#i am also the one that cleaned out our bookcase for books to sell to get some extra funds hopefully even if just a little

[crownedcroweprince]

...

[homestaginginlasvegas]

5 Easy Facts About Contemporary Furniture Las Vegas Described

I am so happy that there is ultimately a business that installs wheels on furniture, I began with just one item but I am so delighted I am planning to set…

Lookup no far more... A handful of weeks in the past my partner and I had been hunting for a couch and love seat. We had long gone to several distinct stores and stopped at…

The period “mid-century modern” is a standard period for furniture and design that grew to become common during the mid-twentieth century. It was very first Utilized in the fifties and was most popular from 1955 to 1975.

In addition to this, modern bookcases and chest drawers are so efficient and multipurpose parts of furniture give your Place a completely modern search. These are available in many styles and layouts and are created of different fabrics. Even 100 percent wooden furniture is well readily available on the net.

This can be the location to go if you want high quality, ideal assistance and unbeatable selling prices. I am a returning purchaser, And I cannot be happier! Thanks.

We provide high-top quality Scandinavian models that cannot be identified in any place else in Las Vegas. View our gallery to discover the furniture that matches your preferences.

Modern furniture structure has existed for quite a while. It’s time and energy to seem back again to the background of contemporary furniture and see where it all commenced. It was motivated by the Bauhaus movement and the industrial revolution, which focused on clean strains and straightforward designs.

Our range of recliners (recliner couches) and finish tables are ideal for unwinding after a long working day. You may additionally choose to include one among our sleepers in the purchase. It is probable to cram more people or put your ft up on our u-formed couch even during the smallest of locations. A number of our sectionals also element remaining facing chaise or proper experiencing chaise.

This business has the lowest price range. I've invested the time contacting throughout the town and Cut Level is the greatest. After they fixed my window, I could not…

Modern furniture in Las Vegas - high-quality Scandinavian and Italian furniture - pay a visit to our showroom for just a wide variety for all rooms of your house.

The click here people search characteristic on Superpages.com is briefly unavailable. You could still look for folks on yellowpages.com considering that Telephone books and Superpages are Elements of one business.

I lastly went to this store now! I'd often heard they were very expensive nevertheless the sofa I procured was one/2 off and made in the USA. I might…

This store has quite possibly the most versatile selection of furniture, rugs, art and accent parts exhibited Wonderfully as a result of out the store. If you do not see Anything you are seeking they may have many catalogs from which to choose. I discovered an exceptionally high-priced Italian Bedroom Established online I desired but the fee was from my cost variety!

Several of the most reputed stores also offer the most affordable selling price assurance on modern furniture in Las Vegas. So, if you invest in them, you'll be able to be confident of the lowest rates.

[skittles1229]

THE EVER CHANGING STORY OF LUNARIS (reader insert romance)

SOME OF THESE CHARACTERS AND PLACES ECT. DO NOT BELONG TO ME, THEY WERE MADE BY LUNARIS GAMES FOR THE INTERACTIVE VISUAL NOVEL "WHEN THE NIGHT COMES" AVAILABLE EITHER FROM THIER WEBSITE OR ON ITCH. THE COVER IS ALSO FROM LUNARIS GAMES (ITS THIER PIN SET FOR SALE ON THIER SITE)

https://www.wtncgame.com/collections/pins-charms/products/wtnc-holo-sparkle-charms

This is a project I started to maintain my boredom so ill be using the characters from a really great visual novel called when the night comes written by lunaris. go check it out! ill be writing about all the characters including you being the x reader. after I've introduced the plot and characters and if i have enough readers, ill let you guys pick who I right the first romance ending with, the endings will probably have a bit of smut so if your just wanting to know the story you don't have to read the romantic endings

____________________________________

Chapter One: Unwelcome Start

        My feet are killing me and its hot and dark, I'm walking through unfamiliar woods. All I can smell is tree leaves decaying and pine. To fill you in without telling you my life story and having a pity party, I'm one of the few shifting Dire Wolves left. We are a dying breed since people and monsters were coexisting now, I'm over joyed about the mixing of the populations but as the wolves breed with humans our ability to shift is slowing leaving as the generations grow. I on the other hand wasn't liked by much of anyone. I grew up around old town human folk. Both parents had been killed by townsfolk and luckily the little who girl found me as a puppy was nice enough to bring me to her home. That little girl became my life. Her blonde hair reminded me of wheat in the fall and she smelled of old moth balls and freshly cooked bacon. Kasey was a lonely child born a bastard and then left alone when her mom left into town one day. She didn't come home that night. She had the kindest eyes. They say eyes are the window to the soul and hers was broken and glued back together so many times that you couldn't recognize her original beauty. She brought me to a little cabin back in the woods where I stayed with her and her grandmother.  I stayed out of school because at the time freaks weren't exactly normal. I learned everything through Kasey and her homework as I grew up. We played in the old field through the woods and down an old forgotten gravel road. She would always tease me about my ears but she loved my big bushy tail. Kasey was a pure soul and sometimes id have to remind her how special she was especially during the times to come. She became ill in late fall, losing her ability to walk and becoming more and more pale from the lack of sunlight. We were told she had an immune issue that couldn't be fix with the medicine we had then and magic was a cure but was also out of the question since anyone who was seen as a witch was seen as a harm to the community and burned at the stake. It wasn't that way in the big towns with lots of people coming and going bustling about, but down here in the boon dock of the forgotten swamp everyone had the same opinion. anything new and different was and and therefore had to be destroyed.

         When I was around six Kasey succumb to her unfortunate circumstances in her sleep and she took her welcome with her. I think that maybe it was one of the few mercies I've ever seen god do for someone. After she died the grandmother, already being on her last years, passed not long after that. With nothing holding me to that little shack in the woods I moved on. I was never given a name and so along the way I've figured out who and what I am. Remind me to tell you that one later on, I've been walking for a few days with my satchel made from rabbit fur with old shoe laces holding it together, Kasey in her better days stayed bored in her old pink bedroom reading the same book she had on the old bookcase in the living room. Her grandmother went to the market in town most days to sell her vegetables. she would bring us home sweets and toys. For Kasey's birthday she bought her a bag of fabric rabbit fur and some thread and needles to teach her to sew hoping that would cure her boredom. A few months before she passed, she hurriedly finished off the synch bag with one of her shoelaces from her boots. That bag is the one I have with me now. My clothes and few days worth of food is in it as well. I had been shifted into my wolf form going on 48 hours now and my (F/C favorite color ) fur was now stained with mud and leaves from the nights sleep in a dug out hole. The last sign of civilization was back in my home town. it was now night time again and had seen no sign of a town any where close. It was getting dark and my joints were burning from the pain of walking. I quickly found a soft spot in the ground digging up a little hole to lay in for the night. The woods around me creaked with shifting wood and wind rustling the foliage. Harry had become the governor a while back suddenly disappeared recently in his home base in Lunaris. That's where Kasey's grandmother went for hours everyday to be a part of the market so I decided to see if there was anywhere I could stay and maybe get a job and start a life for myself. All this time I had no real name, Kasey never named me. She wanted me to be able to choose it for myself and I'm now 20 in human years. Our bodies aged in human instead of dog years another kind of pro with the watering down of the generations. I had gone through all of Kasey's family and school friends, even people she heard the name of by passing by in church, I'd heard all the names and thought about them and said them all out loud the see how they role off the tongue and I finally settled on (Y/N) tonight. 

      I had fallen asleep at some point and shifted back into human form curling around my bag to protect it from the outside. Suddenly the ground around me started to shake and the foliage covering the entrance to the den started to shake loose and fall in. At this point I'm wide awake and have my back to the wall and head in a snarl towards the entrance not knowing why or what had shaken the ground so harshly. I smell a fowl smell that reeks of something I've never smelled before. It began to burn my nose like alcohol or whatever grandma had in the wash rooms for spring cleaning. I heard twigs breaking and a long groan that howled with the wind. My heart was racing not knowing what to expect to come through the entrance and that's when I saw the light from the moon blocked by a large shadow. I braced for a fight when suddenly it let out a yelp of pain as I see two or three other shadows chase it to the right of the hole. Lots of yelling from men and women can be heard along with lots of new smells. All of them had hints of sweat and fear but some of them were odd. One was carried in on a breath of lavender and honey and the other of burnt wood like a fire place. One also smelled like chocolate and for a split second I smelled the familiar canine sent, Another wolf or maybe a half breed Lykan. I laid there and listened as the group seemed to quickly dominate whatever that creature was and if there's a group of hunters then there has to be a town. I wait for the noise to die out before I stick my head out of the hole to check my area. I look at the position of the moon and start to get a better idea of how long I was asleep. I think it must have been at least 3 in the morning. I grabbed my bag and pulled myself out of the hole, shaking off loose dirt and changing myself back into that big furry wolf I've become used to and walk towards where I heard the commotion to catch the scent of where they had gone. The creature they fought was dead on the ground covered in its black oozing blood. It looked like a genetic mutation of some kind gone very wrong and the smell almost could knock you out, if your a dog that is. I heard a snap of a twig in the distance and that's when I caught the scent of a dying summer, decaying flowers and dying memories. 

      I see a blue glow coming from an object a few feet in front of me hidden in the darkness of the trees, whatever it was it made it very clear that I was unwelcome and that I was seen as a threat. I bent neck down feeling the hair along my spine start to stand on end as I snarled my teeth in the direction of the ominous blue glow. Suddenly the tense feeling in the air dropped, you could feel the tension melt away and in that second the strange creature pushes forward into the moonlight. A man with golden eyes and a mechanical arm moves forward looking with his hands raised. "My names Finnegan and I know you wont hurt me because your not just any wolf am I right?" The sudden question brushes me as weird and out of place but regardless it only makes me all the more persistent that he not come any closer. He stops in his tracks and sits in the tall grass he had been previously standing in. We sat there like that for what seems like forever and he seemed to feel talkative because he asked question after question. I looked around to think of what direction I wanted to go in order to get away from here .

     "You know it would be easier to go to Lunaris." he said picking at something under his nails. I look at him tilting my head, can he hear my thoughts? I didn't think humans could do such things but he didn't look like a human. Not with the fangs like that and those pointed ears. "No I'm not human I'm a vampire, I live in Lunaris with my friends. I actually have a Lykan friend as well so you wont be alone." I bent my ears back in annoyance, tired of the vamp imposing on my thoughts. I decided I would speak with him but not in this form. As a Lykan I could still stay able to protect myself and be able to speak to this other freak of nature in front of me. In order to do so I'd have to get away from this vampire long enough to cover myself. Almost instantly the vamp got up causing me to jump. "There's a graveyard a little ways from here, you can shift and change in the maintenance shed. As I'm sure you heard earlier there are some odd creatures in these woods so ill walk you to town myself. Then I can take you to Ezra and have him give you a once over." he began to walk and turned around about five feet away to ask if I was going to follow, I decide that this town might be a start to a weird series of events. We made our way through the woods to a small path of cleared trees and some sand, we followed that to the graveyard behind a large church like building and that's when I saw the small shed. "I'll stand behind the shed towards the woods I'm sure nobody is awake so you shouldn't have to worry about townsfolk." I shifted back into my Lykan form and hurry into the shed. My (hair length) (H/Color) hair fell over my face as I shoved myself into my tight jeans and put my long sleeve white shirt on. my ears still sat on the top of my head and my tail is swishing back and forth in anticipation of how this town was going to accept a new comer and a freak at that. I threw on the hoodie I had found hanging on a tree on my way out of my old town, probably left by one of the boys in the old town. I smoothed my fur down and walked out of the shed with my bag in my hands, I peaked my head around the corner and caught the golden eyes of the man called Finnegan as he's leaned against the shack with his arms crossed. 

