#we love an East coast autumn

[mistylakeee]

did I make this up or are Jude and Taryn canonically from Maine?

[joelswritingmistress]

You Scare Me Professor (Chapter 57 - The Final Chapter)

Summary: The reader is taking graduate classes at a local university in the wooded upstate New York. She is drawn to her professor, Dr. Joel Miller, though she is also inherently aware that he has something dark about him that she can't quite put her finger on. As the reader's attraction grows deeper, she has to decide whether to endure the danger or run away as fast as possible. 

Pairing: Professor Joel Miller x f!reader 

Healing. There would be an infinite amount of healing to do; though over the next six months there were little victories that aided in the process. Will plead guilty. It was an act that everyone was shocked about and ultimately it spared Carol a lot of extra heartache that she didn’t deserve. The evidence was already stacked against him, but now that Will admitted guilt, Carol would not have to sit on a stand as a defense lawyer grilled her and tried to twist her trauma around. For that, everyone was thankful.

Upon a leave of absence for the remainder of the school year, Carol returned to her job in September. In turn, she received a standing ovation from the student body and gained the full support of the staff there. Again, another part of the healing process. I knew Carol was hurting, but she persevered and thrived in her profession. She was going to make it because that’s what women like Carol did. They rose above. They made it.

“She even started coaching volleyball,” Joel informed me. “She was all-state in her younger days.”

Joel. My Joel. I had no issue calling him that all the time now. I tried to prove him wrong every day, and after a little bit of time and a lot of convincing I think it’s clear to him now that I will forever keep his secrets.

He went into a temporary retirement, and I changed my mind and pursued the rest of my Master’s Degree online. Without having to twist my arm too much, Joel convinced me to travel a bit to get away from New York State for a short while. It was therapeutic, to say the least.

I allowed him to take me to Nashville near the end of the summer, and then over to the Grand Canyon. We spent two weeks exploring California, extending our stays from a little ranch near the Joshua Tree, up to San Diego where I unsuccessfully tried surfing and concluding in wine country as autumn really set in. We hiked Washington State, made our way to Yellowstone Park, spent a few romantic nights on Lake Michigan before making it back to the East Coast in time for Halloween, where we crashed the small city of Salem, Massachusetts. It was the perfect ending, really.

Joel found us some cheap masks, and we blended in with the crowds that literally paraded every downtown street in the area. It was welcomed chaos and we spent the day taking pictures with spooky characters, sharing laughs, having some drinks and waiting in lines to slink into shops littered with folklore and magic.

When a light rain began near nightfall, Joel towed me away to a rooftop bar at the top of our hotel where he’d made a reservation earlier in the day. A gentle pitter-patter on the roof of the outdoor patio where we sat was relaxing. It was soothing music to our ears after a day of crowds.

From where we towered above the world, we could see two lighthouses in the distance over the blackened water. Below, people still gathered by the masses for whatever attraction, bar or restaurant they were seeking - if anyone.

“Here are your drinks.” A waitress came back to our two-person, high-top table with a pair of martinis and I sighed as she walked away.

“Ready to go home?” Joel asked, smirked as he placed a hand gently on top of mine.

My fingers squeezed around his and I nodded. “This has been a wild ride.”

“Happy Halloween.”

I grinned again and raised my glass. “Happy Halloween.” Our glasses tapped together and Joel leaned two-thirds of the way across to peck my lips. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” He kissed me another time and then settled back in his chair. At the same time, we took sips from our drinks and I felt my body relax.

“This has been great,” I told him, unable to think of another adjective. “It really revived me.” I gave a nod and looked him in the eye. “How do you feel?”

“A lot better.” He grinned and added, “Thank you for sticking by me. You had every right to run in the opposite direction. You still do.”

“Dr. Miller,” I said sternly, making him chuckle. “I’m going to need you to stop trying to convince me to leave you. Unless you’re secretly trying to get rid of me.” I sipped on my cocktail and kept my eyes on his.

Joel leaned forward, never breaking eye contact. “I would never want that.”

“Then stop saying things like that,” I ordered lightheartedly, leaning back toward him just a little bit.

“Okay,” he agreed, “I’ll work on it.”

“Thank you.” When he lingered, I leaned forward and left a long, closed-mouth kiss on his lips. When I pulled back he was grinning and I chuckled.

“I’m thinking the exact opposite of that, actually.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I want you to be with me forever.”

I felt a blush form on my cheeks and I couldn’t help but smile wider. When Joel leaned back, reaching a hand into the pocket of his khaki pants, I felt like my body went numb. And then he pulled out a small, black box and pushed it across the table. I was frozen. My eyes were glued to the box and if it was anything other than what I thought it was, I knew it would be like a kid opening an empty box on Christmas.

“What’s this?” My words barely made it out past my lips.

Joel’s eyes remained on mine as he opened the box. My eyes dropped, staring at the silver ring in the center of it. A Diamond sparkled even in the dim lighting.

“Marry me,” he said quietly, linking his hands to mine on either side of the ring.

“Marry me.” I repeated the words to myself to make sure I heard them right. “Marry me.”

“Marry me,” Joel said again.

My gaze found his again and finally the tears that welded up in my eyes were tears of joy. “Okay.” I laughed and cried at the same time, “I’ll marry you.”

“Yeah?” He kept his voice quiet as mine grew louder, drawing a few glances from other patrons in our direction.

“Yeah.” I giggled and put my face in my hands as I continued to cry at the same time. “Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Joel!” I popped my face up. “Yes! Yes!” People were staring at us now and Joel looked around the immediate area, giving a wave and a smile before returning his attention to me. He reached for the ring in the small, black box and slid the ring on my finger.

I jumped up from my seat and I couldn’t help it. I rushed around the table and threw my arms around him, pulling him in to kiss him hard.

“I thought Halloween was a fitting night for us to get engaged,” Joel admitted, holding me close as he spoke in my ear. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“It’s perfect.” I whispered back, holding him close as my fingers gripped the hair on the back of his head. “I love you.”

“Did you two just get engaged?” A female voice shouted from a few tables away.

We both pulled back, still holding onto one another and I responded by showing off my ring. “Yes.”

The costume-clad crowd in the immediate area all began to clap and I couldn’t contain my wide, beaming smile and the tears that continued to fall. When a waitress got wind of it, she brought us over a bottle of complimentary champagne.

“I know it hasn’t even been a year since we’ve known each other,” Joel said, “But life is too short to wait. You changed my life, (Y/N). I’ve never loved or trusted someone more than you. I don’t want to ever risk letting that go.”

“I know how you feel.” We shared another kiss and then took our glasses toward the edge of the balcony that overlooked Salem. I couldn’t help but smile to myself.

A breeze passed through and made me shudder, causing Joel to pull me close.

“Any regrets?” He asked.

I smiled up at him. “None, whatsoever.”

**Thank you everyone for following this story. I appreciate everyone reading, reviewing and following. It made it fun to write. This is the longest story I've ever written and it's been fun because people were interacting and guessing whole the killer was and I loved it. It made it great for me, as a writer. So THANK YOU!

@untamedheart81 @suttonspuds @cesspitoflove @michilandcof @grogusmum @morallyinept @akah565 @brittmb115 @magpiepills @poodlebae @gobaaby-blog-blog @mermaidgirl30 @mandojojo @shotgun-shelby @itscatrodriguez-thepearl @macaroni676 @smolbeanzzz @bandluvr97

[a-fluffy-dog24]

kingdom Pines AU

In a land far away their were two kingdom that hated each other.One of the kingdom was rolled by two twins King Stanley and King StanFord.And Stan adoption his grandchildren, Fords great niece and nephew and go on adventures , were they slay dragons and ride horses. Dipper is in love with a girl with long blonde hair.

If you like the time pirate chapter book you might like this.Also (based on the adoption au make by keleficent and marehami on AO3.It's not associated with the AU but just with a Fantasy coat off paint.And take a lot of Disney Princess movies stuff and Romeo and Juliet,Princess diary's.

Chapter 1. We were the kings and the queens

Once upon a time in the year 1918 off the coast of Middle East this story takes place in early November. It's still autumn, it's colder, the leaves are falling.There were two small kingdoms. One of them was ruled by the The Pines family and the other was ruled by the Northwests, the Northwests richer and their subjects were mean and snotty. So the two kingdoms didn't interact much.

The first kingdom was named Gravity Lands; their castle was gray and blue; it is ruled by two kings who are identical twin brothers. King Stanley wore a red and black robe and a gold crown. He has a girlfriend, an ex wife maybe? named Marilyn  .And King Stanford wore a green and light brown robe and a gold crown. He has a husband named Fiddleford.

"How is the disagreement over money the villagers are having what do you think we should do to stop it" Ford asked "well I don't know I was waiting for them to figure it out but I guess I can ask the Committee what they think" Stan answered. The committee is made up Fiddleford and Marilyn ,Soos and his wife Melody.In the children's room were the twins prince Dipper and princess Mabel. They are both recovering from when they sprain their legs they were trying to climb up a tree. And their Grunkles were to busy giving a Press conference bragging and not paying attention.,They're getting better with medication and resting.

They just turned 12 years old, they are the king Stan's grandkids and king Ford's great niece and nephew . The kings are going to adopt them. They were living in the castle because their parents died in the war 3 weeks ago. In their room their beds were on the opposite side of the room,

Dipper's side the walls were blue, his side had books on the shelves. It was a little messy with clothes and toys on the floor.Dipper was on his bed reading on Mabel's side her walls were purple with drawings on the walls. On her bed were stuffed animals, and toys on the floor she was on her bed knitting a blue sweater.Just then Soos came in. He is the royal helper."Hey dudes, it's bath time, who wants to go first?" he told them, "I will'' Mabel went and took her bath. Both Kings were waiting to help her.

And after her bath they both help dry her off and helped her get on her light purple  nightgown it has a small red bow tied around her waist, she brushed her teeth then, Stan put her on his lap and he brushed her hair ."Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford thank you guys for helping me, with my bath" "it was our pleasure" Ford put on her socks they love doing this kind of stuff for their daughter it make them feel like parents "don't mention it sweetie, are you excited to maybe ride horses tomorrow" he asks ."Yes I bet you can't ride"

"That it" he tickles her, she giggles he stopped Ford gave her a piggyback ride and put her on bed "alright bed time", Stan tucked her into bed. "Good night daddy"she yawns "good night pumpkin I love you"he kisses her head "I love you good night my dear"Ford kissed her cheek "good night papa" "case your dreams go take on this whole world but to me you'll away be my little girl " they both to her quietly sing and she falls asleep.

