#it's ok everything was cuter on low detail anyway

[lowpolyanimals]

Is it ok if I post a screenshot of a game that is usually high res, but is bumped way down to the lowest quality because my laptop really sucks? Therefore, making it low poly?

Sure!

#answered #this reminds me of years ago trying to play runescape on 'high detail' and my laptop miserably failing #it's ok everything was cuter on low detail anyway

[justkending]

Knock, Knock. Part 3.

Summary: You are a really good friend of the Padaleckis. Your apartment gets infested with all kinds of problems, so you have to move in with your friends for a couples of days. Little did you know who you would run into while staying there.

Pairing: (single) Jensen x Reader

Warnings: None.

Word Count: 1880

Part 3:

“Hey, Y/N right?” Jensen asked with a wide smile pointing to you.

“Uhhh, yeah. Jensen Ackles, right?” you said pointing a finger back at him as you moved closer into the room.

“Ha ha! Yeah, but no need for the formalities. Just Jensen is good.” He laughed as he stood up reaching his hand out to shake. “It’s nice to actually meet you. You didn’t seem that interested in the whole introduction thing this morning.”

You looked at his hand then back at him before grabbing and shaking it.

“Oh God,” you groaned, shaking your head remembering the morning. “I’m so sorry if I came off rude. I had a major hangover from the night before and was not happy with all the noise. Really, I promise I’m not that grumpy and short all the time.”

“I don’t know… You seem pretty short to me,” he said turning his head to the side. “I don’t think you’ve grown that much since this morning.”

You were confused at first, but eventually caught on.

“Clever man. I see,” you chuckled. “Nice one smart guy.”

You took this moment to strip off the last bit of layers you had on and hung them across your arm.

“Do you know where Jared is by chance?” you asked, straightening your sweater out and looking around.

This guy was even cuter in person, and even after getting pampered all day and looking done up, you still felt like you had to fix yourself up.

“Umm, he told me he was going to change before dinner, but it’s been a good 10 minutes,” Jensen answered, turning to look where his friend walked out.

“Yeah, and I thought I took forever getting ready, but for all we know he’s been grooming that luscious mane of his this whole time,” you giggled.

Jensen immediately turned to look back at you hearing you laugh. It was the most beautiful sound, and it went with a perfect smile.

“Ha! You’re probably right,” He said looking at you with wonder. “Glad I have someone else to back me up on the hair jokes.”

“Oh, I’m always up for joking around with Jared.” You said with a smirk. “Anyway, I’m going to go get changed into something more comfortable myself. Are you staying for dinner?”

“Um, I wasn’t originally planning on it, but my plans just got canceled.”

If by plans you mean sitting at home and ordering in, then yeah. Count those as canceled.

“Great, I’ll make sure to set an extra plate for you then,” You smiled walking to your room down the hall, giving him a friendly wink on your way out.

Shortly after you left, Jared came into the living room in sweats and a white Henley.

“Hey, dude what are you still doing here? I thought your ride would be here by now.”

“Trying to get me rid of me Jar?” Jensen said jokingly from his seat on the couch.

“No man, you know you’re welcome here all the time, but you said your ride was like 2 minutes out when I went to change. I just thought you would have left by now.”

“Uh yeah, change of plans. I’m staying for dinner, if that’s ok?”

“Um, yeah sure. Fine by me. I know Gen loves having you over,” Jared said plopping on the couch next to his friend. “Plus, I think Thomas has a new toy he was all excited to show you.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Hey Jared! I was wondering where you were!” you said making your presence known.

You had changed into some black yoga pants, a giant grey sweatshirt with red lettering of Oklahoma on it, and some cozy red long socks that you scrunched up over your leggings. You had gotten your hair blown out today with Gen, and it was looking really voluminous and movie star like, so you just let it be. You thought you looked pretty cute for a relaxed at home look. A good hair day always boosted your confidence.

Jared’s head spun around to see you walk in. Then it looked back to Jensen with wide eyes who was just watching your every movement.

“Y/N, I didn’t realize you were home. I thought you and Gen were having a girl’s day out.” He kept looking back and forth from you to Jensen.

You went and sat in the giant single chair that was close to the couch the men were on. You flung your legs over the arm and nuzzled into the back before crossing your arms to get comfortable.

“Yeah, well the day’s almost over, and she had to go pick up the boys,” You said noticing Jensen’s eyes on you. You gave him a subtle smile and he returned it. Making your heart skip a beat. “But we had a good day. Nice to have a day to treat yourself after all the crap that’s going on. You know?”

“For sure. How you doing by the way? Gen told me what was going on before you left last night.”

“Oh, you know. Best that I can be. I drank it out last night, and today, I pampered it out. All that’s left is to fight it out,” You laughed out. “Just kidding. Now it’s time to face the storm.”

Jensen had a look of confusion, but didn’t press. Just listened in and tried to pick up on the details.

“Well, you know you’re always welcome here. Let me know if Gen and I can do anything to help,” Jared said with a grin that brought out his dimples.

“You guys have done enough,” you countered, sitting up. “Which reminds me. I am suppose to be prepping the food for dinner. I’ll see you two in a little bit.”

As you got up to start your way into the kitchen, you heard screaming coming from the entry of the house and turned to see two little boys running in your direction. Tom was about 6 years old and Shep was 4.

“Aunt Y/N! Aunt Y/N!” they shouted as they ran at you with open arms.

“Oh my goodness. My two favorite boys! What are you two rascals doing?” you said getting down to their level as the bulldozed you to the ground.

While going to crouch you didn’t have that much balance, and the boys gave you some powerful hugs that made you tilt backwards falling to the ground. You gave up and just laid there with your legs spread out and held onto them before letting go of their hugs.

“Boy’s be careful! Remember we talked about being gentle,” Jared said once you had fallen down.

“Oh, you know it’s fine Jared. They’re just excited,” you said, waving him off and making him roll his eyes with a smile. “Isn’t that right boys? Just cause I’m a girl doesn’t mean I can’t play rough.” You ruffled both of their head’s of hair.

That got a laugh out of Jensen, and Gen came and patted you on the head before saying she was going to get started on dinner.

The boy’s nodded their heads at your comment before trying to tell you everything about their day.

“Y/N! Guess what we made at Grandma and Grandpa’s? Guess! Guess!” Tom said jumping up and down.

“Hmmm. Did you make a… birdhouse?”

“Noooooo…” Tom said.

“No birdhouse? Ok. Did you make a… spaceship?”

“No Aunt Y/N/N! Guess again,” Shep chimed in this time.

“Well, I’m all out of guesses, so why don’t you tell me?” You said pulling Shep into your lap on the ground.

“We made pumpkins!” they said at the same time.

“Oh my goodness! Wait a minute, you grew a whole pumpkin while you were there? Are you some kind of garden witch?” you said poking Tom in the stomach making him giggle.

“No, we didn’t grow pumpkins. We carved some for Halloween!”

“You what?! Well, you’re going to have to tell me what you made them look like while I help your mom with dinner,” you said sitting Shep up before you got to your feet. “Why don’t you boys go wash your hands, and I’ll let you mix the batter for the biscuits.”

“YAY!” they shouted as they ran into the bathroom to wash their hands. Only stopping to say hi to Jensen before running off in full speed again.

“Ugh, they make me feel so old,” you sighed dusting your leggings off.

As you went to look up you noticed Jensen had been watching you the whole time with the biggest grin. You were really good with the kids and it was making him even more attracted to you.

“Hope you boys like biscuits and gravy for dinner because I’m pulling out my dad’s recipe,” you said mainly toward Jared knowing his love for that meal, but saw both of the boys perk up.

“Biscuits and gravy? Oh hell yeah! That’s my favorite!” Jared said with a fist pump to the air.

