#i should be more professional on my shop account but it's ok

[tarostrinkets]

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USE CODE: SASALELE !!! Sale lasts until May 10th!

Likes, shares, and comments are very appreciated!

Thank you!

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#taro's trinkets #taro's trinkets shop #small business #fionna and cake #small business owner #adventure time #fan merch #i have way more but i'm too lazy to showcase my whole shop #i got spooky month and moomins stuff as well #please check it out #spread the gospel 🙏🙏 #fanart #i'm planning to make mob psycho 100 stuff too #be on the lookout !! #i should be more professional on my shop account but it's ok #tumblr is an exception #vograce #keychains #charms #acrylic keychains #glitter #keychain #acrylic keychain #is this too many tags? #nah there's never too many tags #acrylic charm #small business support #shop #kofi shop #artist

[catnipster69]

J2 Fic Recommendations Full List

My wincest rec list was getting so long, I thought I’d break out the J2 ones since that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

Wincest rec list here.

Light

Black Cat Mercantile by deadlybride @zmediaoutlet​

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19348303

Searching for materials for a new sculpture he's planning, Jared gets sent to a magical salvage shop in a bad part of town. The proprietor's got a great artistic eye, a criminal conviction, and an attitude that could earn him a punch to the face. Jared finds himself coming back, anyway.

One of my favorites, very literary; I can just imagine this as a regular book if it were expanded.I just want to point out that a scale for wincest fic from lightest to darkest could skew pretty dark, so although I put this in “Light,” it’s not exactly without angst and background trauma. I’m not totally feeling my darkest category right now...

The King’s Hound by tryfanstone

https://archiveofourown.org/works/488844

To the victor goes the spoils, and Jensen's about to find out just how victorious Jared's feeling. Bonus: D/s, spanking, rimming, felching, creampie, bareback, orgasm denial, nipple play. Make it hot. Jensen eventually learns his place.

This one is a more recent discovery. My ability to find first-rate fics has slowed down quite a bit with the amount I read, so it’s always a delight to find one! Tryfanstone has many others worth reading, but this one is my favorite. I know, “light” for forced servitude? I dunno, it ends well.

Get Some [Ink] by BewareTheIdes15

https://archiveofourown.org/works/215362

Most high school kids who got lewd, cryptic notes from their bosses would probably have said bosses sued for sexual harassment. Most high school kids don't have bosses like Jensen.

Just insanely hot.

Prime by @hellhoundsprey

https://archiveofourown.org/works/8792401

Jensen watches Misha’s pet for a week.

I find the whole “humans, but they’re animals?” genre pretty interesting. Like, this can only work on the page, because a visual representation would be jarring. And what's really going on here? It's a mood. 

Gray

Do I seem bulletproof to you? by fleshflutter

https://fleshflutter.livejournal.com/43577.html

When he can't find any acting work, Jared takes a job as driver and bodyguard to Jensen, who is an extremely expensive prostitute with a bad habit of attracting crazy people.

Fleshflutter has the ability to make what should be boring, everyday interactions totally compelling. Not that this story has no plot, but it's kind of leisurely in its storytelling. I do wish this were on AO3.

Fate is a Traveler by @bangingpatchouli (sylsdarkplace)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7822885

Jensen lives apart, destined to never mate. His only purpose is to service the sexual needs of the alphas of his village. His survival is predicated on the good will of those alphas until the night he’s expected to service a stranger who is just passing through.

I don’t usually go for A/B/O, as I’ve stated, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I put it in the gray zone, but (spoiler) it has a happy ending.

Over the Wall by cherie_morte

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13479252

The achronological he said-he said account of Jared and Jensen's jailhouse romance.

I just want them to be ok! ok?

Don't Touch What's Mine by Anonymous

https://archiveofourown.org/works/35278282

Jensen's cock belongs to Jared. Jensen is not allowed to touch his cock at all, and Jared never touches it when they fuck. According to Jared, Jensen needs to learn to come from being fucked in the ass or he won't get to come at all. Ever.

Why Anonymous, my dear writer?

Into His Hand by drvology

https://archiveofourown.org/works/31783861

JR Ackles is a professional bullrider at the top of his game. He's got one thing on his mind: winning the championship belt buckle and the right to call himself the best in the world. His unwavering dedication and focus is finally put to the test in the form of JT Padalecki, an up-and-coming rider new to the professional ranks, who has his sights set on winning the PBR finals - and Jensen. Cowboys ride and get by on grit and tough determination - the question facing Jensen is if they have to do it alone.

This is gray simply because all of the bull riding is scary and dangerous! I can’t say I care at all about rodeos, but this is a gripping read.

stars above, earth below by @hellhoundsprey

https://archiveofourown.org/works/45961108

Back home from an intergalactic war, Jensen struggles to reintegrate himself into society. His childhood best friend Jared is the only one who gets through to him—and not without trouble either. With his back to the wall, Jensen begrudgingly accepts Jared’s help.

I advise you don't read the tags, as there's a twist. Just, very sexy and hopeful.

Dark

Dark and Deep by @bangingpatchouli (sylsdarkplace)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2286690

Jensen has issues, which he manages with carefully staged public sex acts, and thinks he’s in complete control until a stranger comes along with other ideas.

I like stories that are off the beaten track.

Gunpoint by felisblanco

https://archiveofourown.org/works/861978

Jensen got his childhood stolen away from him when he was ten years old. Along with his memory, his voice and every emotion that wasn’t fear, hatred or anger. Question is, can Jared help him get any of it back? And more importantly, does Jensen really want him to?

Couldn’t put it down. Love how the power of love helps, but there’s no magic cure for everything.

Kink Corner

These are the fics I was afraid to post as being too outré; but hell, you’ve made it this far! Your kinks may not be my kinks, but if they are, you’re very welcome.

Life Lessons by Anonymous

https://archiveofourown.org/works/9538715

Jensen is an Alpha who turns humans into omegas and sells them to the highest Alpha bidder. He has saved up quite a fortune and is ready to retire except for one more turning. He wants an omega for himself. He has found the perfect male. He has done his research all he has to do is catch him and turn him. He is hesitant because some humans don't adjust well. He has had repeat customers who put down the original omega they bought because they couldn't accept their fate. Jared has no idea what is about to hit him.

This Anonymous author “gets” me. I still think they should unveil their wonderful selves.

Training Jared by Anonymous

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22060132

Jensen has a large cock. Jared is the one destined to take it. Eventually.

Hello Anonymous again. This author really likes giving it to Jared.

Kennel Training by @bangingpatchouli (sylsdarkplace)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/567716

Jared owns a kennel where he trains very special dogs. Jensen is the newest addition to his kennel. This is very dark fic/horror porn including bestiality.

I get the impression that Syls Darkplace starts their stories as an exercise in kink satisfaction, but then they always turn in an unexpected direction and gain depth as they go. This is super kinky, but also a meditation on victim/perpetrator dynamics and shared trauma.

#catnipster69 recommends #full list #j2 #wincest fic rec #fic recs #fan fiction #my posts #j2 fic rec #wincest

[xmoonlitxdreamx]

Hi! Feel free to ignore if you don't feel like answering. I see you've been posting about selling pokemon merchandise, and I wanted to ask if you maybe have any advice for someone who's also interested in selling merchandise but isn't quite sure where to begin?

Sure, I can give a little bit of advice! Sorry if this is super haphazard, I'm just talking off the top of my head.

Ok tbh the first thing to be aware of is that making merch is expensive. I really do not recommend getting into making and selling merch if you're struggling financially. I don't make a lot of money from this.

If you're interested in learning more about manufacturers/where to get stuff made, there's a list of them on the account @howtobeaconartist under the "resources" tab. They also have a lot of advice for selling merch in general, tho they're mostly geared toward anime convention artists.

There's also vograce, a company based in china that makes a variety of things:

I use them a lot but there's also often communication issues/minor printing complications, and shipping can get quite pricy if you're ordering a lot of things. (for example, shipping on the order of submas pillow cases + misc merch samples was almost $100.) (also I live in the US.) That said, I like to use them because they have low minimum order quantities; I don't sell a ton of merch, so it's convenient for me to be able to buy small quantities of items. They also let you split up orders between multiple designs (again, useful for lowering quantities).

Anyway, my personal recommendation for your first merch would be buttons. I get them made by cheapestbuttonsnet on Etsy:

Their prices are very affordable, and they also let customers split up an order between multiple designs. Typically I order a batch of 50 buttons, and then split it between 5 designs to end up with 10 buttons of each design. Customer service is also very responsive; if you have further questions I'd recommend messaging them on Etsy or sending them an e-mail.

Anyway you don't have to start with buttons, but that's just what I think would be the best balance between affordable for the artist + affordable/attractive for customers.

Also, keep in mind that artwork you draw for merch should be sized at least 300 PPI for prints, charms, buttons, and stickers, and at least 150 PPI for fabric printing (like pillows). This means if you want to print a 1.5 inch button, the canvas you draw on should be at least 450 px by 450 px (because 300 * 1.5 = 450). Typically I draw larger than this anyway (like 2500 px by 2500 px for most things), but note that if you draw larger that some small details may get lost.

There's a bunch of other logistic things you'll need to do before selling merch, including:

setting up an online shop (I use Etsy because they're convenient for shipping and send tax forms at the end of the year to make it easier to report income, but they have a lot of random fees)

Purchasing shipping materials (for buttons/charms, usually just bubble mailers from amazon or wherever are fine)

Setting prices (I reference other sellers on Etsy to gauge a good price for products. Another thing people often do is take the cost of manufacturing one unit, multiplying it by 3, and using that as the price.)

Purchasing business cards to include in orders (optional; I get mine from catprint.com bc I like their holographic finish and I get prints from them anyway, but there are much cheaper options out there for business cards)

Taking product photos/making graphics for products (this goes with "setting up an online shop" tbh. i hate taking product photos LMAO;;;)

Drawing the actual artwork for the merchandise lskdjflsdjf

There's probably more than this and there's more details that I'm not mentioning because this is just a short little intro, but tbh a lot of merch making is about learning along the way and seeing what works and what can be improved on.

#replies #possibly delete later since i talk abt manus and cost of production a little bit here #the manufacturers i use aren't really a secret but i don't like to post abt it too much publicly #info

[eaglehealthworks]

Lots of words, lots of meanings Pt. I

This entry is intended to bring a little educational understanding to those who are unsure of what all the different terms mean in the world of people with drug/alcohol/behavioral issues. For the sake of discussing the individual, he/she/they are known as such and will be in active use, active recovery, or active wellness (complete remission, perhaps). There are those that will state that one cannot be cured and there is only a state of recovery because the individual is never not addicted to whatever caused problems. I contend that an individual can achieve active wellness which would include complete abstinence and a life without psychoactive substances and/or other excessive repetitive patterns know as behavioral addictions (e.g., gambling, sex, shopping &c.) in healthy, sustainable, and satisfying ways.

Yes, if someone who has been in the throes of chemical dependency or behavioral disorder return to the substance and/or behavior, the cycle begins where it left off for many biological reasons. The point is it is absolutely possible and very much achievable to never return to that way of existing. If you follow medical orders after realizing a high blood pressure diagnosis, the problem becomes completely manageable. If you get your blood pressure down then revert back to a lifestyle which caused it to increase then guess what, it will return with a vengeance. Same exact thing.

I’ll step off of my “You can live well” pulpit and get into the terminology because the layers to wellness are many, deep, and worthy of their very own post(s) .

What is drug addiction, and should we use the term or its derivatives?

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA, 2019), it is “a chronic disease characterized by compulsive, or uncontrollable, drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences and changes in the brain, which can be long-lasting”. Note how it is considered a medical disease by the established medical community. This gets some people in a tizzy and those are often heard exclaiming, “You did this to yourself!, It’s not a disease!, Cancer is a disease!”, &c. The number one cause of death in these United States is heart disease caused largely by; you guessed it, the sufferer (Weatherspoon, 2019). Smoking, diet, overweight, sedentary, all contribute significantly to this problem. Those previously mentioned anger mongers will often retort “Yeah, well it is also genetic!”, and so is chemical dependency (Johns Hopkins, 2021).

Whether or not the term is used or not is always up for debate, and only time will determine its existence. Addiction as a term is fairly straightforward and accurate; however, the term addict is filled with negative connotation, stereotype, and stigma. I can assure you that easily half of everyone I have ever treated looks and behaves just like every other citizen walking around in any neighborhood anywhere. Rich, poor, elderly, young, and all points in between describe people with substance use disorders and behavioral addictions, many of whom you would never guess. I have also known many straight edge folks who the average American might easily mistake for someone who abuses drugs based on appearance alone.

How does someone get diagnosed?

Well, it must be done by a licensed and qualified medical professional who has spent many years in study and has the student debt to prove it. Or you can generally ask someone who is suspected of having a problem with drugs, alcohol, or circumstance and they will know if it can be controlled or if help is needed. This does not take into account those in denial or fear of losing something by the very nature of the question (like safety, shelter, liberty, &c). In the case of the former, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-V) by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) uses the following criteria to determine whether a problem exists and/or the degree of severity if present (APA, 2013):

A. A problematic pattern of [insert substance or circumstance] use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by at least two of the following, occurring within a 12-month period:

1.     [insert substance or circumstance, e.g., alcohol, opioids, gambling, &c.]  are often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended.

2.     There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control [insert substance or circumstance] use.

3.     A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain the [insert substance or circumstance], use the [insert substance or circumstance], or recover from its effects.

4.     Craving, or a strong desire or urge to use [insert substance or circumstance].

5.     Recurrent [insert substance or circumstance]  use resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home.

6.     Continued [insert substance or circumstance]  use despite having persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems caused or exacerbated by the effects of [insert substance or circumstance].

7.     Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of [insert substance or circumstance]  use.

8.     Recurrent [insert substance or circumstance]  use in situations in which it is physically hazardous.

9.     Continued [insert substance or circumstance]  use despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the substance.

10.  Tolerance, as defined by either of the following:

a.      A need for markedly increased amounts of [insert substance or circumstance]  to achieve intoxication or desired effect.

b.     A markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of an [insert substance or circumstance]. (Note: This criterion is not considered to be met for those taking [insert substance or circumstance]  solely under appropriate medical supervision.)

11.  Withdrawal, as manifested by either of the following:

a.      The characteristic [insert substance or circumstance]  withdrawal syndrome (refer to Criteria A and B of the criteria set for [insert substance or circumstance]  withdrawal).

b.     [insert substance or circumstance]  (or a closely related substance) are taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms. (Note: This criterion is not considered to be met for those individuals taking [insert substance or circumstance]  solely under appropriate medical supervision.)

