#but it is also really hard to go clothes shopping when you feel yucky

[onceuponaloonatic]

inspired by a conversation with @anonymousonce93 !!

tw: vomit, food sensitivity issues 

“Hey Nayeon Unnie, come in.” Tzuyu gave Nayeon a polite smile as she let her in. Nayeon came in at her invitation, taking her shoes off and giving Tzuyu a hug. It was then she noticed the shopping bag Nayeon was holding. “Another present?”

“It’s just a small one.” Nayeon laughed. 

“She’s going to be spoiled. Everytime you come over you bring her a present.” Tzuyu couldn’t fight the amused smile on her face. 

“I’m trying to be the favorite Auntie.” Nayeon pouted. “I know.” Tzuyu nodded. “But you seriously don’t have to try so hard, she’s three pleasing her really isn’t too difficult. What is it?” 

“It’s a stuffed giraffe.” Nayeon handed Tzuyu the bag, letting the younger woman inspect the stuffed animal. “This is small?” Tzuyu sighed at the size of the animal.

“Relatively.” Nayeon nodded. “Anyway I love you but isn’t your flight leaving soon?” “Right right. Mina wanted me to go over everything with you because despite the fact you have watched Nico before she still doesn’t trust you.” Tzuyu sighed. “I would expect no less from Myoui Mina.” Nayeon giggled. “Hit me with it.” “She is still asleep right now, I was going to wake her up before I left though. Jihyo will be coming over with Hina around five. She had a stomach ache earlier so Mina made her some sundubu jjgae to eat for dinner, you just need to heat it up. Mina thought it would be easier just to make her something light in case her stomach still hurt, but if she’s hungry after that you know what she likes.” “Wait sundubu jjage? I thought Nico hated tofu.” Nayeon interrupted. “It’s on her long list of foods she won’t eat.” Nayeon was right about that. Nico was an extremely picky eater, and over time her parents and Aunts had developed a pretty elaborate list of foods Nico just didn’t like. 

“She’s been branching out with a lot of food lately. These past few weeks she’s pretty much eaten everything we have been. I’m not sure where it’s coming from but it’s honestly so nice. Cooking for her was difficult.” Tzuyu sighed. “ Mina thought it would help for her to just have some stew instead of a normal meal.”

“I suppose that makes sense. Keep going.” Nayeon nodded.

“Mina is working late, but that usually means she’ll be home around ten thirty. Nico’s bedtime is still eight thirty. Sana wants to call her before bed to say goodnight, so expect her to call you around eight. I’ll probably text you when I land to check in and say goodnight to Nico. Jihyo already said Hina can’t spend the night because they have to do something early tomorrow, so if she tries to ask make sure you say no. Oh also if her stomach ache gets worse just give her some normal medicine. You remember where the medicine cabinet is right?” “Yup. You guys have lived here long enough for me to remember where most things are.” Nayeon giggled. “Anything else?” 

“Yeah when her stomach hurts really bad she likes to have something warm to cuddle with. Her medium sized teddy bear that smells like lavender heats up. It’s pretty distinct but I’ll bring it down for you and put it on the counter in case she needs it. If she does, put it in the microwave for ninety seconds and hand it to her.” Tzuyu explained. “Alright, that should be everything. I need to go wake her up and then get going.” “Of course.” Nayeon nodded. “Can I come with you? She’s always really cute when she first wakes up.”

“Sure. Though she will probably be a little grumpy, she always is after just waking up.” Tzuy u agreed, starting to make her way to Nico’s room.

“Oh I know, I’ve watched her overnight before. She is always grumpy until she has some juice or Jeongyeon tickles her.” 

“Oh yeah, I know. She’s normally a little angel but just after waking up she can be quite grumpy. Saki is the same way. Sana says they got it from me but I’m not like that. I’m a morning person.” Tzuyu explained, stopping at Nico’s door.

“You keep telling yourself that.” Nayeon giggled.

“What? I’m fine in the morning.” Tzuyu rolled her eyes. “You're always so tired in the morning, getting you out of bed is hard.” “Jeongyeon knows how to.” Nayeon shrugged. “Ew.” Tzuyu faked disgust. “Shut up and go wake up your daughter.” Nayeon playfully poked Tzuyu’s shoulder. Tzuyu opened the door to Nico’s room, finding the three year old still fast asleep. She gently crossed the room and approached Nico. She smiled at the adorable look on her youngest daughter’s face as she slept. It had been so long since they had had a toddler around, and she forgot how absolutely precious they were. “Nico? Baby it’s time to wake up.” Tzuyu announced, gently shaking her daughter’s shoulder.

“Mm…” Nico whined, rolling away from Tzuyu. “Nope come on Nico. Mama has to go to the airport and she wants to say bye bye.” Tzuyu told Nico. Nico’s eyes opened at that, looking at Tzuyu sleepily. 

“Mama go?” “Yeah. Mama has to go to her work.” Tzuyu nodded. “Auntie Nayeon is here.” She pointed to Nayeon, who was still standing by the doorway to the room. “And Auntie Jihyo will be over later with Hina for a playdate.”

“Playdate?” Nico seemed intrigued by that. “Yup. But you have to get out of bed first.” Nico nodded, sitting up and rubbing one eye. “Good. Ka-san will be home after bedtime, and Mama will be home in a few days.” “Mommy?” “Mommy is still going to be far away until next week.” That answer seemed to make Nico sad but she nodded. Tzuyu glanced at her watch and internally cursed at the time. “Does your tummy still hurt?” “No.” Nico pouted, stretching a little. “That’s good. Shoot, Mama needs to get going.” Nico beat Tzuyu to a kiss, kissing her mama’s cheek. Tzuyu smiled at that and kissed Nico’s forehead in response. “I love your baby.” “Love you too mama.” Nico nodded.

“Can you get her changed?” Tzuyu turned to Nayeon, who nodded.

“Of course, don’t worry about it. Have fun on your trip.” Tzuyu gave Nayeon one more short hug as a thank you on the way out of Nico’s room. “Thank you. Be good Nico. I love you.” Tzuyu waved as she left. Nayeon approached Nico once she was gone, sitting on the corner of the bed and smoothing her niece’s messy hair with one hand. “Why don’t we get you dressed and ready for your playdate with Hina-chan?” Nayeon offered, earning her a huge smile in response.

xx 

Both Jihyo and Nayeon had noticed something off with Nico. She was still playing with Hina like she usually did, but she just seemed a little, off. And it only got worse the closer they got to dinner. Nayeon heated up the food Mina had made for Nico and she didn’t miss the tiny look of disappointment on Nico’s face when she saw what she was eating. She still ate it without complaint though. During dinner, Nico clammed up. Hina did most of the taking with the adult and Nico slowly ate her dinner. After dinner they put a movie on for the little ones. Nico cuddles with Jihyo while Hina lays on Nayeon’s lap. It all goes well, for a bit.

Halfway through the movie Nico hopped off Jihyo’s lap and ran to the bathroom, ignoring the questions of if she had to go potty. Jihyo chased after her and found her niece on the floor of the guest bathroom, a pile of vomit next to her and tears on her cheeks. “Oh hey Nico, hey Nico it’s okay.” Jihyo was never the biggest fan of vomit, but she had raised three kids. She had seen it before and knew how to deal with it. Nico just started crying more at the reassurance. Jihyo sighed and inspected Nico, making sure none of her throw up got on her clothes. Once she realized she was good she picked her niece up. “Was it your tummy?” Jihyo asked. “Does it feel yucky?” Nico nodded no in response, crying harder. Jihyo wasn’t entirely sure why dinner had upset Nico’s stomach so much. “Do you feel bad?” Jihyo began searching for any reason as to why Nico’s stomach would hurt. She felt her forehead and found she was fine, albeit a little pale.

She had been a little impressed when Nico had eaten most of her dinner. She distinctly remembered Nico disliking anything with tofu in it, but Nayeon had said she had gotten over her pickiness a bit. She had been impressed, and happy Nico was eating more foods. She had never really heard of a child just getting over their pickiness like that, but it was good. Nico needed to branch her tastes out. While thinking of reasons, it crossed her mind that food could have been what set Nico off. “Hey Nico… Was it the food? Did it make you feel icky?” Nico started crying even more. “Hey, it’s okay. Was it the food?” Nico nodded yes, cuddling into Jihyo. “It was so icky.” Nico sobbed. “Made me feel bad.” “Bad?” Jihyo asked. “If you don’t like it why didn’t you tell Ka-san?” 

“Don’t want to be picky. It’s hard for my mommies. I heard them say so. I want to be a big girl and eat all the foods they eat. But they are so icky.” Nico conutined sobbing. “They make me feel all weird.” “Oh Nico… Hey it’s okay to be picky, especially if food makes you feel this yucky.Your mommies think so too. Food is supposed to be yummy, not yucky.” Jihyo swayed Nico in her arms. “Hey baby, you're okay.” Jihyo swayed Nico some more until she calmed down. Jihyo sighed once she did. “Okay. I’m going to clean this up. Why don’t you go get Auntie Nayeon and have her brush your teeth so the icky taste can be gone okay?” Nico nodded, sniffling as Jihyo put her down. 

Once she was gone, Jihyo was sure to text all of Nico’s moms. She was aware Nico just didn’t like some foods, but she never realized they would elicit such a response from her. It hurt her just to see it. Even if Sana, Mina,a dn Tzuyu were really busy this was a problem they had to deal with. And all Jihyo could really do to help was tell them.

#twice #misatzu #minatozaki sana #myoui mina #chou tzuyu #park jihyo #im nayeon #2yeon #nico

[sevensav--d-archived]

50 Headcanons Challenge

Favorite food is raw cucumbers.

As a little kid her school had a little orchestra music group and she was in it, and she played the drums.  She has a really good sense of rhythm.

Her favorite insect is the humble firefly but she also likes purple emperor butterflies, yellow potato beetles, and bell crickets.

She secretly assigns a bug to any person she gets to know.  This is a list that I have somewhere if anyone wants it.

Grew up in a very small village called Bimisari which is a few miles from the ocean, but it sits on a massive lake and has many ponds and swamps.

Nomiko’s green hair was black and fluffy until her quirk manifested.  Now it has the green color and a texture similar to pine needles.

Her best subject in school is probably science.  She has a pretty good memory so she’s able to remember elements and formulas and things like that.

She’s never had a pet, but cats used to hang out around her family’s bait shop and she named all of them and would secretly five them fish.

Nomiko cannot swim.  It not only effectively turns off her quirk, but if the water is cold, it makes her feel sick and heavy and tired.  This is a shame, because she loves going out on boats to  fish.

Nomiko has a sort of earthy smell that follows her and doesn’t go away.  No matter how much she bathes or washes her hair it doesn’t go away.  

On that note she can’t shower as often as most people.  She sort of spot cleans herself, but she can’t fully soak herself that often, because it takes so long for her to dry off and it makes her feel yucky.

Nomiko loves sugary beverages, the sweeter the better!

She’d probably say that Itoshi and Fukumi are her best friends.  She’s never been able to quantify that sort of relationship before meeting them.

Nomiko can and will eat just about anything without much complaint.  She will even eat spoiled food, much to the horror of people around her.

Her room is sparsely furnished.  It features some curtains that Itoshi made her and some string lights Fukumi gave to her.

As far as clothes go, she only has about 6 shirts, two pairs of jeans, two pairs of overalls, and three pairs of shorts.  And probably two pairs of shoes.  She just?? Doesn’t care about how she looks and she just doesn’t have a lot of clothes.

Her favorite kind of weather is very warm, and humid.

She keeps her room pretty humid.  She has two humidifiers that are usually going.

When she gets really excited, she chirps like a cricket!

She doesn’t smile with her teeth very much, because she is self conscious about not having the best teeth.

She has been known to put caffeine shots into her beverages, or mix energy drinks into other things.

Nomiko has always wanted siblings so she could have had someone to spend time with as a kid.  As she’s gotten older she’s glad she didn’t have any.  It could have made things so much worse.

She is surprisingly flexible.

She can use her quirk to fly around.  She has to be at least 50% swarmed to go airborne.

Her clothing cannot be swarmed with her, so her hero costume has a similar composition to Mirio’s in that it’s made with her own dna in mind.  

Related to the previous HC, Nomiko often will remain mostly in swarm after class until she can get somewhere where she can get her clothes back on.

Nomiko’s birthday is March 20th.

Nomiko is currently around 4′8/4′9, and she will never be taller than five feet tall.  She might level out at 4′10.  Maybe.

She doesn’t really take insults about her height or even her appearance all that hard.  If you call her a pest, however, she will take your teeth out.

As a kid Nomiko was made fun of for being poor and being dirty all the time.  Rather than proving people wrong, she just ended up leaning into it.

She is capable of bringing new bugs into her swarm if she can either learn enough about them, or if she physically gets her hands on one. 

Nomiko often makes fireflies appear around her when she’s in the dark.

If you spray her with bug spray, she may have a severe allergic reaction.  Too much could literally kill her though.

She gets a little bothered when people swat bugs or crushes them.  It makes her feel kind of sick to see

She’ll do a lot of crazy shit for a dollar..

Up until being at UA, she’d never really been to a doctor before?  Like when she first got there and got something like a physical done she has no recorded medical history before the age of 15 apart from her birth certificate.

Cigarette smoke makes her feel physically ill.

The little moths that flit around her head are often colored in ways to shoe her emotions.  Bright white ones are fear, light gray are neutral, yellow is happy, green means sick, and blue is sad.  Wasps and bees show up for anger.

Nomiko used to spend hours in the ponds and lakes in her village hunting leeches for her dad’s bait shop.

Nomiko cant enjoy really cold foods or drinks, she’s very sensitive to the cold.  Her favorite way to eat ice cream is with hot fudge.

In her room the only bed stuff she has is one pillow, a fitted sheet, one blanket, and a quilt Itoshi made her for Christmas.

Nomiko has insomnia but she manages it pretty well because even if she isn’t asleep she is very good at just laying still with her eyes closed.  Is that sad?

Nomiko can catch fish without a pole.  She can catch them with her bare hands, or just by holding a fishing line in water.

She has a song that she sings to herself when she’s sad or scared.  The song is “I Walk The Line” by Johnny Cash, but the thing is she does not know the words.  She doesn’t even really know how she knows it.

As an adult, Nomiko works with the commission as little as possible.  She’s legally allowed to practice as a hero but she does not answer to them.  She also refuses to talk to press. (She REALLY leaned into being like Aizawa.)

Nomiko collects loose change in a big jar that she keeps under her bed.  She’s usually looking at the ground when she’s out in the world so as a result she finds a lot of opportunities to find change.

Nomiko is always available to remove bugs from dorm rooms or shared spaces.  She gets it, not everyone loves bugs. However it pisses her off to be pulled from bed at 2 am because there’s a spider in the bathroom.

Discovered her hive mind ability after a frog ate one of her bugs when she was nine and the frog followed her all the way home.

Doesn’t really get scared at horror movies.  They got built up for her since she never saw them as a kid but she was pretty un-spooked. 

 She thinks green tea anything... is very yucky.  It tastes like grass.

#**The Swarming Hero #bnharpchub

[solynaceawrites]

Promise Me Forever [2]

Fandom: Devil May Cry Characters: Dante, Lirael Thorne (OC) Tags: Slow Burn, Romance, Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe, First Time, Friends to Lovers Chapters: 2/14 co-written by @lickitysplitfic​ Summary: An old, long-forgotten promise between gods comes back to haunt Dante when it deposits an unfamiliar woman on his door. Claiming to be the descendant of Ler, she says that they’re meant to fulfill the oath made by Sparda centuries ago, and all he can do is watch as she turns his life upside down. Yet when her parents come knocking, demanding the oath be fulfilled, he’s forced to choose: return to the bachelor ways he loved so much, or give in to the emotions brewing between him.

Welcome to part two of Promise Me Forever! I missed the upload date yesterday (damn you for being so fun, Spyro . . .), so I hope you’ll pardon my being late. As always, we hope you enjoy, and please don’t hesitate to let us know if you do, whether through comments, kudos, or sending us a private message!