Then King Ford came in to talk to Dipper "may I have a word with you" "ok Grunkle Ford''Ford sat down on his bed."I know we didn't have much luck last week trying to find dragons, and then you children got hurt but let's try again when you healed" "I hope we can. I've never seen a dragon up close before, maybe we can look in the forbidden woods'' Dipper suggested ."NO absolutely not you know the rules no going in the woods by yourself and no going to the Northwests, castle "

"It's time for your bath" Ford added seeing how he has dirt on his legs,arms and face a little. and smells like BO and pee "no I don't need a bath" Dipper interested,"everyone else has had their bath you stink you need one badly" Stan told . Dipper gets out of bed and tries to make a run for it Stan closes the door and Ford picks him up and puts him over his shoulder carrying him. "I'm not a bag of potatoes" he grumbles. After his bath the kings both help dry him off. Dipper brushes his teeth Ford helps the sleepy Dipper, put on his pj's. His pj's were green Dipper sits on Ford's lap and he brushed Dipper's hair.He looks at the green brush

"Is this your brush?" Ford asks, " see how the brush has a lot of brown hair ."No it's Mabel's why do girls shed so much" Dipper asks them "I don't know it will be a mystery" Stan picks him up. "It breaks the scientific laws of nature, " Ford told him.

Then Stan carried Dipper and tucked him into bed "good night goober I love you" Stan kissed him on the head "Grunkle Ford do you think we'll find a dragon tomorrow". "Theirs is a possibility come on time to rest I love you"Ford kissed his son on the head he falls asleep.They both quietly sing"the monster gone we on are own but you're daddy here beautiful beautiful beautiful boy".

The Kings looked at both of their babies sleeping happily and soundly the Kings leave and do some work in the Library then they go to bed.Stanley's bedroom is a red and gold color "Hey there babe" Marilyn  put her hand on Stan's shoulder they kissed and she helped him up they hold hands and go to bed. Ford's room is gold and green he goes to bed where Fiddleford was waiting.

Chapter 2 Long live all the magic we made

The next day the twins ate breakfast feeling 100% better. Mabel went horseback riding with, ladyWendy she is a servant/friend. Mabel rode a palomino pony named Buttercup Mabel is wearing, a purple dress and her hair was in braids. Wendy road a buckskin named spirit, Wendy was wearing a green dress.Stan came to watch them ride around, in the backyard they raced and jumped over stuff. Then after they get off Mabel sits on the ground, and pets her pony she can talk to all animals. "You like being ridden, you think it gives you a purpose" she talks to buttercup.

"What is she saying," Wendy asked."She said she loved our ride today," Mabel told her. They take care of the horses and head back to the castle, "you did great out there pumpkin" Stan congratulated them. "Thank you it was fun" Waddles squeals and walks, inside "Waddles said he wants a treat" she gives her pig his treat. After Stan and Mabel do some painting together she sits on his lap and they have a lot of fun. "I have a crush" she told him "oh what's their name" "her name is April"."That's great you should talk to her at the party tomorrow how could she not love you sweetie" he replied "thanks I had fun with you daddy" she smiles "Aww I did too" he kisses her on cheek.

Dipper sat on the floor of his closet holding a picture of his mother and sister he misses her so much.And he thinks it's stupid but he wants to be held by his beloved mother he tries to be a man but he started crying a little.Marilyn  was waking in the hallway and she heard muffled cries and opened the children room.And finds Dipper crying he looks up at her and hides the picture from her.

She sit down and asks sympathetically "what's the matter kiddo" "I'm ok it's dumb" he sopped  wiped his tears.She sees the picture and says "you miss your parents'' he nodes and begin to bawl his eyes out she picks him up and hugs him in her lap.He knows he has the words best dads him and his sister could ask for and they give good hugs .But he thinks about how he misses being hugged by a mother figure she knows she can't replace his mother.But she knows both children need someone like her. She finds it hard to cope with the loss of her son as well. "It's ok buddy you're cool granny Marilyn  is here" "thank you" he smiles just then they hear Ford calling for Dipper ."Well you better go" he grabs his bag "you two be careful out there" she told him "we will bye".

Ford,Soos and Dipper walk through the woods to find the dragons, they see gnomes,a bottomless pit ,a couple unicorns and an evil triangle. But no dragons they walked up a hill and they found a cave where the Soos made a lantern. They walked further in the cave and it got very dark. But then they see a huge red sleeping dragon"wow its ginormous" Dipper looks amazed, "this is the coolest thing I've ever seen dude" Soos told them then the dragon wakes up Dipper draws his sword. But then it runs towards him King Ford draws his sword "get behind me boy NOW" Dipper listens. Ford points his sword at it then it flies out of the cave, and into the forbidden forest. And breathes fire."dad that was amazing". "Yea let's go home" Ford said worriedly.

They all eat dinner together in the gold and brown dining room.The bowl and silverware are silver colored for dinner they enjoyed chicken stew with a garden salad. That Soos made for them as the chef.Soos and Melody 6 children eat with their mother.They talk and laugh during dinner.After dinner they clean up and then the Kings call over the children and sit them down and explain. That they have been taking care of them for 3 weeks and they would love it if they could make it official. Mabel read it out loud and translated it from Hebrew into English "the legal guardianship of Catherine Green and Michael Pines' children Mason,Alex, Pines and Mabel, Ariel,Pines

will be gifted if signed by StanFord,Frederick Pines and Stanley,Caren,Pines. The custody agreement will be approved if both parties signed ''.Dipper stated happy crying and Mabel stated too they look at the paperwork it already has the king's signatures on it.The twins joyfully signed and hugged their adopted fathers they are over the moon that their son and daughter. Trust them and love them just like they do and always will. They proudly frame and hang the adoption papers above the fireplace.In the living room so everyone in the Castle can see them.

Then kids had their baths, it's raining outside Mabel sat and watched it she is brushing her hair with a fork she heard another princess did it a lot and it worked. So she decided to give it a shot.She put it down and her cheeks soon looked as wet as it was outside raining .

"Dipper I hope mom and dad will be back from their trip soon" she  knew that their parents are dead.They just haven't got the time to reach  out write a letter she thinks.It doesn't feel like they are gone  it seems like they're on a long trip somewhere where they can't see them can't talk to them. She keeps forgetting that they're not here. That they're not coming home.Tears begin to build up in her eyes and make their way down.

"I wish mom and dad were still here", he walked over and she started crying more he hugged her. "Well I wish they were still alive too" he started to cry a little bit and she hugged him tighter. "I remember when we saw they bodies it WAS SO SCARY " she sobbed "it was HORRIBLE THEY WERE COVERED IN BLOOD AND they were...DEAD " she cries more "and they never coming back Dipper" she was staring to breakdown in tears he hug her and said "I know I want dad and mom too badly But we have Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford,Soos,uncle FiddleFord,granny Maryland and me, people that love us I love you"

Dipper comforted her. "I love you too Dipping sauce"They hug and dry their eyes, and sit there for a bit then the Kings come to tuck them into bed Mabel crawls into bed. Ford took the warm pink blanket and tucked her in "good night, my dear how are you feeling" "I'm tired good night papa I love you" he kissed her on the head and she fell asleep. Dipper crawls into bed Stan takes the blue blanket and tucked him " are you ok Dippy" Stan asks.

"Yeah I'm ok good night Grunkle Stan " Stan rubs Dipper's head softly and he falls asleep "I love you" he whispers "The kings leave "do you think we're doing this right,it's only been 3 weeks since they lost their parents. And we haven’t been the best caretakers."Stan asks him. Thinking about the kids playing and falling out of the tree."Well that’s is true to some extent but I think this is what they would have wanted for the children to be happy and safe". Ford hugs Stan and they go downstairs. They were fun, great uncles but now they need to be the best parents possible "remember when we were that age we were inseparable" Ford asked him "yea seems like only yesterday we would get in a lot of trouble" Stan chuckled.

"I'm surprised we didn't get hurt or worse we have to look out for each other because there was no else too" Ford added. "Remember when we were 12 mom was still alive and we had no cares in the world I miss it" Stan remember being a kid and having no work no kids no worry ."But look at us now I never thought I would have kids of my own even at 55 years old but now we have two wonderful children"

Ford told him.He and Ford didn't always get along as they became teenagers sometimes would argue with each other over dumb things.And also they're father only planned on having one son to take the throne. And he hated Stanley because he was younger and a troublemaker. He emotionally and physically abused him making him feel worthless.The queen would try to stop him but it wouldn't help she patch up and comfort her son after.He wanted StanFord to be king he thought he would make a good king except he despise his sons love for boys.

He also manipulated Ford in to hide all his feelings and told him he was only going to be king because he was born first no one else would trust a freak like him to rule.Both brothers agreed that neither of them wanted to be king alone. And Frederick had been tormenting their lives for years. So when they turned 18 they kicked Frederick out with the help of their mother the queen. It was her kingdom.And he was banished from the kingdom and if he comes back he will be thrown in the dungeon but he Long dead by now."Yup that's for sure I love those kids I would die for them" Stan replied and with that they both went to bed.

Chapter 3 The night you danced like you knew our lives would Never be the same

The next night everyone is getting ready for the ball the entire kingdom is welcome , everybody has washed up and are putting on fancy clothes. Mabel is wearing a light pink and white, with puffy sleeves ball gown. Her hair is wavy with flowers in it, her silver tiara on top. Marilyn  finishes helping her put the last flowers in her hair. She also has little glass slipper  flats. Dipper is wearing a blue and white shut.And on top of his head is a silver crown, and little black shoes. They had downstairs stairs where they saw Grunkles dressed up. Stan is wearing a black and red shirt.

And a gold crown on top of his gray hair. Ford is wearing a green and white shut. And a gold crown on top of his white and gray hair. "You look great my dear" Ford holds her hand and twirls her around her dress blows around he picks her up and holds her she smiles. "You clean up good when you actually take a bath" Stan teased Dipper Ford chuckles.Dipper sick his tongue out at him.Then all the guests arrive, Fiddleford comes over he is wearing a yellow shut and puts his arm around him and kisses Ford on the lips he blushes.Marilyn  holds Stan's hand she is wearing a purple dress her short White hair has a rose in it. Stan kiss her on cheek she smiles.The family mingle with the guests and the kids eat dinner.

Mabel dances with Wendy and Soos the Kings talk to their subjects, Dipper walks over to the punch bull to get a drink. When he sees a girl with very long blonde hair in one big braid. She was in a purple dress "Hi I'm um I am Prince Dipper of Gravity Lands". "Hi I'm princess Pacifica,it's nice to meet you " then they go outside on the balcony. "I've never been to a ball before. I bet my family could hold a better one ""oh really" he said sarcastically "but we never have or at least I've never seen one I'm always locked up in my tower," she admitted."

"Oh why are you locked up in your tower? '' he asks, '' none of your business dork,"she said as he played and fidgeted, with the roses and cuts himself. "AHH '' he yells in pain as she wraps her hair around his cut. And started singing and her hair started glowing he blush and the cut is healed. "Umm thank you" just then the big grand blue clock in the ballroom strikes 8:00 pm "I have to go now my parents will kill me goodbye " she runs off,"wait when will I see you again" he looks for her but she is gone.

