#choices monthly challenge 2024

[choicesmonthlychallenge]

Choices March Challenge 2024

I asked and you answered. It seems like flowers and spring are prompts you are interested in for the March Challenge!

I hope you enjoy the prompts I chose. There is a mix of flowers, spring related words, March holidays, dialogue prompts, and visual floral prompts. I also posted some floral dividers that you're welcome to use.

Have Fun + Happy Creating!

Prompts + Guidelines below the cut!

Flowers (these are some possibilities, but all flowers are accepted)

Bleeding Heart Flower

Carnation

Chrysanthemum

Coneflower

Corpse Flower

Daffodil

Daisy

Gladiolus

Hydrangea

Iris

Jade Vine

Lavender

Lilac

Lily

Marigold

Moonflower

Nightshade

Orchid

Pansy

Peony

Poppy

Rose

Snapdragon

Sunflower

Tulip

Wildflowers

Spring

Awakening

Baby animals

Butterflies

Clear skies

Daylight saving

Fresh air

Growth

New Life

Outdoor activities + sports

Picnics

Rain boots

Rainy days

Renewal

Spring cleaning

Sunny weather

Warm temperatures

Longer days

Umbrella

March Holidays (these are some possibilities, but all March Holidays are accepted)

March 01: National Peanut Butter Lover's Day

March 08: International Women's Day

March 09: National Barbie Day + Get over it Day

March 11: National Napping Day

March 15: The Ides of March

March 16: National Panda Day

March 17: St. Patrick's Day

March 18: Awkward Moments Day

March19: First day of spring

March 23: National Puppy Day

March 30: National Take a Walk in the Park Day + Doctors' Day

March 31: Easter

Dialogue Prompts

"The flowers in the park seem to have a secret language, don't they?"

"Why does every spring bring back memories of that garden?"

"I can't believe you kept that secret from me all these years."

"Why do you always have to be so stubborn?"

"I never thought I'd see you again."

"Do you believe in second chances?"

"I thought we were in this together."

"You're not the person I thought you were."

"Sometimes silence speaks louder than words."

"Is it too late to start over?"

"I don't know who I am anymore."

"We're running out of time."

"Why are you really here?"

"Your laughter is my favorite melody."

"If our love story were a book, every page would be filled with the softest words and the sweetest kisses. What chapter are we on now?"

“Will you please shut up”

 “Of all the things i love about you, this is my favorite.”

Visual Prompts:

If one of these inspire a creative work from you feel free to use it. You can list the prompt topic + # (ie: Rainbow 3)

Guidelines + Rules

Submitted works will be featured on a weekly masterlist

Every form of creative work can be submitted: fanfiction, drabbles, moodboards, edits, drawings, poems, songs, sketches, and more—all are welcomed.

Work from any book and story from the Choices (and Pixelberry) universe are welcome (new and old alike)!

You can participate as many times as you want during the month

Clearly list the prompt your used

You can combine submissions for this event and others

Please add a cut to avoid long posts and exposing other fans to triggering/disturbing content.

If your work is NS*W please label it as such and use appropriate warnings. Adult content should be hidden under the page break.

You can get creative with the prompts. It can be a variation of the word and/or concept. It doesn’t have to be exact or literal. If the word inspires a train of thought that led you to something different, put that in the notes and send it in! Have fun with it! Make them work for you! The ultimate goal is just to find joy in creating!

Please tag @choicesmonthlychallenge​​ and if you’d like to add me you can do so as well~ @lovealexhunt​​​ (feel free to DM me your work too since Tumblr tags are fickle)

Please do not submit work that has been created with AI. Works that contain AI will not be reblogged. If reblogged inadvertently and I find out they have AI, they will be deleted.

Late entries will be accepted through April 5

#choices #choices game #playchoices #choices stories you play #choices monthly challenge #choices march challenge #choices march challenge 2024 #choices monthly challenge 2024 #march2024

[lilyoffandoms]

Ava Cunningham for @choicesmonthlychallenge

Snapdragon: magic, truth-telling, & broken curse

My Art ish Tags: @storyofmychoices @aallotarenunelma @twinkleallnight @thosehallowedhalls @dutifullynuttywitch

Thanks to whoever suggested her with snapdragons (I can’t remember sorry 😅)

#my art ish thing #i polish nothing #ava cunningham #choices ilitw #playchoices #choices monthly challenge #choices march 2024 challenge #weekend portraits

[february2024choiceschallenge]

Choice February 2024 Challenge

Valentine's Day is often part of February's challenges, and when planning this year's, it crossed my mind, too.

I realize many loathe the holiday, but disclaimer: I love it! Ironic since I hate commercialism and Hallmark holidays, but I never framed it that way. From the time I was a kid, I always saw it as a day to celebrate love - all kinds of love.

I'd bake cookies for my friends and classmates and make my mother and grandparents cards. I'd get my pets special treats, watch movies with my sister, and visit the old lady down the street who didn't have family nearby.

Of course, if I have a girl/boyfriend or spouse, I'd celebrate with them, too. But, it was never limited to them. Unlike my friends, I was never devastated if I was single - or in a relationship that was not in a good place. Because the day was about so much more. As I reflected on that - I realized I had my theme!

This week, I'll post the prompts for February's event. It's not about Valentine's Day - but love - all types of love. I'll also have some LOVE STINKS prompts because, hell, as much as I'm a proponent of all things amor, we all have those days/periods, too!

Thanks for checking this out, and keep an eye out for more to come!

#choices monthly challenge #choices february challenge #choices february challenge 2024 #playchoices

[doumadono]

Step into the sin bin! Sinful Sunday is a unique writing extravaganza on this blog, where I explore your every idea and curiosity about your beloved characters. Got a headcanon burning to be shared? Craving to explore a particular kink? Look no further, you're in the right spot! Send me an ask, and in return, you'll receive either a little blurb or set of headcanons! Share your thoughts anytime you fancy. Saturday morning is when the floodgates open, and the posts will come pouring in! 😉🔥

GENERAL RULES

for Sinful Sunday participation, kindly ensure you're 18 or older. Your safety matters, and I'll tag my content accordingly. Please respect this request and do your part

feel free to send your asks, thoughts, imaginations, or requests either anon or not

you're also welcome to share your own headcanons or imagines for the character of your choice! I'm eager to engage in conversations about them with you 😊

Sinful Sunday will last all through Sunday and will end Sunday night at midnight, 23:59 CET

any additional Sinful Sunday requests I receive afterward will be either reserved for the next Sunday or considered for a future request, depending on my current mood and availability

Sinful Sunday-specific tag for all asks, blurbs, and headcanons will be: #doumadonos sinful sunday 🔥

Sinful Sunday kicks off on the upcoming Sunday, September 10th!

SINFUL SUNDAY UPDATE AS OF 3/12/23

Firstly, on the Sundays of December 24th and 31st, I won't be posting anything for Sinful Sunday. Given that it's the Christmas season and I'll be with my family, I've decided that the last Sinful Sunday of the year 2023 will be on Sunday, the 17th.