NONE – Presence of 0-1 symptoms

MILD – Presence of 2-3 symptoms

MODERATE – Presence of 4-5 symptoms

SEVERE – Presence of 6 or more symptoms 

Questions? Anyone? Let’s keep moving. Now with this information held firmly in your mind, you still need to be properly credentialed in order to affix a legitimate diagnosis to anyone, so this is for informational purposes only. Here are a few more terms to add to your lexicon though:

1.     Drug Intoxication. This is elusive because many people with a substance use disorder(s) have been using for so long that their strange and erratic behavior has become accepted traits. Often the presence of intoxication is a sudden change in demeanor, i.e., one moment a person is restless and anxious, they go to the bathroom and after emerging proceed to pass-out after sitting down anywhere (opioids). Or an individual is nervous and even a little shaky but after a few moments alone returns happy, smooth in gait, and chatty (alcohol). Perhaps a loved one is lethargic and grumpy, but after returning from the bathroom is full of energy and talking a mile a minute (cocaine, methamphetamine). Of course, there are many indicators, but you get the point.

2.     Drug Abuse. The continued use of a psychoactive drug or behavioral patterns despite the knowledge that it is causing social, occupational, psychological, or physical problems (APA, 2013). Put simply, doing something to excess where the consequences outweigh the benefits; An ice cream cone is great, a half-gallon  makes you vomit (in most cases).

3.     Drug Dependence. Maladaptive pattern of use resulting in significant impairment or distress, as shown by compulsive use, increased tolerance, withdrawal, and obsessive thoughts about it (APA, 2013).

 You know, the word withdrawal has been presented several times in this post and it deserves its own little section because it is this experience alone that keeps more people in active use than any other single precipitating factor. The human mind is in a constant state of seeking homeostasis or normal acceptable functioning. All people, not just those with drug/alcohol issues seek the avoidance of pain. Ok, somewhere there is a body builder claiming no pain no gain but let that pain be a sciatic or tooth nerve and he/she is reduced to a tower of gelatin seeking immediate relief.

 This next sentence is a value statement directly from the horse; withdrawal is an exquisitely harrowing experience engulfing the entirety of the human experience and reducing it to the most detestable overall sensation of prolonged living death. The only relief which is desperately sought and despised simultaneously is more of the substance that caused it. I really don’t know a better way to explain it. I know of septuagenarian Rockwellesque grandmothers who have sold themselves for heroin because their medical provider overprescribed opioids for years and due to pressure from governing authorities cut them off, just to avoid withdrawal. People question this but its sadly true, and not even the worst of the stories.

 If you ever want to chat with me about this or anything else related to relief from substance and/or circumstance please contact me here or at the clinic. Feel free to click on any of the links provided for more reading. Thanks for taking the time, enjoy.

-        Edesepam

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

Johns Hopkins. (2021). Substance Abuse / Chemical Dependency. Retrieved from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/substance-abuse-chemical-dependency on 2021, June 30.

NIDA. (2019, January 17). Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction DrugFacts. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/treatment-approaches-drug-addiction on 2021, June 30

Weatherspoon, D. (2019, March 29). What Are the 12 Leading Causes of Death in the United States? Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/leading-causes-of-death on 2021, June 30.

[nalgenewhore]

Slipping Through My Fingers - Three

masterlist - ao3 - last chapter - next chapter 

warnings: none 

an: let the games begin bitches 

Lorcan was desperate. 

The five-year old sitting on the floor of his room refused to get dressed and Lorcan’s nerves were getting frayed. He looked more like Lorcan than his mother, but his features softer than his father’s, his eyes brighter - a pale doe-brown. The freckles over his button nose were Essar’s, no doubt about it.  

“No, Dad.” Despite his words and negation, Lorcan was forever grateful that they spoke his mother tongue at home, as well as Essar’s. That their son was able to speak their languages, for their cultures and people to be kept alive for one more generation. They tended to mix and match with the two tongues, one from the northernmost part of Doranelle, and the other from deep within the Bogdano jungle. 

He sighed and ran a hand down his face, rubbing his eyes before he too sat on the floor. “Prince, please. Please just put on your pants.” 

“No, Dad. Don’t wanna go to school,” Kohana* said, his arms crossed tightly, glowering menacingly. He was already wearing his long-sleeved t-shirt, sweater and puffy jacket. The child insisted on wearing all his layers, even though it was hardly fall and he would definitely become way to warm by the end of the day.

“I know, kiddo,” Lorcan said, wishing that Essar was here to convince him. She’d always managed to soothe their son and sometimes - most of the time if he were honest - Lorcan felt like a failure. He’d asked every god, multiple times, why him. “I know you don’t.” 

His tone was defeated and Kohana looked up at him, his brows lowered. “If you know, why telling me to go?” 

That was a very good point. An excellent one. Lorcan resorted to his last point: bribery. “Alright, if you go to school, tonight when we get home, we’ll get ice cream and watch your favourite movie. Deal?” 

His son looked between the pants and him, narrowing his chestnut eyes, just like his mom. Finally, Kohana nodded. “Ok, Dad.” 

Ten minutes later, Kohana was concentrating on his laces, his tongue sticking out as he tied his shoes up. He was successful and clapped his little hands, “Look! Tied my shoes!” 

Lorcan smiled, his heart cracking just a bit, “Good job, baby.” Kohana stood up on the front hall bench and lifted his arms. Lorcan scooped him up and tossed him up, catching him before setting the little one down on his feet, smiling at his son’s pealing laughter. “We ready?” 

Kohana grabbed Lorcan’s pinky and ring finger after Lorcan helped him put on his mini rainbow Kanken backpack. “Yep! Go time!” 

As Lorcan opened the door, Kohana froze, “Oh no! I forgot to say bye bye to Tigger!” He raced back into their house, seeking out Essar’s old ragdoll cat. Lorcan had a love-hate relationship with Tigger, but even he smiled when he heard the kid’s little voice saying good-bye. He looked in the mirror beside Essar’s picture, noting the length of his hair had just finally begun to brush against his shoulders after he had cut it, out of respect and honour for the passing of his wife. 

It made his throat close up, this feeling that he was moving on and forgetting her - when he’d once promised to never forget her. Lorcan had meant it that dark day in that sterile hospital room and he meant it now. His gloomy thoughts were interrupted by the pattering feet of their son as he came racing back and crashed into Lorcan’s legs. “Ready to go.”

+*+*+*+*+*+*

Kohana chattered the entire way to his school, looking out the window as he kicked his feet, sitting on his booster seat. Lorcan grinned and conversed with him, only slightly worried about the amount that he talked. 

Kohana was a fairly quiet child, reserved and freakily observant like his dad, and preferred to silently ride in the truck wherever they went. Soon enough, they pulled up in front of the school and Kohana fell silent, nervously glancing out at the other kids and parents. 

“You need a minute, Ko?” 

Kohana slowly shook his head, “No, I ready. Go time, Dad.” 

Lorcan stifled his chuckle and unbuckled his seatbelt, turning off the engine and making his way to Kohana’s door. He opened it and Kohana unclipped his seat belt and stood on his booster seat, waiting for Lorcan to pick him up. Lorcan did, propping him on his hip as he got his backpack and shut the door, clicking his keys to lock the truck as he strode through the parking lot, unaware of the stares and attention he drew to himself as he walked to the school. 

+*+*+*+*+*+*

Elide checked the time again, reassuring herself that nobody was late, considering the bell didn’t ring for another fifteen minutes. She breathed out slowly, checking over her class list and making sure that each little desk (who knew kindergarten desks could be so cute) had a velcroed name label on it. She figured she would let the kids choose their seats and go from there once she knew the different dynamics. 

She checked over the reading area, making sure the toadstool-patterned pouffes were placed correctly and relative to the bookshelves and toy area. What she had wanted was a whimsical, faerie-woods like reading area and Elide was happy with what she had done. She'd even managed to find a tree-throne inspired wooden chair made by a local artist. 

The art corner was all ready, it had been the first area she set up, and Elide walked into the cubby area, which was separate from the rest of the classroom. 

Unlike the desks, the cubbies were designated to each student and she made sure that the velcroed labels stuck on well. Elide did not need wild little ones pulling things off at random. She popped into the little bathroom they had, thanking her gods and goddesses for being one of the few kindergarten classes with their own toilet. There was a sign with diagrams on correct hand washing and a step stool up to the sink, soap and paper towels in easy access. 

She looked at herself in the mirror, running an eye over her outfit: a pair of raw-edge, blue mom jeans and a slouchy lavender sweater, paired with a pair of delicate silver hoops, her hair twisted into a low-bun and held together with a silver hairpin, a gift from her ex-girlfriend. She wore her everyday, white sneakers, her makeup simple with just mascara and a light dusting of blush. 

Perfect for meeting parents and kiddos. Comfortable and still somewhat professional for the first day of school. Aelin had asked her to model some things for her newest collection and had dumped a bunch of custom made pieces into her arms. A congrats-on-your-new-job present, she’d said, so needless to say, Elide was well-equipped and excited for her new outfits. 

Someone knocked on the door and called out, “Hello?” 

Elide squeaked and hurried into her class, “Hey, I’m— Lorcan?” Oh gods, what was he doing here? Elide subtly checked the available exits, in case something went sideways. “What are you doing here?” 

Just then, she noticed how shocked he looked and the children’s backpack that dangled from his hand, not to mention the nearly identical child who held onto his other hand in a death grip. “Um, I- kid- school-” he stuttered out, his jaw still dropped as the child tugged on his hand.

“Dad?” The dark-haired child looked up at Lorcan in confusion, his brow wrinkling. Elide genuinely thought that every kid was cute, but by the gods, this one took the cake. She had the sudden urge to kiss his round cheek and clamped down on the desire. 

He was a father. And she was his kid’s teacher. And she should not be thinking about how he held her up and fucked her against a wall three nights ago or how the way his lips parted as she got on her knees for— 

“Oh my gods, sorry,” Elide said, snapping out of her shock. “Hi!” The kid looked nervous and hugged Lorcan’s legs, hiding his face in his father’s navy painter pants. 

“Ko,” Lorcan said, crouching down in front of his son. Elide scanned the class roster, landing on the name Kohana **Tangaroa-Salvaterre. Lorcan began to speak in a language she discerned as ***Ozuye from hearing it during her gap year, but she didn’t comprehend a word, her mind reeling. 

Even if this wasn’t the situation, she still wouldn’t have been able to understand a word on account of not speaking a language other than the common tongue and Blackbeak. 

“Ok, Dad,” Kohana whispered. He walked over to her, his light eyes wide as he clasped his hands together in front of him, “Hello. My name is Kohana. I am five.” 

Elide huffed a laugh and crouched down in front of him, “Hi, Kohana. My name’s supposed to be Miss Lochan, but you can call me Elide.” He smiled and nodded, running back to Lorcan to grab his backpack and grab a quick hug before saying bye with a tight hug and an accepted top-of-the-head kiss. He quickly ran back to Elide’s side. 

Lorcan laughed quietly and nodded an only semi-awkward goodbye before ducking out of the classroom. “Alright, Kohana, why don’t we see your cubby?” 

“Ok,” he said, following her closely as she led the way to the coat room. 

 +*+*+*+*+*+*

Hellas save him, this was a mess. How had he managed to sleep with the one person that would be his son’s teacher for ten whole months? 

Lorcan stopped at a red light and hit his head against the steering wheel, swearing low. If Essar could see him now, she’d be crying in laughter. That got him to smile, even if it was forced and unnatural. 

He drove in utter silence to the mechanic shop he worked at, alongside Fenrys and Malakai, trying to think about anything other than the sounds she had made when he was inside her. He was not successful in the slightest. 

It had him in a foul mood when he parked and got out of his truck, stalking into the back room. Fenrys was sitting at the table and drinking a cup of coffee when he walked in. “Woah, who pissed in your coffee this morning?” 

Lorcan sighed and braced his hands against his locker, hanging his head. “I fucked Ko’s teacher.” 

“Wait, just now?” 

He snarled and spun to glare at Fenrys, “Yeah, in the five-minute period I was dropping my kindergartener off at school, I took her in the cubby and fucked her real good.” He walked over to the blonde and slapped him upside the head, “Fuck is wrong with you? She’s the girl from the bar.” 

“Well. You two are fucked.” 

That was exactly the problem.

+*+*+*+*+*+*

*Kohana is a Lakota name that means swift 

**Tangaroa is the Māori god of the sea! In this story (and all things i write) both Essar and Lorcan are indigenous - Essar is Māori and Lorcan is Lakota because you can never have too much colour 😌✨

***Ozuye is the fictional tribe of my own invention, it’s very largely based off the Lakota nation

@mythicaitt​​​ @tinywolfofeyllwe​​ @schmlip-scribble​​ @the-regal-warrior​​ @westofmoon​​ @empire-of-wildfire​​ @rhysands-highlady​​ @city-of-fae​​ @shyvioletcat​​ @alifletcher2012​​ @tangledraysofsunshine​​ @ttakeitbacknoww​​ @tswaney17​​ @ourbooksuniverse​​ @flora-and-fae​​ @thesirenwashere​​ @queenofxhearts​​ @maastrash​​ @mynewdreamwasyou​​ @cursebreaker29​​​ @superspiritfestival​​ @empress-ofbloodshed​​ @queen-of-glass​​ @sleeping-and-books​​ @beccasophia95​​ @exersize-me-i-dare-u​​ @thewayshedreamed​​ @hizqueen4life​ @ifinallygavein​ @bat-wing-rhys​ @awkward-avocado-s​

#slipping through my fingers #stmf chapter three #elorcan #elide x lorcan #elide lochan #lorcan salvaterre #kohana #baby oc! #isa writes #nalgenewhore

[willowistic22]

Van life!newsies headcanons

Hello, i have recently been obsessing and/or pining over living in a van/bus. So i will project my pining to my favorite pretty paper boys like what everyone does in the newsies fandom! Very healthy and smart idk lol so here’s my take on this au for each of my ships!