After the ball is over the kids are getting ready for bed Dipper looks out the window at the forbidden forest. Mabel walked over to him "hey I just met this handsome boy, his name is John but I also met my crush she's pretty and her name is April and I don't know who I should ask out" "well that tricky umm ask the one you know more out". "Ok thank you I don't see you that much" "umm can I tell you a secret". "Sure bro bro anything"

"Well I talk to this girl and she is cute and super pretty" he giggles. "Oh somebody's in love" she teased "and she has magic hair but she said she has to leave and I think she is in the forbidden forest". "oh but you know daddy and papa won't ,let you go there or if she is a Northwest,". "I know but I got to do something" just then the kings came to put them to bed."Children I have story to tell you" Ford told them he sat on Mabel's bed the kids crawl on it get comfort. Stan sat in a chair beside them "I will tell you the story of Hansel and Gretel, they're twins like you too" he tells the children.

"I think we've heard this story before when we were little" Dipper complains "you can go to bed if you want" Stan remind he "fine". "Start the story already PLEASE" she begs "once upon a time they're where two twins a brother and a sister they live in the woods in a house with their mother and father. Their parents was having a hard time finding food for the children. The children were hungry" "this when they find the house made of candy that's my favorite part" Mabel interruption him. "Not yet... one day they're father had to cut down some wood so Hansel and Gretel sat by the fire and ate one piece of bread then they fell asleep together."Aww we sometimes do that" Mabel said "yea we do" Dipper agreed. "Anyway.. the twins woke up one morning and were playing in the forest and they saw a house made of candy and cake."

"I want to live there and eat the whole thing" Mabel told them "I bet I can help with that" Stan mentioned. Ford starts the story again a little peeved that he keeps getting interrupted "Okay.. Then the children began eating the house. Then the door opened, and an old woman came out. "Ah, my dear children, come here you must come indoors and stay with me, you will be no trouble." So she took them each by the hand, and led them into her little house. And there they found a meal laid out, of milk and pancakes, with sugar, apples, and nuts. After that she showed them two little beds, and Hansel and Grethel laid themselves down on them, and thought they were in heaven.She was downstairs getting ready an oven she used to eat them."

"How could she eat kids, what's wrong with her?" Mabel said upset "yea that's gross" Dipper agreed ."I know she crazy She was getting the oven ready, then Hansel  gave her a push, so that she went in , and Grethel shut the iron door upon her, and they both ran away, and left the wicked witch to burn miserably.The twins go home to their mother and father live happily together until the end" Ford finishes the story. "Ok it's bedtime" Stan got Mabel under the blanket he tucked her in and gave her stuff dog Wattles sleeps on her bed. And Stan kisses her goodnight Ford rubs her head softly she falls asleep .Dipper gets into bed Ford tucks him in Ford kisses him goodnight.And Stan rubs his head softly he falls asleep the kings closed the door.

Chapter 4 Promise me this That you'll stand by me forever

The next morning There's a knock at the door Soos answer it a older woman with red hair and formally dressed says "good morning sir my name is Kelly I'm am with the BAPP British administration of proper Princess." "Oh ok just a minute mr. Pines there a teacher lady at the door" "huh...what do you mean Soos" "hello your majesty I'm am with the proper princess administration and we want to help you niece to prepare her for Royal duty's".

" Gotcha....but no we don't need your help so you can just tell your king George that.... " "Stanley what's going on here" Ford interrupt them Mabel run up to them and listens.Stan points at Kelly  "She wants to train Mabel to be a better princess" "well I don't know we should think about it and contact you at a later time" Ford jesters for her to leave. " Wait don't go I want to be a proper Princess" "are you sure pumpkin" Stan asked her "yes I do I need to if I'm going rule the kingdom and it could be fun"she replied Kelly said "we start tomorrow 7:00 am" then she left.

Mabel and papa do some kitting she shows him how to kit himself a yellow sweater and he loves it and wears it the rest of the day.Stan went downstairs to get some work done.To Managing the kingdom. Then Ford and her bake some cookies. Fiddleford helps them and she puts a lot in her mouth Ford laughs at his cute daughter. FiddleFord puts the cookies in the jar Ford kisses him on cheek Fiddleford blushed.Then Mabel asks "uncle FiddleFord how did you guys meet" "well honey take a Seat do you want to start darling"FiddleFord asked him.

"I was a young teenager sitting outside under a tree writing I was lonely .I had always wanted to be in a relationship but the person I loved was too shy to talk to me and so was I". "I reckon was too shy to speak to you because you were so handsome" Ford blushed "Aww thank you babe.Anyway if it hadn't been for your daddy we might have never made a move" Stan pushed Ford to talk to him and invited FiddleFord to sit at a little table in the park. For the two of them to fall in love "And bye goalie it worked we had been together for years" FiddleFord looked into his eyes. "I think we will be for years to come right babe" Ford lovingly told him " absolutely darling" they kiss. Meanwhile Dipper sneaks out to the stables

He tells Soos he's going on a quick Trailride "ok dude have fun" Soos was taking care of the horses He rode out to the forbidding forest Dipper was looking around when he saw a tower. He thought this might be it "Pacifica Pacifica let down your hair" he yelled. Then noticed it was locked and he climbed the tower,and when he got to the window he unlocked it.

And out came lots and lots of golden hair. She puts her hair on a bar on top, and slides down "thank you but I don't need help getting down." She brags Dipper grumbles and notices how much hair she has then he slides down. "You have a lot of hair" "I know dork" she says sarcastically "anyway what you want to do now".

They rode around the red yellow and orange woods on a bay appaloosa pony named Dreamer and had a picnic on the grass. "what are your parents names are they as weird as you " she ask "oh umm my parents aren't alive anymore so my great uncles take care of me umm there twins" she got quiet and regretted asking then said "oh I so sorry I wish I knew my parents the king and queen save me when I was two"

"why do they lock you up in your tower" he asks "because they uses my hair and I'm not allowed to leave my mom tell me she much pretty than me that makes me feel upset it hurt when I left my tower that night they were not happy" "oh Pacifica gosh I'm sorry let go back" he doesn't want her to be in even more trouble than she already is. She flipped up his bangs and saw weird dots on his forehead. "What's that, are they zits" "umm it's my birthmark" he bushes "oh so that's why they call you Dipper".

"Yes my real name is Mason"he said embarrassedly "I like Dipper it's unique" "umm thank you" he looked flustered. she moved closer and kissed him on the cheek,"wow you smell nice" he giggled as she bushes at him. Afterwards he returned her to her tower, said goodbye and rode home.They do this for a few weeks without getting caught.

Chapter 5 How the kingdom lights shined just for me and you

Kelly getting her things together in the living room to teach Mabel. A giant rulebook,heels, a brush. "Ok dude I'm ready to get this party started" Mabel excitedly yelled "first off a princess should never yell unless there is a frog in her hair" she told her. "I kiss a frog once" she added Kelly Roll her eyes "anyway you should speak well and what on earth are you wearing" she was talking about her faded blue and brown dress. "Oh this is my play dress so I don't get my other dresses dirty I kind of like it"she gave Mabel a White dress to change into.

After that she fix her hair into a giant bun on her head.And some makeup "You put the tiara on" she tells her Mabel dose then it falls on the floor "I'm sorry". Then she has walk in hi heels she takes her first step forward then a few more. "Very good almost there" she fall Face first on ground they move on to tea party " finally something I'm good at" Mabel takes sip of tea and a bite of cupcake "mmm that was good" then she burps loudly. " That was a good one .... I mean Excuse me" she blushes Kelly looks frustrated.

"The most important thing that you must do is to be perfect. That means not yelling,waking to heels correctly,you have to know everything about your kingdom how to run it properly you subject look up they expect you to be calm and in control. And you have be quiet and very feminine. Let's Resume later maybe your have better luck" with that she left.

The next day the kings go to wake up the kids and see that their noses are a little red."Are you ok sweetie" Stan pats her head "AHH-OWOW" Dipper sneezes " Aww you sneezes like a kitten".She coughs every time one sneezes the other coughs, Ford makes a call for some help. Stan puts his hand on her forehead and she warm then he puts his hand on Dipper's forehead and his warm too.Soos comes with a thermometer, medicine, breakfast and tissues.

"Open your mouth please" Ford put the thermometer in Mabel's mouth it’s 108f "look like a fever" .Stan handed Dipper some juice he drank it ,Ford walked over to Dipper bed and took his thermometer. And he had a fever too Stan give Mabel her medicine "here you go pumpkin" she drink it,

"do you want some pancakes"he ask "no"she replied Ford gave Dipper he medicine"drink please"."This is disgusting'' he moans Mabel coughs Dipper sneezes Mabel starts shivering Stan take another blanket and wrappers it around her and rub her and she warm up she smiles at him he softly rub her head Ford opened a window a little bit to let the cool, air in and sick air out then Stan tucked Dipper into bed. "You kids get some sleep '' he said. "Call us if you need anything" Ford says "feel better soon dudes" Soos added.They go downstairs to let them sleep. Later they feed them matzo ball soup and medicine. They go back to sleep, then after dinner they give them their warm baths to help with their colds .That night the Dads go to cheek in on they're children they are sleeping. They look worse than before and paler. Ford feels Mabel's forehead and

she burning up she whimpers "Soos get me a cold washcloth PLEASE and get two just in case ".She starts having chills Ford take her blanket and tucks her in.Stan moves Dipper over to her bed he feels burning hot he looks worriedly at Stan. He puts the cold washcloth on his head Ford tucks him in Dipper close his eyes Ford carefully climbs into their bed and puts Dipper on his lap and runs his 6 fingers through Dipper's hair Stan puts Mabel in his lap and put the wet washcloth on her head Ford looks worriedly at his daughter and holds her hand .Stan rubs her hair softly she gave him a small smile they"then she slept.They stay in the whole night there and watch their babies they both to make sure they are ok they are worried something will go wrong.

They remember the night they were born when they thought something might go wrong.Dipper had a hard time breathing. He was turning blue after he was born. That was the first time he scared them and his parents. But the doctor saved him and after their mother got to hold her newborn twins then Stan held Mabel she wrapped her hand around his finger and Ford held Dipper he grabbed Ford's shirt they then they swapped them and held the other babies were so small and helpless.Just like the children are now they don't have their parents to protect them. But now they have their adopted daddys to take care of them. They are very worried they will lose their babies.

But little by little more medicine,sleep and soup the kids get better. And their dads are right there to take care of them and soon they are no longer sick. And they can get back to doing fun stuff.

Chapter 6 I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you

Mabel was in Stan's bed room him and Ford were having a conversation about the Princess training. "Guys I just don't want to do it again because it's not me how a dress or act and it's a pressure on how the kingdom sees me" she told them as she played with her hair. "Well we understand" Ford comforted her "don't ever let anyone ever change you my dear." Stan tells her "Sweetie don't worry about the kingdom you'll have your brother to help you and your already perfect princess to me." She hugs him.