»»————-　⚜　————-««

The sun is down and the streetlights are on when Dante walks into the Devil May Cry, nearly colliding with Lir who is just on the other side of the door. "Stop doing that!" he shouts, reaching out on reflex to grab her elbow to keep her from falling.

"You're back!" she cries, looking up at him in surprise.

"Yeah," he sighs. He frowns at her flushed face and the trash bag in her hand. "What are you doing?"

"Cleaning." She heaves the trash bag up, almost as big as she is, and pushes it at him. "Take this out, would you?"

Dante holds up his hands. "Woah, wait, what are you doing? Didn't I tell you not to touch my stuff?"

Lir glares at him, giving him a look that would be intimidating if she wasn't a head shorter than him. "I'm not touching your stuff," she snaps. "I'm cleaning your mess. Did you know you even had towels?"

He frowns and looks around. The lights are on, and the shop looks . . . different. The floors are sparkling, the piles of containers and papers on his desk are gone, the boots and clothing items in piles have been removed, and there is a scent of clean in the air. "You what?"

"I cleaned. The kitchen and the office and that thing you called a bathroom." Lir holds up the trash bag again. "Now take this outside."

Momentarily at a loss for words—a rarity for him, to be certain—he takes it from her and turns around, carting it easily to the cans in front of the building. Not only is each one full of things he's been neglecting to throw away, but it's all been sorted, as well, the recycling tucked neatly into its respective bins, glass separated from paper, which has been separated from plastic. Not sure what to make of it, Dante drops the new addition into the least full can and heads back into the shop.

He finds Lir sitting on the floor, her knees tucked beneath her as she works on scrubbing the baseboards, and he pauses to take her in. She's cute, hell, she's gorgeous, but she's also young. There's now way she's any older than twenty, maybe twenty-five if he's being generous, and he scratches the stubble on his cheek with a sigh as she leans over, her skirt clinging to her backside. I was trained in the arts of pleasure.

Pleasure. Right.

"There a reason you did all of this?" Dante asks. She looks at him, and he's struck, like he was the first time he saw her, by the bright amber of her eyes, not unlike the whiskey sitting in polished bottles on the shelves. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful. Just seems like you could have found something else to do."

Lir huffs, not quite a laugh, as she wipes her forearm on her brow. "Do what? I wasn't cooking in that kitchen. No way I was using that bathroom." Dante rolls his eyes as she gestures towards the steps. "I didn't get much done upstairs yet, but I did put all the bedding in the washing machine. Should be done soon."

"I have a washing machine?" She frowns at him until she realizes he is kidding, and Dante smirks when she makes a face.

"Very funny." She drops her sponge into a bucket, standing and stretching her back. "Are you hungry?"

"Uh, I guess?" Dante shrugs and stashes his guitar case, pausing to rub his fingers along the polished wood of his desk. "I was going to order a pizza."

Lir laughs behind him. "You can't eat that junk. Come on, I've made you something."

Curious, Dante follows her into the kitchen, his mouth dropping open when he enters. It is sparkling, the counters and floors and sink shining, the table washed, the stove cleaned of its stains. There is an amazing smell coming from the oven, and it is almost enough to distract him from watching as Lir bends over to open the oven door. He tilts his head to admire her backside as she reaches in, quickly straightening when she places something on the top and turns around. "Sit down," she smiles sweetly.

He complies, but watches her carefully. "It's not poison, is it?" he asks.

"No," Lir laughs.

He watches in surprise as she moves around, pulling a knife from one drawer, a spatula from another, a plate from a cabinet overhead. "I have oven mitts?" Dante says in surprise, and Lir chuckles as she places a plate in front of him.

"There you are," she says, her voice sweet. Dante looks at her in shock, then back down at the plate, where a huge piece of lasagna sits, steaming hot and covered in perfectly golden layers of cheese. "Much better than a yucky old pizza, isn't it?"

He swallows, his mouth suddenly watering as his stomach growls, still too astonished to argue her pizza comments. Lir hands him silverware and moves to get her own plate. She returns to the table and sits across from him, a smaller piece on her own plate, and she gestures to him as she lays a napkin on her lap. "Go on," she laughs. "Try it."

She doesn't have to tell him twice. Trying to have some semblance of table manners, he uses the knife to cut a bite-sized portion of the lasagna and plops it in his mouth, uncaring of how it singes his tongue. It tastes absolutely divine, the sauce rich, the cheese melted to a cream, the meat cooked to perfection, the noodles firm, and he quickly swallows the first bite and dives in for another. Across from him, Lir smiles as she starts on her own, and he watches her take dainty, measured bites.

"Gotta tell you," Dante says, taking a swig of the beer she'd placed at his elbow, "you're a better cook than I gave you credit for."

She perks up at that, and it almost hurts him how much such a simple bit of praise from him means to her. "I'm glad you're enjoying it," she replies, the faint lilt to her voice soft and sweet. "I wasn't entirely certain what to make for you, but I thought that this was similar enough to pizza that you might find it to your tastes."

He stuffs another huge forkful in his mouth, nodding as he swallows. "It's great. Really." Lir smiles and ducks her face, taking her own much smaller bite.

She sighs as she chews, reaching for a glass of water as he eats. "I'm surprised I had all the ingredients," he remarks. "I had no idea I had lasagna noodles!"

"Oh, I made them," she says as she blows on another bite.

Dante nearly chokes. "You made lasagna noodles? From scratch?"

Lir shrugs. "It's just some flour and eggs." She meets his gaze, chuckling behind her hand. "What, is it hard?"

His surprise turns to suspicion again. "Where did you learn to do all this?"

"I told you, I was raised and trained to marry the son of Sparda." Dante winces, hearing it said out loud again making him feel ridiculous. "Besides, every adult on the planet knows how to cook and clean," she says quickly. "Except you, perhaps."

He considers that, and her. It's hard to picture her as either a thief or an assassin; she's damn near tiny, especially next to him, and she'd been upfront about knowing magic, which wouldn't be the smartest move to make if she meant him harm. And her hands are smooth, free of calluses or any other sign that she's ever held a weapon. "Never had time to learn, I guess," he replies.

Dante watches the gears churning behind her eyes. Another mark against her in terms of being sent to fight him: her face is an open book, her emotions displayed without any attempt to conceal them. "I see," she says. "Well, I can make other meals for you, if you wish. And if you tell me what sort of things you don't like, I can avoid using them as ingredients."

"Olives."

"Olives?"

"Hate 'em." He takes another drink of beer. "Pizza place I usually order from knows I don't like 'em, so they'll put 'em on whatever I ask for if I owe 'em money. Which is more often than not."

"I see." She stands and takes her empty plate to the sink. "Anything else?"

"I like strawberries," he offers.

Lir smiles over at him. "So do I."

The sweetness makes him almost uncomfortable, and he finishes his meal in silence as he watches her. Lir seems very much at home in his kitchen, washing the plate and utensils, finding some tinfoil to cover the leftovers before sliding the pan into the refrigerator, then running some water and soap in the sink to wipe down the stove. He doesn't ever remember anyone acting like this—even his adoptive mother never was so domestic, as they were on the move all the time—and he can't really remember much about Eva than a few specific memories. And the women in his life now, Lady and Trish specifically, wouldn't clean his kitchen for a million dollars. He makes a mental note to ask Nero if Kyrie is like this, betting she might be.

It's . . . nice, he decides.

"All done?" she asks, moving to take his plate.

"I'll do it," Dante insists, standing and sliding around her to take the plate to the sink. Quickly he washes it up and deposits it into the dish rack as Lir wipes the table behind him.

When he is done, she is gone, and he finds her in the laundry room off the side of the kitchen, pulling sheets out of the dryer. "Need any help?" he asks from the doorway.

"It's alright." She gives him one of those smiles again, like she's happy just to be around him, and he doesn't know what to make of it. "Why don't you take a shower? There are fresh towels in the bathroom, and I found some shampoos tucked under the vanity."

Lir's expression is bright, but there is something that sits uneasy, so he decides on a little experiment. Leaning one arm up on the doorway, he grins and says, "Want to join me?"

The shock on her face is almost worth it, as is the red that stains her cheeks. "I, uh . . . we aren't married yet," she stammers.

"Did they not teach you how to shower in your pleasure class?" he teases.

She shoots him a look, and he sees a bit of the fire from earlier. "No," she answers sharply. "I was taught how to behave properly."

Dante snorts. Lir tries to step around him, but he does not budge, giving her a sultry look. "You're here to please me, right? Isn't that what you said?"

"Yes, but—"

"You made me dinner. Cleaned my place. I'd love to take you upstairs," he says, low and teasing.

Lir looks almost startled. "Are you being serious?" she hisses.

Dante shrugs. "I mean, like you said, we're not married, and yet you're doing all the other stuff."

"I thought if I showed you—" 

She cuts herself off, and Dante raises his brows. "Go ahead," he taunts her. "Finish your thought."

Her shoulders slump. "I thought if I showed you that I could do those things, you'd want to keep me. And I . . . The cooking lessons weren't exactly pleasant, but I enjoyed making that for you."

"I see. Thought you could get one over on me, hm?" Lir's eyes go wide as she shakes her head, but Dante pushes, "Thought if you cooked me something, swept up a bit, swing your ass in my direction that I'd just fall head over heels for you?"

Her jaw tenses, and any guilt he feels for the accusation is canceled by the satisfaction of seeing it hit its mark. "That's it, hm? Thought your pretty smile and some homemade cooking would do the trick? Well guess what, honey. This son of Sparda is smarter than he looks. And I still don't trust you."

"I just wanted to show you that I could be useful," she argues. He cocks a patronizing brow, smiling thinly as he waits for whatever justification she's going to come up with. "I thought if you . . . if you saw that I could help you somehow it would make up for . . . whatever it is about my appearance that you don't like."

Okay, that . . . felt weird. Bad weird, like a punch in his gut that left a puddle of slime in its wake. "It's, uh . . . not your looks, sweetheart," he says. "I just don't like strangers. Strangers are usually trouble."

Lir bows her head. "Women, too," he says. "Not a fan."

There is a pause, and then he watches her brows twitch, then rise almost to her hairline before she looks up at him with a gasp. "Oh! Oh! Is that . . . oh my goodness, I never even considered that!"

She covers her laugh with a hand as Dante frowns. "What?"

"You prefer men. Is that it?" Lir grins at him brightly as she nods. "No wonder you don't want to marry me! It all makes sense now!"

"What? What?" How did this happen, he wonders, watching her eyes light up with mirth. He had wanted to catch her off guard, to figure out what she's actually after, if it's something as simple as whatever promise his father made or more nefarious, and now he's left gaping at her, struggling for words again. "No. No! That's not . . . Where the hell did you come up with that?"

His surprise makes him sound angry, and Dante watches as the laughter on her face dies as quickly as it came, that odd sensation of doing something wrong back in his chest. "You said you aren't a fan of women," Lir says hesitantly.

"The only two I know are hunters," he replies, "and neither of them ever visit me with good news."

"Oh."

He scrambles for something. "Cindy is nice." The words are awful and, he realizes belatedly, the wrong thing to say when she takes a step back. "She's a gal who works at the ice cream counter. But she's pretty ignorant of the stuff I do."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. And Patty. You'll see her around here eventually, not a week goes by without that girl showing up here wanting something."

Her eyes are like saucers and Dante realizes how all this sounds. "Just friends!" he cries, putting up his hands. "But I'm not gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But I like ladies. And ladies like me. Just . . . not those ladies."

Lir frowns. "You don't like them or they don't like you?"

"They're . . ." What should he say? Calling Lady and Trish his friends feels too intimate; they all get along, sure, but they don't visit socially, Trish is often gone for months at a time working her own jobs, and Lady only really shows up to give him a job or collect money. "Business partners," he mumbles.

"All of them?"

"Nah. Well, Patty will tell you she is, but what she means is she likes to show up and redecorate my office and bug me about whatever soap opera she's watching." Dante scratches the back of his head. "Look, it's like this: I don't have a clue about this promise my old man is supposed to have made. I don't know you and, quite frankly, you don't know me. And . . ." His mind flickers dimly back to his mother. "Well, having a spouse in my line work is just asking for trouble. It's got nothing to do with your looks or you bein' useful. It's just not a good idea."

"Oh." Lir's eyes fall, as if thinking, and Dante rubs the back of his neck. "I guess I never thought of it like that. I had assumed you would know, it never occurred to me you wouldn't." She breathes a deep sigh and then shrugs. "I'll stay the night, if that's okay. Then tomorrow I'll figure out what to do."

"Yeah, yeah of course." He stands aside as she carries the linens out of the laundry room, trailing after her as she heads for the steps. "Let me get those," Dante insists, grabbing the pile she can barely see over as she climbs up the first one.

"I can do it fine," Lir protests, but he easily scoops them away. She bristles a bit but finally turns and heads upstairs, and Dante follows, trying hard not to stare at her backside and failing miserably.

»»————-　⚜　————-««

Dante doesn't sleep well that night. He rarely does, but he finds himself straining to hear through the walls, wondering what his guest is doing to occupy herself, feeling something akin to guilt every time the hurt look on her face when she said she only wanted to be useful flashes in his thoughts. Those people couldn't have sent him a bitch, could they? Someone he could tear apart without remorse, someone with a body that didn't make his mouth water every time he caught a tease of it beneath their clothes?

Because that's the crux of it. Maybe Lir is untrustworthy, maybe she's lying to him, but he damn near likes her. She's clever, and pretty, and a good cook, and lord only knows how long it's been since his shop looked so clean. He covers his face with his hands, groaning. Would it really be so bad to keep her around?

Yes, because if she got killed, he'd never forgive himself.

Dawn comes with no rest in sight for him. He listens to Lir moving around next door before she heads downstairs, and he stares at the ceiling until the scents of coffee and bacon draw him out of his bed. Shrugging into a pair of sweatpants and deciding to forego a shirt, he follows her, and finds her in the kitchen, humming a little tune as she plates a mountain of scrambled eggs.

A wave of nostalgia washes over him—which is weird, because this is the first morning he's woken up to a woman in his shop, let alone one making him breakfast. The dress she wore yesterday has been traded in for a pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt, and Dante swallows, admiring how good she looks in normal clothes. There is something that tugs at his heart, too, the smell of the eggs reminding him of his childhood, the little hum making him embarrassed by how much he actually likes it.

"Good morning!" she says brightly, turning and carrying plates to the table. "Did you sleep well?"

He walks to the coffee machine and pours himself a cup of black. "Are you a morning person?" he asks, trying to sound gruff.

"Have to be where I come from." Dante frowns as he blows on the mug, carrying the sugar bowl to the table before settling on a chair. He wonders what exactly that means as she finishes plating the bacon and popping toast from the toaster, then takes the seat across from him.

"How about you?" he asks.

"Hm?" Lir glances up as she begins buttering a slice of toast.

"You sleep okay?"

She smiles to herself as he helps himself to food. "Yes and no. I was tired from the cleaning but sleeping in a city is . . . different. Odd to have so many lights and noises outside my window."

"It's quiet where you live?" He watches her closely, looking for any signs of deception.

But there are none. She tilts her head, taking a bite of her toast and chewing it thoughtfully, and he's struck by the utterly ridiculous urge to tuck the strands of hair at her cheek behind her ear. "I suppose. My home is . . . was on the coast, near the mountains. So there were noises, like rain and the ocean and wildlife, but the city is much louder, more . . . chaotic?"

"Was."

"Hm?"

"You said," he muses, "that your home was on the coast."

Her smile falters. "Well, yes. I told you yesterday that I cannot return there. When I was sent here, it was permanent. Even if you had . . . if we had been married, I wouldn't have been allowed back. Because we're not, I couldn't go home, even if I wanted to. So, was."

"They just chucked you out like that?" he asks.

Lir stiffens for a moment, but then her smile returns as she stands. "Want more coffee?" she asks, breezing back towards the sink and turning on the water to rinse the pan on the stove.

"No, I—"

"After I clean up here I'll head out," she says over him, her voice tight but still dripping in sweetness. "I have a bit of money, so I'll stay at a hotel so I won't be in your hair. I can start looking for a job or something this afternoon."

