#Can Candle Wax Melt Plastic

[earthgift]

Using wax melts to freshen up your home or create a calming ambiance is simple. The fragrances easily awaken your senses since they are enhanced with natural odors. Each Wax Melt is painstakingly made by hand to emit a lingering, alluring scent. Making the most of your melts is what makes Earth Gifts stand out from the competition. Even novice users may take use of the full olfactory potential of these wonderful melts by following some straightforward "wax melts how to use" guidelines.

[pinknatural]

After googling “what to take to a stranger’s birthday party” and reading the top five articles thoroughly, the first two more than once, Castiel has determined that he should either bring candles, wine, or baked goods. 

A candle seems like a good, safe option, but the Walmart candle aisle is overwhelming. How is he supposed to know if Anna’s-friend-Dean likes oaky, woodsy smells versus lavender-linen smells? Castiel likes the one that smells like a waxy apple pie, but who’s to say that opinion is shared? What if he prefers pine, or something called Deep Twilight Mist? Castiel removes the lid for Deep Twilight Mist and smells the cream-colored wax curiously. It smells like the perfume Hael used to spray everywhere when she was eleven. He puts it back on the shelf. 

There’s a candle that smells like cupcakes. It is a birthday party, so perhaps he would like that. Castiel puts it in the blue plastic basket dangling from his arm, then puts it back on the shelf, tilting it so the label is facing perfectly outward. Maybe Anna’s-friend-Dean doesn’t like candles at all. 

Wine. Everyone likes wine. Well, unless Anna’s-friend-Dean is one of those guys who thinks wine is too feminine. Or if he doesn’t drink at all. Or if he drinks too much. Or, perhaps even worse, if he’s some kind of wine connoisseur and will mock Castiel for buying reasonably-priced wine from Walmart and then blacklist Castiel so thoroughly that he will never find a friend in this town. 

Wine and candles are too complex. But everyone likes baked goods. 

Castiel is stopped in the middle of the road, turn signal blinking to indicate that he would like to turn left into his apartment complex, when he realizes that Anna’s-friend-Dean could be diabetic. But the party is at a restaurant that specializes in hamburgers, so probably not. Hopefully not. All Castiel has to do is successfully implement chocolate chip cookies and then melt into the walls at the party. Be pleasant enough company that next time someone has a large event they allow Anna to invite him again. Go to enough social functions that he can claim to have friends and get Anna off his back. Live quietly, working at the Gas-N-Sip and writing papers about the science of Theology and perhaps even going to the library and reading secular fiction.

Castiel has no expectations of finding actual friendship at Anna’s-friend-Dean’s birthday party. Or ever, really. If he ever gets lonely, he can get a cat.

Anna thinks that Castiel and Dean will get along very well. Castiel thinks that living outside of their mother’s influence has made Anna believe in fairytales. Anna has known Castiel his entire life. She knows full well that he has never gotten along very well with anyone. 

Castiel cracks an egg over the batter. Maybe this whole baking thing will impress Anna so much that she’ll stop bothering him about making friends. 

Who knows, maybe these cookies will unlock something else to add to Castiel’s quiet life. He quite likes the idea of baking.

--

The firefighter is very beautiful. Maybe even the most beautiful person Castiel has ever seen, besides models on the sides of buildings who look so perfect they’re fake.

“You the guy who started the fire?” the beautiful firefighter asks. He puts his hands in his pockets. Castiel’s cheeks burn. Not from any fire. 

“They were just burnt cookies,” he says. “I didn’t know they would set off the smoke alarm.” In the entire building. The other firefighters are by the doors, writing things down, talking to other residents of Castiel’s building. How come the beautiful firefighter was the one who had to talk to Castiel? He sneaks a peek at the man’s arms, but they’re sadly covered by his coat. 

“You burned the cookies on purpose, then?” the firefighter raises an eyebrow. 

“Of course I didn’t,” Castiel says. The firefighter has green eyes and freckles splashed across his nose. Castiel wants him to take off his helmet so he can see what his hair looks like. 

“Right,” the firefighter says. 

“Am I in trouble?” Castiel asks. 

“No,” the firefighter says. He winks. Castiel feels his heart literally skip a beat. “Not a crime to burn cookies. Losing out on the cookies is punishment enough.”

“They weren’t for me,” Castiel says. “They were for a birthday party. Tonight.” For some reason, he wants the firefighter to know that he has a social life. Never mind if the social life was enforced upon him by his older sister.

“A birthday party? Today? Who’s hosting? I gotta fight for my honor.”

Castiel is baffled. What honor? What fight?

“What?”

“Everyone will come,” the firefighter says. He makes a pose, as if he’s flexing. “To see me and this other guy fight to see who’s the Supreme Birthday Boy.” He stretches one arm out, pointing it to the sky, then he opens his fist. “Pow! It’ll be me, of course.” He turns to look back at Castiel. His mouth is very pink. Castiel wishes he understood what words were coming out of it. 

“It’s my birthday, too,” the firefighter says after a moment, when Castiel doesn’t react.

“Oh,” Castiel says. “Why didn’t you just say that?”

“I dunno. Trying to be funny, I guess.”

“Oh,” Castiel says again. Behind the firefighter, he sees that the other residents of his apartment building are filing back inside. For some reason, despite the January chill, Castiel doesn’t want to go back in. Not yet. 

“You know, usually this is the part where people say happy birthday,” the firefighter says. 

“Happy birthday,” Castiel repeats. 

“Thanks!” the firefighter beams. “So do you think I should crash your friend’s party tonight?”

“No,” Castiel says, alarmed at the thought. A firefighter, and probably a bunch of other firefighters, crashing Castiel’s opportunity to stand beside the wall, holding a cup of sprite? When Castiel shows up with store-bought baked goods? And this beautiful firefighter will point right at him and say that Castiel invited them and then Anna’s-friend-Dean will hate him forever, and probably Anna will too? “Also, he’s not my friend.”

“He’s not? Then why are you going to his party?”

“He’s my sister’s friend,” Castiel explains. “I’ve never met him. She thinks I need to leave the house more.” Too late, Castiel remembers that he was supposed to pretend he had a flourishing social life. Oops. 

“Wait,” the firefighter says. His eyes sparkle. “Are you Anna’s brother? Cas-something?”

“Castiel,” he says, with the patience of someone who has had to explain his name a million times. He narrows his eyes. “How did you know that?”

“Dude,” the firefighter says, laughing. “I’m Dean.”

Anna’s-friend-Dean is a beautiful firefighter, with green eyes and freckles? Anna’s-friend-Dean is the Supreme Birthday Boy? Anna’s-friend-Dean probably has very muscular arms, under his uniform?

“Oh,” Castiel says. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” the firefighter says. 

“Winchester! Wrap it up!” one of the firemen calls from the truck. Castiel realizes that all the firefighters are about to leave, and everyone from his building is already back inside. When did that happen?

“Be there in a minute!” Dean hollers over his shoulder. When he looks back at Castiel, he grins almost shyly. “You were gonna make me cookies?”

“Yes, I--I thought it would be an appropriate thing to bring.” Castiel wonders again if Dean could be diabetic. Or perhaps allergic to something in chocolate chip cookies. Are chocolate chips made in a peanut-free facility? Maybe Castiel should’ve bought wine, after all.

“Hell yeah,” Dean says. “Whoever said that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach was dead-fuckin’-on. But, uh.”

“But?” Castiel is sure, suddenly, that Dean is about to reject him and tell him not to come to his birthday party after all. Which would be a shame, because all of a sudden Castiel wanted to go.

“My favorite dessert is pie,” Dean says like a confession. 

“Oh,” Castiel says, eyes widening. Maybe he can swing by the bakery--maybe he can look up a bakery, and then swing by it--on the way to the party. Assuming he’s still going. 

“And, uh, not to toot my own horn, but I make a pretty mean one. I actually made myself a birthday pie, and I was gonna eat it alone, but maybe…I mean…”

“Yes?” Castiel asks. Dean is slightly taller than him, so he tilts his head back to meet his eyes. Dean swallows. Castiel watches his adam’s apple bob.

“Well, I could swing by after my shift is done,” Dean says. “Bring it with me. We could share. Before we go to the Roadhouse, I mean. If you want.”

“I want,” Castiel says before he can think about it. He snaps his mouth shut. Dean brightens. 

“Great,” he says. “I’ll be back. After my shift.”