Later the Pines,Soos and Melody ,Wendy and Fiddleford and Marilyn  were in the forest Mabel had found unicorns, pegasus and earth ponies. And she was having a lovely conversation over a tea party. The boys didn't mind being at a tea party . Stan and Marilyn  sat down next to each other and cuddle a little.Mabel was wearing a yellow ball dress and Wendy was putting a bow in Mabel's hair, her and Wendy were talking about horses,dresses and girl stuff.

Dipper was wearing a dark blue, White suit and brown pants . Later the kids climbed up a small cliff Dipper made it to the top first, Mabel got their last she tried to pull herself up but started falling down, Dipper quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her up. "Thank brother" she said "you're welcome little sister" he teases her "by 5 minutes that's what mom said" she reminds him he smiles.

They could see the top of their dads gray hair and Soos too after they went back to the castle. They sit down on the couch Mabel in Stan's lap he snuggles her and Dipper in Ford's lap he cuddles him "Grunkle Stan who was the king and queen before you guys" she asked.

"Well your great grandma was the queen before us. She was the oldest of 6 sisters. She passed away when you two were born."Stan answered. "Yes I believe she in her early 50s when she passed The passing down of power goes to twins usually.Your father my nephew didn't want to be king"Ford explained

"And he and your mom were in the military so he can't be king" Stan told them. The kids started to feel sad. Their eyes filled with sadness, they remember being in the war zone  after they had passed and their bodies bloody lying on the ground with bullet holes in them the kids remember crying and sobbing. The kings were there hugging them. Those first few days were the hardest. It is so tragic that they were only 29 and 30 years old.Ford rubs Dipper's back slowly Stan cuddles Mabel to help her "we sorry if we made you feel sad" Ford looked at both of them. "We know you kids are very sad losing your parents."Stan tries to comfort them "and we know we will never replace your mother and father but we love you so much"Ford added.

"It's okay to cry if you want"Stan reassured them "I want my MOMMY AND DADDY" she sobbed "me too it's not fair if someone was there...maybe " he let the tears fall. "I know it's not Dippy" Stan rubbed Dipper's cheek to comfort his son "I miss daddy would get my flowers" she sniffled "I really miss Mommy she brushed. My hair and she......was caring and there was no one else that could replace her ." Tears build up in her eyes and run down "I WISH SHE WAS HERE " she yelled.

"I I miss......Dadddy a lot he was the only one who understood me if I was there I could've done something" he try to wipe his tears away but they just kept coming "There was nothing you could've done, it's a horrible situation my boy" Ford hugged him but that wasn't helping "why did they have to KILL HER AND NOW SHE GONE" he yelled sobbing in anger . His yelling scared Mabel a little bit and she started crying more . "It's okay sweetie I know they love you I lot I'm sorry you both have to go through this "he let her keep crying to get it.

Out he holds her close and rubs her and because he's trying hard not too breakdown in tears as well.He lost his son and his beloved daughter in law it hurts him as much as it hurts them.But he holds it together for the children ."It really isn't fair I wish no child had to go through this specially you children" Ford comforted and held the crying boy.A few minutes passed .

They both give turns giving the twins kisses on the head and they comfort their babies for a while.And talk about the good things they remember about their parents.The king's know that the hole left by their parents wasn't ever going to be filled.And the children will probably never not be sad and frustrated at the loss. But the best thing to do is to not forget and talk about and work through the pain together as a family.And they take a little nap together Fiddleford see them and take a blanket and tucked them in he runs his hand though Ford's hair lovely Ford smile in his sleep then the kings cuddled and snuggled the children .

Later they receive a letter from the Northwest that they need to come over to their castle immediately to have a meeting. So the Pines got in the pumpkin carriage and rood off.They walked in and sat down in the living room. "Have the children go play in the other room. Well, we talk" Preston told them "and tell Pacifica she is awful at the piano and make her stop playing that horrible noise" Priscilla tells them as the kids went into the ballroom. And they see Pacifica in a pink dress, with her very long hair playing on the piano.She is not the best but she is not bad at it.

"Oh Dipper what are you doing here you didn't tell me you have a sister" "I'm his twin sister my name is Mabel are parents are, talking" ""can we play with you" he ask. "Sure dork lets dance" Pacifica got off the bench and grabbed Dipper's hand. Mabel started playing the piano. She is wearing a yellow dress and a yellow bow in her hair, she started slinging "tale as old as time, true as it can be barely even friends. Then somebody bends unexpectedly" Pacifica and Dipper dance slow and close

"just a little change,small to say the least". She lays her head on his shoulder, he blushes "both a little, scared neither one prepared" he twirls her around "beauty and the beast". Then he kissed her and she blushed when they sat down.The doors few open the parents were arguing "why are we here" Ford asked “because you're grandson Mason has been dating my daughter"Preston yelled

"And what that's crazy" Stan yelled. "Is that true that you disobeyed us?" Ford asked. "Well yes it is, we've been, hanging out" Dipper admitted ."you went to no the Northwests, castle alone"Stan yelled "there's a reason you don't talk to the king and queen were trying to protect you"Fold told him "I'm sorry I know that was wrong I just started talking to her and I feel bad I want to help her I love her" Dipper apologize . "It was my idea to keep sneaking out so he would stop using my hair" Pacifica told them.

Chapter 7 One day, we will be remembered

Pression angry, stopped over"Pacifica Northwest you are no longer the princess of this kingdom and, you shall no longer exist"Pression yelled. "I wish we never adopted you little rat" Priscilla added.He draws his sword and tries to kill her but Dipper stepped in the way of the sword, and it cut half of her hair and the rest disappeared. But the sword also stabbed Dipper's side, making a small wound.

He tried not to cry but he fell to the ground. Pacifica cried and held him. Everyone ran over Mabel hugged the other side of him, she looked at Stan and Ford she yelled "DADDY,PAPA please don't let him die too" she sobbed "is there a doctor in the castle" Ford yelled. "It's okay daddy here" he ran over to her and rubbed her back "This is all your fault he's hurt"Stan shouted back at Pression Ford took a piece of his shut, and tied it tightly around Dipper's wound.

Worried that he might lose his son he tries to keep Dipper calm and try to think of what else to help "We need to get him some help" Stan said worriedly as he was getting ready to pick him up he already lost his son he wasn't going to lose his grandson either. "Daddy please help me"Dipper started to cry Stan not sure what else to he sang to him "the monster gone we on our own but you're daddy here" Stan held hand and rubbed it gently.Ford joined in "beautiful beautiful beautiful boy" he ran 6 fingers through his hair.

Then Mabel hugged him more and tried to use her magic and love for her brother to heal him. A few minutes later he whispered "hey it doesn't hurt any more". "Oh thank goodness"Pacifca hugged him, Stan removed part of Dipper shut and there's nothing left but a small stair. The kings take Pacifica and the twins home. Dipper's stair felt sore the next couple of days,

Pacifica lives with them. She has her own room near Soos and his wife Melody's room. Her room is purple and enjoys her life. She can't use her magic hair anymore but she loves the new freedom she has. She spends a lot of time with Soos and Melody’s 6 other children. And he grows a Bond with her.They takes care of her and helps her with schoolwork.They are they're for her when she has a nightmare and comfort her back to sleep.Then Soos and Melody offers to adopt her Pacifica agrees and she gets a loving mom and dad .

Pacifica talks with Wendy and plays games with Mabel and Dipper. She never had the chance to be a kid but she has never been happier.Dipper and her do still love each other but now they'll never be separated.They can't wait until they are older and how much stronger their relationship will be.

Stan and Ford helped the children with school and taught them how to run the Kingdom a little bit. They also try to make every day fun for their children and let them enjoy being kids for as long as possible.They all celebrate their first Hanukkah as a family and they enjoy it very much.And the fathers try to keep twins from getting hurt physically and mentally they try their hardest.Mabel asks out the girl she likes and they date from a few months. But they release that feeling that is different now and they are growing in different ways and they decide to break up.Mabel takes a break and makes some new friends. Discover a new hobby.Then when she is a little bit older she tries again with a sweet boy named Charlie.

Dipper and Pacifica grow closer. Stan and Ford try their best to raise their son and daughter. They do a pretty good job. They have help from Fiddleford ,Maryland. They feel happy they were chosen to take care of the children. They feel glad they saved that girl from her abusive parents. And no matter what they would always have each other as a family.The boys have a handful raising two teenagers it's hard sometimes and the fathers don't agree with the kids.But the twins love their fathers they are the best parents they could've asked for.

And when they were all grown up, they had children of their own Dipper and Pacifica had fraternal blonde hair twins one boy one girl .Mabel marries Charlie and they adopted siblings one with black hair and one with dark red hair a 7 years old boy and a little baby boy.Together and all 4 of them ruled the kingdom together.The End.

[majaloveschris]

Why nothing makes sense, part 8.

Comic Con and Wedding Ring Edition

So before I start this part of the Why Nothing Makes Sense series, I'd like to say that I'm not saying there wasn't a wedding or that this isn't real. However, I'm going to explain why things don't make sense to me and why I think this might not be real.

So before we jump into this amazing Comic Con weekend, I'd like to go back to the DM Boston airport sighting. So that picture of them coming back from Portugal happened (according to that "anon") after their honeymoon and wedding. So we could all see in that picture that Alba was wearing no ring. This was obviously very weird to a lot of people, since if you are newly married, why wouldn't you want to wear your ring? We got explanations from anons, like they wanted to keep the marriage private or that they only had a commitment ceremony. After the thousands of articles and the comic con, we can all agree that both of these explanations are bullshit. So why wasn't she wearing a ring? Where was hers? If this is real and they got married, then why didn't she have hers on?

People love to throw around "they are private" excuses, but they aren't. They never were, and they never will, because they want to sell this relationship. Since Alba stepped into his life, he has forgotten that he is a private person. And he is still pretty private about everything except her. If they were private, there wouldn't have been Instagram stories uploaded or articles about their wedding, or he wouldn't have worn his ring, or even if he had, he wouldn't have talked about their wedding. This whole shitshow is everything but not private.

After people started questioning this whole ring thing, he suddenly appeared to wear one at the Comic Con. I think he was showing the ring much more on the first day but appeared to hide it more on the second. The ring alone looks cheap and not very fitting. I'm not only saying this based on the pictures, but I talked to someone who's met him (yeah, I have evidence they met), and they said it looked rather yellowish than gold, and it was clearly too big for him. He looked unhealthy, and I don't really understand the "he looks the healthiest and happiest he's ever been" comments because I don't really see it.