      I walk up to him with my arm wrapped around my bag and offered him the other. "My names (y/n), sorry about the weird introduction but I really just have no clue where I am or where I'm going." he grinned and studied me before opening up and talking again. "You cleanup really well don't you (y/n)." I simply lowered my head as a response and shrugged my shoulders. " It would suck to have to stay as wolf all the time because I'm just to ugly to look at as a Lykan." he laughs flashing his fangs and approaching me and taking my hand pulling me closer to him to where we were inches apart. "Ugly is one thing you aren't, if your this pretty as a Lykan then I cant wait to see you in human form" he then snuck his arm around my waist turning me around as he began to walk to the town. "How did you know I could do that?" I stopped him and I could see his grin form as he turned around to meet my eyes. "I've been alive a long time (y/n).  when the old man who sired me was alive he'd tell us stories of the dire wolves that lived in the forest in the mountains. He would tell us stories of how they had almost repopulated in a town not far from here, completely unannounced to the world growing among the town folk." he looked away suddenly his essence changed from one of wisdom and confidence to one of remorse and sadness. He began to walk once again motioning for me to follow. "That is until the townsfolk caught wind  of such rumors. He banded together the higher ups and went through exposing half the town to be," he grimaces as if saying the name leaves a sour taste in his mouth, "werewolves as the humans put it."  We had just made it through a small alley leading too a large stone road. This is the first time I've heard the real story aloud of what happened to my parents that day. Suddenly I  didn't feel much like talking anymore and the vampire noticed this as we made it to the closed up and dark market side of town. Large tents and shacks were on both sides of the road, I'm sure it looks much nicer when its open and bustling with people. "I'll have to show it to you." he says suddenly again answering my thoughts as if id said them aloud. "You know Finn I love your interest in me but I think its kind of of rude to read others thoughts right?" His eyes suddenly dart away and clears his throat, "Not if the person has particularly loud thoughts but I do see what you mean. Nasty habit it is, been aiming to fix that." We both laugh for a bit and then he heads for a door on the right side of the road raising his metal arm to touch the door. When his hand makes contact, Finn says a few words in another language and his arm burst to  life flowing with blue lights. The door makes a noise and a shield seams to lower into Finn's hand as he opens the door. He pulls me in and I'm immediately overwhelmed at the smells around me, some fragrant like perfumes and others dirty like burning wood. He had shelves of boxes and books, homemade spells and food with jars of candy lining the shelves.

     Finn puts the wards back up and leads me to the kitchen where he sits me down at the wooden table across from the couch and the wall covered in art work, "Wait here while I run upstairs and get the witch you just relax and think if anything hurts or needs to be looked at." with Finns vampy speed skills he vanishes up the stairs to get this so called witch, I certainly do hope I don't meet the same fate as my parents once did in this town years ago. I here rustling and movement up the stairs as a dark skinned man comes running to me with worried eyes and open arms. he cups my face in his hands and scans me over for any sign of blood or wounds. "Finnegan she looks alright, you made her out to be as if she'd been attacked." He looks back at Finn letting go of my face in order to hit him in the head just enough to scuffle his hair. He then turns around to me and straightens up his robe and his curly mop of hair, I hold out my hand to introduce myself and he grabs it with both hands pulling me in with a smile. "I'm Ezra and this my little spells and Knick knack shop." he has a strange contagious happiness that causes my worries and doubts to slip away. He rubs his hand through my hair making his way to my ears checking for ticks and mites since my ears are much different  from human ears. "Are you ok," He says we a worry filled smile and motions me to sit down, I obey as my feet have become numb after so many days of walking. He reaches into his shelves and pulls  out a kettle and a metal box of herbs and tea bags for homemade blends. "Go on love what happen? Why are you out in the woods at this hour?" I yawned in response of all their questions and simply said, "No disrespect Ezra but I'm exhausted and my feet are throbbing, I think the walking has caught up to me." He nods knowing what I mean. Ezra hands me a cup of tea and some cookies from a jar up in the cabinet. "Right I'm sorry. Let me help Finn out and I'll come back and run you a bath with herbs and salts to get you well rested and ready for tomorrow." He and Finn stepped to a hatch underneath the rug in Ezra's common quarters.  I took a few cookies sneaking them into my bag so that I can eat them later as well, they were ( favorite kind ) cookies and i couldn't resist the temptation to stuff my face. 

        Finn calls my name waving as he disappears into the hole and Ezra closes it back up and covers it again. "Alright now to get you all set, come with me up stairs." I follow behind slowly hating every step up those stairs but it was well worth it when I made it. He had a big circle tub surrounded in stone, it looked to be able to fit two people and the water come up pretty high. The twinkling lights hanging from the ceiling were different shades of blue purple and pink with a magical blue flamed candle hanging on the wall in a glass case. The tub was filled with steaming water and flower petals, the room smelled of pine and mint with citrus chopped up into slices and dropped into the water. Bubbles had covered the top of the water like snow and smelled like lavender and honey. His bathroom was pure happiness and love expressed in his home. "Now this bath should help your muscles not be sore in the morning and it should help you fall asleep tonight, I hate to ask but should I check you for ticks or scratch's anywhere on you?" I shrugged as my body was still covered in fur and it could be hiding anything but I was so self conscious about my body that I wouldn't dare ask for his help with this task. I point my head down and hugged myself as if to comfort myself. Ezra looked at me with kind eyes and hands me a towel, "Its ok if you aren't comfortable with it, just promise me you'll come and let me take any off for you. They carry lime disease and other things that can harm you!" as he goes to grab the handle to leave I grab his arm. I muster up all the courage I can and whispered, "Can you stay and help me Ezra?" He smiles and blushes slightly, wrapping me in a hug, "of course!" He closes the door and stays turned around as I take my clothes that I have on now off and grab the robe from the wall and cover myself. "Alright your ok to look now." I say in a small voice. "Alright I'm gonna start with your legs and work my way up and after your done you can use my cats flea shampoo to make sure everything is clean and gone. I nod my head agreeing and let him begin, he rubs his soft hands over my paw pads massaging as he goes looking for any bumps or imperfections. He comes across a tick that had made itself at home on my inner thigh , he poked and prodded at it for a few minutes but it was resistant to all his attempts. "You know fur is great but I just don't think I could do a full body of it." He laughs and I return his joke with a giggle of my own. "Would it be easier if there was no fur?" I ask searching his face for his reaction.  At first he looks confused and he seemed to be racking his brain for what I could be saying. "Well I'm certainly not going to shave you if that's what your asking." he smiles and we both laugh. I trusted Ezra I didn't sense any type of misjudgment or threat coming from this simple witch. 

     I began to shift into my human form and my leg grew smaller in his hand and the once thick course fur is now bare soft human skin. The robe that was a perfect fit before, is now hanging down off my shoulders. It draped around me like a sheet and Ezra had stayed quiet so far, only staring wide eyed and enchanted at the sight. My hair falls in front of my face as I smile at him, "Is that any better?" He's still not said a word so far, just staring at my face and rubbing my legs searching for the fur that was no longer there. "Now how did you do that? spell? hallucinations? Are you even a wolf?" He seems stunned and unsure of what to say, he did however have lots of questions some of which I could answer and others was searching for myself. We talked while taking the ticks that had made themselves at home on me off finally, burning them as he went. his hands glided over me like soap and his hands felt like heaven against my skin.  "I'm honestly stunned I didn't think of it before you told me, I remember in school they use to mention small things about dire wolves but they never dove into that chapter which I guess was because you guys were believed to have died out long ago. but behold!" he places some bubbles on my he'd and smiles so wide that his eyes look squinty. "your here1 So obviously the world didn't lose all of its beautiful one of a kind dire wolves." What a sweet happy minded guy, he seemed to only be able to see the silver lining and if he could see the other side of things then he hides his emotions very well. It didn't take much for the mud and dirt that was previously there to fall away into the soapy water. Ezra had gone to make himself a cup of tea and was waiting in his room for when I was done. My hair had been shampooed and I washed my body with the bar of soap sitting on the side of the tub. It was green and purple but see through, there was a small flower in the middle and there seemed to be small beads in the soap that came out as you washed. It smelled like roses and vanilla, the smell reminded me of Ezra. Soon I got out and dried myself off with the lavender towel Ezra had left behind, throwing the robe on and heading to where Ezra had said his room was. He had laid out a large t-shirt and a pair of women's shorts? I hadn't seen a women in here before and no-one had said anything about a wife or girlfriend ... maybe they were a friend of his, at least that's what I'm hoping. As soon as my head hit the soft feather pillow I drifted off into a deep sleep, filled with dreams of of cookies, flowers, and Ezra? oh, Finnigan as well. Seems I simply cant escape the happenings of tonight or the past. My memories slowly drift back to that little blonde haired girl I had loved once before.

(A/N) The picture at the top is of the characters mentioned in this from the game when the night comes. if you haven't read it You should defiantly take a look before you dive into this so that you can fall in love with the characters before reading other peoples interpretations of their personalities. I personally feel like I couldn't dream of reaching the level of dedication that the creator of the game had for their characters.

I also have a second chapter out on wattpad you can find it here.

https://my.w.tt/i2iNayX8mbb

[ericsonclan]

A Visit to the Library

Summary: It's a quiet day at the library for Santiago, the librarian mothman, when a surprise visitor comes a'knocking.

Word Count: 1664

Read on AO3:

It was a quiet day in the library. Usually each period had at least a few students using their study hall to cram for a test or research their latest project, but the post-break blues must be hitting everyone pretty hard since there hadn’t been anyone except the occasional student dropping off overdue books and it was almost noon. Santiago eyed the clock suspiciously, wondering if that was really the time. He’d reset the clocks himself come daylight savings, but still… checking his phone though, he confirmed that it was indeed almost lunchtime.

Absentmindedly munching on his sleeve, the librarian wondered to himself how much of that bag of flour was left in the break room. He’d heard it was up for grabs and it was sure to make a tasty snack. Pausing mid-munch, Santiago looked down at his sweater in horror, realizing he’d nibbled yet another hole into his sweater. Tutting to himself, his antennae twitching in annoyance, Santiago tried his best to stretch the fabric around the hole to hide it better. There was a pretty significant chunk missing; it was no use. Sighing, Santi let his chin fall into his hands. This was his favorite sweater. He really didn’t want to eat it beyond the point of recognition.

A turning doorknob had Santiago’s antenna thrumming at the sound, the hairs on his wrists standing up as he looked over curiously to see what student had come begging a late fee be waived this time. Instead it was not a student at all, but an adult. Santiago adjusted his glasses, squinting with interest at the fine specimen in front of him. He’d seen this man at faculty meetings before but their paths hadn’t crossed yet. He was the PE teacher and also the coach of one of the school teams, Santi couldn’t remember which.