Due to the high volume of requests every Sunday, it's become physically challenging to complete all of them in a single day. To address this, I'm implementing a new rule – I'll be posting approximately 5 pieces for every Sinful Sunday. Any requests remaining in my inbox will be automatically scheduled for the following weekend.

I'll be adjusting the priority for Sinful Sunday requests, giving top priority to those that come in off-anon. While anonymous questions are still welcomed, I'll be initially focusing on non-anonymous requests.

I'm aware many of you enjoy the Hantengu Clones, but I kindly request not to ask for similar scenarios with different clones once a scenario has already been published with one of them.

I'm open to delving into darker content, so feel free to share your more intense thoughts/thirsts with me without hesitation! 🔥

SINFUL SUNDAY UPDATE AS OF 31/12/23

In light of the recent poll results, I'm thrilled to share that Sinful Sunday is set to unfold bi-monthly, taking place every two weeks, starting January 14th, 2024

Any requests submitted from now on will be posted on the specified day (in the event of a substantial number of requests, they will be posted based on the order of reception in my inbox. Just a gentle reminder: I'm featuring only 4-5 pieces each Sunday!)

SINFUL SUNDAY UPDATE AS OF 15/02/24

As I'm heading to Japan on March 1st, there will be some changes to Sinful Sunday.

the upcoming Sinful Sunday by the end of February will be the last one before my Japan trip. Sinful Sunday will resume on April 27th, and I'll remind you about it in a post

SINFUL SUNDAY UPDATE AS OF 23/04/24 - TOTAL CHANGE IN FORMAT

due to the large number of 5k celebration requests, Sinful Sunday will be postponed to May 11th

I've decided to change things up for this recurring event. Since Sinful Sunday happens every two weeks, in the first week - I'll collect your requests. Then, a week before the event - I'll post a poll with all the submitted requests, so you can vote for your favourites. I think this will be the healthiest approach, especially since the last few Sinful Sundays have been overwhelming due to the influx of requests in a single day

the two works with the most votes will be posted every Sinful Sunday

all unused requests will either be deleted or saved for separate stories (only if I really like specific requests)

repeated or similar requests to stories I've already posted will be deleted

you can submit requests for Sunful Sunday starting now, and the first poll will be posted on May 4th

fandoms I write for: My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, Honkai Star Rail, Genshin Impact, Jujutsu Kaisen, Wind Breaker, Bucchigiri!?, Obey Me, Haikyuu

#doumadonos sinful sunday 🔥 #sinful sunday #x reader smut #smut #kny smut #mha smut #jjk smut #bnha smut #obey me smut #my hero academia smut #haikyuu smut #navigation #genshin impact smut #hsr smut #honkai star rail smut #jujutsu kaisen smut #bucchigiri #bucchigiri?!

[monthly-challenge]

Hello Friends! Welcome to my first Monthly Prompt Challenge!

How To Participate:

Reblog this post to get the word out!

Create your own Gifset, Fanart, Fanfiction, etc!

Tag your post as #februfluff2024

Caption your work with: @monthly-challenge 2024 | *insert prompt*

Rules and Guidelines

There is one prompt for each day of February but feel free to do as many or as few as you want!

Make your own creations!

Absolutely No NSFW content!

Whump and angst are acceptable and encouraged but please no gore!

Tag me! I want to see what you have created! As long as I am comfortable with what you have created, I want to share it to this blog!

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!!!

Other Things To Keep In Mind

You do not have to do every prompt in order to participate!

The choice of fandom is up to you!

If you are a few days late on a prompt, it’s okay! As long as you tag me and the post appropriately, I’d still love to see it!

#fluffy prompts #prompts #gif prompts #writing prompt #art prompts #February 2024 #February #gif post #gif #gif makers #artist #fanart #fic writer #fic writing #fanfic #fanfiction #februfluff2024 #februfluff

[larkingame]

hello folks! I hope that January has treated you all well and that the beginning of 2024 has been kind to you so far. welcome to the second public update for larkin's monthly development of 2024! 

Personally, January seemed to fly by for me, and while it did provide a lot of time for work, it also posed some challenges and taught me a few things. The first of which, is the fact that the new Larkin is a //big// undertaking, bigger than I think even I realized when I first set out on this journey. While turning Larkin into an RPG, with dice rolls, stat checks and the like is a decision that I'm still very happy with and proud of my progress on--it's going slower than I'd necessarily like. To illustrate this to you, the prologue of Larkin currently sits at about 55k words, while the original twine prologue was at just about 21k words in it's complete scope. The big difference there being, in those original 21k words I managed to get the plot moving and the Preacher and Wyatt on their way to Nevada, but in the time that I've been working on the RPG version of Larkin, I've only just about gotten finished with the first major encounter. It's slow going, and I'm working really hard to ramp up the production speed--adjusting my schedule to wake up at 5:00 am to work for a few hours before work and school, and then coming home and working on larkin until about 1:30 am (as much I hate this fact, I //do// in fact need //some// sleep.) Even with all of my free time dedicated to work on Larkin or catching those few precious hours of sleep, I'm still not entirely happy with the speed at which I'm working on it--and I'm still experimenting to try and figure out what works best that helps me produce quality work with a quick turn-around. 

That being said, one of my new systems I've implemented to try and alleviate my production stress is that I've started dropping two updates to the game every week. The first update comes on Thursdays and is called what I've dubbed a 'Bulk' Update, it essentially builds on the choices/routes that have already been presented to the player, giving you room to explore your environment/develop your character compared to the Sunday 'Streamline' Update, that furthers along the plot of the story. Later tonight I'll be posting an update roadmap for the month of February on Patreon. 

Other brief updates about the progress of the game. For one, I've been working with two artists—one who is producing some art that'll be used as future patreon physical rewards and another who's putting together portraits of all the game's main characters that I am. Sickeningly excited about, considering that this artist is my current favorite working artist of all time. In total there's going to be sixteen character portraits that you'll be able to unlock throughout the course of the game, with slight variations depending on our relationship with that character. Other than that, me and my assistant Phillip are in the process of really trying to build a bigger social media presence for Larkin, so we'll be launching twitter/threads/bluesky/instagram and editing the tiktok pages for Larkin, that I'll drop in a card later tonight as well. I’ve also introduced another patreon tier of $1 for those of you who are wanting more consistent updates on the game development on Patreon!

STATS: 

PROLOGUE WORDCOUNT: 55, 750 words

ROUTE TRACKER: 1.5/11

PROLOGUE WORDCOUNT GOAL: 150k

#larkin if #larkin game #larkin patreon

[splatsvilles-fashionista]

Splatoon 3 Fashion Challenge - Week 49: Chill Season 2023 Sendoff Special!

