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chubsonthemoon · 1 year

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Binderary 2023 Wrap-Up!

Binderary 2023 is over, and I come bearing some stats, thoughts, and a compiled list of my QOTD answers! :3

Stats:

Books planned: 7

Books completed: 7/7 (woohoo!)

Fandoms: 3 (Yuri on Ice, Harry Potter, and The Sandman)

Total word count: 340,654

List of books (from left to right):

Maybe sprout wings by @moorishflower

Flower King by @landwriter

The Politeness of Princes by @aboxthecolourofheartache

Uncertain Results (also by Box!)

I'm caught inside every open eye (also also by Box :3)

Not pictured (on account of them being given away as gifts!):

My Immortal by Tara Gilesbie (aka xxxbloodyrists666xxx) (community typeset by @renegadepublishing)

Until My Feet Bleed and My Heart Aches by @kazliin (typesetting by @ziezie13 <3)

QOTD answers under the cut (and these are copied directly from our DW post, just with added tumblr @'s!)

1. What does Renegade mean to you?

Renegade has, in all honesty, probably changed the course of my life! That's not hyperbole--it's had such a huge influence on my hobbies, my friendships, my academic trajectory, even my career. I was still in undergrad when I found ASH's post on fanbinding, and I was very lost as to what the next steps would be. And like so many others experienced, the pandemic only made things even murkier and more isolating. Then I found ASH's manifesto in June 2020, worked up the courage to join the Discord in July 2020, and found a community of like-minded weirdos who were just as passionate (if not even more so!) about their favorite stories, and a craft that I fall a little bit more in love with every day (well, most days. fuckin printers man XD). I wrote my honors thesis thanks to Renegade; I've made lifelong friends thanks to Renegade; I have my current job, in a field I love, thanks to Renegade. (My first Rocky Horror Picture show at Havencon 2022? All thanks to Renegade :D) This really feels like my forever fandom home-- even when I jump around from fandom to fandom, there's always a wonderful and supportive community to fall back on. In short, I really love it here, I'm so pleased with what we've done so far, and I can't wait to see where we go! ❤️

2. Favorite Fic

As everyone else who answered this, this question is IMPOSSIBLE. However, if you put a gun to my head and told me to answer right now, I'd have to say Tell Me About the Big Bang (my binding of it here!) It's one of the fics that has touched me most deeply and which has probably had the greatest influence on my writing. It was one of the first fics I'd ever bound, and I really wanted to rebind it to see how far I've come!

3. One thing you'd like to learn more about

GOD SO MANY THINGS. Backing! Headband techniques. Chisel trimming. Edge gilding. Tiny books. More advanced Cricut techniques. More cohesive and professional-looking graphic design. This hobby is really a dozen hobbies in a trench coat, and there's so much to explore.

4. Paper!

For my textblocks, I use 20 lb. cream Hammermill paper! I order it in 11"x 17" and get it cut in half for short grain, like a lot of other folks at Renegade. Recently I've started experimenting with quarto-sized Legal (8.5"x 14")and fell in love. I also want to try a bunch of the other paper that folks have suggested (looking at @robins-egg-bindery Mohawk Via o.o). For my endpapers, I usually use scrapbook paper from those scrapbook paper packs you can get at Michaels and Joann's (and when they're on sale...WOOF)

5. Cloth!

DUO BOOKCLOTH MY BELOVED. God I wish I'd gotten in on the Renegade group order - but ah well. Big fan of making my own though! There are just so many options to choose from, so it really expands what you can do (again: a dozen hobbies and crafts in a trench coat)

6. The Glue War

LOVE me some PVA! I know that it gives you less time to do things, but I get impatient XD. Plus it's cheap and easy to find and ready to use right out of the bottle, which is great. I've tried my hand at making starch paste + PVA with very mixed (ha!) results, although I had a wonderful time with some methyl cell that @simply-sithel gifted me at Havencon last year <3 So mayhaps will have to buy more of that for a future project!

I also love my Cricut Explore 2, Charlotte! She holds up very well, although I think she's due for a blade refill soon. I've just been setting my pressure higher and higher LOL

7. Machines

Love my Epson ecotank! I recently bought it--for the first two years I was going to my local print shop because the quality was great and I had a discount card. Unfortunately the discount card eventually expired, so I decided to bite the bullet and get my own printer. I really love it! I didn't want to have to deal with laser and printing in color can get pricey--the cartridges are just so goddamn expensive, although I do think laser prints in higher quality. Mayhaps a future purchase, because I'd really like to experiment with foiling!

8. Favorite binding technique

Ooh this one is interesting! I know which part of the process I enjoy the most, which is sewing! Kettle stitch my beloved. ALTHOUGH I am a sucker for the French link too--it's just so pretty! And we just had a wonderful workshop put on last week by @queercore-curriculum on their...embroidered binding/long-stitch binding (??? I don't know if there's an official name for it yet), which I LOVE. Glueless bindings are SO cool and I would love to experiment more with them.