*i know some ppl might not agree with all these ships but these are just my personal favorites pls don’t come after me for something i like :)*

@jaelynn-is-slightly-confused thanks for deciding which headcanons i should write first :)

A pretty long list so you might have to sit down for this one 

Javid

They converted an old american school bus

I actually have a headcanon that modern!jack comes from a rich family (maybe not the family his parents were born into but his parents worked pretty hard to be successful y’know) so that’s how they were able to buy an old school bus

So they were able to fit in a shower (not one of those foldable kinds) and a built in toilet. A pretty decent kitchen. A stove, oven, microwave, and all the other utilities necessary. Was able to fit both a washing machine and a dryer. Has a proper closet.

To fit davey’s needs, they put in a tiny book shelf. But it’s too tiny to fit in all of davey’s book (he’s got a shelf full) and was forced to give some of them away he cried a little. Jack did the same for his art supplies he cried a lot.

Jack is an illustrator and Davey is a writer. (Davey the hopeless romantic Jacobs mostly writes romance wow what a shocker) If Jack can find the time to paint on a canvas he will. It usually ends up getting sold which he doesn’t mind. 

Jack painted every inch of the bus exterior wow we’re all so shocked no we aren’t I lied :) "Jack why...” “We need to be festive when we travel, Dave!” *face palms*

They have one cat which is still nameless in my head so ://

Newsbians

They live in a school bus 

Kathrine’s a Pulitzer so you know how they can freely afford it (now that i think abt it i think old school busses sell for really cheap prices but idk) 

The shower and closet are a must have for Kathrine. She takes over most of the closet space and takes the longest in the shower. Sarah is a foodie so she built herself a whole kitchen and Kathrine is not allowed to touch anything without her permission. Even fitting in a huge fridge. They also fit in a proper working desk and a couch. Also made some sort of balcony on top of their bus so they can stargaze on top of there 

Kathrine is a reporter and Sarah is a physician in the telemedicine industry (she meets patients through video calls and such, not face to face) 

Morning coffee is a tradition for them at this point. They cannot drive the bus without having one cup of coffee 

They have two cats still nameless too ://

Ikeshot (lmao moving to my rarepairs so quickly. i mean i originally reserved the van life headcanon for them but i got too obsessed and now i’m writing this list hehe) 

They settled with a sprinter van 

it started just as an idea for their honeymoon to do a road trip around the us, but it ended up being longer than a hundred days of honeymoon and it turns into being their first proper room 

Their shower is built in and it can only fit one person. The bed takes up the whole back space. Their closet is kinda small but they don’t mind bcs Ike mostly lives in Hotshot’s clothes anyways. The kitchen is limited but they have a pullout barbeque at the back of their van, under their bed. Hotshot is a master at barbequing. 

Ike is a translator and interpreter. He also uses his hobby in crocheting to build a small business he makes cardigans :) (credit to @violetwolfraven for that little idea) Hotshot is an accountant. Very boring ik but i have a headcanon he’s good with numbers so that’s cool (well idk i feel like he’s good with math and economics) 

Bringing the playstation has always been a priority, so they built in a tv. They like to chill in the bed and play together. Mario kart is a ruthless game  

Occasional weird midnight dancing sessions is a tradition 

they have a cat named Sparks and a dog named Lewis. It’s a dalmatian which made Hotshot tempted to name him Spot :) 

*cut to a vicious argument between Spot and Hotshot which was also egged on by Ike and Race* 

Jomike (ok look i love my rarepairs alright pls let me ship in peace) 

They got a sprinter van 

Their kitchen took up most the space bcs mike and jojo are practically professional chefs. When asked to throw down in the kitchen, they will thRO W   D O W N

They even use a teal palette specifically for their kitchen. They have a one person shower but no built in toilet. a fair amount of plants as decoration. in the back of their van, they have a built in pull out dining table and two benches (built under their bed so they’d have to stop and open the back door to have a proper dinner) 

Jojo is a reporter and mike is a computer programmer. Their job requires a proper desk to work on so they just installed a foldable table in between their seats up front. 

their clothes are just stored in cabinets since they share anyways. it leaves a good amount of wall space to play a projector for netflix *cue the soft cuddling in bed* 

breakfast in bed is the most on brand thing for them to do 

they have a cat named Dixeleta. She’s an outdoor cat so they have fun doing outdoor activities together. Hiking, kayaking, etc. 

Sprace 

They live in an old sprinter van Spot got from an old family member

They have the type of bed that can turn into a living room (seats and table etc). They use a foldable shower bcs they want the space. Their kitchen can be extended out with a latch by their sliding door but that’s only when they need to use a stove and oven. Since they’re the type of people that just throws on the closest clothes they can grab they just use cabinets to store their clothes. 

ok i’ve mentioned it before about sprace but i’ll mention it again. They have three cats named Racecat, Spot Clawlon, and Romeow :D all named by race if you’re wondering. 

So Race is a social media manager and Spot is a physician in the telemedicine industry. 

They’re very lazy to constantly look for a coin laundry service. They make a schedule to do the laundry once a week but sometimes they just forget. 

Their first drive of the day will always include karaoke. They can’t tell whether their cats love or hate their singing voice most likely the latter but they’re in denial.

They cuddle each other in bed with their cats. While watching tv, to sleep, or just chilling together. 

Redfinch 

They got a mini bus

They have a built in shower, bathroom, and closet (not sure why since they don’t really care about their clothes all that much) They have a proper kitchen, fit a washing machine and dryer, plus a little seating area with a small table 

They have two big doberman named Zara and Zoey and a cat named Marbles. Pretty outdoor pets so they frequently take them out for hikes and such 

They have a ‘balcony’ on top of their mini bus to chill together. As in all five of them :)

Finch is a music producer and Albert is a photographer and videographer. Albert mostly works with tourist as their personal photographer, but he has land gigs with big companies/people. Finch works with a label that has given him to opportunity to work at home but sometime still need to stop by a studio to meet with artists or other producers. 

Finch only needs space to store his laptop, notebooks, and guitar (but he ends up hanging it on the wall anyways). Albert takes up a whole cabinet for all of his equipment. 

Not Finch waking up at an ungodly hour when a spark of inspiration comes to him, which ends up waking everyone in the bus. *cut to Albert furiously dragging him back to bed*

They installed a tv near their bed for playstation sessions or cuddling throughout a movie

Their driving karaoke is usually accompanied by their dogs which only tortures Marbles. She hides under the blanket to save her ears. smart cat hehe

Snipesmalls (Never wrote anything for them but I do love these girls :)) 

They converted a mini bus 

Sniper takes up most of the closet space, but it doesn’t matter because they share clothes anyways. A built in toilet and shower. Their kitchen has a navy blue theme to it. It was Smalls’ idea. They have a washing machine and dryer and also a proper dining table.

Sniper is a nurse in the telehealth industry (basically just like telemedicine but deals with more than just clinical services) and Smalls is a medical transcriptionist. 

They have an Australian Shepherd named Blue. It’s because of her blue eyes it’s so beautiful :O Blue likes to stick his head out while driving. 

They have a built in tv for their playstation and movies but sometimes they bring out the projector to watch while chilling outside. 

They have done the most traveling. Hopping from the US to Europe and Asia. 

They may like to share clothes but Sniper really likes to be fashionable wherever she goes. “Ok so since we’re planning to go hiking tomorrow, which hat should I use?” “Sniper, we’re hiking up a mountain, not a vogue fashion runway” “And so what if I pretend we are? Use your imagination babe! Now which one?” *sighing*

It is a nightmare to convince Sniper to give away some of their clothes She cries every time her clothes are being given away but gets happy when they go shopping for new ones and it’s the same cycle every time this happens  

They also like to go to music festivals and have picnics together 

Blush 

They live in a mini bus

They rarely buy clothes or give them away plus they share clothes so the closet is pretty small but hella messy because they’re lazy at folding their clothes away. A simple built in shower and also a foldable toilet. The kitchen is pretty equipped because Mush is a master chef. They have a little seating area with a table. Alternating as a working desk and dining table

Mush is a dietitian and Blink is a therapist, both in the telemedicine industry. 

Neither is allowed to drive if they haven’t gotten their morning coffee 

Mush is mostly then one doing the karaoke while Blink drives 

they like to have picnics together

goes to random concerts. it doesn’t need to be a really big artist. they’d simply be happy if they get tickets to any sort of concert. They prefer to see local underground artists to discover more music and such but they sometimes save up to watch big artists too. 

they’ve only been around the us and canada but are planning on going to other countries too 

Belmerttons 

they live in an old school bus 

So buttons is a huge fashionista so there is a proper closet and drawers that are mostly used by himself. A built in bathroom and the door has a mirror per buttons request. they also fit a washing machien and dryer in the bus per buttons request too. Their bed is full of decorative pillows and a few stuffed animals per elmer’s request. Their kitchen is small but does the trick. also has a little seating area with a table 

Buttons is a fashion stylist but also a designer. Elmer is a math tutor for all ages

they love going to different kind of events and festivals. one of the reasons why they wanted to live on the road in the first place 

to get buttons to give away his old clothes, elmer has to assure him it’s for a good cause bcs buttons loves all his clothes. Buttons still get a little sad and pouty when those days come but picks himself up again when elmer offers a disney movie night on the projector with some snacks

oh yes, they bring lots of snacks on the road 

They have a cat. still nameless soz 

the cat is very fluffy and sheds a lot. which is kind of a problem especially on buttons clothes 

“you’re lucky you have a cute face” -buttons while he’s cleaning the fur off his clothes 

Spromeo 

they live in a mini bus but kinda looks like a hippie van (idk how to describe it but it’s a mini bus with a hippie kind of style to it yknow) 

they have two separate areas in the bus. one up front where the driver and passenger seat is. also coupled with a tiny sofa and a table. that’s where they do their work and dine. very comfy and cozy. 

it’s seperated by a thin wooden wall. through the doorway is where the rest of their living quarters are. a bed, small kitchen but fully equipped, a shower, and foldable toilet. instead of a closet, they use a dresser since they don’t really have many clothes anyways 

so specs is a history teacher and tutor for all ages. (he’s a history nerd hehe). Romeo is a photographer and cinematographer. mostly a tourist photographer (kinda like albert yknow) 

specs likes reading history books, but he mostly does his reading on his tablet and laptop to save space. the same for romeo and comics btw 

their bed is full of pillows 

they have a cat named snowy. a lazy indoor cat. but she loves to cuddle with them in bed

they’ve also done some traveling to other countries. mostly neighboring countries but are dreaming of going to places in europe and asia. 

they enjoy doing lots of board games when they’re not driving 

romeo has a ukulele which he constantly uses to serenade to specs. sometimes to snowy but mostly specs 

woah that was long akjghflkjasfbj; h. will i write a oneshot with this headcanon? maybe but who knows. just needed to put it out there that i’m pining on living on the road with the loml and some cats and go on an adventure together. anyways hope whoever reads this enjoy and sorry for writing a long headcanon list hehe 

#n e wayssss #newsies #random writing #javid #newsbians #ikeshot #jomike #sprace #redfinch #snipesmalls #blush #belmerttons #spromeo #yes yes very good pining rai #look at that :) #amazing

[theothewitch]

New Year’s Tarot Spread

let me try to use my intuition to read tarot before i even understand/ research what the cards mean. i’m analyzing the images like how i do in art school.

this spread is a new years tarot spread I’ll write my intuitions before I research the meanings then I will put the actual meanings into bullet points. I rephrased the 2020 to 2021 in this spread.

ok.

overall i feel like it is going to be hard year, as in hard working year. lot’s of labour and i would need to remind myself to rest when I can.

1) What was an important lesson learned in 2020 which will be vital to this year's progress?

(King of Swords)

“ That I was really hard headed last year. and that I did take my place on the throne, like the king in the picture, by being valedictorian, leader of my collective. I (the king) look really stern and wilful that I can take anything that come’s my way.

I think i need to bring this perseverance & leadership through to this year, even though with 2020 it felt like it was a shit year and i didn’t do much after graduation because I am jobless fresh out of school into a pandemic. but actually I really did put the work into projects and my passions and hobbies, although I did not get paid much for it. Continue the professional work and standards you set yourself to have and your group as well.” 

  > Court Card, Vision, Truth, Power, Command, Authority, Law, Intelligence, reason, authority, discipline, integrity, morality, serious, high standards, strict 

  > The King of Swords radiates intellectual power, clear thinking, truth, and authority. He understands that power holds great responsibility. 

  > Because he rules over the suit of swords, he has a special connection to rules, laws, and diplomacy, which are systems of logical thought applied and manifest on earth.

2) What will be my biggest challenge to overcome this year?

( Seven of Wands )

“ It seems like this dude, that actually looks like me because we have the same hair is stressed/ working hard to stick wands into the ground. I think one challenge would be sticking my foundations down to get me going for the rest of the year, to survive, to fulfil my soul and passions, creating, earning money, jobs? priorities need to be set and pushed through. decisions to be placed down and grab the opportunities while you can. I know you are careful and want the best opportunities for yourself. But set a dateline, and stop being so indecisive!”

  > Faith, Standing your ground, protectiveness, standing up for yourself, defending yourself, protecting territory 

  > the man is wearing not matching shoes. This is linked to the symbolism of being on uneven ground or not having a stable footing in life.

  > The overall meaning of the Seven of Wands is to hold your ground, no matter what is challenging your position.

  > setting boundaries in relationship, fighting for romance / fighting off competition, defending your position, facing challenge /  protecting your financial stability, long term success

3) What energy can I work on transmuting to better serve me through 2021? 

( Ace of Wands )

“ It’s a glowing gift from the universe is what it looks like. I think I should work on actively finding inspiration, to fuel me and motivate me to create art. I think I should use my art to actively serve the world. Maybe create a product. Things in the act of giving. I need to be more giving. Resting. Motivation. Creating. Giving. to have vines sprouting out and growing. Stop pitying yourself and the hardships you’ve been through in 2020 and put your energy back into the world, give and interact with more people in your life, in peace, and kindness and give these things, time, to people.”

  > Creation, invention, beginnings, will power, desire, inspiration, creative spark, new initiative, new passion, enthusiasm, energy 

  > The Ace of Wands calls out to you to follow your instincts. If you think that the project that you've been dreaming of is a good idea, and then just go ahead and do it. 

4) What card represents where I'm currently at, moving into 2021?

(Reverse The Devil)

“ I understand the devil card is about balance. But since it is in reverse. I’ve been imbalanced. I’ve been entrapping myself in short-term pleasures, binge shopping when i’m broke, entrapped in my thoughts of others that are of myself, with the hurts and the pains of broken relationships, this past year needs to go. I need to remove the chain that’s already loose, lift it up and over. I’m moving into 2021 in new but low energy. having to renew myself and my direction. This is me wanting more other than the painful physicality of the world. Going into spirituality to help restore balance and realign my life.”