The man glanced round the library, looking lost, then his eyes met Santiago’s. “Oh, hi there. You’re the librarian right, Mr. Gutierrez? I noticed a bunch of books on top of the lockers in the boys changing room and figured I would return them,”

“Thoughtful of you, but you shouldn’t have,” Santiago came out from behind the desk to help the man with the books. “Usually I just let those books sit up there till the end of the school year then when the students clean out their lockers and are forced to finally return them I really hit them with the late fees,”

“How passive aggressive of you,” the coach replied with a wry smile.

Santi shrugged. “It’s the little things in life that bring the most joy. Besides, late fees go toward the budget for new books. Thank you regardless for the gesture, Mr…”

“Garcia. You can call me Javi though,” Javi offered his hand, shaking Santi’s firmly.

“Santi,”

“Nice to officially meet you. I never really see you outside the library,”

“What need is there for other pursuits when I have books?” Santiago shrugged, a sardonic smile upon his face. He looked down at the titles of the returned books. “Hmmm, some of these have been gone for quite some time. I remember getting them down for the students too. They belong up on the shelves in the back,”

“I could get them up there if you need help. I have pretty long arms,” Javi offered.

Santiago gave him a quick once over. “Indeed. Well, I’m certainly not one to turn down help. To the forbidden recesses of the library we go!” With that he turned on his heel, leading the way. He called it this section “the forbidden recesses” whenever someone needed something back there simply to spice things up. Truthfully, this section didn’t look that much different from all the others, neat and tidy and well dusted. Santi was a fastidious duster when it came to the shelves even though the dust brought out his allergies. Stopping in front of the appropriate bookcase, he pointed to the top shelf. “The first volume goes right there,”

“Right. Uhhh…” Javi looked upwards, thinking through his options. Grabbing a chair, he stepped on top of it and stretched to his full height, trying to get the book in place. Santiago leaned back against the bookshelf across from him, admiring Javi’s determination. And the view. When Javi successfully tipped the book into place his tail began to wag in glee.

Santi bit his lip. So cute.

“I did it!” Javi declared, smiling proudly. “Where does the next book go?”

“Two bookcases over, second shelf from the top. Though in the name of complete transparency, I must admit that there actually is a ladder for the top shelves,” Santiago pointed over to the ladder itself, tucked snugly between two bookshelves.

“Oh. That makes sense. Shoulda known there was something round here to stand on besides chairs,” Javi scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“The fault is mine. I was having my fun seeing what you would do without one, but I don’t want you finding out about the “secret” of the ladder later and hating me for it,”

Javi jumped down from the chair. “I don’t think you have to worry about that. You pranked me, that just means I’ll have to get you back later,” His grin caused Santiago’s wings to flutter open slightly before the mothman closed them again sharply, clearing his throat with an awkward cough. “I look forward to seeing what you’ll try. I have fairly keen senses, you know. My antennae have never led me wrong,”

“Neither has my nose,” Javi took a step forward. Santiago wondered if he was going to try something but instead the werewolf merely picked up the book he had been reaching for. “Two bookcases over, second shelf from the top, right?”

Santiago blinked in confusion. “Yes, but now that I’ve revealed the ladder I’ve shown myself perfectly capable of putting these away on my own,”

“Eh, I don’t mind helping out. I have a free period,”

Seeing the carefree smile on Javi’s face, Santi couldn��t help but return it in kind. “Alright. We’ll make it a team effort then,”

---

There were about a dozen books that Javi had brought in from the locker room. One by one the pair made their way through the library, Javi carrying the ladder and climbing it to place each book in its proper place while Santi carried the stack of books and directed Javi on where each one should go. It didn’t take them long before each book was safely tucked away and Santiago found himself searching for a reason to get Javi to stay just a bit longer.

“Have you ever perused the shelves of our fine library yourself?” he asked, looking up at Javi as he made his way down the ladder one final time.

“Can’t say I have. I’ve never been a big reader though I did used to read at the senior center on Saturdays way back in my high school days,”

“May I be so bold as to offer a reading suggestion?”

“Be my guest,”

“Come with me then,” Santiago guided Javi to the fantasy section. There he pulled out a worn-down copy of Alice in Wonderland. “This is a personal favorite of mine. I’m sure you’ve seen the film so you should be able to follow the general gist of the story, but experiencing the original prose itself is another experience entirely,”

“Oh yeah! I did see the cartoon a couple times. It’s pretty fun,”

“I gave you one of our older copies too, so you don’t need to worry about damaging it,”

Javi chuckled. “Is it that obvious how clumsy I am? Seriously though, that’s really thoughtful of you,”

“Do you have a library card?”

“Oh, right. Guess the one for my community library won’t work, huh?” Javi flashed Santi a charismatic smile.

“Tragically, no. I’ll get you signed up,” Santiago headed back over to the main desk to pull up the forms for a new library card. His ploy hadn’t bought him much time, only a few minutes really, but he enjoyed them nonetheless. It had been quite a while since he’d last met a man who made his wings flutter the way Javi did. Even if it was only light flirting, it was nice to shake off the metaphorical cobwebs of his social life if only for a moment. “And with that,” Santi said, stamping the library card before handing it to Javi, “You’re all set,”

“Thanks! Also, just in case it comes up…” Javi continued, fiddled with the corner of his newly-borrowed book, “Is there a number I should call in case of emergency?”

“…Excuse me?”

“Y’know, like if I lose the book or leave it by my stove and accidentally set it on fire… so I can pay for a new book of course!”

“Well if the book’s on fire you should probably call the fire department, but if it just gets lost, you can call the main school number and they’ll redirect you to the library,”

“Oh, ok,” The wolf ears on Javi’s head deflated just a little.

Santi looked over at Javi curiously. He hadn’t meant… had he? “And just in case of an extra serious emergency…” he grabbed a sticky note and scribbled upon it, “Here is my personal cell number. Call me any time, night or day, and I’ll make sure all your needs are fulfilled. Book needs,” Yeah, Santi. Real subtle.

Javi’s face lit up as he received the number, his tail wagging at a slightly faster pace. “Awesome! Then I’ll call you sometime- about books! Or I’ll see you when I drop this one off after finishing it,”

“I’m always here, never anywhere else,” Way to sell yourself, Santi.

“Alright, see you then… bye!” with a final wave Javi was off, walking through the library doors with his tail wagging excitedly behind him.

Santiago watched him go, finally letting his wings spread and flutter with excitement. Had he just landed a date?

[yvaquietdays]

Isolation Motivation

We’re three weeks into official lockdown, so I’m not going to patronise and assume nobody has seen these kind of posts on Instagram:

Well, you lack the basic empathic skills to make you a canny lad, Farrah.

I don’t know anyone who can speak fluent mandarin after a month in quarantine. I also don’t know anyone who can learn how to install a flush skirting board in their bathroom after three weeks of bashing their heads against the wall from trying to teach their own kids, either. When was the last time anyone started a business in only six weeks, whilst also realising their new boyfriend, who they’ve subsequently been trapped with, is in fact the most sinfully boring person who ever had the audacity to be born (isolation increases the use of hyperbole). Never mind this all happening in the midst of one of the worst economic health crises’ in recent history?! 

Obviously, Farrah has started his particular side hustle as a mandarin-speaking joiner already. Good luck to him. All the best. Take care.

The fact is, the best of us are either on the front line, risking their lives to save others, or risking their lives getting us about on public transport, or teaching their kids geometry or some-shit, whilst also bouncing a baby in the palm of their hand and taking the dog for a walk six times a day. If you have time to focus on those goals, like learning a new language, or starting that book you promised yourself you’d write, or organising your photo albums, or finally learning the meaning of the off-side rule, then fill your boots. What does Farrah think we’re all doing? Sitting around with our thumbs up our arses, staring at the ceiling? It’s really the arrogance of those posts that really wind me up, as if they’re the font of all knowledge and inspiration and they’ve deigned to let us see what the good life looks like. Rude.

If you finally have the time to breathe, go for walks, cook, and just survive through this thing, then that is okay too. Christ, we all work hard enough, don’t we deserve to take this time off from the demands of such a fast paced modern world? It takes zero prisoners. We might not get another opportunity to put our feet up and not feel guilty about it, for the rest of our lives. The last time I felt like this, it was the summer holidays and I was fourteen. Most adults don’t see this kind of respite until they’re pensioners.

We’re all different. Some of us thrive on keeping ourselves busy, giving ourselves jobs and lining up support systems for those in need, or volunteering, or just getting that peeling garden set sanded and painted again, or cleaning out the fridge of old jars of spam and failed sourdough starters from three months ago. But some of us, who find the world and the competitive road we’re all herded on each and every day, overwhelming, and so it’s a welcome and quiet reprieve. 

It’s time to slow down and breathe, and I repeat, not feel guilty about it.

Breathe. Eat. Sleep. Stretch. Repeat.

Not to mention, all the while this is going on in our brain-boxes, hundreds of people are dying every day in the UK. It’s rising every day. This is a time unseen for most of us. The global anxiety level is high. I have to do what I can to establish a routine, make the most of this time I have, but check in with those numbers every day to remember, this isn’t a state paid holiday. I have personally always maintained that life is a balance, anyone reading my blog would agree. This time that has either been gifted or forced upon it (a bit of both, I’d concede), is no different. 

It’s important to remember that the people who are trying to influence us aren’t helping us; they’re feeling better about themselves. Instagram, especially. The platform exists so we can reach out and find validation, some praise for being humans. That’s the basic psychology behind it. It’s not even the more grandiose aspects of the platform that personally irritate me. It’s the mundane. “I colour- coded and ordered my bookshelf!” Thank you for that picture. Well done. It’s a bookshelf. I’m happy that it’s colour coded, I really am, it is satisfying to see, but I don’t need to know about it. What you did was sit for an hour or so and colour code your books. That shit isn’t stuff we see in Oscar winning movies. Seeing it on Twitter or Instagram, though, makes me feel guilty that my own bookshelf is not colour coded. Even though I couldn’t give a tiny mouses mitten whether it is or not. I’m suddenly hyper aware that my bookshelf is disordered, and a wave of displaced anxiety arises. Should I order my bookshelf? Am I wasting time? Should my bookcase be disordered? Yes. It’s the way I like it.  This is coming from a person who takes great pride and personal relief from tidying. I love tidying. I love ordering stuff, and I can’t relax after work until everything is in its place. But do you see me posting about it on instagram? No. Why? Because while I believe in those small, beautiful meditations, whether that’s colour-coding a bookshelf, making a coffee in the morning, writing in a journal; it’s personal. As soon as we start posting about those moments, we’re diluting the experience and it no longer has any resonance, because you’re doing it for someone else instead of yourself. Yes, we might get some gratification from it, but why does someone need to see that I cooked a beautiful meal for me to know, that, well... I cooked a beautiful meal? I have to be so careful to remember that someone else’s life and someone else’s grievances are not my own. This is the trouble with social media, in general. It’s a hive mind. Once you’re logged in, other people’s experiences becomes yours, thrust upon you, whether you wanted it or not. So you did one small workout this morning, feeling good, right? But that other slim, tanned, beautiful, make-upped person did two. Plus a run. With intervals. And a fruit smoothie afterwards. Christ, is anything we do good enough? The influencers who are posting from home about how to stay fit and keep the pounds off, they’re only wanting to feel better about themselves. It has nothing to do with you. If someone is lauding that shit all over you, and you’re quite happy wondering what kind of a potato you are, then unfollow, fren.

