#maybe we'll have one last cold spring day

[marysandbox]

Dress - Taylor Swift x Reader

Summary: The one where "Dress" was written for you. [Requested]

Warnings: (+18), smut (it's flagged and can be skipped), fluff, secret relationship, implicit forms of media homophobia, mentions of past relationships. | Words: 2.724

A/N-> I found this request from last year on my drive, I believe it was a writing challenge. It was my first time writing for Taylor, and since it wasn't the focus of my main blog, I ended up forgetting about this one. Now that I have this secondary blog, I haven't found any reason not to share this little one.

General Masterlist |

-&-

Sighing softly, you let go of her hand.

Taylor remained close to you, however.

"It'll be quick." She assured, forcing a smile. "A few hours, we'll go home, okay?"

It was your turn to smile, your gaze roaming the entire figure in front of you, watching the new dress hug all the right places.

"You look beautiful, dear. Did I mention?" You deflect from her previous sentence, and despite the soft redness in her cheeks, her stare is amused.

"Once or twice."

"Then I need to improve on that number." You spoke, bringing your face closer to her ear. "You're breathtaking, Tay." You whispered, enjoying the way her skin shivered.

But the place was beginning to fill up. The other contestants and performers were arriving incrementally, and even though you were hidden from view by the cameras now, it was still too risky to be so close and so non-platonically in public.

Resisting the urge to kiss her cheek, you pulled away and cleared your throat softly. "After you, Miss Swift."

She rolled her eyes at the formality, a smile playing on her lips.

Taylor left first, or rather, entered, the great hall where the awards ceremony would be taking place this year.

You as an independent artist were going to sit a few tables away from her.

The challenge was to keep your eyes off your girlfriend when she looked so stunning.

The evening passed slowly, most probably because all you could do was watch the concerts and speeches and try to cheer yourself up a bit with the expensive food and bad drink.

Your only wish was to be able to keep your hand intertwined with hers and kiss her, even if only on the cheek, as married men could do around the room.

For your happiness, at least you can look at her. Her album won one of the awards that night.

She came on stage, to wave and to express her thanks, and you can't even control your own expression.

Would the photographers in the room be able to tell that your eyes shine brighter than the lights when you look at her?

Would Taylor be able to see you from that distance?

You know she can. Because she meets your gaze from the stage and smiles in a way that you know is just for you.

And when the night is over, she has autographs to sign, and hands to shake, and you are beginning to regret not drinking when one of the boys in a band tries to get her number from her managers.

–//–

It has been like this for some time.

Maybe days, or months? Sometimes you feel that it has been going on for years. Maybe all your life.

When you didn't know her, what was it like to go to LA?

Not to be around her, visiting galleries and parks in a poor disguise, or rushing out of rehearsals to spend time in her apartment under the sheets.

Soon spring is coming, and you need to get back to England for the awards.

Taylor invites you to accompany her to the Grammys when you're back.

At this point, even with all the precautions, the media recognizes that you two are close.

“Best friends” is written on the cover of gossip magazines. Her marketing team won't let her comment.

You are at her house again, before you travel, and she is wearing a sweatshirt that is yours, that she took from the bags you are not done with.

"I'm going to need that in the London cold, Tay." You mutter as you approach to hand her the drink you said you were going to prepare for you two.

She lifts her gaze from the little notebook, confused for a moment until she recognizes that you were talking about the clothes. Then she just smiles "Buy another, this one is mine until you get back."

You laugh softly, shaking your head as you sit down in the armchair across from her.

There is a forgotten movie on the television, and your cell phone is vibrating with the new appointments on your calendar, but you are looking at the woman in front of you. The blonde strands fall down at the sides of her face, her legs crossed on the bed as she scribbles some things down.

"Is it for Reputation?" You ask about the verses she suddenly, in the middle of the movie session, got the idea to write. She covers the paper immediately with her hand.

"Don't peek!" She warns with an expression of false seriousness, pushing the closed notebook further into her lap, her other hand holding her mug of chocolate.

"Never." You assure. "I can't wait to hear, though."

Her cheeks flush, and she smiles. You won't disturb her in her writing, and you think you can just watch her work and you'll be happy.

–//–

Most of the time, you hate journalists.

That's one of the times.

"We heard that you and Taylor Swift have become very close since the 2014 Grammy party." The man with the mustaches began, and from the tone, you knew it couldn't be a good thing. The dozens of cameras and microphones beside him in the stands kept you from turning your back. "We wanted an opinion, don't you think it's funny that Swift always writes of her relationships and people keep dating her?"

That was so mean. Unnecessarily mean.

You licked your lips, frowning, trying to remain calm.

Even the artist answering questions next to you grimaced, although she didn't stop her own interview to comment.

Your manager always said, "Take a deep breath, don't let it get to you. Everything can get around in a joking tone, so if you want to punch someone, the best alternative is to ironize what was said to you."

"Look buddy, have you met her?" you started in the least angry way you could manage. " Tay is by far, the most incredible, inspiring, hard-working, and intense woman I have ever met. I think everyone who meets her has the same impression, and when you have a chance to be, whether it's a footnote or a song, you take a chance. Because anything is worth it to have a little piece of paradise that is being loved by a woman like her."

The man was embarrassed by his question, and unresponsive. His best was to smile. Some of the others began to comment on the sweetness of your answer, but you were dismissing further questions to get into the event.

Before the party was even over, all the way to another continent, Taylor would be teary-eyed with the cut of this little interview circulating on the internet and on her cell phone screen.

You came back to the United States two weeks after you left.

It was like longing torture, to be honest.

Your cell phone had unread notifications because you were in airplane mode the whole trip.

You called Taylor as soon as you picked up your bags.

"Hey, baby sorry for the delay, I forgot my cell phone was off "You spoke as soon as she answered.

"No worries." She said. "Where are you? The car will be right out."

The Grammys were tonight, but you hadn't even taken off your travel clothes.

"Yeah, I think I'll miss my ride." You say checking your watch. "Can I meet you at the party?"

"Of course, darling." She spoke a moment later, almost hesitantly. You didn't catch why. "I love you, see you later."

"I love you too."

You were late. Very late.

Not only did it take forever to get a cab, but you lost your keys somewhere in your suitcase and it took an hour and a half for a locksmith to service you at that time.

When you finally arrived, through the back because the red carpet was closed, the awards ceremony had already begun.

Your gaze searched among the people immediately, and Taylor was in one of the front seats.

Yours was between the ninth and tenth row. You could barely make out her figure from that distance.

The way you missed her was almost painful.

And the speeches and applause continued, and you were exchanging sweet messages with her across the room.

She didn't win anything that night, a younger girl took many victories.

Everything seemed to happen automatically, until the party and she was close enough for you to hold.

You hugged her tight, fuck the photographers and the rest of the world for a few seconds. She hugged you back just as hard, her hands wrapped around your neck.

One or two people noticed the excitement and one of the managers clarified something about you being traveling, a long time apart.

But you didn't follow this.

You just focused on the bright blue eyes in front of you, without saying anything, and you already knew.

You were talking about going out and missing each other, and it was hard to hear each other in that crowded room, with the music so loud.

So Taylor was leaning into your ear, and it just seemed like friends trying to hear each other better.

"Can we go to my apartment after here, please?" She almost begged, her fingers haunting your wrist a moment before she pulled away, with the most innocent expression in the world.

And you were swallowing dryly, shifting your gaze from her lips to her eyes and forcing a not the least bit affected smile, as if she had just made a comment about the food. 

It was your turn to lean in so, seeming to continue the conversation. "I can't wait to get that dress off you, baby."

She sighed, almost inaudible. But you felt it against your neck, her breath uncompensated.

Then you both were pulling away, and smiling gently, keeping up appearances.

–//– ~smut scene~ –//– 

You let your hands wander down, tongues together sliding against each other, the soft moans being the only sound in the room.

Taylor was pulling you by the tie, stumbling around the apartment to the bedroom, but you two kept stopping all the way. Pressed against each other, breathing together.

"I need this off." You warned breathlessly about her tight clothes, the kisses running down her collarbone as she melted against you.

It seemed to become the most complicated thing to remove when you had her throwing her hips towards you, her body so warm.

So with a frustrated grunt, you grabbed the fabric and ripped it off. She let out a low moan, the cold air against her skin being quickly replaced by the sensation of your hands running over her entire body.

"God, Tay, I missed you so much, baby." You declared kissing your way to her breasts. 

"I missed you too." She returns equally breathless, her eyes closing tightly as she feels your lips around her nipples, stimulating her eagerly.

Her legs are giving out. You can tell, and waste no time in grabbing her by the waist, looking for the first surface you can find.

Your hand pushes some objects out of the way, books, and picture frames. You place her on the top of a cabinet, seated, and her legs encircle your waist as your mouth returns to hers.

Taylor gasps against your lips, kissing you in the same overwhelming intensity, her hips splaying forward, trying to ease the sensation between her legs.

You smile at this, slowing the kiss as you slide your hands down her thighs.

Her panties are ruined. She is dripping, you can feel it through the fabric.

Taylor chokes as she feels your thumb against her clit, and moans hoarsely when you begin to press.

"Is that good, baby?" you tease when she can no longer kiss you back, her hands on your shoulders and her eyes ajar staring at you.

She looks so beautiful. Her darkened eyes, her flushed cheeks, and her lips were puffy from kissing hard.

You smile at her, as your fingers push the fabric of her panties aside and you slip into her without warning, which elicits a moan from both of you.

It is always as amazing as the first time. She is hot and slippery, and you sigh. "Fuck, I need to taste you."

She whimpers and barely has time to complain about the lack of contact when you remove your fingers, because her complaint dies in her throat and turns into a suffering moan when you get on your knees in front of her, and sink your face against her nub without warning.

"Jesus!" She exclaims affected as she feels your tongue, eating her with desire, and all she can do is close her eyes tightly, trying not to cum immediately.

You moan against her pussy, her taste is intoxicating. Your own panties stick to the wave of arousal you feel as you eat her out.

You move your tongue with precision and speed, sinking between her folds, stimulating her as deliciously as possible.

She becomes a mess of whimpers and loud moans, and digs her nails into your scalp hair, forcing your face against her before spilling onto your tongue.

"Fuck." She whimpers excitedly, trying to recover from her orgasm as you drink all her liquids and continue to overstimulate her. "Babe, please."

"Give me one more sweetheart." You ask as you pull away for a moment, moving your fingers to open her more. "I know you can."

She nodded breathlessly, already ready for another one anyway. And you weren't going to stop anytime soon.

– ~end of smut~ –

You sleep until late.

When you awaken, there is a small breakfast tray in the corner of the bed, and a blonde woman in the armchair, a notebook in her hands.

"Are you watching me sleep?" You ask in a husky voice, as you open your eyes. She blushes, shifting her gaze back to the pages, making you smile. "Creepy."

She laughs softly, and one of the sheets she has crumpled into a little ball, she throws at you.

You stretch, sitting up properly. 

"I wrote a song about you." She declares in silence many moments later, when you are already passing jam on your toast.

You raise a brow, a playful smile, "Yeah? Are you going to tell me what it is called?"

She bites back a smile, denying with her head. You give a chuckle. "Not even the album?"

Taylor leaves the notebook on the armchair, and crawls back to the bed, keeping her gaze on you until you are close enough.

"What's the fun in saying, if you can guess?" She whispers against your lips, and you feel the jam drip against your fingers, but you don't even mind, moving forward to capture her lips.

She smiles against your mouth, and you forget about the food, wrap your hands around her face, and kiss her until she is flushed and breathless beneath you.

"Not even a hint?" You try later in a brisk tone. She laughs, shaking her head. "You know what, Tay? It doesn't really matter." You murmur as you lie down next to her, tracing her features with your fingers. She raises her eyebrow in curiosity.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I'm staying long enough." You reply. "I will stay until all the love songs make you think of me."