He rubs his face harshly, cursing under his breath. It's not her fault that she's here, and he doubts she knows anything about surviving outside of whatever compound raised her to be a broodmare for him. "Look," he says, sharper than he intends, "just stay here until Lady calls. Then we'll figure out what to do."

She hesitates before turning off the water. "That's very kind of you."

"Yeah. Well." Not sure what to say, he drains his mug, and Lir is right there with the coffee pot to refill it. He watches her move around the kitchen before going back to his meal, munching thoughtfully. "Won't be all bad, I guess," he says to himself.

After breakfast, Dante starts to wonder. Usually he's not up this early, and the rest of the morning stretches on without much to do. Typically he'd spend the first hour or so of his day in the bathroom, then scavenge around for leftovers before settling in for his afternoon nap. But Lir wanders the shop, hands behind her back as she examines each of his weapons on the wall, making him feel uncomfortable as he sits at his desk and watches her.

She pauses in front of a set of twin scimitars, leaning in to peer curiously at the heads etched into the pommels. "Where do these things come from?" she asks, not turning around, and he frowns.

"Devils," he answers. Lir goes very still, making him laugh. "Relax, they're harmless now. Sometimes, when there's a particularly strong demon, they'll lend me their strength as a weapon I can use. Those two," he stands and makes his way over to her, placing his hand against the small of her back, "are Agni and Rudra. I got them decades ago. Handy guys, if a bit chatty sometimes."

"Is that what you were doing last night?" she asks, leaning in closer to look at the swords. "Fighting devils?"

"No, I, uh . . ." Embarrassed, he clears his throat. "I went to see someone."

"Well, we know it wasn't a girl," one of the swords says, and Lir jumps in surprise, backing up into him.

"Unless he was paying!" the other laughs.

Lir spins on him, her mouth dropped open. "They talked!"

"I told you." To the twins, he mutters, "Zip it."

"But we have a guest!" Agni cries.

"Yes, a guest," Rudra agrees. "We must entertain her."

"How should we do that?"

"Well, we could—"

"I said zip it!" Dante barks. Thankfully they fall silent, though there's an air of reproach, and he returns his attention to Lir. "Like I said, they get chatty. You okay?"

She laughs as she nods. "Yes. It was just a surprise."

Dante snorts, but then he realizes his hand is still on her back and quickly snatches it away. "You can, uh, put the TV on if you want. Or use the computer? Patty set one up a while ago, over there," he says, nodding to where the couch and coffee table are, making a little sitting area. 

Lir nods. "Okay. I don't want to bother you while you're working though."

There is a round of laughter from the two swords on the wall, and Dante growls until they stop abruptly. "No trouble at all," he says through his teeth.

#dmc #devil may cry #dante sparda #lirael thorne #lir #dante/lir #dante/oc #dmc oc #fanfiction #writing #story #myfic #collab #promise me forever #pmf #enjoy!!

[anotherkpopvictim]

Cherished Moments - JiKook Littlespace Drabble

(Picture Source)

“Anonymous asked: Hello! Since there are few fics where Jimin is the caregiver and jungkook is the little, I'd like to request one with such dynamics, if it's possible! I don't have many other preferences to be honest... just for it to be fluffy. You could either write about their everyday life or you could describe the moment where they try to figure their relationship out, if it helps. Thank you very much for taking requests! I hope this isn't too bothersome. Have a nice day!”

A/N: Thank you so much for requesting this! I hope you like what I’ve come up with :) I added some extra OT7 softness because I couldn’t help myself.

Also, this is a Christmas themed drabble, so I hope that’s okay. I personally celebrate Christmas as a time of year to spend time with my family and maybe give gifts to the people I love, so that’s how I portrayed the holiday here <3

Pairing: Little!Jungkook X Caregiver!Jimin

Rating: G

Words: 2674

Fluff

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“Kookie! Get back here!”

Jungkook tried to contain his giggles as he hid behind the couch in the living room. He was stark naked, having run away as soon as he was helped out of the bath and dried off.

The little heard Jimin’s sigh as the older entered the living room, “Jeon Jungkook, you little bugger, you need to get dressed!”

Though the younger had been attempted to muffle his snickers, they were easily heard with the sharp hearing Jimin had. The older bit back a fond smile and walked over to the couch, where he peeked over the top to see the little cowering behind it.

“Found you,” he sang, his coo voice contrasting with the glint in his eyes.

Jungkook’s own eyes widened and he tried to scoot away but the older was too fast. Jimin had grabbed him and was already carrying him down the hall towards his bedroom before he could register what was happening. His Daddy chuckled mock maniacally.

They passed by a stunned-looking Yoongi who mumbled something about not wanting to know why Jungkook was naked in Jimin’s arms and continued on his way to the kitchen.

“Kookie don’t want clothes!” the younger whined with a cute pout on his face.

“No?” his Daddy asked, “Why’s that, love?”

“Kookie like no clothes! Kookie feels free!”

“Mhm,” Jimin hummed as he laid the younger on the bed, “But little boy’s like you need to wear clothes so you don’t get sick. You don’t want to feel yucky, do you?”

Jungkook frowned as he remembered how awful it had been the last time he’d had a cold. “No, Kookie don’t like feeling yucky.”

Jimin bopped his nose with a smile, “Then you need to get dressed.”

The little let out an overdramatic sigh, “Fine.”

His Daddy shook his head with a chuckle and moved to grab the pajamas he’d set out on the desk earlier. The pajamas were a light blue color and had little rockets on them. They were one of Jungkook’s favorite sets.

Thankfully for the older, Jungkook complied easily with moving his limbs around as Jimin slipped the soft fabric onto his body. Once they were finished, Jimin gave him a kiss on the forehead.

“Alright, now,” he said, “Time for bed.”

Jungkook didn’t fight him this time, mostly because he was worn out from running away from his daddy. The little crawled over to the top of the bed so he could cuddle underneath the covers.

Jimin brought over Jungkook’s favorite lion plushie, Allen, and handed it to the little, who quickly cuddled it into his chest. Then, the older began tucking the blankets around Jungkook.

“Daddy?”

“Hmm?”

“Can Daddy sing Kookie a song, please?” the little looked up at the older with big, round doe eyes that he knew his daddy couldn’t say no to.

Jimin rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what the younger was doing, but smiled and nodded. “Okay, what song do you want to hear, bub?”

Jungkook pouted out his lower lip as he thought, “Mm...ooh! Can Daddy sing a Christmas song? ‘C-Cause it’s almost Christmas!”

Jimin couldn’t help but grin at the way the little was cutely wiggling around in excitement. “Sure, baby.”

Jungkook smiled and nuzzled into Allen and looked up at his daddy expectantly.

“Have yourself a merry little Christmas Let your heart be light From now on your troubles will be out of sight”

Jimin ran his small hands through Jungkook’s dark locks as he sang quietly. He’d purposefully chosen a tune that was softer and would put the younger to sleep.

It seemed to be working, as Jungkook’s eyes quickly fluttered shut and he fell asleep to the gentle sound of his daddy’s beautiful voice.

---------------------------------------------------

“Hyung!” Jungkook whined. Though he wasn’t in littlespace at that moment, he sure sounded like a child. “You’re not even helping!”

Yoongi looked up from the display of Christmas ornaments to cock an eyebrow at the younger. “You’re the one that asked me out here to help you find a present for Jimin. I’m not that great at shopping, you should know that after all these years.”

Jungkook pouted, though the older probably couldn’t see it under his face mask. “But you always have the best ideas for presents and I want to get Jimin something really, really special.”

“Well, thank you, I do have some great ideas, don’t I?” Yoongi’s eyes crinkled with his smile. “But why does this year’s present have to be so special, Kook? You guys have been together for three years, so it’s not like it’s your first Christmas together.”

The maknae blushed and hoped that his mask hid it from sight. “I don’t know,” he replied with a shrug, “I guess...this is the year that you guys all found out about me being a little and...Jimin still loves me despite it, you know? I was really worried he’d hate me after he found out.”

Yoongi patted him on the shoulder and looked at him knowingly, “We could never hate you, Kook, least of all Jimin. You can do no wrong in his eyes.”

Now Jungkook was blushing for a whole other reason. “I just wanted to get him something that really said ‘thank you’, you know?”

The rapper hummed in understanding, “Well if you want my opinion, you should find something that means a lot to him. Jimin’s a sentimental person, yeah? So if you really wanted to say ‘thank you’ I think the best present would be something that required a lot of thought.”

Jungkook nodded in agreement, biting his lip in thought. “I’m not good at that kind of thing, though.”

It was silent for a moment between them as they brainstormed, the noise of the mall far in the back of their minds.

“How about...something that you two both share that’s just yours?” Yoongi inquired, his thumb and forefinger rubbing his chin as he thought hard as well.

Jungkook hummed as he considered it.

Something they both shared? Something that was theirs?

An idea suddenly popped into the maknae’s head and made his eyes widen. “I think I’ve got it, hyung!” he announced.

Yoongi’s eyebrows raised, “Yeah? That was pretty quick. Well, what is it?”

“First of all, it’s not here,” Jungkook replied, an excited smile spreading on his face.

“Not here at the mall? Okay. We can try another place.”

“No, hyung,” Jungkook explained with a shake of his head and a hand on Yoongi’s arm, “Not here in Seoul.”

Yoongi looked beyond confused by now, “Where then?”

Jungkook simply chuckled, “How do you feel about going on a little trip today, hyung?”

-----------------------------------------------------

The Christmas season this year was a busy time for BTS. They were preparing for their next comeback, not to mention the award shows and special concerts that took place during December they also had to get ready for.

So, they were busy after Jungkook and Yoongi’s spontaneous trip at the beginning of the month, and there wasn’t much time to think about gifts and such. The days went by quickly and before they all knew it, Christmas was upon them.

The day of Christmas started with Taehyung and Hoseok bursting into Jungkook and Jimin’s room and jumping around on the bed singing Christmas songs to wake them up too early in the morning.

Jimin had groaned and shoved his face further into his pillow at the annoyance, but Jungkook, having slipped into littlespace from all the excitement of the day, only giggled at the chaos his hyungs were causing.

“Come on, Jiminie! It’s Christmas!” Hoseok exclaimed, dropping his completely on top of the small dancer and shaking him obnoxiously. “It’s time to get up!”

Jimin made a sound like he was dying.

Taehyung, on the other hand, was peppering kisses all over Jungkook’s face, causing the little to scrunch up his nose and giggle even harder. “Good morning, bunny! Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas!” Jungkook replied, equally as excited as the older even though he’d just woken up.

Hoseok leaned over from where he was still vehemently trying to wake Jimin to pinch Jungkook’s cheeks. “Aigoo! Kook’s so cute this morning.”

“You know, Kookie,” Taehyung began, “I had a peek in the living room a little while ago and I’m pretty sure I saw a mountain of presents with your name on it.”

The maknae’s eyes widened so much that they looked like they might pop out of his head. “R-Really?! Can Kookie go see!?”

“Of course,” the second youngest replied, “You just need to help us wake up your Daddy first, love.”

In a flash, Jungkook was all over his Daddy’s half-asleep form and bouncing happily. “Daddy! Daddy, wake up! Kookie wants presents!”

With a long-suffering sigh, Jimin finally maneuvered around until he could look up at his baby with a tired smile. “Morning to you too, bunny.”

“Oh! Oopsie!” Jungkook exclaimed, “Good morning, Daddy! Now can Kookie go open presents?”

Jimin pretended to contemplate his answer just to see the little squirm a bit more. “Alright, let’s go.”

Jungkook practically dragged his Daddy out of bed, a snickering Taehyung and Hoseok just a few feet behind them.

When they reached the living room, indeed there was a huge pile of presents with large tags on them that confirmed they were mostly for Jungkook. The little squealed at the sight of them and began jumping up and down and clapping his hands together cutely.

Yoongi, who had been half asleep on the couch, startled at the noise. The eldest rapper looked like he was about to murder whoever had dared to wake him up, but when he saw that it was Jungkook, his gaze softened. They all knew that the rapper was an absolute softie when it came to the maknae, whether he was in littlespace or not.

Jin and Namjoon walked into the room from the kitchen, the oldest immediately making his way over to Yoongi and handing him a cup of coffee.

“Good morning, Kookie,” Namjoon greeted, “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Joonie-hyungie!” the maknae replied, “Did Joonie-hyungie see all the presents for Kookie?”

The leader chuckled, “I did. You must have been a really good boy this year, huh?”

Jungkook nodded seriously, “Kookie was the bestest boy ever!”

The rest of Bangtan sighed fondly at the adorable little.

The maknae spent a good hour tearing through the wrapping paper of his gifts and squealing at each new toy he uncovered. He received some new coloring books and markers from Taehyung, a new set of pajamas with an adorable puppy pattern on them from Namjoon, a new set of dishes (Mulan themed, as Mulan was Jungkook’s all-time favorite Disney movie) from Jin, a cute and fluffy dog plushie from Hoseok, and a new toy car from Yoongi.

Jimin handed him the last present for Little Jungkook, and the little thanked him politely before ripping into the box.

Jungkook gasped quietly when he saw the fuzzy, creme colored sweater sitting inside. It was the same sweater that Little Jungkook had pointed out to his Daddy a few weeks prior when they were shopping online and came across it. It was expensive, though, which was why Jungkook didn’t push his Daddy to buy it for him, instead just announcing his liking for it. He never expected for Jimin to actually buy it for him, though.

The little looked up with eyes that were a little shiny. “D-Daddy, you got the pretty sweater!”

Jimin grinned and his eyes did the thing where they nearly disappeared, “Well, you did tell me you liked it, baby. I just had to get it for you.”

“B-But,” Jungkook continued, “But it was really expensive.” He had to sound out the big word, which made all his hyungs coo at him.

His Daddy reached over and tugged at the back of his head until he could give him a proper kiss on the forehead. “Nothing is too expensive for you, bun.”

Jungkook tossed himself into his Daddy’s lap and pressed kisses to his cheeks. “Thank you! Thank you!”

It took a few minutes, but eventually the little was sated with kisses and cuddles and was ready to continue on with the day.

Namjoon and Hoseok were sorting through the rest of the presents and handing them out to the correct recipient.

It was then that Yoongi leaned over from his place on the opposite couch and nudged Jungkook’s shoulder. The little looked up at him expectantly. “Did you want to go get your gift for Jimin, Kook?”

The maknae’s eyes widened with understanding and he quickly hopped out of his Daddy’s lap. The little had zoomed away from the room before any of the others could even blink.

Taehyung and Jin chuckled at the antics and began to clean up the torn wrapping paper and setting the opened gifts aside for the moment.

When the youngest returned to the room, he had a carefully wrapped present in his hands and a nervous blush on his face. “Um, c-can Kookie give Daddy a gift first? Please?”

And well, how were the other members supposed to say no to that?

Seokjin walked over and tapped him under the chin fondly, “Of course you can, baby. Such good manners!”

Jungkook blushed further at the praise. He walked over to Jimin’s spot on the couch and stood in front of him. “Well, t-this is from Jungkook and Kookie,” the maknae explained, “Merry Christmas, Daddy.”

Jimin was a little taken aback by Jungkook’s nervousness and realized that the gift must mean a lot to him. The wide, watching eyes the little had when he handed him the present only confirmed that suspicion even more.

Quickly and carefully, Jimin tore into the wrapping paper and found himself looking at a piece of art.

The photograph had been printed onto a square, one-foot by one-foot canvas.

It was a picture of the beach. Not just any beach, Jimin could easily tell that it was a beach in Busan. Maybe it was just instinct but Jimin just knew.

It was an image of the sand, a mix of pale and tan grains, with the sea lapping at the top portion of the picture. In the sand were rocks of multiple colors and sizes, placed to form a heart. And inside the heart, written in the sand, was Jungkook + Jimin.

“Oh Kookie,” Jimin said breathlessly, eyes locked on the beautiful picture in his hands. “D-Did you take this picture?”