At the end of the day, if we come out of this a little bit fitter, or a few pounds heavier, it doth not matter a fuck. What’s important is that we come out of this thing alive.

While we can roll our eyes at these accounts, it’s also vital to know that a lot of people with the time to do all this stuff can probably afford to. Once you see it, it’s very hard not to notice how out of touch they can be. Personally, I have a safety net. I’m being looked after by my employers, I have some savings, my outgoings are small. So I’m trying to learn french. But others, aren’t so lucky. They’re either still working in a Co-op, or working from home, or have lost their jobs due to bad bosses (who will be named and shamed after this, I’m sure), and are too busy applying for universal credit to spend their spare minutes worrying whether they’ve learned a new skill or not.  This is where I’m coming to my next point. If someone is capitalising on this, whether it’s selling weight loss shakes, reusable gloves or masks for a high profit, they’re not influencers or half way decent people. It’s one thing to get by, creating work where we can get it (I set up a Patreon), and we’re quite happy to take what comes from people who can afford it. But it’s quite another to profit from a disaster like this. I might be okay for a couple of months. But if this stretches on until 2021, I’m not sure where I’m going to be.  So forgive me for not having time for holier-than-thou posts about how we ought to be spending this time isolating. I’m too busy regretting the time I’m missing with my friends, my family, sad that I can’t celebrate getting engaged (I got engaged) with my loved ones, sad for my friends who’ve had to cancel their own weddings, sad for friends who are losing work and money, whose businesses might crash. Lives. The economy is crashing, France is in recession, and here I’ve got Billy Big Balls telling me I’m not disciplined enough to achieve my goals. 

There’s a lot going on right now. The most important thing, human contact, and the people we love, that’s what we need the most. Not a new bloody skill.

So breathe. Eat. Sleep. Stretch. Repeat. 

If that’s all you can do, do it. Just staying home, we’re saving lives. We might not know it. But we are.

Can you imagine coming out the other end of this, the world opening again, only to find our favourite pubs and coffee shops closing due to a financial crash, unemployment sky rocketing, not to mention the lines of funerals of people who have died, and Great Farrah of the Dick Swinging comes out of his bubble, speaking mandarin and profiting from his new business, telling us all that we wasted our time?

Jesus. Talk about tone-deaf.

Breathe. Eat. Sleep. Stretch. Repeat. 

[ancientbrit]

Natter # 12  06/06/2016

Subject: MI MG Natter #12 2016 June 6th 2016 Jo, Molly and I had a very pleasant day today (Friday) - the last at Rite Aid this year. Warm and bright with a nice breeze blowing through occasionally - and we weren't too busy with clients either. When I arrived a few minutes late (sorry about that ladies), they were starting to make a clean sweep through the bookshelves and the desk. Jo was very proud of the fact that she had stripped the two drawers, thrown away all the bits and pieces that meant absolutely nothing and all the old out-of- date stuff (going back to 2008). She finished with totally immaculate drawers, which of course, none of you will get to see until April 2017, by which time nobody will remember what a good job she did! Life sucks sometimes doesn't it? Anyway we also brought out all the books in the case. We reviewed every one (some were duplicated), some, none of us could ever remember looking at before, many were returned as being invaluable and some were so old, outdated, falling apart and rarely used that there was only one thing to do - so we did it! The book case is now comfortably full with enough room that none of the books are jammed in tightly and there is room to store a file containing clinic forms. We have received a check on the September event at the Bellevue Botanic Gardens. One of the ladies with whom we have been working at the BBG told us that all of the vendors will be required to purchase a Bellevue Business license - $105! This is fine for vendors who regularly sell in this area and who already have one, but for small vendors who will only be selling in the area for the one day, it is the difference between making a modest profit and going into the red. Right now we are not too sure how this will effect us, but Bellevue appears to me to be totally greedy and rigid in their application of their laws. I am amazed that they apparently have nothing to suit a case such as this - a one day license. Karin is going to check with the City to see if they offer such a thing as a waiver for a one day event. Apart from that hiccup, things are moving along well and it will be a shame if we have to back away from the event after all the work that has been expended to date. Watch this space. I was having a wander through Home Depot during the week - as is my wont, after buying the electrical bits I went there to buy. Naturally I eventually ended wandering around the gardening area. I am still incensed with their price for Steer Manure compost  at $1.55. Just two years ago you could get it for $0.99 - and sometimes even less when they held a special event. Looking at the plants on offer, I saw three different Daphnes at $9.95 apiece. They were decent looking specimens in one gallon pots and it occurred to me that you can never have too many Daphnes. So I started to sift through them looking for the biggest and eventually made my selection and lifted it out. Tucked down the side of the pot was a tag I hadn't noticed at first, but when I pulled it out I was disgusted to see what it said - "This plant has been treated with neonicotinoids." I returned it to it's spot and looked around at all the other plants, but could find no more similar labels or any other label admitting the use of this nasty systemic insecticide. I have to think that there must have originally have been many more such labels, but that this one had been overlooked being tucked down inside the pot and out of sight. To imagine that only one plant would be so treated out of the lot there is somewhat of a stretch. It is even more distressing because many of the plants there make a big thing about being a source of pollen and nectar for wildlife and treating them with this systemic makes them a time bomb for bees and any other insect or bird that dines on them. Sunday morning I had to leave my bed halfway through the night. Well, not really - it just seemed that way. I am just not a morning person! I had to water the greenhouse and masses of potted plants before leaving, plus fit  screening over the roof of the greenhouse. On Saturday without the screening and with all eight roof vents and eight lower vents plus the door WIDE open, the temperature topped 122 degrees and I didn't want that repeated on Sunday. And so, onto the Farmers Market again - the first one of 2016 and it was hot HOT. But as Patty Spahr,  the Market Manager had phoned me the day before to ask me where I would like our table placed, I opted for the south side of the street, to get the advantage of the tree shade from the park. We had a constant breeze blowing through and it was actually rather pleasant. The organizers were on the ball too, making sure that everybody stayed safe and hydrated, by bringing round coolers on wheels and handing out freezing cold bottles of water, which came in very handy. I have to commend them for this, especially for the folks on our usual North side of the street, who were in the full glare of the sun the whole five hours. I am sure that doing this saved possible accidents. I know that I passed out a couple of years back from dehydration which was rather alarming - putting me in the emergency room for three days and alarming the ladies. We had a lovely day of renewing old friendships as we always do, plus making new friends of new clients, who totaled 36. There is still plenty of interest in my hat, which is getting to be in need of some running repairs now after three years, but it still hangs together and there is the usual hand reaching out to squeeze the bulb of the horn - not all kids either! We were shown two plant specimens, both of which we were able to identify and the questions were varied and interesting, with some requiring long rambling conversations because the clients had seemingly nowhere else to go. But that's okay, we had a good day with interesting clients, friends & questions. The food on offer is still up to the usual great standard and the only negative thing is the construction work going on in the SE corner of the parking lot for the new Pizza place. This forces us to be a bit creative in finding a way through with the bookcase and carousel, as our usual easy way down the curb  is blocked by the construction fencing. Cooler weather promised  - thank you and rain to follow so we should be okay again. I was very interested to see being offered in the Winter Territorial seed catalogue - micro clover seed. I have been recommending this for the last two years but found it only available online. It is comparatively new on the market having been developed in Denmark only about five years ago. As you might gather from it's name, the leaves are tiny and it has the benefit of NOT rambling off in every direction like ordinary clover does. It can be used on it's own or mixed with grass seed and sown together. As a lawn in it's own right it never seems to ever go brown, and the highest it grows to is five inches, although it handles being mown to much lower heights and retains its constant bright green color. I have to say that if I was ever tempted to install a lawn again, this is what I would use, without a doubt. Your fearless leader, Gordon

[analogguyinadigitalage]

Minimalism...

“The things we own ending up owning us.” Tyler Durden in Fight Club

     I am a firm believer in the old adage: when the student is ready the teacher will appear. The teacher can appear in the form of a person, a book, a song, a documentary, a film, or a chance encounter. Some would call this divine intervention, fate, karma, or life teaching us lessons. Whatever you wish to call it, there is no hiding the fact we sometimes are tapped on the shoulder by some life force to show us a different perspective. 

     Recently by accident I happened upon a documentary on Netflix called The Minimalists. While watching it I had an a ha moment in my life. The documentary is about two thirty something best friends who, realizing they have dream jobs, six figure incomes, huge houses, and huge debt and are living what most consider the American dream, decide to walk away from it all by becoming minimalists. When I first heard the term minimalist, I thought, hmm what’s this some guy living in a tent? In reality however it means living within your means without a lot of junk to clutter up your life giving you more time to focus on the really important things in your life.

     Everything they talked about in the documentary rang true to me. Here’s where the teacher/student adage mentioned above comes in! The most important message I got was to explore this lifestyle and the innovative ideas these two bright young men discovered and were living. They were clearly “walking the walk.” Minimalism is not a one size fits all, cookie cutter recipe, so I decided to explore a bit more. Being a reader, I discovered they had published two books, so I jumped on Amazon and ordered them both. 

     While I awaited the arrival of the books, I began thinking about some of the  messages in the documentary. I began asking myself questions about the things I had acquired over the years and what purpose they served then and now in my life. My eyes opened. I started with my closets, and embarrassingly found myself filling seven 30 gallon trash bags with clothes I no longer used or wore! Talk about an eye opener! Realizing I had shirts, pants, and coats which I hadn’t worn in years got my head wrapped around just how much “stuff” I had accumulated to clutter up my life. 

     And so after a few trips to the local clothing donation box, I felt a twofold satisfaction, first I was actually going to help someone who possibly had no clothes, and second I was un-cluttering my life. This was just the tip of the iceberg. I mean does one man really need fifty baseball caps? I’m a single guy who lives alone, could I possibly need 25 coffee mugs? Probably not. Questions I would ask myself again and again as I started to un-clutter my very cluttered life. 

     In a few days, the books arrived and I flew through the first one in no time knowing I would read it again and again, and savored the second to read slowly and digest the thoughts and ideas. While this was going on, I began the slow and laborious process of going through my house room by room, cabinet by cabinet, drawer by drawer and cleaning house literally and figuratively. To my amazement, it got easier the more the momentum was gained with each discarded item. 

     But what was I going to do with all this “stuff” I didn’t need anymore? I mean the clothes were easy I donated them to a local clothing bank. The idea hit me to have a tag sale and sell things I was no longer using. Items I felt at some point in my life that I just had to have to be happy, content, satisfied. The tag sale would help me un-clutter my life and any money I made would go directly to paying off debt.

     And so with each item I picked up, I asked myself three questions; had I used it in the last 90 days? Would I use it in the next 90 days? And if the answer to both of those were no, then I would ask myself the all important question, did the item add any value to my life? Realizing some were sentimental items this question became very tricky. Yes they were sentimental items, but did they add any value? This one question above all is without a doubt the hardest I had to ask and answer when cleaning house. 

     I heard a voice from the documentary and the book which basically said, our experiences are with each other, not with inanimate objects. Wow! Talk about a cultural shift in beliefs! As I began to ponder this posit, it meant letting go of an old tried and true belief I had which was I must hold onto “things” in order to have a relationship with the person who gave it to me. So if I threw out the cracked coffee cup someone gave me five years ago sitting on the shelf covered in dust did that mean I didn’t have a relationship or experience with that person? Hell no! It was a dusty, inanimate object cluttering up my life. It was my belief system that was holding me back. My belief that in order to hold onto or keep a bond with someone required me to keep items they had given me was ludicrous to say the least. 