“When does it end?” Castiel asks. Dean looks at his watch. He grins at Castiel, tongue poking between his teeth.

“Twenty minutes,” he says. 

“Okay,” Castiel says. “I will you soon, then.”

“Yep,” Dean says. “Gimme about an hour, okay? And then we’ll have pie.” 

“Okay,” Castiel says. Dean turns to head back to the firetruck. “What kind of pie?” Cas calls after him. Dean turns. 

“Apple!” he calls. Castiel stands outside, in the January chill without his coat, for a long while after the truck leaves. What a strange man, making his own birthday pie. What a lovely man, sharing it with a stranger. Supreme Birthday Boy, indeed.

--

When Dean returns, in a soft flannel shirt with sleeves rolled up, revealing his magnificent forearms, his hair a spiky mess that Castiel wants to run his fingers through, he has, as promised, an apple pie. And Castiel has a present for him. 

When Dean opens it, he laughs until he almost cries. He lights it right away, and the lingering aroma of burnt chocolate chip cookies is chased away by the apple pie candle from Walmart, a bright, steady little flame flickering between them.

(ao3)

[cherryrikis]

사랑으로 (with love,)

PAIRING swim instructors riki x fem reader

WARNINGS mild profanity

GENRE enemies to ??, fluff, angst if you squint

SYNOPSIS you hated riki because when it came to teaching your classes, he always one upped you. but riki doesn’t hate you. so when you both are punished for breaking equipment, he uses every opportunity to try and talk to you.

a/n loosely based of personal experience cz im a lifeguard🛟 also not proofread

it was meant to be a part time summer job. you just wanted something to do with all your free time, now that school was out.

but, the kids grew to love you, and you grew to love what you do.

so, you began to work full time at the local community pool.

instead of 2 classes a day, you’d teach 4 classes a day. it wasn’t too bad, each class only being 30 minutes.

you were so glad to help out, often even training the new interns.

until one. nishimura riki.

he was barely an intern for a week before becoming a full time employee. at first, you paid him no mind. he was a good teacher. very professional and good with the kids, often demonstrating the skills they needed to know to pass his class.

but eventually, he became better. he grew to become an even better teacher than you. the kids who loved you since the beginning started requesting to be put in riki’s class.

you watched him from across the pool, playfully splashing his students (who really, used to be your students), as they squealed about how the water was too cold.

but he always noticed your gaze. he turned around, smiling at you softly.

and you hated it, you felt nothing but hatred for him to the core of your heart. most of the staff noticed it, and it made it a bit awkward to work with either of you.

it was around 8:00 when your last class had ended. all your co-workers were putting the lane lines back in, preparing the pool for the swim team’s practice the following day.

“y/n? can you collect all the kick boards and put them away?” the manager, anton, asked you. “riki, go help y/n with all the other equipment.”

“what?” your mouth fell open, “anton, i can do it myself,”

“y/n.” anton cut you off. “don’t fight it. just let him help you.” he sighed before walking back into his office to pack up for the night.

you stood still in the middle of the walkway, ignoring how your coworkers moved past you to go wash up in the showers.

finally moving out the way to collect the boards, you huffed as you saw riki follow you into the storage room.

it was eerie. the lightbulb constantly went out, so the staff just figured to keep a candle and a lighter on the shelf above the bins.

riki lit the flame before going to help you clean up.

as you finished stacking the equipment, you went to walk out of the room, but riki grabbed your hand, pulling you back in.

“why do you hate me?”

“i don’t hate you.” you mumbled, before attempting to leave once more, only to be brought back to him.

he raised an eyebrow, looking you up and down.

“fine, i just don’t like you.” you scoffed. “you constantly one up me, taking my position, and even luring my students over to your class. nowadays, i don’t even get paid as much as you do anymore!”

“it’s not my fault! you act like my sole purpose was to come here and take your place.” riki grimaced at you. “maybe i am just the better instructor between us. it’s not my fault you can’t accept that.”

one might say it was out of jealous rage, or just an intolerance of immaturity. but something inside you snapped.

you shoved riki’s shoulder, causing him to fall against the wall and hit the shelf which held the candle.

from that point on, everything was in slow motion. the sound of glass breaking was loud and very audible.

the hot wax spilled across the plastic bin, melting the lid and spilling all over the foam boards which sat inside.

“what the fuck y/n?” riki yelled out.

immediately, anton came rushing in. he looked inside the bin, noticing how there was now a huge hole burnt through the container and all the boards inside. the equipment was no longer usable.

“are you serious? who’s fault was it? who did it?” he asked sturnly.

“it was y/n.” “riki did it.”

“are you kidding?!” you both exclaimed in unison.

“you knocked over the candle.” “you pushed me!” riki scoffed in disbelief. “it was foam! how do you manage to damage foam of all things?”

“enough!” anton intervened. he looked between you and riki, before moving his gaze to your red swim shirts. lifeguard, it read.

“your shirts are a symbol of your dedication and responsibility as a lifeguard and swim instructor. you may be good in the water, but you are both unbelievable outside it. if you keep this up, you could get those shirts revoked.”

“anton.. i’m so sorry.” you apologized, realizing what you done and that it technically was your fault.

“as much as i appreciate your apology, an apology won’t fix this mess. you two are on cleaning duty. i’ll call the janitor to tell him he doesn’t need to come tonight. the keys are on my desk, lock up before you leave.”

you nod in response, but riki still had something to say. “what? this is completely unfair! if anything, she should do it herself!”

but by then, anton had already left. “asshole.” he muttered. “this is all your fault y/n! by this rate we won’t finish for another hour or two.”

“by this rate, we won’t finish at all if you keep standing there and doing nothing. go grab that trash bag and mop.” you sighed.

riki was hesitant to help, but did so anyway, knowing it wasn’t up to him.

after power washing the concrete floors, scrubbing the bathrooms, and replacing all the damaged equipment, all the work was done by 10:05pm.

“good job, i guess. just wait for me then we can go.” you muttered as you finished wiping down the mirror of the employee’s bathroom.

“why would i wait for you?” he scoffed.

“you’re the one who got us in this mess.”

“i- whatever. just, let me help you.” riki licked his dry lips, taking the sponge from you.

the pool doors and the office were all locked up. you both were ready to leave before he paused right in front of the entrance.

“you wanna get something to eat? i’ll drive you home after. you shouldn’t walk by yourself and especially not on an empty stomach.”

“yeah. that’d be nice.” you replied, smiling genuinely at him for the first time.

with the both of you freshly showered yet so tired, riki drove to the nearest mcdonalds, ordering for the two of you.

after the food was picked up at the window, he pulled up at empty parking lot, turning off the engine so you could eat together.

“why are you still so nice to me after i was so rude to you?” you asked with a quiet voice, suddenly feeling bad as you reflected on your past interactions

“you know, it was never on purpose..” he whispered.

“what?” you asked, confused. his answer seemed slightly unrelated to your question.

“earlier, when we were still at the rec center. i asked why you hated me, and you said i basically replaced you.” riki reminded. “it wasn’t on purpose. i just really liked you back when you were only training me. and i thought, i don’t know.. maybe you thought it’d be attractive if you saw i was good with kids or something. but i never meant to make you feel that way.”

“oh riki..” you pouted, putting your box of chicken nuggets down. “i’m so sorry. i had no idea. i mean, if it makes you feel any better, i thought you were pretty cute when i was training you.”

“yeah, i guess that actually does help.” he smiled.

“can i..” you mumbled, leaning forward towards riki as he remained still in the drivers seat.

slowly, he moved closer to you, before eventually connecting your lips in a gentle kiss.

you moved your mouth against his, softly deepening the kiss.

riki smiled against you, and it was very noticeable. you found it cute how his face ran hot when you finally pulled away to repeatedly peck his cheek.

he brought a hand up to your face, holding you delicately. you leaned into his touch, before grimacing as you felt a slimy substance touch you.

“ew, riki!” you exclaimed, realizing his thumb had just accidentally wiped mustard under your eye.

he laughed, the sound like music to your ears, before he helped you wipe it off.

“i’m looking forward to working with you now that we don’t hate each other. maybe whenever we make eye contact mid class, you’ll stop looking at me weirdly.” you joked.

“oh come on, you know i only ever looked at you with love”. riki pursed his lips into a smirk, before bringing your lips back against his.