She blushes, but has a challenging smile, "You are so cocky."

You laugh, nodding. "All of them. From Taylor Swift 2006 to 1989."

She laughs softly. "You want me to think about you with all of my ex-boyfriend' songs?"

You nod trying not to laugh too. "You'll think about how none of them compared to me."

She giggles, moving closer to kiss you several times on the cheek, over and over again, until you are laughing too.

A long moment after, you calm down, and she has her face resting on your chest, your hands on her waist and hair, and you notice the mood has changed.

You don't push, Tay talks when she wants to. And it doesn't take long for her to kiss your skin and then whisper, "You're going to be my best song."

Smiling weakly, you kissed her forehead. "I just hope to be the happy ones."

Taylor sinks her face against your neck, entwining her legs in yours. "You are."

#taylor swift x reader #taylor swift fics #taylor swift #celebrities imagines #taylor swift imagines

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

desperately need to see the fight between doting husband bruce wife n the parents abt dick- or god forbid if they disrespected alfred

I'm not really in a mental place to write the actual fight but. Here's this.

Bruce turned his glass, watching the firelight shimmer in the facets of the crystal and exhaled slowly. He should be in bed, asleep next to you. But he couldn't settle down.

He still heard the barbed words that had been hurled at you. Designed to hurt. They'd known EXACTLY where to stick the knife. Knew every chink you your armor. And they'd tried to exploit it.

To make you back down like you'd done so many times before. Anything to make it stop. To make the waterboarding end so you could take a full breath.

"Sir-"

"Alfred?"

"Is Miss Y/N alright?"

"Asleep finally," he said, gesturing for him to pour himself a drink.

"Thank god," the butler said, taking the invitation and a chair with a sigh.

"Hm."

"I wondered why she rolled over like she did," Alfred said. "I never realized-"

"Did everyone hear?"

"Most everyone," he sighed. "Voices carry in this house."

"And anyone who didn't hear it will be told about it, I'm sure. Damn it." Bruce had hoped that maybe, they'd all be occupied. Fussing with dinner clean up or the last chores before the end of the day. Hoping to protect your dignity a little.

"Unfortunately," Alfred sighed.

"I think we'll cancel tomorrow's dinner plans," he said. "And do something here."

"Very good, Sir," Alfred said nodding. "I'll see to arrangements in the morning."

Silence settled for a long moment, broken only by the crackling of the fire and a distant croaking of frogs in the early spring chill. "I keep trying to understand why- keep trying to picture my parents saying things like that and I just-"

"They love me as much as they can love anyone-" Your voice makes both of them jump and you flinch guiltily, ready to bolt. Too raw to realize no one was going to shout at you.

"Sweetheart," Bruce said getting to his feet. "You're going to get cold-" You didn't have a robe on. Or slippers. And it was a drafty house. How you weren't already freezing in your short shorts and tank top he'd never know. And over your protests, he pulled you into his lap, tucking your head up under his chin and holding you there. Chafing the chilled skin of your exposed arm and calf in his hand.

"Be that as it may, ma'am Alfred said, clearing his throat. Not prepared for his heart strings to be pulled that way. "You don't deserve to be spoken to like that."

"It used to be worse-"

"If I may be so bold- I do not believe that makes their behavior today any better." And when you don't answer, aside from sniffling and clinging to your husband- Alfred makes a mental note to make waffles in the morning. It wasn't much but- you did seem to enjoy them and you hadn't eaten dinner. He wouldn't have you facing tomorrow starving.

#Bruce Wayne #Bruce Wayne x reader #doting husband!bruce #ask answered #minors dni #reader insert

[cecilebutcher]

ღLaufey songs I associate with twst boysღ

I’m back on my musical bullshit😎 just so we’re clear, this has zero thoughts, behind it o7 Enjoy!!

!!Don’t like,it does nothing. Reblog instesd!!

Characters: Every nrc student + some oc’s

Riddle Rosehearts: like the movies

“Maybe I'm just old fashioned. Read too many fairytales. It's no wonder I've had no luck, no one's ever good enough. I want a love like I've seen in the movies.That's why I'll never fall in love”

Trey Clover: I wish you love

“And in July a lemonade. To cool you in some leafy glade. I wish you health. And more than wealth. My breaking heart and I agree. That you and I could never be. So with my best, my very best. I set you free”

Cater Diamond: someone new

“I have to get off Instagram. I keep on going back. Looking at our memories. I know that you will soon delete. We turn to strangers in a day. Now you walk away. Every time I catch your eye. When did you become so shy?”

Ace Trappola: Best friend

“I have never tolerated someone for so long. I've never laughed so much. I haven't written a sad song. There's no one else I'd rather fall asleep with. And dream with. You're my best friend in the world”

Deuce Spade: just like Chet

“Why did you put me through. 11 months of "you're so pretty's, " "I miss you's"? It's absurd what even occurred between autumn and spring. If you never loved me. In a perfect world. I wouldn't have met you that night. Would've stayed with my friends. And just danced 'til the morning light”

Leona Kingscholar: Valentine

“I've rejected affection. For years and years. Now I have it, and damn it. It's kind of weird. He tells me I'm pretty. Don't know how to respond. I tell him that he's pretty too. Can I say that? Don't have a clue”

Ruggie Bucchie: Promise

“It hurts to be something. It's worse to be nothing with you. I've done the math. There's no solution. We'll never last. Why can't I let go of this?”

Jack Howl: lucky for me

“When the sun goes away in the autumn. And the leaves trickle down from the trees. The heat of the summer's forgotten. You'll be here, so lucky for me. You don't tell me to shut up. Even when I talk too much you smile at me. Say, "Don't worry"”

Azul Ashengrotto: From the start

“Oh, the burning pain. Listening to you harp on 'bout some new soulmate. "She's so perfect, " blah, blah, blah. Oh, how I wish you'll wake up one day. Run to me, confess your love, at least just let me say”

Jade Leech: above the Chinese restaurant

“Street sounds blistered with neon lights. Heard the neighbors snoring every other night. Eating dumplings from next door. Finish 'em up they'd give us some more. Didn't realize we had it all. Even when the roof came caving in that fall. Oh, I loved you more than you know. Covered in the flakes of crystal white snow”

Floyd Leech: dancing with you tonight

“Silly boy, don't talk to me. I don't have the energy. Please don't ask to dance with me tonight. I do better on my own (on my own). I don't mean to come off cold (come off cold). But my dear, I'm all danced out tonight. Now the gin is hitting me. And it's almost half-past three. Am I crazy or seeing things? I'm sorry if I can't go for another swing”

Kalim Al-Asim: Magnolia

“A word from her lips, her sirens kiss. Will send you straight into abyss. Magnolia, I wish she'd give her secrets away. Enchants everyone and I think it'd be fun. To be like her someday. But I cannot compete with her. Perfection is the only word. I think of when I think of Magnolia. She doesn't know that the world is turning just for her”

Jamil Viper: Street by Street

“Step by step, brick by brick. I'm reclaiming what's mine. This city is way too small. To give away to just one guy. Street by street, breath by breath. From the Back Bay to the sky. I'm taking back my city. I'm Taking back my life. The cafe Where you asked me for my name. The bookstore we spent Five hours hiding from the rain”

Vil Shoenheit: beautiful stranger

“What if I would've stayed on the train? Dared to stand up and ask for his name. Maybe we would have exchanged a few words. A fairytale moment could have occurred. But my beautiful stranger will have to remain. A stranger until I see him again. See him again. Hmm, mmh.”

Rook Hunt: fragile

“The soft candle glow. The music so slow. Your skin on my skin. The room is spinning. Nerve in my bone. I'm shaking oh no. I'm talking though I shouldn't be. I've lost all sensibility. I've never been so fragile”

Epel Felmier: falling behind

“'Cause the sun's engaged to the sky. And my best friend's found a new guy. I'm only getting older. I've never had a shoulder to cry on. Someone to call mine. Everybody's falling in love and I'm falling behind”

Idia Shroud:this is how it feels(ft. D4vd)

“This is how it feels. To fall in love with you. To always think of you. To always dream of you. Yes, it hurts so much. To fall in love with you. So if this is how it feels. Tell me if our love is real. There's some type of strange appeal. To the way it was so effortless, uh. I cannot help it”

Malleus Draconia: Bewitched

“You bewitched me. From the first time that you kissed me. Waited all night. Then we ran down the street in the late London light. The world froze around us, you kissed me good night. You bewitch me. Every damn second you're with me. I try to think straight. But I'm falling so badly, I'm coming apart. You wrote me a note, cast a spell on my heart. And bewitched me. Bewitched”

Lilia Vanrouge: night light

“Cardboard boxes covеring the floor. Guess I won't be living in here anymore. Take down the posters of the pop stars on the wall. Empty room, it looks so small. All of the laughter. All the sleepless nights. Waiting for ever after. Snow falling outside, keeping on the night light”

Silver (Vanrouge): let you break my heart again

“One day, I will stop falling in love with you. Some day, someone will like me like I like you. Until then, I'll drink my coffee, eat my pie. Pretend that we are more than friends. Then of course I'll let you break my heart again. Some day, one day. I will stop falling in love with you. Until I do. I'll be thinking of you. Let you break my heart again”

Sebek Zigvolt: dear soulmate

“Dear soulmate. Do you think of me? 'Cause I do. Do you have green eyes or are they brown like mine? Do you have a sister too? Dear soulmate. One day I'll give this song you. We will drive up to the mountains? Camp in a little tent? When the bears come at night. Will you put up a fight? Or will you hide with me in my flashlight?”

Ibhana “Vesper” Baske: questions for the universe

“Falling in love feels more like crashing. Stars spin around my head. So I'm asking. Will my worries ever melt away? Mm. Run out of sentences to say. Wish that I could put this into better words. Will I ever fall in love or will I always search?”

Tao Yúchi: second best

“I'll never forget how stupid in love I felt. I'll always regret how I couldn't ever tell. That you walked a little faster, left me behind. Kissed me with somebody else in mind. I loved you so much. That I settled for less. Oh, you were my everything. I was your second best.”

Igor Kazentoc: serendipity

“I won't pretend I've been anxious. Just like I've always been. This time it's sticking. And time just stops ticking. When I have my arms around you. Four-leaf clovers and lucky dimes. Coincidences and cosmic signs. Have proved that I am quite naive. I'm falling fast, filling gravity. And all that I see is serendipity”

Junto Shuisha: everything I know about love

“I wouldn't mind (ahh). I heard that falling fast is so divine. Are these songs just telling plain old lies? 'Cause that's everything I know about love (ooh, ooh). Everything I know about love (ooh, ooh). I don't know that much at all. I trip, I fall. Every time I try, it's all too much. That's everything I know about love”

Jasper Spade: slow down

“I wish it would slow down. Even for a second. I'm so old now. Left my adolescence. Going out to parties. And getting way too drunk. Think I found somebody. But don't think that it's love. I wish it would slow down. Slow down. Mhm, mhm. ”

Aikat Spanos: I’ve never been in love before

“I've never been in love before. I thought my heart was safe. I thought I knew the score. But this is why. It's all too strange and strong. I'm full of foolish song, and out my song must pour. So please forgive this helpless haze I'm in. I've really never been in love before”

Phobes Spanos: what love will do to you

“Lately, I've been in a haze. Running late, can't think straight. The world feels smaller, yet the trees look taller. There's enchantment in the air. I know I sound stupid, I do. That's what love will do to you. Read my favorite book. For the hundredth time. At least I know of how it ends. In real life it just all depends”

Yes I know I placed valentine for my baby boy Sebek in the last post, but it fits Leona this time ok?

Anywho hope ya’ll enjoyed this as much as I had fun writing this:D

Finally back to posting shit!! I have had this in my drafts for ages

!!requests are open!!

comments are more than appreciated. but reblogs help the content reach more people so please reblog if you want to like<3 likes do nothing. Seriously, don’t like, reblog.

