#and marked all the completed scenes in green (5!)

[workingforitallthetime]

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[bean-bean2000]

The Maid - Part 5

Pairing: Loki x reader (on going series)

Warnings: Angst, abuse, mental health (depression, mentions of suicidal thoughts), swearing, mentions of torture and rape. Loki being an ass.

Please read at your own risk. Your own media consumption is not my responsibility. Please read and review the warnings before proceeding.

Thank you and enjoy!

Author's note: Sorry for the wait! Work and school got hectic. Hope you enjoy!!

Part 4

Series masterlist Main Masterlist

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Your head is pounding as you begin to stir awake. You groan as your hands sink into the soft sheets. You stop abruptly.

This isn't my cot.

Your heart is racing in panic. Your head is laying on the fluffiest pillow you've ever touched and the silk from the sheets slide smoothly across your skin.

You become acutely aware that you're lying face down again and feel the shiver from the cold across your back. You jolt up and groan out loudly in pain as your wounds on your back stretch from the sudden movement. You’re breathing heavily and shaking as you sit up, feet dangling off the bed.

You take in your surroundings, realizing the room seems very familiar, as you scan the room and notice the emerald green sheets on the bed and the book on the night stand.

I'm in the king’s chambers.

You gasp and your eyes go wide as you fumble off the bed. Your chest is exposed, and you grab onto the first green blanket you spot and cover yourself, so you're decent enough.

You're alone. It's quiet. You turn to the large mirror that is up against the wall facing the bed and examine your back. You notice that it has almost healed completely, leaving thick, ragged scars across your back.

How long have I been out? This should have taken at least one month to fully heal… the wounds are completely closed, the scars are white and red.

You're staring them, realizing that they will forever be there marking your skin of the trauma you've endured.

"You're up." you hear a voice from behind you say.

You scream in surprise and jump in the air, backing away from the sound.

You look up at lock eyes with the king.

"Your majesty, I'm - I don't - I woke up…" you stumble over your words trying to explain yourself. You notice that you are indecently exposed within the kings chambers, uninvited, and hug the blanket closer to your chest.

You decide to stop talking and stare at the floor.

He smirks as he crosses his arms, evaluating the scene before him "I requested Banner clean your wounds after our conversation in the kitchen."

You look up at him confused. Why would he care? He ordered I get whipped for my retaliation… for defending myself… You feel the anger bubbling inside you.

How dare he pretend to care? To make up this act before me when all he has done is make me suffer since the day I arrived.

You say nothing as you bite the inside of your cheek to prevent the words from spilling out. You know the consequences of speaking to a royal in such manner, let alone a king, would land you in much more dire situations than before.

The king takes a tentative step forward and you take a step back. He notices this and stops in his tracks, folding his hands together behind his back.

"You fear me. You despise me." He declares matter of fact.

You say nothing again. I'm much better off keeping my mouth shut. You stare at him with a fire in your eyes. Anger which you can never act upon.

He steps forward again, and you step back.

"I healed you. Your wounds were very badly infected. Banner thought you wouldn't make it past the night. I used my magic but couldn't get rid of the scars… they are too deep." he explains to you.

Because of you, you spoiled sheltered asshole! Oh, fuck it. If he kills me now it will be better than living this so-called life.

You straighten your posture and stare at him directly in the eyes. A sign of confidence and defiance. You think you see a spark behind his eyes as you do this and a small smirk tugging at his lips.

"Why?" you say stoically.

"Why, what? Be specific, darling." he says smugly.

"Why did you heal me?" you ask angrily, voice rising slightly from frustration.

"Because you were hurt."

Your jaw ticks. He's doing it on purpose to piss me off.

"Why do you care that I am hurt?" you push further.

"Hmmmm….." he taps his foot and lifts his chin in thought.

Pompous prick.

"I missed your work as my maid. You were rather thorough." he replies, head tilting to the side in challenge.

That's it. I've had enough. Fuck the consequences.

Your voice rises as you let go of your pent-up anger "Are you kidding me?! You missed my work as your MAID? Am I just an object? A toy you can fuck around with when you're bored?!"

He says nothing as he lets you continue your rant.

"You send those disgusting rats you call guards to beat, rape and abuse the staff all they want. We can't say a damn word about it without getting beaten to a pulp to keep our mouths shut. I have succumbed to MONTHS of this fucking treatment, beaten down like a dog when I refused to submit to the Snake's desires. Every time he said it was a special message from YOU as a result of my defiance.” You point your finger at him and approach him challengingly, eyes seething with rage and pain.

“I don't regret a single thing I did. I wish I would have gouged his fucking eyes out when I had a chance! I defend myself from being forced onto and you order them to whip me because of it?!” What kind a monster are you? I've heard the stories, and I believed them when it came to war, but I never thought you to be so callous towards your own people, your own staff.”

You’re waving your arm in the air and your eyes and stinging, tears forming. You swallow hard and blink them away, refusing to let him see how much pain he has truly inflicted upon you internally. Feeling the anger bubbling up again, you continue.

“Then! THEN, YOU come to MY aid like I'm some damsel in distress? I DON'T DESERVE ANY OF THIS SHIT!" you’re panting and your voice is raw from screaming out your rant.

You realize your breathing heavily and look down at the floor, taking some slow breaths to calm down. The reality of what you’ve just done dawns on you, and you accept your fate. Your eyes become void of everything. When you lift your gaze up to his and lock eyes, you see something flash across his face. Pain? Worry?

"Just kill me now. I don't care what or how you do it just end it already. I will not be treated as a toy you can bend to your own desires and beat for your own pleasure. This isn't a life worth living. I would rather die than live another day inside these palace walls." Your voice calm and stoic.

You stare at him and notice all smugness has disappeared. Now, his jaw is locked, fists tightly at his side making his knuckles turn white. The anger in his eyes terrifies you.

You have nothing left in you to start begging he spare your life. "I understand the consequences of my actions." you say while slowly getting to your knees and maintain eye contact "Nothing I said was a lie, I regret nothing. I only ask for one thing: End it quickly."

You hear him approach you when he stops mere inches away. You close your eyes in anticipation, expecting the inevitable and let out a deep sigh.

You begin to smile, realizing your pain will be over soon and you will be able to join your family again among the stars. You feel a single tear fall down your cheek.

"Get up." he commands. Your brows furrow in confusion as you open your eyes and look up at him.

"Do not make me repeat myself." he says sternly.

You slowly get up and face him. Your neck slightly craned up from his imposing height, to meet his gaze.

“Here. Change in the bathroom. I will be waiting. There is much to discuss.”

You stare at him quizzically, brows furrowing in confusion. What is going on? In your confused and shocked state, you grab the clothes he has outstretched to you and walk to the bathroom. You look at your reflection, your bruises and cuts are gone but the look in your own eyes surprises you. Apathy. You realize you feel nothing, you care for nothing anymore.

Sighing heavily, you throw on the green pyjamas he provided. They are clearly too big for you, but you manage to tighten the shorts as much as possible around your frame with an elastic and the short-sleeve shirt cascades down to your knees.

What will he do to me? Fear courses through you, adrenaline kicks in and you start flinging the cabinets open.

There has to be something in here, please. Your breathing is heavy as you shakily throw things around until you spot the scissors and snatch them.

This is it. Do I do it? I can’t win against him. He’s a god for fuck’s sake! This is my only chance to escape. I know what he is capable of, he will hold me hostage and bend me at his will. I would rather die than let that happen again. I’ll be damned before I let a man control me again.

Your back is facing the door ,wrist outstretched as you raise the scissors. As you begin to lower them towards your wrist, you feel a strong hand grab onto yours, stopping it mid-air.

Suddenly you’re spun around and pinned against the wall, facing the king.

You stare into his eyes and notice the shocking swirl of emotions in his bright emerald eyes as they bore into yours. You don’t understand what it is. It looks like hurt?

His nostrils are flaring, his hand harshly holding yours above your head.

You gulp heavily. Suddenly aware of your proximity to him, your chest only inches apart.

“Drop it.” He commands.

You’re breathing heavily out of… fear? Adrenaline?

Before you can decipher your emotions you feel his hand place pressure over yours as your hand reflexively opens and the scissors scatter across the tile.

“You forget I am a God. I see all, I hear all, I know all.” He says, leaning in closer.

You realise there is no way out. Might as well go out with a bang.

“Do you? Hear all? See all? Know all? Almighty god”. You see his eyes flash and a smirk form across his face.

“Watch your mouth, maid.” He hisses.

“Or what?” you challenged. “You’ll kill me? Throw me to the dungeons? Be my guest. I’ll just try killing myself again until I succeed. I don’t care about this world, it has brought nothing but pain into my life. I don’t care what you do to me, but I’ll be damned before I let another man control me. God or not.” You say through gritted teeth.

He sees your eyes flash with emotions you can’t place.

There she is. Loki thinks to himself.

“I have more fitting plans for a woman such as yourself.” He says as he backs away from you, dropping your hand.

“Try that again, and I won’t stop you.” He says sternly.

“Is that supposed to be a threat? Sounds like a gift to me. By all means…. Please don’t, your highness…” you say as you mockingly curtsy to him.

His grits his teeth as he corners you against the wall once again. His hands begin to glow green.

Momentarily, your eyes flash with fear, then amazement. You turn your head and admire the glow.

“Let me reiterate.” His voice, breaks you from your trance as you look up at him again. He approaches you even closer, your chests barely inches apart.

“Try that again, and I’ll make you wish you were truly dead. Don’t push your luck.” He threatens.

You gulp heavily.

You see satisfaction cross his features as he realizes he has won this argument. He backs away and looks you up down and nods with a smirk.

“Now, as I said, we have much to discuss.” He steps to side and to the bedroom with one arm. You sigh heavily, defeated and with no other choice, you make your way out of the bathroom.

Fucking prick.

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Let me know what you all think of the story so far!! Feedback is welcome!

Part 6

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[shannankle]

Color in DFF: Part 2

Okay so here I have a post where I run down some of the way DFF is using color in the past (at least for ep 5-6). But there's even more to unpack in episodes 1-4. I'll have to return to color when more episodes are out cause I'm sure there'll be more clarity and layers to add. But for now let's jump to the present!

Shout out again to @slayerkitty for brainstorming with me!

In part 1 I came to this conclusion:

There are basically 3 groups of colors.

Blue=the friend group, conformity, those trying to harm or coerce others

Red=Non, poverty, outsiders and those with stigma

Yellow=A third category, not in lock step with the group, outliers

So what about the present?!

There's a lot going on with color:

-It show's the character's flaws and desires

-It signals romantic pairing(s)

-It conveys group dynamics and insider/outsider status

On top of that we have people changing colors and exchanging them

Importantly in the present we start getting more than just the strict primary colors groups. Our group is less in sync and now that they've had time to grow up and be apart there's less conformity and cohesion, more fracture. We could argue that more of their own colors are able to come out rather than be subsumed in just blue (though a few characters definitely stick to blue still).

