxed again, and I turned to him. "I've got you, you know?"

Jason loosened his grip, and we floated in the water until it was too cold to keep swimming. We bought two towels and laid them in the sand. I lay on my side, staring at him as I propped myself up with one elbow. He sat with his legs flat and his hands planted behind him. "My mom would've liked this city," Jason mumbled. I felt a sick feeling in my stomach when he said that. I didn't know what I would do without my mom. "You know, I met my birth mom a few years ago... She um... She outed me to a magazine for money. I was only fifteen."

"I remember that... I'm sorry," I whispered. He shrugged. "No, I mean it. I am sorry."

"I shouldn't have brought it up. I kind of feel stupid now for killing such a good—."

"I've never been on a real date before," I confessed. After I said it, I looked straight ahead, so I couldn't see Jason looking at me. "So, I don't mind if you talk about your moms... I just want you to know I'm having a good time with you."

"You have no idea how much that means to me," Jason whispered. I reached over and touched pinkies with him. "Do you think I'm weird?"

I laughed. "Kinda yeah, but I like weird on you... And thanks for taking me to the beach. I haven't felt this good in a long time," I whispered. I meant it. Jason closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he lay back. I got up and moved my towel closer to his, and I lay my head on his chest. He didn't flinch. Jason just laid still. I could hear his heart beating in his chest, and he draped his arm over me. The gentle rise and fall of his chest felt like waves.

I must've fallen asleep because I woke up on his couch, wrapped in a blanket while a movie played on a low volume in front of me. I sat up and looked around, and he was nowhere in sight, but I could hear ticking and buzzing coming from one of the rooms. I got up and wandered around the first floor until I found the source of the noise, and I knocked. "Jason?" I asked. The buzzing and ticking slowed to a stop, and I could hear him cursing. "You okay?"

"Yeah, hold on. Sorry," Jason apologized. After a few moments of listening to him shuffle around, I started to worry, but he answered the door. "I—. You were asleep."

"Whatever you're doing is none of my business. Unless it's illegal, then, in that case, I'd like you to tell me to leave," I whispered. Jason chewed his lip and turned away so I couldn't see him laugh at me.

"It's not illegal. It's just a secret... Which makes it seem illegal, but I promise it's not," Jason reassured me. "I think sometimes my dad thinks I'm doing something illegal here. He can think it if he wants to. I do a lot of crafting, but if I showed you what I was working on, you'd know why it was a secret."

I nodded, and he locked the door on his way out. "You carried me in?" I questioned. Jason nodded as he led me back to the kitchen. He made me a sandwich and looked over at me.

"Tell me about yourself," Jason whispered.

"Lane's my middle name... I'm a Pisces—."

"Oh, he's a Pisces," Jason teased. I chuckled. "Sorry, I'm just messing with you. I'm listening."

"I'm a risk-taker... Which also means I've been in the hospital a lot. I have three tattoos that my parents don't know about, I can only cook three things, and I've dreamt about you a lot—."

"You dream about me?" Jason interrupted. He wasn't smiling, but he didn't seem freaked out either. "You don't have to elaborate if you don't want to."

I didn't know what to say, so I changed the subject. "Do you wanna see my tattoos?" I asked. He nodded. I stood up and pulled my trunks down to my hip bone to reveal two fish circling a fire. It was a small tattoo, but I liked that one best. I knew he wasn't really thinking because he ran his fingers over it. He stopped himself once he realized what he'd done. I chewed my lip. Then I rolled up the leg of my shorts to show him a fern leaf tattoo. Finally, I moved my hair and showed him the little phoenix on the back of my neck.

"Why the phoenix?" Jason asked.

"My brother drew it. It's Chris's," I answered.

[pbandjesse]

Well our appliances were not delivered today. Sad. The dryer is permanently out of stock. But good news, James was able to talk to a very helpful customer service woman and got us a different one, even price matched it to the original one. Even though this one was more expensive. So now we are getting them next Friday.

