#There will probably be more of this Wooing 101 stuff because it's fun and I want to think of gifts

[guqin-and-flute]

In Your Hands [Peony to Lotus!Verse]

[@theleakypen​ *points accusingly* Look what you did! 😁]

[Second Chronological installment of the Peony to Lotus!Verse]

[First Installment] [Ao3 Series]

It starts small and slow, because Yanli asked and because A-Yao listens. It’s more delightful than she could have imagined, to shyly mention something and see it tucked away behind a smile. To have it come back later and set before her in reality. 

She isn’t truly used to receiving a great many gifts--A-Cheng and Xianxian are men of action, showing love in hugs and favors and tucking her into bed when she is too tired or sick to do so herself. (Now she has 3 people who would do this. Sweet boys. How lucky is she?) 

Usually, it’s her that brings the food they like, makes sure to tuck little notes into the folds of their clothes when they pack for a trip, brings back little knick knacks from the market that might make them smile. So, when she wakes alone in the crisp air of their bedroom and goes to do her hair for the day, she is startled to find a silver hair pin topped with a delicate metal lotus with tiny pink beads tucked in the petals that mirror the ones interspersed throughout the 2 trailing chains that dangle beneath it. There is no note, but it had been placed very obviously and precisely in the middle of her table. Yanli finds herself smiling as she picks it up and admires it, noting the fine, swirling engravings that etch down the stick itself. It’s a gift! For her! 

She, of course, slides it into her wound hair and finds herself holding her cheeks as she grins at herself in the mirror and  turns this way and that, watching the little chains sway with her movement, clicking gently. The flush on her face matches the beads. It’s a little silly, she tells herself, to be blushing over a gift like this. He’s my husband! I’m already married! 

There is still that giddy lightness in her chest that feels as though she will burst out laughing at any moment, like the morning sun has roosted in her heart.

Because it’s more than just the gift, of course. She and A-Yao had been chatting over tea one evening on the pavilion over the lake, listening to the night frogs and the fresh wind through the curtains and distant treetops. It had been very soon after their realization (their breakthrough, she privately considers it, the silly man, of course she cares for him, of course) and he had been watching her with warm eyes. “Jiang-furen,” he had said lightly, because it made her wrinkle her nose at the formality--and she had, and he had smiled. “Would you allow this one to court you?”

Oh. 

‘I think I would like to try,’ she had told him, and with such confidence, too. Loving. And here they were, at the trying part. Complication had swelled within her chest like a tide, wanting and fear and a sudden shyness. The thrill of flattery and being wanted; the fear of ruining this, too, somehow, by too demanding. Unworthy.

The fear that she would not be able to...feel the right way. She had never been in love, not even the giggling, girlish love her friends had spoken of as children, nor had she ever understood the longing whispers of her shimeis and shijies when they saw the young men unloading the boats, sweaty and gleaming in the sun. She had been confused when her mother had lectured her on the importance and the virtue of staying out of the beds of men. It had just never seemed as difficult as anyone made it out to be. She had been prepared for the duties of a wife and a mother when she had agreed to marriage--both times--and had not meant to shy from it. It was the way things were. And she did want a child--several of them, actually. 

And then had come A-Yao with his gentle understanding and his poor wounded heart and his telling her that she had no obligations and him, no expectations. And that secret part of her that had bound herself up tight in the waiting had breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.

Now, within the bounds of marriage, she was being asked. Is it what she wanted, of them, with him. It was real and present with no barriers, time or otherwise. And she didn’t know. Because he was sweet and kind and she did not want any part of him hurt.

It had almost been easier when there had been a straight path she had been bound to walk with no option of deviating. Inevitable. 

Oh, and she had been silent for too long, leaving him waiting and wondering. She had felt him go completely still across the table. Hurriedly, she moved her hand over to cover his, to quell any rising anger or misunderstanding, had opened her mouth to try to stumble through an explanation--

And his hand had covered hers. And he had waited. And she had loved him for it. His face was stiffer than she might like, his pleasant smile up, now, like armor against whatever he thought was going through her mind, but he allowed the time it took for her to gather this all up. “A-Yao…” she had begun and her throat had closed up and she had chastised herself for being a silly, stupid girl and making him wait, making him fear that she was saying no, because she wasn’t, she did want to try, for him, for her, because she could feel the first step in her heart of loving him in a way that was unlike A-Cheng and A-Xian, unlike her mother and father, but she couldn’t say exactly where or how far those steps would take her and she would never want to break a promise or get his hopes up and be unable to--unable to--

“A-Li,” he had said, polite shield of a smile disappearing, brow tucking into worry as her eyes filled with frustrated tears. “Have you...changed your mind?”

She shook her head quickly, mouth working and oh, why couldn’t she ever just speak? 

“Are...you sure? You don’t....”

Yanli nodded, just as vigorously and she sniffed, trying to stem whatever this was. “I’m...Of course….Yes, of course, you can, I’ll....”

Hurriedly, he had risen to kneel beside her, below her, both his hands on hers, now, where they rested on her knees, face open and almost scared. “A-Li,” his tone had been urgent. “What do you think I’m asking you?”

Finally, finally, she had choked her way through an explanation, an apology, a promise to try to do better, to try to fix whatever incomplete love she was offering and his fingers had tightened over her own. 

His voice had been rough. “I would never ask something of you that you’re not ready to give.”

“But...what if...I’m never ready?” she had managed in a watery whisper.

His answer had been as gentle as the breeze that brushed by them from across the lake, flickering the flames in the lanterns. “Then I will never ask.”

“Wouldn’t that be horribly selfish of me?” Her eyes had remained fastened on the rise and fall of his chest in his purple robes, unable to meet his gaze. She could hear her mother in her head, knew what she would say; yes. Selfish and childish and unrealistic. If Yanli could not cultivate, if she could not be strong or clever or useful, what on earth did she expect to be her duty to her family? Did she think she was special? Did she think that marriage was just easy for everyone? 

“Why would it be selfish?” 

When she gave a small, despairing laugh at what she assumed had been a joke, he had simply blinked at her. She had wiped her eyes. “Children, for one, A-Yao.”