“Yeah,” Jungkook replied, his normal-sounding voice throwing everyone off for a moment. He seemed to have slipped out of littlespace without realizing it. “I wanted to give you something that was us,” the maknae smiled over at Yoongi quickly, “Busan is us. That’s something really important that we both share. I know the picture isn’t much, but I thought we could hang it in the bedroom or-”

“Not much?” Jimin interrupted, “Jungkook, this is amazing. The whole idea is so sweet and the fact that you took the picture yourself makes it mean even more to me.”

“So you like it, hyung?” the maknae asked, still a little nervous.

“I love it, baby,” Jimin corrected, grabbing the younger’s hand and pulling him close enough to press a gentle kiss to his lips. “Thank you so much, Kookie. This means a lot to me. I can’t wait to hang it up in our room. I think it would look perfect right above the bed.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

As the two gave each other eskimo kisses, the other five members stole the canvas so they could have a closer look at the masterpiece.

“This really is beautiful, Kookie,” Taehyung exclaimed, “The picture is awesome.”

Hoseok hummed in agreement, “Our maknae, the photographer.”

Jimin pulled Jungkook fully into his lap and pressed a kiss to the side of his head. “Thank you, love.”

“Thank you, hyung,” Jungkook replied, looking up at him sincerely. “Thank you for being such an amazing caregiver to me.”

Jimin smiled easily, “Thank you for being such an amazing little.”

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A/N: So this is a couple days late but I hope it was worth it. I wanted to make sure it had enough fluff and cuteness before I posted it.

Here’s a link to the site where I found the idea of the canvas picture I kind of based Jungkook’s gift on, though it’s not exact. It’s number 13 on the list: https://christmas.365greetings.com/christmas-gifts/romantic-christmas-gift-ideas.html

Also, I wrote this from a different perspective than I typically do. It’s usually from a very third party perspective, and this time I wrote it a bit more specifically from the little’s. Let me know what you think about that and if you enjoyed the fic!

#bts #bts little space #bts littlespace #bts drabble #bts drabbles #bts fanfic #bts fanfics #bts fanfiction #bts jungkook #bts jimin #jeon jungkook #park jimin #bts jikook #jikook

[kingdomofkitten]

Last Minute and Lasting Memories

¥ 56,930.

¥ 113,860.

¥ 170,790!

¥ 569,299!

¥ 11,385,986!

The hyena simply stood aghast, at all of the prices laid out in front of him. These had to be the wrong price tags, right? All for some nice jewelry? No, they seemed to be correct, much to his horror, and disappointment. In all fairness, perhaps this was merely karma.

Haida, admittedly, was a touch late. It was already Christmas Eve, and he hadn’t gotten anything for Retsuko, or Ikari. He had been so busy and stressed out with work, that he didn’t even have the idea of Christmas gifts dance around in his head until just today. As if a sudden 100 ton piled onto his back, which already had a bunch of anvils on it. But whatever, he was out shopping, might as well get it over with. He went through the mall like a hawk, trying to find good sales. He had to fight to get the latest paycheck, so he wanted to make sure he wasn’t breaking the bank account today. But at the same time...it was for his wife! And his son! He wanted to make it something special. They were special to him, so it made sense. So, something super important and awesome for them, and cheap enough so they can still pay the bills.

WOULD BE WONDERFUL TO FIND ONE OF THOSE, WOULDN’T IT?!

But no! Everything is marked up like it’s an auction! He had to get away, before his sanity was gone. He ran off, and found himself back outside. The snow, and the lights practically blinded him. He was so confused. So petrified. Christmas….wasn’t always the greatest for him. It had been some time since what happened at the hospital, and the stuff that followed that Christmas, but the memory, even with all the wonderful ones that followed, is still burned into his memory. And now it plans to be even worse, with Ikari now here. Ugh, why couldn’t this happen without him?! …..wait, how could he even think that?! Aagh! Haida ran everywhere he could. Toy stores, make-up stores, everywhere...they were all closing down. “No...no, NO! COME ON!” Haida exclaimed, as he saw time running out for him. “No, PLEASE! SOMEBODY! ...anyone?!” At the end, he only saw one shop left.

A secondhand store.

He shuddered. The mere embarrassment. Retsuko, a practical angel in his eyes, who deserves nothing less than ROYALTY...and here he was, buying some junk that was passed down by someone who wanted a quick buck. “Disgusting,” he thought, as he went inside. “You should be ashamed of yourself. You are making a mockery out of her! What kind of man are you?!” But what choice did he have? Just go in, find some moderately nice stuff, and run out. That’s all. Dignity be damned. He wandered the aisles, looking for something to stand out to him. What would a girl like Retsuko like? He’s been with her for years now. Just a few months ago, he married her! And yet, somehow, when it comes to finding a good gift for her, he could never put two and two together, for some reason. He knows her from front to back, but here he was. Whatever. It’s guessing time.

He browsed shelves up and down. It was actually impressive how much stuff you can find in one of these stores. Old video games, clothing, appliances, DVDs, toys...and yet, nothing that could potentially entice a late-20s red panda….actually, wait, he thought, what’s this? He saw, in the jewelry section, a very, VERY pretty necklace. Which, alone, is not that interesting. But he looked closer, and saw...it was a rock necklace. Like, not that it was made of rock, it just had that aesthetic to it. Guitars, amps, skulls, the devil horns gesture, the works. And in it all were some lovely diamonds embedded in them. Somehow, he had a gut feeling. “She’s going to like this.” He grabbed the necklace, noticed it was 11,000 yen. Honestly? Not bad. That will do. He put it in his basket. “Now, to find a toy for Ikari.” What would a 2-year old be into? Probably just a blanket, still, or-

Wait.

Is that, Retsuko?

Certainly looks like her. She’s just browsing the store, looking through the racks upon racks. What was she doing here? Does she know Haida was there? Is it a hallucination, to emphasize how much Haida failed by going to this store? Oh, crap! She turned towards him! He backed away, before she could notice. “Phew! That was a close one,” he thought to himself, as he suddenly eyed something. He walked closer towards what appeared to be a stuffed animal. A dinosaur, to be exact. Obviously this was own by some child at some point, as it appears one of the eyes is missing. Still, there was kind of a charm about it. Haida couldn’t quite explain it, but it appealed to him in some capacity. He wondered about Ikari. Could he like it? “I mean, it’s not like he’ll really notice it’s worn out right now. He’s 2.” Haida thought. So, he grabbed it. Now to pay for the stuff, and get out, before Retsuko notices him.

Walking out of that store felt weird. He accomplished what he set out to do….and yet, it still felt like something was unfinished. Come to think of it, it felt that way for every Christmas, for the past few years now. What was it? It was odd, whatever it was. Being with Retsuko managed to improve Haida’s life in every capacity...except for the alleged most wonderful time of the year. For some bizarre reason, every Christmas so far has been happy, and joyous, yes! But also….empty. Incomplete. What was it? Oh, well. Probably best to head home…..perhaps it was the gifts themselves? Like, they WERE, in the end, last minute gifts. It’s not like he put much thought into getting them. Perhaps that was the problem? ...but wait, last year, he and Retsuko paid to go see some show that evening! It was fun, they had good laughs, a beautiful night! And yet….it still felt off. Whatever it was, it was beginning to bug Haida. What was it?! WHAT?!

*bzzt bzzt*

A text. From Retsuko. He opened it up, to see what she wrote. “Hey, Haida! I was wondering, could you meet me and Ikari up at that soba shop in town? I think you know the one I’m referring to. At least, I HOPE you do. ;)” ...huh. Yeah, he could actually remember which one she was talking about. Why did she want to meet there? Is that where some party is going on? “Hmm….alright, I guess I won’t question it.” He uttered, as he began making his way there.

Through the door, he could see the wife and child, bundled up in adorable little jackets ordering soba. He smiled, although truthfully, he was worried about his gifts to them. Will they like them? Will they hate them? Only one way to find out. He entered, and saw Retsuko turn to him. “Honey!” She exclaimed, with a bright smile on her face. He could only blush at her precious gaze. “H-hey, Retsuko! Hi, Ikari!” “Christ, I’m still like before we ever went out.” He thought to himself, as he continued. “S-so, what’s up? What are we doing here?” She simply giggled. “I just figured it would be a bit of a special place for us. I already ordered you a bowl, just so you know.” Retsuko answered. “Special place? The hell is she talking about?” Not like it mattered, as the bowls were set out, ready to be eaten. Haida scarfed his down rather quickly. Being so frantic to find a good gift meant he effectively starved himself throughout the whole day. “Ah, that hit the spot!” He sighed out in relief, as he turned to see his wife give a tiny bit to Ikari...who promptly squirmed at the mere taste. “Yucky!” The child exclaimed, causing the parents to laugh. “Oh, you’ll get used to it, buddy,” said Retsuko, sighing, and looking….sad? She wasn’t sobbing, or anything, but Haida noticed, she didn’t quite have the glow she usually does. What...what was wrong?

“...Retsuko?” Haida asked, concerned. “Hmm? Yes, sweetie?” She turned to him, possibly trying to hide those hurt emotions. To no avail, alas. “Are you okay? You look down.” Retsuko only stared at him in shock. He clearly noticed. “...um..y-y-yeah! Yeah. A-okay.” “.....Retsuko, you’re lying. What’s the matter? You can tell me.” He got closer to her, seeing her worn face looking down. “....promise you won’t laugh. It’s not funny to me.” She muttered, as he holds her hand. “I promise.” He replied, in the most earnest voice she possibly ever heard him speak in. She looked, and stared deep into his eyes. He had a look of worry, as if the world could suddenly disappear, at any moment. She sighed, and spoke.

“I get really sad around Christmas, these past few years. About what happened at the hospital.”

“...huh?” Haida looked even more confused than before. “I...sigh, even explaining it is weird! Okay, remember when you poured your heart out to me, at the hospital, when you got sick?” “I do...I recall you saying you didn’t want to pursue a relationship then. Honestly, made sense, given you had just had that break-up, probably should’ve thought abou-” She stopped him. “Well...I heard you got pretty depressed after that…” It had been some time since that event, so Haida had to think about it a bit. How long, 5 years ago? ...wow, had it actually been that long already? “....yeah, I was pretty bummed.” He suddenly answered. “I...also found out that Christmas was especially hard on you, since...well, that was when I was going through that social media nonsense.” “I mean, I saw a picture you took with two fake wine glasses, implying you were with some dude, so yeah, that kinda put me in a bit of a funk, so…” He joked, but he saw she was still upset. “...erm, sorry, Retsuko.” “It was fine. At the time, all of that kind of just blew past me. Even our chat towards the end, which was very lovely at the time. And was a great indicator of things to come, I might add. But some time later, after we had started dating, Fenneko told me about all of it. It was just a silly drunken thing, I’m assuming to her...but I couldn’t get the images out of my brain. These thoughts of you in tears, drinking away your pain...all because of my own ignorance, and my shooting you down...there would be nights I would have horrible nightmares about that time, and I would wake up with tears streaming down my face. And even after we became much closer, even after Ikari was born, even now, as we’re married…..that feeling, of dread, of sorrow, of regret...they still hover above me.”

At that moment, Haida’s heart plummeted. This was someone he loved, deeply! Someone he knew as being a beacon of light in a dark dystopia such as the Japanese work environment! Obviously, he knew she wasn’t always going to be happy (she DID get mad a lot), but the fact that she said all of this, that his own pitiful reactions to her decisions all those years back now haunt her? Especially around one of the happiest times of the year! She shouldn’t be so depressed around this time! Oh, god, how did he never notice?! Was...was this the emptiness he was noticing? Was this the nagging feeling he had creeping around him? “Retsuko…,” he was only able to let out, feeling like a broken man after hearing this. “...I-I picked this place, because...well, it was a great place to remind me, Christmas...it’s not some fancy dinner, or some big social thing you have to do, in order to be loved...it’s something you spend with your family. Your friends. People you care about, people who care about you….people you love,” she continued, caressing his hand. “...still, even if that were the case, it doesn’t change how much guilt I have for putting you through all of that. If I could, I would go back, and jump onto you in that hospital bed, saying yes until I couldn’t speak anymore. Maybe all of this would’ve happened sooner, if I did that, and you wouldn’t have had such a bad Christmas then....I’m sorry, Haida, I’m sure you didn’t want to hear any of that.”

“....actually, Retsuko? Far from it. That’s exactly what I needed to hear.”

“Huh?,” she questioned, looking at the hyena, smiling warmly at her. “Firstly, you’re right. Christmas isn’t some big thing you have to pull all the stops for. It’s something you need to spend with the people around you, who care for you. Something I probably should’ve remembered earlier today, honestly.” He looked away, slightly embarassed. “Oh, right, when you were at the secondhand store? I saw.” Retsuko winked, making Haida beet red. “THAT BEING SAID...secondly….you know, maybe if you had said yes at the hospital, things would have happened sooner….but by that same token….they may not have happened at all. We don’t know what would’ve happened to us. The fact is it happened, and now we’re at this point in our lives. Even back at that time, I just considered that moment ‘ancient history’, and just tried to move on, occasionally trying again...to little avail, sure, but it was something. And yet, look where all of that got us to. We’re now married. We have a son. We’re living pretty alright, right now. And we got friends and families that have our backs, no matter what….what I’m saying is, if given the chance to change the events of that day, I wouldn’t change a single second. If it meant being in the same home with you, being able to help you put Ikari to bed, helping you deal with all the bullshit at work, hearing you scream your head off, if it means being able to wake up to you, in my arms, desperately trying to get up for work, and us saying that we love each other, if it means all of that…...I’m willing to take the heartbreak of that day a hundred times over.”

The shop went silent.

“H-Haida…” Retsuko uttered, before jumping him, and giving him a long, tight embrace. Haida was taken aback slightly, before holding her closely as well. Ikari gently walked towards them, and joined in the hug. “...isn’t Christmas wonderful, Haida?,” asked Retsuko. “It is….speaking of, probably should get the gifts out of the way, huh?” They break the hug, as Haida grabs out his presents to them. “P-please understand, I was rushing, I only got around to getting these today…” He held out the gifts, the necklace to Retsuko, and the dinosaur to Ikari, wincing away. Retsuko was the first to react, a gasp coming from her. “Oh, Haida, I love it! It’s beautiful!” She exclaimed, observing the necklace, and every detail on it. Ikari simply grabbed the dinosaur, and proceeded to hug it tightly. Haida only looked, a bit in shock. “...huh. I somehow wasn’t expecting any of this. I guess I just thought...well, it was you guys, I didn’t want to seem like I was disappointing you,” said Haida, with which Retsuko laughed. “It’s fine! As long as it’s from you, I am perfectly okay with it. Besides, I think this oughta look good on me, huh?” “Well, obviously it would, given it would be worn by you.” Haida replied, with a wink. “Mhmhm! ...plus, if it makes you feel any better, Haida...I was at that store to get your present too.” She similarly looked slightly embarrassed at saying that, as she handed him...a coffee mug. “You remember that mug I accidentally broke in a fit of rage once?” “Yeah?” Haida answered. “Well, I tried all day to find another one like it, and I was only able to find one at that store. It had an awful smudge on it, though, so I wrote on it with a red marker. He looked at the mug. Indeed, it was the “No. 1 Papa” mug he had previously...except now he noticed the extra writing.

“(and husband!)”

Tears began to seep through, as he looked at Retsuko with the biggest smile he could possibly give. “Oh, thank you! I love it!,” said Haida, as she looked at him in surprise. “O-oh! No problem, Haida!” How adorable, she doesn’t know how much this really meant to him. Not just because of the circumstances that led them both to this point, and coming together this holiday season….but also because he really liked that mug, and was happy to have it again. As the three happily look over their presents, Retsuko looks over her phone, to check on notifications from Fenneko, when she noticed a particular app. “....you know, I haven’t done an Instagram post in a while….wanna do some pics?” She said with a small smirk. “....let’s.”