  > independence, freedom, revelation, release, reclaiming power, reclaiming control

  > The upside down meaning of the Devil card can be the moment when an individual becomes self-aware and breaks all of the chains that come with addiction and poor habits. It might be because they are tired of running in circles and are in need of change.  ( I must say this is where I am now, because even yesterday the devil card came out to a question of what was influencing me in the past )

  > But one thing is usually clear – breaking off these chains, especially those of addiction is never easy.

  > feeling more in control of love life, ending co-dependency/  more accountability in career path, feeling empowered at job/   breaking bad financial habits, feeling independent financially

( girlll, i might’ve interpreted it the opposite way haha )

5) What energy can I harness to get to where I want to be? 

( Nine of Pentacles )

“ Bright, warm, yellow energy. In nature. I need to go into nature more. Interact with lovely animals, eat grapes haha. Go into life and your decisions clear and positive. This serve a purpose for you even if it is money, money is to survive and to support yourself. The pentacles could mean financials, and that going into employment as I should, money won’t take over your life. There is the whole world outside of the office and indulge in mother nature and creations for a bright fulfilled life.”

  > rewarded efforts, success, achievement, independence, leisure, material security, self-sufficiency, prudence, safety, success, accomplishment, certitude, discernment 

  > The Nine of Pentacles conveys not only joy, but also the feeling of security and freedom that material wealth can bring.

  > There is something that is missing here - the element of her community and relationships. The gifts of the suits are meant to be shared, and yet this woman is so far from home.

 > Diplomacy and grace will lead to the desired outcome. 

6) What will be the main, overarching theme of 2021?

 (Four of Swords)

“ The lady seems like a warrior, resting and praying. with a golden sword by her side and other three hanging. I think that’s it, I’ll be a like a warrior when I work, and rest as hard as I do. Know that I am honing and using a skill I have in any and everything I’m doing, even if my other skills and talents are put to rest. ( like if i were to work an admin job, my artist lifestyle will still be here and still be part of me ) I think. It should be all in one sentence. Work hard and rest harder. Rest is where all my energy comes from. Charge your body. Charge your soul, keep in touch with your spirituality practices and you’ll be fine.” 

  > Rest, relaxation, peace, sanctuary, recuperation, self-protection, rejuvenation

  > In order to continue and re-emerge in your daily life, you must take the time now to take a breather. 

  > The Four of Swords is a moment of rest. Whether this is from a choice to withdraw, or whether it is from pure exhaustion, it is not clear.

  > The Four of Swords indicates it is time to gather new strength and prepare to face a new challenge. You have faced crisis after crisis, and it is wearing you out. 

  > withdrawing from love life, alone time, taking a break

taking a vacation, mental health day, rest, self-care

anxiety about finances, avoid overthinking about money

#grimoire #2021 #tarot spread #new year #filipinx #tarot #witch #cards

[literaticat]

Ask the Agent FAQs + How to Search & Get Notifications

I’ve assembled some of the Most Frequently Asked questions here. I’ll add to it as I remember. I strongly suggest that you look at the FAQs *and* try and do a quick keyword search BEFORE asking your question; instructions for that are below the FAQ section.

Please do try to be as concise as you can be and confine yourself to ONE “ask box” - there are a limited number of characters, so sometimes people spread their asks into multiple boxes -- this makes answering them problematic and confusing. 

Please do be civil, and respectful of my time: I allow anonymous asks because I want people to feel they can ask sensitive questions, in the hopes that the answers will be useful for others as well, I’ll turn them off if people get abusive, stalkerish, or generally weird in my inbox.

Please don’t ask me if your book will sell, or how much money you will make: I don’t know. And truly, EVERYTHING I know about word count has been compiled into the link below under “word count.”

BOOKSTORE STUFF, EVENTS & SCHOOL VISITS

What are Returns? Remainders? “Strippable” books? 

Does a book being remaindered mean that it is going Out of Print?

Do you have tips for approaching bookstores to do events?  

Can you give me some nuts & bolts of how School Visits work? And what’s a booking agency?

COMPS

Are comps necessary? Can I use a TV show or movie as a comp? What parameters should I use when choosing comps?

DEALMAKING

What are the steps between submitting a book to a publisher and getting an offer?

What's an "Auction"? What's a "Pre-empt"?

What’s the story with “Foreign Rights”? Should I keep them?

Which is better, a one book deal, or a multi-book deal?

ENCOURAGEMENT / REALITY CHECKS

Feeling down about being in the query trenches?

Dealing with Imposter Syndrome?

But what are the chances I’ll get out of the slush pile REALLY?

I heard traditional publishing is dying / dead. Is that true???

Everyone says there are “no original ideas” - but agents only want “original ideas.” How can both these things be true?

I know it’s pointless to chase trends -- but my book is not trendy.  Should I write something else?

ILLUSTRATORS

I know somebody who is a talented artist, what should they do to break into kid’s books? Here: A newbie’s guide to becoming a professional book illustrator.

What should ideally be in an aspiring illustrators portfolio? 

What do agents do to “shop” illustrator’s work that is different from authors?

MONEY

How book accounting works 101: Advances, royalties, joint accounting and separate accounting.

What’s the REAL scoop on “six-figure deals”?

How are advances calculated? 

Should a writer start an LLC? 

PEN NAMES

Here are a bunch of posts about Pen Names - can I use one, when do I have to decide, what if I can’t pick one, how do I query with one, etc.

PICTURE BOOKS

What’s your best advice for learning to write Picture Books?

What’s the deal with Holiday Themed picture books? 

Do agents really hate Rhyming picture books? 

Why do so many agents want author-illustrators specifically?

PITCHING YOUR BOOK

What are “best practices” for pitch sessions at conferences and the like?

PUBLICITY, MARKETING & SELF-PROMO

Should I hire my own publicist? 

Social Media Best Practices for Authors who are Scared of Social Media

Dealing with Negative Reviews (Spoiler: Don’t read them in the first place, and definitely don’t respond!)

QUERYING

How do I write a query letter?

How do I address a query? Dear Ms Agent, or what?

Does it matter when I query?

Should I personalize my query letter? (OK, I get it, but tell me more!)

What if I pitch a book “too soon” and it isn’t ready yet?  How much time do I have to reply to a request?

If an agent has my full, when is it OK to nudge? What are the RULES about nudging? What if I get another offer? WHEN SHOULD I NUDGE?

Why are responses soooo slow? (2021 "post-covid-era")

Can I query American agents / get published in America, if I live in another country?

Do I need a massive social media presence or connections or anything else in order to query an agent?

What’s the weirdest query you ever got? 

REVISION

How do you decide what feedback to implement from a critique partner, agent or editor?

Any wisdom about that roller-coaster feeling of “my work is great!” followed by “my work is garbage!” that happens in revision? 

What if an agent or editor wants you to change something that you really love?

SCAMS AND SCHMAGENTS

I’m worried my Agent may be... A SCHMAGENT. How can I tell? 

TITLES

What if my publisher wants me to change my title but I like it?

WORD COUNT

Here's my famous post from long ago containing everything I know about Word Count. It's still accurate, IMO. 

Here's a post about two ways to find out the word count of published books.

WORKING WITH AN AGENT

What does a typical author-agent contract / agency agreement look like? Do I need a lawyer to look at it?

How does an agent “sell a book” - is it like a door-to-door salesman sitch, or what?

How do books “go on submission” - like, what is the process?

What's the etiquette around giving gifts to your agent?

What happens if my agent leaves the agency, or leaves the business entirely?

WRITING TIPS

What is the BEST writing tip you have for somebody who wants to break into Children’s Books?  OK, but can you expand on that? 

What are some great books to read to study the craft of writing fiction?

What’s the difference between goals, stakes, and conflict - and are all of them important in a kid’s book?  

Can you open a book with dialogue? (What’s an example of a great opening line?)

**

How To Search 

* SEARCH: Go to the URL/search/keyword -- for example,   literaticat.tumblr.com/search/query -- It's not the most intuitive but it does work!

* TAGS: I have enabled TAGS on the posts. (I used to do this all the time when I had a different theme, but then I got this theme, which didn’t automatically show tags, and then I forgot.) SO, the tags are things like “working with an agent”, “querying an agent”, “scandals”, “contract stuff” etc - and they should show up. Not every ask is tagged, but the most “important” ones generally are. If you click one of the tags, all other posts with that tag should show up. (of course if I forgot to tag, or your question could be in more than one category... it’s not a FLAWLESS system, but hey).

* ARCHIVE: I have added a button to the top of the page that says “Archive” (right next to “ask me anything”) - if you click on that, you’ll see thumbnail images of a ton of questions - this doesn’t show the whole question or answer but if you are like “man, I know it was a question about Hollywood Contracts and it was about a month ago” you can click on that Archive link and very quickly probably find the thing you want. (Additionally, the tags show up on that when you hover/tap)

How to See New Posts

* RSS FEED: You can add this to an RSS feed, such as Feedly, so that you will get to see the most recent questions automatically in that feed as they come. (How? That would be a great question for Feedly, or Google!)

* GET NOTIFICATIONS: In the top right corner, there’s a person-shaped icon that you click for following a blog, etc. It has an option for “get notifications when this blog posts”. It looks like this: 

#technical questions #faq

[buckybarnesbingo]

What the Pic?

Participants: @ariasfandom, @rebelmeg, @wolfnprey, @ladydarkphoenix-blog, @bookdragon13, @liquidlightz, @jeminamoonnight, @caiti-creative-corner, @ribbonsflyingoutthewindow, @ibelieveinturtles

@ariasfandom - Bucky started watching Oobi and wanted to make an OC of it

@rebelmeg - all sam wanted to do was sleep in.  that was it, that was all he wanted out of a saturday.  which, of course, was the first thing his annoying houseguest decided to ruin, with a fist in his face at the crack of dawn.  a fist wearing googly eyes.  "bucky, what the hell?"

@wolfnprey - This is the default picture Clint sends out when he's judging. Bucky retaliates by posting his own in the vents and hides Clint's arrows.

@ladydarkphoenix-blog - Bucky gets caught watching kids(Sam's nephews, Clint's kids, insert kids here} unaware but has no idea how to entertain them so somehow ends up telling stories with his hands playing characters that are surprisingly effective

@bookdragon13 - Bucky gets drunk on Asgardian mead and thinks it’d be hilarious to put googly eyes on his metal hand and make it talk for him the rest of the night

@liquidlightz - Being an Eldritch deity apparently wasn't as awe inspiring as he'd always assumed himself to be, given that his host was entirely un-phased and thought it was funny to make puppet hands out of him and make up silly stories.  The fact that he found this insult highly entertaining was even worse for his ego.

Keep reading for more!

@bookdragon13 - Bucky buys that for Clint after staying with him for a couple days. Clint absolutely loves it Of course

@rebelmeg - "likl.  likl?!  who approved that?  how did that make it to store shelves!  this is a disgrace!" "bucky, you really need to calm down." "i'll calm down when that travesty is removed from my sight!" going shopping with bucky is never boring.

@ladydarkphoenix-blog - Bought as a gift for himself because Bucky found the misspelling hilarious and it would bug the most important of his guests by making them guess if he didn't notice that little detail or what was happening in his head. Watching them try to deal with it gives Bucky much joy

@wolfnprey - The group stares, unimpressed, as people in the gallery move around them. Nat and Tony insist that the artist is just fucking with people, while Sam and Clint argue over how deep the meaning is. Bucky takes one look at Steve and knows his friend is dying a bit inside at how low art has stooped in the modern age. Bucky's nice enough not to comment that it's made out of a damn shower rug.

@ariasfandom - "Bucky, we live together. I know for a fact you didn't "wake up like this"

@liquidlightz - In the morning, his boyfriend told him how beautiful he looked, and how amazing his hair was, despite having mussed it all up during their passionate evening before.  Apparently Bucky didn't suffer from bed hair but from magically self-smoothing hair.  Ok, so maybe he used his magiks a little to keep it looking so good, what was the harm in that.  So when Bucky saw this in a store he just had to get it and put it by the foot of his bed.

@ladydarkphoenix-blog - Bucky never thought he'd be turned into a dog. He also never thought he'd be staying with Clint and his dog or that the kids in the building would try to disguise him like this

@rebelmeg - bucky wasn't sure to think when he opened his door one morning to find a dog on the step wearing graucho glasses.  he also wasn't sure if he should trust the note tied to the dog's collar that said, "pet me, i'm yours."  but either way, the spaniel was pretty cute, and it turned out to be a snuggler.  worst things could happen.

@ribbonsflyingoutthewindow - If you're going to name your dog Professor Diggory and you're going to ask Bucky to dogsit him, you should be prepared for the fact that Bucky’s going to accidentally make him an internet celebrity. Groucho glasses and the ability to pose very still for a picture while Bucky holds a pretzel between his lips is the easiest way to have a booming Instagram account in under a week. Bucky and Professor Diggory are practically professionals now. Don't be jealous.

@rebelmeg - it has happened every time.  every single time he goes to the mcdonald's closest to his house, they manage to mess up his order somehow.  actually, he's starting to suspect it's on purpose.  there had definitely been a smirk on the guy's face when he handed bucky his order through the window.  that might explain why his request for a cheeseburger with just ketchup had nothing but ketchup between the buns.  hmm.  this might mean war.

@ibelieveinturtles - Sick of working long hours at minimum wage, dealing with shitty customers amd an even shittier manager, Bucky decides its time to try that malicious compliance thing.

@ladydarkphoenix-blog - What's happened to customer service?!?! Back in his day if you made a simple request for a burger with only ketchup the kitchen was smart enough to know what you meant. Were they messing with him? Can they not figure out what a simple order meant? Bucky sighed and shook his head. He'd had worse dinners

@ribbonsflyingoutthewindow - So Steve's got a fuckton of allergies and quite frankly, Bucky doesn't even know what they all are, so telling the person at the drive thru that Steve wanted "a McDouble with just ketchup" was a precautionary action. He thought because he knew Steve was allergic to onions and dairy and mustard that it was safer to ask for only ketchup (probably Steve's only known safe-listed condiment) and potentially not be the one to accidentally murder a man he cared deeply about. But seeing Steve later open the hamburger bun to reveal a bun with a single squirt of ketchup inside made Bucky literally faceplant into his car horn. That was not what he fucking meant.