Something distant had come over his eyes, the look he got when he was puzzling through a problem for A-Cheng on the spot and his tone was one of musing when he said,“If you wanted a child, I could get you a child.”

That laugh had burst from her in shock and some of the tightness in her chest lightened. “You’re as ridiculous as A-Xian. Is YaoYao 3, as well, with that sort of reasoning? Where do you think children come from? A roadside store?” Shaking her head, she had bopped the tip of his nose with the crook of her finger and tucked his already neat hair behind his shoulder, soothing herself, giving an excuse to be close to him.

He had smiled, slow and sleek, head tilting a little, saying, “Of course,” and nothing more. When he had simply waited patiently for her to stop fussing over his hair, she had taken his dear face in her hands and ran her thumbs over his cheeks.

“We’re here again,” she had noted and knew by the way his smile dimmed, slightly, and the softness that came back into his eyes that he, too, was thinking of their wedding night when they sat in this very same position; him at her feet, promising to take no more than what was offered; her holding him in fondness. She sighed and tilted her head in hopeless asking. “And what about a wife’s duty to her husband? The other part you’re promised.”

“Neither of our vows said any such thing. All I was promised was loyalty and support.” His voice had quieted further, and a tentative had hand lifted, and rested on her cheek, light as a moth’s wing. “Which you have given. I want to court A-Li because…” To her delight, his cheeks had pinkened slightly, and he looked young and sweet and oh, yes, she loved him as A-Yao--whatever that meant to her, she did. “Because I want to. I-I want to do it the right way, to please you, and bring you gifts and gain your favor. Because you deserve it.”

She had felt a warm curling in her throat, like tears, but not (loved! loved!) and she had smiled and hadn’t been able to help from leaning down and kissing his forehead, kissing the tip of his nose. Then, daringly, because she wanted to, she had brushed her lips over his and he had sat, hands carefully in his lap, still as a stone as she pressed them, warm and soft against hers. He smelled like the fragrant flower tea they had been drinking. “You already have my favor, ” she had murmured when she sat back from the chaste kiss, feeling her own face heat up as his had. Oh, as his was!

“If it…” he had started, almost staccato and slightly too loud, as if he had surprised himself and he pressed his lips together and made a face like he regretted it. But then he pushed out, almost in a rush. “If it makes you feel any better, I also wasn’t...looking forward to...that night. I...would have slept with you. If it was what you had required.” He took a breath and pressed his hands, chill in the night air, over the backs of hers on his face. “But, now, we can go as slowly or as far as only you desire. It is in your hands. I’m simply happy to have A-Li.”

Her heart felt as if it were the tail of some magnificent fish, fluttering and flashing around with a gleaming joy. She believed him. Knowing what she knew of his mother, of his father, and of how that rested in him like chains and blood and hurting, she believed every word. Safe. Safe to test, to try. To stop.

He was safety.

“One condition,” she had said, schooling her face to seriousness and warning so quickly, he must have known it was a jest. 

He, in turn, however, didn’t make light, and only smiled, dimpled and almost completely real. “Name it.”

“I can court you in turn.” 

At this, his face had dropped into blank startlement for a brief moment before a crooked little smile had hitched itself back on his face. That was real. She had been able to tell. “Of course,” he had agreed steadily. “Anything at all.”

And now, as she leaves their room with his first gift in her hair, she sees him down the walkway, slim and purposeful in his angling, talking to A-Xian about something. All at once, something mischievous and powerful skitters up from her stomach and down her arms like laughter and she straightens and glides like she was taught, a grin on her lips. A-Xian looks up first and grins back. Excitedly, he bounds up for her to stroke his cheek, which she does, still walking, still passing, and as she draws level, she gives a preening toss of her head, making the little beads of the pin click and flicks her eyes over.

A-Yao is watching her performance with eyebrows raised, eyes wide in surprised appreciation, fresh delight pressed behind his lips, making his whole face light. Like they are sharing a private joke. Like he thinks she’s beautiful and funny. His regard feels like lovely fingers combing through her hair and, beneath this silly posturing, she’s blushing all over again. “Husband,” she greets with exaggerated propriety, inclining her head. The chains sway in her peripheral vision.

He inclines his head back, smile wide and gracious. “Wife.”

She doesn’t break her stride, continuing her glide down the walkway, not looking back. She hears A-Xian say, “What the heck was that about?”

She is in earshot long enough to hear A-Yao laugh, quietly.

[asterekmess]

S3A - E1

Okay, instead of making like massive reblogs of thoughts as I have them for the episodes, I’m gonna just make a massive bullet point list that I’ll add to throughout the episode, so you get One post per episode instead of “Like all nine million of them.”

I put Read-More’s because I care.

Thoughts (of which I have far too many):

I’m in the first ten seconds of the fuckin episode. Why the fuck is Braeden electrocuting Isaac? Like, look, I wanna like Braeden. I have issues with her entire moral system, but I still wanna like her cus’ she saves Isaac. But...how am I supposed to do that when the literal first thing she does is electrocute my boy??? He’s knocked out, not DEAD (not that that’s how shocking someone’s heart even Works) and it’s not like she needs to trigger the healing process. He’s already got Gaping slash wounds on his chest. He’s hurt enough. ALSO. “Be quiet”?? R U Serious? You’re electrocuting him. YOU try being quiet with fucking jumper cables on your chest.

The CGI...is so bad. Oh my god. What the absolute fuck. it looks like Sharkboy & Lavagirl. And why aren’t Ethan & Aiden’s claws doing anything to the bike?

I AM CONFUSION. If the twins don’t have to take their pants off to do the Transformers shit, why do they have to take off their shirts? Can...can I just skip that? Make the big bad werewolf wear an ugly hybrid of two of their stupid ass sweaters? Or do Ethan and Aiden really just like being shirtless that much? (I wouldn’t put it past them)

What is with Braeden and the electricity?

The writing in this show, what the fuck? “I thought I told you to hold on” EXCUSE ME, ma’am. He literally just passed out. His bad I guess.