     Let me pause here and say I’m not advocating throwing out any/all sentimental items if they serve a purpose. I kept family pictures and items which were sentimental AND served a purpose. A beautiful clock adorns my bookcase which was a gift from my godfather. It has sentimental value and it serves a very utilitarian purpose. It’s the bric a brac and stuff I never looked at, let alone used that I deep sixed! Over the years I had confused adding value with sentimentality. I found items stuffed on shelves in the back room in the back of bookcases which I couldn’t honestly recall had been gifts, or if I had purchased them at some point in my life. Realizing I had moved those “important items” from the front room to the back room to make more room in the front room for more “important items” was a sign it was time to get rid of stuff. It’s a vicious cycle of not being able to let go of anything because I was associating more pain of throwing the item out than I was pleasure of having an un-cluttered life. Each sentimental item I picked up made me realize that my experiences with the person who gave it to me existed in my mind NOT in the physical thing in my hand which I hadn’t looked at or used for years. My experiences with friends and people I love will forever be etched into my mind and I don’t need an item stuffed into the back of a closet to enable me to enjoy those experiences or remind me of them.

     I’m sitting in my living room looking at six big plastic tubs filled with stuff, next to them are six cardboard boxes of books, and next to them are another five large cardboard boxes filled with more stuff. These items are lined ten feet into my living room from my front door and these don’t count the things I can’t fit into boxes! There’s hat racks, a desk, several chairs, paintings I’ve taken down from the cluttered walls to name a few. How did I ever accumulate so much stuff I ask myself? I’m a single guy who lives alone in an 1100 square foot house and yet I have all of this stuff packed up and ready to sell and in all honesty it looks as if I’m getting ready to move out, but my house doesn’t look empty by any means, it looks much more open that’s for sure. 

     The garage is next and it takes me the better part of a day to pull down metal automobila signs, gather tools I haven’t looked at in twenty years, and sort through things I know I’ll never use and that are also collecting dust as the things in the house were. I find brand new “just in case” items still in their packages neatly sealed awaiting the apocalyptic emergency I was sure was going to come when I purchased them. I realize I have purchased many items over the years for a one time use and could have borrowed them from a friend had I just had the foresight to ask rather than run out and buy it as I’ve been conditioned to do all my life. 

     Being a musician means I have LOTS of musical stuff some of which I haven’t touched in years, others which I touch daily and with love and creativity. I ask my three questions and list a bunch of musical equipment for sale online. Keeping just the instruments I know I play and create with, means they add value to my life. Selling instruments that lay under my bed in cases collecting dust gives me great pleasure and hopefully some well needed cash. Luckily, I find a buyer who wants to buy the whole lot, lock stock and barrel! I come home that night and pick up my Martin acoustic guitar and strum a chord and hear the beauty of the space I have created around me both physically and mentally. This guitar is a keeper, it is truly one of my passions. In the days that follow, I find I don’t even miss the instruments that are gone. 

     The tag sale day arrives and it’s taken me nearly four hours to unpack everything, put it on tables, price it and move it outside. For two days I watch stuff go and I feel great about it. The joy of seeing people getting excited about getting a “deal” on my stuff is exhilarating. It was a lot of work, but at the end of the day most of the stuff sold and the stuff that didn’t sell, went to my neighbor who is having a tag sale in another month or so at another location. I couldn’t be happier, she couldn’t be happier. Three boxes full of books were donated to the local library without much fanfare, I simply went there when they were closed and put them by the front door, a gift to the librarian and anyone else who gets to read some of the magnificent books I had already read and was keeping for no good reason. 

     While my house is much emptier than it was, it certainly is not comprised of empty rooms and barren walls. It’s much nicer looking now, much easier to clean and much easier to spot things I no longer need, want or that don’t add value to my life. As I look around I wonder if having so much stuff made me a hoarder. I mean I’m wasn’t ready for A&E to come shoot their show at my house, but the fact sinks in that I had way too much stuff. I was a bit of a hoarder, albeit a very anal retentive, OCD one! 

     The really good news is that in a little over two weeks time I was able to pay down my debt to the tune of $5000 just in selling things I hardly looked at or used! It’s incredible what I was able to do with just the slightest change in my behavioral pattern and belief systems. This journey for me isn’t over, it’s a never ending one. Once the clutter was gone from my physical surroundings which was a very cleansing and liberating experience, it allowed me time and space to focus on what’s really important in my life; relationships, and embracing and following the passions that I have which are music and writing, which have become center stage for me. 

     Relationships that were toxic or relationships in which I wasn’t seeing a mutual sharing of respect needed to be reevaluated and in some cases terminated. One case in point involved someone who I would constantly call to see if they wished to go out to dinner or to spend time together and they always found a convenient excuse not to be able to go, however, when they needed money or a favor, I was the first on their call list. I realized I needed to distance myself from this relationship. While not entirely severing it, it was time for me to take a break from being the one who always initiated contact and invitations. Will it survive? Who knows? What I do know is I know have more free time to dedicate to those relationships where I do get mutual satisfaction. 

     To date I’ve learned some valuable lessons while embracing minimalism: 1. There is a big difference between need and want 2. Most of the things we think we need, we merely want 3. A person can get by without 80% of the things they own 4. Experiences exist with the person NOT the object 5. Sentimentality does not equate to adding value 6. The things we own end up owning us 7. Ask better questions, you’ll get better answers 8. Un-cluttering your life is liberating and cleansing 9. Relationships can be burdensome, get rid of the bad ones 10. New habits and behavior patterns are worth looking into if it leads to positive changes in your life

[mariacedano-blog-blog]