You laughed a loud laugh and crossed your arms.

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing Jensen is staying. That way he can experience the heavenly meal himself,” you chuckled, turning back to the kitchen walking away from the boys. “It’ll be out in about 20 minutes ya’ll.”

Jensen watched you walk away and hadn’t realized he was staring until Jared slapped him on the arm.

“Ouch! What the heck dude?”

“You know what the heck! You only stayed cause Y/N was here.”

“What? Noooo. I- I just- “

“No, don’t try to make excuses. She showed up while I was changing and you invited yourself to dinner to talk with her more. Don’t act like I don’t know you Ackles!”

“Ok, ok. So what? Is it really going to hurt me to just learn a few details about her. I mean I just learned she is really good with kids.” He stopped and looked back where you had walked away. “Like really good with kids.”

Another smack to the arm.

“OW! Stop that!”

“It may not hurt you, but it may hurt everyone else.” Jared let out a sigh. “I meant it Jensen. You need to leave her be. She’s going through some stuff that she needs to figure out, and Gen doesn’t need to help her through ANOTHER heartbreak because you just want something casual.”

“Who said I want something casual with her? Maybe, I want something more. You don’t know.”

“I know that you haven’t had something not casual in a while. Don’t get me wrong. I want you to settle down, but if it doesn’t work out… Jens just-“

“Ok, ok. She seems like a cool person to be friends with though. At least let me be friends with her,” Jensen said with his hands up in surrender.

“I don’t know man… Maybe-“

“Come on. I promise I won’t try anything. Please tell me you don’t think that low of me.”

“No man. You know I don’t. Just… Ok, fine. Friends. But JUST friends ok? I mean it.”

“Just friends!” Jensen said heading into the kitchen Jared following close behind. “For now…” he muttered only for him to hear.

Part 4

Tags:

@sleepless-sin  @luci-in-trenchcoats @ain-t-bovvered @dean-winchesters-bacon@angelkurenai@unabashedsoul97@sandlee44@gripmetight-raisemefromperdition@cabbagewithissues @supersleepygoat@anotherwaywardsister  

@torn-and-frayed @spnwoman@ravengirl94@carryonmywaywardcaptain @ezilyamuzed

@thosekidswhohuntmonsters

@purpleskiesandcherrypies  @anise-d-castle6@adoptdontshoppets@casper57x@tailsoflightning@spookycowz @eve05glee @snffbeebee @angelessquirrel

#supernatural #jensen ackles #reader insert #reader interactive

[komorebirei]

Her Story | Chapter 2: Dreams

Chapter Word Count: 3,006 / Total Word Count: 4,559

The sun set, casting an orange glow through the white sheer curtains in Julien’s flat. He pulled a light v-neck sweater over his button-down shirt, opting for a trench coat this time. Slipping his wallet and keys into the deep pockets of his coat, he sprayed two pumps of cologne on his neck and headed out the door for the second time that day, this time at a more relaxed pace and without the camera.

A short walk and subway ride later, he was standing in the lobby of one of Manhattan’s signature high-rise buildings. It was a fancy lobby with low lighting, and a concierge discreetly reading a book behind the counter. Leaning against the cold granite wall, Julien shuffled through the photos from the shoot that morning, using the app to rate each photo between 1 star and 5 stars. They didn’t need much post-processing, so he’d be able to wrap that up tonight with some time to spare. He was in a good mood. 

Every now and then, the elevator light would blink and the door would open with a whoosh, gracefully breaking the silence. Each time, Julien looked up in expectation, only to glance back down. The thick doors had parted to reveal a businessman checking his phone, then two young women chatting away, then a janitor. Not the person he was waiting for. The photo review was interrupted by a notification of a new text from Gabriela. Sorry, just wrapping up. I’m coming down now. Julien smiled and shot back, Ok, see you soon. He tried to cover his excitement by continuing to review the photos, but his mind wasn’t there anymore. He ran through different scenarios of what he would say when the elevator opened, knowing he would just end up going with the flow anyway.

True to her words, the next elevator arrival revealed the person Julien was there to meet—Gabriela. She was smiling, her long, slightly-wavy dark brown hair spilling over her shoulders. She was wearing a buttoned-up green pea coat and a brown textured pencil skirt with elegant beige kitten heels. Julien slipped his phone into his pocket and greeted her with a smile as she stepped out of the elevator. “Hey,” he called out.

“Julien!” She came to him with open arms and gave him a quick hug of greeting. “How’s life?" 

“Pretty good, actually,” he answered. “How was work?" 

Gabriela sighed. “It was a long day, but I’m glad it’s over and I get to spend some time with you. Where are we going?" 

Gabriela was a friend he had known since high school. She had gone to college in a different city, but had moved to New York several months ago for work, and they were meeting up for the first time since high school. They had been in the same circle of friends in the past. He wouldn’t have said he was close to her at that time, but they had spent many evenings in the company of the same group of friends, watching movies or hanging out. He had found her attractive back then, but wasn’t one to act on his feelings, so it never progressed beyond the faint suggestion of a high school crush. 

Thanks to modern technology and Facebook though, they had developed a closer friendship post-college. For some inexplicable reason, he had sent her a message one day asking how she was, and it led them down the rabbit-hole of long Facebook chats about a variety of topics, from broad life events, to deep philosophical questions. He had never known their minds would align so well. Whenever he needed someone to vent to about his thoughts or whatever was going on, she was the only one that he felt comfortable speaking—or rather, typing—his mind to without worry that she would judge him. 

He supposed it was a bit of an unusual relationship they had. They had never spoken much in the real world, back in high school, and they hadn’t seen each other in almost 10 years. Yet they had a degree of intellectual closeness that was unmatched by any of the other relationships he had in his life. Because of that, he was a bit nervous about tonight and unsure of how to act. He decided to just follow her lead and play it cool. 

“You like Thai food, right?” Julien asked, remembering she had mentioned that before. 

“I do!” Her eyes lit up. "Do you know a place?” 

“Sure do,” Julien grinned. “Follow my lead. It’s not too far, so no need to take the subway.” 

Gabriela laughed and held the door open for him. Wow, Julien thought. He had forgotten the sound of her laugh. She’s gotten even cuter. Wait, what was he thinking? They were just going out as friends, to catch up and reconnect after all these years. He mentally shook his head to clear the thought. He knew she was dating someone anyway. 

Stepping out onto the sidewalk, Julien gestured toward the right. Falling into step beside Julien, Gabriela shifted her purse to the opposite shoulder so it wouldn’t get between them. 

“So, I have to say this feels a bit weird,” Julien confessed, chuckling. 

“Weird? Why?" 

“Well,” he began, “We’ve been chatting on Facebook, and I feel like I know your mind as well as I know my own. But we haven’t seen each other in almost 10 years.” 

“I guess that is a bit strange,” Gabriela laughed. “Well, everything’s new to me here, so I’m glad to see a familiar face.” 

“How’s your new job going?" 

“Oh, I love it,” Gabriela sighed, “I’m part of the creative team for the cultural reporting program, so there’s always something new. The people are great, the office is beautiful, and I get to do quite a bit of field work too. It can be tiring of course, but that’s life. And it’s a good kind of tired I guess.” 

“You’re still singing too, right?” Gabriela used to be in the theatre program in high school, and although her career path had taken her somewhere different, she had mentioned that she wanted to maintain her singing ability by getting involved in whatever she could. 

“Yeah,” Gabriela answered, “Lately I’ve managed to land myself a side job, singing at bars with a band. The Cat’s Meow.” 

“That’s what they’re called? That’s cute.” 

“Yeah, it was a chance meeting. I saw them play at a bar one night and made some conversation with them. Turns out they were looking for a singer." 