Guess who has to add the anti-scott tag to this now? Anyway, I hate that Allison’s bit in the intro is her kissing Scott and then drawing the bow. Like, they’re broken up. They don’t get together in this season. Why are they kissing in the intro? That had to have Totally pissed off Scallison fans.

There’s my boy, holding up lizard tattoo designs. Pls tell me he took a pic and sent it to Jackson with the caption “It’s YOU.” Like, yes, way too soon, but man it’s fuckin funny.

This tattoo artist is a good-ass salesman. However, p-sure he’s not a good-ass artist if he had to wrap Scott’s arm up That badly. Like...they have stuff for that. Fuck, the one I got on my ankle, they used SaranWrap and Tape. Just needs to be kept out of the open air for a bit. You don’t need like eight layers of gauze. I do feel for Scott tho. That tat probably cost him like $50-75 before the tip. Oof.

Eyyy, time to be salty. Ya’ll know I love Allison, but does it get any more clear that she totally bailed on everyone after the warehouse? She went to France! She doesn’t even know what happened to Jackson after he got cured. ALSO. Lydia says “Derek taught him the werewolf 101.” Not Scott. Derek. XP

Lydia, honey, leave Allison alone. If she doesn’t want to go on the double date, go alone and make it an orgy. Fun, right? Wait, no. Don’t. You’re 16. Don’t do that!

When exactly did they “agree to give each other the summer”? She said “I’m breaking up with you.” he said “I’ll wait” and then she cried into her dad’s arms. Like...why didn’t we get to see this apparently incredibly important conversation? (maybe because it didn’t happen??)

I fucking LOVE the “I’m just gonna say hi. HEYYYYY! You know....they probably didn’t see us.”

The most horrific thing about that moment was the bad CGI.

I WANNA POINT OUT how cute it is (in a like, sad way cus’ she’s terrified) that Lydia is close enough to Stiles now that she immediately goes for his side and they like insta connect with the eye contact. Not in like a Stydia way, but like, they’re close. she trusts him and goes to him when she’s scared, even though he’s human and you’d wonder if she shouldn’t go to Scott instead, since he’s the werewolf.

SCOTT WHY ARE YOU TOUCHING THE DEAD DEER. Your ability to smell chemosignals/sense emotions has nothing to do with touching. Stop poking the dead animal.

Wait, WHY is there a full moon in that shot? The full moon isn’t for like a week! I COUNTED.

...what? Why the fuck does Braeden think Scott’s an Alpha? Why tho? Like, seriously? WHY? He’s not an Alpha yet. Nowhere near it. And if she knows bc Deaton told her (i think he was the one who hired her) then shouldn’t she know he isn’t one yet? IF SHE KNOWS that she can tell Melissa abt werewolves, WHY doesn’t she know that Scott’s Melissa’s son? Where is the LOGIC?

Scott’s morning routine is giving me Legally Blonde vibes. ~my perrrfectt dayyy, nothing standing in my wayyy~

I can’t tell. did Allison get highlights, or straight up dye her hair brown?

This sweet moment between her and her dad. Yes. Pls.

I will admit, I like getting to see each of their mornings.

Lydia...who are you fucking? Honey, you’re sixteen. Why isn’t whoever the fuck is in bed with you also getting ready for school? What.....the fuck?

Completely different Beacon Hills High School set. I really can’t blame the writers for that.

Wtf Davis? You list Erica and Boyd as being 17...since when? They’re supposed to be entering their Junior Year of high school. They would be 16 GOING ON 17. ANd what the hell do you mean Erica’s birthday is August 16th? She said in the last season that she’d “Just turned 16 a month ago” that was Spring semester. ???? Come on, guys. Seriously. Writing 101, getting to know your characters. I don’t know anyone writing a novel who doesn’t know the exact birthday of their characters. Plus, they cut 2 in. from Gage Golightly’s actual height, while adding an inch to Sinqua’s (according to google, which isn’t always reliable) Whatever. Boooooo.

Uh...that principal was threatened by the Argents. Victoria herself promised to torture him if he didn’t resign. Why does he look so surprised by the fucking sword in his office? For that matter, why is he at the school at all? He KNOWS the Argents attacked him. This should cause problems!

Honestly, Lydia, I love you. Like, go for it. Nothing wrong with not wanting to date and just wanting to have fun. My issues stem from YOU BEING 16. Yes, teenagers have sex. But this is ridiculous. Why is there so much sexualization? I knew a grand total of like....two teenagers who had sex at 16? and like one who did at 15 (which they say in canon she and Jackson were banging before her birthday). Like, it’s not nearly as common as y’all are making it out to be. Knock it off.

WHEN DID MELISSA MEET ISAAC PROPERLY? WHEN did that HAPPEN?

....so why didn’t Derek answer the phone? They literally never explain? He shows up, so...why didn’t he answer?

I’m SO InCredibly Disturbed by Jennifer having everyone’s phone numbers. HOW? In What Way is that REMOTELY appropriate? WHY did no one question it? Why didn’t STILES or LYDIA question it?

So tiny, bugs me so much. He didn’t turn his phone off. He turned his screen off...is it that hard to have him do the right one?

uhhh. Werewolves can smell other werewolves. Wanna tell me why Isaac can’t tell a werewolf just walked in the room? An ALPHA no less?

why TF are Kali’s iris’ and pupils so fucking massive?

So...what was the deal with the birds? Don’t they say later that Jennifer like summoned them? So they aren’t from the Alpha pack scaring animals? And also, how would the Alpha pack be scaring animals if they’re like, in the middle of town? They said in S1 that “wild animal sightings are up” like what 75% or something? “As though something is scaring them out” but that made sense, bc we knew Peter was running around in his full-shift (it’s a fucking full shift, it’s just fucked up) in the woods. But these Alphas aren’t, they’re integrating. So is it Jennifer that the animals are afraid of? Like, does she have sPoOkY aura or something?

More bad CGI.

WHy is no one responding to the woman stumbling around in nothing but a hospital gown?

