#all i want is to be able to comb some wool ;;_;;

[milkweedman]

Fiber Sale (need money for moving; also trying to destash) !! Only shipping to the US. All prices include shipping.

Would also really appreciate donations if you want to help support me but can't buy something for whatever reason.

Check the original post to see what's been sold and what hasn't (I will cross out sold items). First come first serve.

https://ko-fi.com/kolyenka

Prepared Fiber--all of this is prepared by me :) the following 4 are cheaper as I can ship them in normal envelopes

A: 0.14 oz, combed top. Blend of bfl, tencel, tussah silk, corriedale, merino. Very soft and shiny. $8.

B: 0.11 oz, combed top. Blend of tussah silk (black) and mohair locks (green). $8

C: 0.22 oz, combed top. Same blend as A, just a lot more of it and in different combos. Distinct gradient from one end to the other. $10

D: 0.4 oz, rolag (made on blending board). Tussah silk, mohair, and bfl. Very squishy and fine. $13

E: 0.29 oz. Rolag, wool and cotton blend. Even more stripes of color under the surface. $13

F: 0.51 oz. Rolag, wool blend with some Angelina. Purple underneath. $15

G: 4.75 ounces. Rolags (many many rolags). Blend of various wools; some fibers are not quite next to skin soft, but overall it's a soft blend. Mix of red, orange, white, purple, and black. $45

H: 1 ounce. Washed longwool fleece (breed unknown). Dyed by myself with onion skin. $10

I: 1.2 ounces. Southdown flax blend, predrafted from rolags. Could potentially make up to 6 ounces total of this. $18

FLEECE

J: 6 ounces. Washed jacob lambsfleece. Very soft for a jacob, large bits of vm (was able to get it out with hand cards). $20

K: 5.5 ounces. Hampshire with 2+ years growth, washed fleece. Definitely an odd fleece, not like your usual down breed. Has vm; washed it multiple times but still looks gross--I've found its almost impossible to get totally clean before it's yarn. Recommend combing, spinning, then washing. Nice and soft. $25

L: 7.5 ounces BFL cross. Very soft and with good luster. Some vm, was able to remove with hand cards. $25

M: 4.75 oz. Jacob x Border Leicester. Good luster, warm brown tips. Nicely soft. $20

SPINDLES:

1: thin spindle (7 inches long). Good for cobweb weight but can achieve thinner and thicker. Birch wood with woodburning. $80

2: thick spindle (7 inches long). Good for laceweight but can achieve thinner and thicker. Wood type unknown (some sort of fruit tree iirc). No woodburning due to lots of wormholes and spalting which provide their own visual interest (they don't cause problems spinning don't worry). $60

3: thick spindle (6.5 in long). Good for laceweight, can spin thicker and thinner. No clue on wood type. Woodburned on most of the surface, the rest has wormholes again. $90

BAGS

4: handblended handspun handknit drawstring project bag, 20 inch circumference. Cord is handspun flax. It's folded in half in the bigger picture. $90

5: handblended handspun handknit pouch. Don't remember the circumference but you can compare to the other bag. Body is entirely southdown babydoll wool. Handle is handspun icord. $75

HANDSPUN YARN

6: 4 oz, 325 yards. Hand blended and handspun. Alpaca, wool, silk, silk noil, angelina. 2 ply fingering weight. Very textured. $65

7: 5.75 oz, 572 yds. Merino and silk blend, 2 ply, dk weight. Blended for a triangle shawl, stripes get longer as you go. Very soft, shines very beautiful in the light. $115

Please DM if you're interested--first come first serve. I take payment via ko-fi.

[balkanradfem]

I keep thinking everyone knows the exact same information as me, but since I'm about to make more posts about textiles and clothing, as I'm reading the book on them, I'm going to write down some basic information, just in case it's not very common, because a lot of this I only gathered recently. If I get something wrong please correct me in a kind way!

So where does the clothing come from, and how do we make it? During most of the history, textiles were made by women, from natural materials; flax, wool, cotton, silk, jute. Recently we started using more synthetic materials, like acrylic, polyester, nylon, spandex. If you want to make clothing from the natural materials, like wool or cotton, they first need to be processed, cleaned and combed, then spun into yarn, or thread. Spinning is the process where women manage to pull a thin part of the material and spin the fibres into one consistent, firm thread. It's super impressive to watch them do it and I have no idea how they manage to make it consistent, I've not yet tried to do it myself.

Once the thread is done, it can be made into a textile by knitting, crochet, or weaving. There are also other more complex, decorative methods, like tatting or lacing.

For knitting, you need two needles, or a special circular needle, or, there are also knitting machines, which you can use to make woolen fabric. For weaving, you need a loom. For crochet, you need a crochet hook. While knitting and weaving can be done by a machine, crochet can only be done by hand. Woven fabrics are firm, sturdy, durable, and not stretchy, while knit fabric is the most stretchy and soft. I'm not sure about crochet since I only have one crochet garment, but mine is very sturdy!

All of these methods were historically done by women; families were able to grow flax plants close to their homes, and women would then create linens, woven textiles made from processed flax, which was used to make sheets and clothing. Linen was specifically useful in keeping people clean, since it's very good at absorbing moisture. Used as an under-garment, it was capable of absorbing sweat, and protecting the outer layers, which were not washed. Experiments have shown that frequently changing into clean linen was more effective at keeping clean than showering and then putting on the same clothing back on.

Women's ability to create clothing was sadly exploited, and women were even banned to sell it commercially, or from competing at the commercial market, but their husbands were allowed to profit off of their craft.

In the USA, cotton was the most produced material, however for this too people were enslaved and exploited; cotton took human labour to grow, harvest and process, it also required a lot of water, and caused destruction of environment, because of the chemicals used in it's growth, and the unsustainability of monocrops.

Creating a piece of clothing out of textiles, or sewing, is a process that still cannot be completely automated; while you can use a sewing machine, you cannot make a machine that would produce a whole garment out of textiles. No mass-produced piece of clothing was sewn by a machine, it always has to be made by a human being. This is why a lot of the sewing labour is currently outsourced to third-world countries and companies use modern slavery in order to create fast fashion; there is no machine that can do it, so by the rules of capitalism, the companies are trying to get that labour as cheap as possible, often at the cost of human lives.

We didn't use to have as many garments as we do today, in the 18th century people would have two outfits, one for normal days of the week, and one for Sunday. The clothing they owned was usually made to fit them exactly, either by a female member of the family, or a seamstress, and these garments were made to last them for decades. As clothing became cheaper to buy than to make at home, and more of it became mass-produced, people started acquiring more of it, but also using it for lesser period of time. This would eventually grow into a bigger problem, due to the amount of chemicals and labour used to grow, process, dye and sew the garments, and the amount of waste we were starting to accumulate.

Introduction of synthetic materials, like acrylic, made the yarn and the textiles much cheaper, however it lacks the important properties natural materials have. Do you ever notice how synthetic garments sometimes continue smelling bad even after you wash them? That is because they'll absorb sweat, but become hydrophobic when wet, meaning they will take in your sweat, but refuse to let it go once they're in the water. This means that the longer you have them, the worst their stink becomes. This, of course, can be hidden by the generous use of scented fabric softener, but it won't exactly make the garment clean. This information I've learned recently, but it helped me identify what were the most synthetic pieces of clothing I had. Acrylic clothing had also proven to shed 1.5 more microplastics than any other polyester when put into the washing machine.

Having our clothing grown, processed, spun, woven/knit, and then sewn far out of sight, it's possible to lose the sight of where it came from, or how it's made. Only by trying to do it yourself, or learning closely about the process can one learn to appreciate what a monumental task it is, to create fabric, or a garment. Other than the synthetic textiles, of which I still know very little of, all of the natural clothing is a product of plants and animals, it takes land, farming, agriculture and water to grow the plants, raise the animals, and then labour to process and spin the fibres. It's also something people used to do in their gardens, inside of their homes, something that was normal for women to do, and to trade for anything else they needed, saving them from having to work for wages. Women making fabric was always to the benefit of everyone around them, while m*n taking over the industry and doing it commercially, ultimately brought slave labour to a lot of people, cheap and low quality garments to the select few, and money to the hands of the exploiters.

Being curious about clothing and what becomes of it, is a big benefit to the environment and the future of the earth! Knowing what the textile industry is doing, and how does it affect the planet, can be a great motivator to try and sew, or upcycle and mend clothing, or create garments. It's presented to us as something women were forced to do in the past, and it's connected to 'feminine hobbies', but in actuality, it is power to create something humans cannot do without. Women in the past used it's power too, whenever they could. And we are the only ones who ever used this power for good.

[kaxenart]

Kaxen's BJD Hardcap Wigmaking 2024 Version

Pros of hard wig cap style:

The best method for short hairstyles (and I am a masochist who loves short swept-back hairstyles)

Are you the kind of person who gets tilted over lace front wigs having a line of extra net or not fitting your doll's forehead? This wig will fit and you can chop the wig cap even closer.

I hate hand sewing, so I never do sewn wefts with soft wigcaps, and sewn wefts don't work well for exposed hairlines so GLUE, GLUE, BABY.

Cons of hard wig cap style:

This wig will not fit on another doll unless it's maybe from the same company or has a really generic head-shape

Tools

Nonstick mat - Michaels sells Messy Mats which are very thin but stiff film mats that are nonstick. Silicone mats for pet bowls are often very cheap! A lot of craft-specific silicone mats have more price mark-up despite being the exact same thing.

Silicone spatula - for spreading glue. Just the generic silicone tools are fine. Comes in different sizes.

Glue of choice - Different glues react differently to different fibers and different colors. Pick whatever you like that has a slight flex to it and is waterproof once it's dry. If you prefer to style hair with high temperatures (especially the boiling water method), pick something that will resist high temps.

Glues I personally hate passionately: Beacon Adhesives Fabri-tac.

Why Fabri-tac sucks:

Smells terrible

Warps over time, wigs have literally stopped fitting the doll it was for

Rock hard when dry, literally the worst option for fabric???????????

Glue bottle cap always gets fucked up and useless.

Like jesus christ just get some fray check if you need fabric glue

Slicker brush: No matter how thorough you are with glue, you will have loose fiber. Comb it out. Buy two if you want to be able to have a poor man's wool carder so you can re-align fibers and use them later. WHY ARE WOOL CARDERS SO EXPENSIVE?

Fibers -

Suri alpaca: Very fine strands, low gloss, can use hair irons on it

Tencel: very fine strands, high gloss, can use hair irons on it, plant-based. Great for 1/6 scale and Anime Bullshit hair

Viscose (not pictured): very fine strands, high gloss, crinkles like hell if it gets wet, can use hair irons on it, plant-based

Silk (the silver wig lower down the post): very fine strands, high gloss, can use hair irons on it

Mohair: medium strands (thinner if it's kid mohair), high gloss, can use hair irons on it. Various levels of curly.

Synthetic: medium strands, high or low gloss depending on what you get, ymmv on hair irons check before hand how much temperature it can handle. Already made of plastic so plastic-y glue doesn't make it look weirder. Comes in the longest strands.

Wool roving (not pictured): fine strands, no gloss, doesn't really look like straight hair, but works well for styles like dreads.

Acrylic yarn (not pictured): fine strands, gloss level varies, cheap, but you pay in "spent all afternoon unraveling yarn to brush it out" MICROPLASTICS BAD.

I looked at combed mohair prices and it made me scared. How much fiber do I need?

1/3 heads (8-9in circumference): 1/2 oz is a comfortable amount for shorter styles and more the longer the hair will be

1/4 heads (6-7.5in circumference): 1/4-1/3 oz.

1/6 Mature tinies (3in circumference): 1/4 oz, the usual minimum order, will be a ton

Processing mohair yourself is cheaper, but it's a lot of cleaning and combing.