Then we got that amazing interview. So the whole thing started with the lady saying that he's been working a lot in the past 2 years, and if there was a personal project he was working on right now, This question was clearly planted. I doubt that he or his team didn't know about the questions prior to the interview. Even if they didn't know about this question, he could've said anything else. Saying he's getting ready for fall and immediately changing the subject, or he could've started talking about Dodger. He needed to talk about her; he needed to talk about the wedding. He said it was really, really great. Now call me disputatious, but he always said how much he wants to settle down, get married, and start a family. So if she is the one, if she is the person who makes him happy, etc., I would assume he would've said something like, "It was the best day of my life" or "This was everything I've ever wanted, and I'm so happy" not that it was "really, really great". Then he continued that they "kinda had two ceremonies, one on the East Coast and one in Portugal". What does "kinda" mean? You either had two ceremonies or not. And why did he say East Coast and not MA? Everyone knows he lives in Massachusetts, and there were like a thousand articles about them getting married, so there isn't really anything to hide at this point. Then he mentioned his wife's Portuguese, which we've all also known, and I don't even want to mention the awkward "Go Portugal!" thing. He also said it was wonderful and beautiful, but a lot to organize. Then he said they've been enjoying life since then, and he mentioned autumn and seemed excited and happy to talk about it. He turned back to "their" life, and his face changed again. It seemed like he didn't even take himself seriously when he said that they were "reflecting". I think he only mentioned the last sentence so he could change the subject and start talking about something. It felt like he was trying to remember everything he had to say and share.

People said he looked happy talking about the wedding. I mean, he didn't look desperate or sad like every other time we saw them together. I care more about actions than words, and him smiling while talking about the wedding won't make me forget how he acted during the NYC pap walk, Disney, that awkward car kiss, or the Boston airport photo. I also think that you can see that as soon as he changed the subject, he looked happier. He looked way more excited to talk about autumn and Dodger than about his own wife and their kinda weddings. And he definitely talked much more about it.

He didn't share new information; everything he's said we already knew about the weddings. There wasn't a fan who asked him about her during the interview; they knew the questions prior, and even if they didn't, he didn't have to talk about her. So then why? People won't start liking her and shipping them just because he talks about her, and what if some people think they didn't get married? They seem to care so much about what people think about this, which I don't really get since if this is real and they are happier than ever, then why do they keep trying to convince people that it is? They are supposed to be private, yet they act like they are selling something. They keep trying to fill gaps and make this more authentic, but it's not and never will be. Those things that make this whole thing really fake for me and for a lot of people are already out there. You can't change what's done, and no matter how hard they try, those inconsistencies and bullshit are out there and will stay there. They can try to explain and fill the gaps by "randomly" mentioning it or publishing an article, but again, why would they do that? Why are they doing all of this if this is genuine and they have nothing to sell or prove?

[v4mpgutz]

ABOUT ME ! ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

⤷ my name is river but people call me riv for short! i go by she/her and they/them — please use both sets of pronouns when mentioning me if you can :). i live on the east coast of australia ( NO, WE DON'T RIDE KANGAROOS ) so i go by aest: australian eastern standard time. i'm autistic. i'm born in march, autumn babyyy <3

my sun/moon/rising (for anyone who is interested) is aries/leo/cancer. i'm not necessarily pagan, i don't follow any specific religion but i have been taught divination through tarot since i was young and know lots about crystals n things!

my favourite colours are pink, light brown, powder blue and sage green!! i really love fashion and modelling, i study fashion design <3

games i like —

call of duty: black ops 3, call of duty: modern warfare (all of them), resident evil, genshin impact, animal crossing, dead by daylight, fatal frame (also known as project zero), silent hill, hogwarts legacy, zelda: oot + tp + botw + totk, fnaf (mainly 2 + sister location and sb)

music artists i like —

taylor swift, beabadoobee, gracie abrams, sabrina carpenter, conan gray, olivia rodrigo, glaive, dominic fike, lana del rey, the weeknd (ONLY his music, not him), coco and clairclair, steve lacy, kali uchis, sza, lunar vacation, radiohead, pyro, corpse, suki waterhouse, muna, cigarettes after sex, phoebe bridgers, tomorrow x together, stray kids, ive + more !

movies / shows i like —

the corpse bride, the nightmare before christmas, scream + 2 + 5 + 6, the conjuring franchise, miss peregrine's home for peculiar children, bee and puppycat, the junji ito collection, harry potter and the chamber of secrets, harry potter and the half-blood prince, the outsiders, the karate kid (1984), bleach, spiderman: into the spiderverse + across the spiderverse, tokyo revengers, smile precure, hello kitty and friends, ben10, monster high + wayyy more !!

SPECIAL MENTIONS — 💌:

i have certain hyperfixations / emotional attachments to certain characters and things! these include:

tom riddle, dallas winston, cats, simon "ghost" riley, my little fairy sculpture collection, ethan landry, taylor swift, slasher films, vintage furniture and decor, sanrio ( my sweet piano + my melo + hello kitty + chococat ), spiderman.

thanks for reading! <3

[gumnut-logic]

From Australian Bureau of Meteorology Seasonal Summary of Summer 2024

If anyone asks why Australians tend to live on the coast instead of the interior, the answer is pretty obvious and doesn’t require a YouTube video claiming its odd.

Also the above article discusses the raw data on exactly how hot this summer has been. Poor Western Australia was roasted, while the east coast drowned ::hugs all my fellow Aussies::

As for Adelaide, which sits in the yellow bit with the Island and gulfs to the east of the Great Australian Bight, we had a mild summer. We blew out our rain record, but honestly that was two days in December and not much else, nothing like the east and north that had the fun of at least two cyclones. Adelaide has only had a few hot days and no major heat waves (I say that as the next few days are going to be 34, 33, 36, 39, 36 and 36 celcius, so technically there is a four day heatwave in that at least, yay for autumn).

Where I live is very dry - my car is desperate for rain to get all the bird shit and outback dust off it as we haven’t really seen any for two months. But this summer it felt like one side of the country was baking and the other drowning while we sat quite lucky with mild weather in the middle ::hugs all the Aussies::

Of course, it may be Autumn and the days are getting shorter (damnit), but we will still have some summery weather, so it isn’t finished yet. Not really until the first April rains.

I am counting my blessings, though.

Nutty

I love a sunburnt country

A land of sweeping plains

Of ragged mountain ranges

Of droughts and flooding rains

- Dorothea MacKellar

[wolferals]

MANCHESTER

Matty Healy x fem! reader

Warnings: none, pure fluff❤️

y/n's pov:

My casual 4pm stroll went as always, a big comfortable jacket, a pair of headphones playing some nostalgic songs and the chill autumn breeze messing up my hair.

This time, I walked to the east side. Manchester was pretty in fall. Especially the east, the pretty houses by the coast and the crazy amount of coffee shops.

It smelled like salt with a hint of smoke as I turned into a neighborhood right by the coast.

I liked that smell, it made me remember how much I loved my new home.

A few minutes past strolling around, I noticed a bench, surrounded by trees, right by the river. Immediately I walked up to it and made myself comfortable before I picked a new song to listen to.

I looked around, taking in the scenery, enjoying the view, smelling the autumn air and having the time of m life as chase atlantic was playing in my head.

Then, I noticed a man to my left, sitting by a coffee house on the doorstep. He was wearing a long coat and sunglasses and seemed to be busy with his phone while smoking a cigarette.

First, I wondered why he was sitting there all alone instead of being inside or actually finding a decent spot to sit at.

Then he looked up and noticed me staring.

It took him a few seconds but then he waved.

I was confused to why he waved at me. But then he got up. Putting out his cigarette, he made his way towards me. I got a bit nervous but sat up right and took my headphones off.

„Hey!" He exclaimed and took his sunglasses off.

Matty, i realized and got up.

„Oh my god hey!" I threw myself onto his neck and he hugged me back quickly.

„I can't believe you're here. You alright y/n?"

I let go of him and we both sat down.

„I'm great! I actually moved here about a month ago. I got sick of everything, needed a change. And i loved it here last time."

Matty smiled at me and replied:"Thats great! So how you liking Manchester?"

-„I love it, it's beautiful. Best choice I've ever made. I thought you were on tour tho."

Matty nodded and kept his eyes on me. „We were; we finished last week. It's good to be back."

I looked around us and realized how truly great all of this was. And it felt nice to see Matty again. It's been about 14 months since last time. We'd met through mutual friends and got along perfectly but had quickly realized that we'd be better off as friends. Not only due to the 10 year age gap but also due to his busy lifestyle and the fact that I'd lived across seas.

„You look incredible." He complimented me and I started to smile. „Thank you! I think the city is really good for me. But hey you too! I like the new look."

Pointing at his long black coat he chuckled.

„Thanks! I felt like it was long needed. I'm fucking old now."

We both laughed at that statement.

„Do you want to grab some coffee?" He spoke up, pointing at a building across the street.

„Yeah that'd be nice."

We made our way towards the coffee shop and ordered our usuals. „You still don't like black coffee huh?" He grinned as he watched me poor sugar and milk in my coffee.

„Nope it's still gross." He took a provocative sip of his cup and smiled. „Delicious."

-„You're gross." I laughed and pushed the door open to step back outside.

„So tell me, how have you actually been?" He nudged me into the side and I looked at him briefly.

„Good. I didn't lie before. I've been really good. Uni is still going good. I got to make a switch to this exchange program and my plan is to finish my bachelors or even my masters over here. Everything is good then, except the fact that I don't know a lot of people here yet."

-„That sounds amazing, I'm so happy for you! How come you didn't reach out? You knew I was around."

He sent me this look. The puppy eyes as I'd liked to call it.

„I-uh." I started but eventually finished:"I actually didn't think you would care much to see me again. After that conversation on the roof last year."

I remembered that night vividly.

Matty and I had been slightly drunk, talking about god and the universe when he'd suddenly complained about why I was so young and how come god didn't create me years sooner.

I'd always known that there was tension between Matty and me but I also knew that nothing could happen because he was older and I was young and naiv. Probably would've jumped a cliff for him.

„Yeah I know, so sorry for the shit I said. Probably had too much wine. But I'm so glad I ran into you!"

He smiled his smile. The Matty smile.

So simple yet so sweet and enticing.

[midnightkens]

idk if one-word prompts are what you were asking for, but you always rock at them so:

Acorn

Sea

Ring

~gk<3

New York is gorgeous this time of year.

Ken breathes in the crisp autumn air, hand-in-hand with Colt as they stroll through Central Park. There's something so cozy about fall on the east coast. Barbie loathes temperatures under seventy degrees, but Ken loves the rare chances he gets to break out his heavier sweaters and thick beanies.

It'd come as a surprise to the former doll who'd once been most at peace near the sea.

A squirrel scurries past them, cheeks filled to the brim with acorns. Colt squeezes his hand and grins. "I can't believe I convinced you to come back."

Ken shudders at the memory of his last New York trip. The dense crowds, the flashing lights in Times Square, and the sounds, oh God, honking horns and ambulances and all of it had overwhelmed him into a shutdown. When he and Colt got back to LA, Ken was adamant about never returning.