#twisted wonderland #twst #❦cece #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #riddle rosehearts #trey clover #cater diamond #ace trappola #deuce spade #leona kingscholar #ruggie bucchi #jack howl #azul ashengrotto #floyd leech #jade leech #kalim al asim #jamil viper #vil shoenheit #rook hunt #epel felmier #idia shroud #malleus draconia #lilia vanrouge #silver twst #sebek zigvolt

[muxshwriting]

swan upon leda

Daniel Sousa x reader

summary: you would wait years for him, and he would do the same for you || words: 591 || masterlist

"We'll wait at this bench this day, every year." You promise. "And one day, I'll catch up and we'll both be here together again. Yes?"

"Every year, this day." Daniel promises back.

~~

You arrive early, sitting down on the bench. When you travel through space and time, loneliness can become an occupational hazard. Daniel was always there for you, running towards death without a second thought because you were there. You don't know what year it is, it's hard to keep track when it changes so much. Maybe Daniel will show, maybe it's before the promise, maybe it's too late.

The night settles in and no one arrives. He's not coming. It's not the right time.

~~

The first year, Daniel showed up optimistic. But as the years weared on, his hope slowly faded. The yearly cold and sleepless nights of waiting took a toll on his dream of you.

He began bringing books with him, to keep himself entertained as he waited. Despite the year of disappointment, he still waited the entire night each year. If you did arrive, he didn't want to miss you becuase he went home early.

~~

Finally, you struck lucky. It had been six years after the promise for Daniel but eight for you. But finally, you were in the right time for your promise to come true.

You're almost running through the streets to reach the park before darkness truly sets in. The sun is already slipping below the horizon. The park gates loom ahead and you run towards them, tearing through the greenery until you catch sight of the bench. It's empty. But it's ok, it's still early...

A man with a cane slowly lowers himself onto the bench. He glances around before pulling a book from his satchel and using the streetlight to read. Below the brim of his hat, you catch a glimpse of his face.

Your Daniel, still waiting six years later. He's obviously older now, but you are too. You approach slowly, carefully taking steps. He's engrossed in his book. Silently, you take a seat next to him. He looks up. His eyes meet yours and the book is quickly forgotten.

Without thought, he smashes his lips to yours and threads a hand into your hair. He pulls away only to breath and shuffles impossibly close to you. "I missed you."

Tears spring in your eyes. "It's been so long."

His delicate touch traces the faint wrinkles and creases that show time passed on your face. "How long for you?"

"Eight years." You answer softly. He makes a sound of protest but you interrupt him. "Eight years well spent to end here with you."

He smiles and you gladly return it. "Anything is worth it to be here with you, my love." He tries to shift but ends up wincing as his leg cramps.

You look at him, worried. "What happened Daniel?"

"Don't you worry about it darling." He shakes his head. "I don't want to ruin tonight with tales of pain." He pauses before continuing. "How long do we have?"

"In my heart, forever." You meet his gaze. "Right now, as long as you'll have me."

Daniel's mouth drops open in surprise. "You don't have to leave?"

You laugh. "I think I've earned an early retirement, don't you?"

You could watch his smile forever as he kisses you once more. "I'll have you until our last breaths, my love. Don't you ever leave me again."

"Never."

When nature unmakes the boundary, the pillar of myth still stands.

if you like these fics, give me a follow or a reblog xx

taglist: @aoi-targaryen

#daniel sousa x reader #daniel sousa #agent carter #agents of shield #agents of s.h.i.e.l.d. #muxsh #muxshwriting #swan upon leda

[whatimdoing-here]

Word vomit shit seizures under cut

Had a seizure last night. It'd been over a year so definitely a reminder of exactly what sucks about having them. Killer headache this morning, body being very very sore. The frustration initially when releasing I have a million thoughts in my head but I can't completely talk or understand for 20-30 min afterwards. The continued frustration afterwards knowing that now I can't drive, at least for awhile, and am now completely dependent on others for that again. The last seven years or so especially, my happy place is going out by myself, and getting coffee. Or going out by myself and going shopping. So now I can't. Not sure if I'll wait The whole six months, but it needs to be some time. And I definitely will not be driving long distances the next six months so there goes driving to Chicago in the late winter/early spring. And Columbia next month.

The anxiety for the next... Months as they're more likely to happen after one happens. The brain fog. Today a new one is I now feel like I'm getting sick because something has been going around the house and seems like not breathing for two minutes exasperated it. Imagine.

There's frustration because I can't pinpoint anything that would have given me warning except right before. Didn't miss meds, not ridiculously stressed out or overtired. Being on my period seems to unfortunately be a trigger.

There's also a new feeling of hopelessness. As I try to decide... If or how or what to do about my marriage as I struggle to figure out my feelings, this is a reminder that he knows what to do, how to stay calm, be there for me. It's also causing him mental harm, seeing me like that. It doesn't feel like I can leave him. It increases my chances of something really bad happening to me. I was on the floor when it happened, but definitely hadn't made my way to laying down because I was convinced I could stop the train that was coming.

The second one that has happened at night, but not when I was sleeping. It's one thing if I'm sleeping already. It's tough to deal with it and then be awake and text people like "lolz sorry I didn't respond I had a seizure". I don't want to hide them from my people. But it's still weird.

Thankfully our plans today got cancelled. I was going to do a lot of housework, but truly feel pretty shitty both mentally and physically. so I'll do some but probably stay in bed or recliner a lot. Emotionally even though I cried some when ya know I couldn't talk last night, I'm feeling pretty emotional again. It just really sucks and I hate it.

But now I'll say I'm thankful that it's not worse. The fact that it's been over a year (since a big one, I'm having multiple partial ones a month) is good. And I really hadn't made any changes to meds before that even, so hopefully things are still under control and it just was a one time for awhile thing. Guess we'll see. Maybe between the computers and reading on my kindle it's been too much screen for me. Or really my water to caffeine ratio wasn't great yesterday.

Truly one of the weirdest effects is that I am super sensitive to cold, touch and taste, for days after. It's like extra cold.

Venting done.

Thankful for this place and my people. And to any of those people reading I hope you know that I don't tell you looking for sympathy, I tell you so you're aware.

#personal nonsense

[nutcasewithaknife]

Writing Patterns

Thank you for the tag @mx-myth and @bbcphile!! <3 (sorry for the dealy!! This got buried in my drafts a long while ago, and when I dug it up I realised I had a whole new fic up on ao3 since i first drafted this ;-;)

The task is to list out the opening sentence of the last 10 fics I've posted on ao3 and look for patterns! I'll do the same for the closing sentence of these fics too :)

2. Pieces (Mysterious Lotus Casebook; post-canon fic where Li Lianhua is found but cannot be saved, and difang grieve.)

Opening: 'That night, Fang Duobing fell asleep.'

Closing: 'Then they wiped off their tears and picked up the pieces together.'

2. Next Time We'll Meet Beyond The Stars Above (Mysterious Lotus Casebook; pre-canon fic following Di Feisheng and Li Xiangyi's relationship from their first meeting to the donghai battle.)

Opening: 'The first time Di Feisheng hears the name is in a shabby tea house, far from any town of notable significance.'

Closing: 'I win.'

3. Sleepless (Mysterious Lotus Casebook; gratuitous and lazy post canon feihua where they both can't sleep and decide to get horny about it)

Opening: 'Di Feisheng paused in the doorway at the sight of the empty bed.'

Closing: 'Satisfied, Di Feisheng let himself drift away too.'

4. Found (The Untamed; set during the 16 years between Wei Wuxian's death and resurrection. Lan Wangji wanders away and falls in love again, with another boy and another place, before coming back home.)

Opening: 'Lan Wangji had followed the beast’s trail to the farthest border of Qinghe.'

Closing: 'He didn’t look back.'

5. Fang Duobing and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week (Mysterious Lotus Casebook; cracky fluffy post-canon about Fang Xiaobao having an extended crisis about Di Feisheng sleeping with Li Lianhua instead of sharing the upstairs bed with him).

Opening: 'Fang Duobing returned to Lotus tower after about a week, with a spring in his step and a song in his heart.'

Closing: 'They were going to be fine, after all.'

6. A Perfect Night (Mysterious Lotus Casebook; gratuitous and lazy post canon feihua smut again! the previous fic is a sequel to this one).

Opening: 'Li Lianhua took a long drink from his gourd of wine and looked at the moon.'

Closing: 'He went to sleep.'

7. Foolish (The Untamed; sangcheng Modern AU where they're childhood friends who run into each other years later at a gay bar, and Jiang Cheng is having so many crises about his sexuality but being so brave about it.)

Opening: 'The whole liquid courage thing was a scam.'

Closing: 'They scuffled over it the rest of the way back.'

8. Save It For A Rainy Day (The Untamed; classic yunmeng bros reconciliation full of angst and screaming and, eventually, hugs)

Opening: 'Jiang Cheng was confused.'

Closing: 'If these were the troubles he had to bear… he could live with that happily enough.'

9. A Trial By Cold (The Untamed; wangxian modern AU crack where they're both in bed recovering from a cold, and as sleepy as they are horny.)

Opening: '“Lan Zhan.”'

Closing: 'His husband’s shoulder was the best pillow in the world (....except maybe his ass.)'

10. An Earthly Desire (Love Between Fairy and Devil; Lady Chidi's POV on her first time meeting and saving Rong Hao in the mortal realm.)

Opening: 'Death should’ve become easier by now.'

Closing: 'Facing death got no easier, but the reminder of life she returned to let her hope.'

Patterns:

In the older fics, there is a tendency to open with dialogue or (most frequently) a thought from the POV character. However, the more recent ones tend to begin with an action, often the POV character arriving at location that most/all of the fic is going to be set it.

The first lines usually get right into the head of the POV character. The tone of each depends heavily on this character and the tone of the fic itself.

The closing lines usually capture the crux of the story and call back to important themes in the more poignant fics. Given that most of my writing is strongly rooted in some kind of arc for the POV character, it often reflects their final state of mind. Depending on the kind of fic, it's bittersweet, hopeful, sad, or just plain ridiculous.

Just realising that all my lighter, fluffy Mysterious Lotus Casebook fics end with liansanjiao falling asleep peacefully and that's very very telling. They deserve to nap on each other and be lazy. as a treat.

Huh. I wonder if realising all this will change these patterns henceforth. It was very fun to distance myself from each fic and look at them all together. Anyways, that's pretty much all I noticed. If anyone spots something else I'd love to hear :3

Tagging every single fic-poster who sees this on their dash, please go wild, I look forward to it!! :D

#tag game #writing patterns

[visd3stele]

DAY 7 - FREE DAY

from @lucienweekofficial 2023 prompt list

surprise, surprise, happiness only lasted 1 and a half days.

TW: SEXUAL ASSAULT, PTSD, SEXUAL TRAUMA, RAPE, SELF HARM, SELF BLAME (ps: those thoughts are untrue!)

Lucien knew fire. The breath of loving flames, warming him through cold nights. The flash of angry burns by his father's hands. The passionate creaks running through his veins, magic as bright and hot as maybe the sun itself.

But this unknown feeling was the most potent lately. The worst fire Lucien ever felt. An itch right beneath his skin, that no matter how many times he drowned his skin in cold water, scrubbed and scratched and peeled, he couldn't put it out.

It heat him from the inside. Not the pleasant kind a hearth would give. But the merciless one that turns forests into ash and bones into dust.

"We'll have so much fun. I always wanted a male with fire in his veins," Ianthe winked, not bothering to finish the saying all Prythia is bound to know.

Lucien has never been ashamed of being from the Autumn Court. Not for his fire. But now, for the first time in his whole existence, the snarky, witty fox loathed his magic.

Being raised by a male like Beron guaranteed a life of misery. To it, Lucien was no stranger. However, it's never been like this. Bringing him to tears from morn' to each next dawn, feeling as if his body suddenly became unfit.

