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wakaoujisenhime · 3 years

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Ah!~ I fall in love with your Takao headcanons! Can I ask headcanons about Takao from best friends to lovers?

A/N: But OF COURSE, you can, the more Takao you guys want, the better for me! ٩( ᐛ )و

So this will be a continuation from his best friends headcanons I made a while back and for those who’d like to see a spicier version of the more or less same troupe, I linked a similar request I got below! Hope you’ll enjoy this! ❤️

Tags: Takao x reader ✅ fluff ✅ friends to lovers ✅ slight angst ✅

☞ 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝟙 ☞ 𝕤𝕡𝕚𝕔�� 𝕧𝕖𝕣.

━━━━☆ ━━━━☆ ━━━━☆

living with your best friend didn’t change your relationship as much as you thought it would

the two of you were still clinging to each other like leeches, supporting the other during hard times and in general providing a shoulder to cry and lean on when needed

now that you were roommates and not only neighbors you saw Takao every single day and that came with many advantages

you both shared the housework and came up with cooking/cleaning/laundry schedules that made your joint life so much easier

Takao had decided to start working after graduation while you continued your studies (and occasionally worked at a part-time job close to your apartment)

it heavily depended on your individual schedule, but in general, the two of you had agreed that the first one home should be the one to prepare dinner and help the other one out a little

usually, Takao would be the first one home and every time you came back he greeted you like some kind of butler, helping you out of your jacket, taking your bag, leading you to the kitchen where he showed you that evening’s dinner, and lastly he’d conclude his small tour at the bathroom where he had run a bath for you

both of you were so close that all of your neighbors (especially the older ones) continuously teased you, saying what kind of cute couple the two of you were and some even went as far as to ask when you’re wedding was going to be

in the beginning, your and Takao’s cheeks would flush ever so slightly but the longer you lived there the more used to it you got, and in the end, it even reached a stage where you’d counter their remarks with your own witty and comical ones

comments such as theirs didn’t bother you that much, or at least that’s what you thought ...

a couple of months after moving in you invited some members of Shuutoku’s basketball team over for a friendly get-together and a warm dinner

it had been a lot of fun

people were teased, embarrassing situations were denounced as hilarious, compliments fell left and right, and what not

at some point though Miyaji - the club’s former captain - raised the question of whether Takao and you had finally started a romantic relationship

it was just a well-meant question and perhaps a subtle hint and yet your best friend began to deny that so strongly that you couldn’t help but feel aggrieved from his over-exaggerated reaction

the evening was kinda ruined for you and some of them noticed it and felt bad for you

in the end, Miyaji actually came up to you and apologized, saying just how much he’d regretted asking you something that was seemingly a taboo-topic

since then the relationship between your best friend and yourself was quite shaky, you began avoiding too much body contact with him, tuned down your clinginess, and even started avoiding him at times

some people think that Takao isn’t the brightest and assume that he’s quite dense, but you knew better

it didn’t take him even a week to notice that something was wrong with you and before you knew it he waited for you to come back home and asked you to take a seat across from him on the couch

“(Y/N)-chan...I’m aware that something’s been bothering you for the past few days and I know that some topics are better left unsaid, but I really hate seeing you suffer because of maybe something I did.”

his words stabbed your heart like hundred knives and even if you’d planned to keep your hurt pride to yourself, you knew that communication was key in any kind of relationship so with a bitter smile you told him about everything, how his reaction had hurt you more than his captain’s harmless question and how these new and yet unknown thoughts had begun to cloud your mind with masses of doubts

there was a brief break during which Takao’s expression grew unbelievably sad, he had expected anything but this

and then finally after what felt like hours he whispered out your name, got up from his chair, and slowly walked towards you, kneeling in front of your seated figure

“I’m truly sorry...I-I wasn’t aware of how much this actually bothered you,” he paused as he took your hands into his own and continued, “all I wanted was to make Miyagi drop that theme fast since he’s the type to talk about one topic for hours and I really didn’t want to make you uncomfortable since that evening was meant for recollecting and updating each other about our daily lives and not a relationship counseling...”

with a sigh you shook your head and couldn’t help but laugh at just how ridiculous this situation was, Takao joined you not long after

after that small misunderstanding, you two needed a bit until your relationship had normalized, but you’d be lying if you said that everything was back to how it used to be

once the imagination of Takao as your boyfriend had entered your mind you began to realize just how close the two of you truly were

him tending to your needs every time you came back home late, resembled that of a worried father-to-be whose wife was to go into labor soon

the way he always jokingly offered himself as your dinner was a cliché joke and sometimes an invitation one would often see in romance series that once again fell between lovers

and the worst for your heart was how the word ‘personal space’ wasn’t even present in his vocabulary, he’d hug you whenever he could, lean himself on your back and leave his chin in the crack of your neck at every given opportunity, and let’s not mention whenever he had trouble falling asleep (which was basically almost every day)

all those small and seemingly irrelevant gestures which didn’t usually affect you were now the trigger for a deep-red blush along your cheeks and an increased heart rate

and it didn’t help that Takao would constantly tease you whenever he noticed your flushed face

as time went by though you noticed that something between you two had indeed changed

now his mere presence was enough to make your heart thump wildly against your chest

the only comfort you found was that he himself had started blushing more often as well

you thought that nothing of deeper meaning was behind it and just blamed it on your behavior, but what you didn’t know was that Takao was experiencing the same thing as you

for him, it was as if every single touch - no matter how featherlight it was - set his skin on fire

every ever so small and gentle smile or grin you directed his way, immediately brightened up his mood

and let’s not even talk about the small things you do for him, like cooking, preparing some late-night snacks for whenever he has to work on a project until very late in the evening, folding his laundry, ironing his shirts, and so on...

both of you were slowly starting to acknowledge the other as an essential part of your respective lives

on top of that, innocent and sweet thoughts such as kissing each other on the lips, taking a bath together, or just doing silly things such as hiding from the people outside so that you can feel each other’s lips began dominating your minds

and what choice did the two of you have but to bottle these feelings up and hide them from each other just because you didn’t want to ruin your friendship

it was painful of course, but you continued to put yourself through with it, determined to keep this a secret for as long as necessary

unfortunately, Takao wasn’t made out of the same cloth and was slowly but surely feeling how everything was about to explode pretty soon

and then finally one day when the two of you went out shopping together some of your elderly neighbors stopped you yet again and began interrogating you guys as usual

“Have you two dears finally admitted your feelings for each other?”

there it was, their favorite question, that was strangely accurate this time

you were ready to debunk it yet again, but Takao suddenly took a hold of your hand, squeezed it slightly, and announced: “Not yet, but I’m about to!”

three pairs of wide eyes were fixated on the slightly blushing young man who stood beside you and while you were still trying to decipher whether you’d heard him right he faced you and even took a gentle hold of your second hand

“(Y/N)...I feel like this should’ve happened sooner, but my fear of losing you as my constant pillar of support was too big. Your presence was always something extremely helpful and soothing, but as of late I started to truly notice just how much more it was for me and my life. The sheer imagination of me being without you hurt me more than any game my team lost, any missed promotion chance or anything negative for that matter,” he paused and took a deep breath before continuing, “what I’m trying to say is that...(Y/N), I’d like you to become my lover.”

silent gasps could be heard, but you were too overwhelmed to pay any attention to it

the fact that he’d felt the same way and was stuck in the same situation as you were truly unbelievable, but now that you knew it all those small things you’d denounced as an effect of your own unusual behavior made sense

you looked up into the slate blue eyes of the man you’d fallen for and slowly removed your hands from his tight grip, only to then wrap your arms around his neck and bring him closer to you

Takao immediately seized the opportunity to do the same, he was anxious about what you were about to say so he at least wanted to savor what might be his very last embrace from you

“Took us long enough now didn’t it?” was all you said before you confidently took a hold of his cheeks and brought his face closer to your lips until they touched

while you two kissed ever so passionately and drowned in the liberating feeling of mutual love, the two older women next to you smiled while commenting on how they’d always known and how bad you two were hiding it

after you’d finally separated from each other you gave him your obvious answer to which he simply giggled and out of happiness began cuddling and kissing your face all over

this was truly a wonderful moment, it might not affect your relationship all too much but it was nonetheless a step towards a new and yet unknown experience that the two of you would live through while constantly supporting each other ...

#knb headcanons #knb imagines #knb fluff #knb angst #knb takao #takao x reader #━𝙺𝙽𝙱 #━𝙰𝙽𝙾𝙽'𝚂 𝙴𝙲𝙷𝙾

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certifiedmoth · 5 years

Text

Please Say Yes

Single Dad!Duncan x Fem!Reader

Summary: Duncan wants to propose to Y/N, but his son ruins the surprise.

Notes: Okay, I wrote this really fast and it probably isn’t the best thing ever, but my heart was literally going AWWW the whole time I wrote this, so enjoy!! (single dad!duncan owns me, y’all) gif credit to @spellman

Warnings: None, just fluff

Word Count: 3.2K

___

“Do you understand, bub?”

The four-year-old sitting on Duncan’s lap scrunched up his face playfully while nodding his head enthusiastically.

“We can’t tell mama!”

“Mhm, yes. And why can’t we tell mama?” Duncan bobbed his leg up and down, sending his son into a fit of giggles.

“Because marrying mama is a secret, shhh,” he held his tiny finger up to his mouth and spoke in a whisper, making sure to be as quiet as his little voice would let him.

“Well, asking her to marry daddy is a secret. Mama can’t know at all, it’s a surprise, okay?” He looked his son right in his eyes, hoping he was listening carefully to what he was telling him. “Mama’s going to be really, really happy, as long as it’s a surprise and we don’t tell her before the right time, okay?”

“When’s the right time? Right now?” His son’s big, blue eyes went wide with curiosity.

Duncan let out a soft chuckle, “Well, not right now, bub. Daddy will know the right time; you don’t need to worry about that.” He kissed the top of his son’s hair, holding him close to his chest and savoring this blissful moment. “Just don’t tell mommy.”

You and Duncan had been together for three happy years now; something of a record for Mr. Shepherd. He had known from the very first moment he laid his eyes on you that you were meant to be in his life. Stolen glances at work led to steamy makeout sessions in his office which, then, (miraculously, he thought) led to a first date. Duncan had always known how special you were, but it was then, on that first date, as he stared at you smiling from across the table, illuminated by the soft moonlight and laughing at your own joke, that he truly realized that he selfishly wanted you all to himself and that he’d do everything in his power to make that a reality.

A year prior to meeting Y/N, Duncan had experienced one of the worst pains of his life when the mother of his son took off and left. They hadn’t been together long and the pregnancy was a complete surprise, but he had sworn right then and there, as he looked down at the positive pregnancy test, that he would be the best father to his child and the most supportive and loving partner to his girlfriend the world had ever seen. But she had other plans for her life, it seemed; she left shortly after the birth, leaving behind a heartbroken Duncan to solely take care of their child.

Even with the amazing gift that his son was, he truly believed that he would always be alone; destined to share this life with nobody but himself. But then you came along, and flipped a light switch on, suddenly changing his whole outlook on everything and bringing an immense amount of love and light into him and his son’s life that he had never imagined possible. You brightened everything for him.

From a cocky bachelor to a single dad, cherishing domesticity with his son and the love of his life, Duncan often reminisced on how he had gotten here in life. He couldn’t help but wonder what he had done to deserve a life as amazing and meaningful as this one; it was something he would always cherish. He had his family – His family. His to hold and love. His to keep him warm at night and comfort him when troubled thoughts filled his head. You and his son were all he needed in his life. And all that was left to do was ask you to be his forever.

- Two weeks later -

The bubbly boy sitting next to you focused intently on the drawing before him, while he excitedly rambled on and on about the dog he had seen that morning.

“He tried to lick my nose,” he scrunched up his small nose as his addictive giggles filled the air; turning to you, he mimicked the dog with his tongue sticking out and continued laughing without a care in the world. Always such an expressive one, you thought, as you felt the corners of your own mouth lifting while you stared at the lively boy beside you.

“Why don’t you draw the doggie in your picture?” You smiled back at him, moving some of the loose strands of hair out of his face. He had his father’s hair and it soothed you to see so much of Duncan in him.

“No!” he yelled defiantly while a great, big smile appeared on his face as he got up and started dancing (or at least, what a toddler’s definition of dancing was). Okay… you knew what was going on here. He was clearly in one of his “silly moods”; something Duncan liked to call his random outbursts of excitement and giggling. He twirled around the room, singing and laughing as if he were the happiest person alive, before running back to you and plopping down on the ground next to you and his coloring station.

“Somebody’s being silly,” you scrunched up your nose at him, watching him as he dramatically laughed and got back to coloring his picture. “But bub, I have a question,” you frowned, exaggerating your sad tone. “Why no doggie?” you fake cried, hoping to bring even more laughter out of him.

“Because we don’t have one, you silly!!” He yelled, finding the whole situation quite hilarious. “This is our family,” he pointed to the picture. “And we don’t have a doggie, so he can’t go in here.”

“Oh, okay. I understand,” you nodded, enjoying the seriousness and accuracy he put into his art. Peeking over his head to see the masterpiece itself, you found a tall figure that must have been Duncan since a (very large) cellphone was placed in his hand. You silently made a note to tell Duncan about it later; you were sure he would think it was adorable funny. Then, there was your little one right in the middle with a big, gigantic smile plastered on his face; that part seemed quite accurate. Your eyes continued scanning the page, landing on the figure that must have been you, but you were wearing a long, white dress with something covering your face; a very odd sight that caused you to tilt your head in confusion, trying to understand what you were looking at. It was honestly very sweet and endearing, but also suspicious, to say the least.

“Hey bub, why am I wearing that?” you pointed to the cartoon version of yourself.

“Because that’s what people wear when they get married,” he replied softly and casually while focusing on coloring in the grass expertly.

Your heart stopped for a split second as you heard him speak those words so nonchalantly. Had Duncan said something to him? Or perhaps, maybe his preschool teacher had taught them about what a wedding was and he simply was a curious and intrigued child? It must be the latter, you thought. He must have seen a wedding in one of his cartoons, or saw it in a book.

You tried to rid your brain of dangerous, exciting thoughts and calm yourself of the possibility of something bigger taking place right now, but failed horribly after several minutes of a very anxious internal dialogue with yourself.

“Bub, why am I wearing it, though?” you spoke up suddenly, the confusing thoughts in your head still running rampant as your heartbeat raced.