9. Your best tip/trick

Ooh! Hmmm...I'd say: never bind while you're super tired/hungry LOL. I've made many a preventable mistake very late at night because I wanted to get something cased in or glued before bed when I probably should've waited till morning XD That being said, on the flip side I think you should never be afraid to experiment! Go hog wild!!! Use those glitter pens!! Try out that fancy silk for your endbands!! Try that new binding style! And if you fuck up, remember that's okay too! These are handmade objects and those mistakes are proud proof of that, and of your journey as a fanbinder. Stick 'em in the channel on the Discord, laugh and (maybe cry a little XD) about it, and then keep going. tldr; ya live and learn!

10. Favorite Detail

Ooh, this one's hard! I love leaving little Easter eggs in my designs. I'd say my favorite is putting my maker's mark on things! My imprint is Moonham Press (a fun mix of my usernames, chubsthehamster and chubsonthemoon), and the logo includes a little crescent moon. I'd actually been binding for about two years when I finally made the imprint--I used to think that it was...idk, kind of weird to put myself in the book? Like I was taking away from the story inside it. But then I got to thinking--well, hey, I'm the one who made this book, right? If nothing else, putting my mark on it tells someone who may pick it up one day that I was connected to this story. Some conversations with some folks at Renegade during Havencon 2022 also helped me embrace this. So these days I put my imprint logo in the typesetting, and I also put it on the cover somewhere! My favorite spots are either on the spine, between the title and author name, or on the back cover, in the bottom left corner :D

11. Spines

Spines are the bane of my existence. Haha, jk. They're mostly just tedious, since they're one of the only parts of the process that still require precise measurement (I've cut templates for everything else by now, and I use my guillotine to cut boards, so that goes super fast). For my thicker books I use Bristol board; I actually still use the same sheets I bought in 2020 when I first started binding--I didn't know how much I would really need so I think I ordered four massive sheets which will probably last me for ten years LOL. For my thinner books, I use Davy board, which is a pain to cut but gives the book a really nice board feel. And for my paperbacks, the spine is just the cover, which I make out of kraft paper for the backing + the decorative paper (usually scrapbook paper or something I've designed and printed)

12. Mistakes/Fails

Ooh BOY are there many. My most recent was my experiment with making a hardback quarto letter. I made the hinge waaaaay too small so when I tested the case the textblock was sticking out of it LOL. But I've been pretty lucky--this is only the second case I've had to remake in my time as fanbinder *KNOCKS ON WOOD*, but my printer fuck-ups when I was trying to figure out how to print on legal sized paper (since my printer doesn't duplex) probably make up for the luck I've had in the case department XD. Casing in, though--I think I've had maaaaaybe...two or three case-ins where I was completely happy with the results. A large part of this is because my guillotine doesn't cut completely straight, so my squares are never even LOL. But hey, I'm not getting paid for this, and I'm having fun, so eh.

13. Process

Ooh, interesting! My process has remained largely unchanged--I think the only thing that has really changed is now the frequency at which I print. I used to print at a print shop, so I'd make typesets in large batches--usually two to four books, sometimes more (I think the most I've done at a time is five?), and I'd make a day out of it. Now that I have my printer at home though, I can do things in smaller batches! I can also test print things, so I've been able to get a lot more experimental with my books sizes and my covers. Everything else has remained largely the same--the first book I did I typeset in MS Word, but everything after that I've all done in Affinity Publisher. I typeset > print > bind > take pictures! I really like how different each step is (like I said, twelve different hobbies in a trench coat), so there's always something different to do if I get bored. My favorite parts are probably designing covers and sewing the signatures!

14. Storage solutions

OUGH. I have one of those rollaway drawer thingies for all my tools, a dozen scrapbook paper containers, several large baskets for my vinyl and cloth, a hanging stand for my larger sheets of decorative paper, a standing desk which holds my Cricut and printer (a few of the aforementioned vinyl baskets are under this desk too), another rollaway basket thingy that holds my printing paper and my press (also under the standing desk), another desk which holds both my two guillotines and cutting mats (and under that desk are all my scrapbook paper containers and Cricut mats), and a final third desk where I keep all my sewing stuff and where I do my typesetting and other sitting-down parts of the process. And of course my shelves for all my books! This doesn't really give a sense of where everything is, but it's actually fairly organized, and for the most part I know where everything is (except for my FUCKING bone folder god that thing is always ending up in places I do not remember putting it XD)

15. Your Workspace

Ah, see my answer to 14! I'll probably upload a photo here later XD

16. Dust jackets and covers

Oooh, I've never made a dust jacket before--I don't think my printer could handle the wonky paper size that it requires, but they look really cool and I'd maybe be up for making one someday! And covers! Both my greatest love and my greatest enemy. They're super fun to design, but this is one part of the process that always feels like an uphill battle for me! There are so many skilled and talented folks in Renegade with GORGEOUS covers, and it's always a mix of being incredibly inspired and getting some design envy--but either way it's very motivating to keep me out of my comfort zone and to always keep trying new things. I use decorative paper and scrapbook paper mostly for the base material (although I've begun experimenting with designing things digitally and printing them out on Epson matte presentation paper), and then the rest is fuck it, we ball. I usually design the cover last, so I have an entire typeset and title page already when I begin, which makes things a little easier since I have an already established aesthetic to work with. My font selection is kind of determined by how small the text for the title/author name is, since my Cricut isn't great at cutting super small sizes (Times New Roman, funnily enough, is one of the only fonts that it can do at smaller sizes LOL so a lot of the text on my covers/spines are in TNR). I'm excited to keep improving and experimenting in this area!