And so they did. Several photos were shot, both inside the Soba shop, with all three flexing their gifts, and the food, and some outside, with them running across the streets, posing in front of a giant Christmas tree, and Retsuko and Haida getting close, and kissing. Enough for some silly post with “Hanging with the family this Christmas!”, or something along those lines. As such, they started walking home, with Retsuko typing out something. It was seemingly a long thing to write, Haida realized. “Hey, how long does it take to say ‘Merry Christmas,’ anyways?,” he joked, causing some small laughter from the red panda. “You’ll see what it actually says, soon enough.” Later that night, as the two began falling asleep in their bed, she finally reached out for her phone, and posted those images. “...what the...you just now got to posting those?” Haida asked, just barely awake. “Mm-hmm. Check your phone, if you want to know why.” Haida grabbed out his phone, and opened up the app. Indeed, he saw all the photos taken. Selfies, food pics, fun little night on the town, it was all enough for him to smile...but then, he saw what she had wrote.

“A few years ago, I rejected a hyena I knew, named Haida, and told him I only saw him as a friend. Just earlier this year, we exchanged vows, and became husband and wife. And now, here we are, at this holiday season, with our happy toddler, as we continue onto the new year, creeping ever closer. But before that, Christmas is coming up. By the time you’re reading this, it probably already has come. And with that, I want to say something that I’ve been keeping in mind as of these past few years. If you know people, even ones like Haida, hold them close. Keep them near you. Believe it or not, you’d be surprised how important those people can be to you. Maybe you won’t be as lucky as I was. Maybe you’ll find, at the end, you two are still just friends. But even that’s fine! Who knows? Even then, those people may very well change your life in the best of ways. Haida, I love you! And I hope that this post, made on the very last minute of Christmas Eve, makes you smile tonight, and all throughout tomorrow. To everyone reading, Merry Christmas!”

Indeed, it made him smile, and will all throughout tomorrow.

“I love you too, Retsuko. Merry Christmas.”

OH MY SWEET JESUS I AM ACTUALLY DONE AWONFJLFBNAOUJSNA

Yes, it’s finally here! Like I said, this was majorly impacted by the recent Christmas special (to where I actually changed the original name, Last Minute, to fit with the new direction), and as such, now, just an hour or two before Christmas eve (at least, in my time), here it is! ...almost fitting in a way, huh? Well, in any regard, Merry Christmas! Or Happy Hanukkah! Or Happy Kwanzaa! Or Happy Winter Solstice! Or Happy.....Life Day? I dunno, you do you, I guess. :P

#aggretsuko #Aggressive Retsuko #retsuko x haida #Haida #Retsuko #Ikari #christmas #christmas special

[bvidma]

A Tincture for Love

This tincture can be used for both love spells and self love rituals; basically for all of your ‘love’ needs. However, this is not meant to drink. This can be used externally or used to anoint candles and/or any other magickal implements. As always, feel free to subtract any ingredients based off of what you have on hand, intent always is more powerful than any herb. You can also add whatever you please as well, make it work for you. You can bless it however you may like, use it however you want because I’m obviously not stopping you. You do you.

So let’s begin!

-Red wine (of course if you are not of age and you can’t purchase red wine or you don’t have free reign of your parents’ liquor cabinet, please skip this step. In fact, lemon juice is just as appropriate for this spell because it is just as commonly used for spells of affection or as an aphrodisiac.... if that is your intent. I do in fact add a few drops of it to this tincture if I have red wine on hand anyway because citrus is quite powerful in these types of spells)

-Alcohol (to keep herbs from going spoiled and moldy; the last thing you want is to wait a whole nine week release period only to find that this brew has gotten toxic and yucky without your knowledge. Red wine truly won’t have enough alcohol content)

-Lavender (feel free to use either the herb or the oil for this)

-Rosemary (also feel free to use oil as well)

-Basil

-Rose petal (any color will do depending on your intent; darker the rose, richer the affections shall be. But if I were you, you can never folly with pink!)

-Rose quartz (this totally optional but if you want to add some gemstone mojo, just make sure stones are charged, cleansed, and blessed)

-Patchouli (never fails me!)

-Perovskia; AKA the Russian sage. (This herb has the same physical and magickal properties of both sage and lavender. A two and one magickal deal. An herbal BOGO. It can suffice for either or if you just so happen to come across it in a garden or in a local greenhouse. It grows by my house, but I know it is sold in most flower/plant shops. It is great for smudging.)

-Lilac

-Ginger

-Thyme (Let no man steal your thyme darling!)

-Cinnamon

-Hibiscus

-Nutmeg

-Anise

-Jasmine

-Vanilla, honey, and/or sugar (for sweetness uwu)

And anything else you feel the need to add! Orange peel, berries, fruit, a favorite fragrance, different herbs! Go ahead, I myself tried to include what I believe to be some of the most accessible herbs. Most of you new witches or broom closeted beauties likely have a few of these already in your home. Again, if intention is there, do not worry about missing herbs, use what you feel will suffice for your current situation. Harm to none, do as you wish.

Now, if you are like me and like to tuck in your tinctures all nice and cozy to further protect them, wrap them in pink or red cloth (silk is always ideal). Silk especially is known to catch negative forces and unwanted energies, protecting magickal tools while in storage. Many use silk, linen, or other fabric to protect tarot cards or crystals when not in use. Color merely is for intent and in this case, our intent is love; either to yourself or from others. This step is totally optional. 

Store our little brew for around 9 weeks (utilizing 3 by 3 always strengthens any spell) or for a lunar cycle (which is around four weeks). Don’t possess that amount of time? Store for however long you feel your herbs need to release their power or if you feel as though your intentions have been well pondered on, but not for too short of a time period.

 Herbs gotta brew, darlin’!

If you are thinking of attracting one certain mate in particular, write their name on a piece of paper or on the jar or even place the paper in the jar to really jazz things up a bit. As long as it is stored in the same vicinity as your tincture. Like wrapping the paper in the cloth with the jar if it isn’t in the tincture or labeled on the container.

Yeah.

Finally, you may bless  your tincture using the following, which is a pretty commonly used tincture blessing that I had picked up from The Good Witch’s Guide:

“I call upon the powers of green, release powers unseen. Herbs awakened on this day, may blessings in this tincture stay!”

Always thank the herbs and the Earth for providing you with their magick!!

thanks 

uwu

You did it, with patience of a saint (or at least practicing so)! After the treacherous journey of waiting for our lovely little tincture, strain the liquid with a cheesecloth and you may store likewise in the cloth before. Add a bit of celestial mojo by letting her bathe in moonlight for a night before use and voila! Your hard work has paid off, use as you wish.

yours truly,

-B.

#tincture #tincture making #witchcraft #witchblr #witch blog #witchy #witches of tumblr #love spell #love spells #love tincture #tincture blessing #affection spell #self love spell #magick #potion #wicca #wiccans #wiccan #rituals #ritual #spellwork #spellcasting #spell #self love #positivity #herbalism #green witch #kitchen witch #apothocary #plant magick

[type-a-nomad]

April 10

April 10

Last week I went on a road trip and it was an incredible way for this adventure to come to near its end.  

I left for the road trip at 8am on Wednesday morning, packing my clothes in a trash bag I found under the kitchen sink.  It was decided that I was going to be the driver for the road trip and, therefore, I would be renting the car in my own name.  That process really hit me as an adult thing to do.  The only time I’ve seen a car be rented is by my parents.  Now, I’m the one signing the release form and grabbing the keys. To say I was nervous was an understatement.  I was flooded with anxiety about driving.  Firstly, I didn't know where we were or where we were going because I am entirely unfamiliar with the area.  Secondly, in South Africa, you drive on the left side of the road and the steering wheel is on the right.  This means the usual mindset I have of where I need to check for space is entirely thrown off and I need to re-calibrate the way I think of a car when I drive it.  Thirdly, I had never driven the car we were about to take off in.  Most cars here are manual— but I can’t drive manual so I paid extra for an automatic.  Calling the car an automatic is a drastic overstatement.  It was more like an automatic that had the brain of the car taken out so you cant change the gears, and it doesn't know how to either. Moreover, when it would accelerate if I really just floored it, the engine would hit 500-600 RPMs.  That’s not supposed to happen in a Toyota Corolla.   The first stop after getting the car and camping gear was Hout Bay.  This is on the other side of Table Mountain from where I live.  It’s secluded and smaller than the other alcove-like beaches around Cape Town.  There was a long pier and a dock that was filled with little fishing boats that looked like they were off of a postcard from the 1970s.  The entire scene was beautiful— except for one thing.  There was an obese seal.  Now, the image of an obese seal is kind of funny in a ridiculous way.  But the reason it’s so fat is that a man sits with a huge bucket of fish and feeds it constantly so it’s more human-friendly and dependent on him.  This seal is so fat it can’t hunt anymore. This is an animal that a human has taken out of the wild and essentially ruined it’s life through isolation from its own species and overfeeding.  It was so fat it could barely move.  I got over it though and got a large tray of fish and chips with salt and vinegar.  It was fried heaven.   Hout Bay is surrounded by mountains.  When you’re there, it feels sort of like it could be God’s fish bowl.  It’s so contained and observable from above, a little biome all by itself.  We started from the bottom of the fishbowl and drove up the side along the mountain, eventually coming to Chapman’s peak, which looks down on all of Hout Bay.  It was so surreal to see the tiny little dock where I had been 20 minutes before as a little speck and simultaneously knowing how many people with stories and families and dreams were sitting there, munching on fish and chips.   After Chapman’s Peak, we headed down to Cape of Good Hope— the most Southwestern tip of the African continent. If that definition is confusing, it basically means there is one other place that is farther South than it, and it’s in the Eastern Cape.  So, their claim to fame is the farthest Southwestern tip. The view was so incredible and expansive, that it actually looked like you could see the curve of the Earth on the horizon. On one hand, that makes sense because the slope of a sphere would be steepest at the poles.  On the other hand, maybe I was just overexcited. There are two ways to describe what happened at the Cape of Good Hope.  One is that we were adventurous and unconventional and hiked on a ledge to a cliff nobody else dared to go to.  The other is that we lost the trail to the main peak with a lighthouse and just went with it.  You can choose which narrative you like better-  full reader’s discretion.   We finished up the first day by driving to the first town we were staying at.  It was night by then.  We bought a cooking pot and pasta supplies for the rest of the week.  I was absolutely starving even during grocery shopping, so by the time we pitched the tent and were lighting the fire it was not only pitch black outside but I was also getting grumpy.  I made the responsible and courteous decision to curb my hunger with white wine instead of being snippy until I had finished cooking.  The pasta was heaven by the time I finished, even though the mushroom cream sauce was out of a plastic bag container we had bought for approximately $1.50.  We ate directly out of the pot of pasta with forks and were asleep by 10pm. The next morning was magical.  I woke up to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach that was 50 yards from where I slept: in a tent, on a lawn, under a tree with a little fire pit near it.  I walked down to the beach after eating leftover pasta for breakfast and it was breathtaking.  I was so calm.  Sand between my toes, watching the waves crash on the shore at 7:30am.  That is me at my calmest.  The second day was a long day of driving, so we pulled out of the camping grounds around 8.  We drove up towards the Eastern Cape coast.  The highway was mainly empty.  For lunch we pulled into this little farm stand with a cafe and got amazing cheeseburgers.  I don’t like driving for extended periods of time, especially on the opposite side of the road in a place I don’t know for more than 5 hours.  But, the company and music in the car made it more than tolerable— I was blissed-out behind the wheel of a 2005 Toyota Corolla.  Past that, I bought a huge bag of peanut M&Ms.  The blue ones are my favorite.  The right company is everything.  I’m not sure if I’ve ever laughed that much in a single car ride, whether you measure that by straight time or percentage of time laughing, the statement holds.   The best part was that I got to go to Myoli Beach again.  This is my heaven on earth.  This is me in my element.  This is what bliss looks like and feels like to me.  It is a sacred space.  I will only go there with people I love.  I also know that when I am an adult, if I ever need time or an escape, that’s where I am going to go.  I don’t care about the flight time.  I don’t care about the distance.  I am going to make it happen.  When we got there, I almost sprinted into the water.  Soon, the lifeguards were screaming at me because apparently the currents are so chaotic and powerful that you have to swim between two cones they set up.  I was mildly irritated by this because I wanted to just be alone, but I didn’t let it cramp my style.  I was too happy.  I was so proud.  I did it.  The first time I was there, I promised myself I would go back, and I executed.   I think execution is one of my strengths.  I am very creative and I dream a lot, but I also make the dreams happen.  I don’t allow myself to be overwhelmed to the point of being paralyzed by all of the options and ideas my brain can create.  It is really wonderful to live that way.  However, there is a slight drawback and that is that I don’t really believe in just “letting things turn out the way they should”.  I don't buy a laissez-faire mindset.  I don’t think things just work themselves out.  You make things turn out the way they should and I don’t really cut people slack around that, because I know that you can make things happen because I do all the time.  It’s hard.  It takes a toll on me.  There’s pressure and sacrifice, but I am always trying my hardest to execute and a lot of the time it happens.  I think the harder you try, the more things fall in your direction.  Effort generates luck.   The camping grounds we went to next we were staying at for two nights, so the drive was efficient and worth it.  We pulled in and my jaw dropped.  In front of us was the Indian Ocean.  When I mean in front of us, I mean the tent was maybe 30 feet from the sea.  Huge waves, crashing on the rocks that were the only thing in between us and the most beautiful thing in the world: the ocean.  The other day, a friend asked me if I thought the ocean was conscious.  I said I think it’s more complicated than that and I don’t really see it as a united, conscious being per say.  I was then met with a brilliant observation: foam.  There is so much yucky foam from the ocean that is filled with the pollutants of the sea.  The ocean cleans itself.  If the ocean wasn't conscious, why would it clean foreign objects from itself? Food for thought. Now onto the real food.  For dinner that night I made an absolutely stunning pot of spaghetti and meatballs.  I really was proud of myself for this one.  I made it out of various ingredients and cans of meatballs all from the OK-minimark.  It irritates me that it’s not called the mini-mart, but instead the minimark, like market.  Why not just use mart? C’mon now people, I can’t be the one supplying all the good ideas.  While the pasta cooked, I went and took a super quick shower in the facilities graciously provided by the camping site.  I was walking out of the bathroom, towel securely turban-ed in my hair, and I saw the ocean light up in front of me.  I thought I was hallucinating.  Then I remembered that my friend Tim told me about seeing bioluminescent waves on one of his road trips, and I started sprinting towards my tent.  I was completely out of breath upon arrival because I am in literally the worst shape of my life.  I just said “bioluminescent… waves *gasps*” and pointed towards the ocean.  Then, miracles took place in front of my eyes.  For the next hour, the ocean was alive.  The waves were lighting up.  Millions, maybe even trillions, of plankton were crashing against each other and lighting up the waves as they curled and crashed in front of us.  It was magic.  Every time, it felt like my brain was glitching, but it was real.  This was really happening.  Then Mother Nature decided to test whether or not she could give us a heart attack and the clouds above us parted, revealing the Milky Way.  In front of us, bioluminescent waves.  Above us, the Milky Way.  In our tummies, amazing spaghetti and meatballs.  If this isn't what life is about, what is? The next day was quite lazy.  It was raining and super windy.  To the point where we were afraid to leave our little tent all alone in the storm in fear it might be blown away.  Thankfully, as we went and got breakfast at the restaurant that was on the nature reserve we were camping at, it held it’s ground. It was not completely out of the question that the tent could have blown into the sea. I’m not sure what we would have done.  That would have been no bueno.   Because it was so rainy and cold, we decided to forgo the hike we had planned and went to a vineyard instead.  No complaints from my end.  Give me a tapas-style restaurant and a wine tasting and I am, literally, a happy-camper.  The food was delicious and we were so full that we ended up just heating up the leftovers of the spaghetti that we had negligently left in the pot and eating that for dinner.  The next morning, we packed up fairly early and hit the road.  We stopped at a gas station for breakfast and I got a grilled cheese with tomato and a large cappuccino.  This was the second to last day and I was in no way ready for this magical adventure to be over.  The route to get to the last site was so incredibly scenic.  We drove through ravines and over the mountains of Africa.  The ground here is incredibly red and it contrasted with the green of the plants growing on it.  The scientific reason for the redness is because there is a lot of iron in the soil.  The locals say that the reason the earth is so red is the blood that has spilled over it.   The last place we went to was in the mountains, our first venture inland away from the beach.  Naturally, I was a little hesitant about this because the beach is my happy place.  Oh, how wrong I was.  And happily so.  We stayed at an amazing hot springs in the middle of the South African Mountains.  The pools each varied in temperature.  It was all outside and directly out of the mountain beneath us.  There was iron in the water, naturally, so it was a little reddish-brown.  I loved it.  I was so at-ease.   Africa has pushed me to grow in many ways.  One of the biggest, most important ways, is the groundedness I feel here.  I am not a laid-back person.  But the closest I get to that is feeling rooted and calm within myself.  I don’t look for other people to tell me that I’m doing the right thing as much as I used to, I just know what is right and I pursue it.  That’s how I feel here.  Feet on the ground, heart in my chest, lungs full of beautiful air, eyes staring directly ahead: I am here.  I am here.  I am hopeful and present at the same time.  I am settled in my own body and mind.  I am centered in my own existence.  I am ambitious without being discontent with my own reality.  I am seeking and finding and accepting balance in my life.  Namaste, motherfucker. That night, we made the most complex dinner yet.  It was the last night of the road trip, so the special occasion warranted extravagance.  We made fish and pasta.  I made the pasta, naturally.  It was all delicious and wonderful.  The stars were so clear.  It blows my mind to look up and think about the infinite expanse of space that we are hurtling around in like a little speck of dust carrying over 7 billion individual realities.  It was freezing.  Even when we were cooking dinner, I was shivering.  The wind was impressively strong, blowing anything under 5 pounds at will.  I felt a little annoyed at Mother Nature for that kind of treatment, given the amount of appreciation I had for her during the rest of the road trip.  I thought she might do me a solid for that, turns out she really just doesn’t care.  It’s alright.  My feelings were only a little hurt.  I can bounce back with pesto pasta.  And I did.  That night we stayed up late.  Talking about the universe and morality and politics.   It always amazes me when people say they don’t like politics.  I understand not liking conflict.  That’s one thing.  But not “liking” politics doesn’t really seem like an option to me.  Politics is your life.  It’s your education.  It’s your job.  It’s your health.  It’s your rights.  How can you not “like” politics?  That being said, I generally don’t like conflict.  It feels like an attack and takes a lot of energy from me.  Talking about conflicting political views taxes me a lot (no pun intended).  When I hear about political issues, I want to do something about it.  I want to take the steering wheel and fix all of the unfairness and damage that the world is doing to itself right now.  I am usually an empathetic person, but when people don’t have that same urge, I find it really hard to understand.  I think a large aspect of this is immaturity.  My passion blinds me to an extent.  I get carried away.  I get overwhelmed by how necessary the issue is.  I am unable to moderate my tone or conversation points to make what I’m saying digestible.  This is somewhat of a pattern for me.  It makes me feel very immature, embarrassed, and like I lack self-control.  I know that if I really wanted to convince people of my views, if I wanted to really get the outcome I want, I would actually moderate what I’m saying.  People don’t respond well to accusation and conflict.  If I defend somebody or a view of mine, the natural response for the other person is to either take the offensive or see what I’m saying as the offensive and take the defensive of their (wrong…) opinion.  It makes me think of an Albert Einstein quote: “insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.  I go into arguments with the same amount of stubbornness and passion and intensity, and expect it to sway people.  I get tunnel-vision and let go of what I know is persuasive and just unleash my feelings and views in one huge Tsunami Quinn.  I am very evangelical about what I believe.  When I really care, I suddenly become a Mormon with a picket sign screaming at girls in skirts that God hates them.  When I think I know I’m right, usually because I’ve done extensive research I assume most people are way too lazy to even do a fraction of, my words slap people in the face like a verbal picket sign. This is one of the things I’m working on this year.  I think I’ve become significantly more aware of it and it’s going to take time, but I’ll get there.  I know I can execute, this goal will just take some more time than is ideal.   Another point of self-improvement I am working on is self-image.  That is, I don’t balance confidence and self-assurance well.  I am either entirely confident, set in my views, plowing forward with full force and self-righteousness, or I am entirely insecure and see myself as the problem of a situation.  Neither of these is ideal.  The goal is to moderate.  To find a point of confidence and humility and implement that into the way I approach the world.  To be assured in my values and who I know I am, without being so confident that I have a closed-mindset and, therefore, close myself off to more improvement and learning.  I have a very complex mind and am able to see a lot of nuance in the world.  I am also empathetic.  I can see the different elements and viewpoints of any situation.  For example, I see why ISIS would be a persuasive institution to join in a desperate, isolating, and unfair situation.  That being said, there are some absolute truths that I believe that I am not sure if it helps or harms me to see as absolute truths.  The main of these is that I don’t believe in cutting others more slack than I would cut myself.  I don’t think anyone who is persuaded to join ISIS is a good person.  I think a bad person can regret and then move towards becoming a good person.  I think a bad person can become a good person.  I don’t think there is a fixed state of goodness or badness.  Your goodness or badness hinges entirely on your actions and beliefs.  That being said, if you are convinced that the right thing to do is kill others in an act of Jihad because they are Shi’iet Muslims instead of Sunni Muslims, or because they are of Western Culture, you’re a bad person.  There is never a “right” reason to kill people you don't know.  Those people are stories.  They are families.  They are lives and experiences and relationships and heartbreak and loss and happiness and complexity in the same way anyone else is.  It is so selfish and entitled to claim a life that is not your own.  To intervene in somebody’s path like that.  To step into a family’s reality forever.  To influence hundreds of people in an act of destruction.  There is no information, persuasion, or excuse that justifies that mindset.  That is an absolute badness to me.  I hesitate to say evil because it is weighted by the connotation of Satan and religion and I don’t want this to be about that.  It’s about goodness and badness.  Killing people is bad.  That is an absolute truth to me.  Stealing from people is bad.  That is an absolute truth to me.  Whether that is robbing people of objects, of experiences, or of honesty, it’s all stealing.  Material stealing is the least important.  Money, objects, material, it’s all societally constructed and most of the time doesn’t destroy somebody’s wellbeing or happiness.  Not to say that’s never the case, but *usually* it is not the case.  However there are more dramatic versions of stealing.  Lying is stealing the truth from somebody.  Cheating is stealing a natural, right sequence of events from somebody.  It’s all stealing, and it is deceptive, and selfish.  Nobody has the right to change what should happen.  Nobody has the right to pretend the truth is something it isn’t.  That’s an absolute wrong to me.  How am I supposed to live in a world where I have to doubt what the people around me say?  That is an incredibly exhausting existence.   That mindset towards lying and trust is another thing I have recently realized about myself.  When I begin a relationship with anyone, friendship, professional, romantic, etc., I give that person my trust.  I am vulnerable.  I am open.  I am true and I don’t hold back unless it will cause damage to somebody other than myself.  However, if that trust is exploited, it is taken away by me in an extreme way.  I withdraw entirely.  It hurts me deeply to be betrayed, and it has happened many times.  Yet, I would rather be hurt many times, than not keep my heart as open as I do.  I feel everything so deeply and connect with people in an honest way on a daily basis, because I am brave enough to open myself to betrayal and pain.  Often, I feel that pain.  But, the worst pain and biggest loss of all is if I would let that betrayal make me close my heart off, and I need to have the courage to preserve that.   A sort-of example of this is making dear friends here in South Africa.  The wise thing to do is to keep my heart to myself.  We all live on separate continents.  Why would I get attached? I don’t accept that.  I’ve thrown my heart to people here and, when they leave, it breaks.  But I would rather feel love, loss, and pain than nothing at all.  