Making the wig base

Fabric base: sheer woven fabric or thin stretch fabrics (pantyhose, mesh hair nets, etc) in a color that does not clash too much with the skintone of your doll

The smaller the doll and the shorter the hair style (especially exposed hairlines!) the thinner you want to go to avoid seeing the wig cap too easily.

Cover the doll with plastic wrap, tighten the fabric as much as possible to mold to head, spread glue around so fabric will stay in this shape.

Putting rubber bands around ears helps shape.

Putting the fiber on

I'm pretty sure preparing wefts beforehand by gluing them on a nonstick mat and then cutting off pieces to stick on the wigcap is easier for exact placement, but I think that takes too long, so I just glue that straight on the wigcap.

I prefer not to use sewn wefts because I don't like that chunky line.

Work back to front and/or wherever the hair parts.

Hold up a small lock of hair and then use the silicone tool to swab a lil glue on it.

The smaller the doll, the smaller bundles you want to add the hair in so the bulk level isn't too crazy. Not as big of a deal for 1/3 scale dolls, the biggest deal with 1/6 dolls.

Hairline and hair parting methods

Rooting

I use the rooting tool from Dollyhair (but you can basically use any small hand tool with an adjustable chuck that can hold the rooting needle)

Pros:

Imitates growing hair

More versatile in styling options if you root a large sections of the wigcap because then the hair can flow in different directions without exposing which way it was glued

Cons:

Slow, the more realistic you want to go, the smaller each root plug should be. I use size 8 or size 6 needle on 1/3 dolls, but I could probably go smaller.

Tiny bits of hair and glue inside the gap may affect the fit of the wig cap.

Takes three billion years to dry the inside because you will swab glue on the inside of the wigcap and then smoosh the wig cap against plastic wrap on your doll's hair to keep the wig cap properly molded to your doll's head

Works terrible on mature tiny 1/6 wigs

TTRPG Mini Grass Style

Pros:

Fast, just put a daub of glue and slap a tuft on

Hair can be pushed in multiple directions without looking awkward

Cons:

Harder to do with longer hair and thicker fibers, may just tip over before the glue dries. Works better with short suri alpaca or tencel than mohair

Fold Over Method

Pros:

Easy!

Can hide wigcap edges

Cons:

Not realistic

Works worse with stiff fibers that may not lay flat after being folded over (may need heat treatment to work)

Ugly glue zone

Chopping the wig open to cram in fibers where the hair parting is

Pros:

Less ugly glue zone than the foldover method

Cons:

Margin for error for not warping the entire wig cap is not great! More risk than the rooting method.

Wildcard showing up with a steel chair! (mostly because this doesn't really need a separate post)

Flocking + painted edges

Pros:

Fast, swab on the adhesive and shake a ketchup bottle of fiber powder on it.

Useful for shaved hair

Cons:

Well, now you have Craft Herpes (glitter, fiber dust, y'know how it is...)

Not all doll sculptors have very flush headcap boundaries

Gotta redo the face-side of the flocking whenever you want to change the face-up

[taradiddled]

@inubaki isn't feeling well. and I think @lilacwriter07 could use a pep-up, so I'm putting here another sneak-peek at the chapter I'm working on.

--

"Only a neglectful shepherd would leave their sheep's hooves unattended." She picked up her scrub brush again and began layering the hoof in soapy foam. "They need routine cleaning, because who the fuck knows what shit they pick up on a regular basis. I had one sheep that must have been not right in the head, because it used to stand in its own shit, totally oblivious to how filthy it'd get. Needed a cleaning twice a week, or else its wool would stink. I thought I'd have to put up with it for maybe eight or nine years, since it was so dumb, but the bastard managed to live to eighteen years before it croaked."

Lucifer snickered, amused at the mental image given. "I can't imagine you putting up with that for more than eight years."

"Well, I did," Adam stated proudly, her chest puffing up just a bit with pride. "It was under my care, and my protection. Just because it wasn't too damn bright didn't mean I was going to mark it for meat. Not when its wool was some of the softest I'd felt, and it was especially patient with the grandkids when they wanted to play." It'd almost been like having another nanny available, when the children's parents were busy with their own business of foraging and hunting to support their families. Though Adam had bemoaned caring for the sheep, she'd actually cared for it in her own way, and mourned the creature when it eventually passed away.

"What was its name," Lucifer asked, genuinely curious.

"Birn," Adam replied. "Birn the Burr." She finally finished cleaning Lucifer's hoof to her satisfaction. "Because of all the damn times I had to comb so much crap out of its wool." The first comb ever had been invented purely because of Birn. It'd been the size of Adam's hand, with four thick teeth, able to sort through Birn's thick-thick wool to pull out all the foliage Birn managed to pick up in a week's time. It'd been one of Eve's best inventions, and had saved Adam's fingers further abuse from the sharp twigs and tree needles that would get stuck in Birn's wool. How the beast had managed to collect so much debris in the pastures, Adam and Eve had never uncovered.

"You're good now," Adam proclaimed, setting Lucifer's hoof back into the water. "Your hooves could use a little trimming, but it's nothing urgent. Maybe in a week's time you'll need to give it some actual attention." With the task of cleaning Lucifer's hooves done, Adam turned to cleaning herself, tossing out the washrag she'd been using for a clean one.

While Adam started lathering up with some soap, Lucifer examined his hooves, blonde brows arching as he looked in awe at the difference made. "This looks better than when I use magic," he said, rotating one hoof so he could admire its underside. "Feels better, too. Yowza. You've got magic hands there, my Pretty Prickly Mistress!"

Adam scoffed at the syrupy sweet praise, rolling her eyes. "You said the same thing about me handling your balls a couple nights ago, Your Majesty." Still, it was nice to be appreciated. She brushed her foot against Lucifer's thigh beneath the water, lips curling with a naughty smile as she observed Lucifer's cheeks color that tangerine hue Adam knew so well.

Lucifer gulped, eyes going down to where Adam's foot was sliding up and down the inside of Lucifer's thigh beneath the water. "Wellllllllllll," he stretched out, voice taking on a higher pitch when Adam's toes found Lucifer's cock. "It's good manners to give credit where credit is due--oh!" He gasped when Adam's big toe rubbed against the tip of his dick. A pant rose from the king's throat. "Ada, as much as I would love to fuck around some more, we still have breakfast to get to, and that call we promised to make to Charlie."

Adam hummed, cocking her head to the side, making a face of consideration, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth, weighing her options, before she retracted her foot from its fondling between Lucifer's legs. As much as her ramped libido desired another go around, there were things that needed doing, and Adam remembered that the new Soul Counter was long overdue. She needed to check in with Charlie about her progress with her research, and start pulling together information so that they could start something substantial.

It's been over a month since we started, Adam reminded herself. If I keep lazing around, this shit won't get done until after Oz is born. And she'd be too occupied with her newborn baby and Lucifer to put any extra energy into starting up the Soul Counter.

With a sigh of reluctance, Adam resumed her scrubbing, washing away any sticky residue from her and Lucifer's earlier activities. "Sucks to suck," she grumbled, "Buuuuuuuuuuut you're right." She then threw the washrag at Lucifer's chest, the King of Hell just catching it. "We have work to do," Adam agreed, turning around so her back was to Lucifer. "So wash up my back quick, will you, goony? You're the one who wanted to finish on my back, anyways..."

"Orrrrrrrr," Lucifer started, wading his way over to Adam, seating him right at her back, "You could just ask nicely, like a normal person." Nonetheless, he began to tend to Adam's back, wiping away at the skin in careful, gentle circles. It was a relaxing experience, and Adam found herself leaning back into Lucifer's care, releasing an audible sigh of contentment, as well as a chuckle at Lucifer's suggestion.

"And why should the great Dick-Master of Humanity have to ask to get her back washed?" She looked back at Lucifer over her shoulder, grinning with ego she felt was rightly earned. "Especially from the devil whose dick the Dick-Master conquered."

Lucifer paused in his ministrations. With great amusement, he chuckled. "Is that what we're going to call me knocking you up from now on?" He resumed washing Adam's back. "Would make a far more interesting story: the naughty devil who met his comeuppance, ahem, literally, when his dastardly dick was valiantly, valiantly, conquered by the heroic Dick-Master?" He and Adam both laughed at how ridiculous the tale sounded aloud.

Adam's smile was rueful, and she shrugged her shoulders. "Hey," she humored. "You fucked it."

"And I will gladly do so, again aaaaaand again," Lucifer hummed with a melodic note.

[orange-demons-deactivated2024]

Nayshall's clothing (pt. 1)

I'm gonna be 100% honest with ya'll. I was writing a Bosch smut and for the life of me, I didn't know the names of the clothes he was wearing. But I didn't want to put "Robes" and move on, so I did a deep dive into Nayshall's clothes.

Nayshall is a blend of multiple cultures in one, but the general consensus of forums on Reddit and other forums was that Nayshall was inspired by Bhutan, Nepal, Indian, and Tibet cultures.

This is going to be split into multiple of parts because Nayshall has a lot of different types of clothes so I won't be able to cover it in one sitting. I barely even scratched the surface here.

If anyone is more knowledgeable than me and sees that I got something wrong please tell me in the comments. But I'm posting this because I want people to see the hard work the street-fighting devs put into this and the world of Nayshall.

Chuba 

The chuba is a floor-length, left-crossing loose garment that is adjusted at the waist with a wide, usually red cloth belt, and pulled up to different degrees according to sex, rank or region. It is an extraordinarily adaptable garment worn by town dwellers, farmers, nomads, men and women alike, and is equally wearable on horse or motorcycle.

Chubas are pocket-less and held together with a waistband, with room in the front that serves as an “inside pocket” or inner pouch to store necessities such as food items, money belts, amulets, personal things, and even an infant in the bosom.

The chuba can be worn in different lengths, and the shorter the chuba, the more voluminous the pouch resulting from the overhanging material used to hold small items. Women wear their chuba ankle length, while men mostly pull them up the mid-calf or above the knee. Tibetan weather is fickle and temperatures can rise and fall within minutes.

Half-chupas: Just the skirt

Full chupas: Can be worn with a shirt

One-piece chupas: A one-piece dress

Town women: Wear their chubas floor length with pumps or high heel boots

Farmers and nomads: Double them over trousers 

Ex: Rewancha, Yua, and Bosch all wore a form of chuba as their gown.  The Chuba had 2 sleeves, but the locals usually only wear one sleeve and leave the other hanging loose. This is a way of adjusting the body temperature. When it gets hot, they take off one sleeve to cool down a bit. But if the temperature keeps rising they remove another sleeve too. We can actually see in Bosch's picture that the other sleeve is tucked in the back.

They often have soft fur, pulu, or colorful cloth on the collar, front, cuff, and lower hem of the gown.

5 types of robes could be made out of, Pulu woven fabrics, lambskin robes, sheepskin robes, woolen robes, and light robes.

Woolen robes are made with inner layers of sheep fur, so they are light and warm, making them popular in warmer, agricultural areas like Nayshall.

Pulu, the traditional Tibetan wool fabric, is made by fluffing and combing the wool into a thread by fingers, then weaving it with a wooden shuttle loom. Pulu robes are a favorite in pastoral areas as well as farmland.

Lambskin is ranked by degree, according to the length of lamb hair, curliness, and quality of the skin. 40+ lambskin is necessary to make a medium-class lambskin robe.

Shirts

pants

Modern and traditional

A growing trend among young Tibetans is blending traditional and modern casual clothing. Young Tibetans often try to find a balance between modern styles and their cultural heritage. It is not uncommon to see some Western-style clothing like jeans and t-shirts

The classic chuba robe is still everywhere, but Tibetan youth will make stylish adaptations. The cut of the fabric or the embroidered designs will be changed to something more contemporary. These changes show the desire to keep old traditions alive while making innovations to express personal style.