ONCE AGAIN. Werewolves can Sense Werewolves. SCOTT you sensed Isaac in a BOYS LOCKER ROOM. DUKE IS RIGHT THERE. WHT THE FUCK?

angry smoker doctor  “Why don’t you wheel this joker out of here?” “I’m gonna go smoke” Grrr

Sir. clearly your mask wasn’t tied on appropriately. it shouldn’t just Fall Off when you touch it. there are Protocols! STOP THE SPREAD. also, someone wanna tell me why none of these alphas can keep their claws in? A lil flashy flashy red eye would’ve done the trick just fine.

Okay no, seriously what the FUCK is up with these contacts, you guys? THEY”RE MASSIVE???

Ugh, can I just *swoons* “I’m an Alpha!” slice “So am I.” That is just so fucking smooth. Woo. I feel so safe ohmygod. PLUS. Derek KNOWS Ennis. I can’t imagine how satisfying that had to be.

Uh, Derek, honey. You’re Isaac’s legal guardian. You can just Sign Him Out of the hospital. With clothes and everything. What are you doing?

Honey, what do you mean the county took it over? If they were gonna do that they’d have done it six fucking years ago. Unless you gave it to them, it’s still yours? I did the research. Like HOURS of it.

What do you MEAN there’s a magic healing herb that helps with Alpha wounds? Since when do Alpha wounds need extra healing, I thought they just took a lil longer? ALSO why is it growing INSIDE your house???? SCOTT. Isaac is fucking UNCONSCIOUS. Can your tattoo fucking WAIT A MINUTE?

I have so many questions. WHY does Braeden know who Allison is? If Lydia’s immune to magic, WHY is Braeden able to bruise her? WHY can Braeden DO magic? and WHY is Chris allowed to take Lydia out of school?

ALLISON you had Geometry LAST YEAR why are you holding a GEOMETRY BOOK??

ohhhhmygod, Derek. Derek. DEREK. Your eyes are pretty on a normal day. That little Blink and ruby reds thing? Ohmygod. I just. I wanna take a picture and just stare at it BUT. how tf does this whole red eye thing work? You can see in the dark....but now you also have x-ray vision? You know, I could believe it was thermal vision...maybe? If Scott was still healing for some reason maybe the tattoo would be brighter? Otherwise I have no idea what is going on.

BUT SCOTT”S NOT 18??? He’s Still fucking 16, or even 17, but not 18. WTF? He needs parental consent in the first place (i should’ve mentioned this in the other note abt the tattoo)

uhh...seriously? When someone breaks up with you and tells you not to talk to them anymore...why do you need a reward for doing as they asked? Like, yeah, you’re sad, I feel that. But making it a ‘reward’ sounds kinda weird. You know what makes it really easy not to text the ex that doesn’t wanna talk to you? Delete her number.

WHY THE BLOWTORCH? SOMEONE WANNA EXPLAIN? Peter’s not covered in tattoo from when he was literally burned alive, why the FUCK would a blowtorch create a black tattoo on Scott’s skin?

DEREK. HONEY. Why would Stiles be able to hold Scott still??? Scott’s a werewolf.

All this bullshit to explain away Posey’s tattoo that he got. Like, damn dude, we all like tattoos, but you have a job that needs bare arms on the regular. That was kinda rude.

Where did braeden get clothes? I forgot to ask.

uhhhh. Ephemeral might technically work in that sentence, but that’s still really awkward.

WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DESTROY HIS DOOR? YOU FUCKING ASSHAT. And WHY the instant fucking grr face? “why’d you paint the door?” uhh, leave him alone? He can do what he wants? It’s his house? Also, don’t get all fucking rude about the alpha pack. He told you it was a rival pack.

KALI. PUT SOME FUCKING SHOES ON. JESUS.

Why exactly does Scott see the symbol and INSTANTLY put together that it’s got anything to do with the Alphas or the animal attacks? Where is the logic jump there?

What exactly was the POINT of popping your claws if you were gonna kick her in the face???

UH, Melissa? Why didn’t you tell Scott that there was a whole other person with Isaac?

What is with the face touching, Duke? I’ve never known a blind person who actually wanted to rub their hands on my face to ‘find out what i look like?’

Really not a fan of all these weird jumps and camera angles with the awkward reflecting.

WOah WOah. Allison gets to PAINT her APARTMENT? Wtf kinda BULlshit is that? My landlord won’t let me do that. Rude.

I know they’re imprisoned and it sucks, but they’ve been there for four months, they had to have gotten bored. Do you think they broke into any of the security deposit boxes to see if anything was left behind?

Last thoughts: They really went for it with this episode. I have plans to change a lot of it. Hopefully I can mesh the changes with the general plotline.

[theladylovingcrow]

Skin On Skin, Hearts Laid Bare (Sanny)

Ch.1 Autumnal Camping is the Perfect Oppurtunity for Snuggles

Warnings/Tags: camping, sharing a tent, sharing a sleeping bag, sharing a bed, cuddling, cuddling for warmth, flirting, a bit dialogue heavy like usual, no sex yet

Length: about 1650

Ch. 1 Summary: It's survival 101 - body heat is the best way to keep warm. And skin on skin is the best way to generate that body heat.

It is an unusually cold night on a camping trip: Sam and Danny need to heat up if they want to go to sleep and still have toes in the morning.

Author's Notes: Because I plan on each chapter being different, I will give each it's own section of tags/warnings/summaries/notes.

I absolutely love the sensation of skin on skin contact, not even in a sexual way - just as a primal, intimate, platonic form of human connection. It grounds me, and I'd like to think it grounds them too, though honestly I couldn't resist myself and I DID make this turn sexual. Oops (not)

Absolutely inspired by Luna65 and her lovely work, and everyone else who writes Greta Fiction. I love this community and all that it puts out

@satans-helper here dear, I hope you enjoy it if you haven't read already!

------------------

"Get your ass inside, Wagner, stop fucking around before you catch pneumonia, " Sam yelled, voice carrying harsh through the frigid, crackling air.

Danny huffed out a breath, a cloud of vapor dissipating from his mouth.

"Nearly done, Sam-a," he called, throwing his voice over his shoulder so it would carry towards the tent. "Just need to finish locking away the beer and fishing stuff."

"What, afraid the 'coons are gonna steal our tackle?" Sam snorted.