[earthtooz]

x : BIRTHDAY WISHES ! :*+ﾟ

in which: you get your own surprise on todoroki shouto's birthday.

warnings: FLUFF! 1.8k words or so of it, reader gives deku the middle finger for funsies, BAD WRITING like when I SAY BAD I MEAN C-TIER AT BEST, shouto deserves better but i wanted to get this out in time for his birthday :(, kissing (oh my god... so scandalous), food cw

a/n: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TODOROKI WHO WILL ALWAYS BE #1 IN MY HEART. that's all i have to say, try to enjoy!

you're the first person to wish todoroki shouto happy birthday.

in fact, you've even taken the responsibility of driving to todoroki's residence, ringing his doorbell at exactly 11:55 pm, and greeting him with a sheepish grin when threw open the door a little too excitedly.

"hi," you whisper, holding three bags in two hands; one of them much smaller. it's thanks to the packaging that todoroki realises that it is cake, and the bakery-provided candles beside it are a given.

"hello," he greets back, stepping aside so he could let you into his toasty apartment (well- penthouse, really). "what brings you here?"

"you complaining?"

"not at all," the dual-quirk hero steps towards you to help rid you of your layers. he hangs your scarf and coat on the hanger by the entrance. "i'm just curious why you would sacrifice some much-needed rest for me."

"don't be ridiculous, shouto. it's what friends do."

friends. todoroki doesn't like the way that word sounds on your lips, especially when it's addressed to him.

before he can voice any of the distasteful feelings brewing within, you rush into his kitchen, exclaiming something along the lines of 'i'm almost out of time!' before leaving todoroki to dawdle after you. he does nothing but watch as you take the cake out of its box and stick a few candles in, lighting them with matches you brought yourself despite there being a six foot something tall matchstick right beside you.

your appearance is sudden, but not unwelcome. he likes how at home you seem, how normal it feels to have you beside him to celebrate another milestone of his life.

when you check your phone for the time, you exclaim a little in delight, noting that the time now read: 12:00, january 11.

"happy birthday, shouto!" you exclaim, clapping quietly out of excitement whilst todoroki looks at you with an affectionate smile. one that makes you melt a little, and you fear you'll soon be no better than the candles dripping their wax onto the icing of the cake.

"not gonna sing happy birthday for me?" he asks cheekily.

you scoff, a little embarrassed to sing in front of him alone. if it's anything that will deter todoroki, it'll be your singing. "ask one more time and i'll pack up and leave."

his low chuckle reverberates. "i wouldn't want you doing that." todoroki clasps his hands together, closing his eyes before blowing out the candles in one, swift breath.

"thank you, y/n," he says, sincerity lacing his tone. "it means a lot that you'd go out of your way to do this for me."

"of course," you say, handing him a classic, bakery-issued plastic knife. "anything to make your birthday memorable, shouto."

your sentence means a lot more to him than you'd think.

sharing cake with todoroki shouto at 12:04 am when you both had patrol in eight or so hours was not a point in life you'd ever anticipate being at. as you talk, you try your best to burn this moment into your memory, unsure of when you'd ever be this vulnerable with him again.

todoroki, on the other, non-existentialist hand, was comparing the sweetness of your laughter to the icing of the cake. a sound worthy of giving him another sugar rush, he concludes.

"i did beat everyone to wishing you a happy birthday, right?"

he hums in contemplation at your question, "most likely. let me check my messages."

as your dual-quirked friend fishes for his phone from his pocket, you try not to ogle at his beauty. it's unfair how good he looks, even under the harsh lighting of his kitchen, dressed in his silk pajamas that look irresistibly comfortable. from custom-installed tatami mats flooring every inch of his home to silk sleepwear, todoroki really adores snug things.

"fuyumi, natsuo, and midoriya all wished me happy birthday. midoriya texted at 12 exactly so i'm not too sure who won between you two," he informs you.

"midoriya, hm?" you mutter. "can i text him from your phone?"

"sure."

when he hands over his unlocked phone, you immediately click on the camera button, angling the device so it would be a selfie of you and todoroki. except you direct an unceremonious middle finger to the green-haired hero, sending the photo with the message 'beat you to it'.

"that was rude," todoroki teases, the small smile on his face telling you that he didn't mean any malice behind it. you give him back his phone, a small smirk on his face.

"he'll live," you joke. seriously, you've known midoriya way too long now to get petty over a middle finger. "i got you some presents."

"can i open them now?"

"yeah of course!" reaching for the bags at your feet, you present your first one to him which was, mostly, a gag gift that you couldn't resist buying when you saw it. some part of you genuinely hopes that he'll appreciate it though.

when peeking into the paper bag, todoroki's eyebrows crease in confusion, and it wasn't until he fished it out that his confusion turned into delight.

"where did you get this?" he asks, inspecting it as he holds in up in his arms.

"a local hero merch store!" you begin, unable to contain your giggles. "did you know that a recent toy campaign turned some of you guys into cats? it was so weird- i thought it was a little odd at least, but yours is adorable!"

seeing todoroki, the mystical, dreamy, and devastatingly handsome public figure of the century, hug the plush so innocently in his arms was giving you a rush of serotonin. the resemblance was uncanny too, the cat had a white base with a fair amount of red spots dotting it; kind of like a calico design but only with one colour. the best part was that the cat was seated in a perfect loaf position and if that wasn't todoroki shouto as a cat, you'd be lying to yourself.

unable to resist taking a picture, you're almost tempted to save it as a home screen because of how pure and wholesome he was.

just wait til 'people' magazine sees this photo of their undefeated 'sexiest man alive' recipient.

"isn't it cute?" you questioned, "i was almost tempted to buy one for myself."

"this is really fun to hug." for good measure, he squeezes it in his vice grip twice, grinning whilst doing so. you pretend to ignore the way his biceps flex, stretching his silk sleepwear.

"you should have seen bakugou and midoriya's. bakugou's was so funny, the manufacturer really captured his energy. midoriya's was also really cute- all three were just straight up adorable."

"was mine better than theirs?"

"of course, shouto. anyways, i just thought it'd be funny to give you, if you don't like it then-"

"-i do like it. you gave it to me."

this man is bad for your health. you had to pinch yourself to not scream from how charming he was. one sentence and you're practically gone- it's pathetic.

"okay!" you exclaim, trying to wave away how flustered your face felt from that one comment. "second and last gift!"

placing the cat plushie on the counter, todoroki accepts the gift bag you shove in his direction rather readily, furrowing his eyebrows once again as he goes to pull out the contents. does he know about his 'eyebrow' habit?

"you haven't decorated your place much since you moved in so," you begin justifying, feeling impatient, "i wanted to take the liberty of giving you a few things to decorate your home with."

four photo frames appear in his hands and he takes the time to study all of them carefully. they were all filled with photos of him with friends which you got printed.

you stand rooted to your spot with anxiety bubbling in your stomach at how he'll receive your idea. you hope he liked it - todoroki has never been one for sentimental or daring gifts so you hoped this one wasn't too out of the box.

at his silence, you begin to grow more apprehensive, walking over so you could look at the photos too. "there's more photos in the bag if you don't like the ones i chose-"

"-i love them. you're really thoughtful, y/n."

"am i?" you blabber.

"yeah. these are nice memories. this one of iida, midoriya and i at graduation is making me nostalgic," he mumbles, "but my favourite has to be this one."

todoroki shows you the picture in question and your heart stops beating for a moment. it's one of you and him together from when you went to go see the cherry blossoms bloom. uraraka took the photo if you remember correctly. it's one of your most loved photos.

"i really like this one of us," he comments, reading your thoughts. "i'm glad that i can have this in my house now. these frames are all nice additions, i didn't think i needed them. thank you, y/n, really."

he looks up at you with such fondness it almost has you throwing up, your heart ready to leap out of your chest and land straight in todoroki's hands to begin serenading him. you do, after all, owe singing him the 'happy birthday' song.

then, he unexpectedly stands up, somehow manoeuvring you so that your back was now pressed against the countertop with him hovering in front of you. your escape (not that you needed it) was now blocked by his overwhelming figure.

should you be terrified? because you are. delightfully so.

"there's one more gift i'd like to ask of you," begins todoroki shyly, leaning his hands on either side of you. "if you wouldn't mind."

you were going to explode. combust. erupt. literally detonate and paint his walls with a silly shade of love.