17. Published inspiration

Ooh!! This one's fun--when I first began making my Master pages in Affinity publisher, I literally grabbed the first few books I saw on my shelf and said 'alright, this looks good' and haven't looked back since LOL. Those books were Vintage's editions of Toni Morrison's novels, Picador's Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, Vintage's edition of Willa Cather's The Song of the Lark, Fall River's omnibus editions of Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes's works, Penguin Classic's Deluxe edition of Jane Austen's novels, and a few others that I can't remember. I looked at all these books, found what they had in common (for example, a simple title page before the decorative title page, the use of a single graphic or design at the beginning of each chapter, etc.) and went with that! I don't usually take inspiration from specific books, EXCEPT for a project I'm currently working on which I'm super excited about :3 More TK here eheh (ADDITION 3/7: I was talking about Maybe sprout wings here LOL)

18. Illustrations

FANART MY BELOVED. I LOVE including fanart in my books, because it's such a lovely demonstration of the communal nature of these stories and it's so fun getting to collect all the pieces. For free use graphics my favorite sites are Adobe Stock images and Heritage Library. Heritage in particular has a beautiful selection of free vintage graphics packs that I've used for years now. And very occasionally, wingdings fonts will have something I really like XD

19. Favorite tool

Despite my gripes earlier about always misplacing it, I ADORE my bone folder. It's a funky lil dude and it makes all my edges nice and crisp! I can't wait for the retreat bone folder fufu :3 Also a very big fan of my guillotine, which despite its flaws makes my life a hell of a lot easier in the long run, as well as my presses, which were handmade by my dad and do their jobs very well (squiiiiiiish)

20. Favorite part of the binding process

Oooh, this one's fun! I really like the actual construction of the book--sewing sigs is always relaxing and has been one of my fave parts since the very beginning. Recently I've started to really enjoy designing covers, especially if there are a lot of physical elements (like layering scrapbook paper or playing around with Mod Podge).

I had the absolute privilege to hold @clovenhoofbindery's copy of Away Childish Things at Havencon last year. Literally every book Space makes I fall in love with, and her designs are a HUGE inspiration for me. Everything from the typesetting to cover design to physical construction--I lose my marbles every time.

21. Inspo: The binder that inspired you!

Ohhh this one's so hard! Literally every time I check the #show-off channel in the Discord I'm struck by so many beautiful books. I'm going to cheat and name a few people here, but this list is by no means comprehensive and doesn't even begin to cover everyone I could name.

Everything @pleasantboatpress binds is just so beautiful. Their color choices are always inspired and their headbands make me want to cry! Their bind of Unconditional in particular had me foaming at the mouth.

The quality of everything @zhalfirin-binds makes, likewise, always blows me away. Her books are so polished and professional, and her photos make me feel like I'm in a museum when I'm trawling her blog for inspo!

@simply-sithel's tiny books are literally the coolest things ever! I'm still working my way through the Binderary vids and I can't wait to get to hers. Six plays with form in mind-bending and truly innovative ways, and her blog is wonderland of tiny and fantastical book creatures.

@teleportbooks's binds are the definition of classy and refined. They're so good at designing their books according to the contents of the fic--their binding of Thirty-Three Lashes in particular is just the best design centered around fic content and title I've seen. Their designs always make me melt a little when I see them!

@no-name-publishing's endbands are to DIE for. Like fr I am in awe every time!!! And Kam's cover + title page designs are a huge source of inspo for me--forever in love with this bind of theirs, with the beautiful painted cover + matching endpapers T_T

And of course!!! I (and everyone else) wouldn't be here without our beloved leader, @armoredsuperheavy. He's the first binder that ever inspired me, and he continues to do so today!

22. Inspo: The fic that inspired you!

My original answer was also my answer for 27 ("First bind"), but I'm gonna say something a little different here! I usually know pretty quickly whether I'm interested in binding something, but very rarely has a fic gotten me hook, line, and sinker the way @that-banhus's King of Infinite Space did. Like, from the first line I was like "oh god I need to hold this one." And eventually I did! :3

23. Author spotlight: Someone you've bound

AHHHHHH this one is so hard too! I've bound a good number of authors over the years, many of whom are my dear friends, and to spotlight only a single one would be impossible. So I'm just going to poke @dodici12, whose killugon fic See You Upside Down is one of the best killugon reunion fics ever in my very humble hamster opinion. Hiiiii Tessa ilysm <333

24. Author spotlight: Someone you'd like to bind

OOOOOH. Many, many fics are in my queue. I'll keep them to myself for now, since I prefer to ask for author permission via DM, but atm I have my eye on a few Good Omens authors whose work I adore!