Let's start at the beginning. For a number of these boys their color represents their worse traits and fatal flaws:

Por is in a pale green. This clearly represents his VERY deep relationship with nature (sorry not sorry). It also can represent rebirth which means he isn't dead yet.

Okay, joking aside, green can can represent greed and jealousy. Certainly things relevant to Por who both has it all and still constantly wants and needs more (especially affection from his father) and is willing to take credit from Non to get it. This greed obviously contributed to the way everything spiraled in the past.

Green can also indicate sickness, nausea, and disgust. Por often expresses disgust towards Non, wiping his hand off after touching him. We even get him and Top reacting with disgust in the opening scenes when Fluke is puking.

On one more note, there are cultures that would group green and blue in as the same color so perhaps we can still see him as not so separate from the group as we might think.

Tee and Top are still in blue. These two are dedicated to hiding the truth and protecting themselves. Blue can also indicate loyalty and trust as well as confidence. Tee clearly has an issue with loyalty in both the past and the present. He's quick to throw his friends under the bus but does so while hiding this to still fit in. In the present he struggles with whether to abandon White or protect him. Top on the other hand is over confident, constantly wanting fame and attention.

Tee in particular is interesting because of his tie die shirts. They always mix blue with another color, just like he mixed blue with red in the past. Now it's a pink. Perhaps this means his money troubles have lessened or that he mentally feels less of an outsider or weirdo than when he added red in the past. Or perhaps it shows his strained loyalty to White, containing a color other than blue but not quite orange.

This is certainly the case in a later episode when he changes his t-shirt to blue and orange. I'll mention this later but White is introduced in orange. So Tee's colors show his dedication to the group, his continued attempts to hide secrets that harm people, and his battle between running or staying to protect White.

While Tee switches to orange and blue, Top switches to yellow and white. He makes the switch before he goes off with Tan and returns to kill Por. The yellow is a stark change. Unlike Tee who retains his blue, Top loses it completely. He's in yellow, marking him as an outlier. Is he possessed? Drugged? In any case he is operating without any affinity to the group at this point.

We don't know much about Tan yet, but he's also in blue. He starts in a blue button up and then switches to darker blue with gray underneath. This is a bit odd since he's the most vocal about pushing the old group to reveal what happened in the past. Yet he isn't wearing orange (Phi and White), red (Non), or yellow (outlier). In fact, unlike our other characters he doesn't mix in other colors or change his color at all. It feels very sterile, as if he is operating under different rules. So either he is just part of the group and likely fodder, working with Phi, or up to his own plan. Regardless I think at this point he is probably hiding his color, or rather the show is hiding his color from us for a later reveal of some kind.

Fluke is in purple. It's a balanced mix of blue and red, marking the way he acts as a bystander. He is in the group but not necessarily at the center of it. It also represents ambition, which Fluke clearly has in spades. So much so that as he tries to protect his ambitions, he makes things so much worse.

Interestingly, when Fluke changes clothes he still chooses purple, but his collar has a stripe of red. This of course is what he wears as he starts to crack, ultimately confronting Tee about what happened to Non. The blood on Fluke's hand adds more red.

Jin is in pink and a dark blue or grey. He later switches to a dark blue shirt. So part of him is still attached to the group (blue) but he also operates in a faded pink. Pink can represent love and compassion. We know that Jin acts as the kind one of the group generally. Interestingly this is quite a faded pink, perhaps representing how Jin, despite being kind (or at least having a kind exterior) is quite jaded. He's lost his rose-tinted glasses and they've become a washed out pink.

He no longer is in yellow. Does this mean at some point he failed to push back on the group in an important way? Why is he still with the group and wearing blue/gray colors? Does the fact he's wearing pink, a faded red mean he's still dedicated to Non?

Clown theory: Non was in pink in the preview for episode 7, so does this mark Jin as a romantic pairing with Phi? Does it mean Non died and possessed Jin's body (🤡)?

Phi and White both have orange to start with. They're odd ones out. Interestingly, Phi also has on a denim shirt, making him outwardly seem to match Tee and Top, but the orange shows his true colors. This is very fitting given we know he's up to something (most likely revenge) and not genuinely trying to be a part of the group.

Orange is also partway between red and yellow. If we go by the past, Phi has had something going on with both Non (red) and Jin (yellow, past). Interestingly in this opening shot Phi's backpack moves from blue (his disguised allegiance to the group) to orange (his outsider status) and red (his allegiance to Non). But he is also next to Jin whose pink could be seen as a version of red.

White has orange but like Phi he has blue as well. Does this mean that White is aligned with Phi or is it just a way to signal that White is also a newbie to the group? If so why is Tan not in orange too? Is White Non's brother?

Both Phi and White remove their orange as things progress. Interestingly they both keep the same touches of blue but change to neutral white/light gray tones. They're blending in now, either by force of the situation or in order to hide their intentions. But compared to Tan, we at least see them operating in other colors first.

One last thing of note here. Phi wraps his outer shirt around Jin to brace his shoulder. This completely removes the blue from Phi and gives it to Jin. Is this a color exchange? But blue isn't Phi's color, so does is this an act of protection or is Phi marking Jin as a target?

And what does it mean that Phi is now purely in white--an absence of color? Or is white his color? If so, then what about White?

We've gone from 3 primary colors in the past to a mix of colors in the present. On top of that we have white too, an interesting contrast? pairing? with the black of the mask costume.

Okay this has been equally as much analysis as questions. I'm excited to revisit this when we have even more episodes and information to see what the patterns are here!

[tempkiriri]

Nathan Route Attempts (T&B Hero's Day)

MAIN THING TO NOTE: TALKING TO IVAN OR NOT DOESN'T SEEM TO AFFECT WHICH ENDING YOU GET, SO I'M IGNORING THAT EVENT IN ATTEMPT TIMELINES: ATTEMPT 1 | Gently scold secretary | Leave TV alone | Send Karina an e-mail | Hesitate to talk to Jack of all trades | "Replace" the phone | Wait here | Don't fire (firing leads to game over, I did it for those 5 points this time but hhh) | Do you know how to make tea? | Scold | Ask about Legendary status Result: Green

ATTEMPT 2: Tell secretary to rest | Change channel | Don't e-mail Karina | Hesitate to talk | Don't "replace" phone | Follow me | Stop Bun | Don't fire | Ask about jack of all trades | Scold | Ask about quitting Result: Purple (Diverged from Green) ATTEMPT 3: | Tell secretary to rest | Don't change channel | E-mail Karina | Approach man | Don't "replace" phone | Wait here | Don't fire | Ask about teas | Thank Bun | Ask about legendary Status | Result: Purple (from Green)

ATTEMPT 4: (Using a guide and only marking down highlighted walkthrough) | Scold Secretary | Change Channel | Don't e-mail Karina | Hesitate to talk | Don't "replace" phone | Follow me | Watch bun | Thank Bun | Ask about quitting Result: Blue

The first goal was just blue. The second goal being Purple diverged from Blue, as the guide shows an extra scene, which needs to be obtained for score completion. So ATTEMPT 5 is ATTEMPT 4 BUT I AM NICE TO THE INITIAL SECRETARY. AND YES, THIS WORKED. CANON ENDING LIKELY RELIES ON TELLING YOUR SECRETARY TO REST THAT'S SO FUNNY We gotta make new guides for this game, man...for the 12 people playing it in 2024...

[cupidsdivinity]

── OC INTRODUCTIONS.

just in case anyone wants to learn more about my ocs! this turned into a bunch of rambling lol. all of them are pansexual unless stated otherwise ᵔᴗᵔ

don't see your fav yandere oc? just send a message in my inbox anytime, and i'll add them! i add ocs to this list based off popularity. this page is continually updated!

yandere! jock [ jake everett ]

visage links 01, 02, 03

backstory link

his birthday is july 16

his favorite color is dark green

jake's favorite hobby is fishing

he's 6'3 / 190.5 cm

he's the quarterback for his high school's football team

jake isn't the smartest, and he doesn't have the best gpa, but he's decent in spanish class

he uses old spice and irish spring soap

jake is completely covered in freckles

his hair is so fluffy; you'll pat him on the head and his hair bounces back up

he has blue/green eyes

jake is rich since his father's a doctor

he has a four-year-old brother named jonah who absolutely loves you

whenever you're at jake's house, jonah tends to steal your attention by begging you to play pretend cars or doctor

jake's irritated by his little brother's antics, but doesn't show it when you're around

he has two dogs: a golden retriever and a small crusty white dog he got from the shelter

speaking of dogs, jake LOVES DOGS

he is a "i love dogs, and i hate cats" person sorry

when he watches movies, he skips scenes where the dog dies

and cried while reading where the red fern grows

jake used to have a huge dinosaur and car obsession when he was little

he had a dinosaur onesie that he always wore, and it rarely got cleaned

jake has TERRIBLE taste in fashion

his go-to outfit is a camo sweatshirt with baggy cargo pants

jake's favorite artists are dolly parton and taylor swift; country is his favorite genre

he's a closet swiftie though, only you and his close friends know about his listening habits

yandere! worshipper [ michael robins ]

visage links 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06

his birthday is february 28

he's 5'11 / 180 cm on a good day

michael has a small beauty mark at the outward corner of his right eye

his favorite colors are blue and violet

he's always cold; it could be the peak of summer and michael will sleep with his comforter on top of him

romance movies are a guilty pleasure of his; he loves the notebook and la la land

he wants to major in something in artsy, like film, architecture, or photography

he's a nintendo switch guy; he loves zelda

he likes mario kart, but gets more and more irritated every time you beat him, which messes with his focus

michael smells like fresh linen with a hint of lavender

his favorite foods are strawberry shortcake and pho

he loves cooking and baking with you, even though you never get anything done

5 min prep time turns into a 30 minute prep time while the two of you talk about the most random things

also he eats the cake batter; he doesn't give one damn about salmonella

he has brown, almost black eyes

he likes alternative music, and he listens to jakob ogawa a lot

michael also listens to a lot of classical music, he loves frédéric chopin

he loves sending you his spotify playlists

he's an only child

michael has a pet white rabbit that he loves to death

he's played the piano since he was eight years old

his room is messy; not a single spot on his desk is neat

[whatgaviiformes]

8, 16 and 20 please :D

8. Do you prefer the beginning, middle, or end of a story?

This is such a good question. I had to think about it for a bit, because hell do I love a good opener. But I think for me it's the middle - that's where all the development happens, it's where we get the gasps and the heart, and I love leading up to the denouement. I love a good ending too, but if I think back to the moments I remember most in my reading (so I hope its similar with my writing), those special moments are definitely somewhere in the middle of the sandwich where the drama happens!

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

I've got a few. My brain can only hold on to one "big" fic at a time. While I do have that one planned in my head, it's nowhere near completion so I'm not ready to share the concept for it. From a point of view of shorts - there's always at least 4-5 brewing. I'd like to keep working through FishTank Week. I want to send Gordon and Virgil back to the yarn shop. I want to write how Gordon is a different GM from John, and at some point I want to write some more Scott to branch out from my usual green and yellow.

20. Have you noticed any patterns in your fics? Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

Besides FishTank and Gordon's hydrofoil accident? Yes, of course.