Oh wow, it's been a bit since we did one of these, huh? We've been busy lately. Fresh Season 2024 may just have started, but we've yet to wave goodbye to Chill Season 2023, and I don't know how other people feel about it but this was my favourite Catalog to date?

Anyway, for this fashion challenge, you must build an outfit around any one (or more) pieces of gear that were introduced in this season, and that means both the Catalog as well as the monthly Salmon Run rewards. As such, your choices are:

Meetcha Mask

Rugby Fleece

E-JECT 30VV

Clue-Detecting Cap

Tenured Turtleneck

Tricolor Boaties

Flounder Flap Cap

Barazushi Liner Shell

Buckle-Down Boots

Vintage Biker Cap

Deepsea Tangle Top

Annaki Tuff Duffel

Anglerfish Knit

Barazushi Peacoat

Spiked Duck Boots

Fuzzly Sweater

3D Glasses

Hacker Jacket

Trevally Derby Rollers

As a reminder, you don't have to use only gear from this list, but you must include at least one, and I want it to be centerpiece of your outfit. Good luck, folks, you've got until monday!

Rules:

Put together an outfit of any kind that you feel matches this week’s theme. Be sure to give it a name, as well!

Send it to me via ask or submission, please don’t add it to a reblog, that makes it very easy to miss! Also, please make it clear that it is a submission for the challenge and not just a regular submission.

Only one outfit per person! You can submit multiple photos of that single outfit, though.

Please include the gear you picked in the submission. It makes my life just a touch easier!  

The outfit should be submitted before Monday morning, as I will pick my favourite submissions to feature on Monday evening.

#splatoon 3 #fashion challenge

[sesskagarchive]

From the Archives: March 2024

banner by @jafndaegur

SunsetMiko

Dokuga | FFnet

Recommended by KillingPerfection143

"Her fanfictions were the first I read. She deserves most of the credit for me being a hardcore SessKag lover. She has a lot of works and she deserves all the attention! The least I can do is recommend her works. Her stories have all sorts of plots and some of them are just too good, chef's kiss..!🤌🖤🔥"

Recommended reading:

Come Play With Me - "One of the best plot twists ever." Rated MA. From 2009. One Shot. Summary: Little white lies turn into big problems for Kagome when her boyfriend decides to join in on her little game. Written for LiveJournal's InuSongFics Community. Sess/Kag

Higher Education Rated MA. From 2014-2019. Incomplete. Chapter fic. Summary: Kagome befriends a nerdy Sesshoumaru and sets out to teach him that there's more to college than studying.

Joys of Parenthood Rated M. From 2010-2014. Incomplete. Drabble collection. Summary: The adventure continues, as Kagome and Sesshoumaru discover all the fun, and all the challenges, of being parents. Drabble collection that loosely follows 'What to Expect When You're Expecting' Ratings will vary from chapter to chapter.

Ladies Choice Rated MA. From 2012. One Shot. Summary: Kagome has been talked into participating in the village's fertility festival. Written for Dokuga Contest's 4th Anniversary Challenge - Silk

What to Expect When You're Expecting Rated MA. From 2010. Incomplete. Drabble collection. Summary: Kagome and Sesshoumaru are having a baby! A drabble set dealing with the joys and not so wonderful parts too of pregnancy and parenthood. Ratings will vary from chapter to chapter.

What Your Eyes Did To Me Rated MA. From 2008-2014. Incomplete. Chapter fic. Summary: Sequel to What Your Eyes Can Do. Two months later, will Sesshoumaru’s luck turn so he can finally find Kagome? How will he react to discovering her relationship with Inuyasha?

Recommend a creator who's no longer active in the SessKag fandom for this monthly spotlight HERE!

#sesskag #sesskag fanfiction archive #sesskag fic recs #sesskag fanfiction #skfa creator spotlight #skfa: from the archives

[ladykinrannoch]

Last sunset on 2023. Thank goodness and goddess this year is over.

We are leaving a year 7 which is when we were meant to awaken. Those awakening wonders no doubt benefitted, but I neglected my path.

Oh boy, did I reawaken though in the last few months... I literally went back to my original awakening in 2003 and followed my path I took to reach Wicca. Which started way back... joining an Ashram learning about Sivananda Buddhism, vegetarianism, studying in earnest the concepts of Eastern religion- Feng Shui, Numerology - and studying the ancient art of natal charts and astrology, feeling lost and having too many questions about why religion did not have the answers.

I reread Celestine Prophecy, I had someone approach me this year as an adept who asked for a reading list... oh boy the list of books was extensive. Just on how to reach the basic understanding that there is a source, the source is the Divine and the Divine lives in you. Your choice on how to treat the Divine. You've heard that biblical phrase "My body is a temple". Indeed everyone's body is a temple. Treat it that way.

Later joining JUST which was a monthly philosophy group, and hearing and debating concepts that I had never yet considered. Also at that time experiencing my fear of giving up Christianity and formal religion, but yet choosing to! How liberating it felt! To embrace the esoteric and mysticism to move beyond and above and discover secret knowledge. To begin the Craft and observance of the Wheel of the Year. To practice the Sabbats and observe them. And finally to become a 1st degree priestess in CAM in 2022. I think I've done my 2nd degree work during a year of challenges without any real consciousness and I have started to formulate my great work which I hope to accomplish during 2024. Relating to empaths, children of the source who come to endure and suffer, in order to awake others and yet who through this process end up as broken souls. It will be a work around #mentalhealthawareness

Then going on through the years...Learning tarot divinination, accepting that my psychic abilities were something I was born with and it was not a bad thing like church taught us. Embracing my psychic dreams, seeing my prophecies come true and understanding that for the first time listening to your dreams, intuitions and hunches is a good and natural thing. Not one to be ashamed about... because the Divine is in you! We are all fragments of the same source and to that same source we are all bound to return, but many lose The Way. Some never find it and are destined to circle the bottom of the mountain forever... seeking a way up. The book Riding the Lion explains this concept best in my opinion.

In this year without me realizing, I completed a circle again that took me 20 years before. And in hermitage and study in the last three weeks I found the real me again. I stand proud for Wiccan culture and the wisdom of the old Gods. Paganism is true understanding of the mysteries of the Universal Laws of Nature. These apply across all creeds, cultures and ethnicities. As our world becomes more intermingled my 🙏 is that we start to form a universal understanding of all as it is above and so it is below. )0(

LVS2023 Diary of a broken soul

~~~~~~~~~ Credit to original authors below the cut

So let's dive into what I think will help you all. Regarding a basic concept of the vibration numerological of any given year.

The equation is simple. 2+0+2+3=7

~~~~~~

The 7 is the philosopher and the seeker. When we are in a 7 Year cycle, this is a time of spiritual awakenings, knowledge gathering, solitude, and inward focus. Are you ready for self-reflection and to dive deep into the inner workings of your spiritual self?