“Because daddy said he’s gonna marry you, so you have to wear white!! Daddy read this book to me and the girl in it got married and she wore white, so you have to wear white, silly.”

Your eyes went wide and it was as if the air had been knocked right out of your lungs; you were sure you would have looked paralyzed if anyone had walked in at that exact moment. You had thought of the possibility of Duncan proposing one day; you both had talked about it casually before, but you didn’t know that he was actually planning to ask you to be his wife.

You were shocked, confused, beyond ecstatic… You felt so many different things, all completely at the same time, and you didn’t exactly know how to process everything you were feeling; this was foreign territory. Your head swirled and buzzed while the little boy next to you sat unbothered by the bombshell he had just dropped, mindlessly coloring the sky a light blue color on the paper in font of him.

“When did daddy say all of this?”

His little head turned to you, about to answer your question with an excited smile on his face, when he suddenly remembered the day his dad had sat him on his lap and told him his great, big secret plan. But he had told him not to tell you. That’s what he had said: To not tell mama. That only daddy could tell her and only when it was the right time. This was not the right time. And daddy wasn’t even here. Slowly, his smile turned to a frown and glossy tears began to prick the corners of his bright blue eyes.

“Oh no, baby, what’s going on?” Your voice was laced with concern as you watched his face contort with sadness. In this moment, you forgot about the picture. You forgot about what he was about to say. You forgot about any future proposal. You only cared about why your sweet boy had become so incredibly distraught. His cheeks grew warm and he suddenly started wailing as tears began to flow freely down his face, his poor lungs struggling to draw in air from crying so hard.

The door to the home office slammed open and Duncan came running out, his eyes wide with worry and concern as he noticed you in the middle of the floor, cradling his little boy. “What happened?”

“I don’t know, he just started crying,” your looked up at Duncan hopelessly while you held your little one to your chest, rocking him back and forth and trying your best to comfort him and ease him of whatever pain he was feeling. It was just as painful for you as it was for Duncan to see him so uncontrollably distraught. You’d do anything to make him feel better, no matter the cost. And Duncan was right there with you; he’d do anything to protect his son from this world. Which is why it was so hard to see him like this right now. A very worried Duncan kneeled next to you and started gently stroking his son’s back in a calm and soothing manner.

“Bub, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Duncan whispered in his ear, hoping to god something wasn’t causing him physical pain.

Your little one hesitantly lifted his head from your chest and looked up at his dad with tears running down his red face, trying to speak but all that came out were more choked sobs. “I- I ruined the surprise,” you almost didn’t catch his timid voice amidst the strangled sobs. Duncan’s face twisted in confusion, not sure what his poor child was talking about.

“Bub, what surprise?” Duncan asked softly while continuing to rub his son’s back. You held him in your arms, swaying him back and forth and he finally started to calm down a bit. He sniffled and played with your hair, focusing on trying to tell his dad what he meant.

“Dada, I said you were gonna marry mama,” he let out another small sob, feeling overwhelmed with the whole situation. He was afraid Duncan would be mad at him and that he’d be in trouble for telling you, but most of all, he was just unbearably sad for letting down his dad.

Duncan’s breath hitched in his throat as he heard his son’s confession; his eyes instantly flickered to yours, which were already staring at him, wide and bright with curious wonder. There was so much vulnerability in his blue eyes; you’d never seen him like that before. It was almost startling to look at the love of your life and see a different side to him, one you’d never caught a glimpse of before. He had never felt so exposed and caught off guard in all his life; tears had started to prick the corners of his own eyes. It was beautiful and painful to watch, you thought.

This wasn’t how he had planned it. This wasn’t at all how he had planned it. He was going to wait for the perfect moment... The perfect dinner with a perfect bottle of champagne, under the same moonlight he had fallen in love with you, only to then, get down on one knee, take your hand in his, and ask you to be his and only his forever. Truth be told, that moment had come and gone. Or, at least half of it. He had taken you out to dinner the week before, but he had never gotten down on one knee and he had never asked you that one question that had been dancing across his mind every second of every day since he had finally decided to propose. Deep down, he was terrified. Terrified that you would reject him and he’d lose you forever. A part of him still felt he didn’t deserve you and that one day, you’d realize it.

But now, everything was out in the open. His wants, his feelings, his plans for the future: All of it. He was exposed. Duncan had no wall to hide behind now; his son had torn it down for him.

“Baby, there’s no need to cry. You didn’t ruin anything,” your soft voice spoke to the little boy cradled in your arms, snapping Duncan out of his anxious thoughts. “It’s okay, baby. Daddy isn’t upset with you and mommy isn’t either. We love you so, so, so very much, okay?” You pulled back to look him in his tear-filled eyes. “It’s okay, my love,” you gave him a genuine smile, rubbing his back with small circles.

He was comforted by your words and nestled his head against your neck, feeling the worry start to leave his tiny body. Only small sniffles could be heard now as his eyes started to get heavy with sleep. You continued gently stroking his back as you helped to softly lull him to sleep.

“Plus, mommy wants to marry daddy, too.”

Duncan’s head snapped up, locking his wide eyes with yours as an incredulous look overcame his features. Had he heard you correctly? Had you really meant what you had just whispered? He’d never felt his heart beat this fast in all his life; it felt as though it was about to explode right out of his chest.

“She does?” Duncan spoke quietly and carefully, as you both realized the sweet boy in your arms was now fast asleep from wearing himself out so suddenly with his tears.

You nodded your head, looking at him with every single ounce of love and adoration you had felt for him the past three years of your beautiful relationship. He inched his way closer to you, closing the distance between yourselves while being careful not to wake his son.

He leaned in to place a feather light kiss to your lips, “You know, I had something planned…”

“Is that so?” you smiled against his lips, the small burn of his stubble rubbing against your skin and the warm scent of his cologne mixing to remind you of home.

“Mhm, but I guess this will have to do,” his voice was soft and playful as he reluctantly pulled away from you, reached into his pocket and retrieved a small plush box. You let out a sudden breath, you hadn’t known you’d been holding in, and felt tears begin to spill over your cheeks.

Duncan adjusted himself so he was on one knee and slowly opened the small box in his hands, revealing the most dazzling diamond ring you had ever seen; he had picked it because the sparkle it gave off was reminiscent of your beauty in the moonlight. He looked at you adoringly through crystal, blue eyes, letting a content sigh fall from his lips as he stared at his entire world right in front of him.

“I am so completely and insanely in love with you, Y/N,” he smiled softly as he whispered to you. “I cherish this life we’ve built together, and I can never thank you enough for being there for our son. You’re the best mother this world has ever had and the best partner I could ever ask for. Some days I wake up and I still can’t believe that you’re in my life,” he laughed lightly as his voice began to break; his own tears threatening to spill over now. “You came into my life and made every aspect of it better and, now, I only ask that you allow me the opportunity to do the same for you.”

You held your hand over your mouth to stifle your cries as you peered, through teary eyes, at the love of your life.

With one last exhale and smile, Duncan looked up at you and whispered, “Will you marry me?”

You let out a squeaking noise and nodded frantically while tears fell down your cheeks. “Yes, of course, I’ll marry you!” you tried your best to keep your voice quiet, so as not to disturb the sleeping child in your arms, but you were too overcome with excitement and love for this man.

Duncan’s face lit up and he gave you the brightest smile you had ever seen as he quickly enveloped you in his arms, placing gentle kisses to your face. You could feel his own tears on his cheeks now as he kissed you tenderly. You’d never felt so happy in all your life. This truly was all you needed: Duncan and your son. Your family.

He placed one last passionate kiss to your lips, deepening it while your hand ran through his soft hair. Reluctantly, he pulled away once again, brushing his lips against yours. “What do you say we put little bub down for his nap and then we go and celebrate in our own special way?”

You smiled against his lips, wanting nothing more than to show him just how much love you had for him. “Sounds good to me,” you whispered, placing one more kiss to his lips before feeling Duncan’s hand hold onto yours gently, pulling you up and leading you to the beginning of a new life.

Taglist: @xavierplympton, @lathraios, @no-need-for-rules, @ladynuwanda, @katiekitty261, @sojournmichael, @rosegoldrichie, @langdonsdemon, @hecohansen31, @blakewaterxx, @wroteclassicaly, @michaelsapostle, @kleineshaschen, @whydonthumansfly, @solitalangdon, @fckinsupreme, @olobersy, @femaleantichrist, @peachesandfern, @freak-war-hour, @tigers-pat, @gremlinkween, @donutt-fuck-with-me, @avesxtxnas, @lonely-cloud, @angelbabyscum, @langdondelrey

#duncan shepherd #duncan shepherd x reader #duncan shepherd fic #duncan shepherd blurb #duncan shepherd oneshot #cody fern #duncan shepherd imagine #single dad!duncan #house of cards #my writing

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qvestchen · 6 years

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Ten Past Six // Johnten NCT : Chapter Four

Summary: If Ten could describe his relationship with Johnny he would say it was like being in the same city and yet being in a long distance relationship without there being an actual relationship. Because if Ten was head over heels in love with Johnny, he was pretty sure Johnny was as oblivious to his feelings as ever.

Author: qvestchen

Status: Completed

Chapters: Home, Previous, Next.

Ten Past Six // Johnten NCT

Chapter 4 : You’re a huge flirt

Ten woke up and tried to stretch but found himself wrapped up in strong arms. He moved slightly only to bump against Johnny's chest. The steady beat of his heart made Ten smile sleepily. He was aware that Johnny had rested his chin against his head. He closed his eyes with contentment, wanting to remember this moment, to stop time and trace this feeling onto his memory.

When last night, he had sidled back into Johnny and Taeyong's room, he'd been sure he would be kicked out.

"Psst, Johnny? Are you awake?" he had whispered.

"No," came Johnny's sleepy voice.

Ten stood on the doorway. "The couch is uncomfortable."

Johnny didn't say anything but the light from the corridor outside the room was just enough for Ten to see Johnny scoot closer to the wall, raising the bed covers. Then a low mumble, "Okay, Tennie."

Ten punched the air and rushed to Johnny's side, settling in under the covers against him.

By the time, he remembered to say good night, Johnny was already asleep but he whispered it to him anyway, just happy to be close to him.

Ten shifted so he could look at Johnny. He looked so peaceful right now. It reminded him of other days, other early mornings…a time that seemed so far away now that it felt almost unreal. Back when he had been surer, when things had seemed to be moving on a path he could see the direction of, when he had known Johnny like the palm of his hand. He missed that, he missed what they could have been.

“What changed, Johnny?” he wanted to ask. Instead, he breathed in Johnny’s warmth and was grateful for this absolute trick of fate because moments like these, they had been neither very possible nor very common for the two of them in a while.

Ten frowned as he saw the slight dark circles that had appeared under Johnny's eyes. He must be working very hard. He felt guilty as he realized that dinner last night had probably eaten a chunk out of what little rest Johnny could have got. His eyes followed the wave of a stray curl that rested against Johnny’s forehead. He was so beautiful.

With an almost painful jolt, he realized just how deeply he loved Johnny. He eased himself out of the tangle of Johnny’s arms slowly, placing one of Johnny’s usual plushies in place and got up. Jumping in shock on hearing Johnny’s alarm ring, he reached for it and quickly silenced it, heart beating at the sudden noise that had startled the peaceful dawn.

It was six o’clock in the morning. Who even woke up at that time?

He looked fondly at both Johnny and Taeyong and decided they could afford another half an hour’s sleep. He tip-toed out of the room, still yawning and wishing he hadn’t lost his sleep so early in the morning. He must have been sitting in the kitchen for around twenty minutes—owlishly staring in the distance, sipping coffee—when a fully-dressed Jaehyun walked into the kitchen, whistling a cheery tune.

“Jaehyun-ah!” Ten exclaimed, brightening up.

Jaehyun smiled at him. “Ten! When did you come?” He hugged Ten affectionately. “How have you been?”

“Ugh,” Ten said, “I have missed you and Winwin so much. I had no one to rant to. I mean, I did have Kun but he actually offers me sensible responses instead of holding my hand whilst I cry, you know? Jaehyun,” he wailed, “your best friend is dying of heartbreak.”

Jaehyun settled on the chair across him and held his hand, comfortingly. “What happened? I’m listening.”

“Okay but wait, let’s wake up Winwin because I don’t have the strength to tell the whole story again.”

Ten minutes later, a very irritated Winwin was sitting with the two of them still complaining at having been rudely awakened and forced to get up.

Ten showed them the painting Johnny had gifted him last night.

Jaehyun looked at it appreciatively. “This is really pretty. I don’t see what you’re complaining about.”

“The only one who has the right to complain at this table is me,” Winwin said. “I can’t believe you woke me up early to gush over a painting, Ten.”

Ignoring the Chinese boy, Ten turned to Jaehyun. “The gift is great and I love it—seriously, I do—but you weren’t there! He basically ran out of the restaurant after giving it to me. I don’t know.” His voice dropped as he told them about the incident. “I feel like there’s a kind of awkwardness that has come between us. It just keeps growing.”

Jaehyun said, “I probably sound like a broken record right now but maybe you should tell him what you feel about him. He’s your closest friend. You know you can talk it out with him. At this point, it looks like you’re just scared of your feelings, Ten.”

Winwin sighed. “The fact that you’re admitting your feelings is a huge feat but it’s not us but to him that you need to admit it to. I agree with Jaehyun on this one.”

“I think it should be pretty obvious to him that I like him. I am not the shy type. I openly flirt with him. I am literally throwing myself at his feet and all I get is a nice smile—as if I am a kid showing some party trick—and that’s it. Is he that oblivious? Has it occurred to you that maybe he doesn’t acknowledge it because he doesn’t want to?” Ten was breathing heavily, staring at his hands, waiting, hoping one of them would disagree because right now his heart needed something, anything that he could hope with.

Winwin looked at Jaehyun worriedly before speaking softly. “Ten, everyone knows you’re a huge flirt but have you really not noticed that you’re kind of different around Johnny? If you flirt, it’s so tame that it’s hilarious. You are so shy around him when the rest of the group isn’t chiming in. To be honest, you seem more awestruck around him than anything else. Which is funny because you’ve known each other for years. With you two, it’s always extremes, either you’re going overboard and pretending to not take things seriously or you’re both skirting around the topic, waiting for some divine intervention. You can’t live your life like that and expect things to happen on their own. I am sorry I’m being so brutally honest but as your friend it’s my duty to tell it like it is.”

