#*holding up cheap jewelry* “How many of of these do you think you can stuff in your bra”

[possumgutzzz]

Some whiteboard fox Pest doodles so I can figure out how to draw him.

[rodolfoparras]

Thinking about Price having a rather hefty ring collection. | 18+, MINORS DNI

One thing about Price is that he’s known for his love for cigars. However something that’s less known about him is his love for rings.

Rightfully so, since he never wears them, at least not while on active duty. Reason being that he fears he’ll break them while out on missions or that he’ll even unnecessarily hurt himself while wearing them.

But once he’s back home- hands free from the confinement of blood caked gloves and palms clean off of any remainments of gun powder and and what not- he puts them on.

He’s got a whole satin blue jewelry box back home where he stores all of them. Rings - big as small, clunky as dainty, colorful as plain, engraved or blanks, lay snug inside of it. None of that is cheap stuff either, it’s clear he’s invested some hefty money into them.

He likes to wear many at once, never one to hold back once he can wear them as much as he wants.

You’d watch him early in the morning, eyes still heavy with sleep, in nothing but his shirt and wrapped up in his sheets as he sits in front of his dresser and rearranges the rings on his fingers meticulously.

You’d watch them glimmer under the moonlight as he stands at the balcony and takes steady drags of his cigars, reminding you of how expensive they really are.

You’d watch them become part of his nervous habits, fingers on the rings, twisting and turning the jewelry while he’s feeling antsy or contemplating something.

You’d watch the way he’d meticulously take them off, one by one, if he has to use his hands to eat food. He’d set them to the side, neatly putting each and every one of them on a napkin at the table only to put them on again once he’s finished eating.

Hell the man loves them so much, he sets some time aside every day just to clean and polish them. He even refuses to sleep or shower with them on- claiming it’ll damage the look of them (as if he doesn’t go out his way to ensure the rings are durable before he purchases them)

Nonetheless it was clear that the captain had a thing for rings and you didn’t mind this interest of his except for one thing. He doesn’t wear them while the two of you are having sex. You weren’t annoyed with the fact that you’d be lying in bed, pants and underwear pulled to your knees, panting and waiting as he took all the time in the world to take off his rings. No, you minded the fact that he didn’t keep them on.

See Price makes sure not to wear them while the two of you are having sex in fear that he’ll end up hurting you in some way. Besides, he doesn’t really see the appeal in pulling himself out of bed just to clean them after the two of you are done with things.

But you can’t help but wish that he’d keep them on, wish to feel the cold metal graze naked skin, have them leave marks on your body as you rolled around in the sheets with him, or even better taste them in your mouth while he’s got you pinned down or even better - have him keep them on while he thrusted his fingers into your aching hole.

So one night when things are getting hot and heavy, he realizes he’s still wearing his rings and goes to take them off. But before he can do so you quickly grab onto him and tell him “keep them on?”

Price’s fear about using rings in bed quickly dissipate once he realizes how much you enjoy the rings leaving imprints on your body, how much he enjoys seeing which cold metal will have goosebumps rising on your searing skin, he even enjoys seeing how well your mouth or even your hole can polish the metal compared to the rags he’s got.

After that night he keeps a red satin box next to the blue one, filled with rings that’s only used for special occasions like these.

[greyskyflowers]

I wore some new earrings the other day, big ones. They were that cheap gold color with the post attached to a big circle with a bar hanging behind it.

It chimed everytime I moved my head or fixed my hair. Tbh I thought it would get annoying fast but it was such a gentle, soft thing.

Just a little ting every now and then.

I mention Zoro's earring in a lot of my stuff about him because that's just something I love about his character.

You associate things with people whether you realize it or not. Sounds, smells, food, memories, feelings. That's all there, even if its not on a level we're aware of.

I had a piece of cake the other day and I was immediately filled with homesickness. I could not figure out why. It was just a store bought vanilla cake. It wasn't even from a place that I shopped when I lived with my family, so it shouldn't have tasted familiar. Especially not enough for me to feel so homesick.

I tried to figure out why that cake was so familiar for days, until I finally figure it out.

The cake had been put in the refrigerator to keep and the cold had made the taste and texture almost identical to a vanilla cake my mom always made from scratch on my birthday. I probably wouldn't have felt homesick if the cake hadn't been cold. It just worked out in a way that trigger those memories I didn't even know I remembered.

I still associate a certain type of cologne with my middle school boyfriend.

I can still remember the feel of my freshman best friend's carpet when we'd lay on the floor.

I still remember the sound of my grandma calling and using a over the top fake british voice to sing happy birthday to me.

All those memories triggered by little things.

Isn't that so amazing? How can anything ever be gone if all it takes is a bite of cake to take me back home?

Or the smell of someone walking past me in the store takes me back to middle school and the butterfly feeling of holding hands for the first time.

Or taking my shoes off, sinking my toes into soft carpet, and seeing my old friend smile at me from a hazy memory.

Or a over the top fake voice on the tv that makes me miss my grandma fiercely.

That's all a little off track but I think relating ideas to our own experiences is how things become truly personal and heartfelt. I like to let people know my train of thought and hopefully evoke those feelings in you as well.

Back to the point.

I love the idea that the little chime of Zoro's earrings is probably buried in so many memories that the crew isn't even aware of.

How amazing that such a soft sound is associated with someone like Zoro?

How many times do they hear someone else's jewelry chime and look up expecting to see green hair and three swords?

How many times, during those two years apart, did they fill up with hope when they heard a little ting noise only to realize it wasn't the one they wanted?

How many times have they been scared or hopeless and that little chime whispered you're okay to them as Zoro appeared?

All of them having to get used to it when they join, how it constantly chimes with the beeeze or Zoro's movements.

The slow and unknowing shift into a comfort rather than a annoyance.

The same way I imagine Luffy's hat rustling, Nami's bracelets clicking, and so on, are all comforts.

I like to think they can sleep better when they hear the chime everyone in a awhile.

That sometimes, when they get lucky enough to sneakily snuggle up next to Zoro when he's napping and soak up all the heat he constantly gives off, that the little ting of the earrings right next to them is the best sound in the world.

A weariness that comes when they can't hear it and they should, like going into the country from a big city. The lack of noise is startling, because even when it's quiet in the city, it's full of noise. There's cars in the distance, the occasional horn or siren, the neighbor under you playing music, kids playing in the parking lot, the refrigerator humming and the cat purring.... All that becomes background noise you weren't even aware of. Zoro's earrings are always there under all the noise, sometimes it's louder when they don't chime than when they do.

The happiness of setting sail after each adventure and on to the next one, Luffy's laugh coming from his spot up front, and the hardly audible chime of Zoro's earrings that they know is accompanied by a lazy grin.

[stalkedbytrains]

Dead Letters, Missing Wife; Dead Letter #3

Salt and Siderite

Your parents call to you, "Are you alright?" as you sprint into the house and up to your room.

You barely manage to call out, "Fine!"

Letter number three was right where you left it and you immediately tear it open and sit on your bed.

"My beautiful spouse,

This ring is something I made for you."

"Ring?!" you shout as you realize there was nothing else in the letter.

The heavy paper letter gets dropped on the bed as you desperately start to search the floor for a ring. In the first few seconds you don't find it, the panic rises to a fever pitch and you forget to breathe.

Until you find the dull silver ring resting gently in the carpet.

You pick it up and look it over. It was really extremely unremarkable. Dull gray, not even silver, with a little clear vein of something that runs through it. There is a very small opaque white stone held in the middle.

As far as engagement rings go it is no diamond and is not remotely on the level of expensive looking. It kind of looks a bit cheap.