The collective will undergo major shifts in how we think, see, and view the world this year. Our sense of spirituality is growing tremendously and we may see shifts in our philosophies and spiritual beliefs. If you do not consider yourself a spiritual person, this year you may start to explore your spirituality more—either on purpose or by accident (say, for example, through a sudden spiritual awakening).

The 7 is the seeker of all knowledge, spiritual and otherwise. Its greatest purpose is to be a student of life and to commit itself to a sacred calling. What topics have you been drawn to that support your inner growth? Follow that path. The 7 knows that the answers we are seeking can only be found within, when we silence the noise around us and allow ourselves to surrender.

What awaits us in an 8 vibration year?

https://creativenumerology.com/8-year-cycle/#:~:text=This%20is%20a%20year%20of,the%20greatest%20power%20of%20all.

All credit to creativenumerology.com. Link above.

If you can't follow the link:

CREATIVE NUMEROLOGY

YOUR JOURNEY THROUGH THE CYCLES OF TIME ~ ~ by Christine DeLorey

THE 8 YEAR CYCLE

THE 8 YEAR is a time to develop personal power. It is a journey of true understanding, reward, balance, and achievement.

Whatever the soul knows how to seek, it cannot fail to obtain. ~Margaret Fuller

You get what you want in the 8 Year. You really do. However, if what you want is out of touch with reality, it could end up being a liability, and if you do not know what you want, life will react with the same level of uncertainty! This year, you must be specific and realistic. The 8 Year is a time of self empowerment, which starts with the often startling realization of how little power you actually have in the world, and that it is up to you to regain your power and find a way to live as freely as possible.

This year, you will prosper according to the strength of your determination, the accuracy of the information you take in, and the depth of your awareness. Throughout the year, your ability to make things happen and get things done will increase. Your expectations will rise, along with your confidence and feelings of satisfaction.

Last year was deeply emotional and confusing for you, but it enabled you to answer many questions about who you really are and why your life is as it is. It had to be that way so you could know what your needs actually are. Now, enough is enough. It’s time to get down to business! You instinctively know that you must become stronger than you have ever been.

8 is the number of power, material and financial gain, achievement, reward, status, and satisfaction. The 8 Year vibration will provide the means – the personal power – with which to change the status quo and accomplish a significant goal that will alter the direction and quality of your journey.

But there is another aspect of 8 that is rarely spoken about. Yes, 8 is the number of power in the material world, but it is also the number of accurate information, without which power cannot sustain itself. In fact accurate information is not enough. There also has to be CORRECT UNDERSTANDING of that information, otherwise it is useless to you.

True understanding produces perfect balance from which visions can be turned into material reality, and through which the material experience becomes a deeply spiritual one. The feeling of inner satisfaction (contentment) is the ultimate reward of the 8 Year, but it may take all year to correctly understand why its value is so great.

It is up to you to decide precisely what you want to accomplish, and to eliminate any habits or attitudes that have held you back in the past. You may start out in one direction at the beginning of the year, only to find yourself in an entirely new situation later on. Progress will come from information or insight that you have accumulated along the way.

This year’s accomplishments are only the beginning of your long-term advancement. Remember that desire comes in two forms: from love or hate. When you are in tune with your desire that comes from love, its power can drive you, and often carries you from the inside, toward external success. Trust it. The events and circumstances of this 8 Year will lead you from one evolutionary experience to the next. Each will bring you closer to your ‘right place’ in the world. A sense of belonging is one of the most precious rewards on offer this year, but this quest must begin with where you are.

If you are not happy where you are, then it is up to you to do what is necessary to change your circumstances. Your ‘right place’ is not necessarily a matter of geographical location. Being where you want to be can also refer to matters of love, relationship, health, status, finances, or any area where improvement is desired. Whatever your desire may be, it is important to treat it as a reachable ambition. Even though your goals may be of an external nature, the ultimate goal must be the inner feeling of satisfaction, which is what happiness really is.

Material gifts and support from others will come more easily this year. You may also meet others who are searching for the warmth of personal satisfaction, truth and freedom. You can no longer endure the limitations of those who do not share or understand your need for independence and fulfilment.

At first, others may oppose you; those who think you may be aiming too high, or those who feel insecure with your ambitions. Or, you yourself may have doubts as to how you can make your desires happen when you do not appear to have the means or knowledge to do so. Or, you may be able to feel the strong potential of 8, but are unable to pinpoint what it is you really want to accomplish. Once you believe that you can create what you want if you are willing to learn HOW to make it happen, you will realize that you are exactly where you need to be to find the necessary inspiration and resources.

The 8 Year is not particularly easy-going. The material plane can be a cold and competitive place. Consistent hard work and determination are necessary. Difficult decisions will have to be made, along with adjustments that you may not be prepared for. Physical, mental, and emotional stress can result. You must take adequate time to rest and replenish your energies, even though you may not think you need to. Be sure to take frequent breaks from the work load, or you could exhaust yourself.

This year’s circumstances will expose you to many different forms of power. Some will excite you – while others will enable you to see the dire consequences of power when it is abused or neglected. However, only from a more powerful position of your own will you be able to retain your freedom and fulfill your needs. This is a year of action, efficiency, intelligence, and faith. It is a time to reap the rewards of whatever you have “invested” into life. These rewards depend largely on how much love for what you are doing is involved. Ultimately, you will learn that love has many different forms and is the greatest power of all.

You may have to reconsider the very concept of money, power, and success as the reality of these things change before your eyes. True success, in this day and age, can no longer be measured by what you take out of life but, rather, what you contribute to it. You are not here in creation to toil for others, but to create your own unique destiny. If the desire for money or power are all that is driving you, then you are likely to achieve certain goals, but their long-term potential will be far less satisfying. Recognize the power others have over you. Find ways to release yourself from their control or, at least, do not set yourself up to be controlled.

The 8 Year is a quest for inner satisfaction, contentment, and happiness. One of the first rewards of the year may come as an opportunity to finally do what you want to do – a return on your investment of having the courage to search for what you truly desire in the first place. Or, you may have the chance to bring what you already have or do to a much higher level. Seize the opportunity and bet big on yourself.

You are the only one you can count on for prosperity and security. Be aware of what is taking place in the world. This will increase your power levels and will enable you to take precautionary measures to protect your resources and reputation. You are ready to turn your life around and make it truly satisfying. This time, you are taking yourself more seriously. This time, you’re going to get it right!

An increased sense of self-importance may be felt, and this is a good sign that you are feeling both the urgency and the pleasure involved in taking charge of your own life. This is no time for false modesty or for outright arrogance; just practical application to what must be done.

Contradictory emotions will arise for the purpose of balancing your ego, not suppressing it. When your ego (your sense of self) reaches that tranquil place between over-inflation and self-depreciation, it goes peacefully to sleep while your abilities increase. It is a time to reclaim your Will and start being who you naturally are.