I am a little obsessed with how emotions are shown through breathing, so I will use often lean into what the lungs are doing. Besides an occasional "he breathed" you might see gasping, heaving, an inhale through the teeth, some breath hitching, or obvious dialogue staggering. It's definitely an emotive image for me, and helps a lot with those scenes where I write Gordon meditating underwater or holding his breath to test himself. There's a lot of emotion behind it.

I know I linger on eyes as well, and you've definitely seen either honey or amber once per story. "Chocolate and Hazel" was named as such so I didn't forget Mr. Everett's eye color, fun fact.

Animals showing up.

And this is more a structuring thing - but when I have an AU that's so different from the main story, I tend to like *makes hand motion* swoop in like it's a movie. Most of Privateers starts somewhere in the scenery and then kind of zooms in to a figure or a moment.

The evening sky painted the tides, the sea swells echoing the colors of the clouds to converge at the horizon and the last bursts of sunlight. Waves cloaked in gold lapped against the oak of the ship’s hull, and the flutter of her sails softened the explosion of fire into gentle colors reminiscent of the Georgia peaches they’d bought along the Savannah River for trading further North. Far above the shades darkened into sienna, into purple and the beginnings of subtle starlight. - Fathoms

For a town named Eden, the jagged shoreline up New England in what was the Massachusetts Bay territory boasted more mountainous rock than it did verdant gardens. Past the crags and the low hills, dense forest swathed the land in pine, spruce, maple, and ash, all grown thick, unruly, and uncultivated. - Oak and Ivory

Standing upon a wooden pier, a man with sea-jewel eyes, tall and dark-haired, squared his shoulders and twisted his interlocked hands resting in the small of his back. Weight evenly distributed, the wood below the heel of his boots gave no protest, and in the stillness he scanned the harbor every inch a statue amidst the hustling movement of the dockhands, of which many were just youngsters. In the prime of his twenties, he outwardly looks every bit a leader; his stance resonates with his confidence of command, his presence a force on its own which speaks louder than even the golden shine of the epaulette along his right shoulder marking him as a merchant ship’s Captain. - Brother's Oath

Other than that, there are likely plenty of words or phrases I use a lot - as readers you may be be able to better recognize them. I'm curious if any stand out.

Thank you for the asks!!!

[sheliesshattered]

It's been about a week since I last posted about my current sewing project: adding some details to a jacket of Jack's for our upcoming Batuu Bounding trip to Disneyland, for my birthday about a month from now. This time last week, I had just started box pleating two 104" strips down to about 36" each, using half inch pleats. I got into a good rhythm with it over the weekend, and got all 208" marked, ironed, pinned and sewn down.

After that, I made some matching piping with 2mm cotton macrame cord, then sewed the raw edges of the piping and the raw edges of the pleating together, and trimmed all but the outermost layer of the seam allowance down to just under a quarter inch, so that I can flat-fell the raw edges to the underside:

First I whip-stitch the ~1/4" trimmed edge down, then fold the untrimmed seam allowance down over top of it and whip-stitch it into place as well. I've been careful to only catch the edge of the underside of each box pleat as I've been going, so none of the stitches show on the outside at all. It results in a nice finished look on the right side, about 2" wide overall.

Currently I have one 36" strip completely done, and the other just past halfway done:

It was slow-going at first, especially until I realized I could kind of pull on the piping to get it to curl outwards and lay flat, rather than trying to iron it into submission. I've gotten into a much faster rhythm with the handsewing just in the last day or so, and figure I'll be able to finish this step sometime today.

The side of the fabric we've designated as the 'right' side (lower strip in the above image) is slightly darker and more matte than the 'wrong' side. It's photographing as slightly more brown than it is in real life, because of the afternoon sunlight coming in through the yellow curtains near my sewing table, but in reality it's a nice dark olive green with a twill type weave.

The (real) color is just slightly darker, but close in color, to the jacket that it'll get applied to in the next step of this process:

Quite a few jackets in the Star Wars universe have this sort of pleated trim on the shoulders and sleeves -- everything from the one Luke wears in the throne room scene at the end of A New Hope, to Poe and Finn's jacket in The Force Awakens, to a whole bunch of outwear in the Disney+ Andor show. Most of them have a single, more shingle-style pleat, but there are a few examples of box pleats too. Some of the screen-used jackets look like the pleating was sewn directly into the seam during the construction of the jacket, but others have this same sort of piping detail and may have been sewn into a seam during the sleeve construction or added on top later:

Finn's in particular looks to me like it's more sitting on top of the sleeve than part of the sleeve. But regardless of how the screen-used jackets were made, I'm modifying a 5+ year old Old Navy jacket, so I'm going to add the pleating and piping on top of the original sleeve without cutting it open, lol.

I've got enough length in each of the two 36" long strips to go from the edge of the collar to the edge of the sleeve cuff, with neatly turned under edges, and probably have a little bit left over from each. Once I finish handsewing the edges of this second strip, the next step will be to pin the strips into place on the jacket (probably while Jack is wearing it initially, so we can get the placement right), and then hand-sew the edges down nice and neat, with no visible stitches or gaps or bubbling between the piping and the sleeve.

After that, Jack and I are going to decide together if there are any other additions we'd like to make to this jacket to Star Wars-ify it more, like pockets or loops for code cylinders, a pocket to slide a communication greeblie into place, or any other little bits. We may make some similar small modifications to the pants he'll be wearing (a nice mustard-y tan pair of cotton moto jeans), and the other night I took a break from handsewing the raw edges of the pleats to remove the buttons and sew up the buttonholes of the henley shirt that recently arrived. Without its buttons or buttonholes the shirt looks very much like Han Solo's shirt in A New Hope, so the whole outfit is really coming together well.

Meanwhile I've also been noodling on my outfit and some details or alterations I want to make to it. Currently it consists of the hooded wrap I sewed earlier this month, the vest from my Moment cosplay, one long-sleeve shirt or another, my Wasteland Weekend fingerless leather gloves, black leather-look leggings, my big stompy everyday-wear black Doc Marten Triumph 1914s, a brown leather belt, and my brown leather crossbody bag. It's a nice combination of brown, black, and gray, which suits both the Star Wars aesthetic and the sort of character I'm trying to portray.

I'm pretty happy with the look over all, but I've been trying to decide about the vest in particular. I love the fit of it (zipped up, unlike how I wear it as The Moment) and the layering effect with a long-sleeve shirt and the hooded wrap. Buuut the color doesn't feel quite right, it feels too clean for Star Wars in general, and the zippers are pretty prominent, especially the long one that holds it closed. I'm not sure that I want to permanently modify it at all, since I do still like to wear my Moment cosplay. It's just sort of 'fine' as it is now, and could be upgraded to 'pretty good' with the addition of a flap over at least most of the visible zipper areas.

But if I have time in the next month before our Disneyland day, I'd like to upgrade that piece of the outfit to 'excellent' if I can possibly manage it. I should still have the pattern for the original vest around here somewhere, and I've been thinking about what I'd want to change from the original if I was to just make it again from scratch -- color, a much more hidden zipper, maybe a slightly differently shaped collar, that sort of thing. Seeing if I can find that pattern, and then seeing what fabric I have on hand that would work for a scratch build, is one of the things I'm hoping to get to this weekend.

Besides that, I've also fallen into a bit of a rabbit hole when it comes to original character creation, because I think it would be fun to order this Captain's Accreditation License from Etsy, but that would mean actually deciding on all the info that would need to go onto that prop before I can order it. I think I'm nearly there -- I've been watching a lot of YouTube videos about Star Wars planets and ships and such while I've been handsewing, lol -- and those details have been making my whole character come into better focus, too.

More on all of that, character and costume and sewing projects and everything, over the next few weeks, I suspect. I haven't quite hit 'must sew faster, must sew faster', but I'm really excited about both my outfit and Jack's outfit, and the character coming together in my head, and our day on Batuu in general. So watch this space for more general flailing about Star Wars and Batuu Bounding, lol.

[ask-dcf]

To mod it's ok we make mistakes. Now to Data long story short AU Chara named Shift is from a genocide timeline where their Frisk called Fisher played a sick game to get the to love them back because Fisher fell in love with them but in a perverted way. So their AU got erase and now they think your Frisk is Fisher and wants them to kill Shift so they can kill Frisk at the same time. TLDR they need help bad. Data Chara is hurt too heal them first please.

*Data sees Chara’s hp at 0.5 and had the Bleeding status*

*Data holds up hand searching his mental library of spells to use to help heal Chara, he finds the new he spell he gained and the info of it comes to him naturally*

*Green lights glow on his face lines as his hand glows green.*

*Data slides his glowing hand under Chara’s poncho and shirt touching the wound on her chest*

*His hand glows brighter under Chara’s poncho and shirt*

*chara clenches the grass in one hand and holds onto Data’s arm with the other to calm down. It felt hot and cold at the same time while also being painful and soothing at the same time*

*scene zooms in and we see the process of the healing. Data’s hand has hundreds of tiny green lasers shooting at the wound. Each beam either burnt the wound to make the bleeding stop or push the damaged skin together to close the wound. While other lasers shoot a green stitch around the the closed cut to hold it together. Which is when another wound burns it to have it stick without the need of the green Stitch. As this all happens it’s seen that Data’s entire palm is glowing light green. And over time the scar that was left during the miniature operation disappears. Data’s hand stops glowing Aswell as his face marks, he pulls his hand out from under her shirt and poncho. He helps her sit up as her HP was now at 20 again*

*Chara touches her chest rubbing it a little. It feels warm but the damage is completely gone, as if she never had a knife going into her chest*

*Frisk glomps Chara hugging her tight*

*Chara blinks then slowly smiles hugging Frisk*

*Shift!Chara sees this happen and looks annoyed*

*anime anger mark on shift!Chara’s head and she slowly raises fist clenched and shaking*

————————————————————

2/5

[silvertsundere]

Silver Talks AniManga (07/05/23)

jump is finally back baby let's go!!! next week marks the last week of this serialization round but very much looking forward to the tall girl

ended up not watching more anime like I said I would last week, there were still 4 more I wanted to check out, but currently watching 5 airing which I think is pretty good considering I hadn't watched anything in almost 4 years, plus all those other shows I wanted to check out are all manga adaptations so I'm putting no hope in them being fully adapted so I don't feel as bad putting them aside

I want to catch up on another manga next but, after that, I want to go through my "watching" list and clean it up of stuff that's been left hanging there for these years, and then make my way through stuff I wanted to see from seasons I missed in that time ANYWAY

blue - finale/completed green - new series/new to me

Anime

Uma Musume - Road to the Top Ep4 (Finale)

what can I say that I haven't already. I love it obviously. I rate things on my mal for personal enjoyment but I usually have a "real" rating for it (like I did for jigokuraku not that long ago), but I can't do it in this case, horses just got too much power over me. I think I teared up in all 4 episodes (maybe not 1 but). it's good, period. the art is good, the animation isn't that special most of the time, but it has a lot of little character acting moments that hit really good, and let's not forget that maenami cut I was gushing about. the music isn't memorable but it served it's purpose, and the voice acting was really good ofc, I especially loved tokui sora's performance as opera, it's nice to see her getting to flex her range instead of always being yazawa nico, but ofc ayabe and topro were really good too. anyway really good, left me really hungry for S3 coming later this year tho I still have to go and watch S2 and even finish S1 tehe