Ten blinked as the words settled down in his mind. You are kind of different around Johnny. Was he? He remembered the time they had had one of their rare vlives, just the two of them and how they’d forgotten that a whole world of people were watching them through screens—how he had let his usually snarky, sarcastic exterior melt away and laughed at Johnny’s jokes and taken his pictures…and he realized. He realized why his plans to act all aloof in front of Johnny always failed, why his plan last night to make him jealous had been scrapped the minute he lay eyes on him, why there was no way, no matter how many times he rehearsed it, for him to behave as if Johnny’s mere presence didn’t send his heart haywire. He realized that he wasn’t different around Johnny. He was the truest version of himself around him. He forgot to put up his usual walls when he was with him. He just let himself enjoy the moment when he was with him.

“I woke up beside him today,” Ten said, his voice low, lips wobbling slightly, “and I was so happy. Until I realized that if he woke up, he might get all tense and awkward like he does these days. It’s like whenever we get closer, whenever things seem to look up for us, he steps back. He steps away. And I can’t even hold him guilty because he is always really nice and kind. He takes care of me. He looks out for me. But I know him by now. I know that sometimes when he smiles, his eyes still look sad. I keep thinking, am I pushing him into a corner? Am I making things weird? He is holding me at arm’s length and it’s killing me.”

“Talk to him, Ten,” Jaehyun said, patting his shoulder. “It gets worse the longer we hold it in. Taeyongie and I…we fought so much and over totally worthless stuff because both of us were waiting for the other to initiate a conversation that we were scared to start on our own. Too long a silence can be dangerous. It causes an unnecessary amount of pain.”

Ten smiled. “You and Taeyong are made for each other. We all knew it was only a matter of time before you two started making out everywhere.”

Jaehyun blushed deeply. “We don’t make out everywhere.”

Winwin gave him a look. “Believe me, you do.”

“Ehhh.”

“And don’t worry, Johnny and I are never going to fight. At least I am never going to fight with him. I can’t afford to.” Ten leaned back, taking a deep breath. “You know why you could afford to argue with Taeyong? It’s because you knew that no matter what, at the end of the day, he would come back to you. If Johnny and I fight, I know he won’t come back. And I can’t….I just can’t afford that.”

The three of them turned in the direction of the sudden sound of doors banging and running feet. Taeyong was knocking on doors and waking up everyone. “Guys, we have to leave in fifteen minutes. Get ready now.”

Johnny was following him, looking guilty. “I have no idea why my alarm didn’t ring. I remember checking it last night. Sorry if we get late because I didn’t wake up on time to wake you up on time.”

“It’s okay,” Taeyong could be heard saying as they entered the kitchen as the trio there hurriedly looked away so that it wouldn’t seem as serious as it had been. “Happens. We’ll be ready for the showcase in no time, I’m sure.”

Johnny stopped short as he saw Ten on entering the kitchen. “I thought you left—”

“Nope,” Ten said, interrupting him before he could go on. “Still here.” He greeted Taeyong too. “I switched off Johnny’s alarm. You two looked like you could do with some extra sleep. Oi, don’t give me that look, Taeyong. It doesn’t work on me and you look like a cutie when you try to glare. I swear, I was going to wake you two by six-thirty but I forgot because we were talking.” He laughed nervously. “Sorry.”

There was flurry of movement in the dorm after that, everyone rushing around to get ready. Within the estimated fifteen minutes, they were leaving, yelling goodbyes to Ten.

Johnny was the last to leave. As he stepped past Ten, he slowed down. “Ten, I—”

“C’mon, Johnny hyung!” Haechan called out. “The lift will go without you.”

Ten laughed ruefully. “You have to go.”

Johnny looked torn.

“Johnny hyung!?” Mark called this time.

“I’ll call you,” Johnny said and for a moment it looked like he was leaning forward but he stopped. “Take care. I’ll see you soon. Bye, Tennie.”

Ten nodded. He stayed in the same spot even after the door closed, enveloping the dorm in sudden silence. He took a deep breath. “I guess, it’s time I went back to the baby dorm.”

are you ready for johnny's backstory now? the next update will be really interesting! please look forward to it :D

thank you so much for reading! please leave comments about what you thought of the chapter, we would love to hear them.

love, positive vibes and extra sleep~~

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alicornalice-blog · 6 years

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Guardians in the Dark

Guardians in the Dark, prologue! Yes, I’m reposting it, cause why not? Please, don’t repost. Unless you’re me, then it’s fine. Reblogs are more than welcome!

Guardians in the Dark

Ashley Bossen-AlicornAlice

Prologue: Once Upon a Light

Her red converse squeaked against the polished ceramic tiles, muffled by the overwhelming sound of chatter in the crowded hallway. Colorful posters made by students promoting the homecoming dance, and other various school events were taped onto the white walls. Her long, black hair swayed with every step. Her emerald colored eyes observed the judging, or even pitiful glances of her peers. Occasionally, she could hear her peers talk about her, shameless to the fact that she would be standing a few feet away.

“Isn’t that the downer girl from your chem class?” the blonde one muttered to her red haired friend.

“Yeah, that’s Kana. She always works by herself, even when people offer to work with her. It’s really depressing” two girls said to each other.

“I heard that she used to actually be friendly.”

“Josh says he’s known her since elementary school, and that she used to have a sister.” Kana sent a scowl toward the two girls as she walked past. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her red jacket while she continued on her way to the last class in her schedule.

“It’s been ten years, why are people still talking about it?” Kana thought spitefully. With her gaze cast downward, she bumped into someone with long, wavy brown hair.

“Excuse me.” Kana mumbled anxiously, and tried to step around the girl. The brunette spun on her heel with her arm extended, pushing Kana back.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the girl’s brown eyes narrowed at Kana. She placed her hand on her hip. The skirt of her green, orange, and white cheerleader uniform swayed with her every move.

“I think I’m on my way to algebra.”

“Really, now? That’s hilarious, because I think you’re on your way to getting on my last nerve.” sarcastic venom dripped from her voice. Kana shrugged her shoulders, and said,

“Not that you really have much tolerance for anything, anyway.”

“You’ve always been a brat.” the brunette scoffed.

“You’ve always been a spoiled one.” Kana retorted with a glare.

“At least my parents don’t resent me.” she said with a wicked smirk “Don’t forget that I am the most popular girl in this school, and you’re no one special. ” Once she saw that Kana was not going to respond, and clearly irritated, she walked off pretentiously with her heels clicking on the tile. Her bouncy hair whipped around, nearly smacking Kana on the face. Once Kana noticed that everyone was staring in her direction, she decided to escape to her classroom.

Class went on without any further drama. Kana had tried her best to focus, but ultimately submitted to daydreams. She had just left the school, and was walking home. Normally, Kana would ride the bus to the outskirts of the town; however, this day was special, and she wanted to stay away from home as long as possible. After sending a short text to her parents, writing that she would be home later than usual, she put in her earbuds. Kana paid no mind to the sight of multi-story buildings.

She had made a few stops along the way. First was the public library, which was mostly empty aside from a few stray folk on the computers, and others getting lost in the pages of fiction. The first section Kana pondered through was the history aisle to find a novel for her book report. On her way out, the fantasy section had caught her eye. Kana ending up leaving with two books to read through that day.

Her second stop was an in-the-wall coffee shop. The wallpaper was black, but had a lovely touch of white detail. White furniture and splashes of soft violet decor helped brighten the cafe enough to make it comfortable. After ordering a small chai tea and a bagel, she sat down at one of the empty tables along the wall. Kana reached into her grey backpack, and pulled out the fantasy book. The hard cover was a deep purple color, with white lines spiraling from a silhouette of a dragon in the center. A white mist-like design covered its edges. The title, ‘Light of a Dragon’ was displayed along the bottom.

“I’ll just read the first chapter, then go home.” Kana told herself, before flipping the short novel to the first page. As she read, Kana would take note on lines or settings that stood out to her in a paperback journal she kept with her. The journal held every creative idea she’s had from the past year. If anything gave the girl inspiration, it was writing. She’d write down every idea she had in hopes of being able to write her own book one day.

Three chapters later, and then Kana decided she needed to leave once it was beginning to get dark outside. She tossed the books into her backpack, and ran out of the cafe. Not long after, she brought herself to a brisk pace.

Twenty minutes had passed before she returned to her neighborhood. It looked like an outdated version of the heart of town. Most of the houses were single-story, and built in the 1960’s. The sidewalk was old with occasional weeds growing between the cracks. A small forest had made itself everyone’s backyard. Kana sprinted up the white painted steps to the porch. While fumbling to dig her keys out of her bag, the door swung open, and revealed a very unhappy father.

“Get inside, now.” he demanded sternly, glowering down at his daughter as Kana scurried inside. On a usual day, when she rode the school bus, Kana would beat her father home. While he was out, she would watch TV game shows with her mom, Laura, while they tried to toss popcorn into their mouths. More often than not, Laura would end up with popcorn tangled in her wavy auburn hair. She genuinely enjoyed spending time with her mother; although, once the sound of a car door slamming shut reached their ears, Kana escaped to her bedroom, and pretended to study while her mother prepped dinner. Her father slammed the front door shut, causing Kana to break out of her memory and flinch in surprise.

“H-Hey, Dad.” Kana turned to face him, and froze as her eyes met his furious brown ones.

“Where have you been? Do you not realize what time it is?” he asked, first running his hand down his chin before gesturing angrily toward the wall clock. When Kana didn’t say anything right away, he shouted, “it’s past seven-thirty, Kana! Did you not notice it was dark outside?”

“I went to the library, an-”

“You spent four hours at the library?” he interrupted, adjusting his glasses in a frustrated manner. His tone implied he did not believe the girl.

“I-I also went to a cafe for a little while.” Kana admitted, gripping the strap of her backpack nervously.

“Yeah, and why didn't you bother to let us know? It’s not hard to send a text!” he shouted. Kana gave him a look of bewilderment before pulling her cell phone from her pocket.

“I-I did text you. I know I did.” she claimed, and cursed at her device upon seeing the ‘failed to send’ message along with many texts and attempted phone calls from her parents.

“Are you calling me a liar?” he scowled.

“No, I’m not. Look-” she tried to show her phone’s screen to her father, but he ignored anything she tried to explain.

“I don’t want to hear your excuses, Kana. Your grades have dropped, all you do is sit on your ass in your room when you’re home. ” Kana felt her blood boiling at her father’s constant interruptions. She clenched her teeth.

“Would it kill you to listen to me for once in your life?” Kana yelled, and immediately felt a stinging sensation on her cheek as she fell to the floor. In that instant it had felt like time slowed. Kana was on the floor, trying to process the fact that her father had just slapped her across the face. Her mother gasped, and ran over to them.

“What are you doing?” her mother questioned. astonished as much as Kana was.

“Teaching her to not talk back to her father! Hana wouldn’t be acting this way.” her father returned his attention to Kana, who was in the process of standing up. “Start getting your crap together, unless you want to be a disappointing burden for the rest of your life.” Kana muttered three short, harming words before bolting out the door.

“Kana, wait!” she heard her mother call.

“Don’t waste your breath, she only cares about herself!” her father shouted before slamming the door shut. Tears began to well up in Kana’s emerald eyes as she escaped into the backyard woods.

With the moon out and shining, Kana was forced to use her phone’s flashlight feature to find her way around. She had never ventured so deep into the woods before; therefore, never realized how thick the forest really was. Leaves of warm colors began to scatter over the ground. The air was chilly, as a breeze cut through her lightweight hoodie. Kana pulled the zipper all the way up, and tucked her hands into the soft pockets.

“What have I done?” she thought sadly “I have nowhere to go.” it was then that a droplet of water struck her on the nose, then the cheek, and so forth. Soon the rain began to fall. Mud stuck itself onto her legs and shoes as she ran through the forest in search of shelter. Her hair and clothes quickly got soaked before she found refuge inside of a damp, mossy cave.

“Of course it started raining.” she complained aloud. Kana sat along the stone cave wall, bringing her knees to her chest. The girl sulked for a few minutes, debating what to do now that she had nowhere to go. The only sound aside from her sniffling was the current rainstorm. Another chilling gust blew by, causing her to shiver. Kana began digging through her backpack for a red lighter she kept on hand. There was no hope for firewood that late into the rainstorm, so she also pulled out some of her notebooks, and placed them on a dry piece of ground. After struggling to get the lighter to ignite, she set fire to them. The tiny flame flickered for only a few minutes, filling Kana with a tiny bit of pride before dying out. This left the girl with a very small disappointing pile of ashes.

“Damn it!” she cursed, throwing her head back as she groaned in frustration. Kana rested her back against the wall once again, and closed her eyes. She had tried taking deep breaths,, but nothing was relieving her of her stress. She was carrying no more than thirty dollars in her wallet. She couldn’t go anywhere, afford much, and had no one to go to. Then her phone vibrated in her hand. Kana only glanced at the screen long enough to see it was her mother that had sent her a text. She was asking for Kana to come home, asking where she was. The girl looked at the screen sadly before tucking it away into the abyss of her backpack. Kana’s let her head fall in her hands.

“I should have been the one.” she thought pessimistically “Hana could have been so much more than I can ever be.” it was then that a light began to glow deep within the cave. It caught Kana’s attention enough to bring her to her feet. She was like a moth being guided toward a flame. Whatever was waiting at the end of the tunnel could have been one of two things: something that might help, or something that would ultimately solve her problems permanently.

At the very end of the cave lied something Kana was not expecting. A pair of katanas within black wooden sheaths rested on the ground, glowing softly in the darkness of the mossy cave. Along the side of the scabbards, painted in white was Japanese kanji.

“How typical.” Kana commented. She knelt beside the glowing swords to observe them more closely, and had tried to read what was written, and was able to make out the words ‘light’ and ‘dark’. Curiosity had gotten to her, so she reached for one of the swords. The moment her hand came into contact with the scabbard, Kana was surrounded by a golden light, and an indescribable feeling took over her. The girl couldn’t help but scream in terror. It was a painful experience, yet it filled her with a strange warm feeling. Kana believed that this experience may be her last, so she submitted to the fierce light, and let her vision fade to darkness.

#guardians in the dark #gitd #kana #prologue #abuse warning #physical abuse #verbal abuse #bullying #fantasy #fiction #runaway #sibling #sister #adventure #story #original character #OC #original story

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booksarelife-stuff · 3 years

Text

i’m only seventeen, i don’t know anything- Chapter 4

James Potter/ Lily Evans (Jily), minor Remus Lupin/ Sirius Black (wolfstar)

Co-authored with the amazing @queen-isabelle-writes :)

It's seventh year for the Marauders and Lily Evans. Lily and James are dealing with their feelings for each other while the war with Voldemort brews in the wings.