Lucien has always liked his body. Even after Amarantha scarred him, twice, Lucien found a way to enjoy it. Maybe his heart wasn't fully into it, but he'd joke and tell himself ladies like it (not untrue), so he could one day too.

This was different. In the drawer of his mind, titled "Spring pain", Lucien tried to fit the Rite on that Calanmai night. Let it be forgotten and ignored next to Tamlin's first anger burst that broke their friendship for good and the day on the border when he lost two brothers.

His mind rarely did as he wished. It simply wouldn't fit Ianthe in it.

"I'll see you tonight, Emissary."

And Lucien hoped he wouldn't remember. That whatever magic possessed him would take the memories with it once the ritual passes. He should have learned by now he is not allowed not even small mercies.

"I'm a mated male," he had tried to reason. With both Ianthe and Tamlin. But the former couldn't care less and the latter preffered to sink into melancholy decay, refusing any help that actually forced him to work on a better path.

He started to get odd looks from those around. But he couldn't help it. Random jolts would shook his body, an involunterally defence against a fight long since lost and gone.

Lucien felt trapped. In a missmatched body that didn't fit no more. A shape too sharp, too round, too soft, too hot. The body that floated in others' desire and lust grew spikes on the inside with which to poke his soul out. Except, there was no place to let it out and it ended up bruised and bleeding and wounded and torned apart.

He flinched at longer stares. He puked alone in his rooms when someone would even hint at flirting with him. He cried every time he saw his mate, for Lucien was disgusted with himself. He was never one to sleep around, despite shamelessly teasing and flirting his way around Courts. Before Jesminda, there's been none. After Jesminda, few and far between Lucien didn't manage to trully feel for. But the Autumn fox was a romantic at heart. He wished to find his mate his whole life and when he finally did, he couldn't be faithful to her.

"It wasn't your fault," Feyre would say. "Elain wouldn't blame you."

But Lucien did. He'll always do. For how could he not? When Ianthe's disturbingly wide, round eyes – such a waste of pristine features on a female anything but innocent – staring into his despite his attempts to avoid it, would forever plague his mind. He'd always feel her short, but sharp, nails digging in his shoulders, back, arse. He'd always feel her cold touch, trailing goosebumps against his skin and hear her moans, screams, excited and tired breaths.

How could escape Ianthe, when anytime his mate looked up at him, now that she agreed to get to know him, Lucien would see blue instead of brown. Would hear a nasty edge instead of soft ellegance when conversations reached a steamier point.

Later, Lucien avoided to bed Elain, despite her hints and out-right suggestions, in fear of whispering her name by mistake.

#my writing #lucien vanserra #my fic #lucienweek2023 #lucien acotar #my work #my words #fic writing

[parushontas]

Happy Code Swap Day dear @grubtism !

The prompt I took was "Aelita discovering new things about earth (such as her learning about being cold while walking with jeremie after her materialization in s1)" and here it is your typical filler episode on the beach where Aelita plays volleyball and watches the sunset (with Jerlita centered ofc).

I hope you can excuse my poor grammar since I'm not a native speaker. I was really about to cry when I was editing this but I'm afraid the tenses might have gone crazy at some point anyway. I hope again this doesn't stop you from enjoying the story. Have fun! @code-swap

—------------------------------------------------------

The chink of trains passing by in this early spring morning were blending with distinctive rumble of a station, while announcements were fading in and out. Like in every big city, Paris had already woken up and was getting ready for the day, the wagons were full of people on their way to work in the country or planning a short weekend getaway. In one of them, three boys were sitting with their eyes on the big clock of the station, looking for something impatiently.

"They're gonna miss it, if they don't hurry up." complained Ulrich while looking back over his shoulder to the platform through the train's open door and turned his gaze back to his friends sitting across the table. The boy in the purple shirt was picking at his backpack's zip and glanced at the compartment quickly over his blonde friend next to him before answering Ulrich. "They should be there soon, don't worry."

The bag trembled with a rustling sound like something was pawing its way to reach the top, seconds later Jeremy was squinting at a panting dog that appeared between him and Odd.

"My little diggity-dog," Odd squealed while patting his head. "Soon you will run as much as you can." Kiwi licked his owner's hand as an answer, his wagging tail was showing how he was bursting with excitement for this unexpected trip.

"We risk being thrown off the train by bringing him with us." Jeremy addressed a remark to Kiwi, while glancing at his watch. He couldn't help but start to get grumpy, the absence of their other two friends that were supposed to be here a quarter hour ago, was worrying him a little bit. The boy decided to wait five more minutes before calling them.

"Kiwi is one of the other big risks that we take today, Einstein." bantered Odd with him, he knew that Jeremy deep down loves his dog too and it was always funny to him that Kiwi sometimes gets on people's nerves.

"Yeah Jeremy, speaking of that," Ulrich interrupted their conversation while raising his eyebrows "what do we do if our friend X.A.N.A attacks while we're away, huh?" He really loved the idea of showing Aelita around at first but by the time past and the girls continued not to show up, he was sharing the same concerns with Jeremy. He knew that the boy with glasses watches every step of Aelita like they all do and cares for her, wants to show how our world contains some wonders but everything is too new for now. Maybe they should have taken things easy like Yumi said before.

Jeremy crossed his arms, dropping his eyes to the table in front of him. He was very well aware about the fact Ulrich stated but he had his good reasons, so he tried to pick the right words to make the situation clear to them."We'll be only one hour ride away from city, so in case of an emergency we can go back quickly and you know, it wasn't long after his last attack." He tugged at his sleeve like brushing off the memories of recent events, they had a really narrow escape last time. "Besides I really wanted to show her the actual sea that is much more different from Lyoko's digital one." he continued while blushing with his confession.

"Just relax, both of you." Odd assured them while scratching behind of Kiwi's ears. "We'll get to see where Jeremy spends his summers, swim a little bit and then be back at the school by dinner. Just a little vacation and that's all."

Ulrich turned his gaze to look out of the train, the first glimpses of daylight were reflecting the boy's shade to the window and making it difficult for him to see the platform. "Let's hope he doesn't spare us a break." he sighed. The idea of a X.A.N.A attack while they're away was giving him shievers, he couldn't stress enough what a mess it might be.

The other boy sitting across from him nodded in agreement, staring off into the crowd on the station and taking a stroll down of his memories from Aelita's first night on earth that he walked her to Yumi's. Not just great to see her heal and hearty by his side but the thought of how even that little walk made her really happy had given the idea of today's trip to him. He really worked hard to make her real, to bring her to the earth but they couldn't managed to make X.A.N.A get off her tail, he is still with her, still theardening her life and Jeremy's hearth sinks everytime he catches the look on her eyes like a feral youngling scaring everything. He hates to let her make sacrifices to save the world and knowing this situation could go for a while drives him crazy. The boy wants her to be in safe, to make her feel safe forever and to tell her that he would never let X.A.N.A hurt her again but the so far he could only make her smile and that's enough for him to face to whole world. If this little trip would make her happy, then it worths to take the risk, he thinks. X.A.N.A can play all the tricks as he wants today but he won't back off to try to brighten up Aelita's day, not even a little.

A huge rumbling from the left disrupted his inner call-out to X.A.N.A. He scowled at Odd and Kiwi trying to decide who's making that sound while Ulrich bursting into laughs of Kiwi's confused look and Odd's querulously protests against Jeremy's judgemental glance.

"You should have let me have breakfast." grumbled Odd looking annoyed and folded his arms on his stomach. "A man has his needs"

"More like a dragon based on the sound that you made, if you ask me." Ulrich teased him.

Odd has just opened his mouth to answer him but his offended response was suppressed by a cheerful shout.

"Then it is a good thing that we brought all the snacks to feed up this dragon." a girl in black waved at them stepping into the train and followed by another girl with pink hair. Despite looking like two opposite ends of the color spectrum, pink sakura flowers on Yumi's shirt were matching perfectly with Aelita's hair.

"Finally!" squeaked Jeremy with a huge sigh of relief and continued his scolding "We were starting to worry".

"Good morning to you, too." Aelita responded to the boy half-mockingly and sat next to him.

"I'm sensing some Hiroki influences." Ulrich remarked, giggling at the girl's cynical answer and inched over to make room for Yumi.

"My kid brother's rich vocabulary is irresistible, I'm afraid." laughed off black haired girl while settling down and trying to get comfortable with her long body on the train's narrow seats. She took a paper bag from the inside of her bucket bag and threw it at Odd. "Here," girl said while Odd catching it on the air and lowering down to sniff it with Kiwi. "something to calm down your stomach."

"Someone with sense, thank you!" cheered the boy when he saw what the bag contains. He grab one of the croissants and took a big bite and immediately passed it down to his dog to split the difference. "Ulrich," then he called out his friend between his gulps "you should really go o-"

"-what took the two of you so long?" Ulrich interrupted him with a rush and on purpose, trying to ignore Jeremy and Aelita's gigglings, of course he knows what Odd is about to say.

"Well, Aelita worked so hard on our fruit salad." answered Yumi his question for the room, pointing out the tupperware that the pink haired girl is holding.

Aelita uncovered its lid and served it around. "Isn't it fascinating that fruits have all these different flavors and beautiful colors?" asked she mesmerizingly, you could tell about her excitement from her shining eyes. Finally, she took a lumpy and russet fruit from the inside and showed it to everyone. "I've never seen such a thing like that before."

"Having a hearty appetite runs in the family, as you can see." Odd determined, about to take the last bite from his apple. "We didn't make her my cousin for nothing."

"Yeah and may I ask why you bring a raw potato here?" questioned Ulrich, pointing to the fruit in Aelita's hands.

"It isn't a potato, it is a Jerusalem artichoke." Jeremy corrected him out of patience, while Yumi breaking into laughs. " and it is a species of sunflower native to-"

"Please give us a break from biology at least on the weekend, Einstein." Odd shutted him up and gave his biggest smile to Jeremy's glaring before changing the subject. "Speaking of fruits, you can't believe what Kiwi did this morning-" he started to tell Yumi.

"So it is a rare one, then?" Aelita turned to Jeremy, still examining the Jerusalem artichoke with other's chatter in the background.

"Yes, in this region I mean." gave the boy a quick answer to her before getting to the point. "Is everything alright at Yumi's?" Jeremy asked anxiously. He has no doubt that his Japanese friend is doing her best to host Aelita but he just wonders if their formally virtual friend is doing okay here.

"It couldn't be better, her family are really hospitable people." smiled the girl at him, put her hand on his shoulder to assure before continuing, because the boy still seemed unconvinced. "Everything is fine, don't worry."

"Just checking." murmured Jeremy with a warm smile and little blush on his cheeks.

"And what were you saying about what this tastes like?" she asked mischievously about the fruit that she was still holding, trying to drop the subject.

"Erhm, I'm not sure if you like it, but there is no harm in trying, I guess" shrugged the boy.

Aelita took a small bite from it and Jeremy examined amusedly her facial expressions of grimace while she tried to chew it.

"Let's say I'll stick with the berries." she commented while exchanging smiles with each other, its somewhat bitter taste isn't her style.

The station master's whistle alerted the gang that their train was about to leave. "Sun, sea and sand, here we come!" Odd yelled with joy when the doors closed and the train started to move. The classic clickety-clack sound was getting louder and riveting the train's acceleration.

"Do you know how real sand looks like Aelita?" asked Yumi and continued after the pink haired girl shook her head as a no. "It is kinda like the Desert Sector, but the pigmentation and the texture are a little bit different. Right, Jeremy?"

"Affirmative." chuckled the boy with glasses, confirming his friend's scientific attempt for the definition.

"Maybe we teach you how to surf this time," Ulrich waved his hand and paused before getting to the punchline of his joke with a deadpan expression. "since you know how to do it on the Internet."