But I did not know for sure if the delivery was going to happen today. So I was just a little stressed about it when I woke up. When I woke up I was not going to get up right away. No need to. But then I heard a box truck outside and absolutely panicked and threw on clothes just in case. It was very stupid. I went downstairs and waited to see what they were delivering and it ended up being a bookcase for our neighbor. I would take a deep breath and text James to see what was up. And went to take a shower and brush my teeth and calm myself down.

I felt a lot better after the shower. It was nice to be clean. And honestly today was the best I have felt in forever. I didn't even take my medicine. I just felt fine. I was low energy for sure. But I wasn't sick and that just made my heart feel so light.

I would have some brioche and ice tea for breakfast. And took the animals outside. It was just a little drizzly out today and was humid but it was really nice having the door open. Even if it lets flies in. I just want the windows/door open all the time. I can't wait til we have a screen door. Hopefully soon. We paid for it! We are just waiting for the custom sized door to be made.

I would do a ton of knitting work today. I only have 4 cream color squares to finish (it was 7 at the begining of the day but I would make 3 throughout the day) . And I would work hard to sew all my other squares together. It's such a sweet little piece. I am still going to make a boarder but I love the checker.

I would also cut and measure all of the yarn for my temperature blanket for July. I attached the June rectangle as well. But cutting and making the yarn took forever. I would have worked on August too but I ran out of the color for 70s. I will probably go to the craft store to look tomorrow. But I'm not to worried. It'll get done.

I would have a little lunch. Watch some videos. Worked on knitting. Sewed sewed sewed. I would occasionally go outside to check on the animals. I was just having a chill day.

I made strawberry lemonade but it really needed more lemon and we only had powder lemon packets. Not the same. Maybe when I go to the store tomorrow I'll pick up some lemons too.

Celia would come over to hang out for a few hours at 130. It was nice to hang out with her. She would change out of her internship clothes once she got here. And we sat on the couch and talked. I worked on my knitting and sewing. It was a chill hang out.

Eventually I made us nachos and we played the frog detective game. The second chapter/sequel was much more involved. We got to decorate a notebook, which we took very seriously. And she narrated all of the speech bubbles, gave everyone accents and everything. It was a lot of fun.

When we finished the game, after having some candy and laughing and having a good time, I realized I was ridiculously tired and just be er fed to lay down. So Celia said she would head out. I'm really glad we got to hang out today.

I wouldnt actually sleep. But I would be horizontal and just rested my body. And soon James was home.

They were very sad. Some hockey players were biking and got hit by an aggressive drunk driver and died. Two brothers. The day before their sister's wedding. Horrible. An absolute tragedy. And they were really torn up about it. Especially because people have been very aggressive towards them lately on their bike. It sucks. People need to calm down, people are literally dying.

They would go upstairs to record an addendum to their podcast about the hockey players. Just to get their feelings out. I would just lay down on the couch. Eventually they would have showered and came and laid with me and held me which was really nice.

Eventually I moved upstairs. I took the kinesiology tape off that I've been wearing the last couple days and even though I was careful I still tore my skin a bit and it hurt. So after dinner (Mac and cheese), I took a bath and tried to carefully get the excess glue off and take care of my poor torn skin. Ouch.

Now me and James are in bed. We might watch more vampire show. But my head hurts a bit and I am very tired. But thankfully not woozy or nauseous.

Tomorrow I have the market. And I am hoping it's a good day. I hope you all have a good day. I love you all very much. Sleep well my friends. Goodnight!

[thedaremaster]

The Yarn Spinner - Snippet

Might write a full thing of this. I really hope to, but I've got a draft to finish and so many more to start. Please enjoy this snippet from another Instagram prompt. (I forgot what it was) ;((((

She sat there at her loom, working furiously at the nearly-finished piece.  The shuttle slides back and forth between the threads, interlacing fibers before they are stacked together neatly with a quick pull of the reed.  She works fast, heedless of mistakes.  

The end is near, she knows it. 