@rebelmeg - swaying gently in the tropical breeze that smelled like ocean and flowers, bucky smiled to himself.  he was staring up at the clouds and palm trees overhead, his hammock creaking just slightly.  off to his right, his favorite person in the world was sprawled on a towel on the sand, soaking in the sun and drinking some kind of fancy umbrella drink with a silly straw.  best vacation ever.

@ladydarkphoenix-blog​ - Steve made jumping out of planes seem so easy. He never needed a parachute, never seemed to have the aches and pains after. With a sigh, Bucky stared up at the sky. At least he had a good view.

@ribbonsflyingoutthewindow​ - Pic Summary:When Bucky, Sam, and Natasha agreed to share an AirBnB for their Hollywood vacation, they'd only planned to see some famous sights and maybe try to pose with someone as famous as the monkey from the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Then they'd discovered that arguably the two hottest actors in the entire film industry, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, were sharing the house next door! Overnight it became a bet and then a high stakes fight to the (okay, not actual) death to see which of them could meet one of the two actors first. Bucky hadn't exactly been spying while he was standing hidden behind an open gate on their temporary neighbor's property, but he must have been well hidden anyway because the moment he went to run and hide, a sleek convertible pulled out of the drive and directly into a fleeing Bucky. He kind of hates that his first thought upon opening his eyes and looking up to see only trees and a cloudy blue sky above him was that at least he'd probably won the bet.

#buckybarnesbingo2021 #bbb2021 #bbb discord party #what the pic? #party game #image prompts

[donnerpartyofone]

working for a giant corporation taught me some really crazy things about myself and others. for instance, i think that if you grow up as like a responsible little goody two shoes like myself, you develop this delusion that people in high-powered jobs are mature and intelligent in proportion to how far up the ladder they are, because how else could they possibly have become the boss of everybody? in reality there is absolutely no such correlation between mental and social ability, and what you get to do, and actually i think that most people in a position of authority get there by being so thin-skinned and intolerable when they’re not satisfied that people just give them stuff to get them to shut up. but i digress. what i’m really thinking about is the shocking realization that older, more experienced, more “qualified” people (or just as bad, people who appear to be on exactly the same level as you) don’t read. i mean, they just will never read an entire email. i used to write these emails that included every single piece of information the person might need to know about whatever the subject was; not that they were pages long, but they’d introduce the topic, ask my main 2-3 questions, and include whatever the person might need to know in order to answer me, if there was anything extra that they shouldn’t know already. then i started to realize that no matter what i did to try to finish the conversation in as few emails as possible, the person would like, read the first line, respond only to that in a confusing incomplete way, and then later get mad because i “never told them” all the stuff i explained in that first message. so, i had to learn to start dumbing down everything i wrote until it was like something i would send to a child, in the simplest terms possible and never with more than one piece of information OR one question at a time. i found it pretty disturbing to have to do this, just like i found it disturbing that in this day and age you really HAVE to use stupid little smiley face emoji in a professional environment or else no one is capable of figuring out if you’re like furiously screaming at them or not. even though some people are legitimately so busy and overwhelmed that you have to spoonfeed them information for both your sakes, these experiences can go a long way toward making you feel like everyone you work for is a fucking idiot and they shouldn’t be allowed to push you around and condescend to you if they can’t even fucking read as well as you apparently do.

anyway this isn’t exactly the same thing AT ALL but last week i sent a tattoo proposal to this person who is a really successful, sophisticated artist. it’s not my first time at the rodeo, or even at that specific shop, so i bulleted the stuff that has to go into every proposal, and added whatever extra description i thought was necessary. admittedly there was a bunch of that, because what i wanted them to do was a little complex, like i want an existing image but in a different style, and i wanted to be as clear as possible about that. the other unusual thing i did was to send a link to my reference images (all in one place after the jump), instead of attaching them--part of what i sent was a video showing the available space on my arm (i needed to turn my arm over to show the whole spot), and i couldn’t email it, so this seemed like an ok solution. this is starting to sound like a lot but it really wasn’t, it was like, read a half-page email with clear bullet points and then follow a link. about a week passed (that part is normal), and then i noticed that they sent me a DM over instagram, from a blank account i guess they keep for this purpose. that was weird since we’d never interacted over there, and also since they didn’t respond to my email; why would this be easier? so then i look, and there’s no message, they just forwarded me their booking faq--which outlines exactly what i did. i don’t know what they think i didn’t send already--i’m guessing they didn’t like or didn’t notice the photo link but i can’t be sure because they didn’t say anything--but it was all in my email. suddenly i found myself back in that office mentality. do i

a) resend everything in a different format, to try to figure out what email style works best for them? understanding that it’s always possible they won’t get it the second time either, for some reason? or b) reply that i already DID read the faq and i sent them exactly what it asked for, so they should just look at my email again, in a tone that magically doesn’t make me sound mad or rude?

OR, let’s say i don’t want to do this with them anymore because i’m worried about letting someone modify my body when we’re already struggling to communicate. like to be honest it bothered me that they didn’t type anything, even like “your message is missing stuff, read the faq and try again”, and/or “i’m sending my faq over instagram so check your DMs.” also they sent the faq as photos over DM so they expire; i thought to take screenshots, but if i hadn’t, i’d be fucked. so, i think now i have to figure out how to terminate this. do i

1) reply to the DMs, or to my email which i guess they got even though they switched channels on me, and make a formal declaration that i’m not going to pursue this with them so there’s no further confusion, or 2) just ghost, because who really cares, and they’re probably really busy anyway, which would explain everything that happened/didn’t happen.

i wish i didn’t agonize over stuff like this but that’s just my deal. this is slightly like when i realized that now some professionals only write in this infantile internet speak, which has the dual effect of making me feel strangely uncool even if they’re older and dorkier than me, and also like i’m just not sure if they’re actually reading and understanding what i tell them because their responses are in like baby talk. i think it’s becoming obvious that the answer is 2 just forget all about this, i already thought of someone else for this project anyway and it’s too anxious-making for me to figure out someone’s love language or whatever just so i can tailor all my messages to them. probably a lot of people would just drop it without even worrying about it. i just wish i gave less of a shit about things in general.

[comrade-shrimp]

do you have any tips for starter-cosplayers?

Ofc bb! This may be a lil long so strap in!

1. The first thing to do is remember you're a starter, you're a beginner, you're not a professional! It's okay if your cosplay isn't 1:1 accurate! Don't compare yourself to other cosplayers who have been doing this stuff for YEARS, because it's unfair to you! Just like any other form of art, you improve your skills and you'll soon learn how to style a wig or do your makeup or sew!

2. Speaking of other peoples cosplays, DO take notes from the cosplays you like! You ARE allowed to take inspiration and ideas from other cosplayers, ESPECIALLY if they do tutorials or drop the websites where they buy their stuff! You like how that cosplayer styled their wig? Well then style your wig like that! Its okay! You don't have do your own thing all the time (I've ripped ideas from so many cosplayers before skdjakd, I'm actually buying the exact same wig and horns for my schlatt cosplay that another cosplayer uses, because they actually dropped the list and websites and product names for us to use! It isnt cheating!)

3. It's totally okay if you don't make any of your stuff and buy everything instead, like, it isnt a big deal and it DOESNT make you any less of a cosplayer! I cannot make props to save my life, so most of my props are bought and I just repaint them, its 100% okay and don't stress yourself out over it, cosplay is about having fun and sometimes it's more fun to dress like the character than to actually make the props and clothes yourself

4. Similarly, thrift stores and those stores like goodwill are a GODSEND!! People actually will donate their old cosplays to goodwill so sometimes you can find stuff there that's actually FOR cosplay! Why spend 50$ on a shirt for a cosplay when you can find something similar at goodwill and just modify it it a bit. (Just be conscious while you're buying things from thrift shops and other cheap stores, a lot of people who are really tight on money depend on those types of stores to get the things they need, so dont go buying out the entire store ok?)

5. Something I wish someone had assured me when I began was it's okay if your cosplay isnt 100% accurate to canon. You're allowed to add things, remove things, etc. The most common cosplay I see where people go ham with their design is Junko from Dr, people literally add so many accessories to their cosplays of her I love it omg, they add kandi and crowns and makeup and just so many fun details her canon design doesnt have! If you think something would look cool with the cosplay, then do it!

6. If something is dangerous, for the love of god please dont do it for a cosplay. Do NOT dye your skin grey, do NOT put your contacts inside your eyelids for that cool color transition on tiktok, do NOT wear ballet shoes to walk around in, do NOT pose with REAL weapons, do NOT take photos in dangerous/inappropriate places (like those hetalia cosplayers who went to a holocaust death camp memorial in cosplay, or cosplayers who take photos on REAL graves) keep yourself safe and dont be disrespectful please omg

7. Do research when you're buying stuff!! Always check the reviews on products you're thinking of buying! Like for instance, if you're buying contacts for a cosplay, research what people have said about the company you're buying from, and if there are MULTIPLE accounts of peoples corneas being torn out of their eye while removing the contacts, maybe consider another company to buy from (cough cough), research is always good to not only get a good looking product, but also a SAFE product

8. Try to accept real criticism! Assuming people are being respectful and kind about something, you should listen to them and maybe try out their suggestions! Obviously you're not obligated to ACTUALLY take their advice and change things about your cosplay if you're happy with it, but sometimes it can be super helpful! (When I did homestuck cosplays people would actually give me advice at cons, and then theyd actually offer to do my makeup for FREE, I regret not getting their insta names because they were so sweet and literally taught me how to do gamzee makeup that looked cool and scary 😭 if I ever cosplay gamzee again I already know how to do his makeup and their advice really helped! Especially since i was still a baby cosplayer back then)

9. Have fun and always ask advice from senior cosplayers! Most cosplayers are willing to help you out! And will actually be flattered that someone likes their cosplay enough to wanna replicate parts of it! Try to always be nice and respectful towards other people and dont put yourself down if you messed something up! It's okay! Just have fun and remember we're only human!

If you want tips of something specific lemme know and I can try my best to help out! :)

#asks #cosplay #when i say take inspiration from other cosplayers #i mean take inspiration #do not copy them omg #especially if its a cosplay thats their own take on the character #cough cough mcyt cosplayers who all have their own unique cosplays for technoblade and dream and schlatt and-

[transjoyblog]

The Many Astonishing Ways Abuse Can Affect Your Money

Photo by Darío Martínez-Batlle on Unsplash

People will use money, and your need of it, to manipulate you in various ways. Some are relatively harmless, and extremely common i.e. an otherwise neglectful parent buying their child lunch to get some time with them. However, some are more nefarious, and insidious. Here are a few common tactics people regularly use to control you financially:

Manipulation- This category is comprised of various types of manipulation including emotional appeal, constant desperation, and the use of younger siblings/dependent adults i.e. grandma against you.

Most everyone has been on the receiving end of an emotional appeal before. We use this to declare our love for each other, ask someone we have hurt for forgiveness, and so many other very positive interactions. But emotional appeal is also regularly used to try to influence a reluctant person to continue offering support with which they have become uncomfortable. A common use of emotional manipulation is for the dependent person to respond with an outburst of anger when support is threatened. They may genuinely feel that they have a right to be angry, and that may in fact be true, but that doesn't change the fact that the person providing support also has a right to their feelings, and ultimately, to their own time, energy, and money.

Another type of tactic that is very similar and often used in conjunction with emotional appeal, is for the person receiving support to be in a constant state of desperation. This person will often come to you at the end of the month to say, "Can I just borrow a couple hundred to get us through the month? I'll pay you pack the second I get paid." This is essentially asking for a payday loan from you, which we all know, is just a cycle of debt that actually benefits no one. This type of manipulation can be difficult to extract yourself from because there is probably a genuine need. However, it is ridiculous to expect anyone to loan you money on a frequent basis. If you cannot support your lifestyle on your own, reduce your lifestyle to the best of your ability.

If you have dependent family members, constant desperation becomes all that more effective. If grandma is on a fixed income, and Timmy is only 12 years old, they come with fixed expenses. Anyone knows this. And therefore, anyone should be able to plan for these expenses. If you are not living in the home, you are not responsible for grandma, or baby brother. I know this sounds harsh, and if the need is true, you can always offer other material support such as taking baby brother school clothes shopping, or asking only grandma what she might need from the store. But you do not need to provide money to people who may or may not be spending it in the way that they say they are.

Use of access to credit- Directly taking money out of an account they have access to, taking out a credit card in your name (or a joint one, if married) and using it indiscriminately or without permission.

My father was a big fan of this type of control. By the time my mother left him after 8 years of abuse, he had taken out something like 13 joint credit cards and run them all up to the limit. Not to mention all of the cards he took out in only his name or my mother's. He used my mother's maiden name and social security number to take out cards without her knowledge. He then chose to reveal the existence of these cards in moments when my mother was seriously considering leaving, claiming that if she left she would have nowhere to go because he had ruined her credit. This is obviously abusive behavior and should not be tolerated in any relationship, whether that is a relationship between adults, or a parent/child relationship. If you find yourself in a situation even close to this one, I highly recommend contacting the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (nfcc.org), as they may be able to provide concrete guidance on how to challenge behaviors like these in court.

Another form of manipulation could be pressuring you to take out a card and let someone else use it. This has actually happened to someone I know. Their parents put a lot of pressure on this person, basically the minute they turned 18, to take out a credit card in their name and let the parents use it, and pay it off. Or so they said. Ultimately, they were not able to make the payments on it, even the minimums, and destroyed this child's credit. The parents also convinced this child to take out payday loans in this child's name, and then just "loan" them the money. Please do not fall for this. This is manipulation, pure and simple. No reasonable person asks another to take out a loan for them, regardless of if you can afford it, or if they'll pay you back right away. Forget it. Any money loaned out is not a loan. You should be comfortable with the concept of never seeing that money back, and it should be an amount of money that you can afford to never see again. Regardless of how close you are, if not getting paid back would ruin your relationship with this person, you cannot afford to lend them money.

Monitoring- Keeping track of how you spend money, not allowing you a say in the family finances, or being cagey with their personal finances, while expecting you to be completely forthright with yours, usually perpetrated under the guise of "handling the finances", are all tactics that many people in long term relationships use to control their partner(s) or sometimes parents use to control their young adult children. This behavior can usually be spotted early on in the relationship.

1. Do they check up on you when they know you have other things to do?

2. Do they expect an unreasonable level of communication?

3. Do they ask to move in together pretty quickly? (This can be a tactic to more fully control your environment, or to begin the process of isolation, or dependence.)