- Q

p.s. I haven’t written yet about april 10+11 but that will come when the time is right.  stay patient.  

p.p.s if you haven't listened to the Fugees seriously, do it now.  You might die tomorrow without hearing this genius.  

[grumpypacifiers]

The long awaited “Cleaning and Care Instructions!”

So you have a custom pacifier! Whether you purchased it from me or another shop, received it as a gift, or made it yourself, you're going to need to know how to take care of it! Some of these instructions can be applied to any pacifier, while others are only specific to mine. I can not speak for all artists because we may use different glues and materials. If you are unsure about how to care for your pacifier, ask your designer. This is a long post, but I wanted to make sure I was thorough and provided a lot of options!

When looking up pacifier care instructions on the internet, keep in mind that they were most likely written for pacifiers used by actual babies! Adult custom pacifiers can be similar to baby pacifiers, but there are ways in which the care can be different. Since you are physically older, not everything will be the same. Here are a few things to know regarding baby pacifier care instructions:

- Your immune system is stronger than a baby's, so you don't need to seriously clean your pacifier nearly as often as baby websites may suggest. In some situations, a baby may need their pacifier sterilized whereas yours will be okay with a quick wipe down.

- Baby pacifiers should be replaced after a several weeks, but it is assumed that you will not be using yours as often as a baby does! (Maybe you will! That's okay too.) You also are not in as great of danger for choking on an older pacifier. Still, you should check for wear and tear, and consider eventually replacing the nipple, if possible.

- Some companies that make pacifiers may have care instructions on their website. Most often, their information will be specific to their own brand, make, and model. This means that your pacifier, custom or not, may not be taken care of in the same way.

Cleaning

My pacifiers will come to you with plastic wrap covering the nipple to protect it from glue and other things while it's being decorated. Once you remove the plastic wrap, run a wash cloth under hot water. Be careful not to burn your fingers! The water does not need to be scalding! Wipe down the nipple and back of the shield to be sure that it is rid of any particles. This method is good for daily cleaning, but here are some other things you can do:

Soapy cloth. Similar to the above method, wet a washcloth with hot water. This time, add a small amount of dish-washing liquid to the cloth. Gently rub the soap in with your fingers or another part of the cloth. Make sure the towel is not dripping! Carefully wipe down the nipple and back of the shield. Take a second cloth that is wet with no soap, and use that to wipe the pacifier again. You may need to repeat this to get all of the soap off. If you would prefer, you can run the nipple under hot water to rinse, but be careful not to get the front of the shield wet!

Soapy water. You can fill a bowl with soap and hot water as another way to clean your pacifier. Dip the nipple of the pacifier into the water for several seconds. You can rinse under warm water or use a wet cloth to remove the soap, as in the previous method.

Vinegar and water. I read about this method online. You can hold the pacifier in a bowl of equal parts vinegar and water to clean and sanitize, again, making sure not to get the shield wet. I am unsure how this method works exactly or if the vinegar leaves an after taste. I would be interested in hearing how it works from someone who tries it! I believe you will have to hold the pacifier in the solution for several minutes in order for the vinegar to work. You may also want to rinse or wipe the pacifier off after.

Pacifier wipes. This may be the easiest and quickest way to clean your pacifier. Pacifier wipes are great, and I just found out that they come individually wrapped! I may start including one with my pacifiers when I ship them out! Here is an article I found written by a mom comparing various pacifier wipe brands. They can also be used on things like chewelry, sippy cups, bottle nipples, teething toys, and anything else you may put in your mouth. 

Your pacifier should be cleaned in one of these ways at least once or twice a week. They should also be wiped down daily or after each use. As far as cleaning the shield and decorations, you may want to use things such as dry qtips, makeup brushes, cotton swabs, a toothbrush, or paper towels to do a general dry clean. Fabric decorations may be cleaned with portable cleaning product such as a Tide stick to remove stains (just keep it away from the part your mouth touches!). If the decorations require more cleaning, very carefully use a pacifier wipe or wet paper towel to gently remove whatever has gotten on your pacifier.

Please do not:

get the front of the shield and decorations wet! This can cause damage and glue loosening. This means you should not submerge or boil your pacifier in any liquid.

use a steam cleaner or microwave method. The steam will cause the decorations to get wet.

use a UV sterilizer. I came across these pacifier cleaners that use light waves to clean pacifiers, similar to how dentists clean their tools. I do not know what the light rays would do to the decorations. At the very least, they may become loosened, but they could also become damaged, even if it's not visible, and become hazardous to your health.

use your pacifier when you're sick! Just like you should replace your tooth brush after you are ill, they say that pacifiers should be thrown out as well. There's really no good way to properly rid them of all the germs. If you feel like you may be getting sick, stop using your pacifier until after you are feeling better. Wait several days before using it again. If you need a pacifier when you are sick, consider a non-custom one that you won't mind throwing away, such as a baby pacifier or plain adult ones (I sell these for $5).

leave your pacifier in a place where it may get dirty. See more about storage below.

put your pacifier back in your mouth right after dropping it. It at least needs a wipe down to keep yuckies out of your mouth.

use your pacifier with food, candy, gum, or drinks in your mouth. This can cause your pacifier to get sugars and food particles built up, and that is not very clean.

use baby wipes, kitchen wipes, or handy-wipes to clean your pacifier. These are not meant for things that go in your mouth.

use any other kitchen or bathroom cleaning products. These are not meant to be used anywhere near the mouth, and lots of them can be poisonous if they get into your body.

share pacifiers. This can spread germs and cause things to become yucky, even with cleaning.

put your pacifier in the dishwasher. Dry decorations are a must!

Storage

Keep your pacifier stored somewhere where it will stay clean and dry. A Ziploc bag or some container with a lid are the best options.

Make sure your pacifier is properly cleaned and dried off before putting it back in its storage space. This will prevent mold from growing.

Clean your container or get a new bag every so often so that things stay fresh.

Make sure your pacifier is always hidden and out of reach for pets and small children. Dogs especially love chewing on things that have been in someone's mouth.

Keep your pacifier away from extreme temperatures. Try not to leave it in the car during very cold and very hot months. Do not put it in the freezer or oven.

General care

It's very special to have a customized pacifier! You will want to take good care of it. Here are some things to remember so that your pacifier can be used to its full potential!

- Be very careful with your pacifier. Some decorations may be fragile depending on their material and placement.

- Consider using a pacifier clip if you tend to drop your pacifier a lot.

- If part of your customization breaks or falls off, you can carefully try to glue it back together with a strong glue. Otherwise, contact your designer.

- Consider only using your pacifier at home in the house if you are worried about losing it.

- If you have a caregiver or partner, ask them for help with anything you many need regarding caring for your pacifier. Show them these tips too!

- Ask your designer about any other information you may need to know when caring for and using your pacifier!

Please do not:

bite or chew on your pacifier because this can cause holes! Look for toys or other items made especially for biting or chewing.

cover the two holes in the pacifier shield. These are very important for ventilation. With the air able to circulate through, your pacifier won't get hot and itchy against your face. It also helps with cleanliness as well.

use your pacifier in the shower or bath. We don't want the decorations getting wet!

take your pacifier apart. This can accidentally break the pieces or damage the decorations. Ask your designer if you are not sure whether yours can be taken apart.

give a customized pacifier to an actual baby or young child. They can present many dangers, including choking.

suck or chew on the decorations. These are only to look pretty! They shouldn't go in your mouth because they may break or cause harm.

Remember, people work hard on custom pacifiers. Treat this gift kindly and with respect! If something happens, it's okay. Just try to be careful :) Feel free to message me with any questions!

#cleaning #adult pacifier #custom pacifier

[hinesponce]

How to Declutter Your Home: A Spring Cleaning Checklist

Clutter isn’t just annoying, it’s stressful—like medically, life-altering stressful. Did you know clutter is clinically proven to increase anxiety, the stress hormone cortisol, and lead to unhealthy habits like overeating, oversleeping, and binge-watching TV? 

Studies also show that if this stress isn’t reduced, it can cause lasting damage to your brain structure, organs, immune system, metabolism, and more. 

In other words, you need to get rid of all your extra stuff. We’re here to help. And with most of us stuck at home right now, there’s no time like the present. So let’s go ahead and knock out your spring cleaning, including all that stress-causing clutter! 

Here’s your decluttering checklist!

 Let’s start with something easy—unnecessary and expired food. Whether supplements, canned goods, crackers, old pasta boxes, spices, sauces, jams, or those fast food condiments you keep hoarding, go ahead and throw out everything that’s expired, freezer burned, or now just plain gross. 

For all unwanted dry and canned goods that are still in date, consider donating them to a food bank in need.

 Some of us—we’re not pointing any fingers—like to collect, store, and never, ever get rid of their grocery store bags. Don’t misunderstand us, having a few on hand can be a real lifesaver, but once you reach the threshold of 5 or so, it’s probably time to seek out the recycling bin and consider investing in a reusable grocery bag.