Be aware. And beware. What was once considered sound business sense may not apply today. Competition is not the answer to maintaining quality. Quality cannot help but suffer when competition turns into war; and it always turns into war at some point. The finest quality can only be maintained by love of quality. Remember this as you present yourself and your ideas to the world this year. Concentrate on the larger issues and move away from pettiness and dependency. Delegate as much and as fairly as possible. Aim higher than ever before. Go after what you really want and believe you’ll get it.

creativenumerology.com © 1999-2023 Christine DeLorey. All rights reserved.

All credit to the original authors. From below the ~ cut.

Photo: my own

PPS I only tagged real family and those I consider adoptive family. If I left you out my apologies.

[bellasbookclub]

Bella's Book Club FAQ 🍎🌲📚

What is Bella's Book Club?

Bella's Book Club, (sometimes abbreviated to "BBC"), is an interactive virtual book club created by the Three Books One Plot podcast. Each month, participants read a selected book from the list of Bella Swan’s (really Stephenie Meyer’s) favorite books and authors as it appears in Chapter 13 of Midnight Sun, then come together to discuss it on Discord and other social media.

Where can I find Bella's Book Club?

We post most of our important information here on our Tumblr, as well as in the #announcements channel of our Discord. You can also follow along on our Goodreads and Storygraph (mainly used to keep track of past and present books we’ve read/are reading.)

Who can join Bella's Book Club?

BBC is open to anyone! You do not have to have participated in previous discussions, or even be a listener of the 3B1P podcast (though we’d love that, of course.) All we ask is that you be prepared to encounter mature themes and situations in some of our books (and discussions.)

How do I participate in Bella's Book Club?

BBC is designed to let you choose the level of participation you’re comfortable with. Most of the action (and fun) happens over on our Discord, during our monthly real-time discussions, but you're also welcome to share your thoughts or fanworks on a book by tagging us on tumblr or sending an ask/submission. We also sometimes post challenges, ask/tag games, and “scavenger hunts” to go along with our book of the month, and encourage each other to get creative. Past BBCers have made moodboards, fanbinds, playlists, shitposts, written fic and parodies, done scientific research, and even recreated recipes from the books we’ve read! The pressure is totally off, though—you’re welcome to read along and lurk from the cozy corner of your choice.

Who runs Bella's Book Club?

BBC is run primarily by bookworm nerds M (@gashousegables) and G (@volturialice) with occasional help from Shannon (@flowerslut).

M (she/they) is an Australian book nerd with librarian aspirations. From Animorphs to a Smeyer-adjacent Dragon girl phase, she's also the weeaboo in residence for the book club. When not feverishly promoting their Virtual Best Friend known as the Libby App they are swallowing pulpy Romances and mandatory sociological theory.

Favorite books: Imagica, the Locked Tomb series, Friday's Child, Picnic at Hanging Rock

G (she/her) is an American book nerd who grew up devouring like 3 high fantasy doorstoppers a week and considered the Scholastic Book Fair a national holiday. She enjoys reading gory Jacobean/Elizabethan tragedies for fun and has worked in Shakespeare education when she’s not stanning her local library.

Favorite books: Annihilation, The Bloody Chamber, the Locked Tomb series, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

Shannon (she/her) is an American jock who read oodles of fic but thought books were mainly good for propping up wobbly tables until she had her own Reading Renaissance in 2022. Now she's on a quest to discover new favorites by seeking out recs and devouring every book in sight!

Favorite books: We Have Always Lived in the Castle, the Locked Tomb series, The Vanishing Half

When is Bella's Book Club?

This year, Bella's Book Club runs September 2023 through June 2024, followed by a break for our summer reading challenge. Books are announced one month in advance, and discussions take place once a month on Monday nights at 8 PM EST (Tuesday mornings at 11 AM AEST) during 3B1P’s off weeks. In the event of a postponement, we announce it on Tumblr and Discord.

The current discussion dates for 2023-4 are:

October 2nd

October 30th

November 27th

December 26th (Tuesday!)

January 22nd

February 19th

March 18th

April 15th

May 13th

June 10th

Nominations/recs for the 2024 Summer Reading Challenge will open May 20th.

Do you do movie nights?

Yes! We sometimes take a break from reading to host Bella's Movie Club. Many of the books we read have been adapted for film and TV (and when no adaptation is available, we often watch a thematically similar movie.) We host movie nights on our Discord, scheduled according to demand and availability. We usually announce movie nights on Tumblr and Discord a week or so in advance, and schedule them on weekend nights (US)/weekend or Monday mornings (Australia) to accommodate the max number of time zones. If you’ve never watched a movie on Discord before, it’s super easy—anyone who wants to watch joins in via our voice channel, mutes themself (if you don’t know how to do this, the mods can do it for you), and then chats (mostly jokes) in real time via the #movie-discussion channel. It’s a rollicking time.

What books have you read in the past?

For our Season 1 (Twilight) lineup we read Jane Eyre, The Princess Bride, Sense and Sensibility, Tooth and Claw, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Little Women, and Northanger Abbey.

What’s the BBC Summer Reading Challenge?

The Bella's Book Club Summer Reading Challenge is our yearly summer break activity, designed to coincide with 3B1P’s hiatuses. Phase 1 of the challenge involves recommending up to 5 books through a Google form. In Phase 2, everyone’s recs are compiled into a list. Readers then choose 5 books from the list to read (and, optionally, review) during the summer months! You can find last year’s list here (and reccer spotlights here.)

Why are the books on your list Like That?

The list we’re pulling from was made by a white Mormon woman for her Not Like Other Girls YA protagonist. (We’ve found that Stephenie Meyer’s taste in books varies from “a quality classic but uninspired as a rec” to “this is actually a pretty cool deep cut.”) But don’t let that put you off too hard—we love reading through a more intersectional lens and Queering The Narrative, for example! We also take summers off to read each other’s book recommendations, which can be of any genre and include more diverse characters and authors. Even when choosing our lineup of monthly books, we try to schedule so that we end up with diversity of genre, era, style, and subject matter if nothing else.

***

got more questions? send us an ask!

happy reading! (we'll see you at book club)

#faq #book club #booklr #online book club #twilight #bella swan #bella's book club #official™ announcements

[sweetestlittledarling]

Our First Kiss

Rating: PG

Pairing: Julian x Sparrow (Female Apprentice)

Part of @monthly-challenge 2024 | First Kiss

Summary: There are many first kisses, but a true first kiss is special

(Side note: this takes place in my own head Cannon of three sibling apprentices, so it mixes a bits of Julian's, Asra's and Muriel's story line all together. Trust me it's been a hell of a time working it out, but this takes place after Julian's and near the end of Muriel's. Enjoy lol)

Julian realized very quickly that Sparrow was indeed a very good choice for an assistant. She was quick to learn things and even quicker to get things done. With those steely gray eyes, she mastered ever task he set her to do, quickly and efficiently. Also, her handwriting was impeccable compared to his, though as a doctor he assumed that came with the territory. He also noticed other little things about her as well. The way she hummed as she worked, filling the clinic with sound rather than silence. The way she would tuck stray hair behind her ear as she leaned over the desk. The way she would name the leeches to make them a little more tolerable to work with or how she petted Brundle as she read through research books, the old dog happily leaning into the touch.