Megumin Ep5

honestly this ep felt a lot like a finale, tho there's still 7 more left anyway the explosion scene was pretty cool also megumin x yunyun is quite good, good to see they'll keep feeding me since they'll be goofing around together for a bit longer

Imas CG: U149 Ep5

good episode (ofc), was wondering where they'd take it with risa being such a daddy's girl but she surprised me also the insert song was beyond the starlight (deresute's 1st anni song) so I was losing my gourd as soond as I heard the first couple notes god bless

Mashle Ep5

decent episode, dot's explosion magic looked decent enough, tho speaking of him I didn't expect him to sound like this at ALL, I thought it was gonna be something more high pitched like bakugou. also they teased the lang baddies, which is when this starts shifting more into an action series with a sprinkle of comedy instead of the opposite, which is nice, even if they're all over the op lol

Pokemon Horizons Ep5

nice little ep, the roy scene before this pic was cute. next ep should be more exciting, including the appearance of a brand new mon, like riko's pendant turtle from before

Jigokuraku Ep6

good episode, was really nice to finally see sagiri's first time to shine, and now they're finally at the village, I forgot about the rokurouta fight so I thought they were getting here earlier tehe. it also ended on the gay sex scene so that was very nice I figured the village was gonna be the cliffhanger but that's a really good one too, they really went IN on animating the tongue-fu, anyway curious to see who'll voice mei, she's very cute

Manga

Do Retry Ch1

that line in the pic below is the title of the one shot for this btw anyway. nice first chapter, the art is really striking with it's thick outlines which makes sense since the author was an assistant to matsui too. it's also a period piece which would be funny if it was cause of matsui too. good solid first chap, no complaints for me, did it's job of setting up the story, the main character and his motivations without getting too distracted with other things. we haven't had a sports manga in a while (I don't count blue box as one) so we'll see how long it'll stay around, or how sportsy it'll be in the first place lol

Dandadan Ch104

the vamola backstory continues, I thought this was gonna be the last ch but I guess not. it's been decent tho it could've been shorter imo

Show-ha Shoten! Ch18

VERY good chap, one of the best so far tbh, it's nice to see azemichi making a stand for himself, even if he's stumbling a bit. next chap should be pretty exciting but waiting a whole month is painful

One Punch Man Ch181

just an aftermath chap of the saitama tatsu fight, not really much going on. however I did read the jp raws for the next chap and it has a buncha cute tatsumakis so that's very good

Pension Life Vampire Ch4 - 5

apparently I completely missed ch4 OOPS. anyway, cute chaps like usual, going even more in on the yuri cause of this new girl here. it's nice that eri's moving in, opens the door for a lot more Situations

Tokyo Underworld Ch39

ok chap tho not much happened, the action was p dece but that's about it. the ending cliffhanger is something tho

The Ichinose Family's Deadly Sins Ch23

another eh... chap, they show him waking up but considering the previous pages it's gotta be not real right? anyway it needs to hurry up and end already, feels like it's just dragging on on purpose now

Fabricant 100 Ch20

the final battle is finally here, not much more left now, prob just enough to finish filling a vol

Witch Watch Ch107

GREAT chap, I didn't expect them to continue straight from the last one, much less to go this far right away, very excited to see what happens next week with that ending

Kill Blue Ch3

nice chap overall, not much to say, good to see we'll have some more action next week too

Blue Box Ch99

TAIKI MY BOY they grow up so fast 😢, I was already hyped for ch100 but with them dropping this right at the end I'm even more pogged up now holy

Cipher Academy Ch22

as much as I like cipher this felt a lot like a final chap, and it's been doing badly in ratings lately, so there's probably no hope of it making a comeback like medaka did back in the day it's sad that jump readers can't appreciate nisio's work and we get things like roboco running for a billion years instead sigh

Mashle Ch154

good chap, had that good balance of action and comedy that mashle is really good at, still gonna be a handful more chaps of the final boss

Tenmaku Cinema Ch4

nice chap, it's always nice to see someone's passion for something be apparent in their work like it has been in tenmaku

Undead Unluck Ch157

nice chap, like I said last time it's good that not everything is going according to fuuko's plan and seeing her struggle and overcome these unexpected situations is good. looking forward to the (possible) addition of a milf to the cast

Sakamoto Days Ch117

good to see them learning from sakamoto's example tho this being a flashback arc is annoying cause we know rion dies so every time something happens I'm just expecting it to be now argh

The Elusive Samurai Ch108

very good chap, good to see tokiyuki make up with yorishige after that argument a couple chaps ago and in such a meaningful way too also the colour page is beautiful but I'll put it on it's own post

Akane-banashi Ch60

good chap as usual, I've been waiting a long time for the dad to come back into the fray since he's such a big deal for akane's whole character, excited to see where this goes and her growth from it

Ayakashi Triangle Ch129

good chap, especially with those plot complications at the end making things not as simple as they seemed at first

[danglovely]

Regrading Taskmaster: S05E02 The leprechaun or the lesbian.

*Score changes noted in parenthesis.

Prize Task: Hippest Item of Headwear

So here we're looking for trendy, or in Sally's case . . . hip bones. It does feel right to give Nish one here seeing as neither Disneyland souvenirs nor articles of clothing with your name on it cross into to trendy. I normally don't go for puns, but Sally's is really good (also, am I crazy or does the hat not look all that bad?). Mark got ranked low because it was funny, but the Neon looked cool even if that hat seems like it's going to go up in flames at every moment.

Aisling brought in Yorkshire pudding being worn by Dave Gorman. Sort of a random pairing and even if Dave Gorman was part of the prize, he's not the hippest former Taskmaster contestant you could have picked. Bob's war hat looks like the one Dumb Donald wore on Fat Albert. It still seems like it should beat Nish and Aisling.

Aisling: 2 (-1) Bob: 3 (-1) Mark: 4 (+2) Nish: 1 (0) Sally: 5 (0)

VT 01: Make the best coconut flinging machine. You have twenty minutes and one attempt. Furthest coconut fling wins.

For fun, I checked the Wikipedia article Mark referenced and there is no longer any mention of hats, if there ever was. Bob and Mark are both getting disqualifications from me because I think the both fail at two different hurdles: (1) I've never heard of a hat or a crutch referred to as "a machine." The simple machine both were trying to emulate was the lever, but the actual lever being employed was just their arms. (2) Neither of them make anything. They appropriated things that they found.

The other three all did terribly, but at least they made something.

Aisling: 3 (+1) Bob: DQ (-5) Mark: DQ (-2) Nish: 4 (+1) Sally: 5 (+1)

VT 02: Paint the best rainbow scene. You may not open the lab door until the task is complete.

Ohhhhhhh . . . I can't see the colors.

I contend that the point of this task is to paint an accurate rainbow, but Greg gets hung up on the word "scene." Even if this mattered, a picture of a rainbow by itself can constitute a scene.

Sally's rainbow goes purple, green, purple, brown, yellow, orange, red, and indigo turning into blue. They're all there, but way too many colors that I would probably struggle to identify as a rainbow if I didn't know what was happening.

Aisling's rainbow goes green, red, brown blue, orange, brown. It does look like a rainbow though and I think I might have even figured out it was a leprechaun.

Bob's rainbow goes yellow, purple, brown, and orange. Worst color scheme so far and the sun he drew would cast doubt on whether that was supposed to be rainbow. Also his little man looks to be five dots.

Nish draws a pristine rainbow shape and doesn't do too badly on the colors. It goes red, purple, orange, green, blue, violet, brown, yellow (so kind of some in the right order).

Mark finds the light switch and basically gets the colors right (he uses brown where indigo should be). As Alex notes, it's a very flat rainbow despite being able to see, but still probably the best.

Aisling: 4 (-1) Bob: 1 (0) Mark: 5 (+2) Nish: 3 (+1) Sally: 2 (-2)

Note: Bob's story about the first house he painted is so damn funny.

VT 03: There is a loaf of bread in the lab. Slice the loaf as neatly as possible. You may use one tool only and that tool must be found in the caravan.

A mass disqualification task! I suppose Aisling could have argued that the task was referring to the loaf in the caravan, but it's not a winning argument. Bob and Sally pretty clearly use multiple tools and Nish's loaf is pretty clearly cut cleaner than Mark's.

Aisling: DQ Bob: DQ Mark: 4 Nish: 5 Sally: DQ

Team Task: Achieve the greatest splat.

I think Team Wumar's yogurt works much better than the team of three, evidenced by the real pain Mark seemed to be in while being continuously buffeted. The other team's balloons didn't satisfyingly splat on impact. The only reason I'm not going for the 4-1 split is Sally getting hit by a piss balloon, swinging a condom around, while shouting "die die die" and holding a sword.

Aisling, Bob, & Sally: 2 Mark and Nish: 3

Live Task: With your face placed firmly in your hole at all times, paint the most recognizable animal, vegetable, or mineral. You must incorporate your face in the picture.

I'm going to interpret this as what I think the task was going for, because the way it's phrased makes the win condition dependent on the subject matter you select, not how recognizable your picture is.

The win condition is accuracy and Bob's ice cream cone colors were pretty foul looking. Aisling's cat picture is pretty good, but she hurt herself by picking difficult subject matter.

They didn't do a great comparison shot of the three carrots, so I can't really evaluate them for accuracy.

Aisling: 2 (-3) Bob: 1 (-3) Mark: 5 (0) Nish: 5 (0) Sally: 5 (0)

Final

Aisling: 13 (-4) Bob: 7 (-9) Mark: 21 (+2) Nish: 21 (+2) Sally: 19 (-1)

So Nish and Mark tie the episode. No tiebreakers available because this is the closest Nish ever got to even contending for an episode win. Mark had some good tiebreaker performances, so my guess is he would have beaten Nish . . . but without an opportunity to prove it, joint win to Wumar.

[polizwrites]

WIP Update - 1 Aug 2023

Another pretty darned productive writing week!   I touched 5 fics (3 WIPs & 2new works)  for a total of  2647 words - almost half of which were on a single fic.

On Ao3, I posted:

Chapter Four of A Sugar-Coated Pill - my WinterIron No Powers Omegaverse Sugar Daddy AU

What Happens in San Francisco ... - Eddie|Venom outsider POV (secret Stucky)

Gathering Intel - Winter Soldier!Bucky mission fic

When This Issue's Gone - No Power AU Stucky crush & reunion fic

Tony Stark Bingo Mark VII - July Round Robin - Avengers Tower fic with insecure!Tony --> eventual Stony.

On Tumblr I posted:

The Dead of Night - Bucky's history with insomnia and nightmares.

A mini-ficlet prompt fill for "getting furious when someone takes advantage of the other’s weaknesses" (Rhodey x Tony)

I have  17 semi-active WIPs  😬 with my  current  deadlines being the Tony Stark This or That, Hot Bucky Summer and Stony AUgust events, which all wrap at the end of August.  