Beautiful Homes of Instagram Cami Tiffin Clark at @camitiffin and I have so much in common that while reading her intro I kept telling her the things that have also happened in my life. But, coincidences apart, she is someone that is about to inspire you in many ways. She is smart and knows how to renovate and decorate a home like very few people. Her home feels heavenly. One can say it is because of its white interiors but I would have to disagree with that… the feeling of her home comes from this family’s inner Light. Hey there! I’m Cami, and I couldn’t be happier to welcome you into our home. I would like to start by saying I have spent more time than I probably should admit on the Home Bunch feed and blog scouring for ideas and sources as we have remodeled this home. I started my Instagram account this past year and never would have dreamed I would be treated with the chance to appear on a site that I have frequented as just a regular gal obsessed with home design. When Luciane asked if I’d like to participate in her “Beautiful Homes of Instagram” series, I MAY have screamed and done a herkie right there alone in my kitchen! I’m honored to share our hearth and so happy to contribute to a community built on sharing and inspiring one another. It is my privilege to pay back for all the ideas I have gleaned from bloggers and designers I so admire. Thank you Luciane for this opportunity! Beautiful Homes of Instagram My husband and I met at a movie theatre in Lone Tree, Colorado. I had recently met his high school buddy while away for school at the end of a spring semester. We were both from Colorado. After being home for the summer a couple of weeks, he invited me to go with a group of his friends to an X-Men movie premier. He asked his friend Tyler to deliver my ticket to the lobby while he arranged seats. Tyler gave me the ticket. Our eyes met. And the rest, as they say, is history. This was May 2003. Tyler and I were married in August 2003. Yeah, you read that right. A cheesy “loved at first sight” story/a parent’s worst nightmare, right?! We will celebrate our 15th anniversary this year. We have three children, ages 12, 9, and 5 who keep us growing and learning all the time. We also have two teacup Yorkies that we adore who seem to make it into many of my photos. My husband is a natural handyman. Although he works in the tech industry, he has done most of the work in our three homes we have remodeled. We also flip houses occasionally, and he has done most of the work in those projects as well. Buying undervalued homes has allowed us to become homeowners as well as learn some valuable skills. Remodeling has given us another opportunity to work as a team, and I believe it has also been a value to our marriage. We have both found a passion for the renovation and design process. We have put blood, sweat and tears into our homes and they are a source of pride for us. Although we are Colorado natives and lived there for the first ten years of our marriage, we moved to the small town of Midway, Utah just four years ago. It is very close to Park City, but most people haven’t heard of it. It’s small, quaint and friendly. We just got a stoplight! My parents bought a home here and we were lucky enough to visit a couple of summers. Midway is an easy place to fall in love with. We found our home online and I flew out to see it in person. Even though at the time, it had a much different style than it does now, it had such a great feeling and flow to it. A good vibe house to be certain. We sold our home in Parker, Colorado and moved to Midway shortly after walking through the house. We began remodeling our home the moment we crossed the threshold and haven’t stopped since. After years of gray walls, I decided on a whim to repaint the majority of the interior white. Finding the right white paint color is about as hard as finding your perfect partner. I actually decided on my husband quicker than a white paint. Go figure! I spent hours researching paint on Pinterest and designer websites (you know that rabbit hole). I’ve always preferred a crisp, clean white. The new wall color has been a welcome change. They are bright, happy and simple. I often get asked how I live real life in a house with so much white. For me, it’s very easy to spot the areas that need wiping and address them quickly. It keeps me on my cleaning game and honestly, even with the little smudges and fingerprints, a white home still appears very clean. It’s a magic trick! Foyer Wall Color: Snowfall by Behr. Olive Bucket: World Market. Pillows: McGee & Co. Home Office Our first project was the front room off the entryway. We needed to create some kind of office space, so we sacrificed a living or dining room. Two rooms that seem to be very underused in most homes, so it wasn’t too difficult to decide. I think this space had previously been used as a dining room. The French doors were installed to create separation. The pass through that connected to the kitchen we closed in, which gave us the space for functional office storage. One of the main priories in our remodel has been to create storage. This home, for its size, had very little. We still do not have a coat closet but we were able to make a small mudroom off the kitchen. Chandelier: Ballard Designs Paint Color This office has our original gray paint and it’s still one of my favorite go-to colors for our investment properties – Rockport Gray at 50 % by Benjamin Moore. Lighting Sconces: Visual Comfort Hardwood Floors Our flooring was a drastic change to the house. Price has driven many of our design decisions. We want to allocate funds wisely to get the maximum profit for resale. I would have preferred lighter floors but the company we went with only had about five stains at the time, and the lighter one was too orange for me. We wanted rustic farmhouse style floors and the price was too good to pass. I love that the darker stain brings warmth to our home. Vintage Pine Flooring: Tavern select stain. Family Room Our family room had a beautiful mantle, but there was no storage at all in this room. Reluctantly, we ended up tearing it out. We worked with our contractor to create this wall-to-wall builtin. We pulled the existing fireplace insert forward to create depth. We bought the brick at a salvage yard for practically pennies and cut the pieces in half, creating a brick facing. We actually left the red brick for a few months before painting it white. I found the varying color of the individual bricks too busy alongside the storage cubbies. Painting the brick really brought the cubbies to life and simplified the room. Sectional is Norwalk. Large Lamp: Details Comforts of Home. Creating a Home I am big on simple visual space. I feel like it helps me function better in life. Designing my life, the same way I approach designing a room is also a great passion of mine. I try to be intentional with how I fill my mind and my physical space. Decor: One Kings Lane. Lamp: Arteriors. Spindle Chair: Z Gallerie. Accent Table: Layla & Grace. Love This is Cami’s sweet puppy. How adorable!!! Pillows: Pottery Barn. Rug: West Elm. Coffee Table Decor Similar glass beads can be found here. Similar White Oak Balustrade Coffee Table: RH – Similar: Here, Here & Here. Bookcase Paint Color Bookcase Color: Decorator’s white by Benjamin Moore. Decor: One Kings Lane & Horchow. Black & White I love how Cami decorates her built-ins. It’s uncomplicated and chic. Good Vibes Only Rooms have an energy, and they affect how we function. I think looking within and knowing yourself and your needs is a vital component of creating a space you will love and in which you will thrive. No matter the size or style, everyone needs space that refills their tank and supports the pursuit of building a life we love. I know it’s cheesy, but I’m all kinds of cheesy. Mirror: Pottery Barn. Kitchen The most painful yet rewarding project thus far has been our kitchen remodel. Living in a remodel is…interesting. We didn’t have running water in our kitchen for about a month while we waited for our new cabinets and plumbing to be installed. It was challenging, but we created some fun memories. We were able to sell the cabinets, counters, and appliances to a young couple just remodeling their first home. We were happy to see everything go to use and even happier to put that money toward our new, much more functional kitchen. Pendants: Restoration Hardware – similar here, here & here. Barstools: Serena and Lily. Cabinet Paint Color Cabinet Color: Decorator’s White by Benjamin Moore. Range: Wolf. Countertop I get asked a lot about our marble counters. I did a few years of research on marble, and as we all know, everyone will have a different opinion on this topic. I happen to have thing for marble. It’s timeless and decadent yet rustic. A winning combination in my book! And after walking hundreds of steps on marble in Paris, I decided if it’s good enough for trampling on over decades and decades, it can hold up in my kitchen! Marble just speaks to my soul. Carrera is less expensive than many kinds of granite, so it’s not always a splurge. In fact, in comparison to the other options we were entertaining, we saved money! The rustic element of marble brings some old world charm and that was just what I was wanting in the heart of our home. This is our gathering place. We do cooking, homework, art projects, pumpkin carving and blogging on this stone. The stories it could tell! Clearly, I’m not too uptight about my counters. They get scratched and etched, but we will rehone them every couple years and they are good as new! (Be sure to check out my Instagram stories where you will see this counter covered in proof that we actually live here. And in my opinion, that is when these counters are at their most beautiful.) Faucet: Danze. Simialr Sink: Farmhouse Sink. Options In our last home, we had Super White granite. That is a great stone option for anyone wanting a marble look without the worry over etching and staining. Sconces: RH. Similar: Visual Comfort Kitchen Hardware Cabinet Hardware: Restoration Hardware. Similar Backsplash: Classic White Subway Tile. Kitchen Reno We created the kitchen window seat by moving our backdoor out of the bay window. The open doorway now leads to a pantry that was formerly a tandem garage. Refrigerator: Viking Breakfast Nook We were able to put in the three windows, gaining new and very welcome natural light. Dining Chairs: Overstock. Similar Dining Table: Here. Windows All the windows in our home used to have plantation shutters, but we found that they restricted too much of our views and light. Taking off the plantations made the home feel much more bright and open. We have beautiful views and hated to have them impeded. Hutch The hutch is from Sun River Gardens. Lighting: Visual Comfort. Shiplap This stunning space features shiplap on walls and dark hardwood flooring. White & Glass Beautifully arranged! Pantry Inspo Our pantry is one of my favorite new additions to our home. I am so grateful for this spot in our home. Organized The original kitchen did not even have a pantry cabinet so having ample space to organize is never lost on me. Coffee-time Every morning I come in for my coffee and feel grateful to have this nook and the new light streaming in through the windows. Laundry Room Paint Color: Rockport Gray HC-105 Benjamin Moore. Our laundry room has been worth every dime! This entire room used to be a sitting area in our master bedroom. Across the hall used to be a tiny laundry closet. The door couldn’t open all the way, and the layout just didn’t make sense. The old laundry room, fortunately, backs to our master closet, so we were easily able to incorporate the extra square footage. A larger master closet was a bonus and also great for resell, if we should ever choose to. We still have to finish the other side of the laundry room. I am playing with how I want to use that space best. Stay tuned… Tile: Contempo Tile. Star Light: Lampsplus. Metal Laundry Hamper: World Market. Rug: World Market. Cabinet Paint Color & Hardware Cabinet Paint Color: Decorator’s White Benjamin Moore. We changed all of the lighting and hardware throughout the house. They really are the jewelry of any home and just updating them can give an entirely new style. Hardware: Anthropologie Upstairs Bathroom My oldest daughter was the first to get her bathroom updated and improved. We found the hexagon marble tiles online. If you are in the market for marble tile, the Builder Depot prices are fantastic! We purchased a paint sprayer and refinished the existing cabinets to save money. We had a new marble counter installed, which really makes the room feel brand new. Bathroom Reno Ideas Bathroom Cabinet Paint Color: Decorator’s White by Benjamin Moore. Mirror: CB2 Faucet: Delta Tile: Builder Depot – similar here, here & here. Sconces: Schoolhouse Electric. Son’s Bedroom My son’s room makes me happy every time I walk by it. I’ve had such a fun time putting it together over the past few years. It is still a work in progress, but I love how it is now. We have plans for a window seat and bookcases for storing Legos and toys. That is one of the projects we will return to later if our budget allows. Seagrass Pendant- Pottery Barn Kids. Trunk: Home Goods. Decor Nightstand: West Elm. Rug-West Elm. Bed: Land of Nod. Pillow Shams: Ballard Design. Wallpaper I love this wallpaper. It looks great in every space that I see it. Even in a girl’s room, I think it would be adorable. Wallpaper is Cole & Sons – can be purchased via Anthropologie. Paint Color Paint color is Cafe Latte by Benjamin Moore. Guest Bathroom This middle bathroom got a little facelift this past summer. New tile and new paint on the cabinets. I found a marble remnant from a local stone yard, and it was enough for this bathroom and our pantry counter. Score! Bathroom Decor Mirror: Home Goods – Similar here, here & here. Light: Lamps Plus – similar here. Faucet: Delta. Cabinet Paint Color: Decorator’s white by Benjamin Moore. Daughter’s Bedroom Little girl rooms are so fun to design. Every color is welcome and every animal. What a joy to make a space for play and imagination! And this room captures the spirit of our youngest little firecracker so well. She specifically requested pink. A surprising color for a little girl room, right?! Just kidding. It’s totally predictable, but it suits our little one so well. She spends hours playing her little heart out in her pink room. I promise you, it rarely looks like this, but that is just what we hoped for. Chandelier: Overstock Curtains and Rod: West Elm Moose Bust: ZGallerie Paint Color Paint color is Intimate White SW 6322 Sherwin Williams. Floral Pouf: Arteriors Bookshelves Bookshelves: IKEA photo ledges. Spindle Furniture Spindle Bookcase: Target online. Master Bedroom We have some big exciting projects yet in this home. A master bathroom remodels, our landscaping, and our basement. We look forward to the designing, the challenges, the victories and the growth. I document our projects and everyday life on my Instagram and I’d love to have you check it out. I believe good design is a FEELING created in our homes. I also believe home design is so much more than pretty things. It’s our refuge from the world. No matter the size or style. How we live within the walls, how we treat ourselves and those we share a life with will determine how beautiful our home feels. At least that is what I have found. Our house is my canvas and my safe haven. It’s part of my evolution as a person. I think we can design our home the same way we design our life. Some parts may need editing and reworking as time goes by. If we are intentional about what and how we choose to fill our home, we can truly design a space that warms the heart of any who enter. Chandelier: eBay. Nightstand Nightstands: American Furniture Warehouse. Lamps: Z Gallerie Flowers: Horchow Ottoman Ottoman: HomeGoods Trim & Grid Molding Color Trim & Moldings Throughout House: Ambassador by Sherwin-Williams in untinted white. Bed: Vanguard Furniture. Pillows and Quilt: Restoration Hardware. I hope to see you soon. And again, thank you so very much Luciane for including me in this incredible resource for design and inspiration. Make sure to follow Cami from @camitiffin on Instagram and visit her website to see more photos of her beautiful home! Photography: Jessica Kettle This Month’s Best Deals Wayfair: 70% Off + Many New Items on Clearance! Pottery Barn:Up to 40% OFF + Free Shipping – Code: SAVEBIG West Elm: Up to 60% Off. Code: BYE2017. Horchow: 20% Off + Free Shipping. Code: NEWYEAR One Kings Lane: Save Up to 60% Serena & Lily: Up to 70% OFF!!! Williams & Sonoma: Up to 75% off Nordstrom: 50% OFF Half Yearly Sale. JCPenny: Clarence 80% OFF – Extra 40% OFF on $100 or more. Code: NewYear Neiman Marcus: Up to 60% OFF Pier 1: Huge Sales! Up to 75% OFF Joss & Main: Huge Sales – Up to 75% OFF Price Drop Event. Post of the Week: New Interior Design Ideas. Lowcountry-style Coastal Farmhouse. French Interior Design Ideas. Beautiful Homes of Instagram. California Beach House with Classic Coastal Interiors. Family Home with Grey Exterior and Interiors. Coastal Interior Design Ideas. Classic Shingle Home Design Ideas. Classic White Kitchen with Grey Backsplash. Newly-Built Board and Batten Modern Farmhouse. New 2018 Family Home Decor Trends. Trending on Home Bunch: Open-Concept Family Home Design Ideas. White Beach Style Kitchen with Shiplap. English Farmhouse Home. New 2018 Interior Design Ideas. You can follow my pins here: Pinterest/HomeBunch See more Inspiring Interior Design Ideas in my Archives. Popular Paint Color Posts: The Best Benjamin Moore Paint Colors 2016 Paint Color Ideas for your Home Interior Paint Color and Color Palette Pictures Interior Paint Color and Color Palette Ideas Inspiring Interior Paint Color Ideas Interior Paint Color and Color Palette New 2015 Paint Color Ideas Interior Paint Color Ideas Interior Design Ideas: Paint Color Interior Ideas: Paint Color More Paint Color Ideas “Dear God, If I am wrong, right me. If I am lost, guide me. If I start to give-up, keep me going. Lead me in Light and Love”. Have a wonderful day, my friends and we’ll talk again tomorrow.” with Love, Luciane from HomeBunch.com Interior Design Services within Your Budget Come Follow me on Come Follow me on Get Home Bunch Posts Via Email Contact Luciane “For your shopping convenience, this post might contain links to retailers where you can purchase the products (or similar) featured. I make a small commission if you use these links to make your purchase so thank you for your support!”

[mikebrackett]

Tour Detroit Photographer’s Bright and Minimal Midcentury Modern Home

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means we receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. 

Do you ever look at pictures in magazines and wonder if people’s homes actually look like that?

It takes some time and dedication, but it’s totally possible. Detroit-area photographer Erin Hannum and her family live in one such home. It’s bright and minimal with some midcentury modern touches.

Take a look at how they were able to design their space to suit their taste and how you can get the look in your home.

Q: I absolutely love your home! How would you describe its style?