“That’s awesome. Let me know when you’re performing next, I’d love to come watch you guys.” 

“Sure!” Gabriela grinned. 

Julien slowed down, holding out one arm to point at a shiny glass restaurant facade. The interior was dimly lit with orange-hued down lights and paper lanterns. “We’re here. After you.” He opened the door for her and she nodded her thanks as she stepped in. 

“Two people,” Gabriela told the host, who led them into the restaurant to a booth. They took off their coats and settled in. There was a tea candle at the center of the table, floating in a dome of water with a flower submerged inside. Across from them, a large reef aquarium displayed beautifully colored tropical fish, glinting in the low light while anemones gently swayed. 

“This place is fancy,” Gabriela commented. “Have you been here before?" 

“Yeah, once,” Julien answered. “For a friend’s birthday. Their mango-on-sticky-rice dessert is amazing." 

“I guess we’ll have that to look forward to,” Gabriela winked, picking up the menu. 

They spent a few minutes choosing their dishes and placed the order. Julien went with his typical pad thai, and Gabriela chose a green curry. After ordering, Julien stole a glance at Gabriela across the table, suddenly feeling a bit shy. Even though this was supposed to be an outing of friends, the glamorous environment, candle on the table, and privacy of the booth made it feel a lot like a date. Gabriela was important to him of course, she was a great friend, and he had liked her before, wondering if there was potential for them to be something more. But he had no intentions of getting between her and her boyfriend. He hoped she wouldn’t take this the wrong way. 

“So,” he started, breaking into a grin and hoping it looked natural, “Uh, you’re dating someone right? Eric was it?” She alluded to him sometimes in her messages but didn’t talk about him a lot. They usually went pretty deep in their conversations about emotions and ideas, but surprisingly didn’t talk much about the details of their lives and the people they surrounded themselves with. 

“Yeah. Well…” She looked away, a pensive expression on her face. “I was dating him." 

“Was?” Julien looked at her inquisitively. 

She continued to look away, as if it were a topic she wanted to avoid. “Yeah… we broke up recently." 

“If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s ok,” Julien reassured her. 

“No, it’s ok.” She sighed. “I mean, I’m not sad about it. I’m the one who broke it off. But I guess I’m just… kind of annoyed by the whole situation. He keeps trying to get me back somehow. Sending presents to my job, letters in the mail.” 

“Wow.” Julien didn’t know what else to say. He couldn’t resist asking, “Why did you break up with him?" 

“Well…” she struggled to find the words. “It was inevitable. I always felt like there were parts of my personality that he wasn’t willing to accept. We had some good memories, but I don’t think we would have made it in the long run." 

“Oh really?” Julien looked down at the napkin he was turning over in his hands. The thought came into his mind, If she’s single, then does this count as a date? He pushed the thought away again. It was too soon. Does she see it as a date? She looks pretty dolled up. No. Too soon. Julien shook his head. It wasn’t time to flirt, it was time to be a good friend. “Well, it was wise of you to recognize that. Are you sure you’re ok?" 

“Yeah,” Gabriela smiled. “I’m relieved, actually. And glad I’m here with you tonight. If I were still dating him, I’m sure he’d be texting and calling me now to make sure nothing was going on between us." 

Julien shuddered internally. That would’ve been stressful. He couldn’t stop the words from slipping out, “So I guess we’re in the clear.” He winked at her. Ugh. Why? Anyway, it just felt so natural. 

Gabriela laughed. The waitress brought their drinks—just water for both of them. 

Swallowing a sip of water, Gabriela asked him, “So, what are you up to these days? Still freelancing?" 

“Yeah,” Julien answered. “It’s a pretty sweet life I guess. I have appointments almost every day. And in my off days, I take art shots and sell photos online. Sometimes I have to travel for photoshoots, so I get exposed to all kinds of new people and places." 

“That sounds exciting." 

“It is. And it’s going pretty well, so I can even afford to take time off if I need or want to." 

“I guess we can thank your rebellious teenage days,” Gabriela joked, referring to the times in high school he would opt to roam around town taking pictures instead of doing his homework. Back then, he did it out of a mild depression and longing for an escape from his suburban student lifestyle, but that had been when he started his Instagram. It was true, what had started as a side hobby had led him down his career path. He was one of the lucky few, he supposed, who got to make a living out of doing what he loved. 

The meal passed with this type of quiet conversation. Thought it felt like a first date, with two people meeting for the first time in years, there were many moments that reminded both Julien and Gabriela that they had a shared past and knew each other very well already. It was comfortable and intimate. To Julien, it felt like a dream. He had been nervous that the dinner would be awkward, but on the contrary, he felt as though he had slipped into a pocket of space and time that would last forever. They talked about the past few years of their lives, joked, and shared tastes of their dinners. He enjoyed the night more than he had imagined he would, and reading Gabriela’s demeanor, it seemed the same was true for her. 

Soon enough though, their dessert plates were empty and Julien was signing off on the receipt, slipping it into the black leather holder with a few bills. “Shall we?" 

Gabriela nodded, and they walked out of the restaurant into the chilly autumn air. Julien’s cheeks felt warm, glowing with the aftermath of laughter and pleasant company. He saw Gabriela shiver and held out an arm for her, hoping she didn’t find it too forward. “Let’s keep warm,” he said sheepishly. To his relief, she took his arm with a grateful smile. “Where are you going?" 

“I have to take the 5 train north,” she replied. “I think the subway entrance is right up the block." 

“Yeah,” Julien nodded, “I’m taking a different train but we can walk together to the station.” 

“It was… really nice meeting with you,” Gabriela said quietly as they walked. Julien smiled, feeling a flutter in his chest. 

“Yeah, thanks for coming out with me,” Julien replied. “I know you must be tired from work. It means a lot to me." 

“No problem! It was a treat.” Gabriela turned to smile at him, her eyes catching the light from the neon signs they were passing. Her cheeks were flushed from the chilly weather, framed by her wavy hair that blew gently in the breeze. Even with the slight heels, she was about a head shorter than him, and had to look up to meet his eyes. 

Julien almost stumbled, feeling his cheeks get warm again and suddenly very conscious of her arm in his. “Oh,” he said, breaking her gaze, “Here’s the subway. Watch your step." 

They descended into the grimy station, a pungent cocktail of smells suffocating them. “This is my platform,” Julien said quietly, indicating a set of steps to their right. “I guess this is where we part ways." 

“Yeah,” Gabriela answered, pulling him into a hug. “It was fun. Let’s meet again sometime." 

“Sure.” He hugged her back, catching a whiff of her shampoo. Her hair was soft on his cheek. 

The embrace felt natural, comfortable, and lasted maybe a little longer than she had intended. She stepped away and smiled at him. “See you next time." 

“See you." 

Julien walked up the steps to his platform, hearing her kitten heels tap the hard floor of the subway tunnel, quieter and quieter as she walked away to the next platform. He sighed. He really hadn’t known what to expect from tonight, except reconnecting with an old friend. But he felt a warmth in his chest and cheeks that told him he had come away with something he hadn’t expected. This girl, who had been in his life for years and had existed in his mind as a distant memory, who had long been his confidante in the virtual world, was now a very real presence in his immediate life. And this dinner had opened his eyes to how much he actually liked her, how well they got along in the real world. Not only that, but she had just gotten out of a relationship, meaning that he wouldn’t be a complete jerk to entertain thoughts of dating her. 

Finally back home in his silent flat, he switched on his computer. It was 9:03 p.m. and he still had to get through the rest of the photos and do some post-processing. He had a meeting in the morning, but it was normal for him to go to bed past midnight, so he had at least 3 hours to finish everything up. That was plenty of time. 