Other's collective groans at his bad joke blended in with Aelita's laugh. "Seriously, Ulrich-" breathed Yumi a sigh while Odd completed her sentence. "You are better than that-"

As their chattering continues, the train had left the city as a beautiful meadow view is streaming from the windows. Jeremy settled back and breathed deeply meadow's scents filling the compartment, listening his friends' chitchat. Maybe it is what peace looks like; watching the pink haired girl next to him laugh with the people that means the most to him, seeing how the sun beams reflecting the perfect green of her eyes as she twinkles and realizing she is finally a real human being just like them. And when the girl suddenly holded his hand like she was reading his mind, the boy's heart missed a beat. That is what he is fighting for, he thought while smiling back at her. She is worthy to face the whole world.

—------------------------------------------------------

"Now, pass it over Aelita!"

Yumi stepped backwards to return the girl's pass, tried to lighten the volleyball's momentum with a couple of flip shots before delivering it to Jeremy.

The sun is blazing down on the beach on this hot spring day, blurring their vision while heated sand is burning their feet a little. Their wet hair had dried long before they started goofing around that begin with Yumi and Ulrich's martial arts demonstration and right now everything looks about to boil away. Even though they've only been here for a few hours, all of the kids look a few tans darker.

Jeremy setted the ball hardly enough to reach Aelita and let out a heavy breath. Sports is never been his thing but Aelita had insisted a lot and he couldn't turn down her request. Besides they need more than one person to teach her how to play volleyball before this big match between girls and boys but righ now, Odd and Ulrich are too busy trying to do chartwheels like Yumi showed them before next to the court with Kiwi running around.

"It's all on the fingertips, Jeremy." panted the black haired girl, seeing his struggle and lifted the ball little more to Aelita before shouting. "Bump pass, now!"

Aelita took the right position for an underhand pass as the ball was speeding up towards her and bumped it to Yumi.

The tall girl cheered for her friend's great pass and let out a rallying cry as she was kicking the ball as hard as she could, like she does all the time in Lyoko.

Jeremy barely found the time to run to the side, not even trying to catch the ball and yawping at the same time.

"Sorry, sorry. My mistake." chuckled Yumi, moving towards the side where the ball escaped. "I'll go and get it."

The boy doubled up, trying to gather his breath in this time-out while hearing the sound of Odd's laugh in the distance, making fun of Ulrich's bad fall.

"Are you okay, Jeremy?" the other girl came closer and asked. Her cheeks look in red a few shades darker than her hair from the effort she put in, while the sun brings out her green eyes even more.

The boy nodded his head and straightened up. "You learn fast." he complimented her. In the morning she had picked up so quickly all the swimming moves that Yumi showed her. It was just the basics though, unfortunately the sea had become rough as the time passed by and despite all the insistence of the other boys, Jeremy and Yumi had decided to call it a day. The open sea isn't a right place to mess around and it is so much different than their swimming lessons with Jim at the pool. Not to mention the amount of salty water all of them swallowed.

"I kind of like it here." Aelita smiled at him. She closed her eyes and tossed her head back as if she wanted to feel the sun even more. Its warmth was feeling like little kisses on her cheek, a feeling that she has never experienced before, almost like life itself. A breeze was carrying constantly the briny, enveloping, warm smell and every time as she took a breath of salt, seaweed and iodine; it was surprising her to have this much and kind of sensations. It is a stimulus-rich environment as Jeremy described her earlier today but to be honest, she would probably never get tired of being overwhelmed by her new three senses. They were sometimes talking about how good and realistic three-dimensional Lyoko is, but if they ask her now, it is nothing compared to what she experienced in such a short time here.

"I'm really glad that you like it." responded Jeremy slowly, trying not to disturb her little tribute to the Earth.

"I wish you would play with us too." the pink haired girl turned to him and requested for the little match that will take place soon.

"Are you kidding?" the boy chortled, he had already seen this movie before. "In sports that require a tall stature, Yumi can match both of them." pointed he at the trio in striking distance.

"I guess you're right." Aelita chuckled, while looking at the other girl circling around Odd and Ulrich that was now standing on their hands and reviewing their posture. From there, the boys looked like a couple of clumsy baby bats, trying to learn how to headstand while Kiwi sniffing them and with their hair that lost volume when wet, they made Yumi look even more taller.

"And now when you are on her side, they have no chance." continued Jeremy proudly. "I'd rather stay out of this bloodbath." He added on quickly after the girl gave him a confused and worried look. "It's a figurative expression, of course."

"If you say so." said Aelita, giving him the biggest smile she has and the boy got a feeling that he has butterflies in his stomach.

"Are you ready to wipe them out, Princess?" Yumi called out to her as she came closer and winked.

"uh-huh" nodded 'the Princess' with a grin on her face.

—------------------------------------------------------

"Both teams have a single time-out." reminded Jeremy standing next to the volleyball net with Kiwi. "Anyone want it before the game ball?"

"Yes, we are." Ulrich uttered gaspingly, trying to raise his hand as he doubled over.

"Okay then, 3 minutes." announced Jeremy. "It's 2 to 1 in favor of girls, if they win this set, they win the game."

"Yeah, yeah we know. Stop mocking with us." grumbled Odd also pantingly. He is feeling too tired to correct Jeremy's officiation terminology.

"Take as much as you want," Yumi trash talked with them as boys gathered together to discuss their strategy. "We have all the time in the world."

"You wish." snarled Ulrich at her but Jeremy could swear he was smiling before he got into a huddle with Odd.

"You play really great." Yumi turned to her teammate and addressed a praise, watching the boy's heated discussion in the meantime.

"Thanks," smiled Aelita, trying to catch her breath with a hand on her chest. "I wish we could do something against Odd's services though."

"Don't worry, it will end soon." assured black haired girl while trying to understand what the boys are up to, while Ulrich demonstrating some moves to Odd.

Jeremy clapped his hands loudly to draw their attention from the courtside. "On your positions." he called out and referred the end of the break.

Yumi took the ball from the ground and handed it over to Aelita. "Would you do the honors?" she asked the girl if she wanted to serve the ace that might be the last.

The girl took the ball and stepped back until her feet touched the field markings that can barely be seen on the sand. She casted a look at the boys through the nest that were waiting impatiently for her to start the game while trying to decide which one to target might help them to get the winning point.

Then Aelita took a deep breath, threw the ball into the air and sent it to the other side as fast as she could.

"I got it!" Ulrich informed his teammate and received the shot successfully, then delivered the ball to him, which Odd returned back to the girls' side with a blast.

"Yumi!" cried out Aelita after she bump passed it to the back, hoping she could catch it.

The Japanese girl took a step back and jumped up high, looked like for a moment that she froze in the air, then kicked the ball in force while letting out a yell.

"LYOKO STYLE!" Odd screamed at the top of his lungs and rushed at Ulrich as he went down on his knees and folded his hands to help his friend jumping higher.

As the ball touched ground on the left, both of the boys fell down on the right, tangled with each other, because Odd misstepped and Ulrich couldn't lift him enough to catch the ball.

"Game, set and match!" declared Jeremy the result with girls' screams of joy in the back. "Maybe I should have told them sooner that the gravity in here works differently than Lyoko." he muttered to himself and giggled as boys were lying down and groaning while Kiwi was licking his owner's face.

Yumi gave Aelita piggyback ride and started touring the field as a victory parade while the boys were wrangling with each other about whose fault it was.

—------------------------------------------------------

His muscles that tired from a hectic day protested again when the boy's hand slipped a third time from the cliff's rocky surface and put his weight to one arm. Ulrich looked up at his blonde friend on the way ahead of the group and snorted, they were climbing quite a while but by time the boy had started to feel dizzy due to his acrophobia and he isn't sure if he can keep this up any longer.

Yumi stopped to help him and as Ulrich took his offerend hand, she pulled the boy to her side safely. "There you go." the girl smiled at him softly while making sure he was holding on tightly this time. The boy gave a thumbs up to her and smiled back.

"Since when you became an athlete, Jeremy?" Odd made a biting comment from their left like he read his friend's mind while panting heavily because of carrying an additional weight to his own. Kiwi barked from his backpack to show his disgruntlement of this situation.

"You're grumbling just because you lost the game earlier." Jeremy brushed him off and secured himself on a big rock to see how others were doing. "We are almost at the top and it has a really great view. It's well worth it, trust me. My father and I come here all the time." he continued.

"We are a little tired, that's all." stated Aelita trying to lighten the mood, following the steps of him.

When finally Jeremy reached the peak, he waited at the rear and gave a hand to everyone until all of them safely stood up there and listened as each person let out a shout of astonishment when they saw the view.

"Jeremy, it is-" stuttered Yumi, not being sure how to describe this breathtaking beauty of the landscape, while other boys let out a gasp. "Just wow." murmured Odd as he placed down his dog on the ground.

Jeremy, being pleased with himself, turned to the pink haired girl. She is the person whose opinion he is most curious about. "What do you think, Aelita?" he addressed her a question.

Yumi took a frisbee from her bag after she saw that look on Aelita's face and showed it to other boys. "Wanna play?" she asked them while they were cheering up on her offer. "Go Kiwi, fetch!" she threw it away and drew the others further to give space to Jeremy and Aelita.

They had arrived just in time to catch the golden hour before sunset and right now, the setting sun were painting in a goldenly orange everything on their sight, while it was washing the clouds in candescent red, as they were standing on the large cliff above the sea and watching this riot of colors' reflection on the water with sound of waves hitting rocks below. The light breeze from morning had started turning into a stronger one and still was carrying the scent of salty water as the daytime smell was changing into the night while caressing Aelita's hair. The girl couldn't take her eyes off the scenery lying ahead where the sun looked like slowly melting into the sea and was dissolving its colors through the water surface.There was something about this moment like every single thing bombarding new sensations to her, evoking some experiences hat she thinks she never had this kind of before. It felt so strange and yet hauntingly familiar as if deep down the girl knows that she has already been there, already had watched the hundreds of sunsets in the past. The pink haired girl was thrilling with the realization of being a human and its luxury of getting used to the times like this, while her heart was pounding in her chest and wondering how this can become a normal for someone or if she will ever be able to normalize it one day.

"It is- I mean this is," Aelita stumbled over, when she could finally talk. "I have no idea there are so many colors like that." she trembled, trying to give meaning to her desire to cry. She didn't know until then that people's eyes form tears not just from sadness but also when they see something so beautiful.

Jeremy gave her a warm smile, watching the last sunbeams of the day flickering in her eyes and forming reddish halos on her sun bleached hair. He didn't bother himself to say something, the moment itself was already speaking for him and accomplishing his purpose of making Aelita happy.

"Watch out!" then he heard Ulrich's cry for warning from the distance but unfortunately it was too late to get away from a frisbee coming towards him at full speed.

Seconds later Jeremy was sitting on the ground, rubbing his head while Aelita was asking him if he is okay.

"Sorry Einstein!" called out Odd and took the blame, trying to stop himself from giggling.

"It is a miracle that you guys can take aim in Lyoko." Jeremy complained, still massaging his forehead.

"Yeah, that tells a lot about Odd's hit rake." laughed Ulrich at him.

"Hey!" his friend protested him by pretending to be offended. "First of all, without me-"

"Give it a rest." Yumi chuckled and stopped them. "Are you guys coming?" then she asked Jeremy and Aelita.

"Be right there." responded Aelita, took the frisbee from the ground and offered her hand to the boy while smiling at him.

Jeremy took her hand as he stood up and let her drag him to their friends where their chattering and Kiwi's excited barking filled the air with the little taste of joy.

—------------------------------------------------------

Rhythmic rail squeal blended with Jeremy's keyboard clicking was singing sweet lullabies to them while the minty smell of the meadow that they were passing by, was refreshing air of the compartment and making the pink haired girl shiver, but she likes it anyway. Street lamps of towns were twinkling at her from afar and she couldn't help but wonder how these people's day was going there.