Canon Divergence. Angst, fluff, falling in love.

Word Count: 2,267

Read on AO3 Next Chapter Series Master List Master List

Chapter 4

something gave you the nerve to touch my hand ~it’s nice to have a friend, taylor swift

James stared at Sirius as he spun around in the chair. He had been doing this for at least ten minutes. James wondered how he hadn’t gotten dizzy.

“We’re behind schedule,” Sirius said for the tenth time that hour.

“Yes, I bloody know we are,” James said. Remus pinched the bridge of his nose but didn’t look up from his book. The Common Room was slightly full, but Sirius had snagged them a private corner to discuss what hijinks they were going to do. Peter still hadn’t shown up, but Sirius had decided to start without him.

“What if we…” Sirius started but then trailed off. James stared after him.

“Maybe we should stop this year,” Remus said. “The war is getting worse. Maybe it would be worth giving the student body a break.”

Sirius stared at Remus, his mouth hanging open like he couldn’t believe the words that had just left Remus’s mouth.

“It’s our final year!” Sirius began. “And think of the joy our pranks bring!”

“I’m with Padfoot on this one,” James said, pushing up his glasses. “We need to do something. We need to leave our legacy.”

It was just then when Lily Evans approached. James felt his heart skip a beat as she gave him a small smile. She had pinned her hair to the sides today and done something to make her normally straight hair a little curly.

“Your legacy?” she asked, sliding in besides James. He wanted to ask what brought her over here, but decided to not look a gift horse in the mouth.

“Yes, Lil,” James said. “The Marauder’s legacy.”

Lily gave a look to all of them, but a more pointed one to James.

“You’re Head Boy, James,” she began. “You cannot be breaking the rules.”

“Ah, Evans. The rules were made to be broken,” Sirius said.

Lily scoffed. Sirius resumed his spinning. He made one full rotation before his eyes lit up.

“What if we spike the juice at dinner?” Sirius said. “The elves let us in all the time. We could do it!”

James didn’t like the sound of it, but it was Remus who decided to speak up.

“It’s probably not wise to mess with people’s food,” he said.

“Remus has a point,” James said. “What if someone is allergic?”

“Allergic? To alcohol?” he asked, looking at James as if he had grown a second head.

“That’s a thing, right?” James asked Lily. Lily was smiling but shrugged.

“What if we charm the alcohol so everyone can drink it?” Sirius said. “Like Muggles do with the fancy dogs!”

Lily started laughing. James had never seen her laugh so hard and it was contagious. Soon, they were all laughing.

“Sirius, where in Merlin’s name did you learn about that?” Lily asked. Sirius looked unbothered when he looked Lily in the eye.

“I buy Muggle magazines in the village by James’s house in the summer,” he said. “I saw a piece on a Muggle celebrity who had to get a special dog because they were allergic to normal ones.”

Lily started laughing again. James couldn’t help but watch her, his stomach rolling at the sight of her.

“Sirius, I doubt there is a spell to make everything hypoallergenic,” Lily said. “It’s a bad idea.”

Sirius grumbled but didn’t press. James ran over things in his brain.

“We need something light-hearted, fun,” Remus said.

James felt Lily shift next to him.

“I have an idea,” she whispered.

James turned and looked at her, shocked. She was looking down, not meeting any of their eyes, a sly grin on her face. The idea of Lily coming up with one of their pranks was something right out of James’s late night fantasies. Butterflies filled his stomach.

“Let’s hear it, Evans,” Sirius said, leaning back and looking unbothered by her participation.

“You want something harmless, right?” she asked.

“Yep,” Sirius said.

“And fun?”

“Get to the meat of it,” Sirius said.

“What if we turn the Great Hall into an ice skating rink?” Lily said.

James smiled at the idea, thinking of the people slipping and sliding across the Great Hall. Sirius seemed to mull it over for a minute, biting the inside of his cheek..

“We use a simple water charm and then a freezing one,” she said, looking proud of herself. “Then an anti-melting one!”

“We’d have to clear the tables,” Remus pointed out.

“That’s easy, though,” James countered. “We can just shrink them down and move them. They can be changed back easily enough.”

It fell quiet. James looked at Sirius, watching the gears turning as he assessed the plan that had been laid out before him. James wanted to accept it instantly, more so based on how excited Lily was, but Sirius had to have the final say so.

“Do you think we can make it snow too?” Sirius asked. James knew he was in.

It was about two in the morning when James, Sirius, and Remus snuck down to the Common Room. Peter didn’t want to take part in the prank, citing tiredness.

James had the cloak swung over his shoulder while Remus looked down at the map. Lily was by the couch wearing an oversized sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, her hair up in a messy bun. James loved the sleepy look in her eyes, but he was determined not to spend too long looking at her.

Sirius smiled at her.

“Ready to see how the Marauders do their magic?” he asked.

“Yeah, I am actually,” she replied, eyeing the cloak on James’s shoulder.

James handed Sirius the cloak.

“Lily and I are allowed to be out this late. I changed the schedule saying we had patrol,” James said, taking charge. “Sirius, Remus, you guys use the cloak. Lily and I will have the map, so follow us.”

James tossed the cloak to Sirius who caught it and unfolded it before throwing it over his head. He held an arm out for Remus, who got under the cloak with a sigh. Lily was staring at the spot they used to be at.

“You have an Invisibility Cloak?” she asked, disbelief coloring her voice.

“Yeah,” James replied, a smirk appearing on his face. “A family heirloom.”

“That makes a lot of sense,” she replied, shaking her head. “What’s the map?”

James showed her the Marauders Map, which she quickly grabbed out of James’s hands.

“How in the world did you guys do this?” she asked, watching Filch’s feet move across the dungeons.

“We spent most of third year perfecting it. I think Remus had the idea, right?” James asked, turning his head towards where he thought Sirius and Remus might be.

“Yeah. It was a bloody good job. Still can’t believe we pulled it off,” Sirius said from James’s left.

Lily looked up at James, her expression awed. She caught his eye, and James’s breath caught in his throat. Her tired green eyes were doing things to him that he didn’t have time to think about.

“Prongs here was able to do the charms though,” Sirius whispered, making James tear his eyes away from Lily’s.

“Let’s go, everyone,” James said, feeling heat in his cheeks start to appear.

Lily took control of the map, letting them know if anyone was approaching. There was almost an incident with Mrs. Norris, but Lily quickly managed to find a spot where the cat didn’t see them as she walked past.

Once they were in the Great Hall, James locked the doors while Sirius and Remus cast a silencing spell around the room, making sure they could work in peace. James noticed how beautiful the ceiling of the hall looked—there were millions of stars visible, no clouds. The crescent moon shone brightly, casting a white glow to the room.

“Okay,” James started. “Sirius and Remus, start shrinking the tables. I want the tiny versions sat by Dumbldore’s seat in the front.”

Sirius and Remus made quick work of their task, making the four long tables shrink into dollhouse furniture. Sirius ran up the hall and up the couple of steps that elevated the head table. James, Remus, and Lily followed, not wanting to get their feet wet.

All four of them started flooding the ground, water spurting out the ends of their wands with high pressure. Once they got it high enough, Lily cast a freezing charm. James tried to not be in awe of how quickly the water froze under her expert hand.

“Okay, we need to test the thickness,” Lily said. Sirius clapped James on the shoulder as they stood by the head table.

“Prongs, our fearless leader, I think this honor goes to you,” he said.

James sighed. He gently took a step down. The ice didn’t crack under his weight. James turned around to give his friends the thumbs up when he lost his footing and fell.

“James!” Lily yelled, taking a few steps towards him. James erupted in laughter, which gave Sirius and Remus the go ahead to let out the laughs they had been holding in.

Despite the slight pain in his back, James thought it was hilarious.

“I think your charm worked great, Lil!” James called to Lily. James watched as she smiled back, her concerned expression gone. James carefully got up, almost falling again.

James had looked up weather charms and slipped a piece of parchment to Lily earlier, showing her what he had found. She had noticed a flaw in the charm work and quickly sent the parchment back with a correction. Now, together, they cast the spell, watching small clouds form and begin to sprinkle snow.

“We did it!” Sirius yelled.

“We should have brought our skates,” Lily said. “So we could have experienced it first.”

James didn’t like the disappointment in her voice, so he turned to her.

“It’s a good thing, then,” James started, “that you are working with some excellent Transfiguration students.”

Lily’s eyes brightened as she took off her shoes. James cast a spell, turning them into a pair of shiny ice skates. Remus and Sirius did the same.

James watched as his friends started on to skate along the ice. None of them were exactly graceful, but they all continued standing. Lily spun around so fast, her hair fell loose from her bun, and James' heart did flips at the sight.

His plan to get over Evans was dissolving in front of him, and James was surprised to find that he didn’t care. He wasn’t ready to be over her.

“Prongs! Get out here!” Remus yelled as he and Sirius glided around.

James sighed, now realizing he was trapped in the Great Hall with a sea of ice between him. He probably should have told them earlier that he had no idea how to skate.

“Come on!” Lily yelled, her cheeks turning pink with the cold.

Jame opened his mouth to say something, but Sirius interrupted him.

“I don’t think Prongs knows how to skate!” he said. James considered arguing but knew that it would be fruitless.

“Alright, I don’t know how,” James admitted. Lily approached him, sliding to a stop right in front of the steps in which James was standing.

“We’ll give you a crash course,” Lily said.

James sighed. He had already made a buffoon of himself by falling earlier, and he doubted that Lily would be impressed by him, even if he was graceful. He kicked off his shoes and turned them into skates before carefully placing them back on.

Lily reached out a hand. James placed his own in hers, surprised that it was still warm. She gripped it tightly as James carefully stepped down.

He almost fell, but Lily steadied him. James gave her his other hand, and she showed him how to find his balance.

“It’s kind of like a broomstick,” Lily said.

“It is nothing like a broomstick,” James replied. Lily laughed.

“Okay, maybe you’re right,” she conceded. “I’m going to show you how to move.”

Lily showed him how he could start gliding across the ice. James was surprised that it was easier than he thought. He didn’t let go of Lily’s hand even though he found he didn’t need it after a minute. Lily didn’t seem to mind that much and that set James’s mind spinning.

They skated for about an hour before everyone started yawning. They grabbed the cloak and map. Lily cast an anti-melting charm before they closed the doors. They made their way back up to the tower with no threat of Filch, Mrs. Norris, or a nosey ghost.

Once in the common room, Lily went to hand him the map but hesitated.

“Can I look at this later?” she asked. James thought for a moment while Sirius and Remus started up the stairs.

“Uh, yeah, sure,” James replied. “Don’t let anyone see it though. It’s a Marauder’s secret.”

Lily smiled and nodded.

“Tonight was really fun,” Lily said, looking into James’s eyes.

“You’re lucky I don’t report you, Head Girl,” James teased. Lily chuckled and rolled her eyes.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” she said, turning around. James watched her head up the stairs and sighed when she was out of view.

He headed up to his own dorm and quietly slipped in. He changed back into his pajamas and got into bed. He heard Sirius move from the bed beside him.

“How are you doing, Prongs?” he asked.

James took a second to respond.

“I’m so completely fucked for her.”

#jily #James Potter #Lily Evans #Lily Evans Potter #James Potter/Lily Evans #hp #harry potter #minor wolfstar #Remus Lupin #Sirius Black #inspired by taylor swift like always #Marauders #jily fic #Marauders era #jily fanfic #Harry Potter fanfic #James x Lily

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tshirttrend · 4 years

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Daisy Duck Happy Hallothanksmas Halloween Thanksgiving Christmas T-Shirt

I saw Waitress in Daisy Duck Happy Hallothanksmas Halloween Thanksgiving Christmas T-Shirt . a few months ago because Jeremy Jordan is my Broadway crush and unfortunately I didn’t really enjoy the story or the characters. There are a few good numbers though and She Used to Be Mine is a pretty song. I absolutely LOVE the Heathers: the Musical. Hilarious, catchy and is a faithful but unique way to experience the story and themes of the movie. I can’t recommend it enough! I haven’t listened to the original album I’ve seen both the stage musical and the movie and from what I can tell they all take very different approaches to the story. The musical has a kind of “everyone joins hands and sings” style ending that’s very different from the darker approaches the other two did, I think they felt the need to brighten it up for the stage. It’s still pretty electric live though.Daisy Duck Happy Hallothanksmas Halloween Thanksgiving Christmas T-Shirt, hoodie, sweater, longsleeve and ladies t-shirt

Classic Men's Bat Daisy Duck Happy Hallothanksmas Halloween Thanksgiving Christmas T-Shirt . was turned into a stage show. I saw it in Toronto last year. The songs are great and so were the performances, but I have never really wanted to go back and listen to the cast recording. I’m going to disagree with that. It was written as a rock opera, in the way The Who did with Tommy and Quadrophenia. It was then adapted for the stage, which is different than Tim Rice and Elton John sketching out Aida and putting that concept record out. Would you be able to expand on this a little? Is it because they cast known actors, over actual musical talent – or do you think the medium is just more suited to stage performances? I’m not knowledgeable on musicals at all, just intrigued about your thoughts on this! I love that version since everyone has to play their own instruments as well. It gives it a very cool vibe since it’s so stripped back compared to the original cast recording and the film version. You Can See More Product: https://luxuryt-shirt.com/product-category/trending/ Read the full article

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newshirtonlines-blog · 4 years

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Daisy Duck Happy Hallothanksmas Halloween Thanksgiving Christmas T-Shirt

#DaisyDuckHappyHallothanksmasHalloweenThanksgivingChristmasT-Shirt

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michin--yeoja · 7 years

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Hi again ^^ Sorry I'm still anon and haven't been responding. I got hit with a huge wave of work and have barely slept the last few days. But it's all over now and I'll get your gift to you soon!! Biotech is essentially trying to make a biological product! It's a huge field so there's a lot of things from like pharmaceuticals, cell therapy, to things like bio-remediation and environmental stuff. Your genetics teacher might be thinking about bioinformatics which is biotech and a lot of coding XD

But good luck with applying to med school! If that’s your dream there are always ways to make it work! I believe in you ^^ Oh I’m from around the New England area. I did my undergrad in New Jersey and now I’m doing my master’s in Rhode Island. Yes I studied in Stockholm! I traveled to the more touristy areas of Europe because I’ve never been to Europe, but I really wanna just take a backpacking trip around one day. There’s so many different places to go TT And so much foooooood

I have been to Taiwan a few times! It’s been a while though. Most of my mom’s side of the family is back there, but my dad’s side of the family is in the US. I have a younger sister! Haha I know what you mean about being asked where you’re from though. When I was abroad I’d get asked where I’m from and I’d say the US, but then one person was like “but where are you REALLY from”. Honestly I also feel pretty out of touch with Taiwanese culture even though I have some habits. I really feel American

I saw True Love but I haven’t had time to hear the whole thing! That’s my weekend goal. But I believe City of Angels (lol laser) was the one he sang at the fanmeet so I’m already in love with that one. So good TT And he wrote that one himself

It was only Myung in the Winter Olympics one! It’s understandable though, there were so many groups in the summer competition one and Infinite was a little neglected imo. But they still managed to get me with hamster gyu and like 5 seconds of Destiny lol. Actually MBLAQ was in this ep too! Lee Joon and Kwangsoo make the most amazing combo ever omg. I def miss the name tag eliminations though. They hardly do them anymore. I really liked the time period when they did creative versions of the game.