Clicking the mouse as the photos flashed before him in a routine he was now well accustomed to, he let his mind wander, picturing the way Gabriela’s dark hair framed her face, the way her eyelashes looked as she blinked, the faint shine of her cheeks in the candle light, the sound of her laugh. She had been a tomboyish, outgoing girl in high school. Who knew his pen pal had grown into such a charming woman? He hadn’t expected her to have this kind of effect on him. Stopping what he was doing for a moment, he pulled out his phone to send her a text, using the nickname she was called by in high school. Hey Gabi, I had a great time tonight. Thanks again. 

A few moments and a few photos later, the buzz signaled her response. Me too. Good night! 

He smiled and responded, Good night. 

Sighing, the warm feeling felt somehow a little painful in his chest as he forced his mind to return to the work in front of him. He could tell this was going to be rough on him. He was a bit of a hopeless romantic. After having had his heart broken during his college years, he had turned away from relationships and focused solely on work for the past few years. He didn’t want to go down that path again. But he could fell himself falling hard. He didn’t even know if she would want to date someone so soon after a breakup. 

He sighed and went to the kitchen to brew a cup of coffee to help him focus. I guess it’s too late now. Here we go again… Grabbing his mug from the Keurig machine, he settled into his desk chair and turned on some jazz on his phone, prepared for the usual long night.

#HerStory #fiction #NaNoWriMo

[eclissy]

Buried Under the Aching Tree 1/2

Back when I was a baby and still writing a lot of DF stuff and my Hero OC stand in, I had a whole side story just about Ty’s sword, it’s name, what the details on it meant and so forth. But then I got tired, busy, and the whole thing felt over the top but, it’s October now. I redid it to de-stress a bit (and fill in the rest of the plot outline since I didn’t finish it seven years ago either. God of course it took me seven years to almost finish something).

Tbh, I reworked it so much that it’s more about Ash and Artix now.

Summary: Ash learns about his friend’’s sword, a relic passed through a million hands but never through a family. That and what it’s like to be possessed by a single feeling.

Accustomed to the Hero’s little giveaways, Ash grabbed the hilt of Ty’s sword before she could plunge it into the farmer’s chest.

“He’s not a thief anymore!” Ash yelled, having to dig his heels into the ground to keep Ty’s sword from getting stuck between the farmer’s ribs. Ty let go to make sure Ash wouldn’t hurt himself and the boy stumbled back, sword in hand.  

The farmer in question was shivering so hard, his skin was likely to peel itself off and all Ty was doing was smiling. No smile lines around her eyes; just this mechanical lifting of the corner of her mouth.

Turning to Ash, that grin shrank into a sheepish bit lip and raised shoulders.

“Did it look like I was going to hurt him?” Ty asked, an eye half closed in a wince as though Ash’s yelp had physically hit her. “Oopsie, I was only trying to scare him. I promise!”

Typically, if you were intending on hurting someone, scaring them came with the package.

“Ty…” Ash stood back, fixing a scolding glare he didn’t really know how to make. He tried to think about his mom giving him a hard telling to when he drank milk straight out of the bucket.

Shrugging and turning her hands over, Ty’s expression loosened into a scowl and her eyes rolled, coming to rest on the farmer.

“Don’t you remember this jackhole?” Ty kept the language clean for Ash. “He broke into your camp, took your gold, and your clothes so you couldn’t leave your tent for days!”

“I mean yeah, you didn’t need to remind me but yeah…” Ash muttered, scratching the back of his head.

Nervously, the farmer stepped towards the young man. He was half hiding behind his pitchfork which made his heavily scarred brutish face much less menacing than the first time he had met Ash.

“Funds are low this season so I’m awful sorry, I can’t give the gold back to you right now. But, you know where the farm is. After Spring comes back round, I’ll return what I stole,” He removed his hat. “Again, I’m awful sorry I did that to you and I really am trying to turn over a new leaf.”

“Honestly, I’m not angry at all. I’m glad things went right for you.” Ash said, genuinely thrilled that the thief had changed for the better. “Don’t worry about the gold.”

“Ash! Don’t let this guy off free!” Ty protested, more convinced that Warlic could drink a vat of melted wax and live than the farmer being completely reformed. “What he did was terrible! He needs to pay! When I found you, the crows were circling and it smelled like pee.“

“I know, I know!” Ash quickly cut her off. “But everything’s ok now. Look at that smile.”

The farmer smiled with all twelve of his green teeth.

“That’s a good guy!” It was okay, Ash hated going to the dentist too.

Brow creasing deeply, mirroring her scrunched grimace, Ty struggled to not break her arms crossing them so hard.

“If you say so.” Ty finally conceded, tilting her head to dodge the arrow shot at her.

For a stunned moment of silence, Ash gaped at Ty and the arrow stuck in the ground. He barely noticed the group of bandits doing the same thing.

Then, Ty began tapping her chin, examining the scruffy bandits that were slowly working their bravery back up. Brandishing some very pretty and very stolen axes and swords, the bandits were coming Ash and Ty’s way.

“Are these guys part of your old posse? Did they maybe come out here to rough you up for leaving?” Ty didn’t look at the man and see him nod. “Oh my god, you guys couldn’t have come at a better time,” She laughed, beginning to walk towards them unarmed. “When I’m done ripping your intestines out of your assholes and tying them together, they’re going straight into your mouths!”

Those bandits were shouting, half in a rage and half in true horror.

Ash didn’t approve of that wording but he was going to try helping first. Gripping Ty’s sword, Ash ran after the bandit that chickened out and was trying to get away.

“Stop!” Ash yelled, catching up to the fleeing bandit. He swung Ty’s sword and rolled on to the ground when it stayed stuck by his side. The blade had suddenly gotten incredibly heavy, squeezing Ash’s fingers white against the dirt. “Ow!”

Hearing Ash fumble, the bandit had returned, tapping his dagger on his palm.

“Huh,” He glanced towards where Ty was rearranging his fellow bandits’ faces some distance away between the trees. “We made it all the way into the woods. You think she can hear you scream over here?”

The point of the dagger flew towards Ash’s eye and gasping, Ash jumped up, lifting the sword with all of his might. It went over his head and he almost tumbled backwards from its weight but managed to keep his footing. The bandit didn’t hesitate making another stab at Ash’s belly.

Panicking, Ash blindly swung Ty’s sword and it smashed into the bandit’s rusty dagger, shattering into pieces.

“You little – AHG!” The bandit screamed, keeling over clutching his bleeding shin. Behind him, the farmer kept his pitch fork pointed at his once fellow thief.

Ash was busy staring at what was left of Ty’s beautiful sword scattered across the patchy ground to thank the farmer. He wanted to swallow the lump in his throat but it was too dry and any tiny movement made his stinging eyes hurt.

“Aw,” The bandit looked at him sympathetically. “It ain’t your fault.” Ash couldn’t hear him over the sound of footsteps coming up beside him.

“Huh,” Ty cast a wary gaze to the farmer though much softer than before. “I’m sad they passed out so quick. You doing okay here?”

“T-Ty…” His grip on the sword’s hilt shaking, Ash lifted his head to look at Ty who had noticed the shiny broken pieces of the sword her father had made for her. Her jaw hung open, hands held up in front of her chest. “I’m so--! I’m so so--!”

“Woah, Ash!” Ty clasped Ash’s shoulders, eyes all starry. “Did you break my sword? That’s so cool!”

The tears began to flow and Ty opened her mouth, shocked.

“Oh, no no no! You’re really cute when you cry!” Ty exclaimed, giving him a big hug. Ash’s tears were shooting out like bullets and Ty continued to pat his back. “Hey, you’re cuter when you’re happy so don’t worry! I’m not mad at all and this totally isn’t your fault.”

“I’ll bay de blacksmit.” Ash blubbered over Ty’s comforting, hugging her back.