See  below cut for what I’m working on/planning to work on - arranged more or less by bingos/challenges/etc.  As always, feel free to send me   prompts or plot bunnies as well as asks regarding  any of these projects  or any other WIPs I’ve got out there.   Interaction really helps feed the Muse and keep me motivated!

Seek & Destroy Collab

After reading @psychiccatpanda‘s amazing   Morguna and the Green Queen, I  got the itch to explore the Soldier’s POV and talked  Faustie into   collab’ing with me!  We’re working on a new part of the series, and I’ve  contributed about 900 words towards the  2500-ish we have so far.   Going to see if I can squeeze any of my BBB squares into this fic.  

July Break Bingo  [JBB_23] (Ends 31 Jul)

I got my blackout on my 3x3 bingo card! Masterpost

Hot Bucky Summer [BBE_HBS]  (Ends Aug 30) 

Another @buckybarnesevents  event, this time with weekly smexy prompts.  My goal is to complete at least two fics/chapters per month for this challenge and have actually filled/will fill three of the 4 weeks for June and July so far.  

Week Nine:  FREE   – cheated a bit and went back to the Week Three prompts.: (“Where do you want me?” + in my lap) - filled with Chapter 4 of A Sugar-Coated Pill

Week Ten - "Long Day at Work?" + Massages/Back Rubs -- going to try to squeeze this into Chapter 4 of Technicalities to post this Friday (4 Aug)

Week Eleven -  “Give me a color” + Green/Red/Yellow – This works well with the upcoming Chapter Three  of   Finding Something Fresh -  Beta!Sub!Bucky   and omega!Dom!Steve work on pre-scene negotiations.  It is crossing over with SVB Comforting Insecurity - it’s  drafted at 1162 words and will post on 11 Aug.

Week Twelve - “Who’s My ___”+ Good Boy -  I still have my TSB KINK: Concubine square along with SAUB's Gentle Dom... for a possibly Stuckony fic - but who gets to be the lord over his two handsome concubines, tho? Would need to have it written by either the 18th or the 23rd.

Week Thirteen -  FREE WEEK - another previous prompt use - Week None's "How do you want me?" + Tied Down  crossing over with SVB  Tied to A Bed, ACB Sex Toys and CABB Licking Lips squares for Chapter Four of Finding Something Fresh. This chapter would post either 8/25 or 8/30 - I've got 147 words toward it so far.

Tony Stark This or That [TSTOT_23] (Ends 31 Aug)

Excited to see this event (hosted by @tstot ) come back!  When you sign up, you get a card with 10  prompts  in pairs  - so to complete the card, you create five fanworks.   I have two prompts posted and two ideas so far.

* 1a - Love Letters  brainstormed with  @somesortofitalianroast and  Meg during the  @buckybarnesbingo  Discord party and will be combining this with my BBB  Fireplace prompt for a  1980′s No Powers WinterIron fic where they discover that someone’s writing them both the same love letters.  

4b - Disaster - Crossover with CABB Skydiver AU and Week 1 of Stony AUgust - Profession. - Falling For You -- Rhodey talks Tony into trying out skydiving - Sam and Steve are the instructors for their tandem jumps, but things don't go quite as planned. I have the basic fic sketched out and am shooting to have a 600-800 chapter done and posted by the 5th - with a second chapter following soon after.

Stony AUgust (Ends 31 Aug)

This weekly prompt challenge is run as a part of the @stonyauniverse bingo, but you don't have to be participating in the bingo to play along!

Week 1 - Profession - Chapter One of Falling For You - see TSTOT Disaster above

All Caps Bingo [ACB_R1]  (Ends 30 Sep)

I’ve got fifteen completed fics, three WIPs and  will be pursuing the One Fill, One Bingo  Challenge for Row 5.   "Man, shut the hell up!", Alpha Bucky Barnes, James Rhodes, Humping, Competitive Idiocy

* N2 - Sex Toys - Filling this with Chapter 4 of Finding Something Fresh - see HBS Week 13 above.

* G1 - Isaiah Bradley -  Planning to add more to The Fist, Defeated.  (possibly present day)

* G2 - Nesting - This works with the upcoming Chapter 5 of Sugar-Coated Pill where Bucky and Tony finally get together. I’m combining it with my TSB “Are you there yet?” and WIB Blowjob squares. It’s sitting at 1229 words and will post sometime in August.

* G3 - Established Relationship - planning to fill this with Chapter 2 of   Half of the Flesh and Blood That Makes Me Whole   - a Bucky POV remix of at least the first part of Take What Was Wrong (And Make it Right), which is current sitting at  52 words.  I’m expecting at least one more chapter, possibly two, depending on how far I want to take the remix.  

* O3 - Pararescue Sam Wilson - may try to squish this into an expansion of   A Rising Star -  a previous Flash Fiction Friday fill.  

* July Adoptable - Mate Induced Heat/Rut – Posted Chapter 4 of Sugar-Coated Pill.

Sam Wilson Bingo [SWB_R3]  (Ends 15 Oct 2023)

I have four fills and one WIP -  I need to work on cross fills between this and the All Caps, Bucky Barnes and Captain Bottom bingo!

* B4 - Natasha Romanoff -  Maybe add on to my Card Sharks drabble, where  SamNat & Steve conspire to create a polycule with Bucky?  this idea crosses over nicely with my BBB KINK: Seduction mission square

* G3 - Joaquin Torres - see ACB Pararescue Sam Wilson above.

WinterIron Bingo  - [WIB_R1]   (Ends 16 Dec 2023)

I have twelve fills completed and two WIPs for this brand-new bingo event that I’m helping mod!  Along with crossfilling against my other bingos,  I’m going to try to combine my B column squares for the Iron Soldier badge (complete a bingo with a single work). – Alpha Tony Stark, “That was not my intention.”, James Rhodes, Alpine loves Tony and Blind date.   (Tony POV remix of A Sugar Coated Pill?)

* N1 - Bucharest –  I think I can fold this into a future chapter of My Love is Vengeance -  where a young!Tony and a recovering!Bucky have been kidnapped by Hydra, who still thinks Bucky is the Soldier.  

* G2 - Eye contact during sex - This will come into play in Chapter 6 of A Sugar-Coated Pill

* G4 - AU: College Students – looking to expand Beaten to the Punch with some backstory on Bucky and Tony as science camp counselors to fit with this square - will also cross over with my WFB  Volunteering Together square.  

* O2 - Blowjob -  Chapter 5 of   A Sugar-Coated Pill – see ACB Nesting above.  

* O5 - Gentle – use this poem  as inspiration?

Stucky’Verse Bingo Round 1 - [SVB_R1]   (Ends 22 Dec)

Seven fills, three WIPs and a couple of ideas  -  I need to review my card for potential crossfills and other idea sparks.

* A1 - Harem - crossover with CABB Secret/Forbidden Relationship - Bucky and shrimpy!Steve are both concubines - they love each other more than their lored.

* A4 - Fairy Tale Curse  - this seems custom-made for a continuation of Beyond the Beast😁  Nothing written yet, other than some Vague Ideas.  

* B3 - Tied to a Bed –  Chapter Four of Finding Something Fresh - see HBS Week 13 😁

* B5 - Comforting Insecurity - Chapter Three  of   Finding Something Fresh - see HBS Week 11.

* D4 - Edging - Chapter (more likely Five) of   Technicalities -

* Adoptable  - Things Have Changed – Filled this with When This Issue's Gone - No Powers AU roughly based on the J Geils Band song "Centerfold" It crossed over with my JBB Mutual Pining square, came in at 1955 words and posted on the 31st.

* Aug Monthly Prompt: Shy Bucky – filling this with for Chapter Four of   Technicalities - see HBS Week 10.

Bucky Barnes Bingo  - [BBB_R5]   (Ends 10 Jan 2024)

I’ve got  ten fills,  three WIPs,   and a couple more Vague ideas.

*B2 - KINK: Seduction Mission - might add a new chapter to Card Sharks - where Sam/Natasha and Steve finish what they started to get Bucky onboard for a poly partnership.

* U1 - Never the fall that kills you -  I've got a WinterIron hanahaki fic idea for this that I want to play with.

* U3 - Fireplace -  see TSTOT Love Letters above

* C2 - Yelena Belova–   The plan is to use this prompt in the next chapter of Peresmešnik,  (aka Three Avengers and a Baby), which is currently sitting at 1100 words (400-ish of which are mine).  

* C5 - Marriage of Convenience/Pretend Couple -  next chapter of   Lady Natasha’s Consort and Lord Steve’s Companion.    Not quite sure where to take this next at the moment.  😕

* K3 - Magic -  Aro!Bucky sickfic idea?

* Y1 - Gentle Sex -upcoming Chapter 5 of Sugar-Coated Pill – see ACB Nesting above

* Y2 - [image: IW Bucky with the good hair] A Flash Fiction Friday prompt [#FFF198 What Comes Next]   was a perfect match for an idea I’d already been playing around with to fill this square.  Getting Prepared -(updated title = Preparations)   an A:IW missing scene set between the time that T’Challa and Okoye come for Bucky and the moment he sees Steve again.  I will post it to Ao3 sometime in the next month or so.

* Y3 - Alpine  - see WIB Iron Soldier combo.

* Y4 - Forgotten Things -   using this for Chapter 4 of   You Can’t Stop It With a Gun  - it’s sitting at  116 words at the moment.    

* May Adopted - Insomnia - finally got this filled with The Dead of Night, which also filled last week's Flash Fiction Friday prompt [#FFF211 An Old Friend] along with my JBB FREE square. It came in an 317 words and will post to Ao3 before this event ends.

Tony Stark Bingo Round 7  - [TSB_R7]   (ends 15 Feb)

Four fills and two WIPs, with a couple of ideas in play.  

* S1 - Galaxy - possibly use in final chapter of   Never More to Go Astray ?  

* S4 - “Are you there yet?”   -upcoming Chapter 5 of Sugar-Coated Pill – see ACB Nesting above

* T1 - "Tony, no. Tony, yes!" - filled this with the July TSB Discord Round Robin fic - Tony feels badly about having missed an Assemble call; turns out that's not all he missed. My part came in at 302 words.

* T5 - Shawarma - possible crossover with SAUB Canon Divergence – Battle of New York-related?

* A2 - KINK: Concubine - possible crossover with SAUB Gentle Dom and HBS Week 12.

* A4 - Historical - possible crossover with SAUB AU: Pirate?

* R1 - Animal Transformation - DemonPanda shared a fun prompt on the WIB server - Tony as a short-haired werewolf who needs to cuddle his pack members for warmth.

* R4 - Playing Games - filled this with my part of the Tony Stark Bingo Mark VII - June Round Robin– where Bucky and Tony suggest a scavenger hunt at the Sanctum Sanctorum. My part came in at 327 words. 

* R5 - Doppelganger/Evil Twins -  this will probably cross over with my Stony AUniverse AU: Crack square as I have a semi-silly idea for it, inspired by seeing a T shirt of mine in a mirror.