 If your kitchen cabinets are overflowing with a chaotic rainbow of duplicate or mismatching utensils, pots, pans, and Tupperware, it’s time to rethink your life choices. OK, maybe it’s not that bad, but hidden clutter is still clutter, even if it’s stuffed wayyyy in the back of a drawer. 

Get real, if you’re not a family of 10, you don’t need 5 different spatulas or 4 of the same size skillet. You know the drill, if it’s donatable, donate it. If it’s not, recycle or trash it.

 Isn’t it ironic—the things we buy to clean our homes often end up making them more disorganized?

As you scan through your kitchen, looking for ways to decrease clutter, don’t forget to check under the sink. Odds are it’s packed full of half-empty cleaners, noxious air fresheners, and grimy sponges and scrubbers. 

First, chuck all the extras you don’t need. Then, to make your spring cleaning simpler and safer this year, start by trading out the old fashioned household products for effective, family-safe alternatives. Next, replace all those gross, old sponges with eco-friendly microfiber cloths or another sustainable scrubber. They’ll last longer, meaning you’ll need fewer of them, ultimately saving you some extra space.

  While outdated medication is rarely dangerous, it does become less and less effective over time. It’s a no-brainer: if it’s expired, toss it. But before you do, learn how to properly dispose of each medication by consulting with your doctor, pharmacist, or the FDA’s website.

 Old makeup isn’t just about clutter, it’s also a health hazard. Within only a few months, makeup that’s used directly on your eyes, lips, and anywhere else on your face, becomes a breeding ground for all sorts of yucky bacteria. 

So even if you have a sentimental connection, put your health first and upgrade your makeup collection as needed. Refer to labels for the expiration date, but if for any reason you’re unsure, trash creams after about 6 months and eye makeup after 3. 

Old styling products, extra bottles of shampoo and conditioner, soaps that are shrunk to within an inch of their life—these items only serve to make your bathroom messier. Do yourself a favor and only keep what you really, really need (pro tip: if you haven’t used it in 2 months, you don’t really, really need it).

 On average, bath towels only last about two years before they become a source of embarrassment when friends come over. So If your towels are past their second birthday or already tattered and holy, it’s time to bite the bullet and go shopping for a new set. 

If they’re completely beyond redeeming, recycle them or say goodbye for good. Otherwise, do the planet a solid by finding a way to reuse them instead—like as a rag for drying your pup after rainstorms or as a cleaning towel for your car or garage.

 The junk drawer in your desk—like almost everything in there needs to go. Those dozens of extra pens, that 95% empty whiteout bottle, all those loose staples, paperclips, and business cards, yeah go ahead and toss, organize, or recycle all that. Do away with any other unnecessary knick-knacks, redundant supplies, and out-of-date office equipment, too.

Without question, there’s lots of paperwork we all need to keep, such as tax documents and certain receipts. Without question, there’s even more paperwork we should’ve thrown out a long time ago. If it’s super essential, keep it well organized and consider scanning a digital copy to save yourself some physical office space. Shred and recycle everything else.

 Stacks of books and magazines might make your home seem cozy, but they’re also a common source of stress-causing clutter and dust. The magazines are easy—if they’re more than a couple months old, recycle them. Books, on the other hand, can be harder to let go. 

We get it. Old books are full of memories and we’re not suggesting you get rid of all of them, especially not the ones with priceless sentimental value. But try to be honest with yourself about what books you really need to keep around. Anything that doesn’t make the cut, consider gifting it to a friend, donating it to a local charity, or selling it to a secondhand shop for some extra cash. Recycle as a last resort.

 Even the most organized among us normally have tons of extra stuff in their closet. It’s just such a convenient place to hide things you don’t want to deal with till later. Any clothes, purses, linens, and shoes you haven’t used in over a year are good candidates for the chopping block. And, yes, that includes all those items you were hoping will fit or come back into style again, too. They probably won’t, so just pull off that bandaid now. 

As you work your way through your closet, try to recycle everything that’s damaged, worn out, or missing its matching partner. Unless you have a direct use for them, we suggest tossing out all those free wire hangers from the dry cleaner, too.

 We all have one of those boxes where we stuff our unused electronic cables and cords. Well, you knew this day would come eventually—it’s time to finally conquer that box!

After unknotting the box of snakes before you, go through and discard any cords or cables belonging to electronics you no longer own or use. Trust us, you don’t need the power cord to your first iPod anymore. You had some good times, but it’s time to let go. If you uncover duplicate cords in the process, try offering them to a friend or coworker.

Speaking of electronics you no longer use, they tend to take up a lot of space, so let’s try to get rid of those as well. For everything you don’t want to gift, donate, or recycle, slap it up on Letgo, OfferUp or Craigslist.

 We’re of the mindset that you should totally keep quite literally every little doodle, school project, and note your kiddos give you over the years. Personally, we just know we’d regret it one day if we tossed away something memorable. 

But all their old toys and clothing, that’s a different story. Sure, these can hold memories, too, but they take up a lot of space, cause loads of clutter, and frankly there are needier kids who could use them. For everything in decent shape, try your best to hand it down or donate it. Anything with missing pieces or broken parts should probably find its way to the waste basket or recycling. 

For all you pet parents out there, this applies to you, too. All toys, bedding, and gear that are past their prime should be recycled or trashed. For anything unused or barely used (like those treats your pup would never eat or your extra leash), donate it to a local animal rescue to benefit pets in need. 

 Likely the most challenging step to decluttering your home is finally getting around to organizing your garage. We’re not gonna’ lie, it’s not going to be easy. But you got this. We can tell. This is the year you get it done!

There’s no telling what’s hiding away in your garage, aka the junk drawer of the home, so we’ll skip the details, but the general suggestions remain the same. Be hard on yourself and recycle, donate, sell, or trash anything you haven’t used recently, say in the last 2 years. Deep clean afterward and make a serious effort to get your remaining garage items organized and neatly stored away. You’re going to feel soooo good when this is done!

 The title of most successful collector of random clutter belongs to your junk drawer, but your tables, side tables and countertops tie for a close second. Keeping just these spaces alone clean and sparse will make your home feel much less stressful and scattered. It’ll also make dusting and polishing a breeze.

 The worst, messiest clutter hideout of them all is also the final and most satisfying item on your decluttering checklist. If your junk drawer is anything like ours, 75% of it is going straight in the trash, another 20% back in the drawer or storage space it actually belongs. For the remaining 5%, recycle or donate it. The goal here is to give this drawer a whole new name, anything other than “junk drawer.”

 The post How to Declutter Your Home: A Spring Cleaning Checklist appeared first on Cedarcide.

[aroundtheworldin18years]

Located just 200 km to the South East of Rovaniemi and the Arctic Circle, Ruka is a thriving little village in Finnish Lapland.  Close to the Russian border, the landscape is stunning in winter with beautiful snow-capped forests and frozen lakes covered with deep powdery snow.  Ruka is famed for having snow for more than 200 days of the year, which is why the Ruka Village attracts so many winter tourists.   In March, snow clouds give way to clear blue skies and the low sunshine streams through the abundant pine forests.  Having visited Finnish Lapland in 2016, we knew what to expect from the weather and had high hopes for our planned excursions with Rukapalvelu Safarihouse; which included Ice Fishing in Ruka.

Ruka Village in Finnish Lapland

The main square at Ruka Village in Finnish Lapland

FREEZING, FISHING AND FLAT BATTERIES

Outside the temperature was -30°C and our first holiday excursion is Ice Fishing, or ‘Pilkki’ as it’s known in Finland; booked with Rukapalvelu Safarihouse for 09:00.  It’s extremely cold, it’s extremely early and it’s beginning to dawn on us that maybe Ice Fishing in Ruka wasn’t the best idea for the first morning of our holiday!  Nonetheless, we get dressed like onions with lots of layers in the hope of keeping the cold at bay.  Overnight there had been a flurry of snow and the car had to be cleared and defrosted.  Unfortunately, our cabin neighbour had parked in front of our Hertz hire car blocking us in.  Politely we asked them if they could move their car, they couldn’t…flat battery!  After jump starting the dead car we embarked on a short 15 minute journey to Rukapalvelu Safarihouse for Ice Fishing in Ruka.

Lakeside accommodation In Ruka, Finnish Lapland

Rukapalvelu Safarihouse in Ruka Village

IF THE SHOE FITS, WEAR IT…AND GLOVES, AND HATS

Rukapalvelu Safarihouse is situated right in the heart of Ruka and is the meeting point for all of their excursions.  At reception we were warmly greeted by Senja and introduced to Henri, who would be our Ice Fishing guide for the day; both of whom spoke perfect English.  Henri lead us to the back of the shop and informed us that we would have to put on even more clothes in order to keep warm whilst Ice Fishing in Ruka on the frozen lake.  Rukapalvelu Safarihouse provide all the clothing that you need for an excursion.

A very warm reception in a very cold Ruka Village

A very well stocked and organised equipment room

Equipment and clothing at Rukapalvelu Safarihouse in Ruka.

DRESS TO IMPRESS OR DRESS TO KEEP WARM, YOUR CHOICE

To add a little extra warmth, Henri advised us to wear our own clothes and simply add a Rukapalvelu Safarihouse snowsuit over the top for extra insulation.  Surprisingly, Henri also informed us that we would be swapping our own snug and comfy ski socks and boots for merino wool socks that your Granny would wear…and, as Henri put it; ‘boots that are far too big’!  I chose not to wear the socks as I have a ‘thing’ about feet (other peoples) and putting my own little piggy’s into other peoples socks or shoes…big no no!  There was a method in his madness!  If your boots are tight or snug, your feet get colder much quicker.  However, if you have space in the boot, air warms and circulates around the feet keeping them toasty.  Ice Fishing in Ruka tested this theory and yes, it works remarkably well!

Cover up, you’ve got a bear behind.

Ice Fishing is the ‘reel’ deal.

P-P-P-PICK UP A PENGUIN

Wrapped up to the point that little Matilda was waddling like a p-p-p-penguin, and Lily-Belle was about to faint, we promptly jumped into the bus.  Our next stop…Ice Fishing on Lake Ruka.  You’ve all seen or heard of the Michelin Man right….well, enough said!  The sun was low and the wintry landscape of forests and lakes was stunning, even if it was -25°C .  Thankfully the day was calm and no breeze, which, no doubt; would have made it feel much colder on the frozen open lake.  I’ve done plenty of lake fishing in my time and know for certain that when it’s cold, fish tend to seek out deeper water.  With that in mind, and the fact that it was fr-fr-freezing cold, I was optimistic of catching at least one fish.  And just to note, Daddy and Mummy are hugely competitive so it really was game on!

Henri and Matilda, best ice fishing buddies.

A view of Ruka Lake

A lonesome penguin searches for the frozen Ruka Lake

ICE FISHING AT LAKE RUKA

On the open lake Henri produced a large manual ice auger (drill) to penetrate through the 60 cm thick ice.  Of course, Henri made it look easy so I had to have a go myself.  And, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy-but-tiring it actually was to make a hole in the ice.  After making 5 holes, a stool was placed beside each and we all found our spot.  Lunch for the fish would be little red maggots, and lunch for us would be fish…hopefully!  As each hook was baited and lowered through the ice hole into the lake, we sat chatting about Finland, its cultures, its folklore and of course, its weather.  Every now and then Ice Fishing in Ruka would cease briefly in order to remove ice that began to gather at the top of the ice hole.  20 minutes in…no fish!

Sending a maggot to his watery grave. R I P

Henri drilling through the ice at Ruka Lake

ANGELS AND CASTLES

On top of the frozen lake there was plenty of soft snow to keep the girls occupied if they got bored of Ice fishing in Ruka.  Children…short attention span!  Matilda made merry in the fluffy snow by making snow-angels, and Lily-Belle attempted to make snow castles but the snow was too powdery.  Bump….Henri had a bite, but unfortunately the bite didn’t convert to a fish on this occasion, or the next, or the next!  I was beginning to think that there was a chap under the ice, employed by Rukapalvelu Safarihouse, to tug the line to maintain our Ice Fishing interest.  Of course, this thought would be improbable….wouldn’t it?  In turn we all got bites but we all failed to land any fish.

There’ always one that gets away, or two, or three

Now I know what a garden gnome feels like

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

After 90 minutes of fishing, Henri produced lunch…not fish, cheese on rye bread with hot berry juice and coffee.  Rye bread, if you haven’t tried it; is dry, hard and crusty.  But, in its favour is the flavour and the fact that it’s healthier than white bread.  I had an idea!  Back in the UK when I once fished for carp, I would often use bread as bait.  Thread the hook through the crust, then hide the hook in the bread flake.  Would I be able to tempt a roach or indeed any species of fish from the watery depths?  The bread bait was only in the water for seconds and bump, I had a decent fish on…gently, line tight and nooooooooo, fish off!  The one that got away…it was t h i i i i i i s (stood here with my arms outstretched) big!  Honest it was!

A spot of lunch at Ruka Lake

Matilda drinking cold ‘hot’ berry juice at Ruka Lake

Sisters and fishing friends

A BIG FISHY FAIL

Our Ice Fishing excursion drew to a close just as the wind was beginning to pick-up and the snow began to fall.  Ok, so we didn’t manage to land any fish (cold weather, fish move to deep water, I said it earlier) but we did have an amazing morning Ice Fishing in Ruka with Henri.  A great character, full of charm and he just loves to chat about his fishing trips.  Henri is a great ambassador of Rukapalvelu Safarihouse and a perfect host, plus he makes a great cup of ‘Joe’!

Trying to find ‘the one that got away’

A great cup of ‘joe’

RIVER FLOATING IN RUKA

After returning to Rukapalvelu to return our clothing we took a short tour around Ruka Village.  The following day we’d be returning to Ruka Village for the girls to ski.  As we didn’t catch any ‘whoppers’ or indeed any fish whilst Ice Fishing in Ruka, we opted for lunch at Hanki Baari.  Simple wholesome food but delicious and in a cosy retro-ski environment.  I hasten to add that had we indeed caught any fish, it was strictly ‘catch and release’ so no fish would have been harmed.  On the way back to our cabin we came across a group of people on a River Floating excursion with Rukapalvelu Safarihouse.  I stopped to take photos and I really can’t wait to return and give this a try as it looks like so much fun!

It’s always difficult flushing a floater

Moving forward one ripple at at time

Letting cares and troubles float away

WOULD WE GO BACK?

In the flick of a fishy fin yes we would.  Ruka is in a great location to explore the Finnish landscape with or without a guide.  Rukapalvelu Safarihouse has year round activities but in winter, as well as Ice Fishing in Ruka; they offer starlit sleigh rides, snowmobile safaris, husky sled rides, river floating and snowshoeing.  Plenty for everyone to enjoy and I’ll definitely return to do the river floating, looked amazing!

With a very special THANK YOU to:

Rukapalvelu Safarihouse – for your exceptional kindness and generosity.

Pirjo – for your efficient communication and for organising our excursions.

Henri – for a great morning ice fishing, for keeping us safe and for a lovely lunch.

We are very grateful to you for making our trip to Ruka memorable and our Ice Fishing excursion lots of fun.  Hope you enjoyed the Bailey’s Irish cream…see you all in 2020.

LILY-BELLE SAYS (10) Getting dressed in lots of different clothes was really stressful but I enjoyed the ice fishing.  Maybe next time we’ll catch a fish. The snow on the lake was really deep and fluffy but now I know why there’s no snowmen in Finland, it’s difficult to make one!

MATILDA SAYS (4) I liked the ice fishing lots but enjoyed making snow angels more.  The hot berry juice was delicious when it went cold but the sandwich was hard and a bit yucky, I didn’t like it!