“There’s already an appointment set up, I’ll just give Konnan a larger tip.”

Awkwardly, the farmer also began to pat Ash’s back. It earned him a thousand yard stare from Ty.

“Haha...I’ll go back to growing carrots.”

“Carrots? Ew,” Ty bit her tongue to keep herself from sticking it out. “No wonder you don’t have any gold.”

“Ty!” Ash exclaimed, starting to become and laugh a little at the situation.

Under Konnan’s hammer, the metal seemed to move on its own. The intricate embellishments of ivy and holly leaves that had been broken were weaving back together on the broad side of the blade. Ash stared in wonder, attributing it to magic.

Before Ash knew it, the sword was as good as new on the Smithy’s front counter.

“Don’t worry about the extra big tip. I don’t know, buy me some of Serenity’s scones tomorrow,” Konnan took off his gloves and attempted to wipe the soot off of his cheek, leaving a big streak. “I like working on your sword anyways. It makes me feel like I’m actually a master blacksmith.”

“You’re getting there fast,” Ty assured him, waiting for Ash to take his time looking at her sword before she sheathed it. “See Ash? Didn’t take any time at all.”

“That’s all thanks to the magic,” Konnan confirmed Ash’s theory. “I’m no mage but no sword can get fixed that fast. You need to tell me and Yulgar how this sword was forged. If all swords were like it…no wait, that’d put us out of a job.”

“Haha, I couldn’t let out the secret even if I tried. It’s an old antique my dad had remade,” Ty let her hand rest on the sword’s hilt. “We know a few of the stories it’s got under its belt but where it came from and who made it? Not sure and also not sure if that’s why it’s got the magic.”

“Oh well. I still would have liked to know. I’ve never seen this style of sword before,” Konnan rubbed his chin, smearing it with soot too. “And for such a well-made weapon, it has such a cutesy name. Fuukoo… Fuukoo shoes, or something,” He tapped the counter didn’t bring up the correct name. “I’ve got some other work to do so when that’s over, tell me a few of the stories.”

“Me too!” Ash jumped in, eager to hear what kind of heroic deeds pervious heroes had achieved with the enchanted sword. The young hero had only read about great swords with long histories in books. When he did see them, it was from afar with him jumping up and down in the hopes of catching a glimpse of it and its honored master pass through his village.

“No.” Ty said, flat out.

Konnan and Ash froze, though Konnan got back to moving a lot faster, evacuating the scene to busy himself by the tools in the back.

“Nah, that was a gut reaction,” Ty snaked her arm around Ash’s shoulder and lead him out of the shop. “I’ll tell you one while we walk back to my place.”

And she didn’t talk at all while they were in Falconreach. Ash tried to stammer a few things, a little flustered being hugged by the hero like that. Not to mention he had a kind of dumb grin; one that he couldn’t help make even when a few passerby definitely noticed the big ol tomato Ty was escorting out of time.

When they were on the well trekked path to the crossroads, Ty began to tell a tale.

“Long long ago, this sword fell into the hands of fledgling adventurer, who went from swinging sticks with his sister to leading a revolution in an empire wracked with civil war.” Ty started the story in a faux old lady voice to Ash’s amusement.

“The Emperor had already quashed the Empress and the Crown Prince’s rebellion. He had seemingly forgiven his wife and son for all transgressions but then, the Crown Prince died of illness. The Empress passed away of the same. Though he was grieving, the youngest son went to war before he began to suspect that his father had the Prince’s beloved brother and mother poisoned. He was, however, no war hero.”

“That adventurer was!” Ash cut in.

“And that adventurer started off strong, leading a small force of village folk against the Emperor’s men when they came to forcefully recruit them. His many string of victories brought him the Prince’s notice and he was honored with a sword from the royal treasury, a prize from a previous victory long passed. The Prince had stolen and put the weapon in better suited hands.”

Ash could picture it, the young man putting on armor that was shinier than any kind of gold or silver. He was kneeling in front of the crowned Prince on a wide grassy battlefield, knighted by the sword he would receive.

“On horseback, he drew his sword and pointed it at the sky as he charges into his first battle. An arrow strikes his horse’s leg and he skids over the dirt hard.”

The dream shattered and Ash was back on the path with Ty. She noticed his sinking glee but kept the same easy tone as she continued, holding her hands behind her back.

“That fall knocked the adventurer out and he was asleep as waves of his comrades died without his leadership. When he woke up in a panic, immediately rallying the army together, they kept dying because of his mistakes. As it seemed, the appointed champion knew his home woods best. These kinds of battles weren’t anything he’d ever prepared for before.”

Ash could picture that too. He thought of the same panic he had when Falconreach was on fire and his shouts were drowned out by the violence. Only, that hero must have had that fear magnified to a degree Ash couldn’t imagine anyone being able to think in.

“Luckily, the champion’s sister had come despite him asking her to stay behind where it was safe. She had fought beside him when the fight was on their turf and had snuck into the war camp to join him. Taking up a spear, she tied a banner to it and let the colours fly as she fought, grabbing her comrades’ attention and leading the battle to victory.”

Heart swelling, Ash was tossed back from the edge of a tragic end to the triumphant turn in the story.

“Saving the army and her brother was a story that gave the Crown Prince’s side morale. It swung the undecided to his side and the Prince decreed the two of them to be his champions. Together, they lead the armies until the army could only be led by one. That adventurer had no talent leading an army and one day, he disappeared.”

“What? Did he go back home?”

“In a sense, he did. All of a sudden, the Prince’s army was suffering losses and they had to retreat to the remaining champion’s home. They met her brother there in the flames he started. Jealous of his sister, the former champion had gone to the Emperor with all the information he needed to destroy the rebellion. He said as much when they reunited, having already killed his own parents to hurt his sister.”

As vivid as the bright sun that shone over Ash right now, the image in his head of the carnage was alight with fire.

The once bright and hopeful young boy was standing over his coughing sister. The heads of their friends and family were propped on stakes all around the village as it was demolished by fire and battle. In his gauntlets was the sword, more red than silver under the full moon.

‘You stole everything from me! I was the hero and you took it all away!’ Ash heard the boy’s voice when Ty quoted him.

“That was when his sword became heavy. Its weight pulled him down and it disappeared from under him, coming back when his sister plunged it into the back of his neck.”

She could have incapacitated him when the sword decided that she would be its new master. She could have taken him to face justice. In fact, she could have killed him so no one else would have been hurt.

Instead, she murdered him in cold blood, hooking the point under his skin, scraping it into his skull just for the sake of making him suffer. The sound of her brother’s messy death blocked out the chaos, veiling her in the only kind of joy she would ever feel again.

“After that, the rest of the battles were nothing special. What was special was how the remaining champion kept the head of her brother chained to her belt. With the sword, she mowed the Emperor’s army down with the vindictive forces who had too been enraged by the destruction of their previous lives. They were only the Crown Prince’s army in name. Once they made it to the Capital—“

The champion, alone with the Crown Prince, stormed the room where the man who ruined her life sat atop a great throne. To her horror, the Emperor stood with her sword held at his side. She found that her hands were empty and the Emperor spoke to her.

‘Do you know my story? The story of a boy with not a drop of blue blood? I stowed away on the pirate ship that destroyed the small fishing village where my family lived. Under the bloodied gold and silver was the sword I used to avenge my family. It slew hundreds of pirates, thousands of the worthless soldiers, and all of the idle nobles until the remaining bowed to me. But I wasn’t done. This sword stayed in my hands until all I knew was war. Country after country fell for no reason other than for the phantom slight I imagined they had committed against me. Even when I found a new family, they came to hate me and were taken by an enemy I couldn’t kill.”

The remaining Emperor’s Son had found out long before that his father had nothing to do with his mother and brother’s deaths. His war had been waged not for revenge but to save a country from a war mongering tyrant he loved dearly.