"a little selfish tonight, are we?" you tease, trying your best to keep your cool and- if he kept leaning in closer you were actually going to freak out so if he knew what's best for him he'd-

"can you blame me? it is my birthday after all."

"what do you need?"

the way his eyes glance down to your lips provides an immediate answer. you know he hears your breath hitch because this jester has the nerve to smirk despite the anticipation weighing down the atmosphere.

todoroki's face is millimetres away from yours when he suddenly pauses, his warm hand going to grab your face as he whispers an 'is this okay?' and your only sane response is to kiss him silly.

it's a gentle meeting of souls. not hurried or rushed, simply two humans trying to explore the other in ways deeper than anything physical. with the way todoroki's other hand roam from your waist to your hip, you can tell he is analysing how to support and hold you in the most gentle way possible, studying you like no other can.

with the same passion, your arms wrap around his neck, hand gently tugging at the hairs on the back of his head. the sensation makes him smile. his smile feels unreal against you and you suppose that this a luxury many won't get in their lifetime, not even you can recall how you got here. you just hope he understands how much adoration you have for him.

you want to uncover and understand more of the enigma that is todoroki shouto, but, as you separate from his embrace with the desire for air, you realise that you now have all the time in the world.

"you shouldn't be going home at this hour. it's dangerous," todoroki comments, briefly breaking the dreamy state of your mind.

you chuckle quietly. "i'm a full-fledged hero, shouto. danger should be scared of me," you boast, slightly unsure of how credible your statement is, but your confidence makes the dual-quirked hero smile.

"that's true, but still. won't you stay with me?"

after a faux moment of deliberation, you give in to his pleas with a nod, causing him to smile gently as he begins to lean in again.

before your lips could meet again, todoroki whispers something against them.

"birthday wishes do come true."

[buggywiththefolkmagic]

Only YOU Can Prevent Witchy Fires

Hello witches, workers, and all in between! Your friendly neighborhood Granny is here to teach you a few things about fire safety!

Yes, yes, I know. “But Buggy, this is tumblr! And you're on a boring witchcraft blog! What do we need a lesson on fire safety for? We aren’t in kindergarten!” But trust me! More than one witch has accidentally singed their hair or set their own altar on fire before! Sometimes we get so into the spiritual that we forget to be mindful of the reality around us.

I’m going to go over a bundle of good tips to keep in mind for making a wax seal over that spell jar or burning a few bay leaves or ingredients to release that nonsense into the air! Even a section for the kitchen witches!

Indoor Safety:

*Those annoying fire alarms? Make sure they are operational okay? Change those batteries at least once a year, preferably twice. (If it is something you are in control of.)

*Always use a fire-safe candle holder for candles! Trim down that wick before lighting! I know it seems silly to use a pair of scissors or a wick trimmer, but trimming down that wick will always make that flame much easier to manage. And that flame? If it gets big enough to cause black smoke ALWAYS put it out.

*Always keep the candle in your line of sight, no meditation with an open flame going okay? Also if your candle is big enough to burn for more than four hours...put it out at the 4 hour mark.

*The longer a candle burns the more carbon gathers on the wick itself and that can make the flame get bigger and more unstable. Those ultra-wobbly flames that flicker and waves like one of those wacky inflatable arm flailing tube men? That is something you don’t want.

*Putting out a candle: We don’t recommend putting it out with your fingers no matter how cool it looks. Use a candle snuffer, or blow it out. I promise blowing out a deity candle won’t insult them!

*Another crucial tip is to keep anything that could catch fire a minimum of three feet or 91 centimeters AWAY from the fire source. That includes carpeted flooring, cloth, hair, rugs, altar cloths, papers, books, all sorts of things! Always wear your hair back when working with fire, and wear close fitting clothing that won’t hang or drape into the fire with your movements.

*Another tip given straight from the NSC is to NEVER use candles or other fire sources while tired or inebriated! That means no 2 am spell jars if you are half asleep! ALSO never EVER leave a candle WARM or actively BURNING! Same goes for any items you are burning down like bay leaves. Burn them in a fire safe bowl that is much bigger than you think you need. Toss the debris around and soak in water to ensure they are safely doused.

*IF you are using wax to seal off spell jars I highly suggest getting a wax sealing kit! Wax sealing kits come with a little spoon that you drop bits of wax into and ‘melt’ them down over something like a tea candle. An example is this: Which you can find on Amazon for roughly $10 USD!

The spoon is perfect for pouring and there’s less likelihood of the candle you would sit on top of the jar from falling off because...there is no candle! If you only have a candle to work with...please don’t burn the candle on top of the object you are sealing, put the candle in a safe holder and hold it over the object once warm to let the wax drip down. Have the object you are sealing sitting on top of a safe ceramic plate or bowl in case of drippage!

But what do I do if a fire starts?

Good question! That depends on the type of fire it is! Here’s a breakdown of the types and methods to put them out: Ordinary Fire: An ordinary fire is caused by candles, papers, cloth, plastics, that sort of thing!

The good news is these types of fires respond amazingly well to plain old water! It’s always advised that you keep a bucket or pitcher full of water within reach whenever using candles just in case!

Electric Fire: Electric fires are caused by a source of electricity, like wires getting crossed and arching.

NEVER use water on an electrical fire! If you do, you'll just electrocute yourself. If it’s safe to do so...unplug the object from the outlet. Turn off the electricity in your house’s electric breaker box. Smother the flames by pouring baking soda onto them.

Chemical Fire: Chemical fires have a chemical as a fuel source, like rubbing alcohol, nail polish & polish remover. Even your nails near a candle can produce a small chemical fire if you aren’t careful! (Dry those nails up good before using candles.) These fires can only be put out with a fire blanket OR pouring a LARGE quantity of baking soda or sand onto the fire.

Cooking Fires: Cooking fires are the most common form of household fire. It can be caused by grease, burning food, or burning cooking oil. Water will NOT work on any fire oil or grease based, it may seem like a first instinct to grab the pan and toss it into a sink with water...DON’T.

That will cause the oil to splatter and can injure you and make any flames spread further! It the fire is small enough and contained within a pot or skillet, have a lid or baking sheet handy and throw that onto the top of the fire, this will smother it out. A fire blanket can also be used for this. Do NOT swat at the flames, this is just a fanning motion and will give the fire more oxygen to grow with! Pour a large amount of salt or baking soda on top of the fire. MAKE SURE it is not flour, as flour will cause the fire to grow quick enough to even explode! Turn off any heat source.

And if the fire is in the oven or microwave? Leave that door CLOSED. It seems super scary but the fire will smother itself out when trapped in a small box. (Of which both cooking items are.)

Outdoor Safety:

Never burn outdoors if it is windy or extra dry! Do not burn general trash, only burn natural dry vegetation/herbs. Always check your local ordinances and make sure there are no burn bans in your area currently active!

If you are going to burn outside, clear away a circular space for the burning items. Far enough away from overgrowth, houses, powerlines, and other such things. The burning site should have plenty of dirt or gravel around it, usually around 10 feet, 304 centimeters circular if burning a campfire-size burning space. Make sure the dirt and gravel is well doused in water to prevent any spreading.

Always stay around the fire until it is completely out. Turn the debris from your burn a few times and douse it hard with water. NEVER leave dry ash on the ground, embers could be still warm enough to catch on the inside of the ash! Keep checking on that burn area for a few days or a few weeks to make sure nothing is left, especially during warmer or dryer months. Don’t toss matches or other lighting instruments just anywhere! Those can still be warm and still catch grass alight.

And there you have it! A crash course on being safe with fire while doing your thing and slinging your spells!

[dwntwn-strnlo]

CANDLES matt sturniolo

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 𝓈𝒾𝓃𝒸𝑒𝓇𝑒𝓁𝓎, dwntwn-strnlo.

↳ 𝐀/𝐍. i love candlemaking

↳ 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆. matthew sturniolo x reader

↳ 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘. candlemaking

↳ 𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃? no!

↳ 𝐂𝐖! language

"which scent do you wanna use?" you asked giddily, one of your favorite parts of october is the tradition of making candles that you started a few years ago.

every october 1st, you make candles, whether it be by yourself, or with a friend. but this year you finally get to introduce the tradition to matt. which is why you now stand in a candle shop, trying to help your indecisive boyfriend pick out a scent.