Ohhhh I think I’ve heard of MBLAQ Goes to School. I should look into it haha. I’m always up for a laugh. Sesame player was amazing. Lol and those pranks XD I remember (I think it was Dongwoo) was like “when did this become a prank house” after that salt prank and I’m like lol only infinite. Can’t even safely eat food in their own home. These dorks.

Ahhh tell me was so good. I like Infinie’s old style of music but I like this kind of softer edm music too. It’s like the stuff I usually like to listen to lol. Idk if that was a good description of the song but that’s kinda how I see it lol. And Sunggyu and Dongwoo were so good that comeback. Like that second verse was a Donggyu attack. I don’t know if I have a favorite concept from them really? They kind of have everything for every mood. But I have a running play list of their upbeat music.

The stuff like Julia, Amazing, Lately, etc. I keep that playlist around when I’m having a hard time studying and stuff. It brightens my mood. As for english songs I kinda just….turn on the radio and find something I like haha. I don’t really have a preference with those. Ahhh I feel like I did a really bad job of getting to know you, I always just talk about myself haha. Tell me 5 random things that make you like or make you happy that you haven’t talked about!

Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry for taking forever and an age to reply back to you!!! I’m so sorry, and I don’t even have a good excuse like being busy with work, it’s just honest to goodness pure laziness on my part and not going on my laptop for forever. I hope you haven’t forgotten me and that you’ll reveal yourself!!

I hope you haven’t gotten busy again (you’re graduating this year right?). What are you focusing on in biotech? And I think you may be right about my professor meaning bioinformatics… I vaguely remember that term ^^;

You’ve certainly hopped around during your university years ^^ What countries did you visit in Europe? My parents surprised me by sending me to the UK for 2 weeks after my exams to join my sister there… It was amazing and I’ve always wanted to go there, but we ran out of time to hit everything we wanted to do. We couldn’t go to Ireland, which was my biggest disappointment. What is your most favourite memory from exchange? And what place did you like best?

I actually feel like a complete stranger… I don’t feel Canadian, Singaporean or Indian. I don’t really fit in any place completely, I’m a bit too traditional in Canada, too modern in India and Singapore… Well, I’m not exposed to the culture at all really. Funny thing… Singapore used to be not as well known when I was younger and I remember a kid trying to convince me it was part of the US. Even now, some people think it’s in India. The funniest is actually when I met Chinese international students, so many think that Singapore has only people of Chinese descent. When I explained that my dad’s family is from there and my mother from India, they thought my dad was Chinese.

What’s this whole City of Angels/Laser thing? I’ve seen mention of it, but I don’t get it… Did Sunggyu think the song was called Laser? (This shows up much I keep up with them, except for their music ^^;). You must have heard the album by now… So what’s your favourite? (Also, I didn’t know Sunggyu wrote that… Good to know and it makes me love it even more!)

Um… I think I started giffing around 2013 ish? Then I stopped while in uni, in fact my blog was basically inactive, and only just recently started fooling around on Photoshop again. I was quite atrocious in the beginning and am much fonder of my new stuff. But… I’m also quite lazy so I tend to not gif as much as I want to.

I 100% recommend MBLAQ goes to school. Joon and Mir are such jokesters. Sesame Player is still my favourite variety show to watch, all that screaming and backstabbing… And Sungyeol? He’s just too awesome. I would never have thought of injecting vinegar into bananas the way he did, that was a true genius move. Myungsoo’s, that was predictable, but that banana prank was just first class.

Do you prefer their upbeat songs more or is that just better to run to? My favourite upbeat song is Cover Girl… Have you heard the concert version where Sungyeol raps? I wish he would get a chance to do that in their songs, I think he raps pretty well.

I think we got to know each other pretty well? In fact, I too often think I wrote too much about myself.

5 things I like/make me happy… Hmm…

1. Being with my family - yes, we fight a lot, but we’re also really close and really stupid… My mother is crazy, my father is bullied… They’re what I missed most in uni.

2. I love airports/airplanes! As a child, I used to wish I could live in one ^^

3. Good books and movies… I love reading, but it’s so rare for me to find writing and plot that suits my taste. When I do, I devour the author’s entire works.

4. This is dorky… But I love learning ^^ Maybe it has to do with feeling smart? I love watching Jeopardy, especially if I get the answers right, but also to learn new facts.

5. I love puns… I quite literally cry with laughing over some of them.

Also, last post, but I saw your rant and I hope you’re feeling better :( I get the being introverted thing too. I’m pretty reserved and I like my alone time–there’s nothing wrong with it! I’m sorry you had to listen to all of it TT Please be happy!

Thank you for this! Ahh… Tumblr is my place to rant, but I tend to get over my anger quickly.

#I'm really sorry T_T #I hope you don't think I forgot about you or was ignoring you #I hate replying on my phone and then I would fall asleep as my laptop started up and then I haven't been online in the past week #Inspirit Buddy #Anonymous #Reply

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probablybackstoryrpgideas · 7 years

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The story of Thorin Dankil

Im @deliciouslycookingrpgideas This is the backstory of my current character.

(Please note that i had not seen the hobbit yet and didnt know who Thorin Oakenshield was when I named my char)

Hey here ya go. Its 6,000 or so words and if backstory wishes I will make a more readable post about this lol [Mod Note: Thank you so much for submitting! This was a wonderful read, I can tell how much love and time you put into it, so I’m honored to have this as the first submission to the blog.]

This is Thorin Dankil’s Backstory

I was an average young lad. Bright, strong, with an insatiable curiosity. I grew up loved, in a large household, with five siblings, Jensora, Merlyn, Magdal, Tornar, and Emnyl, two parents Barrik and Tizra; it was always hectic. And for his part, Barrik raised his children to be true dwarves, ale drinkin and bar fightin and all. Tizra also raised them when Barrik was away at the war. As they grew, the Dankil family seemed to be at peace.

Then everything changed when the fire nation attacked. One hundred years passed and there is a new avatar, an airbender named Aang. While his airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he’s ready to save anyone. But I believe, Aang can save the world

Jensora (f) and Tornar (m) were twins and the eldests. I was next, and following me was Merlyn (f), then Magdal (m), then Emnyl (f).

Well, the war was goin pretty great. We seemed to be winning. But the elves were great strategists, and even though we were winning, we suffered heavy losses. My father Barrik was among them, or at least he was M.I.A. Around this time my mother Tizra was not taking his death well, even though she knew he went on to a better place. I stepped up and helped out when my siblings could not. I learned I had an immense affinity for cooking, and held a cook off every two weeks, which always seemed to raise some spirits. I could whip up a delicious meal for seven with two zucchini, a tomato and a chicken. And if I added rice, it became a meal for twelve.

As I helped my mother with her grief, I found myself around the church often, and helped Father Beldar with his duties, since he was elderly and mother preferred to grieve alone. I became knowledged about the faith, and even though I had always believed, I found that I really understood everything. I found myself really considering joining the faith, but between my siblings being artisans of sorts and soldiers and scholars and whatnots, and no one to take care of my mother except Emnyl, and myself being reigning champ of the whole county in our annual cook offs for twenty one years running, I had alot on my plate to begin with.

I decided to just try out the faith and if it didn’t work out for me then I would be a chef. So I went to learn more about the faith at the school in Bhaledur about ten miles away. When I went there, I was amazed with how many people could be in one place and not know each other. I found the church easily, and was amazed at how many books were there, and became intent on learning to read them. I also really enjoyed learning of clerics who could, through devotion, conjure great feats of magic, perhaps even raise the dead.

And when I talked with my classmates (which I will get into in a moment) (well, only one of them i suppose ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ), I found many of them had things in common with me. Saweryn Thoras gave me a run for my money as best chef in town, and we spent many a night trying to one up each other. Seja Gorotan and I shared an interest in the magical aspect of school, and we shared several long nights in a back closet, (explained why not our rooms in a moment) learning the ins and outs of the magic process.

Despite being a large facility, we had to share rooms with another person, genders being separated, which makes sense for the most part. Though as far as I understood, copulation among non married people or even among priests was never frowned upon.

This was where I met Gadrin Branka. This son of a bitch was going to be the cause of a lot of my inner turmoil. He was devilishly handsome, I mean the guy could turn and wink and you’d be as mud in his hands, he could do anything he wanted with you. He was a fencer. An award winning one too. He also had a heart of gold, he was the kindest person I met, excluding a few key individuals. And damn did he have pipes. The man could sing a tune and the mountains themselves would be so moved they cried. Gadrin was going to be my best friend for years. We had all but one class together, him having conversion: bringing others to the faith and me having medical herbology.

Gadrin and I were inseparable. We spent almost every moment together when not with other students, and even then we were constantly together. We would sleep, eat, study, and party together. We were so close we could tell people stories about the other’s great grandmother.

It changed a bit on the third friday after I took the big herbology test in my third year there. It was a normal friday, we (Gadrin and myself) would go to class and then off to Saweryn Thoras’s home to party. Well, Gadrin and I had a bit too much to drink, even for dwarves. And, after an embarrassing game of stack the dwarf, (which Gadrin and I lost btw) we all played a version of truth or dare. Well it went great, a few dares here concerning the plant in the corner of the room, a few truths about crushes and such there. But then Seja Gorotan (now Saweryn’s gf btw) had a brilliant idea. So she dared Gadrin to kiss me. And he turned and gave me that stare that I can still feel today, ooh mama he was hot. Well we lock eye contact, and he goes in for it. Well I’m sure as hell not stoppin him so we lock lips and go for it. It was a few minutes later when I was called on to say truth or dare when I realized we were still kissing. We broke apart and I could tell Gadrin was hoping it could continue much longer. I winked at him and made some remark about continuing later and he brightened up considerably, much to the amusement of our host. But we continued to play the game and eventually moved on to a version of five dragon ante, which I failed miserably at. Both Gadrin and I were terrible at cards. We could bullshit like no body’s business, but as far as the game, we were both shit drunk. We found ourselves back at the complex and fell asleep in the same bed, Gadrin’s arm nestled neatly around me as we cuddled. We didn’t talk about it for a few days bc we both knew we liked it, but Gadrin (I) needed a bit of time to process what this meant.

After we discussed it, we started dating slowly and were more inseparable than before. It annoyed our single friends so much they would deliberately sit in between us just so they wouldn’t have to look as we cuddled, much to our amusement.

It was customary that clerics served in the military as medical personnel for a few years before moving on to see if we had a calling for it. So Gadrin and I requested to be put on the same post so we could have someone to screw around with. Well we got it, but at the front lines. It was hard work. When we weren’t in the med tent performing miracles for soldiers with almost no supplies, we were sleeping or eating. I once had to make a poultice with only half the potency because we had to ration the damn herbs. And it certainly didn’t help that the cook couldn’t make half decent food with twice the ingredients. So for a week on my one break a day I would go there to show him how to cook decently in hopes of making the food better. It improved sharply and I was commended for it. Gadrin and I didn’t have much time together, but when we could we would hang out.

But then we were transferred. We moved further south, to a different front line post. We became intensely good at healing soldiers, myself surpassing Gadrin. But we were the only two medics for three whole battalions of soldiers. For reference, a battalion is around 300 to 800 soldiers. So we had our work cut out for us. I found myself sleeping in the med tent so when I woke up I could help out immediately, and Id send a wounded but walking man to grab me some victuals (food) and give Gadrin a kiss for me, which the wounded man thought was hilarious.

To tell the truth, it was going very well, and besides the backbreaking work, the dwarven army seemed to be winning. We’d lose a battle here and there, but not usually very badly. But this changed at the battle of Forgebar Hill. We had pushed hard and gained about seven miles of ground into enemy territory, and the rest of the front line was right behind us, Gadrin and I working on people even as we moved. We jumped camps a few times and helped the most seriously injured soldiers, getting thanks and respect as we went. I found that if I asked Pelor for assistance in healing, the soldiers seemed to heal twice as fast as before. So every day I would sit and thank Pelor for the new day and the opportunity to help others. If a soldier was gravely ill, I could ask Pelor for help and the man would be miraculously saved, his wounds healing dramatically before my very eyes. Modern medicine working only so well, I knew Pelor and His allies were watching us.

But Forgebar Hill was different. As soon as we saw it, it made us all uneasy. No one could tell why, but it held about it the air of the unknown. As we approached it we stopped upon the hill, a momentary lapse in moving to see what we could upon it. We stood on top and could see the spires of an Elven city in the distance. Behind us, we could see the mountains many call home. It was a momentary calm, and we heard shouts as a scouting patrol returning. We ran down the hill and a bloodied scout with only one arm came up to us, shouting that we should turn back. I fixed him up and asked him what was coming, but he couldn’t speak, he was so petrified (that means scared). We sent another scouting patrol out to find what did this to him, for the elves never removed limbs and left a man, they would always either capture or kill, no maiming unless necessary. I respected the elves for that.

When two hours had passed and I had run out of men to patch up, we still had not heard from the scouts so we decided to march on and deal with the problem ourselves. As we approached a large glade, we heard the familiar sounds of battle, but we had sent no troops to this area yet, only six scouts, one of which returned. We looked and saw a small elven unit fighting a rather large group of ogres. They were heavily outnumbered and were suffering heavy losses. But as our group looked closer, we noticed several things. The elves were protecting their wounded, who were crawling away from battle. They were also protecting two hurt dwarven scouts. A murmur went through the ranks and we decided that in this instance elves and dwarves would fight together.