‘I could not raise my sword against my wife and son. I only waged war so a truly evil Emperor would not threaten the next Emperor’s reign with their shared blood. This sword could no longer be mine.’

The cursed sword reappeared in the champion’s grip, refusing to leave her hands when she tried to drop the horrid thing.

‘Promise me that when I die, you will do all that is within your power to sink the sword into the sea.’

Ash’s intense daydream ended as the silver blade rushed towards the Emperor and disappeared into his throat.

Blinded by the daylight, Ash shielded his eyes, distraught by how he had been absorbed into Ty’s story. The young hero, reminded of her presence and of their walk, staggered away from her and her cottage. In the midst of the daydream, he hadn’t noticed that they had already arrived.

“They couldn’t pry the sword out of the champion’s hands and she didn’t hesitate chopping them off. The new Emperor had it sunk in a sea that was so far away, it didn’t have a name yet,” Ty was finishing the story. “Probably would done it, promise or not. He was an honest and nice person. I’d say he would have thrown the sword away out of guilt.”

“He should have broken it!” Ash said, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. How had he literally seen the scene in his head?

“Magic, remember? One of the reasons why the first champion started to get really good at fighting after he deserted was because of the sword,” Ty was treating the matter so nonchalantly that it was making Ash angry. “I brought it to the Smithy to fix it faster but if I had left it alone, the sword would have pieced itself back together on its own.”

And come back to Ty on its own.

“I could tell you some more stories,” Ty unsheathed the blade, holding it level. “There’s a bunch I know from before it met the first Champion and after it crawled out of the sea. This one was just one of my favorites.”

Ash shook his head, keeping his distance.

“Why would you have it? Why won’t you throw it away? That sword makes you obsessed with revenge!”

The moment that Ty took to think about her answer that was scarily short.

“I like it.” She put it simply.

Despite her behavior before; every single fight that Ash remembered how Ty had taken too far, he still couldn’t believe his ears.

“What?”

“What if after each war we have in Falconreach, Amityvale, the Sandsea, anywhere people we care about get hurt, the event ended and I was too tired to stand?” Ty asked. “What if the villains get away with it and hurt more of the people we care about? What if I let everyone in Falconreach stay hurt? What if I can’t bring them the justice they deserve? What if, what if, what if, right?” Ty tilted the blade and Ash could have sworn, the ivy and holly leaf markings swayed.

“This sword doesn’t make you obsessed with revenge. The people it chooses are already in love with revenge and it won’t let them forget it,” Ty gazed at the sword, as if at peace thanks to the idea it kept locked in her mind. “I have to make them pay.”

“That’s it,” Ash said, disgust clearing dripping from his voice. “Does saving people matter at that point? You’re in love with revenge because you want to make people suffer. Whether they did something bad or not doesn’t matter. You fight to protect the weak, to be a hero. Not to hurt people. You didn’t have to make people suffer! You do it because you like it.”

Ty lowered the sword, thinking of dropping it. Only thinking.

“You’re right, Ash. And I’m sorry,” Ty turned to him, a little less color in her cheeks. She smiled despite that. “I was just glad you can’t use the sword. And you deserve to know the reason why,” She turned to face her friend. “You’re a real hero, Ash.”

A beat passed, one where he tried to stop being mad. It was just that he was so disappointed and the heavy, foul mood grew over him like mold.

“I…Ty, I need to go.” He didn’t intend to say goodbye.

“I know.” Ty nodded, watching him walk back towards Falconreach.

Taking a detour was seriously unsafe when the sun was setting so low but Ash needed it. He didn’t think any monster would approach, hearing how heavy his stomping was.

In all honesty, he had no idea how to deal with being this kind of angry.

Ash tried comparing it with some other mishaps in the past, like when he dropped his sword on a noble’s foot and it cut the poor man. That was Ash’s own fault and he was angry at himself though.      

Perhaps it was an over exaggeration but he tried likening this to the anger that came from Falconreach being attacked yet again. Destroyed yet again. But, they were all villains. Not any of his friends.

None of Ash’s friends would make him feel this way.

“Argh,” Ash tugged at his hair, not noticing how the orange sky had gone pitch black. Only a sliver of the moon was out now. He kept walking, going nowhere near Falconreach and into parts of Surewood he didn’t recognize.

In fact, all these trees had no leaves. Kind of like in Doomwood actually.

“Since when did the grass get gray?” Ash did a bit of a hop, startled at the mist beginning to form over the forest floor as well. “I didn’t walk that far, did I?” The panic started up and Ash frantically scanned his surroundings for anything familiar or for anything out to attack him.

If this was Doomwood and not some random patch of Surewood that caught the flu, Ash figured he could take down half a zombie if he tried very hard.

In the corner of his eye, a familiar glint caught his attention and his stomach plummeted.

Blade stuck into the ground, covered in a bed of foliage was the silver sword.

Ash rushed to it, terrified at how it was out in the open. Anyone could get their hands on it and do their worst. Anyone was likely to be a necromancer, a vampire, oh gods was Drakath out here?

What about Ty?

“I can throw it away.” Ash thought out loud. An ocean couldn’t keep it trapped but it had to have taken time to escape. Ash could toss the thing into a bottomless pit, a gully, or feed it to something nasty. Then, he could go to Warlic or Artix and find a way to actually destroy the cursed sword.  

Shoulders squared in resolution, Ash trudged through the leaves. He went right up to the sword, took its gold hilt into his hand, and wrenched it from its resting place.

Blood gushed from the leaves, pulled up by the sword and splattered his shins.

Ash’s heart came to a hard stop before pounding against his ribs in sheer terror. Confused and horrified, Ash tore away at the ivy leaves, searching for anyone that could be hurt under there.

The bed was endless and the more he yanked away, the deeper it got and thorns began biting into his skin. Before he knew it, Ash had sunk into this pit, his head disappearing under the leaves.

On instinct, Ash slashed the sword through the greenery and it was as light as air. Blood pooled at his feet, draining from the vines he slashed, making the thorns glisten.

“My children were flayed,” An ivy vine wrapped around his ankle. “Who would avenge them if not I?”

“My brother accused my wife of witchcraft. She burned as I was hung,” Another voice invaded as Ash tried to cut the bindings only for his other foot to get swallowed into the gore, ankle deep. “Why was it that I had to crawl from my grave to right the wrong? Who would have avenged us otherwise?”

This was a dream. A very bad nightmare Ash was convinced he was having. He didn’t remember falling asleep but he must have and the story of that magic sword scared him so much that the thorns tearing through his armor felt real.

“A wretched King conquered my home when we showed kindness. All of my friends and family, their bones piled like trophies in the royal coffers,” A pair of hands accompanied this whisper, grabbing Ash’s hands as he attempted to remove his boot and escape. “They all had to die. All of his people. That was the only right way.”

“No!” Ash’s voice was shrill. “Let me go!” He couldn’t hear himself anymore. The couple of voices had grown to tens, to hundreds, to thousands of laughing mouths and reaching hands. The fingers that wrapped around his neck were made of steel; prosthetic limbs made for a veteran.

“Didn’t you think I had to? I had to! We have to!”

That voice was the same as the one he had imagined when Ty was telling him the story. Except, it wasn’t his imagination. The sword had long felt his mounting disappointment, and caught him in its will long before.

“Avenge their deaths.”

“For hurting me.”

“Humiliated me.”

“My future destroyed.”

Each reason was increasingly becoming frivolous; things that Ash couldn’t understand people taking lives over.

“I was the hero.” Another joined the cacophony and Ash could not escape its echo. “I wanted to be the hero. I worked so hard to be a hero. I’ve been dreaming of being a hero, a real knight for as long as I lived. She stole it from me.”