 She’s seen the newspaper articles portraying their deaths, graphic and disturbing.  She can’t count the nights those horrifying pictures had stolen from her.  Fear became sleep’s greatest enemy.  

Why does she feel fear?  She wonders.  Everyone dies at some point.  She doesn’t wish to end like this.  She’s still young.  A full life ahead of her.  But alas, the devil doesn’t discriminate. 

She remembers Thirdy, blonde and joyous, like a bard from the old nations, singing tales of victory.  Tabitha, somber and thoughtful, her pieces questioned life and its meanings and the pondering of a human spirit.  Old Man William, with his one eye spectacle, writing stories since he was a young lad, encased with the wisdom he had gained over the years.  The list went on and on.  

Now, they’re all gone.  And she was left.  

Quinn, the one destined to spin the yarns.  She told stories not through a pen but with a loom and a spindle.   Her tapestries are a different kind of parchment/ medium.  But she was to end the same way as the rest of them.  

She couldn’t help but weep, tears falling from her eyes onto the colorful threads below.  It was finished.  She cut the thread and took out her final work.  

Death was near her door.  

She wraps it up quickly and hands it off to Maddy Lady, her beloved Lady-in-Waiting- (For our dear Quinn was a duke’s daughter, ironic how not even the guards could save her from her fate).  The girl ducks out the window, tossing the tapestry before jumping out as well,  falling onto the soft cloth below.  She picks it up and runs into the night, street oil lamps lighting her path as Quinn watches forlornly from her dimly-lit room until the shadows of an alleyway swallow her up.  

Wind blows through the open window, catching her curls and tugging at them, whilst drying the tears on her face.  Playful still, even with her end so close.  She hears his footsteps before she sees him.  She turns to face her murderer, the Author.  All the stories she’s heard of him come right back to her.

There’s no way to escape him.

He plays his game like he’s God.

In a way he is.

He controls your very being, your very life.

I’m sorry, she thinks, that the story you were a part of wasn’t one you were satisfied with.

But it gives you no right to do this.  

Dark eyes flash as if she had spoken her thoughts aloud and for a moment Quinn wonders if this mysterious killer is actually a woman.

A gloved hand reveals a gun beneath the robes, poised and ready.  A pointer finger held steadily over the trigger.  

Thirdy had been hanged.

Tabitha had been poisoned.

Old William stabbed.

Such an unromantic way to die, she couldn’t help but lament.

This whole time, dread had gripped the young girl.  But now, face-to-face with death, fear’s slimy grip falls away and she squares up to meet the Author.  Chin up.  Shoulders back.  Never let them see it.  

She remembers her friends.  

Smiling and laughing.

Thoughtful and curious.

Ancient and wise.

Their stories all wrapped in her blanket.  Hidden, safe.  Til Maddy Lady released it to the publishers and the aftermath would be so profound that all this bastard’s crimes would pale in comparison.  

She meets those eyes, one last time.

She knows now they can hear her.

So she screams in her mind,

One last line.

You can never keep us silent.

*gunshot

[nostalgiachan]

Wizards Hate Him!

Thirteenth Prompt: An enemy shows up in camp

Summary: Vier and Wyll commiserate over an unwelcome guest (788 words)

---

“Remind me, did I actually invite him, or did he simply show up?”

Vier pointed a fork in the direction of the foppish man lurking beyond the fire, at the other side of camp. He’d certainly made himself comfortable, taking up residence at a desk which was now strewn about with inkwells, quills, and parchment of varying levels of crumple. He hadn’t deigned to join the rest of them for dinner that night, instead “requesting” that Gale deliver his bowl to his desk, not that Vier particularly minded his relative absence.

“Who, Volo?” Wyll asked in return as he stabbed into a piece of roast. “If you did, I certainly can’t remember.”

“I see. And why is he still here? I thought he’d be leaving with the rest of the tieflings, but…here we are, halfway into the Underdark. And here he is, making Gale bring him food.”

“Because you have a heart and would hate to turn out a mostly defenseless fellow in a dangerous place such as this?”