You can't help but feel a little disappointed, after all this work and mystery and stuff that you've gone through and you get a $10 metal ring.

Still, you slip it on your finger and it fits perfectly.

"My beautiful spouse,

This ring is something I made for you.

I know that it may not look like much, but I am no jewelry or forger. You should see my hands, I hurt myself many times trying to make this ring, but I think it is worth it.

While it may not look like much, it is made from siderite, a rare metal that has only ever been found within meteorites and occasionally found within some space debris like materials retrieved from the moon.

This celestial metal is said to have some unique and extremely helpful properties. Namely, it is something that can be anathema to creatures from outside the realm you are familiar with.

It has also been treated with salt, and I don't think I know that you need to be told what the folklore is around salt. I remember how obsessed you were around that show that had just started coming one when we were young.

This ring will keep you safe. I promise that. I swear on the life that I have.

Salt and siderite.

As long as you have this ring and you wear it as a representation of our wedding vows, you will be protected.

My love for you will out last this world,

Siobhan"

You look down at the ring on your left hand. It's dull and simple and beautiful. You can't stop thinking about Siobhan's hands.

She always had nice hands, always cold, but nice to hold. You remember always grabbing her hand to walk with her wherever you went. You told her is was because she was always so cold that you wanted to keep her warm.

You miss holding her hand.

This ring, how simple but complicated it is, makes you think even more about Siobhan. How much hurt did she put herself through, how much work did it take to make this ring by hand?

Now you feel a little bad. She has done all this work, all for you. And you haven't done anything for her.

All of this because of the things that you said and promised as a child.

Is she doing this for who she thinks you are? Who you were years ago?

Surely you've changed. Your interests and tastes have changed since you were a child. Haven't they?

What about Siobhan? Surely she can't be exactly the same?

It has been at least six years since you were together. Six years. That is a third of your life so far.

A third of her life.

What differences can happen in such a time?

Even the earth is moving to different places in outer space.

Things have changed. They've had to.

Without change can things ever really be said to be alive?

You think many big and deep thoughts as you idly play with the new ring on your finger.

Despite your curiosity, despite your desire to see Siobhan and reunite with her, you had to take some time and think before you open the next letter.

And sometimes life gets in the way.

The letters faded to the background as you had to get back to school and do your studies and work.

The piles of letters and boxes and everything became part of the background.

my kofi with all my fiction

[thoughtvoid]

I used to hate shopping as a kid. I'm sure there were a lot of reasons, most of them autistic reasons, but part of me wonders how big a part of it was just. Growing bigger in general.

Did I like my clothes and not like the idea that I couldn't wear them anymore and had to buy new ones? How often did we end up shopping and doing the whole ordeal of 'look around here, see if it's the right size, do you like it, try it on, we'll need to try about ten things and maybe buy three or four'. No toys, no snacks, so bored and only asked to focus on something I wasn't really interested in doing because we'd just have to do it all again at a random point in the future.

Nowadays, I work retail in a clothes store, so I get to see everything that comes in, and started making somewhat impulsive purchases (I'd wait for sales or good incentives, but with many specific things I'd been keeping an eye on) about three years in. I've worked out what styles I like, what sizes typically work (but also know my measurements if it's an iffy online purchase), and expanded my wardrobe to. About three times what it used to be. And got rid of older clothes that really wouldn't fit anymore and that I'd had sitting in the closet for five plus years! I started wearing jewelry when I realized we had a brand with clip on earrings! (Prior to that, I wore cheap necklaces and a couple of bracelets and exactly two souvenir rings. And had my great grandmother's old genuinely vintage costume jewelry, which I never really thought fit with my graphic t-shirt wardrobe. Which included beaded clip on earrings, but the brand in store was the first I'd seen in person with modern looking clip ons. I've expanded on all my jewerly options now, but being able to wear earrings without needing holes is what prompted all of it.)

And even outside the store I work at, I've learned what I'd like to go with my outfits that I can look for online. I have a nicer, slightly more expensive dress that would really look fancy if paired with a chiffon cape - okay, good to go for if I need something fancy. I have a small pouch that really just holds cards, but I'd like it if I could put it on a strap instead of in my pocket or with a purse - oh look, I can find some straps in a variety of colors and have the option of a chain. Oh holy shit, there's clip ons relevant to my fandom that aren't absurdly pricy, I definitely want those. I have graphic tees that are relevant to my fandoms, specifically, as opposed to the past where my tees were just 'whatever was in the store in my size that I preferred over the other designs whenever it was time for clothes shopping'.

I have skirts! Dresses! Blouses! Sleeveless! Both pretty and activewear tanks! Still mostly wear black pants casually, but I have jeans that hold up better at work in four completely different colors! Alongside the tees that I'm a lot more attached to because I actually wanted them. I bought most of my stuff now, so I got to pick things I like on my own, when I wanted to buy them!

My mom says that I went a little crazy with buying stuff. Not that I couldn't afford it, but that it seemed odd because I was never interested before. Getting me to go shopping was like pulling teeth, and I was just wanting to get it over with and leave as soon as possible. She doesn't have a quarter the amount of jewelry I have now, so if she ever needs to dress up, she'll check in with me for accessorizing.

But I remember playing dress up. I remember wearing my grandmother's squaredance skirts. I remember putting on a really old fashioned, scratchy, fancy-ish purple hat that was probably my great grandmother's. (Looking at hats through various decades on search bars makes me 70% sure it was a pillbox hat. I think it did have a small bit of white veil. Maybe.) I remember putting on beaded necklaces and feeling fancy. It was fun and temporary, but my smile at the time was so genuine, my grandmother used the picture taken while I was playing dress up to paint as a portrait.

I also remember hating dresses because I was forced to wear them to church every Sunday. And after ten years, eventually I could just wear skirts, which was marginally better but still not something I liked doing to go somewhere I was forced to go. Church wasn't even a bad experience necessarily, I just hated waking up and dressing in clothes I didn't want to wear at the time to attend 'Sunday school' when the weekends were supposed to be for fun. I remember wearing hose, and while I haven't actually worn any of that again, I'm not opposed to the idea of it. Because if I do, it'd be because I want to. Not to fit some very conservative dress code for a religious organization. (I went to church long after I had the ability to choose, because for a while I went along with it just because I didn't want to make my family sad. But I did stop, even if the current state of church is far less strict and more just 'dress a little nicer, people might judge if you come in with a tshirt for a metal band, but we really don't care as long as you're attending to hear the message'.)

I like my clothes now. I like dresses, they're very cool to wear when it gets hot. My only problem at this point is my body size being on the upper limits (and sometimes just beyond) the average size ranges for in-store normal size range. Used to teeter the line of XL and XXL, now I'm solidly XXL and it depends on the brand if I can wear that size. But I'm pretty happy with my closet.

[stalkedbyplanes]

Dead Letters, Missing Wife; Letter #3

[Letter #1][Letter #2]

Salt and Siderite

Your parents call to you, "Are you alright?" as you sprint into the house and up to your room.

You barely manage to call out, "Fine!"

Letter number three was right where you left it and you immediately tear it open and sit on your bed.

"My beautiful spouse,

This ring is something I made for you."

"Ring?!" you shout as you realize there was nothing else in the letter.

The heavy paper letter gets dropped on the bed as you desperately start to search the floor for a ring. In the first few seconds you don't find it, the panic rises to a fever pitch and you forget to breathe.

Until you find the dull silver ring resting gently in the carpet.

You pick it up and look it over. It was really extremely unremarkable. Dull gray, not even silver, with a little clear vein of something that runs through it. There is a very small opaque white stone held in the middle.