That sword fit in Ash’s hands all of a sudden. He held the sword as though it was the only thing keeping him alive. The nails digging into his lungs screamed for him to act and Ash jabbed the sword towards the source of that despicable laughter, imagining silver slicing through a neck.

“My Hero let me down.” Ash heard and it came from somewhere that was so close, it could have been inside him.

The sky was orange again, tinged with the sunset. Surewood was as green as ever and the only rotting deathly smell was stuck in the back of Ash’s nose.

Resting across his outstretched hands was his silver sword. What was left of all of the ghostly shouts was a single, wind-chime like query.

“Prithee, great champion, may I ask of you—” Ash closed his eyes and the whisper sank into his heart.

“Is revenge a science? Or is it an art?”

#Ty #Ash #Konnan sort of #dragonfable #maybe I'll post it to fanfic.net after I finish part 2 #it feels nice to take a break from studying #and doing things with Ty again #uh warning for some blood I guess #not graphic or anything like that

[doctortdesigns]

The latest pattern collection from McCall’s is here!  The ruffle and cold shoulder continue to exist as trends, but are somewhat less ubiquitous than they’ve been in earlier releases.  Styling seems to be trending towards a mash up of late 70s and (gag me) early 90s.  Sigh.  I suppose it has been a while (ooh, look, another grey hair), but, really, of all the style periods that NEVER need to be revisited, I’m pretty sure the early 1990s is near the top of the list.  Typically I can look past the fabric choices and tend to focus more on the pattern lines and design styles, but you may be hearing a bit more snarky side commentary on these pattern releases until this inane period of idealizing the 90s has passed.  Luckily, I’ve been reading Elizabeth L. Cline’s Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion (yes, yes, I’m aware that I’m several years behind everyone else), so I’m going to take solace in the fact that nothing stays trendy in the fashion industry for long in the hopes that drab florals and icky looking crushed velvet don’t hang around too long.  Anyway, enough rambling, let’s look at the release:

M7624 – Ok, so this is a style that’s been pretty around (and looks quite similar to the growingly popular Vogue 9253), but let’s face it – it’s a good look.  Chic, elegant, effortless.  Great way to mix prints, and a perfect use for lovely soft drapey fabrics.  I’m predicting this will be a popular pattern.

M7620 – The ruffles have not completely faded, and this dress is actually pretty cute.  I’m thinking it would look better on a younger crowd than on me, but there are definitely a few sewing bloggers I could imagine rocking this look, so I’ll reserve judgement and see if it hits the blog-o-sphere.

M7621 – Simple looking knit dress. While I’m less than impressed with the fabric use for the model photo, I’m a bit enamored with the sketch of the blue solid dress.  Simple, quick to sew, but it would be a cute dress to serve as a backdrop for fun accessories.

M7622 – I’ve been seeing a lot of style bloggers rocking the t-shirt dress of late.  I prefer things with a fitted waist, but I’m actually expecting this to be a popular make.

M7628 – Melissa Watson for Palmer/Pletsch.  Loving the back detail on the top, and the zig-zag seam on the waist of the dress is pretty cool.

M7627 – I should focus on the positive (the dress has a nice silhouette), but I kind of can’t get over the Cuban Pete ruffle sleeve top (chit-chitty-boom chit-chitty-boom).  Imagine it with color blocked sleeves and tell me you aren’t shaking your maracas too.

M7623 – This is a pretty classic shirt dress, with is nice but not too exciting.  The one novel feature (the handkerchief hem) is actually my least favorite design element of this pattern.  Go figure.

M7626 – I am, however, really liking this jumpsuit/dress pattern.  I really like how this is all about the fabric choice – denim makes it a total low key playsuit, but velvet makes it an instant party look.

M7632 – I’m also digging the asymmetric jumpsuit.  Probably not in a stiff satin, but, I do like the top and length options here.

M7625 – The Archive Collection (1955).  Normally I’m really excited by vintage reprints, but I’m thinking this style wouldn’t look that great on me.  It’ll probably be a pass, but the seam and dart detail on the waist is really nice.

M7636 – Beaute’J’Adore. I’m so excited that bomber jackets are still going to be a trend this fall.  I’ve been wanting to sew one for months.

M7637 – See!  More hoodie bombers!  I mean, not exactly but it’d be easy to mix views A and D.  It’s going to be a thing! In my experience unisex patterns like this tend to not fit as well as patterns designed for women, but, I’d venture that this would be a nice fit on a guy.

M7619 – Everyone gets a bomber jacket this fall!

M7635 – Khaliah Ali.  Very simple top, pants, and dress, with a very voluminous jacket.  I’ve got similar patterns in the stash, but it’s always good to have a basic knit tee pattern.

M7630 – The ruffles haven’t completely gone yet.  I’m not really excited about this pattern, but I do like how McCall’s styled it.

M7629 – Again, not overly excited about this look either.  A bit box and a bit short – I can tell from the line drawing it isn’t going to work for my proportions.  It does have nice details on the collar and sleeve options if this boxy look is a bit more your style.

M7437 – Asymmetric draped tops.  Probably a pass, but they do look comfortable and roomy.

M7631 – Learn to Sew.  I don’t need a basic skirt pattern, but if you do then this has just enough features so as not to be intimidating.

M7633 – Designer Joi.  I’m seeing bad 90s Jazzercise clothes and I kind of can’t get over that.  Not loving the fabric choices either.  Even though I know I do better in a high waisted pant, I can’t bring myself to like this pattern.

M7634 – I’m not really that impressed with the fabrication, but, I actually do like this pattern.  I’d totally live in that hoodie at home during the winter.  Like, live in it, never take it off to the point of grossness live in it.

M7618 – The kids workout clothes are cuter than the adult ones.  Though, to be fair, I’d not want to wear giant circles on my hips.  I mean, perhaps metaphorically to say “target zone” but, no.  On kids though, its an interesting feature.

M7638 – The hood is going to be a trend this fall methinks.  McCall’s has put it on everything.

M7617 – UGH WHY.  This looks exactly like what I had to wear in pictures when I was 3.  It was terrible then.  It is terrible now.  The 90s do not need to come back.  Ever.

M7642 – Ah, a refreshing palette cleanser.  I’ll just look at the pretty instead of whatever that kids pattern was.

M7641 – Sort of loving the dramatic peplum on the short coat.  Though, to be honest, I’d just go full length drama if you are going to go for it anyway.

M7643 – Hats!  Fun addition to the Yaya Han pattern line.

M7644 – Also love this!  Obviously this is intended for cosplay, but I’m pretty sure you could get away with wearing this on the daily, if, you know, your core style is “total badass.”

M7645 – Also liking this Yaya Han costume pattern.  It’s been fun watching McCall’s expand their cosplay line to include things that expand beyond the traditional movie references.

M7646 – Also love how Yaya Han’s line includes men’s costumes. I’m predicting this will be a popular pattern.

M7639 – Doll clothes are pretty simple, but the fabric choices are lovely.

M7640 – This Artful Offerings bag is a bit crafty for my personal style, but at least it has some interesting detail.

And that’s it.  To be honest, I’m not that excited by a lot of the pieces here.  It really does feel like a transitional release, with the waning of some trends and the onset of others.  I feel like I’ve got a lot of patterns that have similar features, and that there isn’t a lot I’m excited about with the 90s styling direction that seems to be growing in popularity.  I’m definitely still excited that bomber jackets are going to be on trend, and I’m still wanting to make a jumpsuit, but otherwise I’m not overwhelmed by this release.  What do you all think?  See anything that gets you super excited?  Or is this release a bit of a miss?  Feel free to discuss in the comments!