Aelita glanced at her other three friends napping on each other across her. The boys' heads had fallen on Yumi's shoulders who was sitting in the middle, while their taller friend was slightly leaning on Ulrich. Kiwi's snoring coming from somewhere under the table, occasionally was drowning their slowed breathing. Maybe this is what peace looks like, she thought to herself, watching her loved ones sleep in quietness after a feverish day.

The boy next to her was still working on her antivirus, as if he hadn't done enough for her today. She wasn't sure how she could truly express her gratitude to him, so Aelita decided to keep it simple.

"Jeremy," she addressed him quietly, afraid to wake the others. "Thank you for this vacation. It was my best day on Earth." completed the girl with a soft smile.

The boy stopped typing out for a moment and turned his gaze away from his laptop to her. "So was mine." he responded, returning her smile.

As the unbearable weight of sleep was folding her in its arms, Aelita curled herself up on the seat and leaned against Jeremy. She drifted into sleep as the boy continued to work, listening to her breath slow down and blending into the others.

#code lyoko #Code Swap 2023 #Code: Swap #Code: Swap 2023 #code swap 2023 #aelita schaeffer #jeremy belpois #ulrich stern #yumi ishiyama #odd della robbia #jerlita #kiwi #code lyoko fanfic

[pig-wings]

Happy Groundhog Day/Candlemas/Imbolc! One of my favorite days of the year. We are still in the cold of deep winter (this time last year, we were having a serious cold snap in Boston with subzero temperatures), but the sap is starting to move in the trees and many people are starting their seeds indoors. In the next few weeks, the maple sugaring season will begin in Eastern Massachusetts, and then in March we'll start seeing lambs and goat kids.

Maybe I'm destined to love the murky transition between late winter and cold early spring, being a March baby, but this really is such a wonderful time of paradox. Based on our cloudy skies here in MA, I predict that spring is right around the corner...

[octoberscigarettes]

Weekly Tag game thingy

Thank you for tagging me @abetterdaaye !!

how’s your day going? Pretty okay, I'm sick and still recovering from exam season, but getting to do nothing for a day was fun

are you okay? the sun started shining again, exams are over and suddenly i start to feel okay again

what is your favourite shade of your favourite colour? that shade of green when you're in a forest full of dark green trees, but then the sun shines through the leaves a little bit

are you single? yes

are you happy about that? yes and no, I've just been craving someone to share my life with recently

what age do you feel in your brain? its a pendulum that swings between 5 and 67, it's highlighted include feeling 15 again or my actual age (when i go out) and culminates in the old lady who sits on her balcony and crochets

do you feel like the good times are behind you or ahead of you? I feel like there aren't "the good times". I have had a lot of good moments in the past, I have a lot of good moments in my current stage of life and I am sure there will be good moments in my later life

do you have a best friend? yes!!

did you have a childhood pet? yes, she is my baby since I was twelve and I picked her up, I miss her desperately and I look forward to seeing her again soon

do you sing or whistle around the house? extensively so, yes

do you light candles or incense? candles yes, but almost only on the balcony, and not scented most of the time, also no incense bc I get headaches really fast

are you busy friday night? we'll see, my cold still has me in its grip of death so I'll probably spend the night watching something and crocheting

If you were a circus performer which act would you be in? honestly the closest thing to a circus act I would be is Charles Boyle from Brooklyn 99 in that one Jimmy Jab games episode

what is your favorite outfit? denim shorts, white top, the (basically just sleeves) shrug i crocheted and white sneakers, big hoops and hair open

what is the last thing you created? i work on so many things at once, maybe it was the cardigan, maybe it was one of my fics that rot on my computer, maybe it was a sentence meant to be poetry or maybe it was just a tumblr deep dive on a man (Ian Gallagher they could never make me hate you)

what is your favourite book/fic of all time? Book I would have to say either Demian or the Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse or The good person of Sezuan by Bertolt Brecht. Fic would probably have to be Away Childish Things, anything Gallaplacidia has done or some obscure fic I only hold in my memories

what are you looking forward to? spring (and getting over my cold)

what can immediately put you in a good mood? seeing someone see me

do you like hugs? so much

what is something you wish people understood about you? That all I'm looking for is love, and looking how to show that love to others

Tagging everyone who wants to feel tagged!

[stressedlawsecretary]

Today's Focus

02.27.24 - It was so nice this morning, already in the 50s, that I didn't need earmuffs or gloves or a scarf - just my hoodie. It felt so good I can't wait for spring and summer I'm sick of the cold and the wet and the grey. It helps me be less annoyed with the fact that I forgot to change my choker out today.

Work - I left nothing for myself except one efile that's a text order; what I have to do is save it to a word document and make sure any dates are recorded in the lawyer's calendar. Other than that I got nothing; no idea who might need me but whatever I get paid either way.

Background Noise - I start with 127 on the Watch Later, which is less than yesterday so let's celebrate that! The plan is to alternate Watch Later videos with ones on my YT Drama playlist today. Unfortunately this means I'm doing a few long videos in 20 min chunks so my total will probably not reflect what is actually watched

I did manage to do 17 total videos yesterday, between the Watch Later and the true crime playlist. On Thursday I'm planning on making headway on the Popular Media playlist.

Study - Tuesday is news article day, so I have set up to read articles from a multitude of places, along with reading a couple short, whole essays and marking the pages of longer reports.

I didn't do awful yesterday; I read three random articles, the whole decision of Abrams v. US on Justia, and three more pages of Bill HR 5376 (this is the 700+ page Inflation Reduction Act I'm studying; pages are all I can manage.)

Extras - Okay well I did the catbox but I failed at vacuuming so maybe I can pick that up again on Wednesday and get back into routine. I touched up the bathroom over the weekend so that doesn't need to be done, but I do need to make sure the white tshirts go for a second round of stripping. Dinner should be easier than last night, or at least less labor: steaks with instant potatoes and roasted veggies. Didn't do Kamen Rider Drive specials, so we'll at least do the one movie today; I do want to motor with this because I want to finish Dekaranger by the end of the week so I can start either Turboranger or Carranger next. One mini-essay already written; as long as I do at least that daily I'm happy with my creativity so to speak.

#studyblr #my study stuff #today's focus #talking #selfie #spotify #Spotify

[claudiajcregg]

Hoo boy, I'm behind on tagged stuff. (After this, I owe the last line I've written, the 8 tv shows, and who knows what else!) But this one was rather easy, even if formatting took me longer than I thought.

Tagged by the incredibly talented @onekisstotakewithme, whose stuff you should absolutely read because she's so good. (And prolific, too!) Thank you, Ally <3

Rules: share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written fewer than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway.

I have eleven (for now? hopefully?) and I'll put them under a cut because this might get long for my mobile peeps. (I'm not the best at first lines. Or all that follow. I noticed a pattern, lol.)

Tagging anyone who wants to do it, of course! Feel free to ignore it if you don't want to do it, or if you've been already been tagged, etc. I probably missed some posts here and there. ♥️ @miabicicletta, @ballroompink, @holy-ships-x-red-lips, @district447, @eyes-onthehorizon

From most recent to oldest. They are all for The West Wing. Will I come out of this hating my writing even more? We'll see!

still you never took your hand from mine

The idea of writing a book by herself had always felt like this thing she wasn’t sure she wanted to do, at least not at that point in her life. 

The (in)famous memoir fic. CJ starts writing a memoir while pregnant with her first child.

haunted by the notion somewhere there's a love in flames

Filomena Ristorante was an enchanting establishment she hadn’t heard of until earlier this afternoon. 

Set during CJ and Danny's business dinner in S1. It's two chapters long!)

just your smile lit a 60-watt bulb in my house that was darkened for days

When the President summoned her to the Oval Office on Tuesday, the last thing C.J. was expecting was for him to invite her to their Thanksgiving festivities up in the Residence — that was, if she didn’t have plans already.

Thanksgiving 2006 in the Residence, with a dash of thanks and trivia. CJ/Danny, with Jed/Abbey, Josh/Donna, Charlie/Zoey

don't want you to go but I'll be okay

The flight back to Andrews Air Force Base had been pushed back until the morning for various reasons; not least of which had been avoiding a repeat of everyone’s protests on the way to Portland due to the late departure time.

C.J. finds some unexpected closure when she goes out for dinner during the Portland trip. (Yes, I'm copying some of the summary for some of these, lol.)

I'll be your friend in the daylight again

If C.J. was asked to name whatever meetings she had been a part of this week, she would fail.

C.J. and her complicated feelings about her NSC card resurface once Josh gets his during the Santos administration. (No, but I'm actually surprised by how accurate and succinct some of these summaries are.)

catch my pieces as they fall apart

His beautiful wife was sad and exhausted and likely sick, and Danny didn’t know how to take her pain away.

After her father passes away, C.J. grapples with grief and what her future might hold.

say it's here where our pieces fall in place

The sun over the plains was unforgiving on this late winter day.

A series of glimpses into C.J. and Danny’s lives, together and apart, from 1998 to 2008. It's 11 chapters!

we could be the way forward and I know I'll pay for it

The second the call with Hogan disconnected, she stopped walking around the secluded garden area and was hit with a cold breeze she wasn’t prepared for.

St. Augustine, FL; spring of 1998. C.J. wrestles with her burgeoning feelings for Danny when she runs into him outside a campaign event.

maybe everything's turning out how it should be

This wasn’t the same without Leo.

As a way to honor his late mentor, Josh brings back Leo’s Big Block of Cheese tradition during the Santos Administration. Unbeknownst to him, he ends up having a special crackpot meeting of his own. (This has implied CJ/Danny and Josh/Donna.)

all's well that ends well to end up with you

The sun was setting over the small mountain range in the distance, coloring the sky with a pink-orange hue that was breathtaking. 

C.J. and Danny find a moment of quiet in a hectic day and reflect about how they got to where they are. Their wedding. It's set after their wedding.

... and +1, because I felt bad leaving it behind

maybe we'll sleep here covered in star shine

At four in the morning, the sky was beautifully dark with just the slightest hint of the day that would soon start on the horizon. 

On a sleepless night, C.J. finds herself staring at the stars and reminiscing about her childhood.

#onekisstotakewithme #tag game #first lines tag #🙈🙈🙈🙈 #do I have a semi decent body of work??????

[mlmxreader]

Don't Think Like That | Bridget Von Hammersmark x m!reader

anonymous asked: Hello there could you write "I love you, doesn't that matter at all?" whit an m!reader and Bridgette Von Hammersmark?

She's my best girl and I need more content whit her <3

Also thank you very much in advance!

summary: you want your last thoughts to be of her, but she's not going to let you think about dying just yet

tws: smoking, mentions of death

Winter was coming, the air was so cold that even five minutes out in it without proper gear would and could result in colds and flus and shivering for hours on end, with frost coating everything; hiding out in the woods wasn't any fun, but thankfully, your girlfriend Bridget had a little safehouse where you and your men could go. Part of the allied forces, you had been marched into the city during the spring, and although people had been expecting wintery conditions, they didn't expect anything like this in the slightest; your men were cold, and when Bridget welcomed them into her home, she made sure that there was enough firewood to keep everything nice and warm for you all.

But while you were snuggled up to her beneath a thick duvet and a blanket that was ever so soft and ever so warm, you couldn't help but to swallow thickly. "What'd you do if I gets shot and killed?"

"I'd mourn you," Bridget replied, "I'd mourn you until my last breath, Scharfschütze."

You nodded, knowing that it was a strong possibility; while she was working on your side, about to go and help a group of Americans in a few weeks, spying on behalf of the allies... you knew it was all too possible that you would never see her again. A sniper, you knew that it was possible that you could easily be shot at any given time, any given moment. Your days together were numbered.

"Maybe we should escort you," you started, "y'know, make sure that you at least safely meet the Americans."

But Bridget cleared her throat, and moved so that she was leaning on your chest, tracing it with the tip of her index finger as she shook her head. "Mein Mann... can you stop worrying for eins moment?"