              Jealous of the dog Ilya? a voice inside his head asked, sounding a little like Pascha. He shook the thought away and tried to focus on his writing, though he felt his heart beat a little faster.

              One evening as they were returning from a house call, Sparrow asked a very surprising question: “Doctor Devorak, what do you plan to do after you cure the plague?”

              Julian paused, not sure how to answer for a moment. “I am not sure,” he said truthfully as he hung up his plague mask carefully, “I would think probably continue being a doctor.”

              “Is that all?” Sparrow asked, watching him from where she leaned against her desk.

              “As I said I’m not sure,” Julain admitted, waving his hand a moment as he looked to find the words. “I don’t like to think about he future especially since the here and now needs the most attention.” He paused again looking at her in earnest. “Why? What are you going to do?”

              “I was thinking of traveling,” Sparrow said, her voice hopeful, “maybe see the world outside of the city for a bit. I love my home, don’t get me wrong, but I have never really seen it anywhere else. I would love to take a boat and sail to a sunny island somewhere.” Her eyes seem distant as she stares off into space, as if she can see the island right there in front of her. But then she sighed as she shook her head. “I’m sorry doctor, these are silly questions. I just figured if I had hopes for the future then maybe all this effort on finding a cure might not seem so- “Futile’ was the word on both of their minds though neither spoke it.

              Julian nodded. “I suppose it is nice to hope though don’t let it make you lose focus. Our duty is to our patients and daydreaming won’t bring us any closer to a cure.”

              “Yes doctor, “Sparrow said, looking as if she was turning back to the papers on her desk. Julian also turned back to work but then he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked up, about to ask if she needed something when he found her lips on his. Now the clinic was not very big, and it was not unusual for them to bump into each other, though they had worked out many a system for this not to happen as often. But this was deliberate, it was intentional, it was…gentle and warm. His eyes grew wide for a moment not knowing what to do, his heart suddenly racing. Kiss her back you fool, his inner voice told him. But before he could respond, Sparrow was already pulling away, her face beat read from blush and her eyes wide.

              “I am so sorry...I…” she stuttered. She then grabbed her bag off the chair and rushed out the door. Julian rushed to follow, making it to the door in time to see her retreating form disappearing into the darkness. For a moment he just stood there watching where she had gone. Then he touched a hand to his lips, feeling warmth there. For a moment he pictured a beach somewhere and pretty Sparrow, smiling at him…

              A distraction, a new voice in his mind supplied, all this is a distraction to your goal doctor! If you loose focus now so many people will die… A new image sprung to mind, Sparrow’s pretty gray eyes dyed red like blood and Julian shuddered. No, he had to focus. He would find the cure. He would find…

              “She’s gone!”

              Julian opened his eyes again. What day was it? It was a clear day, but the red haze made it a little more difficult to tell lately. He was at his door still, but something was different. Instead of three it was one. Lark, Sparrow’s twin, the youngest brother and he was clearly angry. Julian blinked tiredness from his eyes. He hadn’t slept in what felt like years. “What are you yelling about?” he asked, somewhat rudely though in his state he didn’t much care.

              “Sparrow! She’s gone! They’ve taken her and Robin to the Lazaret!”

              Julian’s heart stopped. The world stopped. Everything stopped in that instant. “What?” It wasn’t so much a word out of Julian’s mouth as a painful breath.

              Lark grit his teeth and actually growled. “My brother and sister are gone and it’s your fault! You and your stupid cure! If my sister had been home, then she would have been safe instead she was here with you! She’s dead because of you!”

              Julain felt pain as his fingers dug into the door frame. His mind was empty. His mouth didn’t work as all he did was stand there…Imagining a dark-haired young lady with determined gray eyes, who tucked her hair behind her ear and hummed little tunes to pass the time. He imagined the same young girl on the beach who laughed sweetly and kissed him…. No! How had he not known she’d been sick? Had he known he would have…No! NO!

              “Julian?”

              Julian awoke with a start. As his mind came back to him, he remembered where he was. He was in camp in the woods, just outside of Muriel’s home, in the tent he shared with…He blinked his tired eyes as he felt a gentle hand run through his hair and he when he looked up, he found the gray eyes he had come to adore so much. Julian melted under her touch, savoring the calm he felt just being in her presence.

              “Are you alright love?” Sparrow asked, voice quiet. “It sounded like you were having a nightmare.”

              “I was, in a way.” Julian sighed as he moved closer, gently resting his forehead against the nape of her neck. “I was just remembering the first time you kissed me.”

              “The first time I kissed you, you mean at Malinka’s apartment?”

              Julian shook his head. “No, back when you were my assistant.”

              “Oh,” Sparrow said suddenly catching on. “You mean…” There was no need to finish the sentence as they both knew what he meant. Sparrow lowered herself a little more, so that she was eye level with Julian, one hand still playing with his hair while the other held one hand in hers. She rested their hands against her chest and gave him a gentle smile. “Do you want to talk about it?”

              “There is nothing really to tell,” Julian said, resting his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. “One day you kissed me, though I always regretted not kissing your back.”

              “Hmmm, I think that makes sense,” Sparrow mused, “I was thinking about thing and how I felt when I first met you. When I saw your face without the mask that night in the shop, I felt like I knew you and my heart skipped a beat. I think I realize now that before I might have had a crush on you.”

              Julian laughed a little. “Couldn’t resist my charms even then huh?”

              “Yeah, but I don’t think it would have worked out back then.”

              Julian opened his eyes, looking curious. “You don’t think so?”

              “Well for one I think I was too young and naïve,” Sparrow answered. “I didn’t really know you outside of the hero worship I probably felt watching you work. Plus, I feel that it might have been a little inappropriate given that you were my boss at the time.”

              “Always my dear pragmatic Sparrow,” Julian sighed, though a sexy grin creeping along his lips, “but the thought of the handsome doctor and sexy assistant does get the mind going now doesn’t it.”

              Sparrow giggled as she brought the back of her hand to her forehead in dramatic faction. “Oh doctor, not in front of the leeches.” They both broke down into a fit of giggles after that one, Julian wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer. They fit so well together, her arms wrapping around his neck pulling him for a kiss. As they broke apart again Sparrow rested her head on his chest, his face resting in her hair breathing in. “You know,” Sparrow said, “I don’t think that was our first true kiss. I mean you didn’t kiss me back and, in all honesty, though that person was me, they are gone now. I can’t even remember who they were even though I’m sure they were very similar.”

              “Yes, very similar,” Julian breathed, “but I agree, we are no longer those people. So, then our first kiss would have been in Malika’s apartment?”