As far as engagement rings go it is no diamond and is not remotely on the level of expensive looking. It kind of looks a bit cheap.

You can't help but feel a little disappointed, after all this work and mystery and stuff that you've gone through and you get a $10 metal ring.

Still, you slip it on your finger and it fits perfectly.

"My beautiful spouse,

This ring is something I made for you.

I know that it may not look like much, but I am no jewelry or forger. You should see my hands, I hurt myself many times trying to make this ring, but I think it is worth it.

While it may not look like much, it is made from siderite, a rare metal that has only ever been found within meteorites and occasionally found within some space debris like materials retrieved from the moon.

This celestial metal is said to have some unique and extremely helpful properties. Namely, it is something that can be anathema to creatures from outside the realm you are familiar with.

It has also been treated with salt, and I don't think I know that you need to be told what the folklore is around salt. I remember how obsessed you were around that show that had just started coming one when we were young.

This ring will keep you safe. I promise that. I swear on the life that I have.

Salt and siderite.

As long as you have this ring and you wear it as a representation of our wedding vows, you will be protected.

My love for you will out last this world,

Siobhan"

You look down at the ring on your left hand. It's dull and simple and beautiful. You can't stop thinking about Siobhan's hands.

She always had nice hands, always cold, but nice to hold. You remember always grabbing her hand to walk with her wherever you went. You told her is was because she was always so cold that you wanted to keep her warm.

You miss holding her hand.

This ring, how simple but complicated it is, makes you think even more about Siobhan. How much hurt did she put herself through, how much work did it take to make this ring by hand?

Now you feel a little bad. She has done all this work, all for you. And you haven't done anything for her.

All of this because of the things that you said and promised as a child.

Is she doing this for who she thinks you are? Who you were years ago?

Surely you've changed. Your interests and tastes have changed since you were a child. Haven't they?

What about Siobhan? Surely she can't be exactly the same?

It has been at least six years since you were together. Six years. That is a third of your life so far.

A third of her life.

What differences can happen in such a time?

Even the earth is moving to different places in outer space.

Things have changed. They've had to.

Without change can things ever really be said to be alive?

You think many big and deep thoughts as you idly play with the new ring on your finger.

Despite your curiosity, despite your desire to see Siobhan and reunite with her, you had to take some time and think before you open the next letter.

And sometimes life gets in the way.

The letters faded to the background as you had to get back to school and do your studies and work.

The piles of letters and boxes and everything became part of the background.

[Letters 4 & 5]

[inkabelledesigns]

Hey, doll customizer and collector here! This is a great question, and there's a lot of ways to answer it. Obviously these things are subjective, but here's my take, formed from both my experiences and others I've met in the community. (Warning, I got a little unhinged and wrote an essay.)

A lower quality doll, in my mind, is one that isn't built to last. Hair fiber is a big factor for many doll lovers. You'll often hear a lot of disdain for polypropylene, a synthetic fiber that's easier to get a hold of for cheap on dolls. Poly can be slippery, and sometimes it can feel dry and hard to add moisture to, but some poly hair can be very soft. The things that make it undesirable for many doll fans is its lack of longevity and style options. Unlike most nylon and saran, which are also synthetic fibers, you can't use a ton of heat on polypropylene or else it melts. Boil washing will frizz it up and damage it beyond repair. You can only do so much of this on other fibers too, but they're more likely to hold up (save for maybe metallic nylon). If you have an older doll with poly hair, the odds are it's mostly destroyed, given it's not friendly for hair play and deteriorates faster than other fibers. Hair rooting patterns matter to some. If your doll comes with a high ponytail, sometimes the rooting pattern is thinner to save on material, since it won't need as much as a doll with a part line or bangs, but this isn't always the case. Rooting pattern matters to some people, as does how the hair is secured. Some methods hold up better than others over time, like glue versus knots/melting the hair in place, but ultimately, you want your hair to be sturdy and not fall out when you brush your doll.

In the clothing department, there's a lot of things that can feel cheap when you compare dolls. Say you have a doll that's designed to go with a bakery play set. She probably has an outfit to indicate she's a baker or working the cash register, right? You could choose to make an outfit that has a sewn apron to go over top of the clothes, but some companies will instead sew a basic dress pattern and print the apron on top. This is fine if the doll is meant for a small child that doesn't have as many motor skills for lots of layers or something beyond simple velcro, but it's a bummer for older doll fans. Having more pieces to mix and match is nice, and more importantly, pieces that have dimension make for a nicer look. It's why you see people getting excited over plated jewelry, real working buckles, and working pockets. Also, finished edges. I get it as someone who now sews clothing for dolls, it is not easy to make a hemmed, finished edge on doll clothes without it being too bulky and fitting weirdly, but also, I don't want to have my clothes unravel super easily, that's the worst. Fabric choice also matters. Some greatly detest the papery fabrics and the stuff that's meant to look like leather/vinyl but peels super easily.

And lastly, sculpting. I don't think it's the worst thing in the world if your doll line all has the same sculpt for the face and body, since paying for multiple face sculpts does get expensive in a hurry. The fact that Monster High has so many face sculpts is something of a wonder. But the sculpting does matter in other areas. It can make a big difference on your accessories, though it does kind of suck to have sculpting that's great but not painted (which I don't mind, it challenges me to do it myself). It's fine for dolls that are aimed at younger demographics to have less articulation, that means less breakable or parts as a hazard. But some design decisions aren't as great as they could be. Like, why bother articulating the elbows and knees but not the wrists? Wrist joints are a bit one for me, same with the head. I want my dolls to be able to look in all directions, so ones that can only look side to side are a tad disappointing. Same with dolls that are fully articulated but have a limited range of motion. Also, the hollow-ness of the body. If it's mostly air, it's not gonna hold up well in the long run, you want something sturdier.

That being said, there are some dolls I really love that have some of these things going on. Cave Club dolls are the big one. Poly hair, clothes that don't have finished edges, and the head can only move side to side. But I actually love these quite a bit. They have a lot of articulation on such a small body, the designs were colorful and fun, the accessories were very custom to them and the cave people aesthetic, and there's a nice range of skin tones too. Wild Hearts Crew is another example, lots of printed on clothing with unfinished edged and some lower quality hair fibers, but the designs were interesting, the body types had nice variety, and the faces were really pretty. When you could find them for a reasonable price, they were worth it. I wouldn't say standard retail was worth it for either one of these lines for me personally, but I've found great bargains of $6-8 on Cave Club and $10 for WHC that felt alright. $15 to $20 for them? Not super into it, but also not the worst.

By contrast, sometimes a doll can have a lot of things I like but not appeal because of one thing its missing. Mermaze Mermaids are really high quality with their hair, clothes, and faces (even with all of them having the same face sculpt), but the articulation is what kills it for me at their normal price point. They can't sit or move their tails around in enough poses for my liking. I'm also not super in love with the faces, they have a cartoon that matches the dolls super well on everything but the faces, which are far more cheerful and expressive. I also get on Rainbow High for the early lack of neck articulation (which has since been changed) and continued issues with the double knee joint not having a ton of range. But the biggest reason I don't buy a ton of Rainbow High anymore is because of the number of quality control issues (and the elimination of the second outfit, I appreciated having extra shoes). It's a beautiful line with a lot of high quality fashion and accessories, but when the dolls arrive with paint smears, staining, and smudging all over the face and body a majority of the time? At their current price point, I'm not into that, especially when customer service sucks and it's hard to get the doll back in her box to be returned with the packaging design. $27 to $50 (sometimes more if we're talking the collector releases, which isn't for me) for a doll means higher expectations for me, and consistently delivering a good product matters. It's the same reason I'm picky about what I get from Monster High, love those dolls, but if I'm collecting rather than customizing, I have to get strategic to get what I want. Face misprints often mean I try to find dolls in person rather than online, and with the variety of saran vs poly hair, I watch reviews to see who has what. Also, I wait for clearance, coupons, sales, and second hand so that I can get the best bargain, especially as someone who customizes in addition to collecting.