"i don't know," he groans, running a hand through his coffee-colored hair. "either cinnamon pine or pumpkin, but they're both basic and i don't want that."

you giggles lightly, walking up beside him, adjusting the tote bag slung over your shoulder. "that's okay," you smile, rubbing your thumb across the nape of his neck. "i can make cinnamon pine and you can make the pumpkin one."

he turns to meet your eyes, furrowing his brows. "you sure? you can pick whatever you want it doesn't have to be one of these."

pressing a soft kiss to his shoulder, you shake your head. "i've made a million candles, i can go once without picking a scent for myself," you reassure. "and i'll make a million more."

matt flushes red, smiling bashfully as he turns away. turning back to meet you're eyes, "okay."

you grab the two oils before taking a sip of your coffee and dragging him to the front.

. . .

"you just need a few cubes of wax," you demonstrate, grabbing enough wax cubes for both of your candles and placing them in a metal sauce pot. he nods, wrapping his arms around you from behind, placing his chin on your shoulder.

"just keep stirring it as it melts," you say, handing him an old rusty spoon. the same one you've been using since you started just so you don't mess anymore up.

he takes the spoon and gently stirs it a circular motion, watching as the cubes meld together. eventually making a thick liquid.

"okay now," you mumble, standing up straighter to pull to plastic bowls out of the cabinet once matt steps back, and placing them on the countertop. "we put a few drops of oil in the wax."

matt hums, equally distributing the melted wax into the bowls before picking up the pumpkin scented oil. 

letting a few drops fall out of the tiny bottle and into your bowl. stirring it together.

"we'll put them in the glasses in a second," you informed once you we're both done. spinning around to press a soft kiss to his lips. pulling away, he chases after your lips. bringing you back into his hold. you giggle, running your thumb over his freckled nose.

. . .

"why is yours so strong?" taking another whiff of his pumpkin candle, you laugh, knitting your brows together. you just lit your candles and his is insanely strong.

he shrugs, "dunno. i think i put to much in," he giggles.

blowing his out, you nod with a smile, "yeah maybe yours can be for decoration."

rolling his eyes playfully, he pulls you in for a kiss. "how do i know you didn't secretly pour the whole bottle in when i wasn't looking?"

laughing, you smile brightly up to him, "oh yeah i did, i really wanted to sabotage your candle making skills."

"i knew it!" he teases with a grin.

pulling him in for another kiss you smile at the blue eyed boy, "hey at least your pretty!"

he scoffs with a smile, quickly turning around to blow at your candle in a counteract to your playful insult. "fuck you."

"that was unnecessary!"

TAGLIST

@thetriplets3 @stxrniqlo @ifilwtmfc @iha8you @oneirophobic @20nugs @gracietaylorsversions @fenoy7 @mlimmm @prettysturniolo @ssturniolo @gabbylovesreading @oh-toseewithoutmy-eyes @matthewmurdockswife @jellybeanbby @slaysturniolo @iheartshifting @mxqdii

[celestiaras]

‧₊˚✧ ❛[ longing for you ]❜

ft. vezalius bandage x f! reader — krisis, nijisanji en

╰₊✧ just as he’s about to give up hope, you return home to him┊1.7k words

contains: smut!! dom zali & sub reader┊established relationship, reader is a hero & part of krisis, slight angst but fluffy smut with lots of love, drinking alcohol (but no intoxication), one mention of pervy zali, receiving oral (you can pry munch zali from my cold, dead hands), lingerie, overstimulation, zali humps the mattress to get off

➤ author's note: this was so last minute and rushed within like two horny hours, a late valentines gift to mark my return from my semi-hiatus and something for your times of turmoil┊based off his valentine’s day song (here)

he stared at the clock hanging on the wall painted orange from the last bit of sunset out the window, feeling like he was going to go mad from the constant ticking sound that was filling the silence which was ever so loud. strumming his acoustic guitar and humming a song with lyrics about his predicament was helping somewhat, but it couldn’t help lift the rejected feeling weighting on his heart. he knows that a hero’s work is never done and (especially during a holiday when no one was expecting anything) villain strike at any moment they feel fit, but couldn’t they have chosen a day that wasn’t when there were already plans?! action movies were usually unrealistic, but he’ll agree that them having the worst timing ever was accurate as they even attacked on christmas eve once a few years back.

the dinner that he prepared was just barely lukewarm at the surface would need to be reheated and the flames of the candles were beginning to dwindle in the deep puddle of wax. he didn’t want to text you when you were coming home, especially in case you were in battle at the moment, however that message that you would be home nearly an hour ago wasn’t providing him with much hope. he isn’t doubtful that you’ll make it out unscathed, but he is getting doubtful that you’ll make it home in time with enough energy to spend your first valentine’s day together with him. his heart yearns for nothing except to see you smile as you two make a toast to your love and laugh over fond memories.

darkness was beginning to settle as zali sighed, turning on the lights in the kitchen before getting up to wrap the dinner with plastic wrap and put them away in the fridge. he isn’t mad at you for making him wait, he could never be mad at you for something like that, but he is disappointed since he was looking forward to this little date so much while you were gone since morning to sort out other things at headquarters. while he loves having a day off as much as the next person, it’s a shame that they said that they didn’t need his help because he just wanted to be by your side for today even if you were both working.

after another hour of scrolling on his phone, he decided to call it there. just as he put away all of the dishes and was preparing for bed (after eating a meal of instant noodles because it didn’t feel right to eat the dinner he made without you), the sound of jiggling keys and the opening of the front door that’s he’s been waiting for all day finally reached his ears. he didn’t see you come in, but he certainly heard you kick off your shoes and throw your coat on the couch.

“oh, zali! sorry i only got back just now, you would think that a villain would just go out peacefully for once without a plot-twist,” you complained. you sounded exhausted from the long day, but more than anything, you sounded guilty with a slight crack in your voice. “oh, is he asleep? i should probably keep it down…”

your words trailed off as you shut-up and headed over to the dining room, feeling your heart sink at the melted candles and rose petals strewn about on the rectangular table. he assumed that you would be back sometime in the late morning as you usually do when you’re out for this long and fully intended to clean up the mess when he woke up, but now he was the one feeling guilty when he saw the look on your face.

he tip-toed behind you and embraced you from the back, resting his head in the crook of your neck as you gasped in surprise and relishing the feeling of having you in his arms. “welcome home, i missed you…” he murmured into your shoulder, knowing that you must have let your guard down once you entered the house because anyone else would have been punched through the wall.

once his hold on you loosened, you turned around hugged him back, “sorry i’m late… you prepared an entire fancy dinner for me and i showed up too late…”

“it’s never too late for you to come home,” he assured, making you feel more at ease. “have you eaten yet? i’ll heat up dinner…”

“that sounds perfect,” you looked up from his chest and beamed a smile at him, making butterflies flutter within him. “i’ll go shower in the meantime!”

maybe he would argue that dinner with you felt even more meaningful now since his heart was now rejuvenated after feeling hollow from your absence. despite the late hour, you were currently buzzing with life and had him laughing until his sides were sore. the reheated dinner was still delicious nonetheless and the wine had a wonderful aroma, even though you were dressed in nothing but a bathrobe after rushing out the shower, it was all uplifted by your angelic presence while you chatted away about your day and how it reminded of you about when you first met him.

“you know…” even though he was resting on top of the bed covers waiting for you to join him, you knew without looking that his eyes were slightly open to peek at you while you strip. “you aren’t the only with a surprise planned tonight…”

he hummed in response, wondering what you had up your fluffy white sleeves before his jaw dropped and his eyes widened. you had dropped the robe on the floor to be forgotten and revealed to him a lovely royal blue babydoll lingery dress, a set that was clearly new considering that he’s never seen it before. he shot up from his position embarrassingly fast on the edge of the bed, allowing you to stroll over and position himself in his lap. “i thought you completely naked under there,” he chuckled, feeling the material under his touch, not sure where to look when you were so dazzling and presented to him with a ribbon on top.

“would you have preferred it?” you asked, teasingly allowing one of the straps to fall down your shoulder.

“it could be any way as long as it’s you.”

you lowered your head to kiss him, feeling the hunger and longing from his mouth as he moved his hands to cup your face to deepen it. you initially planned to push him back onto the sheets and get in between his legs to suck his cock that was getting harder by the second, but he clearly had other plans in mind as he laid sideways instead to get you on the bed and under him. you didn’t have any underwear on, so there was nothing in his way as he bunched up the fabric at your sides to reveal your cute pussy to his excited eyes.