"No, but the neighbors might. Rowdy Rudy is here again."

"Oh god, not that asshole. When did he even arrive?"

"Right before you got in here," Danny said, finally crawling into the tent after finishing cleaning up and taking his boots off. "You probably didn't notice that monstrosity of a truck pull up in your drunken haze, but I sure did."

"Man, he's so annoying. Always sleazing around looking for alcohol to mooch, or for someone to listen to his god-awful stories."

Danny nodded in agreement. Rowdy Rudy was rude as hell, crude, lewd, smellier than a drunk skunk and always trying to butt into things in the hopes of getting some free drugs. And, he always seemed to come around about the same time as the boys went camping and disappear right before they noticed all of their missing stuff.

"Also, hey, I'm not completely drunk! I just wanted to stay warm. And get some of that Mullberry wine before Josh gets back and drinks it all," Sam added on, sipping from the bottle.

"Okay, but honestly, who brings *Mullberry wine* on a camping trip?" Danny asked, completely perplexed as to why Josh insisted on it. Wine was not a camping alcohol.

"I'm not sure, but I don't really care. This stuff is fucking delicious!"

"Okay, well don't drink it all or Joshie will be pissed at you. He seemed to want it for something."

"Like what?" Sam pondered, handing the bottle over so Danny could try it. "Is he trying to woo someone? Who? We're in the middle of the fucking woods!"

"Maybe he's trying to get it on with a tree, he seems to really love them!" Danny cracked.

Sam laughed.

"I don't know, but you're right, this is really good."

Sam nodded, taking a final swig of the now mostly empty bottle and setting it aside. Whoops. Well, Josh shouldn't have left it there.

"Hey, what do you think J and J are doing right now? Can't believe they'd wanna get away from us," Sam said, belching loudly.

"Well, Joshie is probably trying to photograph the local nightlife," Sam snorted, "and Jake's definitely getting drunk, if he didn't already drain his supply. I wonder how he'll like the hike back when he's got a killer hangover."

Sam unzipped one side of the sleeping bag and scooted over so that Danny could crawl inside. The other pulled it shut again, switching off the battery powered lantern and trying to get comfortable.

"I'm sure he brought enough to drowm a small circus, he won't run out. Where did they even go, again?" Sam asked.

"I've never been there myself, but there's supposed to be a cliff a few miles from here with an amazing view of the valley we passed on the drive up. I'm pretty sure that they took one of the trails starting on the other side of the river, maybe a quarter mile down from where we were today, up to the main road, and then fron there they hiked alongside it until they got to the base of the hill half of the cliff, then they could just climb up it. I heard Joshie talking about it before they left."

"We should have made them leave a map of where they were going. I know they're both experienced hikers, but I'd hate for them to get stuck or hurt somehow and have us take a long time to get there because we don't know where they are," Sam said.

They both got quiet, slightly worried.

"I think they'll be okay," Danny said after a minute. "Didn't they used to come up here for boyscouts?"

Sam nodded. Danny could barely see him in the inky darkness, he felt the movement and heard the rustling of the sleeping bag more than saw it.

"Then they know where they are, and Jake said it's not a particularly dangerous hike unless he gets so drunk he falls off the cliff. And you know Josh would never let that happen. We helped them pack their food back at the house, and all of their gear is sound; the only problem I can think of is the chill, but even then if they cuddle they should be fine for one night."

Sam shivered at the mention of the temperature and subtly wormed a bit closer to Danny to try and gain some body heat. Autumnal camping was fun as hell and incredibly beautiful out in the Michigan woods, but it was unusually cold for this time of year. Danny took notice and turned his body a bit closer to Sam as well, sharing some heat from the front though a bit of space remained in between them.

"Dude, what the fuck is up with the weather? I swear it's never gotten this cold this early. I wouldn't be surprised to wake up to some fucking snow tomorrow," Danny said. He tentatively reached out an arm and Sam eagerly got underneath it, snuggling right up to him.

"Climate change. And I hope it doesn't, we could get stuck on the roads, not to mention Jake and Josh would have to hike back in it. I don't think we have the snow tires on yet."

"What kind of Michigonian are you?"

"A stupid one."

Danny smiled, shaking his head and holding onto Sam tightly now. It seemed like, even with the full on cuddles and fleece lined sleeping bag, they couldn't get warm enough.

"Mother*fuck* it is cold. Wanna survival 101 it?" Danny asked.

"Now who's wooing who?" Sam cajoled, but he was *so* down for some skin on skin if it meant he could get warmer.

Danny unzipped the sleeping bag again and they sat up, shivering as their protective cacoon was removed. They both pulled off their hoodies, leaving Sam in a long sleeved thermal and Danny in his Marley tee. Wiggling around, Danny tried to get his jeans off but it was a serious struggle.

Sam bit his lip and giggled, fumbling under the covers for Danny's hips so he could help them get back in quicker.

Danny stiffened a bit when Sam's cold fingers found his midsection, sliding down until they reached the waistband of his jeans and popped the button.

"Why the hell are you wearing jeans in bed? You better not have gotten any dirt in here," Sam scolded.

He unzipped Danny, hands brushing over his package and pulling the denim off of his hips. They worked together to rid Danny of his pants, then Danny returned the favor with Sam's sweats. It was unneeded, but neither of them said anything about that.

"I was cold! And I didn't want to take them off to change," Danny responded after they had enclosed themselves in the bedding again.

"Well that was stupid. It wouldn't have taken more than half a minute, and you've taken them off now, anyways."

Sam wrapped his arms around Danny's waist and rubbed their legs together, relishing in the warm friction of skin and hair. His hands crept up the back of Danny's shirt, settling in the middle of his back where they could be heated up by skin on one side and fabric on the other.

Danny sighed, burying his cold nose in Sam's bed of hair. He worked one arm under Sam's neck to cradle his head and laid the other on his side, bunching it in the cotton of his shirt and rubbing it back and forth, trying to work some warmth into his freezing fingers.

"This is kinda nice, now," Sam whispered. His lips brushed Danny's throat, and his best friend could feel how soft they were, liberal and frequent applications of chapstick preventing cracking despite the weather.