25. Favorite bind by you!

THIS ONE IS SO HARD AJLSKDJF. I love all my babies so much and I'm proud of what I was able to accomplish and what I learned from each of them. However, if you put a gun to my head and asked me to choose right now, I'd have to go with my most recent bind of Maybe sprout wings by @moorishflower. I'm really pleased with both its construction and particularly the curation of its contents, which includes the work of nearly a dozen people. It was my attempt at capturing the communal nature of fanfiction's creation and dispersal, and it was also my Big Project this Binderary. I'm ridiculously fond and proud of it!

26. Favorite bind by someone else!

THIS ONE IS SO HARD TOO HELP. Okay this is only one of my many many favorites, but dragging Space back out here again to say that her bind of Away Childish Things permanently altered my brain chemistry. Like, the cutout!!! The patronuses!!!! The title page cutout???? THE KEY??? Again, I held this book in my hands IN PERSON last year and I'm still not over it. The quality of the work is absolutely bonkers crazy incredible and I think about it Often.

27. First bind

The very first fic I ever bound was On Stranger Tides by @theroyalsavage. It's still one of my favorite fics ever today--it has the perfect blend of action/adventure, romance, humor, and fantasy. It gives me the good ol' "roaming the high seas with found family and magic and pirates" ache. It holds a very special place in my heart!

FINAL THOUGHTS

28. Latest bind

See 22! But for funsises, I'm also ridiculously fond of the binding before that, of @aboxthecolourofheartache's fic The Politeness of Princes, because I got to do lots of fun arts and crafty things with the cover!

This was my first year doing Binderary, and I had such a blast! It's so crazy seeing how far Renegade has come, from a little Discord for book shop chatting (ASH mentioned in one of the talks how it was just called, like, "Bookbinding Discord" at the beginning LOL) to now. We're well on our way to a proper organizational structure, with several yearly events, in-person meetups, and thousands of members all over the world. And we have so much more planned! It feels truly special, and I'm so grateful to everyone who makes this possible.

Okay!! That's all from me for today, folks. If you made it this far, thanks so much for reading! <3

#binderary2023 #fanbinding #bookbinding #ficbinding

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lemonflowercat · 3 months

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75 soft: day 2

[x] meditate x at least 15min every day

[x] breathwork x9min every day

[] 1400cal x6/week

didn't stick to this, I ate like 1850. but I'm choosing to be as casual about this as I would be about missing out on breathwork. normally I would give myself a lot of grief for exceeding my limit - I think this is counterproductive in the big picture because it nurtures the whole restriction mindset, feeds guilt - which is an emotion I no longer want to associate with food.

[x] [] [x] 1 raw veggie or a fruit per meal

still at it with my liver paté cherry tomato lettuce sprouts salad :3 and!!! one of my most favourite ever things ever - roasted apples with vanilla greek yogurt+chia seeds. roasted apples are probably the only way I can make myself look forward to eating apples.

here's some thoughts on why i chose to go with "eat 1 raw thing in every meal" as my food goal:

- as part of the ethical consumer aspect of my vision board - raw foods are something that i can't go too wrong with. (let's not talk about pesticides, ok?) i grew up in a home that eats meat on a daily (mostly fish and chicken), and it doesn't come easy to make more vegetarian choices. this is a way to expand what a "good meal" looks like to me.

- i've had a balanced whole foods diet phase, a keto phase, i've had a low carb phase, i've had the most gym bro-esque high protein phase.

keto made no difference to me.

low carb was impractical - i noticed a significant drop in my stamina while on it. i vouch for complex carbs though - no post-meal sleepiness plus my energy stays up stable and for long.

high protein was great in terms of muscle growth - i still vouch for make sure to consume my RDA. but beyond that, it got pretty unsustainable for me because, given my current financial status, meeting low cal high protein goals gets expensive. i also worry about the load a high protein diet puts on my kidneys - at my age, irrational i guess. but i'm aiming to build something sustainable for the years to come, so i'll pay heed to this fear.

all in all, the balanced whole foods diet phase has worked for me best. i feel like my skin got clearer and my hair legit got shinier while on a balanced diet. i also love that feeling of mmm, i'm so full of good nutrients right now, haha. the satisfaction post a healthy meal is for real!

- another aspect of my food values is honoring my produce. given the times we live in, food is something a lot of us have the privilege of taking for granted. beyond craving-satisfaction, beyond fuel, food embodies the circle of life. death = life. eating stuff raw or cooked minimally, not doused in tons of spice is a way for me to really connect with that little fruit/veggie and it makes me think of sunshine, wind, rain and little critters in the soil all making their own magic.

- the antioxidants!!! i smoke a lot. and then we have pollution, and the inflammatory and atherogenic foods that i consume more often than i'd like. i also come from a family with significant history of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension - the whole plethora of modern man's illnesses. this is my little way of looking after my body - healthcare advice is my love language, yea.