“god, so eager already?” you giggled, wiggling you hips to tempt him even further. “you probably been thinking about this all night, poor zali, i left you all alone and desperate…”

he didn’t deny a single word you said and instead decided to dip his head to enjoy, throwing your legs over his shoulders and using his thumbs to spread your folds for easier access to your little bundle of nerves. you rocked your hips against his face and locked your thighs around his head, knowing full well that he loves getting suffocated by your thighs. he couldn’t even say anything as it would get muffled, but you would argue that he was just as good at eating pussy as he was smooth-talking with his french accent.

you didn’t think that it was possible for him to get closer to you, but he proved you wrong by groping your ass and pulling you in. his nose pressed against your clit as his tongue licked long stripes along your cunt, occasionally changing pace by thrusting the muscle into your hole with rhythmic ease instead to feel your walls clench around it instead of nothing.

fuck, he felt like he could cum just from your pretty noises and expressions alone, looking up at you with dreamy half-lidded eyes while yours were shut tight. he didn’t even realize that his hips were moving on their own to press into the mattress for that bit of friction he needed to push over the edge, he was just hyper-focused on making you get there yourself. if he could get rewarded like this whenever you returned late, he’d wait for you for an entire two days (what did you expect? he can’t last any longer without you even with voice and videos calls, it’s why neither of you are ever based very far from home when working).

you would like liked to praise him, tell him what a good job he was doing and how good he was making you feel, but every time you tried to speak, moans and whines bubbled out instead. he had you reduced to a shuddering mess in no time flat and sent electricity up your spine, not needing any words from you because how loud you were quite literally spoke volumes on his part.

“ah- fuck- zali, ‘m gonna…!!”

he couldn’t answer you, just continuing what he’s been doing to deliver you to your orgasm which changing his speed or his patterns since he was clearly doing a good job. your skin ran hot and your vision of him between your legs suddenly sparked white as you climaxed, closing up your throat as you threw your head back to catch your breath with sharp gasps. zali reached out to hold your hands that were previously clutching onto the sheets, helping you ground yourself and return to reality after feeling like you were sent to heaven.

he had a stupid smirk on your face that just made you want to affectionately smack it off his face, knowing that he got the better of you by taking control tonight when you planned to. he’ll let you dom another time, he just wanted to feel you cum on his tongue one more time in this position before moving on to anything.

[https-witch]

🕯️How to use your leftover wax🕯️

💨from candles that don't light anymore 💨

Here are a few techniques :

1. BOILING WATER 💦🕯️

Bring water to a boil & pour it in your candle container. I've tested with & without covering, but haven't noticed much of a difference.

Pros: when it solidifies, it gives you a nice slab of wax. It only requires a kettle.

Cons: some candle require to do this process multiple times & there is some wax left in the container that you need to wash out.

2. BAIN MARIE 🛁🫙

Fill a pot with a little bit of water, put a bol on top of it (no plastic). Remove the wax from your candle container as best you can & put it in the bowl. It will slowly melt.

Pros: Allows you to pour the wax in a new container easily. Allows you to add ingredients to your candles while the wax is liquid.

Cons: Requires a pot & a bowl. You can burn yourself. You need to clean the bowl afterwards.

3. MICROWAVE 📺 💡

I don't use this, but I guess it works. You should scrape the inside of your candle to put the wax in a microwave safe bowl. Cook slowly, 10 or 20 seconds at a time. Pour in another container once melted.

Pros: I'm not sure honestly. I guess it's convenient? Efficient?

Cons: Might mess up a bowl. You'll have to clean it. Might take a long time.

Keep me updated if any of you try these for the first time! I hope this helps!

Tip me

[undiscovered-horizon]

Hello! Can I request a Morpheus x Reader where reader is insomniac, and it takes a lot for them to fell asleep. Morpheus has always been worried and he always offered his help, but they always refused ‘cause they didn't want to bother him. Until one night they're too tired and they call for him. Morpheus is glad to finally help, so he decides to spend the night with them until they fall asleep. Something fluffy and comfort. Thank you so much 💖💖

Fun fact: There's an old expression in Polish "in the embrace of Morpheus/in Morpheus's embrace" which means to be asleep. | Sandman-inspired playlist

Melatonin usually worked - usually being the operative word. Despite your best efforts and commitment to at least a dozen tips and tricks to fall asleep, you had found yourself getting at most 3 to 4 hours of rest at night. Maybe it was enough to stay alive and sane but your entire day was spent on thinking about how tired you were while attempting to manage your irritability.

But this night, nothing was going to work. You knew that the moment you lay in bed, 2 AM, with your eyes open wide as if you didn't get barely a third of the recommended amount of sleep for the past week. It was going to be a long, frustrating night.

Although, 'nothing' wasn't quite honest. There was something else, someone else, who could help but you never really considered that option. Despite his adamant reassurances that he wants to help you should you find it impossible to fall asleep, you hated the thought of bothering Morpheus. Not because he was snarky about helping mortals, it was quite the contrary, but because you could only imagine how busy he was. The King of Dreams, at night, surely had more important things to do than put his duties on hold to put a human to sleep. Besides, it wasn't like you hadn't slept for the last few days at all; your case of insomnia was an inconvenience but not an emergency.

You looked at the bedside table standing right next to you. In the drawer, there was a plastic bag of birthday candles, each of them with "Morpheus" written on them. It was probably the closest thing to a speed dial one could put an eldritch being on. Should you become desperate enough, you could simply light one of them and wait until the candle burns out to personally tell Morpheus that you give in to his offer of help.

When the pink and white birthday candle was being consumed by a flame, you were seriously considering putting it out and just putting up with your suffering. You were an adult and that meant taking care of your own problems without kicking a fuss but after a good week or two of little to no sleep, even mature grown-ups become a little toddler-like. If Morpheus does show up like he promised, you could always put the blame on him - he was the one offering to help with your insomnia any time you liked, so he was the one responsible for having to put his duties on hold for you... right?

You watched the melted wax pool on the saucer. It was quite pretty: a sea of white with streaks of bright pink. The room looked surprisingly dark without a source of light. Now, you were sentenced to rely on the streetlamps outside. Turning on the light in your bedroom would be counter-productive as you had learned quite early on in your battle with insomnia that it only made falling asleep harder.

"Anytime now, King of Brooding," you murmured under your nose.

"Are you alright?" a low voice resounded throughout your bedroom. It was one of those strange little ways he expressed his affection and concern.

He was standing on the threshold of your bedroom, unsure whether he was welcomed into the privacy of it. Looking at Morpheus's face, you couldn't tell whether he was upset with you for interrupting him with whatever it was he was doing beforehand but, truthfully, you couldn't tell much from his facial expression at all.

"Yes but no?" It was then, when he slowly walked towards you, that you thought summoning him was the worst idea you had in quite a while. "It's a moderate 'no', I'll live but..." you hung your voice before sighing heavily, "I admit defeat."

A smile of amusement appeared on his face as though he actually did win some kind of a bet. Or, perhaps, he wasn't going to gloat in his triumph but hold dear that one night when you indirectly told him that you needed him.

Wearing a grim expression, you moved to the side of the bed to make space for him but he didn't pick up on the cue right away. Instead, he stared at the spot you prepared for him with a strange intensity. Something was making him reluctant to lay or even sit next to you but by the flexing muscles of his jaw, as he clenched and relaxed it repeatedly, you could tell a part of him was desperate to do so.

Finally, in slow, perhaps slightly anxious, steps, Morpheus accepted your invitation and lay on top of the bed next to you, still dressed in outdoor clothes. He didn't bother slipping under the covers but it wasn't the temperature that concerned him - he thought it rude to invade your privacy further without your explicit demand, no matter his own desires.

With equal reluctance and hesitation that elicited an infantile giggle from you, Morpheus put his arms around you. His limbs were oddly stiff as if he was navigating uncharted waters, which obviously wasn't true. In an attempt to coax him further into the pleasant intimacy, you cuddled up to him, resting your face against his chest. You felt his chin barely brush past the top of your head. Despite his inhuman, strangely thin yet muscular, physique, Morpheus was quite comfortable to lay against or maybe it was his aura that simply made it irresistible to fall asleep.

As minutes went by, you felt Morpheus becoming more relaxed. At some point, his fingers began shyly grazing your skin as though he was anxiously exploring the boundaries between the two of you. There was something truly wonderful about lovers discovering how much trust is put into them, that their hands will caress, not strangle, and just how much their presence is yearned for by another person.