"Yeah," he agreed, just as quiet.

It was starting to heat up in the sleeping bag, body heat finally taking control in their micro climate of polyester bedding and male pheromones. Sam was honestly in heaven, he hadn't been this warm and comfortable in months. And he was sleeping on the ground in 34 degree weather.

A wave of exhaustion washed over Danny, the long day finally catching up to him. He snuggled closer to Sam, pressing those bodies together until not even a blade of grass would have been able to come up between them.

He smirked tiredly when Sam purred like a cat, the reaction to his hand on Sam's side coming to rest underneath his short, gently stroking the skin there. It was soft and fiery warm, finally, Sam's ribs gentle hills across the landscape of his torso.

Outside the tent, somewhere off to the to the left, across the river, along the road and on top of a hill, the twins were in a similar position. Josh held his warm brother close while they shared Jake's whiskey, sleeping bags propped against a sturdy, incredibly broad tree.

In the morning, the twins would awake early to a most glorious sunset over the edge of the cliff. Danny and Sam would wake up entwined, warm and well rested. They'd be slow to rise out of their blankets, relishing in a few more minutes of quiet, intimate connection. No words were spoken; none needed; just the mental conversationa of an appreciation of nature, and the extreme luck that allowed them to be together exactly as they were designed to be.

All was at peace with the world. That is, until the boys decided to go fishing and all of their poles were missing, as was Rowdy Rudy's monster truck.

[ourinnergalaxy-blog]

Landmark Day 1 - Documentation

Well first things first, I guess it’s not a cult after all. Lol It is def a self-help, self-altering experience. They present the forum as a “conversation”. A lot of the time, you are asked to share your experiences with people; maybe not the whole group of 90 people, but at least with the person sitting next to you.

I started out my day being asked what I want to get out of Landmark. And I said I wanted to have a better understanding of myself because it would give me a better foundation moving forward in my life. (also, the guy I was sitting next to at that point and had to speak to had the MOST GORGEOUS HAZEL EYES AND HOLY SHIT IM SO FUCKING GAY I GOT SO LOST IN THOSE EYES. hashtag blessed) As we went on, the question came up again and I was asked to tell three people instead of just one. And without me really realizing it, I began to open up about being transgender and the way that affects my life and the way I’m living it. (At this point, I got to hear the story of a guy who made my eyes light up like Christmas lights when he casually spoke of his fiancé and how HE went to Landmark. I FOUND THE GAY. HES SO COOL AND FUN AND CUTE AND I DEF WANT TO BE HIS FRIEND FOREVER. I’d probs be trying to date him if he wasn’t already in a relationship, no lie. Ahem, anyway, it was good to find the fellow LGBTQ person in the room.)

After lunch time, I guess that’s when it clicked... they don’t really tell you what areas you need to work in on a specific level as much as they tell you that the places where you feel like you have no power, freedom, or self expression are areas where you aren’t living your life as authentically as you could be. And I found I was focusing on the fact that I felt a loss of self expression around the topic of my gender. They told us that we work things up in our head to be this big thing and we mix up our idea of what happened with the actual factual events that took place. (now, in some areas I can see this not really applying as nicely, say in the face of abuse. Like, yeah maybe your idea of what happened is different than the actual happening, but that still has lasting effects that aren’t something that’ll just be better by being more aware that we’re seeing things in a different way than they truly are.) But on the topic of being trans and not correcting people on my name and pronouns out of fear and spite, it fit pretty neatly.

People stood up in front of the group and shared their stories. Willingly, mind you. And soon I found I wanted to be one of them. And I actually did. I actually got up and I shared my story. I told a group of strangers (who could have all been transphobes for all I know) that I am a trans guy and I’m not living my life the way I should be because I haven’t been honest about who I am. I told them that my not being honest has caused my interactions with the people I love to feel false and disconnected because I was allowing them to use the wrong name and wrong words for me. I was trembling the whole time. From the moment I stood up and went to that mic, in front of all those people... my body would not stop shaking. People had shared stories of loss, and unfulfillment, potential divorce, etc... and here I was complaining about not being seen as a boy. And these people! These people who had shared their tales of misery all looked at me with concern evident on their faces. They looked worried. Shocked. Saddened. I hated it. I hated that feeling that I was being pitied. I didn’t want to be pitied. I wanted to... I don’t know what I wanted! I don’t know what I expected! It made my eyes hot with tears I could only barely hold back. It made me shake more and more. I stopped looking at them eventually. I couldn’t look at them. The forum leader told me to create a new possibility for myself and my life. What could I do now, now that I’ve opened myself up to all this stuff. And my answer was the same as many answers: being open and honest. With myself and with others. And soon enough, I was free to return to my seat and the shaking stopped soon after. We moved on and spoke to the next gentleman.

Afterwards, people sought me out. They introduced themselves as they shook my hand and told me how brave I was, or how inspiring I was, or how well I did. I got pats on the back, hugs, fist bumps, a supportive hand on the shoulder. I just... I mean, I didn’t do it to be an inspiration. I didn’t because I felt I needed to, in a way. I needed to practice being open and honest in front of these strangers before I could be that with my family. Like, literally there was a woman who shared her experience having three miscarriages. And people were telling me I was brave? THAT WOMAN HERSELF CAME TO ME AND SAID I WAS BRAVE! I couldn’t believe my ears. It didn’t feel brave when my body wouldn’t stop trembling. It didn’t feel brave as I was slowly walked through to the answers I had to find for myself (though, sometimes I feel like they try to lead you to results that aren’t necessarily true for you personally at times, and I had to kind of stress to the forum leader that there wasn’t another “and...?”) It didn��t feel brave to spill my baggage on a bunch of strangers and then refuse to meet their gazes. But here these people were, moved so much that they had to seek me out in he crowd to tell me. Heck, I even have a lunch scheduled with an older woman tomorrow because she said she wanted to have time to sit with me and talk! Also... the forum leader told me I needed to make a call to my parents to address this.