A: My home’s style is pretty minimal, but with some of our weird personalities thrown in. I try not to have stuff all over the surfaces, but I also really like having fun little vintage things – like the brass candlesticks, for instance.

Q: Yeah, the little touches definitely make it feel homey. What’s your favorite detail?

A: My favorite piece of decor is my embroidered Ron Swanson. I’m not sure if Ron would really approve of his face being on my wall, but whatever. It’s definitely a conversation piece.

We thought about putting it on the inside of the bathroom door to startle people, but then decided everyone would think we were really weird.

Q: Weird or hilarious? The way you ended up styling the bathroom is quite a departure from that, though – much more feminine. What made you decide to do a floral statement wall in the bathroom? 

A: When we moved in, the bathroom was this weird, vibrant teal color. I like blue tones a lot (if you can’t tell), but it was too much in that little bathroom.

My husband isn’t into having super girly decorations, so I felt like it was my shot at having a bold, floral statement wall, without it being totally in his face. The tiny bathroom was the perfect spot!

Q: That’s smart, and it really makes that room pop with a little bit of color. How do you balance those pops of color with your clean, minimal style? 

A: I try to pick one color, like the navy couch, and then pick one or two colors that would accent it without looking busy. Obviously, I’m drawn to blues. I also really like yellows and greens, though those tend to end up as small pops of color throughout the house.

Q: You mentioned your navy couch. Do you have a favorite piece of furniture?

A: Definitely our dining room table. It was really a labor of love. We picked the boards ourselves from a place that sells reclaimed lumber.

We thought it was really cool to be able to build the table where we would have family dinners, host friends and have other gatherings. We cut the board to length, sanded for what felt like forever and then, since it was cold outside, we moved it in to our little house and I applied coat after coat of polyurethane until I got the finish I liked. The hairpin legs are from a seller online.

Q: That’s awesome! What a cool story to have behind your dining room table. Do you have any other favorite features in your home? 

A: By far, the best feature is the old, creaky floor. Sure, they’re kind of beat and the boards don’t line up well, but I like to think about the families that came before us that these floors supported. It’s really cool to think about how much history this house has seen.

Some would say my house has “character.” But really, let’s face it – it’s just super old. The house was built in 1922, so nothing is quite perfect, and I love it.

My favorite room, though, would have to be the living room. Mostly because of the fireplace.

When we first saw the house, we walked in and were greeted by a crackling fire on a cold night. That was pretty much all it took. I was sold. That original stone? I can’t take it.

Q: That sounds magical! What a way to sell a house. I also noticed your record player in the corner. If it’s up to you, what’s playing?

A: If it’s my choice, I’ve got Sufjan Stevens or Ella Fitzgerald on the record player. If it’s my husband’s choice, it’s probably Stevie Wonder. But if our son gets to pick, it’s always Buddy Holly.

Q: A three-year-old who’s first choice is Buddy Holly? He’s going places! It’s seems like the deeper you go into the home, the more entertainment pieces you find, like the record player, the old radio and then, your entertainment room. Was that on purpose?

A: Sort of. We didn’t like the idea of the TV being mounted over the fireplace. That would have caused it to become the focal point of the room.

We intend our living room to be for conversation and fellowship, rather than have it be a place where we immediately turn on the TV. When guests are over, we want to be able to concentrate on the relationship rather than the screen in the room.

Q: This question might be a little more random, but can you tell me about the stickers on your books?

A: Haha, those were the brainchild of my husband, Sam. He is a super organized person (I am not at all), so it made sense to him to use the Dewey Decimal system to keep all of his books in order.

He lends them out regularly, too. So he found an app that scans the Dewey Decimal number, and keeps track of who borrows the book. Like I said, he is a super organized person.

Get the Look in Your Home

Do you love Hannum’s minimal and midcentury modern design? Here are a few items inspired by her home that can change up your space and are friendly to your budget:

Yellow Velvet Record Player: Urban Outfitters

Plant Stand: Target

Gray Barrel Chair: Target

Mid-Century Blue Sofa: Wayfair

Light Teal Mid-Century Dining Chairs: Wayfair

Wood and Metal End Table: Target

Hairpin Dining Table: World Market

Mid-Century Horizontal Bookcase: Target

Brass Candlesticks: eBay

Brass Floor Lamp: Target

The post Tour Detroit Photographer’s Bright and Minimal Midcentury Modern Home appeared first on ZING Blog by Quicken Loans.

from Updates About Loans https://www.quickenloans.com/blog/tour-detroit-photographers-bright-minimal-midcentury-modern-home

[skittles1229]

THE EVER-CHANGING STORY OF LUNARIS

*SOME OF THESE CHARACTERS AND PLACES ECT. DO NOT BELONG TO ME, THEY WERE MADE BY LUNARIS GAMES FOR THE INTERACTIVE VISUAL NOVEL "WHEN THE NIGHT COMES" AVAILABLE EITHER FROM THIER WEBSITE OR ON ITCH. THE COVER IS ALSO FROM LUNARIS GAMES (ITS THIER PIN SET FOR SALE ON THIER SITE)

https://www.wtncgame.com/collections/pins-charms/products/wtnc-holo-sparkle-charms

This is a project I started to maintain my boredom so ill be using the characters from a really great visual novel called when the night comes written by lunaris. Go check it out! ill be writing about all the characters including you being the x reader. After I've introduced the plot and characters and if i have enough readers, I'll let you guys pick who I right the first romance ending with, the endings will probably have a bit of smut so if your just wanting to know the story you don't have to read the romantic endings

___________________________________

Chapter One: Unwelcome start

        My feet are killing me and its hot and dark, I'm walking through unfamiliar woods. All I can smell is tree leaves decaying and pine. To fill you in without telling you my life story and having a pity party, I'm one of the few shifting Dire Wolves left. We are a dying breed since people and monsters were coexisting now, I'm over joyed about the mixing of the populations but as the wolves breed with humans our ability to shift is slowing leaving as the generations grow. I on the other hand wasn't liked by much of anyone. I grew up around old town human folk. Both parents had been killed by townsfolk and luckily the little who girl found me as a puppy was nice enough to bring me to her home. That little girl became my life. Her blonde hair reminded me of wheat in the fall and she smelled of old moth balls and freshly cooked bacon. Kasey was a lonely child born a bastard and then left alone when her mom left into town one day. She didn't come home that night. She had the kindest eyes. They say eyes are the window to the soul and hers was broken and glued back together so many times that you couldn't recognize her original beauty. She brought me to a little cabin back in the woods where I stayed with her and her grandmother.  I stayed out of school because at the time freaks weren't exactly normal. I learned everything through Kasey and her homework as I grew up. We played in the old field through the woods and down an old forgotten gravel road. She would always tease me about my ears but she loved my big bushy tail. Kasey was a pure soul and sometimes id have to remind her how special she was especially during the times to come. She became ill in late fall, losing her ability to walk and becoming more and more pale from the lack of sunlight. We were told she had an immune issue that couldn't be fix with the medicine we had then and magic was a cure but was also out of the question since anyone who was seen as a witch was seen as a harm to the community and burned at the stake. It wasn't that way in the big towns with lots of people coming and going bustling about, but down here in the boon dock of the forgotten swamp everyone had the same opinion. anything new and different was and and therefore had to be destroyed.

         When I was around six Kasey succumb to her unfortunate circumstances in her sleep and she took her welcome with her. I think that maybe it was one of the few mercies I've ever seen god do for someone. After she died the grandmother, already being on her last years, passed not long after that. With nothing holding me to that little shack in the woods I moved on. I was never given a name and so along the way I've figured out who and what I am. Remind me to tell you that one later on, I've been walking for a few days with my satchel made from rabbit fur with old shoe laces holding it together, Kasey in her better days stayed bored in her old pink bedroom reading the same book she had on the old bookcase in the living room. Her grandmother went to the market in town most days to sell her vegetables. she would bring us home sweets and toys. For Kasey's birthday she bought her a bag of fabric rabbit fur and some thread and needles to teach her to sew hoping that would cure her boredom. A few months before she passed, she hurriedly finished off the synch bag with one of her shoelaces from her boots. That bag is the one I have with me now. My clothes and few days worth of food is in it as well. I had been shifted into my wolf form going on 48 hours now and my (F/C favorite color ) fur was now stained with mud and leaves from the nights sleep in a dug out hole. The last sign of civilization was back in my home town. it was now night time again and had seen no sign of a town any where close. It was getting dark and my joints were burning from the pain of walking. I quickly found a soft spot in the ground digging up a little hole to lay in for the night. The woods around me creaked with shifting wood and wind rustling the foliage. Harry had become the governor a while back suddenly disappeared recently in his home base in Lunaris. That's where Kasey's grandmother went for hours everyday to be a part of the market so I decided to see if there was anywhere I could stay and maybe get a job and start a life for myself. All this time I had no real name, Kasey never named me. She wanted me to be able to choose it for myself and I'm now 20 in human years. Our bodies aged in human instead of dog years another kind of pro with the watering down of the generations. I had gone through all of Kasey's family and school friends, even people she heard the name of by passing by in church, I'd heard all the names and thought about them and said them all out loud the see how they role off the tongue and I finally settled on (Y/N) tonight. 

      I had fallen asleep at some point and shifted back into human form curling around my bag to protect it from the outside. Suddenly the ground around me started to shake and the foliage covering the entrance to the den started to shake loose and fall in. At this point I'm wide awake and have my back to the wall and head in a snarl towards the entrance not knowing why or what had shaken the ground so harshly. I smell a fowl smell that reeks of something I've never smelled before. It began to burn my nose like alcohol or whatever grandma had in the wash rooms for spring cleaning. I heard twigs breaking and a long groan that howled with the wind. My heart was racing not knowing what to expect to come through the entrance and that's when I saw the light from the moon blocked by a large shadow. I braced for a fight when suddenly it let out a yelp of pain as I see two or three other shadows chase it to the right of the hole. Lots of yelling from men and women can be heard along with lots of new smells. All of them had hints of sweat and fear but some of them were odd. One was carried in on a breath of lavender and honey and the other of burnt wood like a fire place. One also smelled like chocolate and for a split second I smelled the familiar canine sent, Another wolf or maybe a half breed Lykan. I laid there and listened as the group seemed to quickly dominate whatever that creature was and if there's a group of hunters then there has to be a town. I wait for the noise to die out before I stick my head out of the hole to check my area. I look at the position of the moon and start to get a better idea of how long I was asleep. I think it must have been at least 3 in the morning. I grabbed my bag and pulled myself out of the hole, shaking off loose dirt and changing myself back into that big furry wolf I've become used to and walk towards where I heard the commotion to catch the scent of where they had gone. The creature they fought was dead on the ground covered in its black oozing blood. It looked like a genetic mutation of some kind gone very wrong and the smell almost could knock you out, if your a dog that is. I heard a snap of a twig in the distance and that's when I caught the scent of a dying summer, decaying flowers and dying memories. 

      I see a blue glow coming from an object a few feet in front of me hidden in the darkness of the trees, whatever it was it made it very clear that I was unwelcome and that I was seen as a threat. I bent neck down feeling the hair along my spine start to stand on end as I snarled my teeth in the direction of the ominous blue glow. Suddenly the tense feeling in the air dropped, you could feel the tension melt away and in that second the strange creature pushes forward into the moonlight. A man with golden eyes and a mechanical arm moves forward looking with his hands raised. "My names Finnegan and I know you wont hurt me because your not just any wolf am I right?" The sudden question brushes me as weird and out of place but regardless it only makes me all the more persistent that he not come any closer. He stops in his tracks and sits in the tall grass he had been previously standing in. We sat there like that for what seems like forever and he seemed to feel talkative because he asked question after question. I looked around to think of what direction I wanted to go in order to get away from here .