Stony AUniverse Bingo  [SAUB_R1] (ends 15 Feb)

Another brand-new bingo I’m helping co-mod!   One fill, two WIPs and several  crossover WIPs  and ideas already!

* S2 - AU: Crack - see TSB   Doppelganger/Evil Twins

* S3 - AU: Wings - see ACB Established Relationship

* S5 - Accidental Baby Acquisition - see BBB Yelena Belova

* T1 - AU: Fantasy -  CoffeeOwl shared a really cool dragon!Steve/indebted!Tony prompt in the ACB Discord server that I may be playing with for this.

* T4 - AU: Canon Divergence - see TSB Shawarma above.

* N1 - AU: Spy -  I want to expand on/add backstory to  Keeping All My Secrets Safe Tonight from the Stony Drabbles challenge earlier.

* N2 - Mutual Pining - crossover with CABB Royal Knight?

* N3 - Gentle Dom - see TSB KINK: Concubine above

* N4 - AU: Pirate - see TSB Historical above.

* Y5 - Broken Bone - crossover with CABB C2 - Black Eye for Chapter Two of Falling For You - aka the aftermath of the Stony skydive.

Captain (America) Bottom Bingo - Round 2 [CABB] (ends 28 Feb 2024)

I forgot I signed up for a 3x3 card for this bingo until it dropped into my mailbox on Tuesday! 😁 At any rate, I've already got several crossover ideas and one WIP!

* A1 - Licking Lips - Chapter Four of Finding Something Fresh - see HBS Week 13

* A2 - Secret/Forbidden Relationship - see SVB Harem

* A3 - AU: Skydiver - Chapter One of Falling For You - see TSTOT Disaster.

* B3 - Royal Knight - see SAUB Mutual Pining.

* C2 - Black eye - Chapter Two of Falling For You - see SAUB Broken bone.

Warm and Fluffy   Bingo  - [WFB]   (no end date)

I got my card from  @warmandfluffybingocards back in February but really hadn’t done much with it  - however, I’m picking it back up for some crossover possibilities!

 * O5 - Volunteering Together – see WIB AU: College Students

————

On  other creative fronts:  I have a Spider-Man Stuffed With Character figure in progress for an upcoming con.  I will be making an announcement about commissions sometime in August so if  you’re looking for one of a kind gifts for birthdays or other celebrations, check  out Stuffed With Character    over on Facebook for a full list of my designs (now over 100!).   These soft stuffed figures are  mostly Marvel and monsters, but I have some Star Wars, Star Trek, DC   and Disney figures as well. Plus I love to take custom design   requests  for any fandom!

[greengoldfish]

Thanks to @myth-blossom for the tag. I haven’t been on Tumblr for like forever.

Favourite colour : Every shades of green.

Last songs : Champions Of The Wild Side - Mindy Jones (I have some times to cry about them again), also some random Chinese instrumental playlist I find on Youtube (I find it calming for writing and reading)

Last series : Stranger Things ss04 

Last movie : Incantation (great horror film, 10/10 would recommend)

Currently reading : 

Why Is Sex Fun? - Jared Diamond

The Suspicions Of Mr. Whicher - Kate Summerscale

Currently working on : I have 2 ongoing project which I keep jumping back and forth right now. 

this is how you keep her - long fic, I plan for 50k words in 5 chapters, which I only completed the first. Here an excerpt of the second chapter which I’m working on:

And Diana Penelope Burnwood, who was born right into the heart of the stiff upper lips society, who had all the right hallmarked education, who was young and pretty and eager and naive, who was not yet tied down by the mark of Fate, took hold of his interest long enough to finally earn a chance to stand by his sick bedside. How mockingly harmonious was it that while her soulmate always tried his convincing best to become another person, all Diana had ever needed to do was being her own true echo. 

Koi no Yokan - one shot. There is no planning involving this one, I’m just gonna see how it goes and edit afterwards. Also, here is the first scene:

She smiles at you like any stranger would, surprised and unprepared and hesitant. Her lips are stiff and polite, instilled into her from an early age from the nobility running in her blood. Yet, her eyes are tempestuously watery, grieving for her dear lost brother. You learned the word before, “grieve”, but this is the first time you find an appropriate use for it. You lay it down gently in the dark soil of your mind, like carefully burying a body in the earth, grief, grieve, grieving, so it can decompose and become a part of you, as all dead things eventually turn to dust.

Thank you @myth-blossom again for tagging me. I almost forgot about our writing improv group. 

[kirukkals]

Ireland - "Love the place, Leave no trace"

Have you ever found yourself scrolling through social media, looking at pictures of gorgeous places, and wishing you could be there right now? Our trip happened just like that! April 2024, week long EID holidays here in UAE, and what better place than Ireland during the spring season! Ireland is the 30th country that I have visited to date and, for me, definitely falls in one of the top 5 places to visit if you are a nature lover! It was a pleasant surprise that there was no visa rush for Ireland, unlike Europe, where the wait times were long and the embassy turnaround time was quick.

Now don’t get me wrong, travelling is a privilege and it is definitely not cheap! Fortunately for us, we choose to save to spend on trips every year and give ourselves the experience to savour a new land and a new culture.

The thing that strikes us about Ireland is that the people not just love the outdoors but respect it too. They completely hate people who litter the outdoor. There were not many trash bins to be seen. Everywhere the display is put up in bold, “Love the place, leave no trace”. Yes, they want you to carry your trash with you to your home. The outdoors are so pristine that you wouldn’t want to leave a trace.

April 4th, we landed in Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. We rented out a car at the airport, avoided Dublin city, and headed outside. The next 10 days, the Nissan Duke Hybrid served very well for our long drives in the Irish countryside, 1700 kms, to be precise. That evening, we strolled through the streets of Swords, had a pizza for dinner, and took a basic accommodation in Travelodge, Swords. There is so much awareness of vegetarian and vegan food here that when we ordered our pizza, the guy over the counter asked us if we preferred that our pizza was cut with a fresh wheel cutter. I nodded with a big smile.

April 5th, we did the Swords castle first. Just taking in the landscape, weather, learning to drive on the left and stay on that side of the road. The air was clean, the ground was drenched with fresh rain, and the green was at it greenest. Later, we drove to the Trim castle and sought help with an expert guide who gave us a walk through with some humorous stories about living in a castle. There was one tricky narrow spiral stairs all the way up the castle & down! Had a very good view of the entire county from the top. It was good to visit a 11th century castle in ruin, but maintained well of what is left. We drove to Donegal, which served as a mid-way halt before we headed to the northern most tip of Ireland. Interestingly, we booked ourselves at a B&B above a pub and, surprisingly, a quiet one for a Friday evening.

April 6th, we first stocked up snacks at Lidl store. Having stayed in the UK for a year, we knew Lidl or Tesco stores were the ones to go to stock up for day trips! We did a quick visit to the Donegal castle. It was more like an exhibition hall with wooden stairs & models. Each castle had something different to offer. Some were cozy, some very elaborate, some ornate. But, that’s it, we had done enough castles for the trip. Then we began our exhilarating drive up north on the Wild Atlantic Way. The next few days, our drive was all over the Wild Atlantic Way, and the scenes were breathtaking. Our first stop was at Malin Head, the northern most part of Ireland.

We stayed at Whitestrand Home. The owner, a young 70+ lady, was so friendly and helpful. She gave the map of the county and marked the places to visit nearby. The next two days, we had great homemade breakfast and a lovely chat with her! The accommodation was a triple room with a balcony, which opened to a huge backyard and with an unobstructed view of the North Atlantic Sea. We could hear the strong winds, watch the waves splashing at the far end, and sheep grazing lazily at the farm nearby. Sunset in that setting is such a serene experience. That evening, we visited the beach. And it was so windy up north that the effects of Kathleen storm that had just battered the island hadn't died down yet, and wind speeds were more than 60 kmph! We were surprised to find an Indian takeaway restaurant, Taste of India, in one remote village! And food was definitely better than the standards I expected. We helped ourselves to nice hot food after some wild, windy weather. I wonder why they don't have chai in an Indian restaurant!

One of the main reasons to have come this far up was my hope to catch sight of northern lights. But there was no activity in the next two days, and I still kept an alarm at 12.30 midnight and 2.30 a.m. to check the skies. There were no fancy lights, but it was still worth it to wake up and stare at the sky. What a magical star-studded sky it was ! Clear skies with millions of little stars twinkling and no light pollution from the village. It was definitely worth waking up to this sight.

April 7th, we covered the places in Malin head. Banba's crown - Hells hole walk - Glenevin Waterfall - Lighthouse - World War 2 lookout point. I felt the best part was the Hells Hole walk in the cliff. It was such a windy day, no one around, yet we did the walk. At one moment, a crazy rain storm drenched us. A few minutes later, it had moved north. The sight in front of us was a cloud burst over the ocean and a beautiful rainbow and us basking in bright sunlight. That’s how unpredictable the weather could be, and if you don’t complain, you could be rewarded with some sights to die for.

April 8th, we stopped at Grianan of aileach or the Greenan fort. It is a stone ringfort in the Inishowen area, and this site is protected as a national monument. We met an American tourist who chose this spot to practice her bagpiper instrument due to the natural acoustics the site offered. In fact, the music pulled us toward the centre of the ring, a lovely, serene start to the day. We then did a long drive to Doolin, almost 5 hrs with some breaks. Later in the evening was a solar eclipse. With alternating sunlight and cloud, we could not know if we drove past an eclipse moment. We reached our room, chose to stay put for the evening and take good rest.

April 9th, one of the other best days in the trip. We visited the Cliffs of Moher. The sites from the edge are breathtaking. Not even the best camera in the world could capture the magnitude and magnificence of the place. A place this spectacular brings with itself some usuals, a site filled with tourists. After about 5 days, we finally saw some crowd and obviously some Asian tourists. We walked the pathway along the edge of the cliff, along with many others. If you were a little careless in the walk, the wind is strong enough to push you over the cliff. If you are a Harry Potter fan, the part of the 6th movie where Harry goes with Dumbledore to find a horcrux was shot in these waters!

In the second half of the day, we headed to our Mountain View resort, driving through the Ring of Kerry in Southwest Ireland. The ring of Kerry Drive is considered to be one of the most scenic routes. But having driven all the way up north and then west, to south, the entire country is scenic! Our resort stay is again worth mentioning here because we got an entire 1 BHK house for us in a lush setting. The kitchen was fully equipped, and we could help ourselves to some homemade food mid-way of the tour. We had a relaxing couple of days while we still visited some places.

April 10th, we did some spots in the Ring of Kerry. I say some, coz we chose not to do it all. As mentioned earlier, if you have done up north, the scenery is almost similar. We walked through the Killarney National Park at ease. You can take the horse ride, we found it a bit expensive, so instead decided to walk the park. After all, the trip is all about walks and taking in the fresh air! This is a huge park. We just did 1/4th of it. We then visited the Torc waterfall. Expecting it to be a bit similar to the previous one, we were in for a surprise. This is a lush forest, and the spring season showed all its shades of green so vividly here. The waterfalls were a sight to behold, and we trekked up for about an hour into the dense woods.