Ex. Same with the people in Nayshall they blend traditional and modern together. Shopkeeper Tsanpa wears jeans with his gho (Bhutan) tucked in. Yua wears modern shoes that resemble Tibetan boots, and Kina wears a beanie on top of her head.

note that Kina may also be wearing a Kora Yushu hat.

The Kora Yushu hat is made from a blend of yak and merino wool, and its fabric originates from Tibet and China. Kora sources the wool directly from Tibetan communities to ensure its quality and origin. The hat is lightweight, warm, and thin enough to fit beneath a hood or helmet, making it suitable for winter and mountain use.

Hairbeads

Tibetan hair jewelry, including braids and hair beads, is used to mark life milestones like birth, marriage, adulthood, and death. The jewelry often reflects the colors of nature.

Tibetan hair beads can be used by both men and women. In Tibet, long hair was recommended for both men and women, except for monks and nuns. Tibetan braids can signal a woman's marital status, social rank, and tribal affiliation. Tibetan men wear hair beads but there is no male equivalent. 

Headdress

Tibetan headdresses vary by region, age, and marital status. For example, unmarried girls wear a single braid with a red hair string, called Xia Jiu in Tibetan. 

Tibetan women wear headdresses on special occasions, such as festivals and their comings-of-age. Headdresses can be colorful and made of coral, turquoise, or other materials. For example, a "Bazhu" is a deluxe headdress made of coral or turquoise with gold or silver earrings. Tibetan women also wear silver bracelets on their left hand and white conch bracelets on their right. 

Jewelry

Tibetans traditionally wear jewelry, which is often made from gold, silver, and precious stones. The most common gems used are turquoise, coral, and pearls, which are used in necklaces, earrings, hair ornaments, and to decorate ritual objects. Tibetan jewelry can also be made from cow bone, amber, shell, and agate.

Tibetans wear a variety of jewelry, including ornaments made of gold and silver, as well as jewelry made of amber, agate, jadeite, pearl, and ivory. Tibetan jewelry traditionally features materials from across South Asia, East Asia, and the Middle East, and the symbols on Tibetan jewelry are usually from Himalayan Buddhism. Tibetans like to wear many ornaments and jewelry, such as Buddha beads, hair bands, hair accessories, belts, prayer beads, and necklaces.

Jewelry is a symbol of status and wealth in Tibetan culture, and each design has a specific meaning. For example, ornaments with symbols of animals, flowers, and stones are often given to commemorate special occasions. Some also believe that wearing gold enhances spiritual power over evil spirits. Offering jewelry to holy statues is thought to generate positive virtue for the donor. 

This article also goes into the types of ornaments they use in their jewelry

Jewelry can also serve as a talisman, with different amulets protecting against disease and harm. For example, coral and turquoise are said to ward off evil spirits and illness. 

Many Tibetan jewelry pieces are passed down from generation to generation. For example, some Tibetan-style pendants are used in Buddhism as ritual instruments to subdue demons, which are believed to dispel sins and bring people power, intelligence, and courage. Many of these pendants also have Sanskrit inscriptions of a religious symbolic nature.

Braids

Braids are also a symbol of strength, wisdom, and identity for some indigenous men and boys. They can also represent a connection to the earth, ancestors, and the creator. For example, in Native American tradition, hair is a signifier of spiritual practice, and braiding demonstrates strength in unity

boots

sumba shoes

Tibetans typically wear boots, which are more cultural representations than practical clothing. However, due to the prevalence of mass-produced shoes, traditional Tibetan boots are no longer the daily footwear for ordinary Tibetans. Instead, they are now usually part of ceremonial attire.

Tibetan boots are a significant part of the Tibetan way of life. They are more cultural than practical, and are worn to represent different regions and environments. For example, boots with a pointed toe are suitable for different types of terrain, and can be worn with a garter in cold weather. Boots from different regions of Tibet have different styles and qualities. For example, boots from Chamdo and northern Tibet are simple, while boots from Shannan and Xigaze are more delicate.

Tibetan boots are commonly made from cowhide, pigskin, corduroy, and pulu, a traditional woolen fabric. Other materials used include cloth, canvas, velvet, leather, and felt. The original boots were made from yak hide, and the soles were embroidered with patterns like dragons and snakes, and the shoes were decorated with red and green woolen cloth.

Tibetan boots come in two general types: short leg and long leg. Most Tibetan boots are lined or padded, though some may be unlined. The heads of corduroy boots are made of cowhide, and many kinds of pulu boots have cowhide soles.

[throughtrialbyfire]

glance, motion, roots, texture, hair, change for the Dragonborn trio (if you want!)

hi there!!!!! :3

glance: At first glance, what stands out most about your OC's appearance? What's their distinguishing feature?

emeros - aside from height (tall), i'd say his eyes. he doesn't have the characteristically all-black sclera of bosmer, rather his are a mid-toned grey, and his piercings, since he wears fairly expensive-looking ear jewelry

wyndrelis - his eyes for sure, he's got white-ish irises, so his stare tends to bore right into people, and his glasses that are enchanted to never fall off of his face unless he chooses to remove them

athenath - aside from height (short), their hair, curly and dark and a bit shaggy from him being the one to cut it themself

motion: How does your OC move? How does their clothing help or hinder their range of motion? Are they flexible, coordinated, clumsy?

emeros - he chooses all of his garments by practicality, with some observation of style, so his clothes never tend to hinder his movements. as for how he moves in general, he's got a very lofty air about him, with a high chin held higher when speaking to authority figures/trying to negotiate with people, and flourishing gestures made with his wrists/hands.

wyndrelis - answered here!

athenath - they're fairly bouncy, and move fluidly, like a cat on the prowl. their clothes are fairly practical as well, since he spends most of his time traveling from town to town, and prefers to not have to worry too much about range of motion

roots: Is your OC's look inspired by any specific style of clothing or fashion trend? What are the roots and/or inspiration for their look?

for all three of them, the clothing typically worn by skyrim and oblivion npcs was my main inspiration, and i just took it from there! in the actual, in-world styles, emeros borrows from the colovian regional style of cyrodiil, athenath from styles of bravil and leyawiin, and wyndrelis from styles of cheydinhal and bruma

texture: Does your OC favor any specific kinds of cloth or textures? Is there anything they can't wear or don't like? What sort of fabrics do they prefer?

emeros - he'll wear any sort of material, but he has a heavy preference for leathers, furs, and cotton. if its breathable or practical, he'll prefer it over most others.

wyndrelis - he loves wool, since he grew up in a colder part of county cheydinhal. he likes linen and such just fine, but wool and fur are things he'll always enjoy more

athenath - suede, linen, cotton, and anything in that range are things they majorly lean towards. they don't like wool much, but use it when they have to, bc they don't like the itchy texture

hair: How does your OC wear their hair? Does it have some kind of meaning?

emeros - he likes to wear it down at his chin, and neatly combed. it doesn't have any meaning, he just prefers it that way

wyndrelis - he wears it short, parted at the right side, and tries to keep it from growing too long. no particular reason other than hair prickling the back of his neck too much annoys him

athenath - they used to wear their hair cut pretty short, but got bored of it and didn't like how it looked, so they grew it down below their shoulders. they cut it themself, so it's a bit shaggy, with bangs in the front because they like being able to see and keeping his hands free from having to pull his hair back is much easier than worrying about it

change: Has your OC ever drastically changed their appearance? Significant haircuts, big tattoos, complete wardrobe swap, etc? Why? How do they feel about the change?

emeros - somewhat! he used to dress more extravagantly when he was younger, as his family expected him to do so. and to some degree, he liked it, but he enjoyed practicality more, and the moment he was able he shifted his appearance towards pragmatism over style

wyndrelis - nope, he hates major changes AHAHKJHGDF

athenath - oh yes, definitely. he was raised to wear dresses, and their family tried to make them grease their hair straight, in typical aldmeri fashion. they despised how his family had so much interest in how he wore his hair, so early on when they started coming to terms with their gender, he cut it very short and refused to wear styles his parents tried to force on them. that was when he was around fourteen, i think!! anyways, they like their hair long and now wear it that way, and have no problem wearing dresses and gowns if they want to, but it was a big step for him to finally establish some sense of identity and autonomy.

thank you so much for the asks!!!! <3333333

oc appearance asks

[mockingmolly]

Hi Sivsi! I was wondering if you had any advice on getting into needle felting? (I thought I saw at some point you had some thoughts on what wools are good or bad to start with?)

I need a craft for some craft nights I will be doing with some friends, and I have always been extremely inspired by the Laudna figure you made. I haven't done needle felting before, but I have made fabric & fiber figures other ways, so I am game to give needle felting a try! I would appreciate any tips you'd care to share. Your felted stuff is lovely.

Hi!! Firstly thank you for your compliments and ty for giving me an excuse to ramble haha (tho hopefully this big block of text won’t make things too intimidating!)

I’ve actually made a list of beginners items for a few others have asked. I go briefly into what they are + what they’re used for so hopefully it’s a good place to start as an overview of what you might invest in. I’ve also tried linking to only one or two shops (US based) to make it convenient and primarily share one of my biggest go-to Etsy shops! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CaqjPi0l9-XCEJ_aU6c8m2p2bVEpy5Q56WdtU0XoTKY/edit

I think, following these links, would be the recommendation to avoid felting kits. They ideally should make things more convenient for beginners, but unfortunately tend to just be cheap cash grabs with inadequate supplies that seem to make things as user-hostile even for advanced felters. There are some really good ones out there, but the downside is that they’re coming from professional felters/small businesses and (understandably) necessitate a bigger price point. Fun if you know what you want and you want to learn from pros, but not always ideal if you’re completely new to felting and don’t want to spend $50 on one project’s worth of materials.

Next up is, like you’ve said, wool! i do mention this a bit in the above doc, but the biggest thing with wool is to avoid roving. Since you’ve done other fiber art before, I’m sure you’re aware of the difference, but for those who aren’t: roving is wool with a long fiber-length that’s been combed and straightened out for yarn spinning. In needlefelting, it can be good for longer fur or hair, but it’s horrendous to try and do sculptural work with and not ideal as your color layer, either. I stress this point because unfortunately roving is the most commonly available and unless you know to avoid it, most of what you’ll come across in stores and kits is going to give you a bad impression of what felting is capable of.

Instead, what you want to look for is carded wool. Wool that has been processed in a way that encourages the interlocking of crimped fibers until a large batt has formed. Variations can occur depending on the breed of wool, but generally carded wool is going to be very easy to sculpt and shape with your needles and will provide good color and detailing as well.

(Roving vs carded)

That all being said, there’s a lot of different terminology in regards to wool specifications. Different breeds of wool will have different looks and feels to how they work, and it can be daunting when you don’t really know what you’re looking at. I’d highly recommend not stressing over it at first. As long as you’ve got carded wool you should be fine, and over time you’ll start to get a feel for what you like best/will be able to recognize their specifications and labeling as you go.

similar can be said about needles. there are a bunch of different needle shapes that supposedly do different things, but literally the only thing that truly matters is sizing. Large needles (lower gauge) for initial/bulk work, and finer (higher gauge) needles for colors and detail sculpting. Needle breakage is fairly common, so you can even just get a bulk variety pack off Amazon or something to begin with. Most of mine are from a bulk pack my mom bought years ago and only a couple are the “specialty” kinds. I would swear by my 42 spiral needle but I also wouldn’t die without it lol

Back on the topic of wool real quick - wool can be blended! If you’re in a pinch you can use blending to make new colors/shades, but I particularly would’ve loved to know abt this when I got started so that color transitions wouldn’t have been so damn hard lmao

Wire armatures! Armatures aren’t always necessary, however the more you felt the more likely you are to need to build one eventually. There are several methods, but the sturdiest and most versatile imo are ones that incorporate twisting wire together to build it up. I feel like people find these intimidating, but they’re actually super easy once you get the hang of it and are going to be far less fiddly than trying to tape or glue wire together.