              Sparrow shook her head. “No, while we did kiss, I think it was more out of lustful desire, which is nice, but I like to think our first true kiss was much later. I think our true first kiss was right before you went down into the dungeon, through the bars of grate.”

              “And why that particular moment?” Julian asked, a little bit surprised.

              “Well, seeing you so frightened, feeling how you clutched my hand and held me like we would never see each other again, made me realize that I was scared to.” Sparrow pulled back just enough to look into his eyes. “I was scared for you because I loved you. I loved you so much and just wanted to protect you, to keep you safe, to have that future with you. And when we kissed, I knew whatever was down below, whatever came next, I wanted to face it with you just like now and just like always.”

              Julian could say that again the world came to a stop, though for a much different reason than before. Looking into Sparrow’s beautiful eyes he found the same determined girl he had seen that night on his doorstep but now he could also see the love of the wonderful woman he had come to treasure over their adventure. With one hand he tucked a stray hair behind her ear and leaned in for another deep kiss. He felt her hand grab hold of his hair as they came together again and again. “I love you,” he breathed once they had broken apart, though faces remaining very close.

              “I love you too,” she breathed back.

              Julian grinned. “I don’t think I will ever get tired of hearing that.”

              “Good,” Sparrow said, grinning herself, “because I plan to say it a lot more for a very long time.”

#the arcana #the arcana julian #the arcana mc #julian devorak #arcana apprentice #arcana fanfiction #fanfiction #februfluff2024

[lilyoffandoms]

Tyril x Kassandra for @petalouda85 for the @choicesmonthlychallenge

Camellia (pink): long for you

Camellia(red): you’re a flame in my heart

This took me forever and I’m so sorry about that but thanks for letting me borrow Kassandra. I think I finally got Tyril to not look like a blueberry but ugh, I’m still not happy with his face. Faces are hard yall!!

My Art Ish Thing Tag (Choices Edition): @storyofmychoices @aallotarenunelma @twinkleallnight @thosehallowedhalls @dutifullynuttywitch

Tyril Tag: @liviusofpella @starlight-starfury

#choices monthly challenge #choices march 2024 challenege #my art ish thing #i polish nothing #pose ref used

[february2024choiceschallenge]

@choicesmonthlychallenge @choicesfandomappreciation @choicesficwriterscreations @choicesflashfics @choicesholidays @choicesprompts @choicesjanuary2024

#choices monthly challenge #choices february challenge #choices february challenge 2024 #love stinks #playchoices

[akwardlyuncool]

Sitting To Know Your Collection Project 2024 (January - TBD)

So in 2024 I've been doing a little album listening project with my CD collection. Essentially every week I spin the picker wheel that is filled with a list of all the CD's from my collection, that I've cataloged so far and give it a few plays throughout the week.

For those who have decent sized physical music collections, you know there's just some stuff that doesn't get played or doesn't get played enough. Hate to say it, but some things sit and I figured why not try and dust them off a little bit. (It also forces me to work on my CD cataloging project.) It's called "Sitting To Know Your Collection" because the challenge is to sit with your music and get to know it a little better.

I have a friend who did something similar a few years ago, so shout out to him for most likely planting the seed in my head a few years before it would manifest into my own take.

All that being said, and I know I'm informing folks late, but I figured someone else might want to challenge themselves too, so I figured why not share my hella subjective rules that can be modified to fit whatever you got going on.

Rules and Such:

It can be any genre you choose, just pick a "new" album from your collection every week to show some listening love to. (New as in different.)

Track the albums for yourself or with friends.

PS: I made a tracking template if anyone wants it.

Go for as long or short of a time period as you want. (My initial goal was to go from January until the end of September, but I'm liking the project so much, that I might extend it out till the end of the year, who knows.)

This is a side quest to your regular music listening habits. Replay the album as much as you want, but at least twice works within the spirit of the challenge.

If you don't have any physical music but this still sounds fun to you, just hop on the streaming service of your choice and pick a new album from there every week.

No pressure. No Stress. Just fun.

*Not Official Rules (just somethings hella specific to me):

Since I always show love to my soundtracks, they are not part of the project, neither is any album that has made it to my favorite albums of all time list. Just to be fair.

Last I try to only do full albums, but every once in a while I'll allow myself an EP.

.

.

So that might pose the question, what albums have I listened to so far? Great question! Because I'm sharing this like 3 months in, I'm gonna post monthly roundups for January, February and March. Then starting sometime in April, hopefully I'll get to sharing last week's album on a weekly basis. The good thing is though, I've been keeping up with it on my Instagram, so copy and paste will be involved.

Stay tuned for January.

And if you participate, I'd love to know! Let's talk about what you're sitting with!

#Sitting To Know Your Collection 2024 #Sitting To Know Your Collection #Physical Media #CD Collection #CD's #Vinyl

[monthly-challenge]

Hello Everyone, welcome to the third Monthly Prompt Challenge, April Spring Fling (April 10-April 30, 2024)

How To Participate:

Reblog this post to get the word out!

Create your own Gifset, Fanart, Fanfiction, etc!

Tag your post as #springfling2024

Tag us → @monthly-challenge

Rules and Guidelines:

There is one prompt for each day! The event starts on April 10 which will give you time to get a head start on your creations!

Make your own creations!

Absolutely No NSFW content!

Whump and angst are acceptable and encouraged but please no gore!

Tag me! I want to see what you have created! As long as I am comfortable with what you have created, I want to share it to this blog!

If you have questions, don't hesitate to reach out!!!

Other Things To Keep In Mind:

You do not have to do every prompt in order to participate

The choice of fandom is up to you!

If you are a few days late on a prompt, it's okay! As long as you tag me and the post appropriately, I'd still love to see it!

#springfling2024 #April challenge #monthly challenge #gif prompts #fanfiction #gifset #fanfiction prompts #spring #monthly prompts #prompts list #fanart prompts #prompts challenge #fic prompts #art prompts #prompts

[catkin-morgs-kookaburralover]

@monthly-challenge 2024 | 6. Sharing Food

I used this prompt for my original characters, Nathan and Patience: the story is under the cut.

Word count: 1,411

“What did you want to cook?” asked Nathan, the instant Patience set foot in the kitchen. He was enveloped in a comically large apron, impressive given his height.

Distracted, Patience said, “Did… did you make that apron? Did you literally just make an apron that was too large just for the fun of it?” He smiled charmingly. “Of course.”

It was floral, and not precisely what she would have expected him to choose, but the pink flowers suited his oven-flushed cheeks. “I didn’t even know you sewed, but I’m not particularly surprised when I think about it.”

“I don’t, much, but I wanted an apron the way I wanted it, so I made it. I even hand-sewed it; that’s not machine stitches you see there.”

Patience took it up and examined it critically. “Very neat,” she said in surprise. “I completely thought that was machine sewing.”