At the end of the day, there are lots of things that can make a doll feel lower quality, but even with all those things in mind, I think it's worth asking what you personally are willing to have on your dolls and budget for. If you're creative, anything you don't like can be changed, but that comes at an additional cost of time, materials, and skill. And there are some things that are a heck of a lot harder to change than others.

Attention Dollblr

Question from a doll-iliterate but curious person: What about a doll would make it low quality? As in, the company that made it was either being greedy, didn't give a fuck, or both? Like, what are the signs of a cheap, poorly made doll?

[wolfish-trickster]

💞Lovely Valentine💞

Peter Maximoff x female!reader

Word count: 1735 (way longer than I expected)

Summary: You didn't like this time of year. Until one cheeky speedster changes your mind.

A/N: you're X-Men (congrats!), your mutation isn't mentioned, so it can be anything. Let your imagination go wild!

And another too cheesy, too love dovey, too dumb movie appiered in TV. You rolled your eyes and turned it off. You felt a light breeze caress your hair.

"Why did you turn it off?" a familiar voice sounded from beside you.

"What? Did you want to watch something discustingly romantic?" you asked with a mocking tone.

Peter only laughed. "Yeah actually. Maybe you never noticed, but I'm hopeless romantic," he leaned into you holding a hand to his heart.

You felt your cheeks getting 2 degrees hotter as you felt his head on your shoulder.

"Yeah, no. You're not. You always gag whenever you hear a cheesy pick up line!"

"But only because they're dumb, mine are much better! Wanna hear?"

As much as you wanted to say yes, you declined. He didn't need to know how you felt about him.

"Alright, whatever," he looked away from you. Your mind must've played a trick on you, because he looked quite dissapointed to you.

In a blink of an eye he was gone. You just shrugged, not the first time somebody left you alone. Especially on a day like this.

~

'Pull yourself together Maximoff, you're such a lad with women around you and you can't even make your crush go out with you? You're losing your charm man.'

Peter was sitting at the top of Xavier's mansion. His leg was bouncing from pure nervousness. He must come up with something more than just a pick up line. Flowers? Chocolate? Plushie? Jewelry? He can steal all of that, that's not the problem. The problem is making you interested.

He's known you for quite some time, and he knows you don't really like Valentine's. All of those 'happy' couples making heart eyes at eachother the whole day annoy him too, but you are on a whole another level. He doesn't even know the real reason behind your hatred for this holiday. He must find out.

But first...

~

You decided to go to your room. Kitty Pride, your roomate, went out with someone, like 50% of the school, so you had the whole room just for you (finally). You were building a house from cards listening to some old tapes Peter gave you when the silver haired bastard ran into your room, knocking all cards to the ground.

"Really? Couldn't you just walk in like evrybody else? I suppose not," you started picking up your cards.

"No, I can't. I had to hurry, ya know?" he bent down to pick up those which fell from your table to the ground and gave them to you, making sure your hands brushed each other.

"And why?"

"To spend more time with you, why else?"

You rolled your eyes, but secretely, you were touched. "You could be doing hundred and one things, or stealing hundred and one things. Why spending time with me?"

He shrugged his shoulders. In a blink of an eye he was on your bed, your headphones on his head as he rolled your walkman in his hands.

"Do you ever NOT use the lightning speed for mundane things? How about walking? You may heard of it," you pulled the headphones from his head.

"It's cooler this way. Hey listen, I came here to ask you something. Why do you hate Valentine's so much? I mean, we've known eachother for a long time and you always lock yourself away from everyone."

It suddenly became very hard to look at him. You never told anyone, no one ever asked. Or cared enough to notice how you always disappear when a couple walks into a room, or how you try to desperately avoid any romantic movie on TV. It made your heart flutter that Peter noticed these things about you.

"I don't know. Probably the cheap things people do on Valentine's. Flowers being the stupidiest. They are all cut and binded with a glittery bow, leaving mess behind for mostly a week and then those lovely roses die. Very romantic. Or the fact that everyone suddenly feels the need to show their undying love to a person they met a month ago. Or the cuddling under a warm blanket. Or having someone to trust with your life. Or someone who will stay by your side and hold your hand against all odds. Or someone who doesn't abandon you," you started to trail off. You were touch starved, kiss deprived, lonely.

Many times you hugged a pillow to your chest wishing it was a human being. Many times you filled a glove with rice, heated it and held it as if it was the real deal. You even planned on buying this big pillow in the shape of a human to cuddle to at night.

This soft vulnerable side was only for you. No one else needed to know the big badass Y/N was romantic at heart. So you pretended to hate the holiday while you secretely read all those disgustingly sweet romance novels and watched cheesy romcoms, imagining it would someday happen to you. Find love with somebody.

Such a shame that somebody you wanted it with was in this room with you, probably ready do mock you for revealing your soft side.

Your eyes were still focused on carpet as you felt Peter sit up besides you on the bed and gently put his hand on your knee. "If it makes you happy, I will never abandon such a great girl like you. I can spend this day with you. And I don't accept any 'I feel better alone' bulshit you tell everyone."

A gentle chuckle escaped you. "Okay, alright. You can stay here. But no speeding!"

Peter rolled his eyes. "As you wish. I wanted to take you somewhere far away from here and show you something, but since you said no speeding," he trailed off teasingly.

"What? Where. Okay, speeding ban is down, take me there please!"

"Hold on tight," he said as he held the back of your head.

Few moments later you found yourself on top of a giant copper building. The view consisted of a classical square with not so many people and a long river snaking between houses in a deep canal. You looked over the railing and found out you weren't just on any building. You were on a top of the Eiffel Tower!

A cough from behind you brought you back to reality. You turned around and nearly died. Peter stood there, his usual band t-shirt, silver jacket and jeans were replaced by a white loose dress shirt and black trousers. His silver hair was still a mess but that's what you loved about him the most, so you didn't complain.

"Appreciate while you can, you'll see me like this only at somebody's funeral," he said jokingly.

You chuckled. "Can I at least take a picture? Pwetty pwease?" you did your best baby voice to convince him to say yes.

"Only if it's a selfie."

"Deal," you fished out your phone from your back pocket and srood next to his side. His arm hugged you to him by your shoulders. As you pushed the button you felt a soft preassure on your cheek for a short while. Did he just pecked you on a cheek? In his faster than light speed?

You checked the selfie and sure enough, there it was. You smiling, him leaning down, kissing your cheek in a slight blur. In the reflection of your screen you saw him with an almost soft smile.

"Why would you do that?" you asked gesturing to the selfie.

"Cuz I wanted to do that. A-and I kinda like you. Romantically, I mean," he said sheepishly. He was kinda cute when he was shy.

"Really? You're not kidding right?"

"Nope, I don't joke about serious stuff."

"Well, I kinda like you too."

He turned his head back to you with a giant smile plastered on his face. "Really?"

"Yeah, really."

There was an awkward silence for a full minute, both of you looking either into each others' eyes or just roaming around the other one's face.

"Well, that's cool," you broke the silence.

"We just told eachother we like the other one and you say that's cool?" Peter asked half laughing.

"I panicked and you didn't say anything so I thought-"

"Yeah, you think too much," he cut you off and leaned towards you. His lips fell on yours. After initial shock you gave into the kiss, your hands held the back of his neck. His hair tickled your fingers and the back of your palm.