(I couldn’t find any tutorials on this method so here’s a shitty doodle instead lol. The main thing is to make sure both wires are wrapping around each other evenly, but otherwise the formula of Neck > Shoulders > leave wire for arms> Spine > Hip > Legs is the same across species and the only change is proportional)

Regarding armatures, I’d recommend a line of glue along your wire for the first layer of your wool wrap, as wire has very little grip to it otherwise and it can make things fiddly! after that first layer is on it should be fine, though.

Pastel works great as addition coloring! Typically pastel is known for needing a lot of fixative layers to stick to clay, plastic, vinyl, etc but because of the tightly felted texture of wool, the soft pastel powder works its way into the layer of fibers so deeply that I’d almost call it unforgiving if you mess up because it will not come out. I don’t know how well it reacts to prolonged/repetitive exposure to the oils on your hand, but given that a lot of it rests within the surface of the felt, I don’t think you’re actually going to be coming into contact with much of it by handling the colored areas. Nothing tracks onto my hands or comes out, even as I’m running it under water. Idk how relevant any of this rambling is but pastels are new experimentation for me and im gonna ramble abt it anyway lol

I think to try and wrap it up I’ll link a list of artists I really like on YouTube. Felting has always felt like an underrated, misunderstood craft to me and as a result I feel like the learning of techniques is a lot more closely communal, in a way, and also harder to find resources on when I was first starting out. A lot of what I’ve learnt has come down to closely watching the processes of others and making friends in the craft. Aside from me being a felting geek and finding process vids entertaining in general, these are some creators I feel like I’ve really learnt something from!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/19pw0jmqC97IG88LfMxe0quMrmPmYYmP8qGH7igDNuh8/edit

[teezado1]

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[inadaydream99]

Their Protectiveness Over You

OT7 NCT Dream, very fluffy, mildly suggestive, gender neutral reader

A/N - When inspiration strikes! I’ve also been contemplating doing this for 127 - let me know if I should!! ☺️

Disclaimer: this is for entertainment purposes only and does not represent any of the members in real life. Some possessive behaviour which may be triggering. Any warnings I’ve missed, please let me know!

Mark

He’s pretty chilled when it comes to you. He knows you can handle yourself. And doesn’t want to be that overbearing, overprotective boyfriend. Besides, he trusts you. With all his heart.

…So why does he feel the need to wrap you up in cotton wool?

Literally. There was even a time when you were unwell and Mark actually wrapped you in layers and layers of blankets until you were practically held hostage by the cocoon your worried boyfriend had secured you into.

The whole time, Mark was by your side making sure you were hydrated, fed and comfortable until you were better.

And the don’t-lie-to-me look he gave you when you tried to convince him you were feeling better, even though you clearly weren’t, had you simultaneously feeling incredibly guilty for trying to lie to him and your heart doing summersaults in your chest.

One thing you should know about your relationship with Mark is that while he may come across as naïve, he can’t be fooled easily. At least by you… And he WILL NOT stop pampering you until he is sure you’re 100% better.

“Dude, I’m better already!” You hide your sniffle through a laugh.

“Don’t dude your loving boyfriend like that,” He’s unable to hide his cheesy smile. “And come cuddle me, I saw you sniffle just then.”

Renjun

An adoring protective. And by this I mean like he’s never more than a few steps away from you when you pay him a visit. A little because he knows how overwhelming the others can be. But mostly because he just adores you so much.

Renjun won’t admit it publicly, but he revels in being able to take care of you and give you lots of affection.

Loves to run you hot baths filled with bubbles and wash your hair for you. And insists on combing your hair afterwards. He makes every domestic act so intimate by the lingering touches and soft kisses he presses to your skin.

He looks at you like your his whole world and makes sure that everyone knows you’re his love.

He hates anyone making jokey comments about your relationship, particularly the Dreamies (more often than not it’s Haechan because he is jealous of you and wants Renjun all to himself).

“Gorgeous calm down, it was only a joke.” You cling onto your boyfriends arm to keep him weighted to you. He looks like he’s about to launch himself at the group of his laughing friends after they had been teasingly questioning you on how romantic Renjun is. It was all in good nature after all.

“At least I have someone to be romantic with.” He grumbles, his anger slowly subsiding the longer you cuddle into him.

Jeno

Protective when provoked. It’s like Jeno is just waiting for the right moment to spring up from the sofa where he watches you in the kitchen, so he can jump in and take the knife away from you and cut the remaining vegetables himself.

He’s doesn’t do that, of course. You’re more than capable of using sharp and potentially very dangerous utensils to prepare the meal that you so lovingly insisted on making for your boyfriend.

But then Jeno hears you swear under your breath, hissing at the stinging pain that courses through you. Yes, you’d accidentally cut your finger.

“I told you to be careful baby.” Jeno mumbles as he focuses on securely wrapping the bandaid around your finger, bringing it up to his lips and pressing a delicate kiss there afterwards.

“I was being careful, it just slipped.” You pout up at him, sending your best puppy eyes towards him in order to ease the guilt that radiates from him. You know he’s blaming himself for your mistake.

“Well, I’m going to finish dinner now.” Jeno presses another kiss, this time to your temple, his hands securing your waist in his hold.

And once you’ve eaten and settled down for the evening, Jeno will coerce you to lay on his chest so he can give you loads of affection.

Haechan

Smug protective. And Smug Haechan is the worst. Particularly when it’s because you’ve proven him right.

There he sits with the most irritating smirk resting on his lips, arms folded across his chest and one eyebrow raised. He knows he was right, the I-told-you-so look already pissing you off more than you would like to admit.

Nor do you want to admit you need his help right now… but this game is way harder to play than it looks and now you’re stuck in a vulnerable position where the opposing team could strike you at any moment.

“I know how to get you out of this mess…” You shoot him daggers, warning him to speak another word.

“I’ll cut off your tongue if you don’t- nooooo!” You cry out, the screen going grey and your controller no longer being able to control your character… no matter how many times you angrily press every button…

“It’s ok baby.” You remain still as your boyfriend envelops you in his arms, forcing you into his chest and tucking his face into your neck. “I’m still proud of you.”

You have no words for his supposed comforting. Instead you sigh, letting yourself cuddle into him and relax. After all, it doesn’t really matter that you are terrible at video games when you’ve got such a snuggly boyfriend.

Jaemin

So laid back half the time he doesn’t realise that he should be paying more attention to you.

He’s not really phased by much. But, oh boy, does he get riled up and incredibly protective over you if he ever sees you upset. Jaemin is very good at reading your emotions and knows how sensitive you can be at times.

Which is why, when you were out together for dinner and bumped into a colleague of yours - that Jaemin knows for a fact you haven’t had the nicest experiences with - he becomes quite serious and protective of you.

Not only did he have his hand outstretched across the table, holding onto yours. But he also decided to play footsie under the table as a form of subtle distraction for you.

However, despite his ministrations to soothe you, Jaemin remains stoic.

Long gone is his soft smile and lighthearted jokes. In their place is his stern frown and displeased gaze, watching your colleagues every move.

“Jaem, it’s ok.” You whisper to him the second your colleague has gone, pleading him to relax.

“Sorry, but I can’t stand them knowing they have caused you so much stress and upset at work.” Jaemin sighs, his expression softening when he takes notice of how worried you look.

You simply rub the pad of your thumb over the back of his hand, still holding onto yours like his life depends on it. And while it makes his loving smile return, it’s obvious that your boyfriend is going to be a little more protective of you for the rest of the evening.

Chenle

Protective as a warning.

It’s like a switch is flicked when Chenle gets protective. Gone is the giggly and smiley boyfriend you know and love and in his place is his serious words and predatorial gaze.

ALWAYS makes it publicly known that he is your boyfriend. Seriously. Whenever he meets someone new he will introduce himself as (Y/N)’s boyfriend before actually saying his name.

And don’t even get me started on if another person so much as makes eyes at you, let alone flirts with you.

Chenle is immediately there, grabbing your hand and pulling you away from your admirer. He doesn’t take you anywhere secluded though. No. He doesn’t care who else sees, just pushes you up against the closest wall and crashes his lips onto yours.

“There’s too many people here that want you tonight,” he pulls away with an evil smirk. “So I need to mark my territory.”

“Don’t be so jealous!” You giggle, accepting him as he delves back in for another kiss.

Jisung

Quietly protective. Like he does it in a way that doesn’t immediately scream protective, but it definitely is.

When you’re with Jisung, he always finds a way of holding you. Whether that’s holding your waist, back hugs with his chin resting on your shoulder, hand holding or subtly linking pinky fingers, he’s there by your side.

There was even one time when he resorted to putting his hand in the back pocket of your jeans because you were walking along the street together and both of your hands were carrying things. He didn’t know what else to do and the anxiety of not keeping a protective hand on you to keep you from falling over if you tripped was eating him alive.

Of course, that then started off his obsession with your butt. It’s like his hand gravitates there automatically. He’s so shameless about it, that even if you’re wearing pants that don’t have back pockets, he’ll just hold your ass in his palm. His intentions are innocent more often than not though. However sometimes…

“Your butt looks great in these pants.” You hear his voice whisper into your ear as he steps up behind you, his hand giving your ass a good squeeze.

“Sungie, anyone could walk in.” You whine. Although, you don’t try to move his hand away…

[zeldaelmo]

Start here or read Day 5 here

**********************************

Day 6

After he had given her the recipe, Link didn't see Zelda for a couple of days. On Monday, he had a day off to make up for taking Mipha's shift on Sunday, and on the next two days, she didn't show up. 

He tried not to overthink it. He was able to think of 12 reasons for her absence off the top of his head, so it had decidedly nothing to do with Mipha's point of "She gets bored when she has what she wants."

With a sigh, he slipped into his coat, telling Mipha he would shovel snow to make the shop windows accessible. The snow that had been falling since last night had finally let up, so there was no point in postponing it anymore. Thankfully, the front side of his building wasn't very broad so he was done quickly. What got him worried, however, were the icicles hanging from the eaves. He managed to bring the longest two down with the stick of his snow shovel, but the rest was just out of reach. Mipha wouldn't be of much help since she was even shorter, but maybe Daruk could…

"Need help?" A voice asked behind him, and he could hear the smug expression on Zelda's face before he had turned around fully. There she was, back straight, grinning down at him, a cloth-covered basket on her hips. Of course, she would jump at the first opportunity to rub in that she was an inch taller than him (at most!). 

"Hi." He smiled. "Do I hear an offer?"

She gave him a look, pressed the basket in his hand, and took the snow shovel. Lazily, she let the stick clatter over the icicles so that they fell—clang, clang, clang—behind her. Her heels crunched on the wet pavement and Link swallowed when he forced his gaze up from her swaying hips. 

"How was that," she teased when they exchanged the shovel and basket again. 

"You have the job," he offered dryly.

"Thanks, but I assume that a physics major is a bit overqualified." Her smile lingered a moment before she pointed at his coat. "Hm, I nearly didn't recognize you with that fine jacket."

"Ah, thank you.” He stroked the dark gray, combed wool on his front. “My grandma is a retired tailor, she made sure that I care for quality."

"I like that, too." She leaned in, whispering conspiratorially. "Half of the reason why I'm a regular here."

Link leaned forward as well until they were closer than necessary and waggled his eyebrows. "And the other half?"

"Hot coffee with whipped cream."

He chuckled when the wind blew a strand of her hair in his face. "Of course. So, that's the reason you are here today?"

Sighing, she leaned back again and lifted her basket. "No… I tried your recipe."

"Oh? And?"

"Look for yourself." She pulled the cloth from the basket, revealing a handful of… coals. Or at least something very similar. Link didn't laugh this time. He remembered the hurt glint in her eyes too well to be so careless again.

"Ouch. That's not what you wanted them to look like."

"No…" She sighed deeply, covering the mess again. "This isn't going to work. I spent a lot of my free time in the last few days trying to get it right. You won't believe it, but this is the best attempt and I haven't even tried to braid yet."