But that was months ago, and things are different. Recovery hasn't been easy, but it's been worth it. The shackles of PTSD, an eating disorder, and depression don't have a tight grip on him anymore. Ken's eyes open in the morning and he's excited. Dark shadows don't lurk around every corner. For the first time in two years, guilt doesn't squeeze his heart every time a morsel of food passes his lips.

The dense fog is finally clearing, and Ken can breathe.

"What can I say?" Ken asks with a shrug. "You're persuasive."

They lapse into silence. It's still surprising even after all this time that silence can be comfortable. It isn't always eerie quiet, palpable tension, mind games and racing heart. Silence can be warmth, safety, trust.

Things he'd forgotten about until Colt came into his life. The glimmer of light that he'd been missing.

If Ken thinks about it, he can imagine the crunch of leaves under his feet. Hearing loss is scary and frustrating, a permanent reminder of everything Patrick stole from him. But Colt and Barbie have taken it in stride, and all three of them started ASL lessons. The hearing aids are tucked safely in his suitcase. Colt's persuasive, yes, but his diminished hearing has one benefit: the sounds of the city are muffled; the city is finally tolerable.

They find a bench, and Colt launches into a work story. Ken smiles softly. Colt's so expressive whenever he tells a story. His eyebrows raise, blue eyes go wide; if he's angry, his nostrils flare. And he talks with his hands, gesturing wildly at the space between them.

Ken marvels at the man in front of him. Even after a traumatic upbringing and nearly having his life stolen, Colt is still so kind. He's patient, he's supportive, and he hasn't allowed life to turn him bitter.

Colt is safety and warmth, he's impulsivity and fun, and Ken loves him in more ways than he'll ever be able to say.

Later that night, Colt wraps an arm around him, deeply asleep. Ken cards his fingers through his hair with a desperate fondness.

I'm buying the ring when we get home.

[futurehunt]

I want to know all of them

Jk jk

🍓❄️🦋

🍓: I read ACOTAR, immediately saw the Azris appeal, devoured every Azris fanfic in existence, and knew I needed more. I had a story bouncing around in my head for months before I had the courage to write my first fic 'My Old Friend, Fire'. And now, here we are! 🤗

❄️: I love, love, love fics where you get an occasional POV of Azris from an outsider's perspective. YOU actually wrote a fic recently that I adore that did that— "Daughters of Autumn".

Tessabeth on Tumblr is writing a beautiful Azriel x Cassian & Azriel x Eris fic that gives you an occasional outsider's perspective to Azris via Cassian's POV— 'The First Casualty of War'

@achaotichuman also started posting a next-gen fic recently that is PHENOMENAL, and gives you little Azris snippets from outsider POV's. Seriously, go read the first three chapters if you haven't yet. The writing is top, top tier— "A Witch, A Warrior, and A Reckoning."

🦋: It is so hard to make friends as an adult, lol. Right after graduating college, I immediately moved across the country with my boyfriend for his new job, and left all my best friends on the east coast. I know no one in the city in California where I moved, and I'm totally stumped as to how people make friends as adults. Not to sound soooo lame. I work a government job and all my colleagues are much, much older than me, unfortunately.

Thank you for the questions, Stars!! What a fun way to start my morning

[ao3feed-peggysouson]

Broken Crown

by JustAShark In which Baron Von Strucker is looking for people carrying the x-gene for his experiments. To his surprise, he finds that one of Hydra’s enemies, the chief of the East Coast SSR, has it. So he has a brainwashed Michael Carter- who he calls an Autumn Hunter- collect the target. The target is none other than one Jack Thompson, who has been hiding the truth of several family member’s abilities all his life. Words: 929, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 1 of And So We Fall Fandoms: Agent Carter (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel (Comics) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Multi Characters: Jack Thompson (Marvel), Wolfgang von Strucker Relationships: Peggy Carter/Daniel Sousa/Jack Thompson, Jack Thompson/Daniel Sousa, Peggy Carter/Daniel Sousa, Peggy Carter/Jack Thompson Additional Tags: A weird mesh of the Weapon X Omnibus novels and the MCU, Hurt No Comfort, (for now) - Freeform, Whump, Threesome - F/M/M, Post-Season/Series 02 Finale, Kidnapping, Canon-Typical Violence, for now, It gets darker as we go through the series tho, Nazis, semi canon compliant, Historical Inaccuracy, POV Jack Thompson (Marvel), Jack Thompson Needs a Hug (Marvel), Jack Thompson Lives, For the moment anyways, Struker’s mutant experiments, Bisexual Male Character, Polyamorous Character, Human Experimentation, whuch is only mentioned here but will get more explicit later on in the series, Michael Carter Shot Jack Thompson, Brainwashed Michael Carter, Mutants, Mentioned Magneto, Eugenics (I guess??), Just disturbing nazi bullshit tbh, Disturbing Themes, This was me practicing my writing. It spiraled from there I’m sorry, My First Work in This Fandom, Song: Broken Crown (Mumford & Sons), How Do I Tag, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Possibly Unrequited Love read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/57874360

[swashbucklery]

rules: tag 10 people you want to know better!

Got tagged in this by @acre-of-wheat

relationship status: gay married

favorite color: purple but also blue but also black basically all of the moody cool-toned ones.

song stuck in my head: Anti-Hero by Taylor Swift

last song listened to: Babe (Taylor’s Version) also by Taylor Swift, in my defense both of these songs are in my car playlist and I have done a million driving errands today.

three favorite foods: like a really well-made chicken tender, fresh peas for that month in july when they’re in season, hot chocolate. Not all at the same time.

last thing i googled: the hours for the hippie grocery store to see if i could make it before closing, because i’m filthy grownup

dream trip: ohhhhh. So like. If money and time were no object, I’d do one of:

- take a month off, drive to the east coast, spend two weeks meandering up the coast drinking apple cider and looking at leaves (it is autumn, the perfect slice of east coast autumn where the leaves are glowing but it’s not hurricane season). Catch up with all of the friends I haven’t seen in years. Teleport/fly back home.

- I’ve always wanted to see those European Christmas markets, I just love the idea of having a cozy wander and wearing mittens and drinking warm little cups of something under fairy lights

- IDK something something walking tour of Wales, we got real into Escape To The Country during deep COVID and it left me with a firm desire to just wander through the Welsh countryside trying my best to pronounce things and eating scones

anything i want right now: Sleep (very achievable), climate change to be fixed tomorrow and the candidate who isn’t a far right fuckwit to win the local election (less within my control but I can try to help). willow season 2.

tagging: @sadgirlindiemusic @spybrarian anyone else who wants to do it!!

[hekateinhell]

Your Louis/Armand headcanons my goddd you get them so well 🤌🏼 despite the fact that they built Trinity Gate together and lived there for over a decade I’ve always seen them as more of an Upstate couple yk, the poster boys of cottage core/sad girl autumn, all cozy sweaters and giant scarfs and piles of books and fireplace cuddles. To their Upstste neighbors they’re this impossibly beautiful gay couple with a slight age difference (not the kind of age difference that would really get people talking though). The auburn haired one is a little standoffish at times and the brunette one has to pull him by the arm so they can say hi to the neighbors during their nightly walks. Louis insists they leave housewarming gifts by their neighbors’ doors whenever someone new moves in (it’s usually an apple crumble pie they get at Trader Joe’s, with a little card in Louis’ handwriting). Armand rolls his eyes at first but he secretly loves and craves the attention people give him and Louis together (“see Lestat? You’re not the only one turning heads with him by your side”). People start noticing they don’t really talk to each other a lot and seem to communicate with looks which they think is incredibly romantic but really it’s just them quoting erotic literature bangers back and forth in their heads . It’s the type of thing they don’t have the opportunity to do with their disaster blonds so they make the most of it whenever they’re together. Them getting away from all the noise and the people and the expectations and just having the opportunity to decompress together in a little (ridiculously expensive and meticulously designed ofc) Upstate love nest is my JAM 🥹 xoxo DA 💋

Awww DA, always so nice to see you! 🥰 I apologize for taking a minute—I've been outside roasting like a little lizard now that summertime has arrived here on the East Coast (apparently... I don't question it).

YES you get it, they're such an autumn couple! A 'season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, close bosom-friend of the maturing sun' (Keats; Louis would approve imo).

Armand and Daniel to me are much more summer, with humid late nights, beaches, and just the exciting highs of life. Lestat and Armand are spring, I think... renewal, rebirth, and hope (literally if we think about what Lestat represents to Armand).

It's so funny to consider how much practice Louis and Armand must have blending in, like I wonder what their neighbors on the Upper East Side think of them... what's the cover story there?

Louis is such a gentleman, he would so be the one introducing himself to the entire village! (Because rumors get started real quick in those sleepy little towns where not much happens, best to nip it in the bud). LMAO at the age difference 😭 Louis probably skates right under the radar at an entire twenty-five years old (RIP, Danny). Armand deserves to have Louis be his trophy husband from time-to-time, and in a childish sort of way, it soothes some of his insecurities that must stem from knowing their kind sees Louis as Lestat's consort first and foremost.

PLEASE tell me more about this erotic telepathic foreplay. 👀 I'm not ready or maybe I am for Louis to go all James Joyce on Armand (iykyk, otherwise shush) but he must've made him blush at least once right over the Headless Horseman Bridge. 🥹

*btw thought you might be into the L/A/D snippet I posted last week 💖 I'm a disgrace and don't have anything new to share since, but I hope to get back to it after banging out a kink meme prompt rip

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

Robyn Hitchcock - The Chapel, San Francisco, California, March 21, 2023

I was filled with pangs of jealousy when several friends sent reports from the west coast about Robyn Hitchcock's current tour — it's definitely been too long since I've seen this guy. Fortunately, he's coming out to my neck of the woods in June. Hallelujah. Until then, Michael Zelner's great tape of this SF gig will have to tide us over. (Robyn's making his way to the east coast as we speak.)

Any Hitchcock gig that kicks off with "Raymond Chandler Evening" is going to be good — and this one is no exception. From the opening acoustic set (bolstered by some Emma Swift harmonies) to the raucous electric portion, it's a crackling performance, with plenty of tunes from the new Shufflemania! and dips into the back catalog. Robyn's 2023 west coast band includes Kelly Stoltz on drums, Bart Davenport on bass and Fastback/Young Fresh Fellow Kurt Bloch on guitar. Bloch is a great foil for Robyn, adding some Rew-ish moves. I love the Ebow drift he adds to a long, almost-menacing re-arrangement of "Autumn Sunglasses" here. And elsewhere, Kurt shows he can certainly jangle with the best of them.

The evening ends with a suitably grooving "Grooving On An Inner Plane," sending the audience bopping out into the San Francisco night (which "was rainy with gale-force cyclonic winds"). That raining twilight coast ...

(And hey, my interview with Robyn from last year is still fresh! Very happy with how that turned out ...)