You smiled, reaching up to tuck a stray hair behind her ear as you licked your lips and allowed your gaze to drop to your dog tags hanging around her neck. "It's my job to worry."

"Not right now," she insisted. "Later... I haven't seen you in so long, I want to be with mein (y/n), not the army's... be the army's (y/n) later. Bitte. Für mich."

"Es tut mir Leid," you whispered, gently tracing her jaw as you nodded. "I'm all yours, Schatz."

"Danke," Bridget leaned down, capturing your lips for a quick moment. A smile came to her as she pulled away, holding your chin as she studied your features as if she wanted to remember them until she had been dead for a hundred years. "Are you hungry? You've hardly eaten since you've arrived."

You shook your head. "We've lived off of less... we'll be fine."

But Bridget wouldn't accept that as she got up and made her way over to her wardrobe, digging through it until she found a small box; she smiled to herself as she brought it over. The perk of being famous was that her rations meant she could have extra treats, and there was no one she wanted to share them with more than the man she loved so dearly.

She placed it on your thighs, sitting on the edge of the bed as she lit up a cigarette and gestured for you to open it; inside wasn't much, just some cheese and some chocolates, but it was more than you had had for years. Since you had joined up in thirty eight.

You looked at her for a moment, wishing that you had a camera that would give you a picture of that exact moment; her smile, her hair slightly messy, your dog tags hanging around her neck. She didn't look like a film star, she didn't look like some immortal being; she looked like Bridget. She looked like the woman you always thought of when you passed by a zoo and remembered your first date. She looked like the woman who could make you laugh so hard that you had tears in your eyes and your stomach ached. She looked like the woman who could kick your ass and make you thank her for it.

She looked like your Bridget. And all you could hope for was that, if a fascist was going to shoot you, your last thoughts would be of her. Your last words would be a soft "I love you, Bridget" as your life was ripped from you.

"Eat," she told you. "You're starved, eat."

"I love you, doesn't that matter at all?" You asked with a soft laugh. "Can't I just take one look at you so if I get shot, this'll be the last thing I see?"

"Nein," she replied, "you mustn't think like that."

You smiled, maybe she was right.

if you liked this fic, REBLOG IT - you SHOULD reblog it; spam likers WILL be blocked. as will blogs that refuse to reblog or to give feedback. if you don't wanna reblog, then you'll get blocked; reblogging is the BARE MINIMUM. don't just "like", REBLOG

#mlem writes #bridget von hammersmark #Bridget von hammersmark x reader #Bridget von hammersmark imagine #inglourious basterds x reader #inglourious basterds imagine #inglourious basterds #inglorious basterds x reader #inglorious basterds imagine #inglorious basterds

[brian-in-finance]

Robert Wilson

Video 📹 clips at https://twitter.com/jradloff/status/1520979184536932353?s=21&t=r6Agn18hEFB8_PHY205lVg

Outlander's Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan Answer Every Question (Well, Almost) About That Season Six Finale

The pair reveals the hardest part of the episode to film, and where the series is most likely to pick up when it returns.

Outlander's season six finale just left us with one hell of a cliffhanger. It's going to make however long this next Droughtlander lasts even harder to get through. At least knowing that production is well underway on the new season is of some comfort. With any luck, we'll be getting answers before spring 2023. (Now is a good time to point out that if you haven't watched the season six finale yet, bookmark this page and come back once you have.)

So let's get to the good stuff, shall we? The episode—titled “I Am Not Alone”—opens with the theme song, and not a cold open as is usually the case. We soon understand why: Claire—or if it's not Claire, it's a woman who looks nearly exactly like her—is seen at a diner in the late '50s or so with a fellow companion (most likely a young Bree) ordering a Coke, burger, and fries. That's really all we get before we shift back to the late 1700s as Claire is about to be arrested for a murder she didn't commit.

Richard Brown, the head of the Committee of Safety, says he will leave the Ridge only when he has Claire in his possession. Jamie is not about to let that happen, and neither is Claire: She shoots one of Brown's men who tries to capture her. All hell breaks out in the form of a shoot-out, and we see that brief moment from the opening credits where Claire purposefully walks out of her house with a rifle and takes aim. Meanwhile, Jamie says Claire being mistakenly arrested for Malva's death is only an excuse for revenge on Marsali for killing Richard Brown's brother Lionel (from the season five finale).

Robert Wilson

Much further away, we take a break from all the chaos and see Roger and Bree as they travel to Edenton. They discuss if and when they'll eventually tell Jemmy about time travel and what they went through to be together.

Back at the Ridge, there's a break amongst the violence as everyone regroups, but Claire and Jamie know they have a huge battle ahead of them. All I can think of (aside from their safety, of course) is their poor house and the mess they'll have to clean up. Of course, they'd be only so lucky to have that problem; at this rate, survival is all that matters.

Hundreds of miles away, with Jemmy asleep, Roger and Bree get busy while talking dirty about cars (you had to be there). But in all seriousness, it's a lovely moment between the couple.

As that's happening, Claire and Jamie start talking about what they'd want for their last meal; Claire votes for a cheeseburger, fries, and a Coke from Carmi's, a diner she used to take Bree to when she was little. “That was our regular order,” she tells her husband, and now that opening scene makes a lot more sense.

Meanwhile, Claire wants to know where their friends are, like Ian, to help them out of this predicament. Jamie says he doubts they're coming because they would have been there by now. Claire starts to spiral and thinks no one wants to help her because maybe they think she really did kill Malva. It's a harrowing thought, but my attention quickly turns to Adso, who is alive and well and walking in front of the fireplace.

Jamie then tells Claire about several of his near-death experiences over the years as they reminisce about days gone by. Jamie says a psychic of sorts once told him he was a cat and he saw the number nine, so Claire thinks that means he must have nine lives. (Appropriate.) We then see Adso (again!) eating his meal, and I really hope the writers are going to write this little guy in more in season seven. What a scene stealer!

OK, back to the real story: It's now the middle of the night, and Jamie must wake Claire up to tell her that the fisherfolk are coming. They've been sent to the Ridge to negotiate on behalf of Richard Brown. Things quickly escalate and talk turns to the possibility that Jamie killed Malva, not Claire. Then Richard Brown appears and says Claire must stand trial because if she's really innocent, what is there to be fearful of?

Eventually Lizzie and several of Jamie and Claire's allies show up, but Jamie says he and Claire have no choice but to leave with Brown and stand trial. Tom Christie then appears and says he will travel with them to make sure no further evil will be done. “Surely justice is mine if it be anyone's,” he declares. Jamie agrees, and I can only hope that Lizzie will take care of Adso, but I'm going to need some sort of confirmation.

Before Jamie and Claire leave, Tom says they should stay one more night at their house, in their own bed. Jamie thanks him. While Tom is far from the typical Outlander villain, there's something to be said for his kindness in the face of such turmoil.

Robert Wilson

On their last night in the house (at least for now), Claire reiterates to Jamie that they have a beautiful home, as if this is the last night they'll ever spend there. Jamie says this won’t be the last time they see it. In bed, Claire says she’s scared. They caress each other’s faces and have one more intimate lovemaking session before they embark on the unknown. It’s so very Mr. and Mrs. Smith with the shards of shattered glass and bullets and broken furniture around them even though they aren't each other's enemies.

The next morning Claire and Jamie are in a wagon as they prepare to say goodbye to the Ridge. On the journey, Tom Christie comes over at a resting point to give Claire some food. They will soon continue on to Wilmington, which is 200 miles away. One of the men wants to go to Cross Creek, but Richard says Jamie’s aunt lives near there and there’d never be a fair trial. Meanwhile, Richard condescendingly says Jamie need not worry, as Salisbury doesn’t have a court, but he let everyone know Claire is guilty. Tom is sitting nearby and seems to take pity on Claire for what she's having to go through.

Back at the Ridge, Lizzie tells Ian that Claire and Jamie have been taken. More on that later.

While in the wagon, Jamie tells Claire that Brown is losing control of his men and this is more trouble than it’s worth. Claire says Tom is very tired and wants to know his purpose in all of this. So do I.

Before we can get answers, people in the nearby town start throwing rocks and stones at the wagon, which hits Claire in the head. Tom yells at the townspeople to stop, that this isn’t justice. He tires to get Richard Brown to get a hold of his men, but that's not quite working so Tom shoots at them. Tom also looks really ill, and I'm truly worried that if something happens to him then Claire's life will really be in danger.

Back to Roger and Bree, who are traveling through the most gorgeous of green landscapes. I need to know where this magical setting is. Jemmy is super cute and tells Bree’s pregnant belly that he loves his future baby brother or sister so much. He also scratches his head, which causes Bree to notice he has lice and they'll have to cut his hair. You know there's something more to this, and there is: Bree notices a mark on her son's head, which Roger identifies as a nevus. It's nothing bad, he says, and doesn't usually develop until kids are two or three. Roger then nonchalantly says he has one as well and they're hereditary. Ding dong! Bree realizes that Jemmy is for sure Roger's son, and Roger immediately has Bree cut his hair, too. What a moment!

Robert Wilson

In less happier news, Claire’s hands are bruised and bloody from the rocks and stones that were thrown at her in the wagon. Jamie says Richard might regret all of this since the act of just getting Claire to a place to put her on trial is more than he bargained for. Later, Jamie goes outside to relieve himself and sees none other than young Ian! And he's not alone: Ian brought help! Jamie is thrilled but cautious and advises Ian not to act on anything yet and just stay close. Jamie says he if he tries to escape, it will look like an admission of guilt. Ian says he'll keep an eye on things and follow along.

Later, one of Richard Brown's men dies, but Richard doesn't care. “We ride on,” he says. But when Jamie is told to get out of the wagon to get water, Richard's other men start beating up on Jamie and take him captive. To his and Claire's horror, Richard orders his men to ride off with her. Richard says he’s not doing this for revenge on his brother Lionel because he knows he wasn’t a good man and what he did to Claire was awful, but this is because she’s a murderer. Then Tom rides up and says, “What the meaning of this? You promised not to hurt them.” Tom, have you not learned anything? Anyway, Tom will go supervise Claire because he promised Jamie he wouldn’t let her out of his sight. But Claire is beside herself. Even so, Claire says—via a voiceover—that Tom is right, because without him, she would be good as dead. Her only small hope is that if news of her arrest reaches Wilmington ahead of her, then maybe it will reach Roger and Bree in Edenton as well.

Much later, Claire is scared that Jamie is dead and Tom won’t admit it if he is. She then looks outside the wagon and sees she's in New Hanover. She’s placed in a prison block and locked up by the town sheriff without any food or water. But Tom, who really is looking out for Claire, comes by with some sustenance. But most important, he says, “Believe me, your husband is alive. Trust in God. He will deliver the righteous out of danger.” She responds by asking if he thinks she's righteous. He says he won't leave town and to trust in that too. You have to wonder just what Tom knows about his daughter's murder. Anyway, Richard Brown walks by Claire's cell and says he'll see her at the gallows. Yikes.

And then, as if this jam-packed hour couldn't be any more intense, we see Jamie tied up near the water. Brown's men are going to put Jamie on a ship to Edinburgh, Scotland. One of those men, Oakes, tells him he'll never see Claire again. Just as Jacoby is about to pummel Jamie with a large log, young Ian kills Jacoby from a hilltop above with his bow and arrow. Jamie is saved!

Robert Wilson

Well, not yet. As young Ian and the fellow members of the First Nation use their weapons to kill the rest of Brown's men, they take aim at Oakes, who still has Jamie tied up. Jamie tells Ian and Chief Bird not to kill Oakes because he knows where Claire is. Then Ian says, “So do we, uncle.” Chief Bird shoots Oakes with his rifle and the bullet goes straight through Oakes's hand into his eye socket. This has to be the most gruesome killing we've seen in some time, right?