- gut health. and yes, //fingers crossed// someday i'll contribute my own tiny but significant bit of research to how gut microbiome truly does affect overall well-being, including mental health.

soy "faux minced meat" is so underrated.

[x] 2.5L of water/day

[x] morning walk/run or yoga x6/w

[x] evening wxo x6/w

[x] 30min of reading or any form of self-expression/day

[x] progress picture/day

#75 soft #day 2

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newtonsheffield · 3 years

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Hey Molly! Thank you for putting in so much effort. Your fans and friends (yep, I am both a fan and a friend) love you for it! Your headcanons are so much fun! I was thinking of (another) one and thought I'd message you: Pregnant Kate wakes up in the middle of the night to hear Anthony whispering to her baby bump. (Very fluffy, I know. I apologise to the angst-lovers lurking on this tumblr)

Well Hello there friend!

I’m not sure I consider myself as someone that has “fans” per-say, that implies some amount of talent on my behalf which, you may be able to see from my absolutely haphazard writing style, there is none. Talent? In the words of the great Mariah Carey: I don’t know her. But it seems I do have a lot of friends on here so I’m very glad to have you all!

This is a very fluffy prompt, but I’ve been writing about Kate’s grief this week and Ladies (I’m fairly sure there are no gentleman here but if there are Welcome) it’s been rough. Poor Katie Sheffield is really going through it. So I really needed this! As always: 😘

Kate awoke suddenly one night in the sixth month of her first pregnancy, to darkness all around her. Awareness slowly drifting back in as she glanced at the clock on her nightstand 2:47. She let out a light huff. She’d been sleeping poorly of late, the baby moving around like a trapeze artist in the middle of the night. She could feel a warm hand pressed against her stomach, but no warmth pressed to her back as it usually was. She was just about to turn around, and make sure Anthony wasn’t sleeping at the foot of the bed with Newton like the ridiculous watchdog he’d turned into the last month when she heard it.

Anthony’s soft, velvety voice murmuring across the darkness.

“You have been giving your mother quite a rough time lately, little sprout.” He was saying softly, his hand starting to rub soft circles against where the baby lay curled in her stomach. Kate bit her lip, trying to stay as still as possible. She felt the bed shift as Anthony lay back down beside her, and let her eyelids flutter closed, not wanting to interrupt whatever her husband was saying.

“And we love Mummy very very much little one, so we don’t want to do that. She might realise Daddy’s not worth it after all and then where would we be?” Kate felt her heart clench at the softness in Anthony’s voice as much as his words. “I’m so excited to meet you. Daddy thought he’d never get to have this, and then Mummy came along and stomped on his foot and that was it I’m afraid. Your mother is so strong and incredible, and beautiful and I can’t wait for you to be just like her.” He whispered sleepily, his voice a little incredulous. Kate felt a flutter against her stomach as the baby kicked at his hand. She felt Anthony chuckle behind her, tears welling up in her eyes at their tiny little family.

“I love you too little sprout.” Anthony said happily and then “I know you’re awake, Kate you haven’t snored in minutes, but thank you for letting me finish.” Anthony laughed and her heart clenched and even though her heart was bursting with love for this ridiculous man she choked out.

“Surprising I know, since letting you finish is how I got into this sleep deprived mess in the first place.”

#bridgerton and sons au #kathony #anthony x kate #anthony bridgerton #kate sheffield #pregnant kate #molly's asks and answers

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rogue-durin-16 · 3 years

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FIREWORKS AND STREAMERS

Request: I have been insecure about my curly hair lately and was wondering if you can you write something with one of the weasley twins where the reader is insecure about her curly hair and one of the twins makes her feel better.

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Hufflepuff!Reader

Genre: fluff

Tags:

Requested by: @wildcat1434

Fred Weasley: @whiskeyn-rain @lumos-solemn

Permanent taglist: @elia-the-bibliophile @randomparanoid @karlthecat15722 @thebutchersdaughtersblog

Warnings: none

A/N: So like, incoming fluff bc this idea was cute and sometimes I do be needing fluff, that's about it, enjoy <3

Rogue-durin-16 masterlist

The relationship between me and my hair had always been... Bumpy, you could say.

There were periods in which I would find it quite lovely; during those times I would let my curls free, showing them off with a proud demeanor, knowing my hair was unique. Those times began to turn less and less usual since the middle of third year, though they were still there.

However, after the summer prior to my sixth year, those moments had banished; I only wished to hide my hair, and my friends ended up noticing. They told me surely there would be a spell or potion able to change my hair.

As if they had summoned it, the next day in Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall introduced us to what seemed like my salvation; Crinus Muto, an advanced spell that modified the caster's hair with no restrictions.

My best friend advised me against using it, claiming it wouldn't help my insecurity— if only, it would worsen it.

I really wanted to do as she had told me and completely dismiss the spell's existence, but two nights after I had a big mental breakdown about it, caused by the most stupid thing ever.