Link leaned the snow shovel against the wall, checking through the window if Mipha seemed to need him. Then, he pushed his hands in his pockets. "Zelda… I know it's not my business, but why is this so important to you? Just tell your parents that you'll get them somewhere."

She shifted, making eye contact again and again. "My parents… I brought some bread the last time I visited and they thought I made it. They are always so proud when they think I've done something myself that… I didn't have the heart to correct them. And now it’s gotten out of hand."

"You think they'll be disappointed when they find out."

"It's…" She squinted her eyes shut. "It's not only the bread."

"Oh."

"Yeah. They have built up a picture of their perfect daughter and… goddess, why am I telling you all this?"

"Because you can't tell it to someone else?" He asked half-heartedly. "And—and I asked, technically."

"Anyway." Tipping her shoe in the snow absentmindedly, she peeked into the basket again. "I came to ask if you could maybe… help me to learn it?"

Link's heart rate kicked up a couple beats. She wasn't asking him out, but it was close enough for now. Mipha would kill him when she found out. 

"So, you are still determined to make them yourself so that you don't lie to your parents, this time around?"

She nodded. 

"Well," he said, "I can hardly say no then, can I?"

"You can always say no. I don't want to be a bother." 

Her eyes told another story. Pleading, they looked at him through her painted lashes, ready to tear up if he said something wrong. Out of calculus or earnestness, he couldn't tell and he hated that Mipha had planted this doubt in him. Mipha wasn't wrong—in his soft-heartedness, he often ran the risk of being taken advantage of, but what did he have to lose? A wasted hour or two, nothing more. He wouldn’t fall head over heels for Zelda just because of a baking session. 

Right? Right.

So, he asked, “What about tomorrow?”

A big smile spread on her lips. "I’ll come in after work?"

"If that's the time you came the other days in the afternoon, then yes." He mirrored the smile. 

After they had exchanged their goodbyes, he grabbed the shovel again to go back in, but he couldn’t resist looking back at her. Of course, she caught him staring when she turned for a last wink, but he didn't care because it meant she had looked back, too. Another smile danced on his lips until a customer passed and gave him a brisk greeting. Oh. Right. He was at work. He’d better get back inside, or Mipha would give him another earful.

[emeren]

soft touches - eren jaeger

🍓 anon request 

pairing: eren jaeger x fem!reader 

word count: 1.7k 

content warnings: 18+, smut, vanilla sex 

notes: i tried a new, more descriptive approach to this oneshot! as usual im unconfident in my writing capabilities however i hope you all enjoy it! i was definitely not expecting to start AND finish it today!! love you all, enjoy! <3

SUMMARY: eren shares a tender moment with the reader after an innocent cuddle session. 

the warm, fresh air seeped into the room as your eyes drowsily watched the leaves dance in the wind. it was an entirely peaceful moment; born of love and content. you could clearly see a small bumblebee bump carelessly into the window screen, the muscles in your face too lazy to produce a smile. 

there was a comforting weight on your stomach; that of your boyfriend’s head. his breathing would have you believe he was asleep, but he was far too preoccupied in memorizing the way your fingers lightly combed through his soft hair to let rest overcome him. 

in the distance, someone started up a lawnmower. you loved peaceful june afternoons, fresh out of the school year and ready for recuperation. eren seemed to feel the same; the way his arms tightened around your waist at the sound indicating so. 

“such a nice day,” you sighed, eyes half-lidded. eren hummed against your abdomen, the vibration eliciting a quirk in your lips. he was rarely so relaxed, normally on some kick to create chaos. it was this duality only you were so fortunate to experience that made you love him so. “we should probably go outside to make the most of it.” 

eren groaned in disapproval. “mmm, too comfortable.” 

his head shifted on your stomach, the fabric of your shirt lifting slightly. it was hot today, eren clad in just a pair of shorts. the heat had you incapacitated, unable to protest his nagging need to maintain physical contact. 

your fingers lifted from his hair, teal eyes snapping open in annoyed response. “it’s too hot in here, i feel like i’m suffocating.” 

eren propped himself up, one arm on either side of your waist with his legs off to the side. “i don’t think so.” he pouted. 

“you’re hardly clothed!” you groaned out, gesturing to his lack of a shirt. eren smiled childishly, collapsing down onto you whilst burying his face in your neck. you could feel his lips ghost a kiss on the flesh. 

“y’know,” he mumbled against you. “that’s an option for you, too.” 

“please,” you chuckled lightly, trying to ignore the feeling of his lips moving up the crook of your neck. “not all of us like walking around practically naked.” 

your boyfriend rested his head down again, fingers tracing circles on the skin of your bare arm. “more freeing that way. and, not as hot.” 

“you’re impossible,” you heaved out in a feigned annoyance, a gust of warm wind rattling through the leaves outside. eren said nothing more, subtly rubbing his cheek against your neck. 

moments passed; possibly minutes, or maybe even an hour. either way, the two of you basked in your silence together, the feeling of an inescapable heat beginning to settle on your brow. as if sensing your discomfort, eren lifted himself above you. 

a soft breeze blew through the window, ruffling his slightly wavy hair. he was looking down at you, eyelids half closed and gaze sleep ridden. 

“eren, if you’re tired you should sl-” he cut you off by swiftly leaning down, pressing his lightly chapped lips against your own.

you realized quickly that eren was the heat; he was the way your stomach bottomed out and your heart swelled. it wasn’t the burning of summer but rather the passion and intense emotion of a deeply flawed yet beautiful human being. you were sure the kiss was meant to be a simple gesture, but it quickly became more as his fingers caressed your jawline.

you found yourself inviting the heat in, parting your lips slightly as his tongue swiped hungrily against your own. he was a dominating presence, shifting his hold against your body so that his hips could straddle above yours. you brought your hand up to his broad shoulder, eren deepening the kiss at the feeling of fingers against his bare skin. 

surely eren knew the way your body ached for him, desperate for his touch. his sharp nose pressed into the soft flesh of your cheek, mouth glued to your own as he intrusively invited more of himself within you. 

your mouth was completely occupied with his tongue at this point, the smell of freshly mowed grass heavily overpowered by the scent of his cologne. eren was intoxicating like that, your brain becoming heavy with the overwhelming power of him. by the time you were able to acknowledge the burning desire within you, he’d already consumed the rational part of your mind. 

your lips wrapped delicately around his tongue, head bobbing gently as you sucked on the exposed muscle. this was the one action you knew drove eren especially crazy, a deep rumble rising from the bottom of his chest. he groaned out, the erotic sound only egging you on. the burning heat of summer and his exposed body was too much - it was too much to bear. you pulled back, resting your head against the pillow. 

there was without a doubt a sheen of sweat against your forehead, eren wordlessly continuing his assault on your inner temperature. his lips were hot, placing wet, open mouthed kisses down your neck till he reached your collarbone. you suddenly understood why he favored walking around shirtless, the thin layer of cotton feeling like a wool sweater as he sucked generously on the skin above your bones. 

he didn’t say anything as he lifted himself up, burning fingertips lifting the hem of your shirt. you raised enough for him to peel the article of clothing from your warm body, the newfound coolness swiftly being bombarded by eren’s heat. 

his lips once again found your own, but the action was sloppier this time. his mouth was slick with saliva, fingers tracing the place where your waist dipped towards your hips. it felt as though he left his imprint wherever he touched.

speaking of imprints, as you whimpered into the kiss you could feel pressure beginning to make itself known against the apex of your thigh. eren shamelessly ground his hips into yours, the well known heat spreading itself between your legs. 

“eren,” you moaned into his mouth. he pulled back at the sound, lips parted as he panted in your face. eren had always been a sucker for eye contact, his gaze steely as he pressed his hard cock against your clothed center. 

“fuck,” he hissed, glancing down to the spot where your bodies melded together. his biceps were flexed on either side of your head, eyes catching on the way they were beginning to glisten with sweat. look who’s hot now. “do you want it, baby?” 

the heat was intrusive, your clit throbbing unceremoniously as you looked up at your boyfriend. the way his hair swayed in the summer air, pupils dilated with something of lust. the words were out of your mouth without question. “yes, now please.” 

eren chuckled lightly, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “so needy.” 

as he propped himself up to yank his shorts down, you quickly slipped your own down your hips. 

being with eren was a normally extensive and emotional affair. it involved build up, tension, and often times, some sort of repressed aggression. and you loved every second of it. 

but it was the times like these; the times where eren looked at you with love as he slid the tip of his cock against your entrance. times where he leaned down to press a tender kiss to your lips as he slid into you, his size a comfortable stretch within your walls. it was times where eren really showed you just how much you meant to him. 

you bent your knees upwards as eren pressed his sticky chest against yours, the feeling of his cock sliding in and out of your tight cunt only making the room feel insufferably hotter. his hips were moving tantalizingly slow; each thrust a deliberate brush against your cervix. there was a buildup in your stomach, eren’s breath fanning across your shoulder as he watched his dick stretch you out so nicely. 

“taking it so good,” he grunted out, his eyes coming up to trace along the frame of your face. something about you pressed beneath him, face shiny in the swelter of summer as you scrunched your nose up to keep from making too much noise sent him into a frenzy. he couldn’t help himself, the way you clenched around him nearly too good to be true. 

he dug his hips into yours, the rhythmic thrusts forcing you to fist the sheets beneath you. each stroke of his dick had you falling closer into yourself, his large hand coming to squeeze your breast as he lost control of himself. 

there was sweat trickling down his furrowed brow, the normally disgusting bodily function only serving to shove you further into your arousal. the way he was fucking you so intentionally making your toes curl. 

“gonna cum,” eren growled, clenching his jaw as he bucked his pelvis against yours. you could feel yourself approaching your high, inching ever more closer as his hand left your breast to rub feverishly against your clit. 

the heat reached its high as you pulsated around eren’s cock, the wave of dopamine crashing over your body as your limbs grew cold in ecstasy. your breathing was labored as he pulled himself from you, giving his dick a couple of desperate pumps before he was cumming against your stomach, painting you as his canvas. 

“that’s hot,” eren grinned, his chest heaving as he pressed a steamy kiss to your lips. you smiled, swiping your forehead dry with your hand as he pulled away. 

“well, when i said i wanted to make the most of the afternoon, that’s not exactly what i had in mind,” you sighed as eren grabbed a rag to wipe at your stomach. he looked content, hair messy against his shoulders. 

“let’s go take a cold shower,” he suggested, standing to offer you a hand. you graciously accepted, interlocking your fingers. the heat he’d so intently placed inside of you beginning to fade. eren gave you one last kiss to the forehead, that hazy look back in his eyes. “i love you.” 

“i love you, too.” 

<3 <3 <3 

[milkweedman]

TDF DAY 2 (june 30)

Onto the fancy jacob lambswool. This wool is ridiculously soft and fine even for a non-jacob fleece, but for a jacob it's almost unbelievable. Were it not for the fact that it's clearly piebald I would be very suspicious that it is actually rambouillet or some other fine wool. But it's jacob and I'm even more fond of it for that.

Anyway, for my first attempt I wanted to see how distinct I could keep the colors while still combing it all at once. I did white on one side, gray in the middle, and brown on the other side. Definitely didn't homogenize but also didn't stay distinct at all, so if I want a nice barberpole through the colors I probably need to comb each color separately and then just spin them all together.

I spun most of this one on a drop spindle until I fully destroyed my right shoulder like an idiot (an idiot who now can't raise it's hand without its shoulder dislocating instantly), and switched to supported. Supported was definitely less painful, but I'm still having the issue of not being able to keep my arm upright for long enough to make a lot of progress. So, this will need to be spun on a wheel.

Will benefit from being plied on a wheel too I think.

Mostly because it's thin enough that I really cannot visually tell how much twist I'm adding (and nor can I feel it because it's so thin and soft you really can't feel a single ply.) At least with a wheel I have an easier time being consistent, so I think I could get a much much better yarn on my wheel. That'll probably have to wait for next weekend, idk.