     "You know it would be easier to go to Lunaris." he said picking at something under his nails. I look at him tilting my head, can he hear my thoughts? I didn't think humans could do such things but he didn't look like a human. Not with the fangs like that and those pointed ears. "No I'm not human I'm a vampire, I live in Lunaris with my friends. I actually have a Lykan friend as well so you wont be alone." I bent my ears back in annoyance, tired of the vamp imposing on my thoughts. I decided I would speak with him but not in this form. As a Lykan I could still stay able to protect myself and be able to speak to this other freak of nature in front of me. In order to do so I'd have to get away from this vampire long enough to cover myself. Almost instantly the vamp got up causing me to jump. "There's a graveyard a little ways from here, you can shift and change in the maintenance shed. As I'm sure you heard earlier there are some odd creatures in these woods so ill walk you to town myself. Then I can take you to Ezra and have him give you a once over." he began to walk and turned around about five feet away to ask if I was going to follow, I decide that this town might be a start to a weird series of events. We made our way through the woods to a small path of cleared trees and some sand, we followed that to the graveyard behind a large church like building and that's when I saw the small shed. "I'll stand behind the shed towards the woods I'm sure nobody is awake so you shouldn't have to worry about townsfolk." I shifted back into my Lykan form and hurry into the shed. My (hair length) (H/Color) hair fell over my face as I shoved myself into my tight jeans and put my long sleeve white shirt on. my ears still sat on the top of my head and my tail is swishing back and forth in anticipation of how this town was going to accept a new comer and a freak at that. I threw on the hoodie I had found hanging on a tree on my way out of my old town, probably left by one of the boys in the old town. I smoothed my fur down and walked out of the shed with my bag in my hands, I peaked my head around the corner and caught the golden eyes of the man called Finnegan as he's leaned against the shack with his arms crossed. 

      I walk up to him with my arm wrapped around my bag and offered him the other. "My names (y/n), sorry about the weird introduction but I really just have no clue where I am or where I'm going." he grinned and studied me before opening up and talking again. "You cleanup really well don't you (y/n)." I simply lowered my head as a response and shrugged my shoulders. " It would suck to have to stay as wolf all the time because I'm just to ugly to look at as a Lykan." he laughs flashing his fangs and approaching me and taking my hand pulling me closer to him to where we were inches apart. "Ugly is one thing you aren't, if your this pretty as a Lykan then I cant wait to see you in human form" he then snuck his arm around my waist turning me around as he began to walk to the town. "How did you know I could do that?" I stopped him and I could see his grin form as he turned around to meet my eyes. "I've been alive a long time (y/n).  when the old man who sired me was alive he'd tell us stories of the dire wolves that lived in the forest in the mountains. He would tell us stories of how they had almost repopulated in a town not far from here, completely unannounced to the world growing among the town folk." he looked away suddenly his essence changed from one of wisdom and confidence to one of remorse and sadness. He began to walk once again motioning for me to follow. "That is until the townsfolk caught wind  of such rumors. He banded together the higher ups and went through exposing half the town to be," he grimaces as if saying the name leaves a sour taste in his mouth, "werewolves as the humans put it."  We had just made it through a small alley leading too a large stone road. This is the first time I've heard the real story aloud of what happened to my parents that day. Suddenly I  didn't feel much like talking anymore and the vampire noticed this as we made it to the closed up and dark market side of town. Large tents and shacks were on both sides of the road, I'm sure it looks much nicer when its open and bustling with people. "I'll have to show it to you." he says suddenly again answering my thoughts as if id said them aloud. "You know Finn I love your interest in me but I think its kind of of rude to read others thoughts right?" His eyes suddenly dart away and clears his throat, "Not if the person has particularly loud thoughts but I do see what you mean. Nasty habit it is, been aiming to fix that." We both laugh for a bit and then he heads for a door on the right side of the road raising his metal arm to touch the door. When his hand makes contact, Finn says a few words in another language and his arm burst to  life flowing with blue lights. The door makes a noise and a shield seams to lower into Finn's hand as he opens the door. He pulls me in and I'm immediately overwhelmed at the smells around me, some fragrant like perfumes and others dirty like burning wood. He had shelves of boxes and books, homemade spells and food with jars of candy lining the shelves.

     Finn puts the wards back up and leads me to the kitchen where he sits me down at the wooden table across from the couch and the wall covered in art work, "Wait here while I run upstairs and get the witch you just relax and think if anything hurts or needs to be looked at." with Finns vampy speed skills he vanishes up the stairs to get this so called witch, I certainly do hope I don't meet the same fate as my parents once did in this town years ago. I here rustling and movement up the stairs as a dark skinned man comes running to me with worried eyes and open arms. he cups my face in his hands and scans me over for any sign of blood or wounds. "Finnegan she looks alright, you made her out to be as if she'd been attacked." He looks back at Finn letting go of my face in order to hit him in the head just enough to scuffle his hair. He then turns around to me and straightens up his robe and his curly mop of hair, I hold out my hand to introduce myself and he grabs it with both hands pulling me in with a smile. "I'm Ezra and this my little spells and Knick knack shop." he has a strange contagious happiness that causes my worries and doubts to slip away. He rubs his hand through my hair making his way to my ears checking for ticks and mites since my ears are much different  from human ears. "Are you ok," He says we a worry filled smile and motions me to sit down, I obey as my feet have become numb after so many days of walking. He reaches into his shelves and pulls  out a kettle and a metal box of herbs and tea bags for homemade blends. "Go on love what happen? Why are you out in the woods at this hour?" I yawned in response of all their questions and simply said, "No disrespect Ezra but I'm exhausted and my feet are throbbing, I think the walking has caught up to me." He nods knowing what I mean. Ezra hands me a cup of tea and some cookies from a jar up in the cabinet. "Right I'm sorry. Let me help Finn out and I'll come back and run you a bath with herbs and salts to get you well rested and ready for tomorrow." He and Finn stepped to a hatch underneath the rug in Ezra's common quarters.  I took a few cookies sneaking them into my bag so that I can eat them later as well, they were ( favorite kind ) cookies and i couldn't resist the temptation to stuff my face. 

        Finn calls my name waving as he disappears into the hole and Ezra closes it back up and covers it again. "Alright now to get you all set, come with me up stairs." I follow behind slowly hating every step up those stairs but it was well worth it when I made it. He had a big circle tub surrounded in stone, it looked to be able to fit two people and the water come up pretty high. The twinkling lights hanging from the ceiling were different shades of blue purple and pink with a magical blue flamed candle hanging on the wall in a glass case. The tub was filled with steaming water and flower petals, the room smelled of pine and mint with citrus chopped up into slices and dropped into the water. Bubbles had covered the top of the water like snow and smelled like lavender and honey. His bathroom was pure happiness and love expressed in his home. "Now this bath should help your muscles not be sore in the morning and it should help you fall asleep tonight, I hate to ask but should I check you for ticks or scratch's anywhere on you?" I shrugged as my body was still covered in fur and it could be hiding anything but I was so self conscious about my body that I wouldn't dare ask for his help with this task. I point my head down and hugged myself as if to comfort myself. Ezra looked at me with kind eyes and hands me a towel, "Its ok if you aren't comfortable with it, just promise me you'll come and let me take any off for you. They carry lime disease and other things that can harm you!" as he goes to grab the handle to leave I grab his arm. I muster up all the courage I can and whispered, "Can you stay and help me Ezra?" He smiles and blushes slightly, wrapping me in a hug, "of course!" He closes the door and stays turned around as I take my clothes that I have on now off and grab the robe from the wall and cover myself. "Alright your ok to look now." I say in a small voice. "Alright I'm gonna start with your legs and work my way up and after your done you can use my cats flea shampoo to make sure everything is clean and gone. I nod my head agreeing and let him begin, he rubs his soft hands over my paw pads massaging as he goes looking for any bumps or imperfections. He comes across a tick that had made itself at home on my inner thigh , he poked and prodded at it for a few minutes but it was resistant to all his attempts. "You know fur is great but I just don't think I could do a full body of it." He laughs and I return his joke with a giggle of my own. "Would it be easier if there was no fur?" I ask searching his face for his reaction.  At first he looks confused and he seemed to be racking his brain for what I could be saying. "Well I'm certainly not going to shave you if that's what your asking." he smiles and we both laugh. I trusted Ezra I didn't sense any type of misjudgment or threat coming from this simple witch. 

     I began to shift into my human form and my leg grew smaller in his hand and the once thick course fur is now bare soft human skin. The robe that was a perfect fit before, is now hanging down off my shoulders. It draped around me like a sheet and Ezra had stayed quiet so far, only staring wide eyed and enchanted at the sight. My hair falls in front of my face as I smile at him, "Is that any better?" He's still not said a word so far, just staring at my face and rubbing my legs searching for the fur that was no longer there. "Now how did you do that? spell? hallucinations? Are you even a wolf?" He seems stunned and unsure of what to say, he did however have lots of questions some of which I could answer and others was searching for myself. We talked while taking the ticks that had made themselves at home on me off finally, burning them as he went. his hands glided over me like soap and his hands felt like heaven against my skin.  "I'm honestly stunned I didn't think of it before you told me, I remember in school they use to mention small things about dire wolves but they never dove into that chapter which I guess was because you guys were believed to have died out long ago. but behold!" he places some bubbles on my he'd and smiles so wide that his eyes look squinty. "your here1 So obviously the world didn't lose all of its beautiful one of a kind dire wolves." What a sweet happy minded guy, he seemed to only be able to see the silver lining and if he could see the other side of things then he hides his emotions very well. It didn't take much for the mud and dirt that was previously there to fall away into the soapy water. Ezra had gone to make himself a cup of tea and was waiting in his room for when I was done. My hair had been shampooed and I washed my body with the bar of soap sitting on the side of the tub. It was green and purple but see through, there was a small flower in the middle and there seemed to be small beads in the soap that came out as you washed. It smelled like roses and vanilla, the smell reminded me of Ezra. Soon I got out and dried myself off with the lavender towel Ezra had left behind, throwing the robe on and heading to where Ezra had said his room was. He had laid out a large t-shirt and a pair of women's shorts? I hadn't seen a women in here before and no-one had said anything about a wife or girlfriend ... maybe they were a friend of his, at least that's what I'm hoping. As soon as my head hit the soft feather pillow I drifted off into a deep sleep, filled with dreams of of cookies, flowers, and Ezra? oh, Finnigan as well. Seems I simply cant escape the happenings of tonight or the past. My memories slowly drift back to that little blonde haired girl I had loved once before.

(A/N) The picture at the top is of the characters mentioned in this story from from the game when the night comes. if you haven't read it You should definitely take a look before you dive into this so that you can fall in love with the characters before reading other peoples interpretations of their personalities. I personally feel like I couldn't dream of reaching the level of dedication that the creator of the game had for their characters. I have a second chapter out on my wattpad.

https://my.w.tt/FNUbZCj8mbb