[studioahead]

Artist Spotlight: John Gnorski

When we asked John Gnorski what on earth are EARTH BABIES, he took us on a subterranean journey to meet them. Or at least that's how it felt. Hearing John speak about his creative process certainly takes you all over, even into your subconsciousness, about which he has a lot to say. His art is full of strange landscapes, strange portraits, strange figures. Our current fave is one from his Clouds Roll By Like A Train In The Sky series not because of its great title, or because the clouds might actually be birds or blossoms, but because peeking through the print's ink is the grain of the woodblock, reminding us of the materiality that grounds all our work, no matter how wildly dreamt.

Studio AHEAD: John, your bio is mysteriously pithy: “Born in Alexandria, Virginia, living/ working in Point Reyes Station, CA.” What brought you to the other side of the country? 

John Gnorski: I moved from the East Coast more or less on a whim in 2007, picking up and leaving the Hudson Valley, which had been my home for 6 years at that point, and ending up in Portland, OR. Luckily it was still a pretty affordable town at the time so I was able to piece together a nice existence doing carpentry for a day job (which would indelibly inform my art practice) and making art and music every other waking hour. I found a great community, fell in love with the truly epic landscape of the West, and at some point the West Coast just became home. 

After many happy years up in Oregon, my partner Katie, who is a filmmaker, decided to get a master’s degree and that instigated our (truly auspicious) move to the Bay. One thing led to another, and we were lucky enough to find a house to rent in Pt. Reyes Station. Before long we found a great community out here and we hope to stay for as long as we can. 

I do miss the East sometimes, especially the sort of archetypal procession of seasons there with crisp autumn days, deep winters, and summer thunderstorms and lighting bugs. That said, I can’t imagine a more beautiful place to live than here on the Northern California coast. I’m grateful every day to be here and I often think to myself how did I even end up here in this incredible place? 

Studio AHEAD: Has Northern California come to influence the materiality of your work? 

John Gnorski: Absolutely. In a very literal sense I tend to use native wood in my work whenever I can, but the influence goes beyond the physical material to a particular sensibility that seems to be shared by a lot of Northern California artists across generations and styles. I find that, at least in my experience, there’s less concern out here about the whole (false) binary of art vs. craft than I experienced as a young artist on the East Coast (particularly in the vicinity of New York). 

I think that this attitude has, thankfully, changed quite a bit pretty much everywhere in the years since I moved west, but nevertheless California has a long history of breaking down established conventions and categories. Ceramics and wood sculpture, for instance, have been taken seriously out here for generations in a way that hasn’t historically been the case out east. 

This anti-hierarchical spirit famously permeates a lot of the culture out here. A nice example is the great DIY building tradition of the “hippies” and other folks who took to the rural areas of the coast, starting in the middle of the last century, and made truly beautiful, strange, and inspired homes out here that flout both architectural convention and often the laws of physics. I’ve had the pleasure of helping to restore some buildings like this up in Mendocino and, to bring this full circle, some of the little scraps and bits I’ve taken with me from those projects have become pieces of my own work, along with the lessons of those often anonymous artist/builders who made, intentionally or not, amazing sculpture-houses. 

There’s also a very strong Japanese influence on the aesthetics of so much California art/craft/design that’s found its way into my work. Would I be making these very Japanese/Noguchi-inspired lanterns if I hadn’t ended up here? I don’t know for sure but I’m guessing this place has informed them quite a bit. 

Studio AHEAD: Don't get Homan started on Noguchi. He's obsessed. What is your relation to abstraction? Many of your sculptures and drawings almost seem to form recognizable figures, but not quite. 

John Gnorski: With very few exceptions everything I make is representational even if it’s hard to decipher the image in the finished piece. I’m looking at a little watercolor painting right now that would almost certainly appear totally abstract to anyone but me, but I know that I made it in the Mojave desert and I can see the particular landscape that I was trying to depict—the horizon, the heat ripples, little constellations of scrubby desert plants—though it’s basically reduced to visual symbols. 

It’s not necessarily a formal decision I’ve made to avoid pure abstraction, it’s more of a narrative one. Having concrete subject matter is an important starting point for me, one method of avoiding the potentially paralyzing experience of confronting the blank page. So even if the finished picture or object ends up miles away from where it began, I still start by saying to myself, for instance: I’m going to draw a lizard sunning itself on a stump or, as in one of the pictures I’m working on now, I’m going to draw a bather in Tomales Bay stooping down to look at a bat ray. One might end up a pretty faithful manifestation of the concept while another might go through the ringer of some process and turn out as a loopy line drawing that barely hints at its source material. 

I sometimes do the same thing when I write songs, coming up with a title first and then writing into that. The two even intersect as in my continuing series of cloud pictures all of which are titled “Clouds Roll By Like A Train In The Sky” which is also the name of a song I wrote. Without the title those pictures read as geometric abstraction, but with the title they become clouds. Context is so important! 

Studio AHEAD: Those cloud pictures, and also your Rorschach-like quarantine notebooks/bird and butterfly prints, give room to the subconscious. How do you get into that mental space when creating that allows for the subconscious to take over? 

John Gnorski: Allowing room for the subconscious is really important to me because at the end of the day it’s very often the accidental/unintentional things that really resonate with me. To clarify, when I say subconscious in this context what I’m really talking about is allowing forces outside of my control to work in the picture/object. I try to maintain a decent level of competence when it comes to the basics of art-making, but I also try to use whatever “technique” I’ve developed to allow chance and accident to do their wonderful work. I know that nothing I could map out perfectly from start to finish will be nearly as interesting as something that transforms in ways I never could have anticipated through the process of the making. 

This sensibility is very visibly present in the Rorschach-style pieces and a lot of my sketchbooks and works on paper, but it’s there in less obvious ways in all of my work. The lanterns, for instance, might appear as though each little bit of joinery was carefully plotted out, but in reality they are built based on pretty simple line drawings and constructed in an organic manner. I’ll have a basic shape I want to achieve, but the way everything is put together is done on the fly. Sometimes a connection might become redundant structurally as a piece grows, but I’ll keep it in there as a remnant of the process. All the little false steps and unintentional gestures become a part of the piece and give it a complexity I wouldn’t have achieved if I’d set out with a dialed-in plan and done things in the most elegant and minimal way possible. 

The same is true of the ink on paper pieces which begin life as charcoal drawings and allow chance to seep in throughout the process. I rub the drawings onto plywood “plates” which transfers them in an imperfect but legible manner. I’m also using multiple plates and pieces of paper to allow for misalignments, and the plates themselves are of a type of plywood that tends to have an active grain that sometimes splinters or “runs”—interrupting the carved line in often surprising ways. I hand print the plates, which produces unexpected textures, and then go back into the image with more ink or sometimes collage or pastel. So in the end what began as a pretty clear and maybe even graceful line drawing becomes, through the welcoming-in of chance, something a bit more nuanced and awkward, full of special little moments on its physical surface that come out of that totally not conscious place of process. 

Studio AHEAD: Tell us about EARTH BABIES, your collaboration with Kate Bernstein. We are particularly interested in how collaboration impacts the creative process—we have many ideas about this at Studio AHEAD and those ideas are constantly evolving. Do you find it easier to work alone or with a partner? 

John Gnorski: EARTH BABIES is the conceptual tent that shelters all the collaborative work that Katie and I do together. It started as a music/installation performance at an amazing event called Spaceness that friends of ours organized for 5 years on the coast of Washington at a place called the Sou’wester. 

Spaceness was a very free-form community art-making event that revolved around the concept of the unknown, and often featured work relating to outer space or unexplored worlds. It was held annually in early spring—the very darkest and dreariest time of the year in the Pacific Northwest—and it featured music, dance, video, radio, you name it. Folks would work for months on their contributions, and it was so beautiful: community coming together to make their own entertainment and help each other through dark days. For me, this is the best case scenario for art-making. I like to think of it as subsistence art—art for fun and joy and also for survival. It honestly makes me tear up thinking about it, and I often cried during the performances there. It just moves me so much to see what people can make with little to no budget out of the simplest materials like cardboard, scrap wood, clip lights, fabric, words: whole worlds that can really put you under a spell, transport you, communicate a message, and make time and space for our imaginations to nourish one another. 

Anyway (and forgive me, this is going to get maybe a little esoteric) Katie and I, inspired by a trip to Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, came up with this idea of a whole culture of beings living deep under the surface of our Earth called “Earth Babies.” We first wrote and recorded songs based on this imaginary world, and over the years we made various installations: the “Healing Machine” which was a sound bath in a hand-built A-frame in the woods and the “Hopler Archive,” a fictional natural history museum. 

At this point, EARTH BABIES is the name we use whenever we want to make something creative without the burden of our “actual” identities getting in the way. It’s our shared alter ego that allows for maximum creative expression. 

As for collaboration generally, as much as I love spending time alone in my studio, my ideal art making ratio would be 25% solitary practice, and 75% collaboration. I love the energy of working with other artists, performers, thinkers, etc., and I think that collaboration leads to amazing things no one ever could have come up with on their own. I also think that community events like DIY music shows, theater, potlucks and ephemeral art exhibits in informal spaces are the most heartfelt and wonderful forms of art —purely collaborative and collectively authored. Again, it’s that idea of “subsistence art”. If none of us had to worry about selling our work I think there would naturally be a lot less emphasis on individual style and a lot less concern about authorship. Maybe collaboration would be the new norm and we could all contribute a verse to the big song we sing to sustain ourselves. 

Studio AHEAD: What's your favorite music to listen to while making art? You are also a DJ and musician.

John Gnorski: Katie and I host a radio show on West Marin’s community radio station KWMR every other Sunday morning, which has really made us feel connected to the community out here. 

I listen to a huge variety of music in my studio from atmospheric/ambient music like Brian Eno and Hiroshi Yoshimura to soul to Neil Young to Terry Riley to Alice Coltrane to Lucinda Williams. I’ll often just rely on my cassette library to take a break from the digital realm, which features a lot of mixtapes from Mississippi Records, my favorite record store/label. But if I had to choose only one thing to listen to while making art it would be Ornette Coleman. I’ve listened to a collection of his recordings called Beauty Is A Rare Thing many thousands of times over the years in every studio, basement, garage, and shed I’ve worked in. His music has every color and emotion and gesture in it, and it radiates compassion and energy and love. It’s also difficult at times and can go from soothing to jarring pretty quickly, much like life. When I listen to a song like “I Heard It Over The Radio” I hear everything from voices harmonizing singing a folk song to animals making raucous calls to wind in the trees and rattling subway cars. 

Studio AHEAD: What can you do in music that you can’t do in the plastic arts? And vice versa? 

John Gnorski: For me the boundaries are pretty porous. As I alluded to earlier with the titling of my work, there’s a lot of crossover and dialogue between disciplines in my practice. It’s easier for me to come up with analogies. A skittering, hesitant line in a drawing conveys something similar to a thin, airy flute or a tentative phrase on a piano. Take a lyric like this one by Leonard Cohen: 

Nancy was alone

looking at the late, late show

through a semi-precious stone. 