With a war cry, our soldiers ran from the woods and fought the ogres. The battle was hard and long, our soldiers falling and barely clinging to life as I struggled to have the strength to continue healing. I lost sight of Gadrin. The elven reinforcements came and we fought for hours side by side until the ogre shaman arrived. With a whoop, the despicable creature could maim twenty soldiers; with a yell, heal his own from the brink of death. The shaman was also up almost in the front lines, smashing in skulls with his club and casting spells when needed.

We were losing, even with the reinforcements. Another cry from the shaman and our last few soldiers fell. Myself and an elven cleric were the only two left standing. Thinking that the only way to get out is to pray, I start praying to Pelor fervently, asking him for assistance in any way he sees fit as part of his plan, and if I should die, I would be at peace with it, for it was His will. Suddenly, I felt a great power fill me, revitalizing myself (filling me up with energy), and I stood tall, as if I had just eaten breakfast and was ready for a long day’s work. I knew exactly what to do. With a supernatural vigor, I ran at the enemy, catching them off guard with my battle cry. I screamed words I didn’t recognize and my armor shone like the sun. (This was pre-shield, which I’ll get into later). Our soldiers started standing up, their wounds and limbs healing as they stood, bringing them back to life, fresh for battle.

The enemy seemed shaken by this sudden display of raw power. Our troops pushed into them, advancing and cutting them down where they stood. It was a slaughter. We killed the whole tribe of ogres and sustained no losses. When I had realized this, I also realized my armor was no longer glowing, and I felt a little light headed. I thanked Pelor, and almost passed out where I stood, but there was another thing to take care of. Our forces split into elves and dwarves once more, and we stood there staring at each other for a long time. I think we had all decided that elves, or at least these elves, were alright, and both our parties spent the next day celebrating the victory.

Our group then sent the other to go back to their council and bring ambassadors to this spot, and we could stop this war. Well we went back to the dwarven council of elders and got an ambassador, learning that similar things had been happening all across the borders, and that evil creatures, ogres, goblins, trolls, etc were becoming more aggressive, thinking themselves able to overtake the elves or the dwarves as we focused on the war. Well, this was not going to happen. We stopped fighting the elves and worked with them to fight back the evil, then we celebrated the end of the war.

After the celebrating, it was time to come home. So Gadrin and I went back to the town we first met, (Bhaledur) promising to return once we met with our families. We parted ways and left.

At home, a small town called Vol Tarum, I was praised as a hero. And, while not entirely incorrect, I attributed my success to Pelor. I reunited with my family, Tizra, Emnyl, Jensora and Tornar, Magdal, and Merlyn. Mother seemed very happy and it was nice to see her smile so much. We spent a week just enjoying company and sharing stories of work and adventures and such. It was nice to get to meet everyone again, since I had been gone for three years, only occasionally returning for the four years prior. I fixed wonderful meals, and our town celebrated for a few days. We felt the need to return to our crafts and churches and adventures, and our little family parted ways again.

I met back up with Gadrin, who had been waiting for a few days. I apologized and we spoke for hours about our various siblings and how we felt and we had fun. We took jobs as helpers around the church, teaching classes here, leading sermons there, the occasional exorcism or resurrection, fun stuff.

A few weeks later, I reflected on my time with Gadrin, for we had spent seven years together, and they were wonderful. We have been through college, dating, war, we were inseparable. And so I decided that we would lay low for a bit, then I would ask Gadrin to marry me.

So for a few months we worked and drank and learned more and lived our lives, Gadrin and I still maintaining our wonderful bond. Well, I had decided it was time when he spent one afternoon planning a very romantic steak dinner that he cooked himself, and we had a very fun night afterwards, definitely playing scrabble and not any other activities. [Author’s note: For readers of this story, playing scrabble means fucking]

So I told him I was leaving to see my folks again and left to go follow dwarven marriage custom.

In dwarven marriage custom, a proposal is not usually done with a ring, because it has no practical purpose. We give each other things to help, like a fancy new sword, or perhaps a new axe for firewood. These things are often hand crafted, and sometimes multiple items are given, though only one is used for the proposal.

I knew that i needed to give him something special, but for the life of me I couldn’t think of anything. Then it hit me. I should do two things for him. One, make him a sword. Two, write him a song. I am only mildly musically talented, but he sings beautifully, so it would be nice to do this for him.

I headed up to the spire of the church that night to help me think, and it was cool. The lights were twinkling like stars, and the stars shone like the moon, and the moon glowed beautifully.

As I sat there pondering my options, one of the stars shown a bit harder than the others. It seemed to be getting brighter and larger. I looked closer and it seemed to look closer at me. I was confused, then realized this star was falling. It was coming at the ground. I watched in awe as it streaked down across the sky and crashed about two large hills away from town. I felt compelled to go see what a star looked like up close, so I got down and went, riding a horse the few mile distance.

I arrived at the crater, peering inside and seeing a glowing rock, white and black patches all over it. It was sizable, large enough to fit two dwarves in there. It looked peculiar, and I looked closer. It looked movable, and I immediately knew what to make for Gadrin. I could see myself forging a sword and a few sets of rings, perhaps a dagger or something out of it.

I went back to town and bought a wagon, returning and taking the fallen star. I took it to Sluwth Peak, where the huge forge is. Many people come here to create gifts for their partner.

There, I ran into Seja Gorotan again. I had last seen her in college. After exchanging pleasantries, she apparently had just made a silver hand trowel for Saweryn, her soon to be husband, with any luck. During the war they had been separated but found each other afterwards. Apparently they had the same idea that I had. She wished me luck and pointed me to a smaller shack, connected to the mountain off to the side of the path. She said that while it wasn’t traditional, it might be better than waiting for the big forge up top. So I took my wagon off to the side and into the shack. As I walked, I saw a person leave and I could’ve sworn they looked just like Gadrin.

The room was huge, going into the mountain. It was filled with hundreds of tools, weapons, metals, labels for everything. There was a huge forge, burning white hot with molten metal. There was a large gruff dwarf there, clearly an ancient mountain dwarf (not a bad thing of course, just less homely in my opinion) [Author’s note: the char is a hill dwarf]. He was working with a hammer larger than most children, and was pounding out what seemed to be an enormous great axe, large enough to be used by a dire ogre, if there was such a thing. He pounded and stuck it into water and heated it and pounded for awhile. I stood there admiring his handiwork for a few minutes, and he finished working on the great axe, plunging it into the water for the final time.

Without looking, he asked me what I was doing in his place. I replied, explaining what I had planned to do, and my conversation with Seja. He nodded, and asked me to be quiet for a moment. He took this great great axe and put it into a large stand on the other side of the room, with many jars and spices and herbs and scrolls around it, neatly categorized by the look of it. He set the axe upon the stand, then took an empty jar and filled it with a pinch of this spice, a sprig of that herb, and filled it with water. He mixed it all up into a thick paste, and spread it over the blade, reading from a scroll as he did so. It was partly in druidic, and partly in a language I had never heard of, and couldn’t recognize its words. If I had to guess, it was old. Eldritch old. When he was done, the paste evaporated and the axe gleamed as though in the sun. He wrapped it in a thick, white cloth, then set it against a wall, writing T. M. on it.

He turned to me, and I noticed immediately that he had a scar on his left cheek, and he wore an piece of cloth over that eye. He asked me where the star was and I pointed to the large wagon I left in the entryway. He nodded as he looked over the star. He told me it was called a meteorite. He said he had worked with it before, and knew what to do.

For hours, I labored at that rock, breaking it and melting it down into a molten state. I forged a wonderful rapier, shaping it and cooling it, heating it and shaping it again. It took hours, but that sword was the strongest thing I had ever seen. I set a piece of tiger eye in the hilt since it was Gadrin’s favorite gem.

Once it was done, the old man took the sword, setting it on the same stand as he had the great axe. He spoke similar, but not the same words as before, grabbing different spices and herbs and he filled the jar with water and spread the paste. The rapier shown as the axe did and he covered it with a cloth, placing it next to the axe and writing a T. D. on it, which I can only guess stood for my name. I then got to work on the rings. I fashioned a ring twice the length as a normal ring, and was told later I’d split it in two, as directed by the old man.

Once it was done, I admired my own handiwork. The ring was intricate, with winding bands of meteorite. The man took it and set it on the stand. He grabbed many spices and herbs, and then grabbed a box from behind the forge. He poured in a purple goo instead of water, and dropped the ring into the mix, saying words that seemed more dramatic than the others. The jar glowed and the air had a hum to it, and then it stopped. He wrapped the ring in a blue cloth and set it on the table, writing a T. D. on it. I asked what the purple goo stuff was for, and he just smiled a toothy grin and didn’t answer.

I made a dagger, and then a mace, using the same procedure. For the dagger, he did the same thing as for the axe and the rapier. For the mace, he did a similar thing as the ring. When I asked him once more what the goo was for, he smiled and grinned, but he told me it would come in handy when it needed to. I don’t know what that meant, but he seemed sure, so I didn’t clarify. I split the ring at his direction and it split perfectly in two, with no rough edges.

I kept the rest of the meteorite in case I needed to make something else, and said farewell to the old man. I left with my items and went to try to write a song for my love.

It was not going well. I had zero inspiration and was wandering the countryside and couldn’t think of anything. I climbed a big hill and sat under the tree, trying to think of anything to make into a song.

I had more or less an idea of what to write, but I had a hard time thinking of it. I would write some down, and at this point I had this much done:

Gadrin my friend as I see you right there, I reflect on the time that I’ve spent with you here, From college to war and to death and then back, I realize the only thing that I do lack, I have riches and armors and food stuffs galore, And work and my friends and the priests of Pelor, I have everything that I could want in the land, The one thing that I want left is your hand.

It sounded pretty great, and I hit a roadblock so I changed locations again. I went to a lake and went out on a boat, lying there and wondering.

I hit inspiration again and finished my song.

I wrote this fair song right on here just for you, In the hope that you feel just the same as I do, We both do a lot, keep the other from harm, But now I just want to be here in your arms, I wrote you this song and then forged you a sword, And I hope that I make you feel like you’re a lord, Now there is one thing left my husband to be, My dear old friend Gadrin would you marry me?

I decided this was pretty great and headed on home to ask my friend to marry me.

So I headed on back to Bhaledur and entered our little home in the church. I was shocked to find Gadrin was not there, since it was around eight and we always would come back to mess around before we left for drinkin. Well I decided to look around our house. We had the wicker seats around the table, the strong oak table, the intricate lighting fixture. I went in the kitchen, the pots and pans and such sittin there like always. As I passed the bedroom, I decided to unpack and put everything away. I decided to stash the rapier under the bed, and found a large, blue cloth covered item, sittin there under our bed. I recognized the cloth as the same that the rings were in, and it had a G. B. on it. Realizing that that had meant the person I saw at Sluwth Peak was Gadrin, I knew he meant to ask me as well. I thought for a moment, and knew exactly what to do.

I took the sword, the rings, and Gadrin’s guitar with me as I left the house. I went to the little shop just outside the church and bought a large amount of candles. I went back to the house and made sure Gadrin hadn’t shown up yet. I left a note on the table, telling Gadrin to follow the candles. I started lighting candles and leaving a trail to the staircase, and up to the high spire of the church. I lit a ring on the edge of the spire and sat, strumming the guitar to the tune of my song.

I waited for about fifteen minutes, then heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I sat up, strumming the guitar as the person walked up the steps. I saw Gadrin’s face and immediately grinned in response to his slightly confused expression. I waited for him to come all the way up and then started my song.

“Gadrin my friend as I see you right there, I reflect on the time that I’ve spent with you here, From college to war and to death and then back, I realize the only thing that I do lack, I have riches and armors and food stuffs galore, And work and my friends and the priests of Pelor, I have everything that I could want in the land, The one thing that I want left is your hand.

He looked stunned, and I presented the rings to him. He took one, still not speaking, and looked at it. He put in on his finger and looked at it some more. He then fixed his gaze upon me and breathed a “yes”, understandably still a bit stunned by my song and the candles and everything. I put my ring on and they glowed a light purple for a moment before quieting down. He asked me if I had met the old man with the scar as well and I had. I walked up to him, looking into his deep brown eyes. We passionately kissed. When we finished, I pulled away to bring him the sword, unveiling it and handing it to him. He swung it about and such as a sword lover ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) might do, and voiced his admiration for my handiwork, telling me it was perfectly balanced.

We went back to our home and he told me to wait. He went and grabbed two things from the bedroom. He unwrapped one of them (both blue), revealing a frying pan. I held it, noticing it had a heft to it, but wasn’t unusable. It was actually really sweet he thought of that. I still have that pan, and use it all the time. Then he revealed a beautiful shield, intricately made and strong. It was a circular shield. It held my personal favorite symbol of Pelor, the circle with the points, which was raised and placed upon the metallic sheen of silver (the silver covering a stronger metal) as a nice golden contrast. It had runic symbols on the edges in celestial. They read something along the lines of “Great Pelor, protect the wielder from all forces of Evil, and help him/her to destroy it, wherever he/she may go.” It was a nice prayer, and for a moment, when I picked it up, it glowed.

Well, as in unspoken tradition, we played scrabble for a long while and slept in the next day. We announced it to our friends and family the next day, and got married two weeks later.

For our honeymoon, we went to Trilik Slopes. We saw these beautiful spires of stone, that seemed to be as red as fire in the morning, the light of the sun glinting off of it very well.

Then we went camping in the Ice Caves. We saw wonderful icicles and ice covered stalagmites and stalactites. We camped for a week. At one point, while climbing around in the caves, I passed an ice sculpture that looked strikingly like Pelor’s face. I turned to point it out to Gadrin but he was nowhere to be found. I turned back to the ice, and heard a voice in my head.

Unknown speaker: Thorin Dankil. Me: Yes? US: You told me once that if I helped you, you would do anything for me. I am calling upon you now. Me: Pelor? US: I am. Me: What may I do for you? P: I need you to leave for the ogre border in twelve days’ time. Me: Of course My Lord. Thank you for being so generous with the time. P: Remember, leave in twelve days’ time.

I returned to Gadrin and broke the news. He took it well, considering I might not return. Well I said goodbye to my family, and packed heavily. I left the meteorite with Gadrin, but I took most of our kitchen, my shield, my mace, several other things. And I left, traveling right to the border, and beyond.