A grimace crossed Vier’s face as she swallowed a bit of meat - not because of the meat, mind, as Gale’s cooking was as impeccably rich and flavorful as ever. “That’s precisely it, though; the Underdark is no place for a ‘mostly defenseless’ fellow, least of all a poncy bard that’s prone to waltzing blindly into danger.”

“Suppose he could be looking for material for his next guide,” Wyll mused as he idly dug about in his roast for any sign that Gale included a proper vegetable and not just a starch or, at best, a whole chunk of onion. “I’m not intimately familiar with his body of work, but I do know he’s written quite a few books about traveling across Faerûn. Tagging along with us would certainly provide excellent story fodder.”

“Well, if you see him wander off on his own to do some ‘research,’ don’t follow him,” Vier harrumphed, “and don’t give me the ‘Blade of Frontiers’ puppy dog eyes, either. My compassion has its limits. If he wants to go waltzing into the nearest Drow stronghold, that’s his prerogative. But while I may or may not have agreed to let him loiter about camp, I absolutely did not agree to be his security detail.” 

“You know, I am a little surprised,” said Wyll with a small wave of his fork, “you tend to reserve this sort of vitriol for the people who’re actually trying to kill us. What is it about Volo that has your ire so?”

Vier wiped a bit of gravy from her lower lip. “Would you really call this vitriol?” A sigh followed. “I just really don’t care for his type. So convinced he’s the smartest man in the room, that reality will simply rewrite itself around his fanciful yarns. And when inevitably, that puts him on the wrong end of the wrong person’s blade, it falls to everyone around him to get him out of danger. I wasn’t going to leave him in the goblin camp, but I’m not going to go chasing him halfway across the continent if he’s so bloody determined to get killed.”

After a swig of water, she concluded, “Besides, I don’t enjoy having my words misrepresented. I told that fop exactly what happened during that goblin attack outside of the Grove; he hardly listened to half my words, and then he discarded half of even that.”

All Wyll could do was chuckle in response. “Remind me never to misquote you, then,” he joked. “But, I suppose you have a point. We’ve got quite a bit on the to-do list without having to act as escort. But we won’t go throwing him out, though, right?”

With a heavy sigh, and an even heavier hang of her head, Vier groaned, “No. No, we won’t. Not unless he absolutely gives me a reason to.”

As she picked her head up once more, she peered across the fire at Volo’s desk, where Gale had finally arrived with his dish of roast. While she couldn’t hear anything from that distance, it appeared they’d begun exchanging words - or perhaps exchanging gestures was more apt, as they both seemed prone to talking with their hands. Soon, though, the motions changed, Gale’s noticeably growing more tense, until suddenly, a fireball formed in his open palm, and Volo quickly scurried away, fleeing from camp entirely.

“Or unless he gives Gale a reason to, I suppose,” Vier responded in surprise, tinged with a touch of relief. Had Volo written something of which Gale didn’t approve? Did he insult his service, or gods forbid, his cooking skills? Either way, she was sure he’d come scuttling back in time.

But as before, Vier wouldn’t particularly mind his relative absence.

[totallyuseless-ugh]

Sticky Note on the Dashboard

Wild West AU idea

A good half hour ride away from town stands the Old Ashton Ranch. It’s been passed down through generations and known for the excellent steed being raised and trained on the estate. But after a long drought, the family was forced to prematurely sell half of their horses and let go of all ranch hands in order to keep the rest. Cristoff also had to take on a job as cowboy to get money in hopes of getting the ranch back to its former glory.

The unfortunate events left Joane to take over with the help of her mother and three children, Henry, Aaron, and CJ (Cristoff Junior). Helena took care most of the house chores as best she could at her age, and Joane tended to the horses’ needs. Aaron and Henry also tried to help out as much they could after school. But the biggest role that Cristoff had left open was taken over by his oldest son.