4. Do they regularly ask for small sums of money, and always pay you back? (This can be a way to warm you up to the idea of giving them access to your accounts, or to loaning them large sums of money, which they will likely never pay back.)

5. Have they asked to share bills or accounts early on in the relationship, or before you have moved in together? (This could be a dependence or control tactic, because if they are on the account they are entitled to control and monitoring of the account, whether that is a cell phone bill, or a bank account.)

This is just a small selection of the types of questions that could come up as you negotiate the financial terms of your long term relationships. There are tons of questions that pertain to specific situations, people, and relationships. A great rule of thumb is to ask yourself whether you can communicate regularly, openly, and safely about your feelings with this person. If you do not have solid communication, trust, and safety with any person, they do not deserve access to or control of your financial life.

"Losing ambition" or other types of dependence- This can best be described as someone depending on your money while refusing to work when otherwise able - and this one comes with a huge caveat. Many people are truly dependent, and truly cannot work or find work for reasons beyond their control. But this needs to be communicated. Usually, the people who use dependence as a tactic to control you do not keep a regular conversation about finances going because that would reveal the extent of their use and abuse. My fiancee is pretty much entirely dependent on my income due to a chronic illness. I do not resent this because we have had tons and tons of conversations about our finances, and she has her own money and bank account. She contributes as best she can around the house, and constantly has ambitions of making her own money. She even buys me dinner sometimes. She is still driven and ambitious, it has just had to change in scope and degree from where she was before she was ill. That being said, refusing to work, find work, or otherwise contribute around the house can be a way to manipulate you into continuing to take care of someone. Keeping themselves dependent on you can make you second guess your desire to leave because "What would happen to them, they aren't working, I'm the only one paying the rent, where would they go?" This is a spiral that they want you to have because as long as they have nothing, you have to stay with them. The way to deal with this behavior is to do your best to sit with them and discuss their goals, what plans they have of achieving them, and how you and your money fit into that picture. Both parties should come to an agreement that feels ok for both parties. This will not feel good, do not expect it to. But this plan should offer both of you some level of psychological relief, and guidance on what the next steps could be for the dependent person. If someone is resistant to making substantive change in themselves and their lives, when they are otherwise completely capable of doing so, you do not need to feel responsible for their life, even if they do not feel responsible for it themselves. At this point you are forced to accept that this person is resistant to change right now, and will probably continue their pattern of behavior and manipulation regardless of anything you may or may not do. So, it would be in your best interest to distance yourself from the dependent person as much as possible. Ultimately, I encourage everyone to seek the professional help of a therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist whenever possible. It always helps to have an objective lens through which to view a difficult situation such as manipulation or abuse.

Actionable Advice:

1. If you take nothing else from this article, always remember the 3 C's: Consent Communication Consideration. - Every partner in any relationship has a right to these three C's.

2. Protect yourself - we are raised to extend our trust, love, and vulnerability to the people who are closest to us, but this does not take into account the reality of toxic relationships and family members.

3. Educate yourself - Continue to advance your knowledge of personal finance and relationships. None of us are perfect. We all have gaps in our understanding, especially when it comes to interpersonal relationships, and getting along with others. Kindergarten can't teach us everything.

#personal finance #family finances #relationship #family #educateyourself

[bucky-iss-bae]

Reminiscences - Peter Hale x OFC (Part 3)

Fandom: Teen Wolf

Pairing: Peter Hale x OFC (Calla)

Word Count: 1900 

Warnings: None - Slow Start I guess

Summary: Calla has grown up as Derek’s best friend, she’s known the Hales her whole life,she’s known their secrets and everything in Beacon Hills. Things in Beacon Hills are quiet, the pack are a family, and Calla realises that Peter knows more of her secrets than she realises.

A/N: Hope you all enjoy, sorry for the mistakes and cheesiness, any feedback is welcome x

Peter Hale x OFC - Reminiscences Part 2 

Part 3 

“I am so happy you asked about coming out, we literally have not been on a night out in forever. And considering there’s only 2 of us single ones left out of everyone we need to be getting out there and being each other’s wing women” My closest friend Camilla said to me. Calla and Camilla, two girls who went through school then trained to be teachers together.

I laughed, “Trust me, everyone else is getting engaged, getting married, having kids. I made a tinder account, and I’m never going on it again” I said to her.

“Ohhh why not?” She asked me waiting for the tea, although I hate to disappoint.

“So, a couple of girls swiped right on a guy that I think I hate but probably don’t and I’m still avoiding him. Its someone I know by the way, someone I know very well”

“It was a match wasn’t it?” She said with a sly grin.

I couldn’t help but laugh, “Yes. But forget that, and him because tomorrow I will be your wing woman, and you’ll be mine. We’ll find hot guys to potentially hook up with or maybe even date, and all will be well, or we could just have some girly fun, dance with one another. So many options” I said to her.

“Touché to that” She agreed, we then went into a few stores. We went to Sephora, getting some makeup, Victoria secret, because it’s my favourite shop. And a few other places to get new shoes and clothes.

We had spent hours trying on different outfits, and shopping, and when we finally got everything we needed we retreated to the car. Rather than dropping her off home, we went for food instead so we could sit and talk rather than walking around and having our catch up.

“How’s work going?” She asked me.

I smiled, “I’m enjoying it. I’m getting alright money, good hours, and doing what I enjoy, I don’t need to be a full time teacher. Not yet at least. Although I am qualified. I might apply for a teaching job next year”

She nodded, “You’re lucky you chose younger kids. I hate teaching older students. And let me tell you Beacon Hills High, its accident prone”

I chuckled, “I know. The kids theyre not too bad though”

She nodded, “Listen, I look out for the boys you’re friends with. I don’t even know how you became friends with them, so please. Explain”

“Through Derek. I’m not sure if you know Scott and Stiles? Stiles being the sheriffs son?” I asked.

She nodded, “Heard of them, they graduated last year right?”

I nodded, “Yeah, Derek is dating Stiles, and well Scott is basically friends with Liam, Mason, and yeah those boys”

“They’re good kids. Just distracted sometimes. Liam’s anger has been improved since he’s been friends with Scott though”  

I nodded, “Yeah, he’s a good kid, which now sounds weird considering you’re his teacher and he’s... a friend? Like a brother maybe”

She started to laugh, “At one point I was convinced you and Derek were going to end up together” She said.

I snorted at that, “That’s likely. I mean he’s like a brother to me. But sometimes I just feel like he thinks he has to be my friend, like I’m some extra baggage, just because he’s scared that I might fall to pieces one day. Because I have no family, and he thinks he should put it upon himself to have this family picture that he’s got. Because he’s happy now, and I don’t want to ruin that and as happy as I am for him, and as happy as I am at the moment, I’m just not content with life. I feel like I’m at that age where, there’s more I could be doing, that I want to be doing”

“You know you’ve always got us babe. I mean we survived high school, college, and now work. You were there for me when my parents got a divorce, when my mom decided to go off the rails, and so much more, and I was there for you when your parents passed. So no matter what we’ve got each other. And we’re still young, sure we’re closer to 30 than we are to 20, but who cares. We have so much going for us in life, we’re younger, hot and do not need to be content just yet.”

I grinned at this girl, “Fucking hell we don’t meet up enough, you’re literally inspiring me, reminding me of the family I do have rather than the opposite”

She snorted, “You’re telling me. I’m going out on a school night, to get drunk in a bar, just so my best friend and I can have a night that we’ll forget by the following morning”

“Thank you by the way, for everything. I mean I know that we don’t hang out nearly enough, and we really probably should because facetime calls aren’t always enough”

“I know, and we will, at least we stay in touch, some people don’t”

I had to agree with her there, I mean both of us haven’t even left beacon hills yet. But we’ll get the chance one day. Soon.

Whilst we were eating, my phone decided on going off causing me to groan. Derek’s name popped up, and considering I hadn’t bothered messaging him since yesterday, I was shocked he even called.

“What?” She asked me.

I shook my head and tapped the red button.

“You realize he’ll know that you purposely hung up right?”

I nodded, “Good he needs to know”

“Ok, remind me not to get on the wrong side of you”

I grinned at her, but we both carried on eating, this time with lighter conversation.

By the time school had finished the following day, my phone had been bombarded with both texts and calls off of Derek, a few even off Peter. I ignored them because I had to get ready.

But obviously they didn’t know that, and instead I carried on getting calls.

By the time I was ready, Camilla was in my apartment doing her own hair, I had to do her makeup,  and by the time it hit half 9 we were ready to meet the others, another one of our friends was picking us up, especially since she nor her sister drink, but they both know how to have a good time.

“Cannot tell you how excited I am for tonight” Camilla squealed as we got in the car. I laughed at her behaviour as I have been this last half hour as she sang around my apartment. You would think we’re officially legal and allowed in a club for the first time rather than professional teachers.

“Same. Also just so you two know, I am getting so wasted I won’t even remember my own name. So sober friends, please support me” I told them.

“You hear this grown ass woman? She’s supposed to be a teacher” Cait said to her sister, I just laughed at them but was so excited because I am finally going to let loose and have fun, and not worry about anyone or anything else. I have no work tomorrow, I have no plans aside from recovering from this hangover.

As soon as we got to the club we met up with everyone else, it was nice because there was a big group of us. Although I didn’t completely know everyone, a few others invited others, and it just branched out. I squealed, I hugged a lot of people and I did not hesitate when it came to taking shots.

“Come on lets go dance” Camilla said to me grabbing my hand and dragging me to the dance floor. I laughed and went along with her, one thing I pride myself on is being able to dance, I have got the hips to move to any beat, and I do. I danced with all the girls, and with a few guys, I drank and drank and I’ll probably be dead tomorrow but I don’t care.

“That guy keeps staring at you. I think he wants some of this” Camilla slurred whilst grabbing my behind.

I giggled and slapped her hand away turning to see where she was looking, as soon as I did I rolled my eyes, “He’s a creep. Lets go find some hot guys” I told her grabbing her hand feeling slightly sober than I was a few minutes ago, but we all knew that wasn’t the case.

“I already have” She grinned whilst pulling me towards someone, I quickly glanced back hoping Peter wasn’t there anymore. Despite being drunk, I had some senses, and as much as I want to be a lightweight, it takes too much to get me drunk, alcohol poisoning ttoo much.

But much to my displeasure he was making his way towards us.

I groaned and turned back around picking up the pace, basically dragging Cam to where a few other of our friends were,

“You alright girl?” Cait asked me.

I grimaced, “I drank too much but I’m not drunk enough. This one on the other hand” I muttered.

Cait started to laugh looking at Camilla she handled her alcohol the same way a teenager does, she still has work in the morning.  

“Calla” I heard a voice from behind me.

Cait looked at himbwith slihglty narrowed eyes, “Whose he?” She asked me whilst staring him down.

I shook my head, “No one. If you ignore him, he’ll go away, now come on let’s go get me some more drinks”  I said to her walking past her, a hand grabbing my arm stopped me.  

“Calla. You’ve had enough, now I’m taking you home”

I yanked my arm out of his grip, my heartbeat increasing and I turned to face him, I could see his eyes slowly starting to glow in these luminous lights within the nightclub.

“Leave me alone.” I said through gritted teeth. His face was the last one I wanted to see, he is the last person I want to be around. He probably knows how I feel yet still talks to me like I’m shit. He has no fucking right. And tonight was supposed to be getting away from him!

“Calla... is everything alright?” Cait asked me.

“Yes. He’s just going”

“No I’m not” Peter said to her, “I’m actually taking her, she knows who I am, and she’s safe with me. I’m related to her friend Derek” He explained.

“Is he?” Cait asked me looking more scared and worried than anyone, because she’s the only one noticing what’s going on.

“Yes he is. Now Peter will you fucking leave” I said still trying to get out of his grip.

He had that same smirk on his face, “Not without you sweetheart”

“Do you want me to call the police?” Cait whispered to me causing Peter to laugh humorously.

I shook my head knowing that I would not win this, “I’ll message you later, you go have fun alright. Just make sure Cam doesn’t end up going home with a complete stranger, and thank you for offering to take me home” I said kissing her cheek,  

She smiled at me, “Message me when you get home” She said to me and I nodded promising. I then yanked my arm out of Peters grip and glared at him whilst walking past him.

Peter Hale x OFC - Reminiscences Part 4

#Peter Hale #Peter Hale Imagine #Peter Hale Fan Fic #peter hale fanfiction #Teen Wolf #Peter Hale x OFC #OFC #Teen Wolf Fic #Teen Wolf Fan Fiction #AU #Teen Wolf AU #Peter Hale is a good guy #Kind of #Reminiscences

[kaleidescope-writes]

Heart of Audrilluria- Chapter XVII; Ache

Modern Fairytale AU

Prince! King!Tom Hiddleston x Thief! Reader

The door of the jewelry shop opened, allowing both sisters to walk in. Andrew looked up from the bracelet he was modifying for a client. “Good morning, L/N sisters,” he greeted, putting down the tool and bracelet for a moment. “Andrew,” Amelie replied in a professional yet warm tone. “I have it ready for you, I’ll come back in a moment,” he said before going into the back room, leaving them alone in silence. A few seconds passed before Y/N looked over to Amelie, “Still not talking to me?” Amelie looked at her briefly before going back to scanning the room. “Come on,” Y/N sighed, “After making me talk about my failed love life and having to feel that pain again, I deserve at least one word.” Amelie turned to her again, the same unreadable expression on her face. “I said after we get our problem resolved, not a minute or two before,” she said in a cold tone that was only ever given to strangers. Y/N smiled lightly, knowing this cold silence would be over soon. 

“Here it is!” Andrew announced, entering the room with a jewelry box in his hand. He placed it gently on the display case and opened it. Sitting inside neatly, the newly restored necklace glimmered back at them. The glass made sapphire replica looked exactly like the one she removed in the castle. 

“It took a considerable amount of time to do this, but it’s all in a day’s work,” Andrew commented, looking at them expectantly. “You did a flawless job,” Y/N muttered, still not able to believe it was made by the man standing in front of them. Amelie smiled at him, taking out an envelope from her pocket. “Vie sends her regards,” she mentioned, handing him the envelope. Andrew opened it, looking through it briefly before nodding with a satisfied smile. “Always a pleasure working with you two,” he said, extending his hand for them to shake. Both girls shook his hand, one after the other. Y/N closed the box and put it in the bag she’d been carrying with her. “See you around,” Y/N gave him a familiar smile before both girls made their way to the exit, preparing to head back to the house.