Travel Itinerary

Ice Fishing Excursion:  booked with Rukapalvelu Safarihouse in Ruka. How to Book:  we recommend contacting Rukapalvelu Safarihouse via their website prior to your trip. Website: click to visit Rukapalvelu Safarihouse Contact Tel: +(00)358 10 2710 500 Pricing:  from €89pp – children under 12 are half price, children under 4 are free Price Includes: guide, equipment, snack and transportation (meet/return to Safarihouse in Ruka) Date of visit:  4th March 2019

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              Information, currency and prices are correct at the time of publishing. Views, opinions and experiences are that of The Callaghan Posse and are correct at the time of publication. Photos, unless credited, are taken by The Callaghan Posse for use and distribution by Around The World In 18 Years. Images and content may not be used or copied (private or commercial) without obtaining prior permission.

[AD disclaimer: our Ice Fishing in Ruka excursion from Rukapelvelu Safarihouse was gratis in return for social media and blog coverage]

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[sugarlinnie]

𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐓𝐨 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐌𝐞

1. What is your full name?

Lai Kuanlin!

2. Do you have any nicknames that aren’t derived from your actual name?

Mommy calls me angel! And sometimes monkey!

2. Do you have any allergies?

Strawberries. :( But guess who still eats them! yummy.

4. What is the longest your hair has ever been?

It was down to below my butt once!

5. How well can you write in cursive?

:/ Gross.

6. Name one item on your bucket list.

Uhm! I really wanna go to France.

7. Have you ever been on a blind date?

I’m not blind? How could I have gone on a blind date? haha

8. What is the oldest piece of clothing you still wear and how old is it?

Uhm, five years? Maybe? It was one of the first things my mommy bought me and it’s white and really pretty!

9. How often do you eat out at a fancy restaurant?

Uhm… maybe four or five times a month? Mommy has lots and lots of clients.

10. How grammatically correct are you when you text?

lol not @ all c;

11. Can you drive stick?

...C-Can i what?

12. What foreign country would you most like to visit and why?

France! Oh, it’s so so beautiful! Mommy went once and told me all about the lovely people and the nature and the SIGHTS! She said I would love it, that there’s this quaint little cafe with the bet cupcakes. . . I want to go so so badly..

13. Nutella or peanut butter?

Nutella! Yummy!

14. At what age did you have your first kiss?

Uhm…. fifteen?

15. DC or Marvel?

Icky.

16. Have you ever hosted a wild party?

My mommy hosts some! But they’re not interesting.

17. Name/author of the last book you read cover to cover. Do you recommend it?

I read one of the Harry Potter books I think, but I don’t remember the author! I don’t really read unless it’s for class :(

18. How many of your Facebook friends do you actually hang with?

Facebook is for old people

19. Have you ever donated blood?

Yes! And it hurt really bad :( But they gave me a cookie and some juice after and the mommy convinced them to give me an extra one. And then gave me hers :)

20. From 1-10, how much do you like decorating for holidays?

13!!!!!!!

21. Coffee or tea?

Tea!

22. What is your go-to Starbucks drink?

I like the pink drink but mommy says its too sugary :(

23. Last show you binge watched?

Spongebob! I watch it a lot but not when mommy is home. She gets annoyed and good girls don’t annoy their mommies.

24. Dogs or cats?

KITTIES!

25. Favorite animated Disney character?

I like Flounder!

26. Have you ever cooked a big family meal by yourself?

My family is me and mommy so yes! I’d say so! I’m not very good at cooking though..

27. Favorite winter activity?

I like building snowmen! We do it on the building’s roof because there’s not much free land outside where we live. :(

28. Have you ever butt dialed anyone?

Have I ever what?

29. Can you blow a bubble gum bubble?

Yes! Once I blew one so big it popped and landed on mommy! She didn’t think it was very funny...

30. How early in the year do you start celebrating Christmas?

September is when I start hunting for gifts and I make mommy decorate with me right after Halloween!

31. What emoji best describes your life right now?

The heart eyes!!

32. Are you fluent in more than one language?

Yes!

33. What is the longest you’ve ever kept a New Year’s resolution?

Uh…. i’m not sure!

34. Have you ever successfully been on a diet? Did you gain any of the weight back?

Mommy says I’m perfect. And that diets are only to help people feel better about themselves. So I don’t diet.

35. Are any of your grandparents still alive?

Yes, my grandma!

36. How good are you at communicating through facial expressions?

Apparently, I’m very expressive.. Mommy calls it funny. :(

37. Have you ever gotten a commercial jingle stuck in your head?

The Geico commercials :( But mommy gets mad when i sing them all day..

38. Have you ever left a movie theater before the movie was over?

no

39. Do you consider rapping singing?

no

40. Does your home have a fireplace?

Yes! A really big and really pretty marble one!

41. Favorite non-chocolate candy?

SKITTLES!

42. If you could have only one superpower, what would you want and why?

I want to talk to animals

A lot

especially kitties

43. Have you ever locked your keys in your car?

i don’t drive !

44. Do you listen to any religious music?

no ew

45. Do you drink soda? If so, which one is your favorite?

i like dr pepper! sometimes!

46. What was your ACT score?

34!

47. Rice or quinoa?

I like rice better :(

48. From 1-10, how good of a driver do you consider yourself?

-2 i suck :(

49. Do you like horror movies?

YES I LOVE HORROR MOVIES MOMMY CALLS ME HER LITTLE SPOOK

50. How easily do you cry?

:/ very easily :/

51. Do you have any tattoos? If so, of what and where?

I have a cute little ghost tattooed on my forearm! He’s got little fangs and a cute little smile!

52. You are hanging with your closest friends. What are you most likely doing?

mhm … by closest that means bella and yukyung so probably shopping!!

53. Can you handle spicy foods? What is your spice limit?

gross no :(

54. Can you play any musical instruments? If so, which ones?

i can play the piano really well! i’ve been learning since i was little and mommy even got me a tutor for a while so i could learn to play the longer songs! i play for a little every day and when i’m sad or nervous, i write my own little melodies!

55. Are you more introverted or extroverted?

mommy thinks i’m an ambivert and i agree!! I think i’m a little of both!

56. Last CD you bought?

the red summer!

57. Do you like roller coasters?

no!!!!

58. What day of the week is laundry day for you?

mommy has the staff do our laundry.. so it varies!

59. Have you ever played spin the bottle?

noope

60. How long have you known your best friend?

eight years! I love my bella :((

61. Can you eat using chopsticks?

yes yes! mommy giggles because i don’t really do it right, but i always get more on my sticks than she does so i’m the real winner here :)

62. Do you have any stickers on your laptop computer? If so, what are they of?

yes !! i have tons! little kitties and i have a few rainbows and uhm, i think a unicorn maybe? there’s also lots n lots n lots of pink!

63. How often do you say y'all?

huh?

64. Favorite flavor of ice cream?

Chocolate! but strawberry is a close second!

65. How long was your longest relationship? Are you still with that person?

i’ve been with mommy since i was fifteen. so four years so far!

66. Star Trek or Star Wars?

neither

67. How good are you at math?

>:(

68. Have you ever acted in a play or a musical?

noooo

69. How often do you read/pay attention to your horoscope?

eh.

70. What is the shortest your hair has ever been?

my shoulders! but it was really ugly :(

71. Have you ever broken any bones?

my nose! and i broke my wrist a few months ago because i tried to be a big girl when mommy wasnt home and it didn’t go well :(

72. Do you like to go fishing?

no yucky why would you take fishies out of their ponds

73. Do you believe in evolution?

mommy calls me a monkey and says i definitely used to be one but i don’t think that’s evolution

74. Favorite costume you wore for Halloween? How old were you?

ooo!!! i love this question! last year for halloween, we went to a party for mommy’s work and i got to play princess all night!! she got me a pretty swooshy pink dress and the prettiest pink heels and she even hired someone to do my makeup and my hair for me!! everyone thought i was the best princess they’d ever ever EVER seen!

75. Real or fake Christmas trees?

real why would you ruin Christmas with a fake tree :(

76. How many pillows do you sleep with?

eight! but i usually end up laying on mommy’s chest so …… :)

77. Do you live in an apartment or a house?

it’s a loft! it’s really expensive so we each sort of have our own floors? if that makes any sense? it’s on the business side of town, so i don’t have many friends or anything, but the loft is split into the lobby ( you have to have a passcode to get in and everything! ) fourteen different subfloors, the penthouse, and then the roof! but if you get on the elevator, a teeny little hallway leads to the different loft on each floor so for instance, if you step off on the wrong floor, you’re not walking directly into someone else’s living room!

78. How many of your friends are of the opposite gender?

It’s too hard to count all of my friends!! :(

79. Have you ever had a near-death experience?

no!

80. How long have you been at your current job?

since i was seventeen!

81. What kind of car do you drive (year, brand, model, color)?

i have a cute little mercedes that mommy bought for me but….. Again…. I suck at driving

82. How flexible are you?

i can do the splits going straight down AND to the sides, and i can put my feet behind my head!

83. Have you ever ended a romantic relationship?

no.

84. Phrase you say the most?

‘ cute! ‘

85. Have you ever kissed anyone of the same gender? If so, did you like it?

i kiss mommy all the time!

86. Do you own any homemade clothing?

i make a lot of my clothes! heejin and i learned how to sew from our aunt and i really liked doing it so i make lots of sweaters and things!

87. Do you like fast food?

yes yummy!

88. Have you ever given anyone CPR?

nooo

89. Have you ever learned to do anything from a how-to video on YouTube?

i learned how braid my hair!

90. Describe your sense of humor.

i dunno i just really like those funny little vines

OH AND KITTY MEMES!!

92. Favorite cereal?

chocolate lucky charms!

93. Have you ever auditioned for a reality competition show?

no

94. Have you ever gotten a TV theme song stuck in your head?

no

95. Do you believe in ghosts?

YES

96. Do you think there is life on other planets?

YES YES MOMMY THINKS ITS DUMB BUT I MAKE HER WATCH DOCUMENTARIES AND THINGIES WITH ME !!!

97. Have you ever given money to a street performer?

yes! everytime i see someone i give them whatever i happen to have in my purse!

98. Your deepest fear?

being alone

99. Pancakes or waffles?

waffles! mommy makes the yummiest waffles and she covers them in strawberry sauce and chocolate chips for me!! if i was a good girl the night before, i even get whipped cream!!

100. Are you still friends with anyone from high school?

yes i’m still friends with tons of my high school friends!

101. From 1-10, how good of a dancer do you consider yourself?

7!

102. How much of a patient person are you?

:/

103. Do you know your IQ?

nooo

104. Do you eat meat at all?

if i could be a vegetarian i would but i like baked chicken and tacos too much :(

105. Do you own any clothes from a garage sale or a thrift store?

yes ! i own tons of clothes from both!

106. Have you ever bought anything from a flea market?

yes mommy and i love visiting flea markets! It’s where we found a lot of our lazy day outfits!

107. Have you ever quit a job?

noo

108. Have you ever gotten a song you dislike stuck in your head?

yes :(

109. Any movie(s) you can watch over and over and over again and enjoy just as much each time?

ALL OF THE DISNEY PRINCESS MOVIES

110. Do you or have you ever worn glasses?

yes i have to wear them sometimes :(

111. Have you ever skinny dipped?

once or twice with mommy!

112. Are your birth parents still together?

yes! :)

113. Have you ever been in the audience for the taping of a TV show?

no

114. Favorite type of cookie?

CHOCOLATE CHIP

115. Have you ever been broken up with?

uh yeah. i guess..

116. How often do you smile when getting your picture taken?

i smile in them pretty often actually!

117. Have you ever accidentally dialed 911?

yes :(

118. Oldest memory?

baking cookies with eomma for my appa back in taiwan!

119. Have you ever been the victim of a nasty prank?

i’d rather not talk about it.

120. How often do you snort when you laugh?

never!

121. From 1-10, how good of a singer do you consider yourself?

-4 but guess who sings anyways!

122. Favorite Disney song?

scales and arpeggios and i see the light!

123. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

i really want to be a professional photographer..

124. What is your Myers-Briggs personality type?

enfp-t!

125. Have you ever had a fortune cookie fortune come true?

no

126. Name one thing you wish people would stop posting on social media.

weird challenges :/

127. Last musical artist you saw live?

red velvet! mommy took me!!

128. Credit cards or cash?

cash

129. Favorite fandom?

uh ...

130. What is your astrological sign?

I dunno!

131. Have you ever been fired from a job?

no

132. Any hidden talents?

I can actually dance really well!

133. Can you surf?

no

134. What motivates you to do well in life?

making my mommy proud of me.

135. Your worst physical feature?

my mouth i think :( it’s really red and annoying sigh

136. From 1-10, how much are you like your father?

2

137. How lucky do you consider yourself?

very!

138. Name a moment in your life when you were pleasantly surprised.

the day i met my mommy.

139. Have you ever been summoned for jury duty?

hm?

140. What type of shoes do you wear the most?

my boots! they’re black but they have a cute lil fabric bit of flowers sewn to the inside!!

141. Favorite summer activity?

swimming!

142. Favorite song to sing in the shower?

uhm…. likey!

143. Have you ever lived with a roommate you did not get along with?

no!

144. Have you ever lived on a farm?

no haha

145. Have you ever kept a diary or a journal?

yes! I write in it every day!

146. TV show or movie you quote/reference the most?

none???

147. How often do you get mad at yourself?

Lots :(

148. Have you ever gotten any stitches?

yes on my belly when i was thirteen!! there’s a lil white line :((

149. Have you ever been hunting?

no! that’s nasty!

150. Favorite YouTube channel?

I don’t watch much youtube.

151. Have you ever had a pet besides a dog or a cat?

i had a bunny! i named him carrot :(

152. From 1-10, how well do you work with others?

10!

153. Are you friends with any of your exes?

all of them!

154. Apple or PC?

Apple!

155. Do you collect anything?

i collect funky little jewelry pieces!

156. Have you ever seen any Broadway plays or musicals?

no :( i’d like to though!

157. Any missed opportunities you wish you had taken?

no

158. Have you ever uttered a spoken hashtag?

no?

159. Do you have a pool at your house?

Yes! It’s on the ground though. and it’s not mine haha

160. What is the longest you’ve gone without sleep?

twenty - seven hours!

161. Last thing that made you laugh?

i saw a video of a cat using a human toilet!!

162. Disney or Nickelodeon?

disney

163. Name one celebrity you wish was still alive.

uh

164. From 1-10, how much are you like your mother?

9

165. Your best physical feature?

my eyes! and mommy says i have cute thighs!

166. Earbud or earmuff headphones?

earmuff headphones!!

167. Have you ever wished you were born the opposite gender?

no

168. Do you have any piercings anywhere besides your ear lobes?

yes i got my nipples done a month or so ago!

169. How often do you wash your hair?

every two days but i shower every day!

170. Showers or baths?

baths !

171. Have you ever been a bridesmaid or a groomsman?

yes, for sohee!

172. Bottled or tap water?

bottled !

173. What was your favorite TV show when you were a kid?

I dont remember :(

174. Any guilty pleasures you’re willing to discuss?

does.. Does chocolate count

175. Favorite video game?

animal crossing!!!

176. Have you ever gotten a New Year’s kiss exactly at midnight?

yes each year from my mommy.

177. How many of the United States have you visited?

I havent! but i’d really love to visit Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Canada!

178. Have you ever given money to a homeless person?

always.

179. Have you ever gotten a surgery?

no

180. Your least favorite food?

fish :(

181. From 1-10, how competitive are you?

5

182. Do you like wearing hats?

no not really

183. How much of a jealous person are you?

:/ i get jealous so easily..

184. What was your SAT score?

669

185. Have you ever voted for a reality competition show?

i vote for p101 all the time but it’s not really reality i don’t think

186. Does anyone in your family currently serve in your country’s military?

no

187. Snowboarding or skiing?

neither

190. Have you ever dyed your hair?

yes!

191. From 1-10, how good of a cook do you consider yourself?

-2

192. You have just opened up a web browser. What is the first site you visit

my work blog!

193. How many things can you do with your weaker hand?

i can legibly write my name!

194. Were you involved in any academic clubs in high school?

nope

195. Have you ever played hooky from school?

sometimes

196. Are you comfortable with watching rated R movies?

yes

197. Do you root for any sports teams?

no :/

198. First thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

cuddle my mommy

199. If you could take home any one animal from the zoo, which one would you choose?

panther! grr!

200. Tell something about yourself most people don’t know.

I’m actually really, really scared of people rejecting me.