"Is Weasley staring at you or am I blind?" One of my friends whispered, her eyes trained on the Gryffindor table.

I didn't even bother to look up, not wanting to know whether it was true or not, before responding with a quiet "You're blind."

"I mean, it's hard to tell with two rows of students between us but," She nudged me, urging me to avert my gaze from my dinner and redirect it to Fred. "it kinda looks like he's... staring."

Curiosity killed the cat, I guess. My eyes finally left my plate and were, in fact, met with Fred's brown ones. As soon as they met, though, he looked away, pretending to be focused on his food, just like I had been doing seconds ago.

"Of course he's staring." Hannah Abbot, who sat right in front of my friend, commented with her mouth full. "Have you seen your hair?" She swallowed her food, looking me up and down before adding, "No offense, but it's an absolute mess." My eyes opened widely in shock at her bluntness. "You should take care of it, really."

"Has someone ever told you you're an ill-mannered bitch, Hannah?" I heard my friend talking back at the younger girl while I got up and started to make my way out of the Great Hall.

Of course, I didn't see Fred shooting up and attempting to go after me; ultimately he decided to stay in his place, since he saw my friend walking out too.

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

I was very aware of all the pair of eyes that had been laid on me the very moment I entered the greenhouse where we would be doing the Herbology tasks.

When I had met my friends at the Hufflepuff common room that morning, I had received divided opinions about my straight hair. At first I had been very convinced that it looked way better than my curly hair, but seeing my friends' reaction, I wasn't that confident about it anymore.

I didn't have time to undo the spell before class, so I decided to go along with it and see how the day unfolded.

I took a deep breath, my eyes trained on the ground as I made my way to an empty seat; maybe there weren't that many people staring, maybe it was just my anxiety.

I finally gathered the courage and looked up, nervously scanning the glasshouse so I could shake off my fears.

There was only a couple of my peers staring, which would have put me at ease, if one of them wasn't Fred Weasley.

On top of it, of course, he wasn't even trying to be subtle, it was almost as if he wanted me to notice his judging eyes; I could feel his gaze on me for the entire class.

The instant Professor Sprout dismissed us, I shoved everything in my bag and left the greenhouse, thanking a couple of Gryffindors who complimented my hair on my way out.

Again, I didn't notice Fred leaving the class as soon as he could to run after me.

I threw my bag against a tree near the lake shore and, as I fell against it, I heard someone jogging in my direction.

"In a hurry to sit by the lake, Y/l/n?" I followed the tall ginger with my eyes while he circled me and sat down by me. "You alright?"

"I just needed a break from... People." I vaguely explained, focusing on the water instead of on the boy besides me.

"Understandable." He hesitated for a second before adding, "Do you want me to leave?"

"No, it's fine." I surprised myself at how calmed and collected I sounded, as if I wasn't chatting with my crush.

"What happened to your hair?" His genuinely curious inquiry took me aback, and I struggled to find something to answer.

"Why?" My heartbeat picked up, anxiety inundating me once more. "You don't like it?"

"It looks weird." Fred looked at me up and down with a grimace. "You don't... Look like yourself." I was about to enter fight or flight mode, but he seemed to notice, and panic made its way to his face. "But it doesn't matter what I think," he was quick to add, his eyes wide open as if he knew he had said something he should have not. "I mean— I think it shouldn't matter, if you like it, that's great— I mean, you don't need my opinion about that either!"

"Calm down, I understand." I tried to reassure him, before his rambling drove the both of us crazy. "Can I tell you a secret?" He nodded with pursed lips, surely afraid he would fuck up if he spoke again. "I've been very insecure about my hair lately— like, very." I sighed. "My best friend told me not to straighten it, but last night I got a not so nice comment and—"

"So that's why you left?" I nodded, tugging my sleeves. Fred went silent for a moment, and then cleared his throat and scooted closer to me. "I know this won't do much, but I really love your hair. Kinda reminds me of fireworks and streamers." He gestured around his own head, mimicking the fireworks' movement. "Dunno I think is fun and pretty awesome." I raised my brows at him in surprise. "Like you."

"Aw, that's very sweet." He offered me a sheepish smile as I felt my cheeks blushing. "It does a lot, actually." I confessed, fidgeting with my rings. "I guess I kinda needed to hear something positive about my hair."

"Well, whenever you need to hear something positive about your hair," he pointed at himself. "I'm your man." He winked at me and I let out a chuckle. "I can also tell you positive things about you in general, but that has a price."

"And what is it?"

"You'll have to let me buy you a drink at The Three Broomsticks this Saturday." I tried not to let panic slip through my recently eased demeanor; was he asking me on a date? "And give me a kiss after." He wiggled his brows at me and my face turned red. "the kiss is negotiable."

I casted my gaze down, fixing it on my shoes, not sure of what I was supposed to say at that. His foot tapping mine snapped me out of my thoughts.

"So?" My eyes traveled to him once more, only to find his studying me already. "What do you say, Y/l/n?"