McCall's Early Fall 2017 #McCalls #patterns #sewing #fallsewing The latest pattern collection from McCall's is here!  The ruffle and cold shoulder continue to exist as trends, but are somewhat less ubiquitous than they've been in earlier releases.  

#McCall&039;s #pattern #sewing

[type2diabetestreatments-blog]

Ask D'Mine: High and Tired, Who's at Risk of a Coma?

New Post has been published on http://type2diabetestreatment.net/diabetes-mellitus/ask-dmine-high-and-tired-whos-at-risk-of-a-coma/

Ask D'Mine: High and Tired, Who's at Risk of a Coma?

Got queries about life with diabetes? Keep sending 'em our way. You'll get all the info you need — and more! — at our weekly diabetes advice column, Ask D'Mine, hosted by veteran type 1, diabetes author and community educator Wil Dubois.

Not much is off-limits here, as you'll see today (except of course specific medical instructions for your own care; that's what doctors are for)

Need help navigating life with diabetes? Email us at [email protected]

Cheryl from Texas, type 2, writes: My blood sugar has always been high. I can't remember an A1C under 7.5. But I just saw a new doctor last week and my sugars have actually been in the normal range lately. The thing is, I've been extremely tired and have a total lack of energy. I also feel dehydrated. Is this normal for having normal blood sugars?

Wil@Ask D'Mine answers: No. No, it's not. Freaky. You finally get your sugars down and now you've got all the symptoms of high blood sugar. That's really weird.

Oh, but by the way, congratulations on your fabulous new diabetes control!

OK. So tired. And thirsty. (Puts on thinking cap.) One thing that sometimes happens to people who run really high for a long time is that once they get "normal," they feel low. It's called relative hypoglycemia. It's sort of a reverse acclimation. If you're high for a long time, "normal" feels low to your body. Your body has to get used to the new normal. This generally happens with rapid therapy changes though, like starting insulin, when blood sugar can be normalized very quickly. But super tired and super dehydrated aren't really your typical signs of lows anyway, so relative hypoglycemia is probably off the table.

(Adjusts thinking cap.)

So maybe we need to think about all the other things that come with diabetes that have nothing whatsoever to do with blood sugar. After all, there's more to diabetes than blood sugar!

If you wake up tired you might have sleep apnea, as the majority of T2s do. It causes skipped breaths at night, and that causes sleep disturbances. Even though you thought you slept through the night, you never get into the kind of deep sleep you need to really get rested. Getting tested for sleep apnea is a bit annoying, but it's something to talk to your doc about.

If you start out OK, energy-wise, then run out of steam quickly during the day, you might want to look toward your thyroid. Ask your doc about a TSH test. Oh, while you are at it, you might be anemic, too, so while you're getting a blood draw anyway...

This handy chart lists around 50 more possible causes of fatigue including pregnancy (better blood sugars = improved fertility!), medication side effects, various heart stuff common to T2s, and even some super-scary stuff like cancer.

I think you can see where I'm going here. But just in case you can't, let me spell it out: I rather doubt your new fatigue and new thirst has anything to do with your new blood sugar. But your symptoms are caused by something, and your doc is going to need to figure out what that something is. Oh, and one last thought, the two symptoms might not be related to each other at all. Just because they started together doesn't mean they are caused by the same thing. You might be fatigued from one thing and thirsty from another.

Now, for those of you who like to analyze symptoms, there's a really cool symptom finder here, but be warned, searching symptoms online is the leading cause of ANXIETY.

Edward from New York, type 2, writes: Can type 2s go into a coma if their blood sugar gets too high?

Wil@Ask D'Mine answers: You betcha. In fact, type 2s can go into two different types of comas. First, although not terribly common, you T2s can go into the same diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) coma that we T1s can. Here's how DKA works: If there's no insulin around to help the cells in your body eat sugar, the body goes to plan B: burning fat. Now on the surface, that sounds like great idea. Who wouldn't want less fat? Burning fat should be a good thing, right?

Well... maybe not.

Because where there's fire, there's also smoke. And in this case, the smoke is a trio of acids called ketone bodies. And it so happens that if you get too many of these critters in your blood stream they can actually change the pH of your blood, and that results in all kinds of bad things including coma and even death.

But T2s always have some insulin, right? Wrong. If you've had T2 forever and ever, your pancreas is pooped. Your insulin resistance can plum wear it out. Long-term T2s can have insulin levels of pretty much zero. They might as well just join our T1 club at that point. But freakier, and more common, is a temporary state called glucose toxicity.

So now I gotta talk about the prairie dogs.

You all know what prairie dogs are, right? I think they're related to rats and moles, actually, but they're much cuter and have a better name (perception is everything: if they were called prairie rats, no one would be busy saving them from housing developments). Oh, and they have the endearing behavior of sitting up on their hind legs on top of their mounds à la lemurs.

Now, when eagles fly over prairie dog villages, the prairie dogs dive for cover down their holes to avoid becoming lunch to a predator on the wing. Smart varmints. So I want you to picture the beta cells in your pancreas (the ones that make insulin) as being prairie dogs and your high blood sugar as the eagle.

Got it?

Right. When the blood sugar gets high enough, the beta cells dive for cover. They temporarily shut down. If the beta cells are hiding underground in their holes, they aren't making insulin and POOF! Instant temporary type 1 diabetes. Well, OK, you aren't really type 1 'cause you don't have an autoimmune disease, but you're in the same physiological state for all practical purposes. No insulin means you can go DKA. Well, not can go DKA, probably will go DKA. In point of fact, if you, as an adult with no previous history of diabetes arrive at an ER in DKA it can be really difficult sorting out if you're a LADA T1, or glucose toxic T2. Either way, you'll get put on insulin to save your furry hide.

In the long run, of course, a glucose toxic T2 recovers. The prairie dogs come back out of their holes once the blood sugar comes back down, and in many cases the person will do just fine on oral meds.

So that's the first kind of coma. The second is unique to you T2s and is called a Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic State (HHS). Luckily, it's quite rare as it carries a 20% mortality rate (DKA runs around 2% for comparison). It's sometimes called a "nonketotic coma" as it is caused by a fluid imbalance associated with very high blood sugars in the absence of ketones. Ya can't be DKA without the "K."

HHS is pretty complicated. I loved one definition that called it a "metabolic derangement." I personally think of it as a forest fire of high blood sugar (north of 600 mg/dL) and dehydration that feed off each other. And I'm not talking about garden-variety, hey-I-need-a-drink-of-water dehydration. I'm talking dehydration on the cellular level. As it progresses, sodium and potassium levels get out of whack too. Basically, it's a physiological train wreck in slow motion, snow balling out of control on many levels simultaneously.

HHS is most common in the elderly T2, and often is triggered by an illness that reduces fluids (like being too sick to your stomach to drink or throwing up a lot from the flu).

On the bright side, the prevalence is only one case per 1,000 person years. So it's not too likely to happen to you. On the dark side (other than the high death rate) the prevalence is expected to spike over the next few years as T2 is becoming much more common.

Bottom line: done poorly, diabetes Type 1 or Type 2, is dangerous businesses—and no one has an exclusive on coma risk. Sorry to say.

This is not a medical advice column. We are PWDs freely and openly sharing the wisdom of our collected experiences — our been-there-done-that knowledge from the trenches. But we are not MDs, RNs, NPs, PAs, CDEs, or partridges in pear trees. Bottom line: we are only a small part of your total prescription. You still need the professional advice, treatment, and care of a licensed medical professional.

Disclaimer: Content created by the Diabetes Mine team. For more details click here.

Disclaimer

This content is created for Diabetes Mine, a consumer health blog focused on the diabetes community. The content is not medically reviewed and doesn't adhere to Healthline's editorial guidelines. For more information about Healthline's partnership with Diabetes Mine, please click here.

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