About three miles in, I came across a not entirely uncommon sight. There was a large wagon that looked to be broken in by several ogres, judging by the amount of smashing done. It was burned at parts, indicating a shaman, so I was on my guard. Ya gotta always be on your guard around shamans. As I walked further along the trail, I found the ogre shaman, but with his head smashed in. By a war hammer to the looks of it. He was just lying there dead as a doornail, and I had respect for anyone who could take one out so efficiently as one blow, since I myself had seen the damage these creatures could do. Well I took the gold and spell things and such from his pockets, and continued along my way. Later, I saw a dwarf trying to take on no less than three ogres at the same time. It was actually impressive. He traded blows, this swipe went to that ogre, and this one to this ogre, and this one smashed in the skull of one of em. He took one down with his war hammer and continued. I decided to speak before helping, just in case it mattered.

Me: Hey. Unknown Dwarf: Hey. Me: You need some help there? UD: Nah I’m good. Me: You sure? UD: *getting pummeled by ogres* Yeah I’m sure. Mosey along Me: So what’s your name, stranger? UD: My name’s Braelof, don’t wear it *gets sucker punched* ooph. Out Me: Alrighty then *decides to help* Me&B: *take them down* B: I had ‘em on the ropes ya know, I didn’t need your help Me: yeah yeah i know. Hey, I’m on a quest for Pelor, any chance you’d like to come along? There’s gold and treasure and eternal glory in it for ya B: Fine. But I still had ‘em Me: alright

We left the ogre lands, leaving along the coast to a port town, where I met with other Priests and conversed with them. They suggested following the coast until something changed, for that was what they had done in their adventuring years. They reminisced for a while, and Braelof and I were on our way, picking up odd jobs like “save my daughter from the cave bear” and “return my family heirloom to me” and such.

Well later Braelof and I met up with Selidor, and he can tell you that story, and then Mialee, who can as well. And obviously you know how you got here, Myrtle.

[Author’s note: Myrtle is my adopted 6 or 7 year old daughter]

So yeah thanks for reading about me n such. Im suprised this all fit lol

#submission #dnd #backstories #deliciouslycookingrpgideas #thank you so much for submitting!#i edited it a tiny bit such as adding some italics for the song and bold for the speech so if you want me to change it back I will!!

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sportsandfitnessinfo · 7 years

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New Post has been published on http://fitnessandhealthpros.com/beauty/i-swapped-indie-beauty-for-sephora-products-and-the-results-were-cray/

I Swapped Indie Beauty For Sephora Products–And The Results Were Cray

A version of this article previously appeared on JacalynBeales.Com.

Approximately five years ago, I made the decision to go green and natural with my beauty. That meant ditching all “generic” beauty products for those typically only found online for $ 40 per jar/bottle, which further meant spending most of my monthly income on natural skincare.

Yes, it is as ridiculous but worthwhile as it sounds.

Then, three years ago, I stopped wearing makeup altogether and now only wear the odd bit of concealer when I feel I need it. Though I don’t spend nearly as much money on makeup as I do skin care, natural makeup products made with ingredients that are actually natural and palm-free can be a bit pricey, especially when you live in the snowy tundra that is Canada (for UK people, that’s a totally different country from the US, just sayin’) and most of those items are shipped from the United States.

But I digress.

Over the past five years, I’ve tried – and ditched – many a natural beauty product, not only for their greenwashed ingredient labels but also due to their ineffectiveness as a product overall. But my experience with natural skincare – and my commitment to it – has meant avoiding all of the brightly, albeit unflatteringly, lit stores such as Sephora, where most women my age go to play with makeup and drop their paychecks at the checkout counter on the way out.

Cynical? Who, me?

Even I am not immune, however, to the draw and pull of Sephora. Whenever I do have occasion to visit a Sephora store, it is often with a friend or family member, and I never fail to become extremely overwhelmed every time I walk into one. The selection and array of brands is unreal, but what may perhaps be most surprising to us green beauty junkies out there is the fact that Sephora actually carries a few natural brands – or, as close to “natural” as mainstream beauty stores can carry. For example, my recent trip to Sephora revealed shelves lined with Farmacy and Drunk Elephant products, in addition to other “indie” and cult brands like Herbivore Botanicals. Though these brands are quite expensive – the average price of their products starts at around $ 40 and only increases frighteningly from there – I have been known to spend $ 100 on facial serums that prove totally effective, so I bit my tongue and stepped down from my soapbox.

For every one natural brand in Sephora, there are five more completely unnatural ones, and watching my friends pick out products that are clearly made with only-God-knows-what was surprising; in fact, while watching other shoppers, I became fascinated by the lack of discerning taste in products. People like certain brands and products, and they stick to them. No judgment, just keen interest.

After speaking to one of my friends in the UK over a series of hilarious Snap Chats recently, she said something that truly resonated with me. To paraphrase, my friend put me in line by betting that I couldn’t last a week using Sephora-sold brands, and my head began to spin. She’s totally right, I thought to myself as I was applying my $ 65 facial oil that night; there’s no way I could do that.

So, of course, I challenged myself to two weeks of using only Sephora-sold beauty brands. And it kind of really sucked.

How It Went

Upon accepting this self-induced challenge, I made a trip to the mall and entered the Sephora store with immense trepidation – not only for my skin and hair, but also for my bank account. There was no way I was coming out of this challenge unscathed, and neither was my debit card.

Hurray!

As I was perusing each display of different brands and products – many of which were Korean, as is currently the latest trend in beauty and skin care – I kept in mind the type of products I was looking for: facial cleanser, face mask, moisturizer, dry shampoo, under-eye treatment, spot treatment, hair oil, facial oil, and concealer. I would try to acquire samples of each type of product where possible but also ended up buying a few full-size items due to lack of sample-availability.

Facial cleanser. The facial cleanser I purchased was the Clear Bloom Cleansing Oil from Farmacy, which starts off as an oil and eventually turns into a “milk-like” texture for cleansing purposes. It purports to be a makeup remover and cleansing oil, but it was the cheapest cleanser I could find that came in a bottle bigger than my thumb for the same price as others. Aside from the fact that the first 5-8 ingredients are just alcohols and things you seriously cannot pronounce without a sherpa to guide you through the ingredient label, the cleanser smells oddly like dirt and window cleaner mixed together and removed my makeup just about as well as a L’Oreal cleanser would.

So, not a great first start.

Face mask. The next product at hand was the Dr. Jart Water Replenishment Cotton Sheet Mask which, aside from making me look like a serial killer, was ridiculously difficult to use and smelt purely like chemicals, something I haven’t been accustomed to since my days as an over-the-counter, drugstore-beauty user. I purchased two of the masks and used them once each week and saw no visible results, but they did sting like a mo-fo and caused my skin to breakout, so I suppose there’s that.

The ingredient list on this mask (and other Dr. Jart masks) was also quite heinous, as was the fragrance, leading me to conclude that these masks need to go die a slow death somewhere, preferably not in the ocean where the obscene amount of plastic used to wrap these masks will likely end up.

Face moisturizer. After my skin was suitably dried out by both the cleanser and the mask, I needed to layer up with a decent moisturizer and settled on the Ultra Repair Cream from First Aid Beauty. I’ll fully admit here that this facial moisturizer made me swoon thanks to its uncanny ability to hydrate my skin all day long without causing my t-zone to imitate an oil spill. It has a subtle fragrance to it that, shockingly, didn’t overwhelm my nose all day, and it works awesomely under concealer. The ingredients in this bad boy are pretty much what you’d expect – not to natural – but I couldn’t help falling in love with it and I feel terribly guilty about that.

Dry shampoo. Next up was dry shampoo, and I have to tell you that my body was freaking ready for this. For some time leading up to this self-induced challenge (read: torture), I had wanted to try the new Dry Shampoo Foam from Ouai. I had seen the dry shampoo foam all over Instagram, as well as in many an online article, with rave reviews, and the devil’s advocate in me kept insisting that it would be more effective than the natural dry shampoos I own and use – though I’ve alway preferred a natural dry ‘poo to the artificial ones. Upon first using the foam, I was impressed; this was doing its job and I raved about it to friends on Snap Chat like it was my job. I watched the brand’s instructional video to learn how to properly apply and use the foam and felt myself actually becoming Jen Atkin…until I looked in the mirror 30 minutes minutes later.

Not only does the foam have a perfumed scent to it that is totally overwhelming and grandma-like, but the foam had actually made my hair greasier-looking than it was when I first applied the foam. Ouai claims that the dry shampoo foam will give you volume while cleansing the hair; the foam goes on wet but dries dry for a chic yet totally useless user experience that yields unfortunate results. I proceeded to use the dry shampoo foam for another five days – even on washed hair, for volume, as the brand’s video says you can do, and I trusted Jen Atkin because, well, she styles Kim K’s hair and for some reason that made me trust her? – and promptly tucked it away into the back of my bathroom drawer, never to see the light of day again. Is it possible for dry shampoo to make your hair look dirtier, even if it’s clean???? Because that’s what happened.

I should have trusted Sephora’s online reviews of the foam rather than a brief brand video, but I guess this only proves that I’m a sucker for dry shampoo. I’m also totally embarrassed by my semi-promotional snaps I subjected my friends to about this dry shampoo for literally no reason.

Did I mention the dry shampoo foam is $ 30/bottle? BECAUSE IT IS.

Hair oil. After the harrowingly greasy experience that was the Dry Shampoo Foam, I decided to give Ouai the benefit of the doubt and try the Hair Oil, thinking that not all Ouai products could be bad. And, honestly, for the most part, this hair oil isn’t actually that bad. Unless you factor in the smell. My god, the smell. Applying even the tiniest amount of this oil resulted in a head of hair that smelt as though I had dunked myself in a bath filled with floral oils of I-don’t-know-what-the-heck, and that made this hair oil difficult to use. I found leaving it in overnight was the best solution, but only when I was willing to sacrifice my first hour of sleep being kept up by the stench. So, basically, I used the oil five times and never, ever again.

Oh, and the first ingredient? It’s listed by the EWG’s database as being considered potentially harmful as well as tumor-causing in animals. So yeah…take that as you will.

Eye treatment. Following the hair oil was the under-eye treatment. For my bank account’s sake, I bought two of Sephora’s brand name eye masks in Pomegranate, which purport to tone and energize the under-eye area using, well, you guessed it: pomegranate extract. A salesperson at Sephora recommend it to me as a cost-effective and quick solution to pricey eye treatments, and the color of the packaging caught my eye (no pun intended), so into my Sephora basket they went!

As far as eye masks go, I was surprised by the results of this one; it actually brightened my under-eye area and made my usual bags look less severe. I was impressed by how simple they were to use as well, though they’re a bit slimy and the smell is quite strong. However, for $ 6 a pop, the results outweigh the low cost, and I’m ashamed to say I would buy this eye mask again.

But, you know, I never will, because the ingredient list is not so lovely.

Spot treatment. Moving onto the spot treatment, and my skin was ready for some TLC from a blemish-fighter that would [hopefully] help repair the not-so-stellar results of the cleanser and face masks. The lovely sales people at Sephora were kind enough to give me a sample bottle of the Super Spot Remover from Origins, as there was no way I was going to spend $ 25 on a bottle of gel with an ingredient list longer than my college application. Nah.

Like most generic spot removers, I found this one from Origins to have a slightly chemical-y smell with the ever-popular burning sensation typical of spot treatments which seek to burn the blemishes from your skin. Though it wasn’t entirely useless, as far as spot treatments go, I found it dried out my skin quite severely and worked best when applied over a facial oil at night. It did help to banish the odd blemish or two I experienced after using the face masks and cleanser, but I fear to think of the ingredients used and how dry my skin could potentially become with continued use of this spot treatment.

Facial oil. The facial oil in question was a sample of the U.F.O Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil from Sunday Riley, a brand I see on Instagram and beauty pages quite regularly. The oil purports to be a medicated dry oil which absorbs quickly and clears congested pores for problem prone skin. And while it did absorb into my skin quite nicely, I’m unsure as to where the “dry” part comes in. Within half an hour of using the oil, my skin not only became quite oily itself, but the oil did little to calm my naturally red cheeks. It was also next to impossible to use under makeup as part of a moisturization routine, and the smell was something else. Something not very good. Like burnt grass and tea tree oil mixed together. Was I losing it??

Considering a full-size, 35ml bottle of the oil costs $ 100 (before tax), I said a silent prayer of thanks to the sweet women as Sephora who were willing to give me a sample.

Concealer. When it came to concealer, I decided to purchase one that wasn’t at all natural – and doesn’t purport to be. It was, however, recommended to me by both friends as well as Sephora employees who swore by its effectiveness and ability to mattify the skin. So, needless to say, I was all for giving this concealer a go. It’s the Soft Matte Complete Concealer by NARS, and yet again I was able to get my hands on a small sample of it. The full-size container of the concealer goes for $ 38 a pop, but my small sample was enough to last me almost the two full weeks, and matched my skin quite well, in the color “Macadamia.”

Real talk: this stuff works. And I’m not at all ashamed to say that I would probably buy this concealer if it weren’t filled with ingredients I’m wary of putting on my own skin. It provided amazing coverage without drying out my skin and worked well as an under-eye concealer on days when my bags were particularly awful. It even did a great job of mattifying my skin, which was a welcomed surprise.

The Takeaway

Over the course of two weeks, I pampered my skin with Sephora-sold brands which were at times totally overhyped or completely justified, both in their pricing as well as their overall effectiveness.

Though my skin and hair don’t appear to have benefitted from the products I used, apart from the under-eye mask and concealer, which both pleasantly surprised me, I learned a very important lesson over the two weeks of this challenge; mainly, that many brands are pretty awesome at greenwashing, especially when the packaging they use to do it totally distracts from that greenwashing. I was disappointed to learn, for example, that the cleanser I was using had a palm derivative in it but made no effort in its packaging to attest to that. The ingredients in the hair oil also concerned me, and I found it slightly off-putting that something as simple as a hair oil could have potentially harmful ingredients.

Was I at all surprised that some of the more artificial and chemical-laden products worked well? Not really. But I didn’t expect to like them, let alone find them to be as effective as they actually were. And though I’m committed to using only natural products – I’m not-so-subtly glad for the challenge to be over – the two week period did help me to recognize why some people may be wary of ditching their tried-and-tested products (like concealers) for more natural options. Some of these not-so-natural products really do work, but it’s up to us as individuals to determine whether the risks and results from using artificial ingredients on our skin and hair are truly worth the temporary benefits.