April 11th, we did the Farran National Park in the Ring of Kerry. It had a beautiful lake, walking path, we spotted some deer’s and it seemed they were surprised too to see some humans. They went about their day job of grazing, and we walked our path. From here, we headed to Cork about an hour's drive. Cork is a major town, We found it busy than the other places we visited. It also had a very young population, something we hadn’t seen much before up north or the west side.

If one cannot do Belfast, then visit the picturesque town of Cobh (pronounced Cove), most famous for being the last port of call on the maiden voyage of the ill-fated Titanic. A short tour inside, but as captivating as the Titanic always is! Oh yes, Cork is famous for the Blarney Stone. Legend has it that if you kiss the stone, you are blessed with the gift of sweet talk. We didn't want to empty our pockets to kiss a stone hanging upside down from a castle top. I guess there is enough gift of the gab in the family!

April 12th, Cork to Dublin Drive is another long one. We stopped at the Rock of Dunamese, and it had the ruins of a fort, a perfect stop to stretch, hike, and view the beauty of the land from the top. Stopping at Junction 14 on M8 was a good fuel break for the car and the body. It had an elaborate food court and washrooms facilities.

We had exited Dublin immediately after our landing. We decided to keep it for the last days since we were flying out of Dublin. This was our first proper evening in the capital city, and I felt 90% of the population of Ireland lives here. The city centre was bustling with activity. Sunset is only around 8 p.m. in this season, so tourists and residents are out on the streets until late. We did some shopping in Penneys and walked through the streets to eat at the multiple Indian restaurants option available!

April 13th, our last day in this enthralling country. We visited the most popular and oldest, Trinity College of Dublin. The main interest is in the old library with the long room. This is too highly priced, and books removed now, they only had an immersive virtual tour. So we skipped it. The college campus was nothing impressive. Too many tourists, students, and some renovation activity happening, all in the same grounds, not really what we expected. We did a quick visit to the Dublin castle grounds and St.Patrick's cathedral.

Letz get to the best part of Dublin visit during the spring season! Cherry Blossoms ! Yes, this is not just in Japan, but here too, we saw lovely blossoms! Lined up in the streets, in front of many homes, they were on full bloom, all smiling and welcoming the visitors. The botanical gardens right in the centre of the city is a really vast, magnificent place housing different varieties of trees and plants! We walked 3 hours around the gardens and then headed to the airport. One could have a full day's picnic at the botanical gardens if you have a love for plants!

On the way to the airport, it was time to give our Nissan a good wash. We had driven highways, country roads, through slush and grasslands. Not just the outer, the inner of the car too had seen the landscape. After the auto wash, we had the vacuum station. In Dubai, we are spoilt for service. At the car wash, you are served by 3-5 attendants who completely wash, wipe, and vacuum the car. Here, it was self-service. There is no one to even tell you how to turn ON the huge vacuum monster. The Nissan smiled clean and ready to return back to Europcar.

Time to say goodbye. Some trips are about losing yourself in the wilderness, to take a breather to calm the nerves. Then, revitalizing in the greens and the blues, finding your inner self with a deeper understanding of happiness. Ultimately, vacationing is not about where you go but who you go with! I am blessed with two who enjoy and make it memorable for me every time!

[firstdegreefangirl]

January 2024 Reading Wrap-Up!

New year, same love of books, slightly different structure for things around here. I'm keeping the monthly tracker and the mini-reviews, but skipping the prompt-based challenges because I couldn't find any that looked like they'd suit my reading tastes.

Instead, I've invented a game of my own, to focus on reading down the hundreds of books I already own: Bookcase Roulette! The rules are simple: three bookcases, five shelves each, roughly 25 books per shelf. I'm using random number generators to pick at least two books a month, and reading whatever the bookcase gods pick for me. So those will be marked in the reviews, along with whether or not I enjoyed the book enough to justify keeping it.

Beyond that, you know the drill. Monthly stats incoming, reviews under the cut!

Total books read: 5 

Total pages read: 1,722 

Days read: 31/31 

Average star rating: 4.2 

Bookcase Roulette Books: 2 

Turtles All The Way Down by John Green  ⭐⭐⭐⭐(½)  I knocked this out in a day, on New Year’s Day, much to either the astonishment or frustration of housekeeping bestie ((I was reading at work most of the day, then a few hours later we saw each other outside of work and I mentioned that I’d finished the book. I ... don’t think he believed me?)) It was the first round of Bookcase Roulette for 2024, but something like 2/3 of the way through, I realized that I’ve read it before. It’s great, I loved it, but it wasn’t familiar, until I turned the page and was face-to-face with a scene I remembered so clearly. So I have no memory of the first read, but I’m completely positive that there was one at some point. 

That said, all of that is about me and my experience, and none of it is about the book. John Green’s books are always so captivating to me, and this was no exception. The MC’s OCD and anxiety are so intensely palpable; I could feel myself stressing out with her as much as I wanted to give her a big hug. This is a book you should check in with yourself before reading; I maybe should have kept a closer eye on my own illness anxiety as I read along, but sometimes I live on the edge?  

Never Wager With a Wallflower by Virginia Heath  ⭐⭐⭐(¼)  Here’s the thing: historical romance isn’t usually for me. But, as happened so often last year, it was in my library experience bag and I was curious. It wasn’t bad, by any means, but all of the things that usually pull me away from the genre were true here too. As for the story itself, and the characters, I loved most of that. Parts of it were laugh out loud funny, parts made my heart ache for the characters and everything they’d been through. The characters were compelling, and I wanted to be rooting for them. I did deduct a full star for the phrase “wedding vegetables,” which has haunted me every day since I first saw it, as it completely pulled me out of the story and ruined my experience of what was otherwise an excellent scene. If you like historical romance, you’ll probably like this, but I'm in no way compelled to read it again or to finish the series.  

Play With Me by Claire Wilder  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  If you’ve been here for a while, you know this series has read me through three different trips now (Denver, Houston, and now Orlando). They’re consistently knock-outs for me, but this was far and above better than the rest. I’d been SO excited to read Jude’s story, and Nora felt so relatable for me. Claire Wilder does such an incredible job balancing the romance stories with Eleanor Cleary’s murder, and that really ramped up in this book. The mysterious intrigue blended so well with the friends-to-lovers romance, and Cap is just the best little dude. I laughed out loud on an airplane, I cried in a botanical garden (because of the book; not just because the flowers were so pretty), but there’s not much I can else I can say without breaking down the full context of the entire series (which, trust me, I am HAPPY to do, if anyone is interested. That’s just ... not this). 

Mess With Me by Claire Wilder  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  ... And I finished out that Florida trip with the next/sort of last book in the Quince Valley series (there’s a future-set shorter story after this, but this was the last of the Kelly siblings). Griffin, the elusive “only shows up when he absolutely must” sibling, got his love story! I was really looking forward to this one because it felt like no one knows anything about Griff, and I was so eager to find out what/why. Especially after the truth he half-dropped on Jude in Play With Me, I knew this would be a good one. It picked up with the tail end of Eli’s story from Sing For Me, elaborated on Jude/Nora, and touched back with Cass and Chelsea too, so we heard from the whole Kelly clan. AND we got all the backstory on Griffin’s job and the mysterious love he told his brother he’d lost. THEN he fell in love again. Truly, the only down point was Chester, the old man who lives next door. I saw it coming, it served the plot well, I still cried. (Bonus points to the author for already announcing that her NEXT series is going to build off of where this one ended, which took a little bit of the sting away from the end of Quince Valley.) 

Six Goodbyes We Never Said by Candace Ganger  ⭐⭐⭐(¼)  This month’s second round of Bookcase Roulette! As I started reading, I realized it’s by the same author as The Inevitable Collision of Birdie and Bash, which I LOVED when I read it. It also seems to be a companion piece, judging by namedropped characters and events, but I haven’t read B&B recently enough to say 100 percent. The plot was sweet – I like YA books that recognize that young adults can and do experience real-world, life-altering events. This is a book about grief, about young people grieving, about big and heavy topics. Too much YA is after-school clubs and kissing boys in the hallway, and while those stories can be great too, young people are capable of experiencing and comprehending so much more; this is truly a book for anyone who’s ever lost someone, regardless of age. Parts of the plot felt disjointed, especially early in the story, and especially with the voicemails and emails dividing Naima’s sections. I was usually able to figure out where things fit together, but it took more effort than I’d have liked and pulled me out of the story. There were some really powerful moments and quotes, and even though I don’t think I’m keeping it, I’m glad I finally picked this one up.  

[animalsmealbuzz]

Why Dogs Like To Roll In The Grass

Let’s talk about our furry companions, the ones who bring endless smiles and curiosity to our lives with their quirky ways. Have you ever observed your pup in the act of performing a joyful somersault on the grass and wondered, “What in the doggone world are they up to?” Fret not, for we’re here to demystify the art of this playful pup pastime and uncover the hidden treasures behind it. Cracking the Case of the Grass-Rolling Mystery: Unveiling the Canine Joie de Vivre Our canine pals are the true champions of unexpected delights, and their penchant for grass-rolling is no exception. Although it may leave us humans raising an eyebrow or two, there’s a method to the madness, and it’s pawsitively logical. Javier Peribanez / Shutterstock 1. The Wild Instinct: A Game of Scent Camouflage Imagine a scene from the ancient wilderness where wild dogs and wolves roamed freely. Research suggests that our modern-day doggos have inherited a quirky habit from their untamed ancestors. By diving into peculiar and fragrant patches of nature, they’re essentially pulling a sneaky trick on their scent. It’s all about survival, my friends! What’s more, dogs converse through a language of scents and pheromones. So, when your pooch takes a roll in the grass, they’re not only masking their own scent but also sending coded messages to fellow canines and critters. 2. The Sensational Journey: A Splash of Feel-Good Vibes Now, sometimes our canine chums take a twirl in the grass simply because it feels oh-so-fantastic. The delightful mix of textures and scents tickles their senses, and it might even release a cascade of those happiness-inducing endorphins. It’s like their version of a spa day, complete with natural cucumber eye masks, no less. And here’s a quirky twist – if your furball is rolling in the grass, they might be using it as a DIY back-scratcher to reach those pesky itchy spots they can’t quite get to, like the back or neck. Grass is the ultimate itch-buster, and our furry friends are in on the secret! 3. Territory Tidbits: Claiming the Green Kingdom When your dog turns into a grass-rolling champ, it can also be their way of saying, “This territory is mine!” By sprinkling their scent across the blades, they’re essentially planting a flag that reads, “No Trespassing – Reserved for Yours Truly.” Dr. Jeff Smith, the veterinary maestro at Danville Family Vet, tells us that dogs love to roll in grass to leave their scent and mark their own little piece of the world. 4. Joyful Frolic and Stress Relief: Let the Good Times Roll Occasionally, dogs embark on a merry roll just for the sheer fun of it. It’s their way of letting loose, kicking up their heels, and celebrating life. Moreover, rolling in the grass can be a stress-busting ritual for our furry pals. Similar to how humans dabble in yoga or meditation to unwind, dogs opt for grassy rolls to release pent-up tension. It’s their way of saying, “Life is grand, and I’m loving every moment!” 5. Pest Purge: Flea and Tick-Be-Gone Adventure Here’s a plot twist – rolling in the grass can be your dog’s way of getting rid of unwanted hitchhikers. Sometimes, they roll to dislodge those pesky fleas, ticks, and other critters that might have clung to their fur. It’s a bit like their DIY pest-control routine, keeping their coat itch-free and critter-resistant. Austin Chaney / Shutterstock Curbing the Roll: Managing the Grassy Escapades While watching your dog roll in the grass can bring joy to your heart, there are times when it’s not the most convenient scenario, especially if you’re dealing with allergies or striving to keep your pup spotless. So, here are a few tricks to help curb the urge: - Redirect the Fun: If you’d rather your dog not engage in grassy frolics, try redirecting their attention to more suitable activities. Engage them in a game of fetch or offer them a fun toy to play with. - A Lesson or Two: Basic obedience training can go a long way in modifying your dog’s behavior. Teach them commands like “leave it” or “stay” to guide them away from rolling when the moment arises. Positive reinforcement in the form of treats or praise is a great way to reinforce good behavior. - Hygiene is Key: Keep your pup well-groomed and give them regular baths to minimize the need for grass-rolling as a cleanliness ritual. - Seek Professional Advice: If your dog’s rolling tendencies become excessive, it might be a good idea to consult a veterinarian. They can evaluate your dog’s overall health and offer guidance on addressing any underlying medical issues. Javier Peribanez / Shutterstock In a nutshell, the sight of your dog in the midst of a grassy twirl is a delightful reminder of their unique instincts and their heartwarming personalities. So, even if we don’t fully understand the “whys” behind their antics, one thing is for certain – our furry companions will always find ways to keep us entertained with their charming quirks. Read the full article