I did, mostly because I knew I’d only give myself room to talk myself out of it if I didn’t. I called my dad. Told him I’m his son (it still feels weird to say). He didn’t freak out or get upset. He was actually open and receptive, and told me we’d have to discuss this more so everyone could be on the same page as far as how to address me moving forward. He told me he still loves me, and that I’ll always be have an important role in the family as the first born.

I talked to my mom in person afterwards. Since the conversation didn’t have as much of a time limit since the day was done, i got to be more thorough. About what my plans are for my self and my body. That I still like guys so I’m basically going from being a straight girl to being a gay guy (well, in their eyes; also this doesn’t address my attraction to some women and non-binary people, but I’m trying to keep things LGBTQ 101 for my folks right now). I told her I want to be seen as her son and be called he and him, rather than she/her. She was also receptive and open, though she has a difficult time letting go of “Well how do you know?” and the “Why?”. But I calmly explained that it doesn’t matter why, and that it feels wrong to be called a girl vs feeling right being called a guy.

I didn’t go into how I feel like non-binary guy is a more accurate way of looking at it, but again, that’s advanced LGBTQ material and not something I want to split hairs with when I know it’ll only make this transition harder on us all.

But idk... I’m in bed now, and I just wanted to get this all down before I go back tomorrow and have way too much on my mind to get it all down. They gave us a lot of buzz words: transformation, possibility, the “Story we Tell ourselves vs “What Actually Happened”, “Already/Always Listening, and Rackets. A bunch of stuff that sounds like junk when you hear it. And maybe it is junk. Idk. But I guess it makes sense... Obviously I’m not really digging into the total thing as to what these all mean in context but that’s mostly cuz I’m tired and I have to get up early. But they say today was the hardest part and tomorrow we get to take more control of the conversation and that the dots should start connecting. So, I’m not dreading it like I was dreading coming this morning. I’m not excited (other than to see my brand new gay friend who is an absolute PEACH AND ID FIGHT ANYONE FOR HIM IF I HAD TO) but I’m not fearful.

I feel like I’m still in charge of certain areas of my life; areas I feel need to be worked through in long term therapy, rather than mental boot camp. But I feel I’m willing to make this transformation in my general social, financial, and career areas of my life. I don’t feel brainwashed yet, so that’s good. I still question things, and I’m not about to just go forgive my father for the shot he put me through (especially since I don’t even think he realizes how much he fucked me up). But I’m open to seeing brand new possibilities in other important areas.

Woo hoo, I guess. This probably makes little sense to anyone who’s never taken the Landmark course. But this is for me mostly. Lol Well this whole blog is, really.

[tinytaehyun]

Feel like getting into Hotshot?

Here’s a list of things to help you! I really really do recommend that you give them a shot (haHa) because they’re so incredibly talented, and not to mention the members are super extra and funny and sweet and cute and etc. They’re just really great and you won’t regret stanning them I promise! 

First off, an intro to Hotshot - this is going to be long so brace urself ok

MEMBERS: Leader Junhyuk! He’s tall, handsome and has the voice of an absolute angel.

Rapper Yoonsan! Used to be an underground rapper, spits absolute fire, a little awkward, pokerface 90% of the time.

Dancer Timoteo! He’s tall, amazing at dancing and you probably have heard of him because he’s friends with a lot of idols. (Jimin thanks to: Timo hyung).

Krump monster + dancer + rapper(?) Kid Monster! You might know him as Taehyun, he’s a super tiny lil thing and he was a participant in PD101 and was in the most popular dance crew in SK - Monster Woo Fam.

Main vocal Sungwoon! You might know him from Produce 101 - he’s now a member of Wanna One (still a member of Hotshot though!) He has the most amazing voice I have ever heard. Sorry I just had to use this gif he’s so fackin cute SUhfojwngrowijg.

Maknae Hojeong! This kid is G O R G E O U S ! He has a super unique voice, and super hot body, a super cutie. Golden honey skin~~

Okay so those are the members. Let’s move onto some music!

MUSIC VIDEOS + SONGS:

Take A Shot: Their debut MV / song. The person who edited this went a little “edit crazy” and…just watch it for yourself, you’ll know what I’m talking about!

I’m A Hotshot: Green hair Sungwoon, you’ve probably seen clips of this MV on PD101! Kid Monster rapping 8)

Watch Out: Personally this is my fav MV. The dance + and the song are both great and really showcase their talent.

Midnight Sun: I think we all generally like to pretend this video doesn’t exist….it’s pretty low budget, but the song itself is good and it’s pretty different to anything they’ve done.

Rain On Me (Not an MV): My favourite song of theirs. This one is also different to the rest!

Step by Step: One of their Japanese songs! Kid Monster looks great in this video (hehe i’m biased sorry) and his vocals are showcased well here.  One More Try (Not an MV): This song is a song that I feel like people forget exists? It’s one of their Japanese songs!

Watch Out (大叔你老了): They debuted in China with a a Chinese version of of “Watch Out” - unfortunately the only audio I can find is this really shitty one wrgjaiowgwra And that’s that for music. I know, they don’t have many songs but the songs they have released are realllly good!

UPDATE: THEY HAD A COMEBAAAAAAAACK!

Jelly: ??? UM?? What can I even say?! This is their first song after a two year hiatus and it’s SOOO good! Choreo by the one and only Roh Taehyun! Also...San is in a cage...? + this comeback (and a few more to come(?) will be without Sungwoon since he’s currently a Wanna One member!) HERE is the Jelly fanchant and it makes everyone super emo because it has NEVER been that loud before !!!!

OTHER VIDEOS THAT YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY WATCH:

This one is a video where they have to try and guess kpop songs. They can only hum (and dance?) and the other members have to guess what the song is. They’re split into two teams and it’s just funny to watch. “Musta Gusta Fu”.

This one is where they do the same thing but with english pop songs. They seem to be able to guess these better? Most people who watch this and aren’t into Hotshot yet tend to look into them after this.

This one is where they try to guess peoples ethnicities. They’re TERRIBLE at this but it’s my favourite video to watch, I probably watch it at least 3 times a week….(Comment on the video that made me scream: Kid Monster is so loveable)

Here and here they /attempt/ to do peoples makeup and…..well watch and see for yourself. 