He broke the kiss. "Damn, I'm moving too fast again," he shook his head, his nose brushed your own.

"Well, I don't mind moving fast, our lifes are way too short anyways."

"Yeah, but if it starts fast it ends fast. I don't want that. Besides, I had a plan to do this properly," he then ran away from you in a white and black blur and returned now in his usual clothes holding a box of chocolate and a giant stuffed bear. "I didn't know which to give you, so I took both. Like it?"

"Yes Peter, the bear is so cute!" you took him from his hand and squeezed him to your chest. "This will do great for middle night cuddling, thank you."

"What do you mean 'this will do'? You have me for cuddling now! Can a bear hug you like this?" he rushed behind you and hugged you from behind. "Or kiss you like this?" he kissed your exposed neck softly and rested his chin on your left shoulder and looked at you as if you were the only one in the world.

You turned your head towards his and pecked his nose. "Nope, he can't," you kissed his lips one more time before turning around in his arms and started heavily making out.

"By the way," you said as he nibbled on your ear, "did you steal these things?"

"Uuuuh what will you do if I say yes?"

"Nothin', still like you. Romantically."

He chuckled into your skin. "Still romantically like you too."

[howtolongfurb]

How to Long Furb

For whatever reason, furbies have taken over the internet. It’s beautiful and terrifying and I desperately want one. Original 1998 furbies are hard to acquire but that doesn’t mean you can’t make one of your own. Imagine the potential for neck pillows with long furbies! I’m going to walk you through step-by-step how I acquired the supplies and compiled these monstrosities. Note, this is not by any means a comprehensive guide, just my personal experience. I am an ameteur. There is a huge community of furby fans online with tips and tricks on executing a variety of furby modifications. Read more below!

I will start off by saying there were many points throughout this whole process where I got frustrated and set the project aside for weeks at a time. I initially started hand-sewing long furbs but was disappointed with the poor craftsmanship. That’s when I impulse bought a cheap Singer over the 2020 holidays and retaught myself how to use the machine. The point I want to make here is to persevere. Every furby is beautiful! Crooked faceplates and chunky bellies just give a furby more personality. They say practice makes perfect, right? So let’s get started. The main components of a furby are:

1) The faceplate: unless you can get your hands on an original furby, finding a faceplate for your project can be tricky. There are a variety of people online selling furby faceplates. You can also 3D print faceplates using files from thingiverse. I’ve even seen faceplates pressed in resin. My favorite faceplate is from MrDsPrintedCreations on Etsy. The iris of the eyes are recessed so you can easily insert glass eye chips. The first thing I do with my faceplate is glue a piece of fabric behind it so it’s easier to sew into the head. I paint my faceplate with acrylic craft paint and top it off with a clear gloss coat. 2) The spine: for a poseable long furb, there needs to be a flexible inner piece. I thought thin wire from Menards would do the job, but once it’s in the plush it doesn’t hold it’s shape. I found plastic doll armature works well as a spine. It even creaks when bent for that extra spritz of cursed, spooky energy! You can also use a flexible coolant hose as a spine. I’ve ordered doll armature online from CR’s Crafts: the 1/8th and 1/4th size works well. The 1/2th inch armature is hard to stuff around. 3) Fabric! Fur and belly piece: In order to make furbs, I knew I first needed a sewing pattern. Tumblr user Cavity Sam created a template based on the 1998 furby and I used this to make my first furb with my new machine and scrap fabric lying around. My friend Gunnar 3D printed a rudimentary faceplate to use. After using Cavity Sam’s sewing template, I modified the pattern to use for long furbs specifically. You can download that sewing pattern here.

You’ll need the following supplies per one 3-foot long furby:

quarter of a yard faux fur fabric (9 inches x 44 inches)

patterned fabric for belly, ears, feet (~3 inches x 44 inches)

sewing machine (thread, needle, scissors, pins)

faceplate, 14mm eye chips, eyelashes

E600 glue, scrap fabric

paint (acrylic or nail polish), paintbrushes, clear top coat

spine (plastic doll armature)

cotton stuffing (I cut open cheap pillows from Walmart)

Step one: Use the sewing pattern to cut fabric pieces for the head and body. When cutting on fur, make sure to trace the pattern on the flat backside of the fabric with the fur flattened in the right direction. For example, the hair on the Y-mane piece (back of the head) should be pointed downwards. I made notes on the paper pattern pieces where you can eyeball more or less space. The mane piece should have more rounded corners, for example. I made my furbies 3 feet long, so the front belly piece was 2 inches wide by 3 feet long. The back fur was 6.5 inches wide by 3 feet long.

Step two, feet and ears: Depending on how small you cut your fabric, it can be really hard to combine two separate pieces. For the feet I folded a piece of fabric in half and sewed the C-shapes before cutting them out. Using tweezers made it much easier to turn them back right-side-out. After cutting the ear pieces (making sure the hair on the fur was pointed in the right direction, inside out) I pinned them together before sewing. Turn back right-side-out. 

Step three, head: Line the pattern pieces up so the Y-mane is in the middle. Sew the sides of the head to the mane first. Once that is one solid piece, fold it in half to sew the top curve of the head. I have pinned these pieces to ensure they don’t slip when going through the machine. Slow and steady wins the race; make sure to turn the fabric as you’re curving the top of the head. Finally you can sew the piece under the ear together, leaving a gap for the ear to go in.

Step four, ears: Everything up to this point has been done on the machine. I haven’t figured out a way to attach the ears with the machine, so this step was done by hand. With the ear facing right side out, pin the ear to the inside-out head. Make sure the patterned part of the ear is facing outwards (where the faceplate goes). By hand, sew the ear to the hole in the head. After the ear is secured, turn the head right side out and voila!

Step five, body: Lining up these pieces is important and a little tricky. You’ll want some excess belly fabric on the top to merge with the bottom of the beak on the faceplate. See the diagram; rotate everything 180 degrees to begin sewing. The fur hair needs to be pointed upwards and the belly fabric pattern is facing down on top of that. After sewing the belly fabric to the fur, fold it over to sew the other side. The fur should be on the inside of the sausage/ body piece. Once you’re finished sewing, the finished piece needs to be turned fur side out.

Step six: Faceplate break time! This step can be done at any point in the process, up until you hand sew the faceplate into the head. To start, glue a piece of fabric behind the faceplate. The faceplate itself should just be the eyes and the beak, making it easier to sew into the head of the furb. You don’t need that extra plastic around the bottom of the beak (or at least I haven’t figured out how to sew that in convincingly). I used grey scrap fabric and E6000 glue to adhere the faceplate. Then you need to paint the faceplates. In earlier furbs I used acrylic paint topped with clear DecoArt gloss varnish on top. You can also use colored nail polish with a clear coat on top. In the pictured furbs I tried sealing the faceplates with mod podge but it dried tacky/ uneven. Optional: you can accessorize your furb with jewelry!

Step seven, inserting the faceplate: You need to sew this part into the head by hand as well. Start from the top center (head inside out, faceplate facing into head) and work your way down the right. Make sure to use a thicker needle and poke the needle through as close as you can get to the faceplate to ensure the fabric fur is flush to the face. The needle may be stubborn (poking through the hardened glue) so use a thimble or bottle cap to help push the needle. When you get to the bottom corner of the eye, the fabric may not line up perfectly. Use excess fabric to sew a seam, effectively acting like a cheek. This part takes a little finessing. Finish attaching the fur fabric one third of the way down the beak. This is where the belly piece will connect to. The final step (later) will be to put the eye + glass chip in. 