Anyway, here's the finished skein, steam blocked and twisted up. It's 1/10th of an ounce and 23 yards (3 grams and 21 meters). Way denser than I was hoping for. I can probably go a bit thinner, but I did think my average with this fleece would be thinner right off the batt.

Not sure how I'm going to go about spinning the rest of tdf. Maybe I'll try waking up early (well... earlier. I already wake up at 5am for work) to spin before I leave. I don't seem to be able to use spindles anymore without extreme pain... problem is the same is also true to an extent of my wheel. My body is such a piece of buzz killing garbage, but whatever. I will figure something out as I am not yet emotionally ready to have to quit doing tdf. Probably next year I will not have a choice, but hey ! Not thinking about it.

Probably gonna spend the rest of the day knitting something with this laceweight to see how it works up.

[thewinedark]

Summer Dark Academia Fashion

The forecast says it’s going to be almost 80 degrees this weekend. It is time to leave your cave. You go to your closet and open it to find racks of wool sweaters you have collected over the past eight months. There is a single t-shirt balled up in the corner. You are me. 

Tops

Turtlenecks are no longer an option.

Suit vests. You don’t need the oppressive heat of a button down to wear suit vests. If your vests are a little more low-necked then you’d like, wear a tank top or something with short sleeves underneath. I’m wearing a suit vest in this post, if you want to see styling ideas. 

Silk button downs. Obviously short sleeves are preferred, but long sleeves are still possible in the summer. With a material like silk especially, because it feels cool and also helps to keep your skin safe. You just need loose sleeves. That is the theme with this post: loose. If you want to continue dressing long sleeves or long pants in the summer, tight clothing is not an option. You need to be able to get airflow to your skin. 

Cotton. Cotton is a great material for heat; tops or bottoms. If you have a long sleeve button down, you can roll up the sleeves and tuck it into something high waisted. Add suspenders (optional, but highly recommended), and that’s summer dark academia right there you mad lad. Short sleeves or no sleeves work just as well.

T-shirt or tank top. Yes, even a basic t-shirt can be “dark academia” if styled right. Granted, you’re likely going to end up looking more like a “Milo Thatch from Atlantis” kind of academia, that’s hardly a bad thing. (Look up Cole Sprouse dressed as him and thank me later) A simple white top in black bottoms is reminiscent of a suit, while tan bottoms looks more “Lara Croft on an archaeology dig”, which is fun. 

Camisoles. If you want as little fabric on you as possible, silk camis are the way to go. Plus, you can find tons for super cheap in the pajamas/underwear section of most thrift stores. Is it weird to wear shirts people probably had sex in? Kind of. But if you’re cheap like me, you move past that quickly. Tuck into a pair of high waisted, loose pants that are black or tan, and you remain dark academia and without heatstroke (drink water). 

Bottoms

Unfortunately, they must be worn.

Shorts. Best material is linen, and you can find a lot of options and styles on Etsy and more high-end online stores. However, they’re also more expensive, so here are some other keywords for shorts: pleated, high waisted, paper bag. Look at ASOS, Express, or SHEIN for cheaper options. Jean shorts can also work, but they should be dark and definitely not cutoffs. A belt can also help to make the outfit seem more together. And, as always: high waisted, unless you want a more masculine fit, in which case avoid high waists.

Trousers. It’s trouser time baby. Suit pants are out. Skinny jeans are (unfortunately) out. We want loose, flowy material. Pleats are excellent. Actually, pants like these are pretty easy to find these days, and not just on the internet. Straight leg trousers look more streamlined and put together, whereas wide-leg are a bit more roguish. Tuck in a white top of your preference, add some suspenders, and drink water. You’re set.

Skirts/Dresses. Oh to be a wandering poet, running through fields and wildflowers in a flowing linen dress as the sun casts a crown above your head, and the wind gives you countless kisses on cheeks and hair. Wait! That can be you! Stop fantasizing and start doing- get a pale dress, linen or cotton is best. Pale colors are preferred for summer. Find a field. Frolic.

Shoes

Please put away your oxfords.

Mary Jane sandals. Mary Janes are pretty much the oxfords of summer shoes. Especially if you can get them in leather with low heels, it looks very classy.

Gladiator sandals. When in Rome. Or, when you’re into an aesthetic that really likes latin. Either way, these shoes are pretty much string and a sole, so they’re about as cool as you can get, temperature wise. 

Ballet sandals. I mentioned these in my unique dark academia fashion post, but I’ll do it again for summer. They’re similar to gladiator sandals in style, but I think they look fancier. Plus, you can tie them in little bows, which is adorable.

Accessories 

You know what I’m going to say. Say it. Out loud. 

SUSPENDERS. Ten bucks on amazon, and I promise they’re the best investment into your wardrobe you could make. They’re magic- take your boring shorts and shirt, add suspenders, and POOF. It’s dark academia. So classy. 

Sun hat. Cottage core and dark academia have pretty much moved from distant cousins to siblings at this point, might as well embrace it. Get something with a black bow out in. Have a picnic and read Keats.

Watch. I feel like a nice classy watch would be a great accessory that doesn’t involve adding fabric to your body. I mean, I don’t have one, but I feel like it would. 

Hair. If you have long hair, do yourself a favor, buy a french comb, and learn how to do a french twist. It takes a few tries to get right, but there are youtube videos and it is one of the easiest hairstyles that looks like it takes so much effort. I have pretty much switched ponytails out completely for french twists, and especially for the summer it’s great to get all your hair up and off your neck. If you have short hair, feel free to gloat. 

Feel free to add your own in the tags, and stay hydrated! 

[comfyswitcherblanketfort]

Horse info 101

A horse girl’s guide to the basics for fic writing with an important and lively horse involved:

This got kinda long I’m kinda sorry but not at all lol 

There's three basic gaits (speeds with different patterns of hoof-fall/leg movements

Walking is the slowest and is a four beat gait, meaning each foot hits the ground at a different time. Usually the same pace as a walking human when the horse is calm. Some breeds can walk HELLA fast though. Most horses will fill the same spot/hole where their front hoof was with their back hoof on the same side. If they overstep they clip their fetlock (joint lookin bit above the hoof) or pastern (bit between the hoof and fetlock) and can injure themselves. 

Now trotting. The middle gait, a person can jog next to a trot at a comfortable pace but if you push them a little horses can trot faster than your average HS track endurance athlete. Once again some breeds can trot HELLA fast. This is a two beat gait in that two diagonally opposite legs are moving in unison. In some english saddles (I’ll get into that later if we have class time) it’s easier to post while the horse is trotting rather than sit for the gait. That just means you stand up in the irons (stirrups on an english saddle, we’ll also cover that later) at the same time that one of the front legs moves forward. 

Also, see how the trotting horse’s head looks? That’s how they travel when they’re relaxed and attentive. The tucked head thing you see Roach doing is because there’s tension on the reigns and Henry learned to ride for an english seat not a western pleasure seat (might get into those but they’re really not important)

Time for the Canter/Lope. This is a three beat gait so that means two legs are moving in unison and the other two are not. Horses canter/lope fast. This is the go-time gait. Some performance/dressage horses are trained to canter extremely slow but if we’re talking transportation trained horses they’re not gonna be that kind of slow. Your average human is not gonna be able to keep up with this for long if at all. This varies in speed too. There's a rather casual canter seen in the gif directly below, then below that is the balls to the wall canter/lope that most horse people just refer to as a run. That’s as fast as they can go.

Basic tack names

Halter + Lead/Lead Rope - these can be made of rope, leather, nylon (more modern) but the halter is generally used for leading and tying.

Bridle - this is the one that you use while you ride, it holds the bit in their mouth. There’s millions of different types of bridles but they’re usually made out of leather even now. sometimes you get rope/nylon ones but I don’t trust them.

Reins - connect to the bit and you use them to steer and control speed. Horses trained in western or one handed riding will ‘neck rein’ which means if you move your hand to the right and the left rein brushes their neck they will move to the right.

Bit - the metal piece in the horses mouth. most english riding bits are broken (joint in the middle) and most western ones are solid. there’s a gap behind the horse’s front teeth and that’s where the metal sits. Some horses have smaller mouths than others and do better with solid bits because the ‘broken’ ones will hit the top of their mouth and hurt. There’s also things called ‘shanks’ on some bits which are just longer pieces of metal that attach to the sides of the pieces in their mouth and point downward. This gives the rider more leverage and makes any tug on the reins stronger. (google “Horse bit shank” if this doesn’t make sense)

Saddle - you sit in it. simple right? wrong. There’s two main types of saddles, Western - with the horn like you see in the running gif, and English- the loping gif without the horn. The saddles used in the Witcher look like the pre-english saddle versions but the basic parts you need to know are the same. The part where you ass goes? that’s the seat. the part right in front of your crotch? That’s the pomel. that’s your ‘oh shit handle’ if anything goes screwy (other than the mane). The part that sticks up and keeps your ass in place? That’s the cantle. I like western saddles SO MUCH MORE but i also grew up mainly riding western so im biased. 

Stirrups/Irons - stirrups and irons are where your feet go. In western saddles they’re called stirrups and they’ve got wider decorative leather flaps (called fenders, also originally added to protect trousers/legs from the horse sweat and the buckles of the cinch) and on english saddles they’re called irons because they are usually made of iron and rather slim. Geralt’s irons look pretty similar to modern ones, slim leather straps, minimal iron (or steel or any other strong metal really). Traditional english riders have knee high boots like you see in regency costumes which removes the need for the fenders like on western saddles. 

Cinch/girth - this is what keeps the saddles on. You take a strap and attach it to one side of the saddle, run it under the belly right behind their front legs and attach it to the other side. Its usually made of a strong fabric with wool or some kind of softer lining for western riding. English riding uses a leather one most of the time though this horse girl hates them because they’re harder to cinch up. English saddles use buckles while Western saddles use another leather strap to run through the chinch/girth buckle and you either tie it off or use it like a belt. 

Chest strap - this keeps the saddle from sliding backwards. It’s attached to both sides of the saddle by buckles and between the front legs its attached to the cinch/girth. this is pretty universal but not always used. Geralt uses one though. 

Saddle pad - goes under the saddle to protect the baby’s back and whithers (spot where the neck meets the back and the mane ends)

Tacking up and untacking takes time. This is usually 5-10 minutes when done at a leisure pace and done right.

Basic grooming

Brush down before tacking up - you don’t want stuff chaffing the pony while you ride

brush after untacking- helps clear skin of irritants and feels nice

Shedding scraper/curry comb to get rid of shedding hair - if you want a pic of these just google them I think I’m close to the pic limit for my post. 

HOOF PICK - keep the baby's feet clean and clear if rocks so they don't bruise but also so nothing get infected

Yes, plz brush their mane it gets MATTED - a hairbrush works but a wide tooth comb is best

Horses roll to itch their backs and clean off, sounds counterintuitive with the dirt but it works

Shaving a little spot for the bridle to sit is pretty modern but it's easier for everyone involved

Horse Colors- guys roach is not brown she’s a chestnut color

The only thing I have to add to this is that the “Leopard” one is called “appaloosa” in the US at least, and “Pinto” is also reffered to as “Paint” and there’s all sorts of different patterns that you can see. also i want a buckskin so bad. yes i was obsessed with Spirit as a child why do you ask?

Travel care of your babies

Horses CAN and have subsisted off roadside grasses and grazing at night BUT it's good for them to get a lil something extra ESPECIALLY if you’re keeping them in a stall at night where they can’t graze.

Hay and grains like cracked wheat, oats, barley and the like are commonly found in horse feed. Also a lil drizzle of molasses is chock full of calories and all my horses LOVE the taste.

also while we’re talking food: some horses cant keep all the juice/bits in their mouth when they eat apples (we fondly call it making applesauce) or other treats/veg. Yes it gets all over your hand, yeah its kinda gross, but there’s worse things.