"I'm sorry for bothering you," you whispered into the pleasantly silent night.

You couldn't see it but he was smiling, revealing his heart's desires in that one, small expression of gentle adoration. "I enjoy being bothered by you," he answered equally quietly just before you fell asleep.

[wicca-foxes]

Witchcraft and recycling

Wicca, and by extension witchcraft, value nature as both a host and a guest in our lifes. Making the most of our resourses is both financially wise and respectful of our believes and values. It is very easy to emast a wide catalogue of stuff in our every day lifes, harvesting what we can to reuse can be a fun way to recycle.

A few examples of using "scraps" for witchcraft:

recycling paper at home, using opened envelopes to write your spells/notes on;

collecting rainwater to use in spells and for watering plants;

using kitchen scraps (like lemon peels, orange peels, used cinnamon sticks) as offerings;

using the coffee zest for fertiliser (do not worry it is around pH7 and it's perfectly safe for plants and/or composting - I have tested it) or lose tea;

using old/damaged chopsticks as a "beginner wand";

the bottles from cooking extracts (vanilla extract, orange extract) or essential oils bottles are PERFECT for storing seeds and for being spell jars (bonus points because they're so small and cute!);

re-melting remaining wax from candles to form new ones;

using old paintbrushes as a "beginner broom" (especially good for a hidden/small-pocket sized altar);

using an old pot as a cauldron, or thrifting one as needed;

using pressed/dried flowers as offerings;

considering a digital book of shadows (Word is excelent for this, combining it with Excel, can be used in browser for free);

using digital libraries for books of study (@coreycore420 mentioned https://z-lib.org and it's a godly recommandation and tool!);

avoiding essential oils;

using dried pine needles as incense sticks (for outdoor use only);

growing a few herbs used in both spells and cooking in tin cans (starters) then thrifted pots is amazing!;

going around your neighborhood, take a look around the dumpsters or glass collectors, people can throw away usable pots, plastic storage boxes, baskets or jars and glass bottles (make sure to properly clean and clense the item);

if avalable - trade and swap local groups on Facebook can help you thrift with ease, especially if you don't have thrift stores where you live;

using old papers/magazines as packaging/wrapping paper (hello holidays).

With all these corner-cutters, you need to be careful to not hoard items. I have made the mistake of holding to items thinking I can find them an use, my rule of thumb is that 1 month is enough to plan a craft/purpose, and 2 months to execute it, ajust the time to your liking, but don't keep it longer than 6 months overall. Also be prudent with what you plan to reuse, as certain ideas can be dangerous (not me looking at my idea to reuse burned out lightbulbs and cutting myself by mistake), so don't force anything.

I want to highlight an important aspect: you doing all these things, bending your way back to have a lesser impact on the environment, is not going to make the big impat you dream of. Take it as "I'm doing my part to respect my host and my believes", or as a challange. Do not sadden youself for your waste, as most of the time it is forced upon you.

Nowadays you can opt out of certain waste (opting for no cutlery if buying takeaway, bringing your own coffee cup/thermos to a coffee shop to avoid the paper cups, bringing your own reusable straws, using trays or silicone ice cubes instead of using the plastic ice-maker packs, etc.). There are little changes you can make, or ask for, in your life in order to minimise your waste, or just to save some money.

Please take care of yourself out there!

[earthgift]

Candle Wax Melts Burner

If you want to shop for the superior-quality Candle Wax Melts Burner without burning a hole in your pocket, don't wait more and shop from Earth Gifts. Our wax melts are a perfect gift for your baking-loving friends and family.

[popculture-hag-shit]

I Don't Love You Binding/Banishing Spell

Had a relationship that turned sour? Worried about ill intent causing issues in your life? Boy howdy do I have the spell for you!

What all you're gonna need:

🫙a small jar or container, making sure it's transparent (plastic is discouraged as it could warp due to hot wax)

🏷️ a tag lock of your intended recipient

🖋️a marker (sharpie works pretty well on glass and metal)

🌵thorns/pins/needles/whatever small sharp things are on hand

🧂salt

🌶️ dried hot pepper of some sort

🎵 the song "I don't love you" by mcr

🪞 a mirror

🕯️a candle (I use a beeswax candle bc that's what I've got on hand, feel free to use whatever you like)

Practice fire safety, make sure you have access to water and aren't wearing any loose clothing that could catch fire. Make sure your space is clear of anything that could catch fire. Also make sure this is a space you're okay with potentially getting candle wax on.

Set yourself up in front of a mirror, you'll be using it to reflect their bad intentions away from you and into the binding spell.

Start playing the song, I put it on loop because this spell can take longer than the duration of the song and you'll be using the song as a focus for this spell.

Light your candle.

Take your hot pepper of choice and add a layer to the bottom of your jar.

Take your taglock and gently press the thorns/needles/etc into the taglock being sure not to pierce it all the way through: the goal here is to show you have a sharp offensive but not to cause harm unless necessary.

Set your taglock inside the container, nestling it part way in the hot pepper. This is to make them feel the heat-- you're not harming them, but the implication is you're prepared to.

Fill the jar with enough salt that there's only a small amount of room between the salt and the top of the container. The goal is to use salt to cleanse any ill will they may send your way, so make sure the taglock is covered completely.

Take your candle and carefully tip it so the melted wax fills the container the rest of the way. This is to create a solid barrier, trapping any malicious intent from escaping.

You may want to wait til the wax has cooled before securing the lid on your container as it will be hot.

Once the lid has been secured, draw the nazar (protection from the evil eye) on the lid, sides and bottom of your jar.

Optional step to elevate this to a banishing spell; throw the container out.

If for some reason you think you might want to undo the binding spell in the future, keep the container. You will need to remove its contents in order to undo the binding spell.

[argyleheir]

All the Things Jonathan Can No Longer Have Now He’s Undead (Continued)

26. A pint. 27. Pizza. 28. Sunday roast. 29. Cornflakes. 30. Perfect eggs over-easy served beside all the usuals, beans and mushrooms and bacon and tomato and buttered brown bread, and a mug of Darjeeling cooled only a little by the splash of milk. (Related: the feeling of warmth as the tea goes down.) 31. Biscuits, every variety. Expensive ones from the bakery down the street. Oversweet ones from the tin at Christmas. Stale ones from the office cabinet; likewise his landlady's flat; not to mention the ones of his childhood, Garibaldis and pink wafers or whatever else Gran used to put out for tea. Saucer sized, plastic wrapped ones from the newsagent's. The ones Mina used to make. 32. A post-pub curry. 33. Proper chips, straight from the fryer. 34. A birthday cake lit with far too many candles, the wax already melting into the vanilla crème frosting in technicolor dribbles, his friends' faces lit gold, singing. 35. Single malt whisky, poured by Peter Hawkins from his own private reserves, upon the successful closure of the Dracula account.

Find out what else Jonathan can't (and can 😈) do in To the End of the Light, my ongoing 1990s Dracula AU!

[moodymelanist]

"If there's anything you want to see feel free to drop it in my ask box", you said on AO3, and did you think I would pass up this opportunity?

I'm actually leaving most of it to your imagination; I'm only asking you to please, p l e a s e write some soft and kinky Nessian stuff with emphasis on Cassian's curly hair, the eyebrow scar, you know what I mean 👀

Thank you so much in advance!

for you? anything 🩷 hope this scratches your itch!!

also there’s only a few days left in the month so I’m gonna try to get through what I can until then. if there’s a prompt you want to see now’s the time to send it!

Nesta shifted to make herself more comfortable, looking down at the broad expanse of her boyfriend’s back as she straddled him. “You still green, baby?”

“So fucking green,” Cassian replied, his voice a little muffled by the pillow he was laying on. “I’m ready.”

The two of them had always enjoyed things rough, and it had been a natural extension to look into all the different ways they could get each other off with a side of pain. Cassian had been the one to ask Nesta about trying this particular kink, and Nesta had risen to the occasion without missing a beat.

She’d ordered special candles off Etsy, spread out a large plastic sheet over their bedroom floor, and gotten some oil to help with cleanup. All she needed to do now was light the candle and get things started.

“I have to rub you down a little first, okay?” Nesta said, reaching for the little bottle of jojoba oil and pouring some onto her hands.