Step eight, attaching the head to body: I was able to use the machine for this part. Turning the head inside out, pin the head to the outside of the back fur. The head and back should line up so a gap is left for connecting the patterned belly to the bottom of the beak (that step comes later). After the head is connected to the back, I do a second pass to make sure there isn’t any gap in the seam. When turned right side out, you’ll see that excess patterned belly spills out the top. Keep the furb inside out to connect under the beak. 

Step nine, connecting the belly to the beak: On the excess patterned fabric sticking out the top of the body, trace the shape of the “M” to cut out. See the highlighted yellow portion in the picture, as well as the printed sewing pattern piece. The piece directly below the beak needs to be done by hand. If you can manage it, you can sew a diagonal line with your machine before trimming the patterned belly. I found it easiest to start from the right and work my way to the left. The acute angle under the cheek will need finessing, but with small and tight enough stitches the end result is good. Turn the furb inside out to see your long sausage of a creation!

Step ten, spine insertion and stuffing: Now THIS is where I may have messed up (i.e. got frustrated multiple times) and need feedback from the furby community. The furby is essentially complete, it just needs the butt and feet attached to seal it off. Because of this long sausage of a furb, it was hard to push stuffing all the way up into the head/ ears, even using a yard stick. Maybe if I printed my original sewing pattern at 115% or 130% size, the completed project wouldn’t have been so narrow. (The ears are a perfect size now that I think about it, so maybe just the head pieces need to be bigger.) This resizing would make for a larger in diameter, plushier furby too. I thought I could insert the spine after stuffing, but the opposite is true. Insert your wire or doll armature after the ears and head are stuffed but before you begin stuffing below the beak. Alternatively, you can fasten the top of the spine behind the faceplate before stuffing. I taped a cup to the end of a yard stick and that helped push handfuls of stuffing into the furb at a time. Leave 2 to 4 inches of the bottom unstuffed so it’s easier to sew on the bottom circle. We will leave a small gap for the rest to be stuffed before totally sealing it off. 

Step eleven, connecting the feet and bottom: Stuff the feet and seal them off with a couple stitches. Don’t stuff the feet completely full, the top seam should lay flat. Place the two feet on the bottom of the belly, pointing upwards. Sew the feet onto the belly in a straight line. Now comes the part that takes more finessing, the bottom. When you line up the bottom circle, make sure the hairs of the fabric are pointed backwards. If you can manage it with the machine, sew the bottom circle to the bottom of your furby where the feet connect to the belly, about a third of the way around the full circle. The fur of the circle should be facing down, touching the belly of the furb. Once you’ve attached the circle to the feet, you can fold the circle back to see the butt starting to take shape! You can give it another pass on the machine, sewing the opposite side/ flip the furby so you can see the backside of the belly. Leave enough room to stuff the rest of the cotton and close the gap by hand sewing. Now that your furby is essentially complete, you can add the finishing touches! I always leave the eye chips for last so I don’t scratch them in the process of turning my furb inside out. You can print or paint the eye designs to place behind the glass chip. Use clear glue like superglue or E600 for the best results. Gluing eyelashes on with superglue is an optional last step.

Aaaaaaand the furbies are done! Again, I’m an ameteur sewer who’s learning as I go. I’m always open to suggestions and feedback; if there’s a way to revise this process to make more efficient and better quality furbs, I’d love to know. Thanks yall and enjoy making these cursed friends!

[girlwithshipsshitshow]

32

Misaki walks the streets of downtown Tokyo for about an hour until he comes across a shop that has the perfect gift for their anniversary. He grins, rushing into the shop to pick out the gift; as he exits, his phone rings, it's Usagi.

Usagi: Hey Hon, where are you?

Misaki: I'm on my way home, heading to the train station. Should be there in about fifteen minutes.

Usagi: Okay, well hurry, our reservations are in an hour.

Misaki: An hour?!

Usagi: I'm sorry! That's the best I could do.

Misaki: *checks watch* I'll be there as soon as I can.

Usagi: Okay, I'll see you soon.

Misaki: Okay. I love you.

Usagi: I love you too, baby.

Usagi hangs up, straightening his tie, grinning once satisfied. He wore a black suit and a blue tie. He thought he looked perfect but was always nervous going on dates with Misaki. This one was different, though. This was their fifth anniversary, and he felt like he was going to puke. Misaki walks in the door grinning, placing his bag on the couch.

Misaki: *Calling out* Hey Usagi! You upstairs?

Usagi: *Walking down the stairs with a grin* Hey!

Misaki: *Smirks, meeting Usagi at the bottom of the steps* Hey.

*Misaki quickly kisses the older man, taking him in. He grins, wrapping his arms around him. Misaki hugs him tighter, taking in the older man's scent. He loved him so much.*

Usagi: *Chuckles* Hi Baby, you okay?

Misaki: *Nodding against Usagi*, Yeah, you smell good.

Usagi: I showered, might be why.

Misaki: Heh. *Pulls away*, Alright, we'll I need to shower then, I won't be that long.

Usagi: *Places hand on Misaki's face, softy rubbing his cheek with his thumb* Okay. *Stares intensely at the younger man*

Misaki: *Blushing* W-what, what is it?

Usagi: Nothing, it's just, I love you.

Misaki: *Looks down* I love you too. I- um, I'm going to go shower. *Brushes past Usagi, heading up the stairs*

Usagi: Hey, M-Misaki?

Misaki: *Stops, turns to face Usagi* Yeah?

Usagi: I wasn't sure what suit you wanted to wear, so I laid out the one from your graduation, and that grey one you wore to the wedding we went to a few months ago.

Misaki: *Grins* Thank you, but I have a novel idea in mind.

Usagi: *smirks* Novel?

Misaki: *Shut up* I'm going to shower. I'll be back in twenty minutes.

*Misaki paused, rummaging through the closet he now shared with Usagi. Where was that suit? It's been so many years since he wore it, but he knew he brought it in here at one point. Nothing was in his old room now except his bed and a computer that he used sometimes; it mostly served as a guest room now. Misaki walked to the closet, searching through all the suits that were hanging. He grinned, shaking his head; they had way too many. The young man smiled when he found the Grey suit with the pink collared shirt. Finally, he found it; now only if he could find the purple tie.*

*Usagi sat on the couch, nervously flipping through channels. He didn't want to be late, but more than that, he wanted to enjoy a nice proper dinner for their fifth anniversary. They enjoyed their trip, but since it rained so much, the two of them felt like they needed a proper date to celebrate*

Misaki: Usagi?

*The younger man strolled down the stairs, walking over to Usagi. Standing, he grinned at Misaki, looking at him, gasping.*

Usagi: Wait, Misaki, this is the suit I bought you when we had our first date.

Misaki: Um, *rubs neck* Yeah, you know, I just thought it would be perfect. I think we should go, though. I don't want to be late.

Usagi: Yeah, you ready?

Misaki: I am. I just need to grab something from my bag.

Usagi: Okay.

*Usagi Smiled staring at the menu, the two made it just in time, their table overlooked the lights of the city it was pure beauty. Misaki Grinned grabbing Usagi's hand causing him to blush slightly*

Usagi: Misaki, You're cute.

Misaki: *Chuckles* Thanks, babe. Is there anything sticking out to you?

Usagi: I was thinking we could share the roasted duck unless you want something else?

Misaki: I was thinking the duck too, the manganji hotpepper sounds amazing.

Usagi: Okay, do you want white or red wine?

Misaki: You pick, you know what's the best.

Usagi: Okay, well the 2018 Alsimy Sauvignon Blanc is fantastic, we can get that.

Misaki: Perfect.