From sunrise to sundown, they would be out training the younger horses and taking them to neighbouring farms and towns to accustom them to the presence of other animals, noise and crowds of people. CJ always looked up to their father and aspired to take over the ranch some day, but only now had they come to fully understand the amount of labour it took to run everything. So whenever possible, they would ride into town and go into a few shops to buy anything the family asked for, but also taking their time to chat with the shopkeepers (“to get the horses used to waiting outside”).

Their favourite place to stop at was “Hodge’s Crafts”, a large shop known for the wide variety of products they offered. Anything related to clothing, fabrics, yarns, leather or wood work could be found or commissioned here. And it was visible in every piece sold how much love the family had for the craft. If the Ashtons ever needed something, this was the first place they would go looking.

On a particularly tiring day, CJ rode off to the shop for a much needed break. Just the way into town was already enough to keep up their grumpy mood. Jackvill, the young horse CJ had been training for a few months, would not stop bucking his hind legs out at every other step, nor would he go any slower than a trot. All they could hope for was at least a few minutes of peace in the store, once Jackvill was tied to the pole.

Darnell's head perked up at the sound of the bell hanging over the door. Finally, a customer had come in. It was starting to get boring to the point of him starting to sort all the bills in the register to face all the same way. "Welcome to Hodge's Crafts. I'm Darnell, let me know if you need anything."

CJ already knew the standard greeting here. They would usually just nod their head, say a 'hello' back and then disappear somewhere in the store to get the things they needed. But after this horrible ride, they really needed some company to get their mood back up. "A bunch of things, actually."

"Oh," Darnell was surprised, yet relieved. He would not have to stand behind the counter awkwardly and pretend he was not peeking around the aisles to see what the customer was up to. "Well, what can I help you with?"

CJ put a creased piece of paper down in front of him. It was a rather short list, but the horrible handwriting made it a riddle to decipher any words. At least CJ mostly remembered the contents of the list anyway, thus making it easier to find everything.

On their way back to the till, they both passed the storefront windows. Darnell noticed the horse tied to the pole. One, because of the beautiful pattern of its coat. But mostly because Jackvill had his ears turned back flush to his neck and would not stand still for even a second.

CJ sighed at the sight, "Sorry 'bout him. Jax is still pretty green 'n stubborn.."

"I dunno, he seems a bit.. too uncomfortable for that," Darnell muttered. "Would you mind if I took a closer look at him?"

"Not at all. Though I dunno how much you might be able to find."

The two drop off the items by the till and headed outside to where Jackvill stood, or rather danced around. Darnell watched him for a while, how the horse rolled up his neck as far as possible to straighten out his back.

"Could you maybe give me the saddle for a sec?" Darnell asked after a moment. CJ shrugged. They were not entirely sure what the other was up to. But at this point, they were willing to try anything to have Jackvill be less of a nuisance. And just a couple of seconds after removing the saddle stood Jackvill more relaxed and let his head hang, ears twitching from side to side.

Upon closer inspection back inside, Darnell found the source of all the trouble. "This saddle is utterly worn. Must be the core that's got Jax in pain."

"Well I'll be damned," CJ cursed under their breath. "I s'pose I need a new one then?"

"Perhaps. But maybe it's possible to just change the core and readjust the saddle to fit Jax."

"Just what I needed.."

Darnell saw the dull look on CJ's face. It took no expert to see this surprise cost would not be easy for them to pay for. But that was the moment he got a brilliant idea.

"Okay, how 'bout a deal."

"What kind?.." CJ gave him a cautious look.

"I'll get the saddle repaired at no charge. But in return, you get our new carriage horses ready for their new job."

CJ still seemed suspicious of the offer, glancing at Darnell for a moment as if to figure out his intentions. Regardless, they eventually extended their hand to shake his. "It's a deal."

That day, Jackvill had to be walked back to the ranch as is back was loaded with no saddle or bags, but still had to carry the new things CJ had bought for their family. But they were happy nonetheless. About the deal, as well as the opportunity to leave the ranch more often and yet be in good company with one of the Hodges.