No one made me “suffer” through two weeks of using Sephora-sold products, but I’m happy to have put myself through the “ringer” of not-so-natural beauty. Now, I’ll never have to wonder again what some of beauty’s most currently-coveted items are truly like.

Oh, and neither will my bank account. Don’t try this at home, kids.

Are you a green beauty convert?

Also by Jacalyn: The Moon Juice Cookbook Is As Woo-Woo As You’d Think–And I Love It

Related: Is Your Green Beauty Habit Actually A Fast Beauty Addiction?

Get the Glow–Not Clogged Pores: 3 Best Non Comedogenic Oils for Your Face

Get more like this—Subscribe to our daily inspirational newsletter for exclusive content!

Photo: Sephora, Tolph Cam, Fashionista, Mrs. James Recommends

After several years spent traveling the world, Jacalyn settled back in her native home of Toronto, Canada to earn her Degree in Classical Studies. A dedicated wildlife advocate, she has for the past three years written on the issues and conflicts threatening the world’s wildlife and advocates for the conservation of Africa’s lions. Jacalyn’s dedication to and involvement in wildlife activism inspired her to join the global movement of conserving wildlife and living an ethically conscious, eco-friendly lifestyle. As a writer, she has had many opportunities to report on wildlife conflict and, through her writing, raise awareness and become a voice for conservation. In 2014, Jacalyn founded the social media community called PACH, through which she works with global NGOs and NPOs whose efforts are helping to save Africa’s lion. Read Jacalyn’s work on www.jacalynbeales.com.

Originally at :Peaceful Dumpling Written By : Jacalyn Beales

#Beauty, #Cray, #Indie, #Products–And, #Results, #Sephora, #Swapped, #Were #Beauty

#Beauty #Cray #Indie #Products–And #Results #Sephora #Swapped #were

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alicornalice-blog · 7 years

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Guardians in the Dark Prologue: Once Upon a Light

Yeah, screw it, I’m posting the draft here. It has not been revised for grammar or anything yet. I’m just super pumped because this is the best it has been yet! After rewriting it, the third time is finally the charm I think.

Minor abuse warning, very mild language.

Genres/Themes: fantasy, adventure, family, friendship, forgiveness, predetermined destiny cause who doesn’t want that.

Guardians in the Dark

Prologue: Once Upon a Light

“Isn’t that the downer girl from your chem class?” the blonde one muttered to her red haired friend.

“Yeah, that’s Kana. She always works by herself, even when people offer to work with her. It’s really depressing” two girls said to each other.

“I heard that she used to actually be friendly.”

“It’s been ten years, why are people still talking about it?” Kana thought spitefully. With her gaze cast downward, she bumped into someone with long, wavy brown hair.

“Excuse me.” Kana mumbled anxiously, and tried to step around the girl. The brunette spun on her heel with her arm extended, pushing Kana back.

“I think I’m on my way to algebra.”

“Really, now? That’s hilarious, because I think you’re on your way to getting on my last nerve.” sarcastic venom dripped from her voice. Kana shrugged her shoulders, and

“Not that you really have much tolerance for anything, anyway.”

“You’ve always been a brat.” the brunette scoffed.

“You’ve always been a spoiled one.” Kana retorted with a glare.

“Better be spoiled than be resented.” she said with a wicked smirk “Don’t forget that I am the queen of this school, and you’re a nobody sophomore.” Once she saw that Kana was not going to respond, and clearly irritated, she walked off pretentiously with her heels clicking on the tile. Her bouncy hair whipped around, nearly smacking Kana on the face. Once Kana noticed that everyone was staring in her direction, she decided to escape to her classroom.

“H-Hey, Dad.” Kana turned to face him, and froze as her eyes met his furious brown ones.

“I went to the library, an-”

“You spent four hours at the library?” he interrupted, adjusting his glasses in a frustrated manner. His tone implied he did not believe the girl.

“I-I also went to a cafe.” Kana stuttered, gripping the strap of her backpack nervously.

“You’re sixteen! What makes you think you can do what you want, and not bother to tell us?” he shouted. Kana gave him a look of bewilderment before pulling her cell phone from her pocket.

“I-I did text you. I know I did.” she claimed, and cursed at her device upon seeing the ‘failed to send’ message along with many texts and attempted phone calls from her parents.

“Are you calling me a liar?” he scowled.

“No, I’m not. Look-” she tried to show her phone’s screen to her father, but he ignored anything she tried to explain.

“I don’t want to hear your excuses, Kana.” Kana felt her blood boiling at her father’s constant interruptions. She clenched her teeth.

“Well, it wouldn’t kill you to hear me out for once your life!” Kana yelled, and immediately felt a stinging sensation on her cheek as she fell to the floor. In that instant it had felt like time stopped. Kana was on the floor, trying to process the fact that her father had just slapped her across the face. Her mother gasped, and ran over to them.

“What are you doing?” her mother questioned, sounding shocked and concerned.

“She’s gotten way out of line with far too much freedom. Hana wouldn’t pull this crap on us.” her father remarked “At the rate you’re going, you will always be a disappointment to me.” Kana refused to meet his hateful gaze. She brought herself to her feet, and ran out the door without a word.

“Kana, wait!” she heard her mother call. Tears began to well up in her green eyes.

“Don’t waste your breath, she’s worthless!” her father shouted, intending for Kana to hear as she ran away into the dark forest.

With the moon as her only natural light source, Kana was forced to use her phone’s flashlight feature to find her way around. She had never ventured so deep into the woods before; therefore, never realized how thick the forest really was. Leaves of warm colors began to scatter over the ground. The air was chilly, as a breeze cut through her lightweight hoodie. Kana pulled the zipper all the way up, and tucked her hands into the soft pockets.

“What am I doing?” she thought sadly “I have nowhere to go.” it was then that a droplet of water struck her on the nose, then the cheek, and so forth. Soon the rain began to fall. Mud stuck itself onto her legs and shoes as she ran through the forest in search of shelter. Her hair and clothes quickly got soaked before she found refuge inside of a damp, mossy cave.

“Of course it started raining.” she complained aloud. Kana sat along the stone cave wall, bringing her knees to her chest. The girl sulked for a few minutes, debating what to do now that she had nowhere to go. The only sound aside from her sniffling was the current rainstorm. Another chilling gust blew by, causing her to shiver. Kana began digging through her backpack for a red lighter she kept on hand. There was no hope for firewood that late into the rainstorm, so she also pulled out some of her notebooks, and placed them on a dry piece of ground. After struggling to get the lighter to ignite, she set fire to them. The tiny flame flickered for only a few minute, filling Kana with a tiny bit of pride before dying out. This left the girl with a very small disappointing pile of ashes.

“Damn it!” she cursed, throwing her head back as she groaned in frustration. Kana rested her back against the wall once again, and closed her eyes. She had tried taking deep breaths to calm herself, but nothing was relieving her of her stress. She was carrying no more than $28 in her wallet. She couldn’t go anywhere, afford anywhere, and had no one to go to. Then her phone vibrated in her hand, signalling that a text had just come through. Kana only glanced at the screen long enough to see it was her mother. More than likely, she was either asking where Kana was, or to come home. She looked at the screen sadly before tucking it away into the abyss of her backpack. Kana’s head had fallen into her hands.

“I really should have been the one.” she thought pessimistically “Hana could have been so much more than I can ever be.” it was then that a light began to glow deep within the cave. It was a dim, yellow light, but it caught Kana’s attention enough to bring her to her feet. She was like a moth being guided toward a flame. Whatever was waiting at the end of the tunnel could have been one of two things: something that would help, or something that would harm her.

“How typical.” Kana commented. She knelt beside the glowing swords to observe them more closely, and had tried to read what was written, but could only make out the words ‘light’ and ‘dark’. Curiosity had gotten to her, so she reached for one of the swords. The moment her hand came into contact with the sheath, Kana was surrounded by a yellow light, and an indescribable feeling took over her. The girl couldn’t help but scream in terror. It was a painful experience, yet it also filled her with a strange warm feeling. Once Kana believed that this experience may be her last, she submitted to the unexplainable light, and let her vision fade to darkness.

#GITD #guardians in the dark #kana #prologue #abuse warning #katana #light #fantasy #adventure #family #friendship #bullying #rough draft

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vidusha-seewoo · 8 years

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A peek @ Digital Media

In the fast-moving computer-generated world of animated, moving image and digital media design explore who are the pioneers? What are the current trends? What does the future hold, eg virtual and augmented reality?

1. The pioneers

Having watched Onedotzero, Why Not and Kyle Cooper, I was motivated to find out about the starting point of digital media, I went through the book pioneers of digital and found out about Jaron Lanier, Danny Sullivan, Kyle MacDonald, Martha Lane Fox and Stephen Fry who were major stepping characters in the innovation of moving images.However, from the research follow-up, I came across famous figures such as Kyle Cooper, Garson Yu, Karin Fong, Daniel Kleinman, David Carson and Stefan Sagmeister.

Further to that, I was personally inspired by Pablo Ferro. He’s a director, an editor, a producer, an animator, a special effects pioneer—a magician at communicating feeling. Well, Pablo Ferro has been stirring, haunting, compelling, entertaining and indeed scaring movie audiences for decades. He is the original magician.His title sequences that such as Dr. Stranglove, Men In Black, Good Will Hunting, Beetlejuice among others.

His use of typography and image. His sense of colour and style.His animation and editing technique. The way he presented himself and contributed to the design community? Ferro is so much more than an artist. And to label him a ‘graphic’ designer is an insult as he uses much more than mere graphics.

Largely a self-taught artist, Ferro’s background in illustration, comics and advertising, combined with his hippy-dippy lifestyle and truly bizarre life experiences which gave him a unique vantage point from which to move into motion picture graphics.

Kyle Cooper, whose opening sequences on movies like Spider Man, The Mummy and of course Se7en, which is considered a landmark of title design. But it is Pablo Ferro who I believe deserves closer study. It is Pablo Ferro these masters would turn to for inspiration and reference their work against.

The “retro” style so popular again in movie credits and title typography lately? Who do you think they’re emulating?

It is Pablo Ferro who introduced narrative and nonlinear dimensions in movie title design. And it was Pablo Ferro who inspired and paved the way for many title sequence, animation, motion graphics and graphic designers of today.

Movie titles are so much more than credits—they are the audience’s introduction and first impression. Title sequences take a variety of forms, from hauntingly beautiful to sublime, from ridiculous to hilarious, even shocking and hard to watch. Opening titles have become an important part of storytelling, no longer just credits to communicate title and actors’ names.

I think it’s wonderful that the man whose artistry was behind so many amazing movie credits finally gets the credit he deserves. Now the world will better know the power of design and the legend of the man with the red scarf, Pablo Ferro.

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2. The trends

(a) . Acer tactile exhibition

We now live in a contemporary era where every idea is explored and recreated and stylised to please either the creator or the viewer.

An exhibition of digital artwork exploring the theme of tactility and touch, to promote the launch of new Acer products.

Mother London had approached onedotzero to curate and produce an exhibition of digital and contemporary artwork that explored the theme of tactility and touch. The resulting series of interactive installations all responded to guests’ movement and touch in a variety of guises.

The 'Tactile' event saw Acer showcase its new range of Windows 8 touch-type products alongside bespoke interactive touch installations to an audience of press, PR and industry influencers at London's Science Museum.

This video shows you to what extent technology is fused with creativity so as to promote and enhance product overview.It triggers the senses of the viewer.

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The following installations were showcased:

sonUmbra by Loop.pH - an intricate lacework of electroluminescent fibre that subtly responds to movement and sound levels in the surrounding environment.

puShy by Roberto Pugliese – an example of how to transform the tactile exploration of a physical object into a performative and collective sound-making activity.

Dune by Studio Roosegarde – an interactive landscape of light, which brightens according to the sounds and motion of people.

Oasis by Everyware – in this micro-world, virtual creatures are born, live and perish, responding to peoples' touch in various ways.

Nervous Structure by Cuppetelli+Mendoza – a projection mapped elastic structure that warps and sways with the user’s movement.

Engine 26 by Daniel Hirschmann - a collaborative tool that allows the combination of pattern, structure, colour, context and process to produce versioned artworks manipulated by a user’s movement.

Cloud Pink by Everyware – a touch sensitive fabric spilling colourful inks and sprays into the clouds above.

(b) . channel 4 — turner prize

It involves a selection of promos for channel 4’s broadcast of the turner prize award ceremony, 2011 – 2015 by why not associates and Brian Harrington.

The trend in digital media consists of editing, 2D animation and compositing executed in house. direction and photography. It is to be noted that Typography has been enhanced and delivered in such a way that it complements the background to prove its point.

3. whats NEXT?

So what does the future hold, eg virtual and augmented reality?

The future of media is quickly changing right before our very eyes. Digital is taking over the world, and the generational shift is in full effect as millennials and Generation X grow older and smartphones, computers, and tablets become the primary outlets for media consumption.

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Advertisers are looking at using augmented reality as part of a marketing drive in order to attract new customers as well as retaining existing ones. This means developing an in-depth knowledge about their intended customers; who they are, what they need and why they need it. That knowledge leads to understanding their browsing habits and the triggers for buying. Consumers are increasingly open to augmenting their world with offers and information, even if Google Glass came too soon.

The expense of pulling off an Augmented Reality campaign pales in comparison to traditional print or broadcast advertising and establishes a longer-lasting, deeper connection with your consumers via an emotional connection, which in the end turns to more repeat business and sales. Here are the real reasons to think hard about utilising an AR campaign.

Innovation: it’s always good to be first on the market. What AR is offering isn’t just a one-off ad campaign. This is a cutting edge approach by a destination marketing group, the first of its kind, to use augmented reality to change consumer’s perception. Whenever the industry catches on, nobody else will have been first, and whoever chose an AR advertising will be looked at as innovators.

Inexpensive: Print advertising in magazines tends to be significantly more expensive than online or digital ads.

Emotional Connection: AR takes marketing strategies to a more immediate and sensory level with customers, allowing greater interactivity in the selling and buying process. AR can create an emotional connection between what the buyer is searching for and what the product can offer. In short, it gives the product a personal feel when consumers can picture it in their own world.

Driving Sales: In many ways, AR brings offline experiences to online sales by enhancing the experience and driving brand visibility. Imagine hundreds of people sharing photos of your product on their social media platforms every day!

#digitalmedia

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