*The two order Enjoying an amazing meal, under the ambiance of the lights, the food, and each other's company. Misaki Smirks Wiping sauce off Usagi's face, then licking it from his thumb*

Usagi: *Chuckles* That brings back memories.

Misaki: I can't believe that was five years ago.

Usagi: Still as cute as ever.

Misaki: *blushes* Stop it. Oh, before I forget. *Pulls Box out of Jacket pocket* I got you something, Happy Anniversary Usagi.

*Misaki sets the box on the table Usagi grins, wiping his face off. He runs his hand over the box, grinning at Misaki. He opens the box, inside sit two dragon claw marble necklaces. One has a green marble, the other is purple. Usagi gives Misaki a look of confusion*

Usagi: I don't get it.

Misaki: Ah, well we, when we went on my birthday trip I got the jar of marbles, and we both made three wishes. I always thought the last one was most important.

Usagi: Yeah, Mine was "I hope I can be with Misaki Forever"

Misaki: Yeah, I remember. I never told you what mine was, but it was the same as yours " I hope I can be with Usagi-san forever"

Usagi: *Blushes* Really?

Misaki: Yeah, it always embarrassed me to tell you. Uh, anyway, a little while ago, after we told Nii-chan about us, I found them again. I made the wish to be with you forever and ever, with all my heart. So when I was trying to find the best gift, I thought of Marbles, or rather, these necklaces, so we can hold on to the wishes we made. *Shakes head* I know it's dumb.

Usagi: *Grabs Misaki's hand* Misaki, I love it. *Picks hand up, kisses knuckles* It's perfect.

Misaki: Oh, um, the greens yours, it matches my eyes, and the purples mine.

Usagi: I figured.

Misaki: I uh, know we rarely wear jewelry except for our engagement rings, but-

Usagi: Misaki, stop. I love it.

Misaki: Okay. Um, can I put yours on?

Usagi: Yeah. *grins*

*Misaki stands, walks around to Usagi, he gently takes out the necklace, then places it on Usagi's neck. Misaki grins, he softy kisses Usagi's neck then touches the marble, it shines in the light*

Misaki: It's perfect.

Usagi: I need to put on yours.

Misaki: Of course.

*Misaki leans against the table as Usagi places the necklace on his neck, Usagi leans forward softly kissing his lips, the taste spicy from the duck sauce, but sweet from the wine*

Usagi: let's get out of here. *He smiles, rubbing Misaki's legs*

Misaki: We need to pay.

Usagi: You know what I mean.

Misaki: *Rolls eyes* Where are we staying tonight?

Usagi: The prince park, I choose a room with the view of the tower, access to the bar, a nice tub, HUGE bed an-

Misaki: You spent a lot of money on the room deduct?

Usagi: Not a lot of money...

Misaki: You're crazy.

Usagi: *taps Misakis nose* You love me.

Misaki: I need you to save money. What are we going to do for our wedding? And then when we start the process for surrogacy? That's not cheap.

Usagi: It'll be okay, I have savings for that stuff. Misaki, I- I have an extra account for this stuff, the fun stuff. Our house expenses, the house we're building, the wedding, the future... all of that, I have another account for that. I promise you don't need to worry.

Misaki: Really?

Usagi: Really. *Kisses Misaki's cheek* Do you want anything else before we leave?

Misaki: No.

Usagi: Alright, let's see about getting out of here.

Misaki: *Smiles* Alright

*Misaki walked into the room, stunned. It was beautiful; the tower looked amazing at night. They had such a close view of it; the bathroom was enormous, so was the bed. The room had a small minibar and a small lounge area. There was a tv perfectly placed so they could watch tv in the lounge area or relaxing in bed. Misaki walked to the window taking in the view, Usagi smiled walking up behind him wrapping his arms around the smaller man's waist; he gently kissed his neck, resting his chin on his shoulder. Miksik smiled at him through the window, placing his arms on the older man, their rings, and necklaces reflecting off the city lights*

Usagi: Do you want to go to the Executive lounge for a drink*?

Misaki: *Grins* Executive lounge? sounds fancy.

Usagi: Oh, it is. *Raises an eyebrow*

Misaki: *Turns to look at Usagi, grins at him, wrapping his arms around his neck* Why is it so fancy? Wait, let me guess because only people who have these rooms have access to it?

Usagi: Yeah, wanna go?

Misaki: Yes, but only for one drink. *Smirks* I want to enjoy this room while we have it.

Usagi: Well, I can book an extra night.

Misaki: NO! that's not at all what I meant.

Usagi: I-

Misaki: Let's go.

*Misaki grabs Usagi's hand, they head down to the bar where Misaki orders a Saketini and Usagi orders a whiskey sour; he insists they get cocktails*

Misaki: Um, Usagi? *He sits across from the older man, sipping on his cocktail, he's nervous, but Usagi can't read him this time*

Usagi: What's wrong? *He places his drink on the table, giving Misaki a loving look*

Misaki: Um, when we first met, do you remember how we like hated each other?

Usagi: *nods sadly* Yeah, I do.

Misaki: Well, a few months into that, the more we started to, uh, hang out and spend time with each other, the more I started to kinda have feelings for you.

Usagi: *Smirks* Really? Why didn't you tell me?

Misaki: Well, first, you were in love with my brother? But more than that, I-I didn't think it was okay for me to be in love with you or have feelings for any man. I mean, when we first starting dating and having sex; I was kinda, how do I say it? Not opposed, obviously, but I didn't know how to react or deal with all the feelings I had for you. I called you a lot of mean, rude names that I didn't mean; I'm sorry Usagi. Also, you need to know how much I've always loved you, even if I could never express it clearly. It was hard for me sometimes, but I've always felt a great deal of love for you, even more now, I just wanted you to know.

*Usagi is smiling. He's clearly holding back tears. Picking up his drink, he stands, walks, and sits beside Misaki, takes his hand, strokes the back with his thumb. The older man smiles, kissing the younger man gently on his cheek.*

Usagi: Misaki, I um, I knew how much you loved me, I've always known. *Clears throat* As for names that you called me? That's in the past, and I understand why. I know that it's hard to come to terms with who you are. I also need you to know, that night when you cried for me, I fell in love with you, but not just because I allowed myself to be vulnerable, but because you somehow understood? But I guess it's because you had those feelings for me?

Misaki: *Wipes tears* Um, yeah I guess, when we first were dating, I was upset because I didn't understand how you could fall for me so fast?

Usagi: I knew that at some point, I had to let go of the feelings I had for Takahiro, so when I realized I could show verbality in front of you, something I've never done in my life, I knew I found what being in love meant, you've shown me that night that I could be open and honest with my emotions. *Smiles* I couldn't do that with anyone but you, so thank you for showing me what true love is.

Misaki: I, you've shown me what true love is. Usagi, you're my first love, you know? I don't think I've ever felt for anyone; I haven't had like crushes. I know you get jealous sometimes, but thank you for always being so protective of me, even if I complain, I appreciate it.

Usagi: I know that.

*Usagi picks up Misaki's hands, locking their fingers together. He smiles at the younger man. The two finish their drink, then head back to the room. They decide to a bath in the hot tub. Misaki wants to wash Usagi for a change since he doesn't get too often*

Misaki: Stay still, let me wash your hair.

Usagi: *Grinning, trying to snuggle against Misaki* I want to do this.

Misaki: You have suds in your hair. Can I finish? *Misaki places Usagi's head under the water, rinsing his hair off, he lifts Usagi's head inspecting to make sure all the suds are gone, smiles; then wraps his arms around Usagi.* Now I'm done. Are you happy?

Usagi: What about you?