Shoes. Babe's need horse shoes. Especially if they're walking over rocks and roads.

Throwing a shoe (when it comes off on accident) is painful sometimes and if left un-dealt with can affect their joints and spine. Imagine walking around in one heeled shoe and one athletic shoe all day. Ow.

On that note though, on lighter travel seasons it's nice to give their hooves a break from shoes (also cheaper)

Horse moods:

horse mood ear chart here: I cant add much tbh

If a horse is comfortable/happy/relaxed they will ‘chew’ on nothing. Just kina a little lip smack type deal. My horse’s bottom lip would hang a couple centimeters below his top one when he was relaxed and I would put my chapstick in it while I fussed with other things.

When a horse is uncomfrotable/scared/tense their lips get sealed tight. I call it ‘fish butt lips’ bc they’re watertight and NOTHING is getting in there. 

Stamping hooves can be a few things. Antsy and ready to roll, nervous, deadass scared, or playful/excited. 

A full whinny is communication - saying hi, warning, scared, etc.

the really soft whinny is called a nicker and its my favorite sound okay? that’s little soft communication and its usually reserved for times when they’re comfortable.

When they’re really relaxed they’ll cock one of their back legs kinda how we shift our weight to one hip. 

general fun facts:

Some horses fake limp when they don’t want to work bc they are lazy and smart and realize their person will get off and check them out and maybe even give them a rest. 

You do a preliminary leg injury test by running your hands slowly over their legs and checking for hot spots - inflammation caused by injury is warm

Basic horse saftey is never stand directly in front of the horse if theres a possibility of spooking, if you’re gonna walk behind them walk out of reach of their hooves or right up against that ass. If they cant get a good wind up it wont do as much damage (on that note though I rode/trained horses for 18 years and was only kicked once by a foal). 

It’s kinda common sense not to walk/sidestep between your horses legs and under their belly but we do it all the time bc its a trust thing? adrenaline? its fun?

laying on your horse’s back sans saddle, and facing their butt is so nice okay, that ass is soft and cushy and perfect for a nap. I miss laying on my horses while they ate like this every damn day. 

Horses can sense your moods. Not unlike the whole ‘witchers smelling you’ thing. They can feel a difference in the tension on the reins and in your posture when you’re tense or relaxed.

Some horses will take care of their riders, some are absolute shits and push the limits for funsies. Some horses will only behave for people they’re used to too. Some horses have trauma from being mistreated and will have triggers kinda like people do. We had a horse who would freak the fuck out if anyone walked around with a red had but as soon as you took it off she was the most level headed horse we had.

A good portion of horses (Who aren’t scared of children) will behave better with kiddos or novice riders because they feel they’re nervous.

If they hurt while they’re moving they usually limp but sometimes they’ll buck. It’s their defense mechanism. 

Horses can’t sleep for too long laying down because their body weight will collapse their lungs. Most horses sleep standing up.

They can sit like a dog and it’s hella cute. 

Stung by bees? Most horses will take off at a dead sprint bucking and hopping unless you’ve done a lot of trust work/training with them

They also run and jump and buck and rear to play.

If theres two horses in a pasture together one will chew at the other’s whithers (or anywhere else) to ask them to scratch them the same way. its very cute and they sometimes try this with people.

horses hug. I cry. 

the whole deal with the rider/horse relationship is it’s a mutual trust you’re building. They let you sit on their back and do weird shit and you trust them not to throw you.  

Thank you for coming to class today! If there’s any questions feel free to message me! I’m not kidding I wanna answer your questions and I miss my horses so this is fun for me.

@elliestormfound​ here it is boo! lol 

[secret-rendezvous1d]

“You owe me.”

hello, hi!

recently found a new bloke to crush on during lockdown, can’t stop watching him on the telly, can’t stop my imagination from running wild with creative writing ideas so here i am. yadda yadda yadda. this was all said before.

the previous story, linked here, has no link to this story and was supposed to be a one-off but it went down well and there was some lovely feedback given for the story and it made me want to do a second. i guess we’ll still have to see where it lands me afterwards because it’s still a new subject to talk, write and read about for my followers.

thank you. enjoy.

-

“you owe me” spencer reid x female reader (reader insert imagine) word count; 2.4k.

* if you haven’t watched criminal minds then this does contain some spoilers to the show that you may want to dodge if you are thinking of starting the series up. *

summary; the quiet night in the bau that everyone thought would last isn’t so quiet after all.

-

It was pretty rare for the Behavioural Analysis Unit to have a quiet night in the office.

No phone-calls made from police departments across the borders to insist their appearance on a case, no overdue reports to file after a lengthy case that took days to work out, no expected (or unexpected) visits from agent Strauss as she came to hunt for the next person who had done something that didn’t suit her and there were no briefings up and coming to fill everyone in with a case they were presumably due to work on once they were called. There was no reason for them to stay behind, sit around like sitting ducks, and play the waiting game for the next phone-call or the next time Hotch left his room with a file full of evidence or a new fax that came through requesting the help of an analysis unit with a serial killer case that had everyone else running ragged and tearing their hair out in frustration.

When Hotch left his office and disappeared behind the door of Rossi’s office with empty hands and a concerning look on his face, everyone had a hint of disappointment pinching at their faces, a sense of curiosity lingering in the air as to why he went to Rossi rather than calling a briefing so everyone could hear; was there a case that was about to take their potential free night away from them? Was it something personal and he wanted a second opinion on a case that came through? What was happening and where would they be going?

When he left the office, hands gripping the rails of the balcony and eyes trying to skip over everyone as they tried to pretend to busy themselves as if they weren’t being nosey and chatting about what the business would include, a cough brought the office to a standstill. Even in YN’s office, her fingers stopped typing on the report JJ had asked her for and she could see, through the small slit in the blinds that covered her windows, Hotch standing tall and ready to address everyone. 

“I think it’s safe to say that it’s been a quiet afternoon here in the unit. We’re allowing you to go home for the evening but we’re asking you to keep your phones on you in case of a sudden request for our appearance,” he informed, a slight smile bringing the corners of his lips up into a small curve, “have a good night and we’ll report back tomorrow morning, if not before.”

It felt like the end of a school day. When you’d been granted leave early from the teacher in charge because there was no more work left to do, with the rush of excitement as everyone packed up their desks and rushed out the door to get as far away from the classroom as possible.

As soon as Hotch disappeared back into his office and closed the door behind him, half-full coffee mugs were left behind on the counter in the kitchenette and desktop computers were logged off and chairs were left where they’d been dragged to and coats were grabbed from the coat rack because everyone was in a rush to enjoy the one rare evening where they didn’t have to worry about work and rushing to finish deadlines. Garcia had her bag packed and was already saying her goodbyes with Kevin waiting outside for her, Morgan had his coat zipped up his body and was already almost out the office, Prentiss finished the last of her coffee in her tall mug before she disappeared to grab her bag from the briefing room, JJ was packing and piling cases up on her desk in her office before she said her goodbyes and Spencer slipped the strap of his bag over his shoulder and gave an awkward goodbye before leaving his desk.

YN kept her door open so she was able to involuntarily smile when Hotch declared they had the night off; the one night where she didn’t have to worry about Spencer not coming home because a case went into overdrive or because he was in danger with the rest of the team, the one night where she could go home with him and have him spew facts in the passenger seat of her car as she drove home, the one night in a long time where they could make plans before they got to the front door and argue over what they’d do for the evening, the one night where she could sleep peacefully and not have a million questions running through her mind as she laid down because the answer to her questions could be given by the sleeping soul beside her in bed. So, when she heard the gentle footsteps outside her office and saw the expected head of messy hair and face homing a cheeky smile, her belly tingled with butterflies because their night started now.

“Ready to go?”

“Yeah, I’m just signing something off for JJ and then I’ll be ready,” YN smiled, her chair creaking beneath her as she tucked herself back under her desk and let her fingers tap at the keys of her keyboard. He stepped into the office and closed the door behind him, a click filling the room as he sat down in the chair opposite her and crossed one leg over the other, watching her as she finished the last of her work. “I didn’t ask for an audience.”

He chuckled and held his hands up in surrender, her eyes darting from the screen of her computer to his eyes that were still looking at her.

“I don’t get to see you in the work environment. I’m just enjoying the view,” Spencer admitted, unhooking the strap of his bag from his shoulder and letting it drop to the floor beside the leg of his chair, “what are we doing when we get home? What do you fancy doing?”

“Whatever you want to do. The first night in a long time where you aren’t surrounded by a working case,” she suggested, the clicking of the keyboard keys coming to a stop as she forwarded the report to JJ and closed the tab for the day. Her hand rolled over her mouse, clicking buttons on the screen as she logged off and watched the screen before it went black. “I would like to grab a sandwich from the cafe down the road before we head home, if that’s okay? I’ve been craving a chicken salad sandwich and fries from them all day.”

“Why didn’t you say anything? I’d have ran out to get you something for lunch,” Spencer frowned, standing to his feet and reaching down for his bag, hooking it back round his shoulder and letting it fall down to his hip. The collar of his shirt tucking underneath the leather that he sorted out when it felt a little strange against his neck. YN stood to her feet, stretching upright to remove the kink from her back, because sitting at a desk and on a computer all day lead to back aches that lasted for days, letting soft mewling sounds leave her lips. “I can give you a massage when we get home. You look achey.”

She shrugged her jacket over her shoulders and zipped it over her chest and stepped around her desk, his body coming into close contact with hers and at such close proximity enough for her arms to wrap around his neck, fingers combing through the hairs at the nape of his neck as she brought his face down to her level. Lips pressing against his in a quick kiss.

“We could take turns?”

“Sounds good to me,” he grinned, pressing another kiss to her lips before retracting and standing up straight, hand instinctively reaching for hers, “let’s go before we jinx it.”

+

“Three hours in and nothing.”

“It feels - yeah, it feels good,” Spencer grinned from his space on the sofa, stretched out over the expanse with his feet kicked up on the table. His signature mismatched socks pulled up over his ankles, which didn’t pair well with the shorts hanging from his hips and stopping at his mid-thighs nor did they match with the rather extravagantly-patterned buttoned shirt (which was unbuttoned this time around) showing all chest and not hiding anything from the human eye. “Three hours and we’re still here. Are you coming to sit down or not?”

She nodded, scraping the plates free of its crumby remnants into the food waste bin and setting the plate in the washing up bowl full of soapy water, the cutlery scratching the china as it slid down and plopped into the water with a splash. Her feet dressed in wool winter socks that had her slipping on the kitchen tiles with each footstep she took closer to the living area, one of Spencer’s old and ratty t-shirts hanging down her body, barely hiding the lace knickers she had on her hips.

“I’m surprised we made it this far,” she sighed, straddling his hips and settling herself comfortably on his lap, “in fact, I’m surprised we’ve not had a surprise visit from Derek with beers under his arm.”

“Might have told them we didn’t want any interruptions,” Spencer said sheepishly, his soft palms cupping her naked hips and letting his thumbs rub circles into the soft skin beneath the lace lining, “the first night I get with you, where we get to be alone, I’m not sabotaging that. We’re taking full advantage of our alone time.”

The next morning would be torture, she said to herself.

As soon as the agents worked out what they didn’t want to be interrupted from (which, YN assumed, wouldn’t have taken them that long to figure out),  the amount of teasing and joking around would become unbearable throughout the day. The cheeky comments that came mid-conversation, the knowing looks that they give when they see Spencer within the closest proximity of her, the whispers they give each other to add fuel to the fire.

As much as she loved her colleagues, their sex-life and what they did in ther personal time didn’t need to be brought into the work place as a topic for them to talk about.

“Get ready for some relentless teasing then,” YN admitted, shoving his shoulder with a gentle fist, “for a genius, you are a bit of a muppet sometimes.”

He grinned shyly.