“Like that’s a hardship,” Cassian replied, teasing.

She smacked his back lightly, spreading a little of the oil onto his skin. “Idiot. Let me do my thing.”

“Yes ma’am,” he responded with a little chuckle. His amusement quickly faded as she started rubbing her hands across his back, both of them enjoying her skin on his. “That feels nice, sweetheart.”

“Enjoy it while you can,” she told him with a huff of laughter.

“As long as you’re involved, I’ll always enjoy it,” he answered.

Nesta just fondly rolled her eyes and kept rubbing oil into his back. She loved seeing him spread out and comfortable for her like this — the muscles of his back gleaming in the low light, the sounds of his contented breathing. She even reached up and gently massaged his scalp, thoroughly enjoying the way his pretty curls felt sliding across her fingers.

He was so beautiful it made her ache sometimes.

“You’re gonna put me to sleep, Nes,” Cassian mumbled after a few minutes. “Feels too good.”

“I’m glad you’re relaxed,” Nesta replied sweetly, reaching for the hand towel she’d stashed nearby. She quickly wiped her hands clean and grabbed for the candle instead. “You ready?”

“Yeah,” he answered.

“Okay. Don’t move.”

Nesta carefully held the candle and poured a tiny amount onto her own arm to test the temperature, hissing at the slight burn. It quickly melted into a much more subtle heat, and her hiss faded into a shaky exhale. It felt so much better than she’d been expecting; maybe Cassian had been onto something after all when he’d asked her to do this to him.

The temperature of the wax was just right, and Cassian was practically vibrating with anticipation under her, so Nesta decided to finally give him what he wanted. He was only wearing a pair of boxer briefs while she was in a sports bra and matching shorts, so she made sure to carefully angle the candle away from herself before she poured a small amount onto his right shoulder blade.

The effect was instantaneous. Cassian inhaled sharply as the wax cooled on his skin, a deep shudder running through him. “Fuck.”

“How did that feel?” Nesta asked, rubbing soothing circles into the small of his back.

“So good,” Cassian answered immediately. The wax had dried quickly, leaving a little red circle on his skin as a tangible reminder of what she’d done. “Keep going.”

His wish was her command. She poured another little red dot, this time on his left shoulder blade, and thoroughly enjoyed the way his breath hitched when the wax hit his skin. “Looks like someone’s enjoying themselves.”

“You have no idea,” he groaned, his body shifting under her as he made himself more comfortable. “Don’t stop.”

Nesta kept going, experimenting with where and how much wax she dripped onto his skin at once. By the time she’d covered a fair amount of his back, Cassian was panting and actively rocking his hips against the floor for some kind of relief.

“I bet you could come from this,” Nesta mused, thinking out loud.

To her delight, Cassian furiously nodded his head up and down. “I can do it, I can, I just need—”

“You just need a little help,” she finished smoothly. She loved seeing him get like this, all desperate and begging for her. “I think I can do that.”

“Please,” he said, groaning as she ran her nails down a sliver of bare skin.

“Turn over,” she told him. She shifted off his back and held the candle far out of the way so he could turn over without any problems, a stab of arousal hitting her as her eyes trailed over him.

Cassian looked… God, how was she supposed to focus like this? His eyes looked nearly black in the low light, his skin gleaming with a mixture of sweat and whatever oil had spilled over from his back, and all his attention was wholly focused on her. He looked like something out of her wildest fantasies, especially with his hair fanned out across the pillow and the way his chest was heaving for breath.

She was going to devour him.

Nesta somehow managed to get more oil on his chest and stomach without causing an accident, and then she was straddling him again. His cock was hard and insistent against her, and she took a second to collect herself before she reached for the candle. She couldn’t let herself get distracted by how badly she wanted to sink down and ride him like her life depended on it; she was a woman with a mission, and she intended to finish it.

“Ready?” Nesta asked.

“Yeah, yes — ah!” Cassian answered, cutting himself off with a little gasp as she poured a drop of the candle onto his stomach. He jerked upwards and ground his cock against her and the look on his face was so delightfully shocked that Nesta had to fight the urge to kiss it off him. “Oh.”

She smirked down at him, more than pleased with his reaction. “That enough for you?”

“Fuck, you’re gonna kill me,” he said, panting. He reached up and grabbed her hips so he could have as much contact as possible. “Just don’t stop.”

She rolled her hips against him and pulled another groan out of him. “I got you, baby.”

It was almost too easy to reduce him to a shuddering mess from there. The more wax Nesta poured onto his skin, the harder Cassian would thrust against her, and the closer he brought himself to the edge.

“Fuck, fuck, don’t stop,” Cassian begged, grinding hard against her. “Nesta—”

“Yeah?” Nesta poured a few lines of wax onto him, some possessive urge motivating her to paint an N onto his chest. His eyes were a little wild as he cried out and thrusted hard against her. “You’ve been so good for me, Cassian. I want you to come for me.”

She could tell he was teetering on the edge but he wasn’t quite over it yet, so she added, “Come on, I need it, I want to feel you—”

Cassian groaned her name loudly as he finally came, squeezing down hard on Nesta’s hips and rocking up against her. She didn’t stop moving against him until he finally stopped writhing, his breath still coming hard and fast, and she leaned down to press a series of kisses to his face and lips.

“So that’s definitely going on the list,” Nesta said once she’d gotten all the wax off Cassian and cleaned up the living room. They’d showered and she’d bundled him up in some blankets while they waited for their post-sex takeout to arrive.

“I think we’d have a serious problem if it didn’t,” Cassian replied from his pile of blankets, smiling sleepily.

tag list: @perseusannabeth | @bookstantrash | @charming-butt-insane | @oversizedbats | @melphss | @sv0430 | @podemechamardek | @autumnbabylon | @live-the-fangirl-life | @julemmaes | @that-little-red-head | @jmoonjones | @sayosdreams | @thewayshedreamed | @hiimheresworld | @brieq | @pearlfortears | @swankii-art-teacher | @nerdperson524 | @snickerdoodlechittybangbang | @imsointobooks | @nesquik-arccheron | @sweet-pea1 | @champanheandluxxury | @dustjacketmusings | @mrs-shadowsinger04 | @unlikelypersonalknight1 | @goddess-aelin | @arinbelle | @talkfantasytome | @simpingfornestaarcheron | @duskandstarlight | @letstakethedawn | @vidalinav | @c-e-d-dreamer | @dealfea | @katekatpattywack | @burningsnowleopard | @thatsowlmazing | @avidromancereader | @a-little-disguised | @kale-theteaqueen

[notallfay]

I kind of feel with how things are going in the UK, that I should talk a little bit about candle safety. Since I know not everyone will be used to them. I've used them a lot for a very long time.

Whether it's going to be be to have lights during potential black outs, or to make your room that little bit warmer. They are surprisly great at keeping your room that tiny bit warmer.

I actually use them because I really find the different scents relaxing.

As tempting as it might be, don't burn for more than four hours. If you are in a black out situation, then lighting a different candle might be appropriate. Wait for 2 hours before lighting the same candle.

Extinguish probably, don't blow it out. Never use water!! I really like candles with lids, because you can place the lid on, and snuff the candle out properly. If there's no oxygen a fire can't burn. You can also get actual candle snuffers, but a candle with a lid does the same job.

Don't fall asleep with the candle lit, or leave the candle unattended.

Make sure the candle is completely out and the wick ember is no longer glowing before leaving the room. Never ever leave a candle unattended.

Extinguish a candle if the flame becomes too high or flickers repeatedly. Let the candle cool, trim the wick, and check for unwanted drafts before re-lighting. Trimmed wicks are in general a great safety tip. (I nearly set a shelf on fire this way).

Place burning candles at least three inches apart from one another. This is to make sure they don’t melt one another, or create their own drafts that will cause the candles to burn improperly.

Don’t burn a candle all the way down. Ideally stop burning a candle when 1/2 inch remains in the container, or if 2 inches if using a pillar candle.

Be aware that tea lights get very hot and without proper holders can melt through plastic surfaces like a TV or bath. Like if it doesn't come in its own glass jar, make sure it has a good glass or other fireproof holder.

Once the candle is lit, never touch or move it. It is dangerous to pickup the candle while it is still burning or while the liquid wax is hot. Don't move until the candle is completely cool.

If its just for light, the LED candles that are battery powered might be a good safety option. Especially if you have pets or children.

Stay safe!