Chief Bird walks up to Jamie and says, “I told you I would fight with you, Bear Killer.” Ian releases Jamie, and I'm so elated, I can't stand it. Then, in one of the most gorgeous establishing shots we've seen on the show, Jamie, Ian, Chief Bird, and the other good guys ride off in the sunset to rescue Claire.

What an episode, right?! But will Tom still be alive by the time Jamie gets to Claire? He's also been through the ringer, and while he has vowed to protect Claire, I don't have the same faith that Richard feels the same way about Tom. When Jamie does get to Claire (because obviously he has to), what kind of shape will his wife be in? And will the show follow the books in regards to revealing Malva's killer?

That's where Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan come in. They hopped on Zoom from Scotland to try and answer my questions. Take a deep breath and read on.

Robert Wilson

Glamour: I got Mr. And Mrs. Smith vibes watching Claire and Jamie battle it out against Richard Brown and the Committee for Safety in the first part of the episode.

Sam Heughan: Am I Angelina?

Caitriona Balfe: You're definitely Angelina.

How hard was that to shoot? Because no pun intended, but you're literally shooting at everything, and everybody's shooting at you.

Caitriona: It was fun. It was sometimes hard for me to get off the floor. [Laughs.] I was six months pregnant, and I was a little concerned about what my child was thinking was going on out there. But we had fun, right?

Sam: We did. Interestingly, we shot all the exterior stuff first, so any conversation out of the window [that Jamie has with] the guys we shot maybe weeks before, and then we did all the interior scenes. It was kind of a bit of a jigsaw, but it was fun. I think that scene—the last supper—is beautiful. Caitriona, you spent the whole scene lying on the floor.

Caitriona: Yeah. But then I would have to get up at the end of it. We did multiple takes and they're like, “Can you get up?” I was like, “Oh.” [Laughs.]

Sam: And then we're blowing the house up. I think at one point they did have to redo it, didn't they? They had to reset a room. But anyway, we had to schedule all the interior stuff until the end of the shoot.

Robert Wilson

Jamie and Claire have a bittersweet last night in the house. What stands out for you about doing those scenes?

Sam: One of my favorite shots is Jamie and Claire's intimate scene when they're upstairs. When they're by the fire and the camera pans out and you see the destruction, the bits of the house that's completely broken, I think it's a metaphor for their reputation and for their whole world, right? It is being blown apart.

Let's talk about Tom Christie. He's not necessarily the best guy, but he's clearly looking out for Claire's wellbeing. Is it because she helped save his hand or might it be because he knows she really didn't kill Malva?

Sam: Or is it C, something else?

Caitriona: I think you're going to have to keep watching to find this all out. What has been lovely is that Mark Lewis Jones (Tom Christie) is amazing. Over this whole season, we've been able to see all of these layers under Tom. When we first met him, I think we can all agree that he was a bit of a pain in the ass. As we've gotten to know him more, he's a complex and complicated guy. There is a lot of heart there, I think.

Robert Wilson

When season seven premieres, will the storyline pick right up from where we leave Claire in the season six finale? Or will there be a bit of a time jump?

Caitriona: I don't know what we can say. They didn't actually tell us, so we can potentially just tell you everything.

Sam: Yeah, I don't know.

Caitriona: Very soon after. Should we say that?

Sam: It's either A, directly after, B, fairly soon, or C, something else.

Well played, Sam. That last scene where young Ian comes in with Chief Bird and rescues Jamie had me cheering. What did you appreciate about that moment, for both the character of Jamie and you as an actor?

Sam: Firstly, working with those actors, you have a beautiful arc there, a beautiful story of Jamie not being sure which side they would be on and being reluctant to give them weapons. And then eventually he does and ultimately they're used to protect and to save Jamie. Working with our First Nation, they were such fun. We had a total blast with them. They really brought a lot of their culture and heritage to set. Outside of shooting, as well, there was a lot that we were talking about our different cultures and they were really fun. It's a beautiful ending and it's up an upbeat one as well. There's a chance that Jamie's going to come back and find Claire and rescue her.

Ha! “There's a chance.”

Sam: There's a chance. He might. He might.

We've got to find out who killed Malva. We still don't know.

Sam: We don't know.

Caitriona: We'll never know.

We better know. I have to know.

Sam: A, you'll know. B, you know where I'm going with this.

I already know the title of this piece. It's going to be called multiple choice with Sam Heughan.

Sam: C, something else.

Well, thank you for making the time while you're in the middle of filming. Although since Sam had the day off, maybe he's drunk right now. I don't know…

Sam: If I was, I think…

Caitriona: A, he is. B, he's not. Or C, something else.

Sam: C, something else. I'm high. No. [Laughs.] I'm normally I'm drunk on these. So this is a first. We're learning something here.

And happy birthday too. By the time this piece runs, it'll be the day after your birthday. I hope they're throwing a big surprise party for you.

Sam: Oh, they are? Oh great.

Caitriona: Yeah. The Mariachi band is ordered, balloons are coming.

Sam: Aw, wonderful.

Jessica Radloff is the Glamour West Coast editor and author of the soon-to-be-published book The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series (October 11, 2022). You can follow her on Instagram @jessicaradloff14.

https://www.glamour.com/story/outlander-season-six-finale-recap

Remember… working with our First Nation (actors), they were such fun. We had a total blast with them. They really brought a lot of their culture and heritage to set. — Sam Heughan

#Tait rhymes with hat #Good times #Outlander #Season 6 #Finale #Interview #Glamour #1 May 2022

[nogendermoretrees]

Building my first mushroom garden

Yesterday was sunny and 70 degrees, the last pleasant day we'll see for a while (maybe until spring), and I had two PTO days that I had to use before the end of the year and a big outdoor project to work on, so naturally I took the day off work and put together my mushroom garden!

I hadn't been expecting to make the mushroom garden this fall, but then the city trimmed a few trees at the end of the block and left the debris behind, so I've been going over there with my collapsible canvas wagon and loading it up with branches whenever I have the time and energy to do so. The smaller branches got cut down for kindling, but I also managed to bring home a few larger logs. The largest are from an elm that had a dead arm; that's not ideal for mushrooms, which do best in wood that was cut live, because it has more moisture and is less likely to be infected with different fungus already. If the fungus you plant have to battle another fungus already in the wood, they're less likely to be able to put energy into producing mushrooms. But I also got some 3"-4"-diameter maple branches that came off a live tree—they must've been getting close to the power lines—which are a great size and a good tree species for many mushrooms.

Also, very fortunately, I recently cleaned out the garden shed and found that the previous owners—Bless them!—left us a pair of sawhorses. I ate a hearty breakfast of eggs and cornbread and got outside a little before 9 a.m. I set up by the vegetable garden because there's an outlet attached to the old clothesline support, so I could use my plug-in drill and not worry about batteries. All the smaller logs you see below are green maple wood; the larger two on the bottom-right are the dead elm logs.

I set up my supplies on a small folding camp table. In the bags are plug spawn—small wooden dowels, same as you'd use for putting together a bookcase, that have been thoroughly infected with the desired fungus. I chose two cold-producing, relatively easy-to-grow wild edibles that I haven't managed to find on my own: Lion's Mane and Blue Oyster. The round container of white stuff is plug wax, a soft wax that you smear over the plugs once they're in the logs to prevent moisture from escaping or other infectious agents from entering. I bought the plugs and wax from Field and Forest Products. They also provided very useful printed instructions.

Step one was drilling lines of holes in a diamond pattern, about 3-4" between holes and 2" between rows. That's around 55-80 holes per log! I placed a bucket underneath to catch the wood shavings so I can use it for firestarter or other projects later.

Next, each hole got a plug hammered in. They were a tight fit! This log was particularly tricky because I had to work over a large scar where a branch had broken off years ago.

Finally, I used the butter knife to scrape up some wax and then used my fingers to spread it over the plugs. My legs were getting tired by the time I took this photo, so I tried sitting down and balancing the log on my legs while I worked. It didn't work out so great, and I got some wax on my jeans. Oh, well!

When I finished with all the good, green maple logs, I still had 102 plugs of blue oyster, so I decided to try inoculating one of large elm logs. The largest didn't show as much sign of rot, and I'm hoping that the number of plugs I put in it will be able to overwhelm anything already growing in there, but I'm treating that one as purely experimental and not really expecting anything from it.

I worked on that last log in the waning light of 4:30 pm and it was pretty dark by the time I finished, but there was enough city-light to set the logs into the mushroom garden. It's a narrow strip of land on the north side of the garage, which is well-protected and receives little sun. The previous owners had a few hostas and other shade-friendly flowers there, but I removed the largest to the front-yard flower garden and plan to give away the others next spring, when I plant additional edible forest species there (if anyone reading this has a source for wild ramps, hmu!). In preparation for growing mushrooms, I collected bags of leaves that my neighbors put out with their trash and spread about 4" of leaf mulch there to help hold in moisture for the logs to wick up. I also dug about 4-6" down into the soil to anchor the logs and give them more contact with moist soil. I think there's a slight risk there of something from the soil getting into the logs—everything I've read about growing mushrooms is trying to balance giving the logs moisture with prevent infection—but since I'm growing in an urban area, whereas most mushroom farmers are growing on forested land, I'm sure there are fewer fungi in the soil for me to worry about. For the smaller logs, I leaned them up against the garage—I read that leaning them against a tree is recommended for small forest gardens (larger ones create log-cabin-style stacks)—and for the largest, I dug a little deeper and stood it on end. Here's a photo of the finished garden that I took this morning as I was leaving for work:

And now, we wait! Depending on the weather conditions and this specific wood, the smaller logs could take up to a year to start producing, and I expect the larger log to take a year or maybe two, if it ever produces at all. But once they start, each log should be good for 3-5 years of harvests! And I haven't looked into this yet, but I think I should be able to use the spent logs to inoculate fresh ones, if I still want to keep growing the same type of mushrooms by then.

I'm really happy to have this done already, and with free wood! I'll have that much more time and energy to focus on other gardening projects next spring, and these logs might even start producing by then. 

#mushrooms #gardening #mushroom garden #urban homestead #urban gardening

[absinthe2220]

We just thought the weather would be warm enough this week for my basil and sage to go back outside.... nope.

Brought them in, so the random cold snap we're about to get won't bother them as they both apparently prefer 50+ degree weather.

My other plants should be fine and if need be, I can bring them in overnight as well. We transplanted the tarragon and dill into pots already and the radishes are in a small kiddie pool so the radishes can't be moved. The rest are still in seedling trays so they're easy to move.

Yes, I'm doing radishes in a kiddie pool full of soil. The smallest hard plastic kiddie pool at walmart that's just around $7 and 2cu feet of soil work perfectly for root veggies that need a shallow planting. I'm also wanting to do maybe a few sugar snap or snow peas but I'm not sure if they do well in oklahoma summers. Don't want to ask the one person I know who will know cause they've got alot going on and I don't want to add to their plate. But i gridded the kiddie pool and have radishes on rotation so we can enjoy some supply. I need to plant more seeds this weekend as it says every 5-10 days for rotation so I figured every weekend I can plant and we'll get it going.

I learned alot from last year's growing season with some of my plants. And the tarragon and dill are new this year for me as I did a different type of dill last year and it just didn't go so well so I got a different kind this year. Got catnip and catgrass growing for the cats. I'm hoping more gets to growing, alot are still sprouting and trying.

Anytime I go out to the garden, I make it a habit to ask for persephone's blessing. Since she's the spring goddess and someone I work with alot. I feel my connection to her has grown over the past year ok both aspects of her. Both the spring gooddess and queen of the underworld.

As for any crafts I've done... I've been slacking. I have a quilt I have yet to finish. I have cross stitch stuff I love but just needed a break from. I haven't built anything out of paper in months.

Work has been busy as always this time of year. We're in the middle of budget season. I'm currently waiting on photos though and we're right in between draft and final. Cause it's almost the weekend, I want to relax today and tomorrow and not rush a thing. So I may just go through some capital items while listening to an audiobook.