Here they imitate famous Latin singers...? This is the cringiest thing I have ever seen and I forgot to include it bc I LITERALLY FORGOT IT EXISTED WIURGHORIWJGv “Yo soy Enrique Iglesias...yeah!”

They did all these videos in one day, it seems like they had a really fun day!!

Hello Korea 1 2 3 4. I honestly do not know the hell kind of show this even is but it’s fun to watch, they’re so cute sigh. P.s Sungwoon and Yoonsan trying to eat the cookies !! SO.CUTE. 

HOTSHOT Vol 8 where they have some free time and they’re just playing and being precious af.

Hotshot Dorm Life here they take you around their dorm (when they used to live together) poor Kimon is sick T_T

Must Eat 20 a food show hosted by Jinwoon of 2AM! Taehyun + Donghan from JBJ ate so much food I don’t know how they survived, it’s super fun to watch!

Some interviews to watch (some aren’t subbed I’m sorry :*((()

Arirang (Kpopulous1) | KCON | The Show | Kpopulous  Arirang 2 | Next Kpop Star | 腾讯巅峰对决(?) 

I’m kind of blanking on what else to link BUT to be fair there’s not that much content for them right now :( HOPEFULLY when they have a comeback (WHICH IS SUPER SOON !!), there will be more interviews and MV’s and all that fun stuff. 

UPDATE 2: PD 101! Here are some iconic / important PD 101 performances that Taehyun and Sungwoon were in! 

Shape Of You: Choreo by Taehyun! He won first place for dance with this performance, what a KING.

Shape Of You (Taehyun Focus): Same performance but focused on Kimon! 

Showtime: Honestly what an absolute DREAM team! This was my personal fav team by far! Taehyun, Sungwoon, Woodam, Samuel, Woojin, Sanggyun, Jisung~ they slayed this stage, it’s so much fun to watch, you can also buy the song on itunes!

Downpour: The performance that made everyone emo as fuck. Sungwoon’s voice honestly blows me away every single time I hear it, his voice is such a blessing omg??

UPDATE 3: JBJ! 

JBJ (Just Be Joyful) was originally a fan made group consisting of Roh Taehyun (obviously), Kwon Hyunbin, Kim Donghan, Takada Kenta, Kim Yongguk, Kim Sanggyun and Kim Taedong! BUT SURPRISE SuRPRISE! JBJ WILL BE DEBUTING ON THE 10TH OF SEPTEMBER, 2017. MARK IT IN YOUR CALENDARS!

I hope this helped you a little bit! You can check out my /tagged/hotshot if you want some gifs (they’re super weird brace yourself) music, photos etc. 

Thank you for taking the time out to read this and I hope you’ll support Hotshot in the future ! Please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions about them or if you wanna like, scream about them w me that’s cool too~!

[tipsycad147]

Cursing 101: How To Know If A Curse Is Right For You

Avery Hart

I’m generally an easy going, “live and let live” kind of woman. I understand people well enough to know that we’re all just doing the best we can with what we’ve got. Every now and then however, something pushes me a little too far or someone does something unnecessarily spiteful and I get the urge to throw a little baneful magic at them.

Yep, today I’m talking about cursing.

Now I know cursing is a controversial topic, many people don’t like it and if you’re in that boat that’s just fine, you do you. Here at The Travelling Witch we don’t abide by any rede and we understand that karma is specific to Hinduism and Buddhism and does NOT apply to our more pagan leanings. Cursing has long been a traditional part of the witch’s toolkit and as much as many modern movements have tried to stamp it out there are many of us who keep to a more traditional path and respect the power and responsibility that comes with it.

So what is a curse?

A curse is a spell done specifically to cause harm to another. In some cases the curse can achieve other ends as well but the intent to harm has to be there for it to be a curse.

Curses can be immensely useful but more than any other spell I feel that curses are often turned to in situations where the curse won’t actually solve the problem. Since I’m pretty heavily against wasting my energy on non-solutions to my problems I always take the following considerations into account before deciding if a curse is the appropriate path.

1.  Do you want to keep this person in your life?

If the answer is yes then you should avoid cursing them. In my experience, regardless of spiritual ability, a person who has been cursed will sense the negative energy coming from you. This frequently makes them increasingly hostile. In most cases the relationship ends due to the stress between the two, but not before a lot of unnecessary emotional damage on your part.

2.  Do you want this person to “learn their lesson”?

Nobody learns anything from being cursed. Honestly, who thinks stuff like “Look at all of this bad stuff happening to me, maybe I should stop picking on that kid/maybe I shouldn’t cheat on my girlfriend/maybe I should be less racist/etc.” The answer is no one. No one thinks like that. There’s no logic to support such thoughts unless you intend to straight up tell them “Hey, I’m cursing you because you did X”, which is a bad idea and can land you in hot water. If you just want them to change their behaviour, try something different. Maybe talk to them or try a different sort of spell.

3.  Are you willing to be responsible for any energetic or physical harm that will come to them as a result of your curse?

This isn’t a “Woo, bad karma~” point. I’m just saying, are you going to want to take the curse back when someone gets hurt? What if the curse is stronger than you intended and someone dies? Can you handle knowing that you had a hand in it? I’m all for cursing but these are things that CAN happen and they need to be considered before attempting curses.

4.  Are you willing to accept that this person IS going to change, probably in unpleasant ways as a result of your curse?

Nobody gets away from a successful curse unscathed. The possibility for permanent physical damage, mental trauma and major (and likely negative) personality changes is very real. Are you going to be ok if that ex that you curse for dumping you goes on to seriously abuse his future partners? What if that “little curse” goes on to cripple your target? Will you feel guilty?

If you've gone through these questions and still want to throw that curse then by all means, do.

Remember: You're the witch, you make the rules!

The important thing to recognise here is that these guidelines are largely about YOU. I want you to be every bit the badass witch that you want to be but in order to do that you need to understand the gravity and potential consequences of your magic. Curse regret isn't any fun and I'd much rather you choose your actions confidently and with the full knowledge that you're ready to handle the outcomes.

https://thetravelingwitch.com/blog/2016/12/21/an-intro-to-cursing