It conjures all kinds of atmospheres and emotional states like a Rothko or an Alice Neel portrait. Whenever I hear Alice Coltrane play the harp I think of someone painting with absolutely every color on their palette. 

Music, however—live music—does have the wonderful quality of being ephemeral that most plastic arts don’t possess. It allows you to really inhabit the moment if you choose to. As a performer you’re also able to collaborate with an audience in a way that’s much harder to do with visual art. If you can engage an audience, or are part of an engaged audience, it can really make the experience special, with everyone kind of rooting for the performers and contributing their attention and energy to make the whole experience really lovely. 

Then I suppose there are some stories that can be more eloquently told in pictures or gestures than in sound. Light can be captured really evocatively in a drawing or a painting and used to make form in the realm of sculpture. There are some feelings you can only get, some ideas that can only be conveyed, when you’re in the presence of a physical thing. 

Studio AHEAD: I want to end on the very first photo posted on your Instagram. It’s a poster that says: “Now is the time to do your life’s work.” How do you or how do you try to live this mantra? 

John Gnorski: I made this picture as a kind of personal affirmation to hang on my studio wall many years ago. A lot of people who came through commented on it and it seemed like most everyone appreciated the reminder. 

My idea of my “life’s work” changes all the time, but the constant is a commitment to making things that I hope will tell a story or convey a feeling clearly and with heart. At times it can seem like art is some kind of luxury or commodity, but then I remember how it has truly illuminated and influenced and given hope and shape to my life and the lives of a lot of other people over the entire course of human existence. I think that being an artist is as noble a vocation as any, and more helpful to humanity than a lot of things I could be doing with my time. 

I’m in the fortunate position of being able to primarily make a living by making art and other art-adjacent objects these days, but in the recent past when I would be laboring away at a carpentry gig, I would think of that image and that mantra and remember that I had some kind of calling beyond the job that paid the bills—a “life’s work” that couldn’t be defined by an hourly rate—and that the artist work deserved and demanded my commitment. I still believe that if I show up for the muse or universe or whatever you want to call it everyday, ready and willing to work, that I’ll be able to somehow keep doing this as my life’s work and hopefully make things that help other people see life or hear it or survive and take joy in it. 

Studio AHEAD: We love that. We always start with asking our clients how they live. It's so important. Can you give us three creative people/places/cultural forces based in Northern California that we should take note of?

John Gnorski: Cole Pulice is a musician/composer living in the East Bay whose music often keeps me company in the studio. We also listen to a piece of theirs almost every day on the short drive from our house to the trail that we walk to check on the animal neighbors and greet the day. 

Bolinas/Pt.Reyes/Inverness DIY art/music scene This is an acknowledgement of the type of creative community vitality that to me is the heart of sustaining art-making—artists, musicians, writers—we can also get specific and talk about it in terms of two spaces where most of this stuff takes place: the Gospel Flat Farm Stand and the hardware store in Bolinas. Both are DIY spaces of the highest caliber that provide the setting and the energy for art to happen. 

Ido Yoshimoto. I know that everyone reading this probably already knows Ido’s work [if not, we interviewed him here —SA] but I feel compelled to shout him out because he so generously invited me into the community here when we landed a few years back. He’s also shared knowledge and food and time. The people who make their lives here and share their talents and have profound respect for the land are the soul of this place, and Ido is one of those people.

Photos by Ekaterina Izmestieva

[kelleah-meah]

What I did for Mabon / Autumnal Equinox

Even though I'm still feeling the Equinox spirit and I will be eating Hobo stew for the next 3 days, I thought I'd share how I celebrated the start of my favorite season before my calendar gets away from me.

Like many of the East Coast of the U.S., I woke up to a rainy autumn morn with temps in the upper 50s (about 14°C). Although I struggled to make myself get up because the coziness was just perfect, I did.

But before jumping into my preparations for work, I started my morning with a meditation session, reading from my current read on a Tao master, and followed it up with an in-depth tarot reading in honor of the Autumnal Equinox.

Here is the spread I used. I found it on Pinterest and it's called the Autumn Harvest Spread ...

And this is what it told me ... as you can see, I used a slightly different layout than what the spread displayed, but I don't feel the messaging was marred by that at all.

Here were the results of the tarot reading in detail ...

Events that are currently influencing you the most ... The Fool Interpretation: You are on the precipice of something new entering your life -- a new chapter beginning. You may not know what it is or if you'll be ready, but it's in the air and it's affecting you on a profound level.

Where you can harvest comfort Page of Pentacles Interpretation: By practicing earth magick and making plans supported by practical ambitions and reality. Seek confidence and dependability while running toward your dreams. Progress happens one life-stage at a time.

How you can harvest balance and wellness 5 of Swords Interpretation: By picking and choosing my battles wisely. Focus more so on building skills and confidence, and less on obtaining hollow victories.

Something you can be thankful for or a blessing in disguise Ace of Swords Interpretation: Those sparks of clarity and "aha" moments that fill your day, year and life are the very poignant breakthroughs you seek, yet fear. A new door is opening and your conscious mind is attempting to integrate newfound information when you least expect it.

Someone you should connect with this autumn or a relationship that needs your attention 7 of Swords (clarified with the 3 of Pentacles) Interpretation: Yourself and your honest intentions toward your circle, community and humanity in general.

Where to harvest magic. An indicator of how to tap into your psychic abilities. The Devil Interpretation: In the darkness that resides in you. Delving into the shadow self brings liberation and truth from the lies we tell ourselves. Dive deep, find the truth and the healing that follows will feel akin to magic.

Where you will see shifts and changes this autumn 8 of Swords Interpretation: In the things that keep you up at night as you work your way free from the feelings of helplessness, stagnation, and fear.

Something you should focus on and master this autumn 3 of Wands Interpretation: Continuous improvement and movement in the direction you seek as you patiently wait for your energy to manifest and your dreams to become reality.

Where you will succeed and prosper this autumn Queen of Wands Interpretation: Filling your world with joy, creativity, passion and bold expression that you seek, then radiating them from within.

Overall, I pulled 4 Swords: Ace, 5, 7, and 8, which is disconcerting, but not necessarily all bad news. As a matter of fact, most of the cards point to a lot of personal growth this fall season.

The downside is that personal growth often means conflict is on the horizon. That, plus the Fool and Devil cards are making me a bit fearful, but at the same time ... hopeful.

I know that doesn't make sense, but that's what the energy is telling me. Perhaps with time, it will all make sense. ---

And as a final chef's kiss for the day, I pulled this card from the bottom of the deck to show me what energy is being reflected back at me on this lovely first day of fall.

The 7 of Pentacles felt pretty accurate given that it symbolizes a harvest slowly making its way to you. (Mabon is the second harvest of the trio that mark the changing year. Samhain, of course, is the third and final harvest of the year.)

Also, the 7 of Pentacles is a message encouraging you to express gratitude and reflect on your journey so far. That's 2 ideas commonly recommended to those celebrating Mabon. What can I say? I love when messages align like that.

Moving on ...

After my morning "connect," I forced myself to go to work even though my body was begging me to stay home.

I went in, did my thing, and came home to cook my Autumnal Equinox menu. Long story short, I skipped the cornbread because I was really tired, but everything came out well in the end, I think.

Here's a pic of my Hobo Meatball Stew in progress and the final result that I got to eat for dinner.

It doesn't look like much, but trust me, that bowl is deep and the stew is lovely.

After dinner, I enjoyed my apple crisp dessert that I prepared the night before. Here's a pic of all the apples that I peeled, cored, and chopped before covering them in the apple crisp mix and baking them.

And the pic above is what a small plate of it looked like after I cut into the finished dessert after dinner and topped with vanilla bean ice cream.

I got to devour the dessert as I watched Clue on Paramount+. It was the perfect film for kicking off the fall/autumn/dark academia season.

And after watching the film, I happily crawled into bed and scrolled on my phone as the rain outside my window lulled me to sleep.

All in all, it was a pretty good way to start the autumn season.

[tonysaintborgi]

Hello I am recovering from covid right now and I'm being hit by the rare California hurricane right now and I'm kinda flipping my shit :(

Tell me a fun cooking story please!

oh fuck bro stay safe

so a few years back my aunt had flown out from the east coast to visit my mom and it was like mid autumn so they were like, "Tony you like cooking thanksgiving dinner why not make a mini thanksgiving dinner while she's here?" and I'm like 🐶👍 yea i can do that.

notable fact: i do actually like cooking thanksgiving dinner. as so, at this point, i had years of experience. and as far as I'm aware, I make a pretty good turkey. y'know? well for a number of reasons i was starting this turkey from frozen instead of thawed. i can't remember the exact reasons but they were there, and y'know, i know how to cook so long-cooking a frozen turkey is like. no prablem. wasn't even my first time doing it from frozen.

the fact you can cook a frozen turkey though, apparently news to my aunt, who spent days asking "shouldn't the turkey be thawing?" to which I repeatedly told her Not To Worry, I Know How To Cook. everyone else echoed this to her too, including my mom.

and then Fakesgiving comes.

literally all day she's breathing down my neck bascially. "are you sure you can do that?" yes Auntie Rita. "is it going to be cooked thoroughly?" yes Auntie Rita I prefer not to give people food poisoning. "will it be ready in time?" yes I know how to time food Auntie Rita. "I don't know about it!" well Auntie Rita, I'm the chef. and I do know about it.

so dinner comes. oh. and it was fucking delicious. and it was even more delicious as both my sibling and I both fucking stare down Bitch Supreme as she bites into the turkey and enjoys the fuck out of it. At which point I'm giving her the stink eye and my sibling, who was fiercely defending me because our aunt is just Like This, actually takes the time to go like "Do you see? He spent all day telling you it'd be fine and it turned out amazing. Maybe if you fucking listened to him instead of doubting him and being a bitchy snob all day," and I'm like yup yup and my sibling keeps going off and I'm just like yup yup. i would have defended myself but she actually beat me to it.

and then.

i realize.

it's not just a table of east-coast italian americans. my boyfriend (at the time) (who's not white) is also there.

and he's silent. and he's watching with incredible intent. he's watching my sibling, who's mentally and emotionally exhausted, rightfully snap on my aunt for literally treating me like a child all day and then trying to pretend like she hadn't when it turned out to be fantastic. and she's not mincing any words at all. and she's not holding any attitude back either.

and of course the heat does calm down and we eat and everything but we (me, my sib, and my bf) head to the lower floor & my sibling messages me from her room like "would you apologize to Andre for how I acted" and I turn to Andre and I'm like babe. me and patt are so sorry. and he gets this look on his face and he's like

"NO, I LOVED IT. WHITE PEOPLE ARE CRAZY."

fuckin fantastic 🐶👍 hopefully this story does u good

as a post-script here, hi andre! i know you still occasionally stalk my socials for some reason. 8^) that's creepy, you should move on