"Well," I shrugged, trying in vain to play nonchalant. "Seems like an affordable price, so it's fine by me."

"I'll pick you up after lunch, yeah?" Before I could agree, he gasped, his eyes going wide. "I'm a genius."

"Come again?" I frowned, confused as his sudden frantic behavior.

"Don't mind me, love." He jumped up and jogged towards the castle, leaving me puzzled in there. I was about to grab a book from my bag when Fred rushed back, crouched down and pecked my cheek. "Your hair's amazing." He assured me. "See you!" My fingertips graced my now flushed cheek as he headed off.

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

I was finishing my lunch when two towering redheads entered the Hall running; while George, slowed down, Fred made a beeline to the Hufflepuff table, his casual clothes already on.

"Ready?" He asked breathless.

"Yeah— you didn't have lunch, did you?" I pointed out, getting up to stand in front of him.

"No, but I'll eat something later—" his eyes roamed over my carefully picked outfit before stating, "You look... very pretty."

"Why, thank you." I offered him a smile and looked over my shoulder at the Gryffindor table, where his friends were very attentive to all we did. "You sure you don't wanna eat something?"

"Hundred percent." He tilted his head towards the gates. "shall we?" He prompted to walk before him, and it was then that I realized he had his hands behind his back. Once we were out in the yard, he tugged my hand and made me turn to him. "I made something for you."

"You didn't have to." Was the first thing that came to my mind when I heard his words. Then the wording dawned on me; he didn't get me something, he made me something. "What is it?"

"So, you know that I told you your hair reminded me of fireworks and streamers?" I nodded, not quite knowing where he was going with that. "Well—" he then showed me what his back was hiding; a delicate, tiny firecracker with my name written on the side. "George helped me so I could finish it on time."

"I'm—" at my loss of words, I could only let out a happy laugh. "This is so cute— am I supposed to ignite it?"

"Duh!" I gently pushed his shoulder in response to his teasing. "Do you know how to do it?"

"I've seen you do it plenty of times." I admitted, grabbing the firecracker with one hand and my wand with the other; it looked so pretty, it was a pity I'd have to ruin it.

With a brief firemaking spell, the firecracker set off. Fred pulled me back slightly before it happened, though.

I was in awe at the beautiful fireworks before us, which looked like a color-changing, expanding version of my hair.

When the colors died out, I turned to Fred, whose attention was already on me, awaiting for a reaction. Surely, he was not expecting the kiss he got, but he didn't complain either; while my hands rested on his chest, his traveled to cup my cheeks before I could pull away.

"So you liked it?" He questioned quietly against my lips.

"I loved it." I whispered back with a wide smile. "You're a sweetheart." I pecked his lips before retreating. Holding his hand in mines, I made my way back into the castle. "We're not leaving until you have lunch."

"You are a sweetheart." He responded, following my lead without offering resistance. "By the way, your hair looks gorgeous." The corners of my lips twisted into a bigger smile at the sweet words he spoke only for me to hear as we went back into the Great Hall.

Maybe my hair wasn't that bad after all.

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tinydooms · 3 years

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Wow, 'Family Traditions' was amazing! I was pleasently suprised by how long it was! Thank you for taking the time to do so! I feel all merry now :) I'd like to request 19 and 22 please

#19: Christmas Dinner

Margaret O’Connell loves to see the stars shine in her little boy’s eyes. It is not easy, the life they lead, just the two of them in a world that cannot stand single mothers and fatherless boys. She cannot give Richard the luxuries he deserves, but she can keep him fed and clothed and out of the factories, and she can give him Christmas.

It is their Christmas tradition to eat out on Christmas Eve, settling into a booth at one of Chicago’s many diners. This is the one night of the year where Richard can order anything he wants and he always, but always, orders chicken and waffles and an ice cream soda. Margaret eats soup and a grilled sandwich and delights in watching her child eat, even if when he is smaller, Richard can’t always finish the dinner. They don’t have much, but she can give him this. On Christmas Day she prepares a feast: pancakes and orange juice and coffee for breakfast, and later, after church, a whole roasted chicken and potatoes. They eat at the tiny table in their afterthought of a kitchen, Richard in his new sweater, Margaret in her nicest frock, reading each other jokes from the children’s magazine she gives him every year. Later they read “A Christmas Carol” together, and Margaret does all of the voices, making Richard laugh and laugh. Good. Christmas should be fun for small boys. Small boys who have fun and happiness in their lives will grow up to be good men, Margaret hopes and prays. Her family may have turned their backs on her for having Richard, and Joe may have abandoned him, but the O’Connells know joy. It is theirs, for Christmas.

II.

Salwa Carnahan sits at Christmas dinner and surveys her little family. They have outdone themselves for Christmas this year. The table is laden with all of the traditional foods: onion soup, roast potatoes, an enormous roast goose, gravy, Yorkshire pudding and stuffing and Brussell’s sprouts and cranberry sauce, wine and mince pies and Christmas pudding. Salwa has come to like the food, though it still seems too much sometimes. She wants her family to be as properly English as they can.