“Come on, all this talking is wasting precious kissing time,” he said slowly, using his hands to adjust her hips to brush over his lap, bringing her closer so he could cover her cheeks in numerous and loving pecks, “here or the bedroom?”

“We’ll waste precious kissing time if we move from her to the bedroom,” she whispered against his mouth, “here is fine.”

It felt good. So very good. So pleasantly good to have his hands touch her and violate her in such a way that she loved him to, to have him melting under her as she kissed him so deeply and so passionately and tugged at his hair like he hated it on his head, to have him with her in a moment of passion which lacked in their household with the jobs they had. Her hands touched his chest, his hands caressed her breasts, his lips moulded with hers and her legs latched onto him like she was hanging on for dear life. Moans, groans, grumbles and murmurs leaving the small bubble they were consumed in, all signs of enjoyment to a moment they knew was coming…

… or would have come if it wasn’t for the consistent ringing that filled the apartment with a different sound...

YN felt certain that someone was holding a grudge against them… if not them, then, definitely her.

It had been three hours since they had stepped foot through their front door with the hopes of having an early night and a date-night at home with no interruptions. Three hours since they finished their takeaway meal in her car because she was too hungry to wait till she got inside. Just under three hours since they took a bath together under candlelight and just under three hours since he read to her in the bathroom, on something she had no clue about, as she massaged his shoulders with massage oils. Two hours since they sat in their underwear and ate the last of the lemon cake in the fridge, a cake they’d been saving for a decent occasion, and it had taken two hours to build the sexual tension.

“I swear to God-”

“It’s probably just a cold-caller. Leave it alone,” Spencer whispered, his breath hot over her collarbone as he continued dragging his mouth across her neck. Sucking on the tender skin, leaving bruises and bite marks in his wake as he moved down her chest, hands holding her hips tightly as he moved his hips against hers. “If it’s someone from the unit, they’ll call again.”

Leave them to call again.

Of course they called again; who was Spencer kidding?

“Hello?”

“Reid, we need you and YN back here at the office, immediately. We’ve been called in on a case, an hour flight from here, the wheels go up in two hours. It’s urgent so as soon as possible, please”

YN could hear Hotch’s expressionless voice drift from the speaker of Spencer’s phone and her stomach dropped. Of course, it was just their luck.

“You heard him…”

“I know,” she frowned, forearms resting on his shoulders as her fingers toyed with the wet hair at the nape of his neck, “you owe me. You owe me all the sex, all the kisses, all the cuddles and all the love in the world after we get home.”

“Absolutely,” he grinned, patting her thighs as an indication to stand up, “let’s go crack a case, partner.”

And with that, they rushed back into the bedroom without an inch of haste and dressed themselves as appropriately as they could. Shirt and a tie and slicked back hair for Spencer which made him look like he’d had a boring night at home and a blouse (which effectively meant YN had to go through the mission of covering up the hickies and the bite-marks that littered the entire base of her neck) and work trousers and a mess of hair she couldn’t just sort out in five minutes which made her look like she’d been dragged through a hedge backwards.

Another busy night in the books.

[thebakingqueen5]

KW 2021: Tease

Day 6 for Kataang Week 2021 hosted by @kataang-week with the prompt Tease!

I might have stuffed up the use of this word and its definition in context but shhhh it’s fine and this is cute.

Links: FF.net | AO3

Summary: Another year, another summer, another week of prompts celebrating our favorite couple. Kataang Week 2021 Day 6. Tease (verb): gently pull or comb (tangled wool, hair, etc.) into separate strands. Aka the take on the “tease” prompt that no one (not even me) expected.

Word Count: 1.8K

It had been a tiring, tension-filled day.

The war ended five, maybe six months prior, and the four nations were still partaking in the grueling process of learning to work together after a century’s worth of fighting. Considering that a group of teenagers were the reason there was any hope of amity in the first place, it came as little surprise that most of the pressure to arrange and facilitate treaties and peace talks fell on the Gaang, much to their chagrin.

And so here they were, utterly exhausted after a long day of trying to convince the Earth King and Zuko that violence was, in fact, bad, and stressed out of their minds, aching for a distraction.

It certainly didn’t help that tonight, of all nights, Katara’s long, dark hair was refusing to cooperate despite her having just stepped out of the shower a mere 10 minutes past. No matter how many times she ran the whalebone comb through her thick locks, nothing seemed to help, and her patience was quickly dissipating.

“Spirits, Zuko and Kuei are going to drive me absolutely crazy, sweetie.” Aang ranted as he entered her room, closing the door shut behind him as he made wild gestures with his hands.

“They’re both so… stubborn! And self-righteous and it’s getting us nowhere!” he huffed in frustration. “I wish they could just- oh.”

The airbender immediately faltered, finally noticing the appearance, or rather the clothing, of his girlfriend seated in front of a square mirror, nightgown riding quite high up her thigh.

“Sorry,” he blushed, eyes darting around the room to look anywhere, absolutely anywhere except at her to keep what little modesty they had left between them. “I didn’t know you had already showered and changed- I really should have knocked.”

Katara rolled her eyes, a slight pink tint rising to her cheeks as she returned to the task at hand: attempting to tame the lion’s mane she called her hair resting atop her head at that very moment.

“It’s fine, Aang,” she laughed, pushing a strand of hair out of her face. “No need to be embarrassed, really. Besides, it’s nothing you haven’t already seen.”

The waterbender snuck a quick glance at her boyfriend, and, quite frankly, she wasn’t sure he could get any redder if he tried. A tomato would have been jealous of the vibrant hue of Aang’s face, and he couldn’t stop staring at the floor, gaze entirely focused on the wooden boards beneath him.

The boy remained silent, and guilt began to fill Katara’s stomach.

“I’m sorry, sweetie,” she frowned, standing up. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I can go change if you want-”

Aang instantly looked up from the ground, quick to clarify his thoughts. “No, sweetie. It’s not that! It’s just- you look absolutely beautiful, and I don’t want me subconsciously staring at you to make you feel uncomfortable or uneasy around me.”

Katara’s eyebrows raised in pleasant surprise, and she patted a spot on the edge of the mattress, beckoning for him to come sit near her before turning back and glaring at herself in the mirror.

“Believe me, sweetie, there is very little you can do to make me feel uncomfortable around you. Honestly, it’s a bit of a compliment knowing that’s how I seem in your eyes,” she said shyly.

The airbender grinned and walked up to her. Feeling a little emboldened, he tenderly wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to her cheek, chin barely reaching an inch above her shoulder.

“You could be wearing a potato sack and you’d still be the most beautiful woman in the world to me,” he murmured as his stormy eyes met her cerulean ones through the mirror.

“Really?” she raised an eyebrow and gestured to the mess on her head. “Even with this bird’s nest?”

“Always,” Aang smiled earnestly. “Speaking of, though, do you need some help with that?”

“I appreciate the offer, Aang, but I’ve been trying for the last half hour now and you aren’t exactly the most experienced with hair.”

“Well, maybe a new perspective is just what you need.”

He gently pulled her back towards the mattress a few feet away from the dresser with the mirror and sat her down in front of him. Rolling her eyes, the waterbender handed him her comb, but he simply cast it aside, instead using his nimble fingers to work through the knots and tangles in her hair.

Katara was right- he did have minimal experience with hair, not having much of his own, but he often played with hers when they spent time together. He knew what relaxed her and what didn't, which gave him the perfect means to seize this opportunity and prove her wrong, while also, of course, helping the two unwind and spend some time with one another.

The waterbender had already been quite frustrated when she had started working through her hair, and her movements had reflected that. She was stressed and antsy, and she combed harshly and roughly, only compressing the knotted hair to the end of the strand and making it harder to get out. Between that and the day she had, she had been close to tears and Aang’s gentle touch was just what she needed.

Much of Aang’s stress had been alleviated when he had entered the room earlier in simply being able to see and embrace his girlfriend. Because of this, he was able to take his time and the change of pace was nice for the both of them.

He worked slowly and methodically, fingers lightly massaging the top of her scalp before moving down to dampen and separate her wavy tresses into individual strips of hair with the help of some waterbending. He took care to not tug too hard on any one strand, having heard many a horror story from Katara in the past with her unable to tolerate anyone else handling her sensitive locks. The airbender was determined to make it a pleasant experience for the both of them, and it was.

In fact, Katara had been mildly shocked by the sheer love and effort she felt Aang direct into detangling her hair. It was sweet seeing him put so much energy towards trying something new just to help her, and the tension in her mind that had been knotted up began to unravel as well.

“Halfway,” Aang whispered, breaking her out of her thoughts. His gaze was still intense and focused on her unruly strands as she sighed softly and leaned ever so slightly back into him.

“I’m sorry I ever doubted you,” she murmured back. She closed her eyes as Aang’s rhythmic yet feathery touches to her scalp soothed her and then gave herself a quick look in the mirror through her peripheral vision- her hair was already looking a lot better and far more tame than it had been 15 minutes ago.

“That’s alright, just have a little more faith in your amazing boyfriend next time, yeah?” he winked with a smile, hands moving the hair he had untangled to the front as he directed his concentration to the last section.

This section was by far going to be the hardest-  most of the strands were embedded into a few large and messy knots creating quite a complex network. Nevertheless, Aang was up to the challenge. He began humming an old Air Nomad folk tune, one of the many they’d perform at Yangchen’s Festival, causing Katara to hum along with him as he spread apart the last few unruly waves of hair.

After finishing, he steadily ran his fingers through her hair like a comb, taking extra care to caress the nape of her neck and back of her head as she sighed happily, and gave it one last sweep with the whale-bone comb.

“All done,” he said, tucking a lock behind her ear when she turned around to face him.

The waterbender beamed before lightly pushing him down on the bed as they both sank into the mattress.

“I take it you enjoyed it?” Aang laughed, looking up at her.

“Very much so,” Katara responded. She then carefully angled herself so that she was lying pressed up against Aang’s side, head resting in the crook of his neck.

“It was pretty relaxing for me too,” Aang blushed. “You know I love playing with your hair and this just kinda took it to another level. I’d be happy to do it for you in the future if you ever find yourself fighting with that comb again, that is.”

“I’d like that, Aang. A lot,” she smiled shyly. “It was great to just… unwind. Have you there with me and just relax. I was basically about to cry when you came in and you just melted all my worries away with those magical hands of yours.”

The airbender chuckled, snaking his arm around her shoulders and leaning his head against hers. “Glad to hear it, sweetie. It’s getting late though, and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Time for some rest?”

Katara wordlessly nodded, sighing and closing her eyes as Aang did the same and blew out the candles lighting up the room.

“Thank you for this, sweetie. I love you.”

“I love you too, Tara. Good night.”

The two were taken away into the dream realm, but an unspoken custom was crafted that night. It became a ritual, a way for both of them to calm down and escape the high stress levels of their everyday lives.

When Katara found her dad kissing Malina and it felt like her whole world was crumbling down around her, Aang had snuck into her room that night and combed and plaited her hair until they drifted off into each other’s arms.

When Aang had confided in the waterbender about feeling anxious and insecure about becoming a new father after she had informed him of her pregnancy, Katara had shown up to the stables with a comb and some apples for Appa in tow. The two ended up assuaging each other’s concerns while leaning back against the fluffy bison, much to their attention-seeking flying lemur’s annoyance.

Whether they were stressing over not being able to find an old book from the Southern Water Tribe after moving to Air Temple Island or had just come home after a near-death experience with the most dangerous bloodbender in the world, one of the two would always sit the stressed one down and grab a comb.

It never became a chore or something they dreaded; it was almost a secret love language for the couple. It was a way of reminding each other that no matter what was going on in their lives, they would always find time for each other and help one another. It pulled Aang and Katara out of some of their lowest, darkest moments, and it only accentuated their highs.

Such a simple, pure act born out of nothing but love and a desire to help- it should’ve been insignificant, a one-time thing, but it became so much more. To Katara and Aang, it meant the world.