[spctlights]

𝟕𝟑 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 — RONAN KELLY for VOGUE.

considering  ronan  shared  a  house  with  two  other  up  -  and  - coming  actors  ,  hosting  was  not  something  he  could  do. so  instead  ,  with  many  thanks  to  his  manager  ,  they  had agreed  to  not  do  the  house  -  tour  thing  and  instead  went for  a  regular  vogue  photoshoot.  this  was  still  a  massive  deal  and  he  had  no  clue  what  kind  of  strings  they'd  had  to  pull  to  get  him  this  ,  but  he  was  grateful.  the  shoot  was  at an  indoor  rainforest  venue  and  he  was  dressed  in  bright  pinks  and  yellows.

1. On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about life right now?

" a solid 8 out of 10 and only going up! i’ve got lots of exciting projects on the horizon. ”

2. Describe yourself in a hashtag?

“ #blessed, ” ronan said sarcastically, with a shit-eating grin before shaking his head, “ honestly - no clue. ”

3. If you could do a love scene with anyone, who would it be?

“ if i could do... that’s a good one. sandra bullock, maybe? julia roberts? one of the classic leading ladies would be phenomenal. ”

4. If your life was a musical, what would the marquee say?

“ i think it’d be a play before it was a musical –– but probably something along the lines of ‘subtitles will be provided’. ”

5. What’s one thing people don’t know about you?

“ that i had a very brief stint as gavroche in les mis on broadway - but then the cruel voice cracks of puberty came and took that away from me. ”

6. What’s your wakeup ritual?

“ i will wake up, check my phone for news, get some of the breakfast i prepared in the evening and then usually go to the gym. pretty standard there. ”

7. What’s your go to bed ritual?

“ honestly? most nights i’m too tired for much of a bedtime ritual ! it’s more of a case of trying to make it to bed and not falling asleep on the couch. ”

8. What’s your favorite time of day?

“ that time just before sunrise, when it’s at its darkest and quietest. ”

9. What is one thing no one knows about you?

“ didn’t i already ... oh wait –– no one, ” ronan considers for a moment and then shrugs the idea away, “ i think i’m an open book. ” 

10. Dream country to visit?

“ australia. one of these days i will rent a camper and just drive around for a few months, exploring every inch. ” 

11. What’s the biggest surprise you’ve had?

“ i think that’s got to be when i got the call that i got dawn of the dark. the audition had been ages before and i’d completely given up hope that i’d get that. ”

12. Comfy shoes or dress shoes?

“ comfy but fashionable, if i can help it. ”

13. Vintage or new?

“ i will always pick a vintage aesthetic over a new one, hands down. ”

13. Who do you want to write your obituary?

“ probably kenneth branagh, that man is a genius. ”

14. Style icon?

“ i couldn’t possibly name one person, but i like anyone who’s not afraid to use some colour. ”

15. What are three things you can’t live without?

“ my phone, chilli halloumi and green pesto pasta and time outside in the fresh air. ”

16. What’s one ingredient you put in everything?

“ cayenne pepper. just gives it all a nice kick. ”

17. What 3 people living or dead would you like to make dinner for?

“ make dinner for? i am not the best chef! though i’d do my best for sir ian mckellen, kristen stewart and janelle monae. ”

18. What’s your biggest fear in life?

“ not leaving a mark – being forgotten, i guess. ”

19. Window or aisle seat?

“ window, every single time. ”

20. What’s your current TV obsession?

“ fargo. i’m rewatching and it holds up so well. ”

21. Favorite app?

“ bloom. helps me keep track of the few house plants i’ve managed to keep alive. ”

22. Secret talent?

“ i would say singing, but now that i’ve given away the gavroche information... ”

23. Most adventurous thing you’ve done in your life?

“ breaking contact with my parents, ” the words are out of his mouth before he realises and looks around waiting for the next question, knowing that it’s too late to change it now.

24. How would you define yourself in three words?

“ ambitious, empathetic – i cry at anything – and disciplined. ”

25. Favorite piece of clothing you own?

“ the jeans i came here in –– i have owned them for years and they have become like second skin. the day i have to throw those away, i think i might swear off jeans altogether. ”

26. Must have clothing item everyone should have?

“ great fitting jeans! i swear to god, i could talk about those forever... ”

27. Superpower you would want?

“ the power to master any skill instantly. i’d never have to lie about knowing how to ride horses again. ”

28. What’s inspiring you in life right now?

“ momentum. keeping going and moving on up. ”

29. Best piece of advice you’ve received?

“ the most scary things are often the most rewarding. ”

30. Best advice you’d give your teenage self?

“ you do not need to be like everyone else. in fact, it’s better if you’re not. ”

31. A book that everyone should read?

“ mythos, by stephen fry. just because it’s a really good time and you learn something. ”

32. What would you like to be remembered for?

“ my acting. ”

33. How do you define beauty?

ronan thinks for a minute. “ how genuine someone is. ”

34. What do you love most about your body?

he’s not liking this line of questioning, but tries his best to hide it. “ my eyes. ”

35. Best way to take a rest/decompress?

“ going out to a pub – or bar, i guess. ”

36. Favorite place to view art?

“ the tate modern, they always have great stuff on. ”

37. If your life were a song, what would the title be?

“ wear my hat, phil collins. look it up. ”

38. If you could master one instrument, what would it be?

“ see, if i could have that super power, i could learn all of them. but really – i’d love to be able to play the piano well. ”

39. If you had a tattoo, where would it be?

“ i have one, ” ronan rolls up his sleeve and shows the tattoo of an outline of a cat on his bicep. “ this is olga. first pet i ever had. ”

40. What is your favorite animal?

“ surprisingly, maybe, dogs. especially any dog that thinks it’s smaller than it actually is. ”

41. What’s your spirit animal?

“ um, i’ve never actually thought of that. maybe a peacock? i guess acting is pretty close to showing off. ”

42. Best gift you’ve ever received?

“ a gamecube. i was obsessed. ”

43. Best gift you’ve ever give?

“ a signed beyonce album. it was very tempting to keep for myself. ”

44. What’s your favorite board game?

“ i’m not a massive board game player, but i like betrayal at the house on the hill. ”

45. What’s your favorite color?

“ yellow. it makes me happy. ”

46. Least favorite color?

“ the kind of pukey green-brown you see sometimes. ”

47. Where do you feel most at peace?

“ in the hands of a very good barber. ”

48. What’s your favorite thing to do in your time off?

“ is hiking too cliche of an answer? ”

49. What’s your hair-care routine?

“ i’ve got an adapted version of the ‘curly girl method’ that works like a charm for me. ”

50. Pilates or yoga?

“ neither, i prefer using weights. ”

51. Coffee or tea?

“ coffee, but only if it’s good. ”

52. What’s the weirdest word in the English language?

“ it’s not weird, it’s just one i can’t pronounce, ” ronan jokes, turning on his american accent before saying: “ mirror. ”

53. Dark chocolate or milk chocolate?

“ a combination of the two. ”

54. Stairs or elevator?

“ stairs for anything under 4 floors, lift for anything above. ”

55. Summer or winter?

“ spring. ” he watches one of the photographers roll their eyes and he adjusts, “ just kidding. summer.  but to me, l.a. is always hot. ” 

56. You are stuck on an island, you can have only three things with you. What are those things?

“ my phone, solar powered power bank, water filter... i’d not want to be stuck for long. ”

57. What are your phobias?

“ i don’t think i have any massive phobias, but i do not like the deep ocean. we know far too little about it. ”

58. A skill you’re working on mastering?

“ random one, maybe, but excel. i’ve been making loads of spreadsheets this year just to track my own habits and such. ”

59. Best thing to happen to you this year?

“ moving back out here. ”

60. Worst thing to happen to you this year?

“ my grandfather died this year. that was awful. not unexpected, but no less hard. ”

61. Best compliment you’ve ever received?

“ that someone wants me to play the next james bond. that was pretty cool. ”

62. Favorite smell?

“ petrichor. ”

63. Hugs or kisses?

“ hugs. more intimate. ”

64. If you made a documentary, what would it be about?

“ child stars, and where they are now. especially those that are no longer in the industry. ”

65. Last piece of content you consumed that made you cry?

“ i rewatched an old audition tape recently... that was so bad it did make me cry. ”

66. Going out or staying in?

“ going out. i love exploring new places. ”

67. Sweet or savory?

“ savory. ”

68. Celebrity crush?

“ emma d’arcy. their confidence is... everything. ”

69. How you know you’re in love?

“ i don’t know if i’ve ever truly been in love. i guess i’ll have to see i finally meet the right–– girl. ” person. he’d nearly said person. he wasn’t ready for that whole reveal yet, but he thought he’d gotten away with it.

70. If you could switch lives with someone for a day who would it be?

“ someone like steven spielberg, like a really accomplished director. i’d love to spend a day in their shoes. ”

71. What are you most excited about at this time in your life?

“ all the new opportunities that are coming up everywhere and all the chances that i’m grasping with both hands. ”

72. Your go to for having a good laugh?

“ any old robin williams movie... which is also where i go when i need a good cry. ”

73. Your affirmation for today?

“ take every opportunity you get. ”