“Success.” He grinned at her, and Patience grinned back, taken by his expression. She was maybe a little bit obsessed with her boyfriend, all things considered. Then again, he was a pretty good sort of fellow, the reason they were going out. She wouldn’t have settled for anyone less than him, because the only way that could have ended was badly, and she had no wish to have a relationship that important end badly if she could help it.

She suspected she got into her head too often. Shaking away the thought, Patience replied to his earlier question with, “Do you have any suggestions?”

Her boyfriend blinked back at her, then realised what she was asking. “Oh! Um, not really. Unless you wanted to make migraine soup.”

Patience laughed. “Soup out of a migraine?” she quipped.

“You know what I mean,” Nathan grumbled.

“That doesn’t stop me from laughing at you.” She offered her most charming smile.

“I would not have it so,” said Nathan, and bowed in a courtly fashion to her. “Listen, if you didn’t say that kind of thing where it was clearly noticeable I’d be filing for divorce already!”

She quieted, and he grimaced. “I didn’t—look, Pat, I’m sorry. Bad choice of words.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll try not to again.”

“Thanks.”

That little awkwardness past, Patience brightened and said, “So—do you have a cook book of some kind that we can look through?”

“That’s an excellent point. Mum does.” He fished out three large tomes and dumped them on the kitchen table, and he and Patience pored over them for several minutes, flipping through the books at varying speeds, before Patience said, “How about this?”

‘This’ was a recipe for the curiously named Linzer cookies, which Patience had never seen before, and which Nathan quickly said he had never made. “They do look interesting, though.”

“A bit like yo-yos,” she said, examining the recipe. “Except more exciting because look at that centre. It’s so pretty!”

“Food is to eat but also to look pretty,” he agreed. “Do we have all the ingredients? Flour, yes—almond flour, also yes—salt, yes—butter, let me check—powdered sugar, yes—brown sugar, yes—eggs, yes—vanilla extract, yes—almond extract, let me check—fruit jam, yes. Butter and almond extract, then—” Nathan went in search of the pantry, and returned victorious. “We have both butter and almond extract, apparently. You’re in luck, Patience, because we usually don’t have almond flour but there was some marked down a lot at the shops the other day, so Mum grabbed it while it was there.”

“Wonderful. It wasn’t for anything particular, was it?”

“No, just while it was so cheap as to be cheaper than normal flour. Convenient, isn’t it?”

“Exceedingly.” She waited, awkwardly, while Nathan fetched everything out of the pantry and fridge, then said, “Um—do you have a spare apron?”

“Oh! Yes, there’s Mum’s.”

Patience picked up the dark blue apron, put it on and glanced quizzically at his brilliant pink one. “Pink for girls and blue for boys, whomst?” she said.

“Nothin’ doing, this is mine,” he said, adopting a threatening attitude.

“I wasn’t about to take it away from you,” she replied placidly.

“Just as well. I shouldn’t have let you. Besides, it’d look ridiculous on you.”

“It looks ridiculous on you,” she said fondly. “Not that that’s a failing.”

“Good: I wear my ridiculousness with pride.”

Patience stepped closer and kissed him quickly. “That’s what I love about you.”

“I know.” He kissed her back, and their plans were slightly delayed.

Once Patience extricated herself from the deep embrace they ended up in, she tied back her hair and said, “Well, we should probably get onto cooking those biscuits—”

“They’re cookies, dear, read the recipe.”

She rolled her eyes cheerfully at his nitpicking and said, “Whatever they are. We should cook them.”

“Are we allowed to mix the ingredients together first?” he asked plaintively. This time Patience laughed.

“First we need a mixing bowl,” she said, reading the instructions.

“Ahead of you.” Nathan put a glass mixing bowl on the bench with a gentle clink.

“And whisk the flour, almond flour and salt together.”

“Whisk,” he said, and got out a wooden spoon.

“If you do your mixing, then, while I cream the butter and sugars? It says to use a mixer but I reckon I can do it well enough.”

“I believe in you,” he encouraged her.

She flashed him a smile, then picked up a tablespoon and set to work on it. Nathan was done much more quickly than she was, but watched her attentively and was ready with the first egg yolk as soon as she proclaimed it done.

“I can take over if you want,” he offered, but she shook her head. “Maybe in a bit when the going gets tough.”

“Of course,” he agreed. Patience mixed in silence until it was done, then separated it into two batches.

Once they had shaped the first batch, Nathan read the recipe. “Okay, time to chill.”

She grinned. “Excellent.”

They passed the time until the cookies were ready for the oven in a theological discussion about the terminologies used for God in the Bible. At ‘God of my refuge’, the timer went off and both abandoned their discussion reluctantly, promising one another that they would come back to it later.

They rolled out the dough in companionable conversation, but not about the theological discussion, since Patience wanted to be able to cross-reference and find exactly where each term was used, which she couldn’t exactly do with floury hands. The biscuits they made a perfectly round shape, with small heart shapes in the middle. Nathan made a heart shape with his hands after handing the cutter to Patience. “‘Cause I love you,” he said romantically.

“Love you too,” she retorted, face lighting up with a smile.

“Great, glad to hear that,” he said, looking a little flushed as he kept on cutting out circles and handing precisely half of them to Patience for the additional heart.

Once they were in the oven, they returned to their seats. Patience was the one to remember the timer, which Nathan said was just as well, since he’d forgotten about it and the cookies would be rather blacker than intended if he’d been the one to remember.

While they were cooling, Patience picked up the Bible again. “Where’s that verse about the Lord being a strong tower that the righteous run into?”

“Psalms, I’m pretty sure. Maybe Jonah. Probably Psalms though.”

“Why Jonah?” she mused, already flipping through Psalms slowly and scanning for the desired verse.

“I don’t know. I always get it mixed up with Jonah’s prayer, but I don’t think it’s in there at all.”

“No, neither do I—aha! Found it. It’s not in Psalms at all. I thought suddenly that it might be in Proverbs so I checked. Eighteen, verse ten.”

“Thanks for finding it. Isn’t it interesting?” Nathan added, glancing at her. “The many different ways God is revealed as a—a thing? You know, I can’t remember the word but you know what I mean?”

“I know what you mean. Not just merciful and gracious and all that, but as a refuge, a hiding place, a strong tower. Isn’t it exciting?”

“Exciting seems the wrong word to me,” he demurred.

“Well, it’s exciting to me,” she said firmly. “D’you think the cookies will be cool yet? I want to en-jam them and try them.”

Nathan laughed kindly at her. “They won’t be cool for a while, Pat.”

Nathan and Patience were using this recipe for their cookies! I've never made it but it looked fun. The bit about terminologies used for God was stolen from a conversation I had the other day with... someone on Chrumblr but I forget who. If you see it, hope you don't mind lol. Tagging @stealingmyplaceinthesun@graycedelfin@pilgrimsofworship and @choasuqeen

#februfluff2024 #nathan #patience