They could hear the commotion from outside the house. Vie had gotten new jobs for everyone there. It was the familiar sound of her ordering the children around. Y/N and Amelie had known that sound all their lives. It meant bad news. It meant she’d get rid of any child that opposed and they’d have to go back to living on the streets. That was the sound of someone’s time running out.

Reluctantly, the sisters stepped inside the old, unstable house. They walked to the living room where all their assignments were handed out before the jobs started. This meant Y/N wouldn't have time to move on. 

“You all have your assignments,” Mother Vie announced, “Now start formulating your plans.” The children dispersed, leaving her alone with Y/N and Amelie. “Ah, girls!” she said happily, finally realizing their presence. “I have a new assignment for you,” she smiled, handing them familiar-looking files. They opened them to see a picture of an older looking man along with papers full of information. “He’s a millionaire that likes the idea of providing for a damsel. He’s old-fashioned, full of money, and an apparent gentleman,” Vie explained. She looked at Y/N up and down. “You might actually be his type,” she said with a growing smirk, “Get close to him and take every dollar he gives you or spends on you. You’re both going to deplete all bank accounts he has.” 

Y/N closed the file, not wanting to have to go through this again. She couldn’t move on. Not after everything Thomas made her feel. Everything she went through. She was happy for even a brief moment and she did not want to let that go just yet. 

“No,” she whispered, daring to look at Vie directly in the eyes. Mother Vie looked at her in both confusion and rising anger. “What war that, Ms. Y/N?” she asked, leaning her body towards her slightly. Y/N took in a breath, straightening her posture and keeping her eyes locked with Vie’s. “I said,” Y/N responded a little louder, “No.” Vie raised her eyebrows, looking away, and taking a small step back. “Defiance is not a good look on you, Y/N,” Vie said in a slightly menacing tone. She looked back at Y/N, regaining her previous posture. “Especially not when I’m the one keeping the children here, fed and under a roof. You’d be wise not to question my authority and be obedient as you have been all your life,” Vie threatened, taking slow steps toward her again. “Or did you forget what I am capable of?” she asked as she took the final step to stand in front of her. “Do I have to remind you of what I can do to those poor children you try so hard to protect?”

“No,” Amelie said quickly. Vie turned to look at her sternly. “Y/N has had a long day and she is not feeling well,” Amelie explained, “She has to rest and she’ll reconsider it. I promise she will want to do this job once she’s had some time to rest.” Vie continued to look at her sternly, waiting for any sign of defiance from Amelie as well. After a long moment, she stepped back and began to walk to her recliner. “You know what to do then,” Vie said, sitting on her chair. “I expect you to be back to your regular self by tomorrow morning,” She dismissed. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Thomas paced the office with papers in his hands. He was narrowing down his search on possible moles. Currently, he was waiting for them to be detained for questioning. In the meantime, he was going through the list for the seemingly millionth time. His reading was interrupted by a knock on the door. “Yes,” he called out, not looking up from the papers. Charles stepped inside, “Forgive the interruption, your majesty,” he began, “but I was informed there was a gentleman you may want to speak to.”

“Charles, I’m a bit busy at the moment,” Thomas replied curtly. “It’s her driver,” Charles said, causing Thomas to look up finally, “He says he knows who they really are.” 

“Y/N and Amelie L/N,” the driver, Elliot Corb said to Thomas. “I heard them talking to their guide, Edmundo, about their real lives and how they would hide them.” Thomas sat in his chair, hanging on to every word the man sitting in front of him was saying. “I didn’t hear much of the actual heist, but I heard that they were doing this for someone else. I hope this information helps you in some way,” Elliot concluded. Thomas straightened up in the chair, “Absolutely, Mr. Corb. Thank you for your help. I now have somewhere to start.” Elliot nodded quickly, clutching his hands in both hands, “Of course, your majesty. It is my pleasure to help my king.” He stood and bowed before walking over to the door. Once he cleared the doorway, Charles closed the door behind him and turned to Thomas. “Should we bring in this Edmundo character?” he asked curiously. “No need,” Thomas replied as he stood, “He is currently on his way. And even if we didn’t have him, we have their real names. We can start our search there.” Charles nodded, completely agreeing with his cousin. 

“Although,” Thomas began, “Once we have enough information to go after them, I’d like to go alone. I have to do this myself.” Charles gave him a look of surprise but didn’t dare question his choices. He knew Thomas had to face this alone, and he was ok with it. After all, Thomas may not know this yet, but Charles knows there is a possibility deep down that the feelings he felt for Y/N never left. And that was something he had to learn on his own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: This is a short chapter leading up to the last three chapters. I seriously can’t believe we made it this far!! Thank you so much for all the support!!! I appreciate it more than you can imagine!!!! What do you think is going to happen? Let me know as feedback is both appreciated and encouraged!! I love you all so much!! Stay safe and I’ll see you Tuesday night for Chapter 19

Taglist is OPEN: 

@ladyblablabla​, @tvdplusriverdale​, @pipolaki​, @myraiswack​, @shockwavee​, @harringtonb-blog​, @cynic-spirit​, @little-moonbeam-666​, @ochizokulevy​​, @swifitiedaylight​, @blue-honey-bee-from-france​ @scorpionchild81​,  @imnotrevealingmyname​ @whathefuckrichard69​ @frostedgiant​ @falling4uke​​ @accio-boys​

#tom hiddelston x reader #tom hiddelson #tom hiddelston imagine #tom hiddleston #thomas hiddleston #tom hiddles #thomas william hiddleston #loki fandom #loki fanfic #tom hiddleston imagine #tom hiddleston x ofc #tom hiddleston x you #tom hiddleston x reader #thomas hiddleston x reader #loki layfeyson x reader #loki imagine #loki of asgard #loki #loki x you

[angelicspaceprince]

Dewey x Crafter Reader Headcanons

Ive fallen down a rabbit hole of crafting and I can't get up. Help me. I write hcs to help save my soul

I'll also edit when I have computer access so then there is a read more button or whatever they're called, I can't find it on mobile

Wrote directly onto the tumblr app so if there are any mistakes that's why. No betas, we die by our spelling and grammar mistakes here

You were a crafter before you met Dewey, having taken up most crafts by the time you were 17

Sewing, needlepoint, embroidery, cross stitch, knitting, crocheting

You'd experimented with them all and even though each one had its merits, you definitely had your favourites

Then life happened. You had to start working, unable to attend college, and soon you had no time to craft. If you were awake, you were working

Mostly low paying jobs to cover rent, bills etc, taking on as many shifts as possible

It was actually during one of your shifts you met Dewey

You started working at a local music shop, mostly serving and organising CDs when a very excited Dewey rocked up, wanting to find the newest release for one of his favourite bands

You got to talking and realised that you had similar music tastes and, even though you really wanted to get to know him more, you had to remain professional. You were still on the clock

Luckily for you, however, you were invited to go see a group of local bands performing to celebrate your friend's birthday

You recognized Dewey the moment he stepped on stage and was in awe at his musical skill

You figured it'd be weird to go up to him and start talking because a) if he didn't recognize you then having a stranger come up to you and say that you remembered him from work would be odd and b) if he DID recognize you from work that'd be even odder

You didn't want to give off stalker vibes, so you stayed at the bar, content just to leave it

Dewey, however, saw you in the crowd and had a different plan in mind

Still riding the adrenaline high from being on stage, he walked straight up to you

"I don't know if you remember me, bu-"

"I remember you."

"Oh."

You both blushed heavily as you shift in your seat. "Drink?" You offered. "I....I liked talking to you earlier, I'd like to talk some more."

Dewey positively beamed at that, sitting down next to you as you effectively start ignoring your friend's birthday party celebrations in favour of talking to the man in front of you

The rest, as they say, was history

You ended up dating pretty quickly after you first met, moving in with each other after only dating for 6 months

It was an accident, you had your power cut off (again) and it was the middle of winter. Dewey offered you a warm place to stay temporarily and after 4 weeks of looking for a new apartment, he just said "you're already living here, just move in with me."

It made things easier, now there were two people contributing to bills

Rent was never paid in full, but something was always sent in

Patty wasn't impressed by that but Ned wasn't as fussed, just happy to have something coming in

It helped that he really liked you and felt that you were a good fit for Dewey

Even though things still remained tough, you were happy just to have a roof over your head and someone who loved you

When Dewey started working for Horace Green, things became easier

Bills were paid with his paycheck, yours became groceries and fuel money

Even then, for the first time in a long time, you had spare cash

Most went into savings but being able to afford your own Netflix account? Felt amazing

Despite having a bit of extra money, some habits were hard to break.

You rarely bought clothing from anywhere but thrift stores and Walmart, Dewey prefering Walmart but essentially doing the same thing

Unfortunately, that meant the clothing you had bought wasn't always the best of quaility, especially when Dewey was the one wearing it

Just the nature of his jumpy, clutzy, accident prone and slightly messy self meant you were constantly buying him new shirts and mending his sweater vests

To be honest, it was getting old

You'd also been missing crafting for a while so. Two birds, one stone

The next time you were in Walmart alone, you grabbed yarn and knitting needles and on the few days a week you were home alone, slowly you started to knit him some new sweater vests, using an old one that was beyond repair as the template to make sure each one fit

The first one was just a plain, fadded red to get yourself back into practice before slowly beginning to add simple designs similar to the few he owned now

Then a couple of weird themed ones, a couple of his favourite bands, one with music notes in the design, one that was birthday themed, one with mini guitars, whatever amused you and you thought would amuse him, you knitted onto the sweater

Each vest took three weeks to make. By the time his birthday came around, you had made him ten new vests, having kept it a secret the entire time

You were super nervous when he opened up his present, but the giant smile on his face was worth it, excited with the concert tickets you managed to get for the two of you (in the pit, of course) and with each new sweater, he got more and more excited

"These are amazing babe! Where did you get them?" He asked as he got up to try his favourite (the one with a replica of his Gibson knitted around the bottom) on

You go quiet. "I....uh.....I made them."

He looked over at you like you just admitted you had found a cure for cancer

You'd neglected to tell him of your crafting past, it never came up so you never said

Now, however, he was keen to see you craft

He never even dared to try it out for himself, but enjoyed watching you knit or crochet without looking at your work, watching TV or chatting to Dewey as you just continued to work

Every year, he got at least two sweaters from you, and you made sure to knit a sensible one and a silly one

What amazed you was the fact that Dewey seemed to have fewer accidents

He took extra special care of all of the stuff you make him, never spilling so much as a drop of coffee on them and tried his best not to get them snagged on the one sharp part of the doorway into his office

One day he came home, nearly in tears

You were folding up laundry but you dropped everything and came rushing over, thinking the absolute worst but instead he simply pushed something into your hands and said "I'm so sorry"

Turns out, he took off his vest when he came in to play a song with the kindergartners, something he now does daily as part of his role as music teacher

He didn't notice one of the kids grabbing it and wandering off with it

It was covered in paint, one of the Gibsons were cut out and the yarn was beginning to unravel, despite clear attempts to keep it from doing so

It was ruined

You hush Dewey as you pull him close and reassure him it's ok, you can make him another one

It took a while to settle him, he treasured everything you made him and he allowed one to get ruined

But once you assured him it was fine and you knew it was an accident, you ended up spooning in the couch as you mentally start planning the new sweater

A month passed when he found a wrapped up parcel on his desk

He was running late, didn't have time to grab a coffee and accidentally grabbed his vest with a massive hole in the back rather than one of your handcrafted ones

Still, he made it to the classroom before any students arrived, so he quickly opened it up and a huge smile plastered its way onto his face

A new sweater vest that was near identicle to his ruined one, a bit cleaner and better designed than the old one

You'd also made him a pair of socks, something you'd been experimenting with, with the AC/DC logos on the side

He found the note at the bottom 'Hope you have a good day. I love you. Y/N. P.S. These are not allowed near the kindergartners ❤'

He quickly changed into the sweater, feeling so much better than he did 5 minutes ago

The socks became his lucky socks and he'd wear them to his gigs, stating that it was like you were up there with him

He shushed you when you pointed out that it meant he was technically stepping on you, telling you "you know what I mean" before giving you a kiss

He'd give you requests for scarves, beanies, the lot. Socks were for bed or performances only, apparently, but everything else was worn whenever

You even made beanies and scarves for members of the band who wanted them, each having the School of Rock logo on it plus the kid's name

Dewey loves wearing and telling everyone about the stuff you make because he thinks it's absolutely incredible you're able to create something like this

And he treasures everything you make him

Most importantly, he's there to listen when you rant that the yarn isn't working like it should, or just about crafting problems in general, and be an ear as you problem solve an issue and is there to celebrate the victories when it finally works

Gets really good at yarn shopping too, picks up the brands you prefer and learns to read the packaging labels

Just

He loves the fact you can create something just like he can

#school of rock musical headcanons #school of rock headcanons #school of rock the musical #school of rock musical #school of rock #dewey finn headcanons #dewey finn/reader #dewey finn #dewey finn x reader #ama writes #amas stuff

[syms-things-5]

Clear The Area - Chapter Six

Previous chapter HERE

Warning: Mild language

Summary: Sarah’s parents make a visit, and not everyone is happy with Sarah’s choices.

Note: Sorry this took a while to get out.

CHAPTER SIX

There’s a couple of things you should probably know about Jocelyn and Noah Bernette.

The first is that they are salt-of-the-Earth people. They are friendly to anyone, heavily involved in their community, and they make regular donations to a charity that provides home improvements to families so they can live comfortably with a disability. They once spent a summer volunteering with Habitat For Humanity and have fostered approximately 18 cats and dogs over the past seven and a half years. Jocelyn regularly bakes cakes for their neighbours and Noah is obsessed with his garden and tending to the Norwegian Purple Heather he paid a fortune to have shipped over from Bergen. Politically, they are liberal in practically every sense of the word and up to speed with the latest democratic events. Seriously, you would have to work extra hard to trip them up if you wanted to hold any kind of debate with them.

Sadly, the Bernettes could not have children biologically for one reason or another. Jocelyn in particular struggled with that knowledge. She figured at the age of 34, with most of her friends now mothers and fathers themselves, a child was the obvious piece missing from their puzzle. Professionally, they were both pretty much at the top of their respective trees and they had no mortgage to speak of so naturally the only thing left to accomplish was raising a child. So, thereafter, followed several years of testing, waiting, waiting some more, then more testing, but the doctors couldn’t fathom why it just didn’t want to happen for them. There didn’t appear to be anything medically wrong with either of them. It was nature, they said, as though that was supposed to be some kind of comfort. Eventually, when Jocelyn reached her 40th birthday, she and Noah decided it wasn’t meant to be and opted to try a different route, though it wasn’t much easier being told implicitly that they were now too old to adopt a baby.