It is not easy: her marriage to Alexander caused quite the scandal, even though Salwa was already a Christian, and the English people are very insistent that she does not belong and never will. It would not be so painful if only they would leave her children alone. Salwa cannot give them English society or her Egyptian family. The one will never fully accept them and the other cut ties with her when she married Alexander. But Salwa can give them a merry Christmas. She can give them Dickensian meals and overstuffed Christmas stockings and presents under the tree. Evie with her great love of learning and Jonathan with his enjoyment of magic tricks, Alexander with his love of exploration and unwavering belief in the importance of her work: these are the loves of Salwa’s life and she holds them close. The world may be cold and cruel, but joy is theirs.

III.

On Christmas morning, Rick and Evie sit at the base of their potted tamarisk Christmas tree and roll a ball back and forth to each other. Alex, only just over a year old, falls back and forth between his parents, screaming with laughter as he tries to catch it. The remains of breakfast are still on the table--pancakes and juice and coffee--and later they will eat a Christmas dinner cobbled together of various traditions. There will be roast chicken and Yorkshire puddings and gravy, as well harira and vegetable tagine from Rick’s time in Morocco, and the koshari and fiteer without which no Egyptian meal is complete. They are a small family, mother and father and baby and uncle, but they are together, making the world their own. What do they care what anyone thinks of them? Joy is theirs and it’s Christmas day.

Like what you read? Buy me a Kofi. :-)

#prompts #Christmas prompts #Rick and Evie

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arreisstorm · 4 years

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When it comes to range, talent, and depth in @twentyonepilots music, I've learned to never expect anything. It's impossible to place them in just one genre, they can easily do it all!...well except country, even Tyler said he draws the line somewhere haha

Honestly though, this is the upbeat-techno-80's-inspired-party-track that I didnt know I needed, and since it's Tyler and Josh, of course the lyrics have left me feeling emotional.

These boys literally up and created a whole song that is not only meaningful, but relatable as well. I know there are so many like myself who are hurting right now; whether it be losing a loved one to COVID, the inability to see the loved ones still alive who might be at risk, losing a job and worrying about financial struggles, or simply feeling overcome with even more paranoia and dark thoughts than what you've already been facing, and this is the moment the world needs to be comforted the most. This is the moment we are looking for safety, for something real amidst all the media scare, which is why the outro to these lyrics stood out the most to me:

In a world where you could just lie to me (Need you)

And I'd be okay, we'll be okay (Level of concern)

We're gonna be okay (Just need you to tell me we're alright)

Tell me we're okay, I need you

It would be so easy for Tyler to repeat the same mantra that we have been hearing broadcasted through our tv's, the same statement we read in headlines that almost gives a false sense of security, "It's going to be ok", but he understands the severity behind it. Even though he does use these same words throughout the song, he does it with two different intentions in mind. On one hand, he is conveying how this sentiment has become twisted in a way that feels as if it is more of a dismissal than sympathetic in nature, which is why I view this song as both a dedication to the skeleton clique, as well as those who are on the frontline. This is for us as much as it is for the medical care professionals and those who are still working, while the rest of us are social distancing at home. The people who have expressed concerns but have been ignored time and time again by others higher up who continue to approach their fears with "It's going to be ok". Tyler is trying to do his part in the only way he knows best to help raise awareness and open people's eyes, yet at the same time he is using those words to help lessen the panic that has been overcast on society ever since this virus struck. He understands how hearing "It's going to be ok" can, in reality, cause even more doubt to creep in, because when that is the only thing a person hears day after day, it starts to plant a tiny seed in the brain that eventually begins to sprout and spread until the roots become so deep that they reach the heart and you find yourself feeling, knowing that something isn't right.

If everything is ok, then why does the same thing need to be said more than once? Could it be that everything is not actually ok? Am I being lied to?

Tyler understands this familiarity with feelings of anxiety and distrust, so in his own way, even though he is still using the same words, the same sentence, he is saying them in a way that tells us he is here for us, Josh too, and that are to let this music, this message speak to our hearts and minds. Let these lyrics tell you that it is ok to not be ok. This is a scary time the world is facing and this is a time that we need to be there for each other, but not a time where we should be lying to each other or ourselves in order to make less of the situation. So yes, "It's going to be ok", we will get through this but it will take all of us working together to do so. It will take all of us fighting back, confronting the situation, and everyone doing their part before we will be able to see the other side.

So thank you Tyler and Josh, this is exactly what I needed right now and I couldn't have asked for anything else. You guys always come through in times of trouble and you do it in a way that makes me feel at peace and, although we don't know each other personally, I feel as if your music allows us to become closer in a way. I really appreciate everything you do for us.

PS: Loving the quarantine hair by the way ✌

#level of concern #level of concern mv #twenty øne piløts #twenty one pilots #tøp #tyler joseph #josh dun #skeleton clique #the clique #covid 19 #corona virus #please stay safe #please stay strong #please stay home #please stay alive #thank you to those on the frontlines #we couldn't do this without you #||-//

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