Which leads to the other thing you should probably know about them: they don’t like to be reminded that Sarah is adopted. It suits them just fine to block out the first 12 years or so before they met. It’s not to say they completely disregard her past of that they want to forget they couldn’t have children, it was more that on some psychological level Sarah had long since given up trying to understand, they felt more like a real family if they could continue to believe that they had always been this way, that it was fate they would find each other and live happily ever after.

Jocelyn wanted to experience sleepless nights from a crying baby wanting to be fed but instead she learned to deal with sleepless nights waiting to see if their runaway child was going to come home before four in the morning. They would argue about boyfriends they didn’t trust or buying a car they didn’t think she would look after. Jocelyn would later attempt to make the move from mother to best friend as soon as Sarah moved away to college, always planning meet-ups or sending her cut-outs in the post about make-up thinking she would be interested in them and they could perhaps bond over shared hobbies. She could finally empathise with her friends and neighbours about whether their children were surviving their studies. All stereotypical parental concerns and she embraced each and every one of them.

Noah on the other hand, a few years older than Jocelyn, was definitely calmer about the whole thing. He was glad they chose this option for them both because he reasoned he might be too long in the tooth to start changing nappies or teach another human being how to ride a bike given that he didn’t know how to do so himself. Instead, they could take what they had, what they both worked so hard to achieve, and help someone who hadn’t had the best start in life. Isn’t that they best way of helping your community?

Lisa once joked that she learned more about Sarah from one dinner with her folks than she had learned from Sarah herself over the course of knowing her for six months. But she couldn’t understand why Sarah had a particular desire to create a distance between herself and them, and from her seemingly healthy teenage years in a quaint town in Maine, a far cry from Michigan in more ways than one. Shanna didn’t understand either but Sarah wasn’t always forthcoming about her rationale even after knowing for as long as she did.

Sarah learned early on that it was best not to talk about her birth family. She was thankful to have Noah and Jocelyn steering her at a time when it would have been all too easy for her to go off the rails. Of course, she was thankful; who wouldn’t be, living that kind of comfortable life. She didn’t want to see ungrateful. It just never really settled within her. She always felt a little out of place and struggled to adjust to the wealth of positive emotions, love, and a somewhat material wellbeing she hadn’t experienced before. She provided the Bernettes with their missing piece and they wanted to reward her for that but she in turn felt like something was missing from her own identity and that feeling only grew as she got older. Increasingly, she felt like who was as a Bernette was not entirely in line with who she felt she was in the baseline of her DNA. At times she felt like she was merely living to someone else’s expectations so moving to Boston was something akin to therapy.

“And he just gave you this?!”

Jocelyn was stood by the wardrobe in Sarah’s bedroom. She usually did this under the pretence of casually catching up on life and everything else but realistically, Sarah knew she just wanted to snoop around in the hope of discovering hints of a boyfriend she’d been keeping to herself. Shanna was currently sat on Sarah’s bed, one leg tucked underneath and enjoying their relationship from a distance. She was wondering when she’d bring up Prince Greg as she’d dubbed him on account of his floppy hair. She felt like she knew more of Sarah when she was around her own family. It was kind of fascinating to see.

Jocelyn held the dress up in front of her, taking it in, gobsmacked. Sarah had never seen Jocelyn this excited before. To the untrained eye, it was just a simple black mini-dress; unclingy with loose full-length sleeves and a frilly detail around the hem. There was a silver thread woven into the stitching that caught the light if you were stood the right way. Chris was right; it was cute. Shanna suggested wearing it with black tights and those heeled boots that were her go-to date footwear. Her only go-to date footwear, Audrey would remind her whenever she managed to drag her into town for some shopping. Being overtly dressed-up wasn’t something Sarah was easily comfortable with and Chris knew this, so simple was definitely the way to go.

“Not exactly. It’s a loan. I’ll have to give it back afterwards.” Sarah pressed.

She was ready to get to the exhibition centre before it closed but Jocelyn didn’t seem in any particular rush. Her knowing Chris Evans was perhaps the thing Jocelyn was most proud of in Sarah’s life and she always managed to work in a conversation or two whenever she visited. Rather than be irritated by it, Sarah actually found it rather amusing. Chris seemed to have a sixth sense for guessing when Jocelyn was trying her patience, though, and played up to her a little bit so as to give Sarah a break. She once lost her asking him questions about the Academy Awards for nearly an hour. The amount of beer she had to buy him afterwards as a ‘thank you’ nearly bankrupted her.

“Well, you’ll have to make sure your hair and make-up matches. You can’t wear a dress like this with a ponytail.” She was speaking in what she assumed was a helpful tone. It was a good job she couldn’t see the face Sarah was pulling right now.

“Oh, between us all I’m sure we’ll be able to figure it out. I’ll have to do the same thing, too.” Shan was trying her best to act nonchalant in an effort to support her best friend. “I mean, it’s not often any of us get the chance to get dressed these days, really.”

“How lovely. You can borrow my emerald earrings if you like? They’ll bring out your eyes.” Jocelyn was more than a little eager now, no doubt buzzing at the thought of having her personal jewellery plastered all over Instagram. She zipped up the dress bad and placed it carefully inside the wardrobe while Sarah and Shan just smiled at each other knowingly.

As Jocelyn moved to the bathroom to wash her hands, they left the bedroom opting for the relative safety of the living room where Noah had set up camp alongside Chris and ESPN. He was a keen follower of most sports with golf a particular favourite. He was saving up for tickets to the PGA tour next year as a retirement gift to himself. Sarah knew Jocelyn wasn’t going with him but couldn’t be entirely sure he hadn’t invited Chris along in her place.

“What’s she mithering you about this time?” Noah asked, eyes glued to the TV screen. He didn’t get much time to sit and be still watching television at home so visiting his daughter was even more of a treat. If Sarah could survive being the sole focus of Jocelyn’s attention for hours on end, he would have happily left them to it for the afternoon and set up camp with Chris and a glass of Talisker.

“Nothing much, it’s OK. Are you ready to go yet? It’ll take about 20mins to walk there,” Sarah was hinting as heavily as she could now, short of jingling her keys in front of their faces likes they were cats.

“Sure, go grab your mom and we’ll head out. Have you had thoughts about dinner yet? Chris, would you like to join us?”

“Well, I was quite keen on seeing the exhibition myself actually but I’d hate cause you guys any problems with my being there.” He tried to casually shrug it off in a look she’d seen all too often lately.

“I’m sure we can manage,” Noah managed to tear himself away from the TV screen for his beloved Chris. “Is it a ball cap situation or more of a through-the-backdoor type of thing? I’ve never had to sneak around before. Could be fun?”

Sarah appreciated Noah’s casualness and evidently, judging by the grin spread across his face in that moment, so did Chris. He turned to look over the back of the couch at Sarah, silently asking her permission.

“Well, I did get a 4th ticket in case you or Scott fancied coming...” she offered. “I mean, I’m fine if you are?”

Chris gave her a grateful smile. “Give me two minutes and I’ll be right with you.”

*

For this time of day, the gallery was surprisingly busy but mainly full of people Sarah figured were die-hard fanatics of his art and who probably wouldn’t recognise Chris if he appeared in front of them dressed in his full Captain America get-up waving the American flag. As they passed by the smiling security guard. Noah wondered quietly to Sarah what the Venn diagram of McCurry aficionados crossed with Marvel fans would realistically look like. Given his nerdiness for all things mathematical, no doubt he’d have an answer figured out for them by the time they reached the Vietnam display two halls away.

“...and this was the photograph that started the Live Aid charity.” Jocelyn stopped in front of a small photograph, no larger than one you’d have in a frame at home yet unmistakeable on the wall alongside dozens of other images, Sharbat’s eyes piercing your soul. Walking slightly ahead of them, she’d somehow managed to link arms with Chris and was now acting as their defacto tour guide, explaining each piece to him in turn as though he’d never seen them before. Anyone who knew Chris properly would know he greatly enjoyed photography and was well read on the latest pieces. Nevertheless, he was still polite and nodded along as she enthusiastically spoke of the lens McCurry used to achieve the effects of his art.

As they moved through to the third and final hall space, things had gotten noticeable quieter as more people were filtering out. Noah and Jocelyn were deep in conversation with a local art student who had stopped to sketch a couple of pieces, and Chris seemed far more relaxed and happy walking around without his NASA cap on. No on had paid him any attention all afternoon, it must have been a nice change of pace for him.

Sarah lost track of how long she had been staring at a larger canvas piece of a bridge with a giant concrete hand underneath holding the structure up. The place was unknown and the image was photographed from high up, possible from a plane or helicopter. It was oddly serene even if the bridge had become overgrown with reeds and dirt.

“I think it’s meant to represent Mother Nature’s battle against Man,” Chris spoke quietly as he approached her from behind, standing to one side as she continued to stare at the image.

“That’s an interesting theory. Where did  you read that?”

“i happen to have an ongoing subscription with National Geographic.” Chris said, comically smoothing his beard in contemplation. Sarah almost believed him until she registered what he had said. Chris clocked her side-eying him. “Joss told me to tell you when she saw you looking at it.”

She smiled at him before turning back to the wall. “I think I want to visit this place one day. It’s like the complete opposite of Boston.” she mused.

“You’d never leave Boston. It’s in your DNA now. You’re officially one of us.”

“That’s....that sounds vaguely threatening.”

“You have leprechaun pyjamas and you’ve been drunk at Fenway. You pretty much tick all of the boxes.” Chris smirked and turned to walk away.

“How do you know I have those pyjamas?” Sarah followed behind him.

“I didn’t. You just told me.” Sarah punched him in the arm and Chris pretended to wince.

Noah had somehow managed to loop back around the bookshop from the start to purchase a couple of prints and a biography before joining them as they headed towards the exit. The rain had started getting a little heavier during the time they had been inside and Sarah chastised herself for ignoring Jocelyn’s advice to bring an umbrella with her. If there was one thing you could guarantee in even the nicest of Summers, it’s that Jocelyn Bernette always, ALWAYS, carried an umbrella in her handbag. Also, one of those waterproof macs that rolled up to the size of a dollar bill but she couldn’t convince anybody that they were a good idea.

As they gathered outside, Sarah gently pulled Chris back by his elbow. “Hey, there’s no pressure on staying for dinner if you’d rather head out or whatever. I think they were keen on you stopping out with us but I’m happy to make an excuse if you’d rather not.”

“What? No, it’s totally fine. I really like your folks. They’re fun and interesting.” Chris noticed Sarah’s look of skepticism. “Seriously, you need to chill. I’m having a good time. It’s nice doing normal things for a change.”

“In that case, I’ll let them know you’re up for a bike ride tomorrow. Dad wants to rent a tandem.”

“Are you....Are you being serious?” Sarah nodded. “Wow, they really go all out, huh? What are you gonna do while they do that?”

“No idea. Probably hold their bags.”

Chris laughed. “Man, those two are cute. I’d kill to be that dorky when I’m their age. You’re so lucky.”

Sarah considered his point for a moment, looking at Jocelyn waving her flip phone up in the air trying to get a signal. She’d lost track of the number of times she’d tried to convince her to upgrade, telling her they could stay in touch more easily with Whatsapp rather than pages-long emails once or twice a week. Sadly, this would turn out to be the last positive memory they would have of  their peaceful afternoon.

“Can I ask you something, but you have to promise not to get mad.” Chris posed an interesting question. How was she supposed to respond to that?

“I don’t get why you’re meeting Charlotte.” He could see Sarah about to protest and continued regardless. “I don’t see what good can come from this. You’ve tried it once before, it failed, and you didn’t leave you bed for two weeks. I was there, Sarah. It was horrible. I don’t understand why you would put yourself through that again.”

His tone was a little louder than he realised and placed a hand over his mouth, wiping at his beard as if that would somehow erase his words from having been spoken. Sarah didn’t know what to say. She was tired with a continuous feeling of frustration at having to explain away her decisions at every turn. She hadn’t mentioned meeting her birth mother for a while now but could sense the apprehension people had at the thought. If it wasn’t Chris, it was Shanna, and if it wasn’t Shanna, Audrey had kindly informed her she was taking an unnecessary risk although she didn’t put it quite so mildly.

“You don’t have to agree with me. I get that no one supports me here,”

“Oh, that’s unfair. Jesus.” He turned to face away from where Jocelyn was stood, only a few feet ahead of them but seemingly oblivious to their contention. “It’s not just you that this affects, you know. You seem to forget that.”

There was no mistaking his argument this time as he drew Sarah’s attention back in her mother’s direction.

“Have you guys been talking about this behind my back?” Sarah finally asked after what felt like minutes of silence. Noah was now indicating at something ahead of them.

Chris took a breath and Sarah could tell he was refraining from saying something he might regret. “No, we haven’t we’re just concerned is all. You don’t know her -”

“- hence why I am going to meet her.”

“- and you don’t know what she is after.”

She stood still as Chris continued walking but only getting a few steps ahead of her before noticing she’d stopped altogether. Jocelyn and Noah continued on ahead of them, enjoying the drizzly walk and the lights of the town and gradually getting further and further away.

“Do you not think it’s just what she wants to know who I am? What is it that you think she is after?”

“Sarah, don’t do this, OK? I’m not going to get into an argument with you about this now because I’m not going to say what you want to hear. I’m sorry.” He looked at her carefully for a second. “I just...I see you guys together hanging out and it fits, y’know? You’re so like them, Sarah. You think the same things, you like the same things. If I didn’t know you at all, I’d think you were the double of Joss. They’d be heartbroken if they knew what you were doing.”

Sarah couldn’t look him in the eye. The older Sarah would have possibly turned to run at this point, trying to avoid conflict at all costs, but they’d had spats before and Chris was nothing if not annoyingly unflappable. She knew he would tell her straight and as much as she might not want to hear it right in this moment, it was probably for the best.

He saw a flash of what looked like hurt cross her face. Now or never, he doubled down. “You wanted to know what I thought so I’m telling you.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to make tracks but not before one last bash. “I think this is a bad idea.”

“Well, then it’s a bad idea I’ll deal with myself.”

*

#Clear The Area #Chris Evans #Evans Fic #chris fic #chris evans x original female character #Sarah Bernette #Syms Writing