Misaki: I showed before we went to eat.

*Usagi turns to bring Misaki into him. The older man rubs his thumb over Misaki's lips, then brings his chin up to his lips, softly kissing him. He pulls back, smiling at the younger man, who gives him a loving but seductive look.*

Usagi: What?

Misaki: Nothing, it's just, Happy anniversary.

Usagi: You know, it's not technically our anniversary anymore?

Misaki: *Shoves Usagi* Shut up, way to ruin a moment. *Gets out of the tub*

Usagi: Hey, come on, where are you going?

Misaki: To bed.

Usagi: Fun bed or?

Misaki: *Rolls eyes*

*Misaki lies on Usagi's chest, the two are in bed talking about moments they've shared in the past five years; Usagi is caressing Misakis' hair; the city lights are shining in the bedroom, giving off a warm glow.*

Misaki: I think when I went to visit my brother in Osaka was when I was felt nervous about our relationship; leaving that week hurt.

Usagi: I know, I felt the same. I couldn't think of anything but you.

Misaki: When you came to get me, I was happy but embarrassed. *Grins* You came three hours for me, and we spent the night in the sleeping car. I loved it.

Usagi: *Chuckles* Your first birthday we spent together.

Misaki: It was also your first real trip.

Usagi: *Smiles, squeezes Misaki* it thrilled me to be with you.

Misaki: I was happy too. I still have all the pictures saved on my laptop. You held my hand in public for the first time. I remember how it felt when I tried to tell you I loved you, I couldn't say it, and then when I could, I was so happy when I could tell you. I know there have been and will be people who like me or you but, the difference is, you're the love of my life Usagi, and you always will be.

Usagi: You're the love of my life Misaki, I love you so much.

*Misaki Grins; slowly traces kisses down Usagi's chest, causing the older man to moan slightly. He glances up at Usagi, then makes his way back up to his neck, placing gentle kisses on his collarbone. Misaki Smiles Climbing on Usagi, wrapping his legs around his hips, the younger man grins at the older man below him. He pushes Usagi's soft hair back, the smell of shampoo filling the air.*

Usagi: I love you so much, baby.

Misaki: I love you too.

*Usagi grins, taking Misaki's head, pulling it towards him. Softly he bites Misakis's lip, using his tongue to find a way in. The kisses are sweet from the cocktails they had earlier, their tongues softly dancing with each other. The two pull away, searching for air. Usagi smiles at the younger man, rubbing his back, gently kissing his nipples.*

Misaki: Usa- Usagi?

Usagi: *Pulls away from Misaki's hard nipples, smiling gently at the young man* What's wrong? Are you okay?

Misaki: *Nods* I want to be in you.

Usagi: Okay.

*Misaki sat up while Usagi turned. He still got nervous when entering Usagi. The younger man gently kissed Usagi's lower back, then slowly made his way inside. He heard Usagi gasped as Misaki thrust himself inside the older man, until they both came together, clasping on the bed out of breath. Usagi took Misaki, wrapping himself around the smaller man. Misaki smiled, as Usagi's scent wrapped around them like a warm blanket.*

Usagi: *Running his fingers through Misaki's hair* Misaki?

Misaki: Yeah.

Usagi: Are you okay?

Misaki: Perfect, are you okay?

Usagi: I am. I can't believe we've been together for five years.

Misaki: We've been through a lot, huh?

Usagi: We have.

Misaki: I remember when I didn't read any of your books.

Usagi: *Laughs* Where did that come from?

Misaki: *Looks up at Usagi* It's just now I've read all of them, and I'm going to be your assistant starting next week.

Usagi: Ugh, is next week already the begging of May?

Misaki: Well, we went on a trip for like three weeks. We left on the day of my graduation.

Usagi: We came home early though.

Misaki: It's the twenty-fourth of April. May is next Sunday.

Usagi: So we still have a few days to do this?

Misaki: *Reaches up, gently rubs Usagi's Chin* We have the rest of our lives to do this.

Usagi: I'll take it.

[thiswasinevitableid]

For mermay: #30, wreckage with Danbrey in either SFW or NSFW? Thank you so much!

Here you go! I went with SFW. Dani’s design is based on a Golden Shiner, Aubrey’s on a red-tailed shark.

“Dr. Harris Bonkers? Where are you, you sneaky sea bunny?” Aubrey circles the rocks, sets her hands on her hips and flicks her tail with a frown; for a creature with small fins, that bunny can be incredibly evasive. 

“We only have an hour to practice, silly bunny. If you don’t come out, I won’t be able to use you in the show.”

When her pet/assistant doesn’t emerge, she sighs and swims off to her super secret test stage. Then she smacks straight into someone and shrieks in surprise.

“GAHoh, oh my god you scared me.” 

“That, that makes two of us” the mermaid she collided with stares at her, golden eyes wide with alarm.

“I’m sorry, this place is always abandoned.” She gestures to the sunken ship, one that’s been here since her grandparents were children. 

“I, um, I kind of figured. That’s why I holed up here.” In the filtered sunlight, her tail glitters pale gold. A treasure at the heart of the wreck.

“Are you new in town? I feel like I would’ve remembered seeing you before.” She smiles, hoping it comes across as smooth but not too smooth because she does not want to freak out the cute mer floating in front of her.

“Yeah. I can’t afford any of the spots in town.” She sighs, giving Aubrey the distinct sense this is not a new situation for her.

“You could come live with me! Not like, with me with me, but I live in the Lodge in town and I know there are rooms open. It’s super cheap.”

(If it wasn't, Aubrey would give her the “cute mers with freckles” discount).

“Um, okay, sure. Let me get my stuff.”

“Sweet! Wait, uh, it might take a few more minutes, I have to find my sea bunny.” She swims into the wreck after the other mermaid, poking her head into her pets’ preferred hiding places. 

“Is this him?” The mer holds up two woven seaweed bags. On top of one of them is Dr. Harris Bonkers, so white he almost glows in the darkened hull. 

“It is! Come here you naughty nudibranch.” She scoops the bunny into her palms, then sets him on her shoulder. 

“He’s cute” The mermaid pets his side, “what’s his name?”

“Dr. Harris Bonkers, PhD. That last part is a human school thing, but he worked hard for it.”

“Nice to meet you doctor. I’m Dani.” She smiles at Aubrey, the expression as beautiful as moonlight on dark water, “what about you?”

“Aubrey.”

“Nice to meet you too.” She gives the bunny a final pet and swims out of the ship. Aubrey hurries to catch up to her so they can travel side by side. 

“So, um, what do you use the wreck for?”

“Magic practice!” Aubrey sweeps her hand  through the water, leaving a rainbow of light in it’s wake, “it’s not, like, super secret or anything, but there’ve been a few, um, mishaps that mean it’s better if I practice away from town.”

“Mishaps?” Dani shoots her an amused smile.

“I once made a huge chunk of reef disappear. It took a whole day to get it back. And there was the time some seaweed floated past while I was practicing and turned into a sea serpent. Relatedly, sometimes a sea serpent follows me around and calls me mom.”

Dani laughs and Aubrey suddenly has so many stars in her eyes you could use them for navigation. 

“That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“I mean, it really isn’t. Those are the only big fuck ups, but I’ve decided I’d rather be safe than sorry. I’d hate for someone to get hurt because of me. Um, what about you? Just come to Kepler for a change of scene?”

“Sort of. I’m an open ocean mer by birth but it gets lonely, and sometimes your own kind will chase you off of nice places to call your own. So I decided I’d come here and try to make a home.”

“The Lodge is a good place for it. I, um, I ended up in Kepler after my mom died and my dad and I drifted apart. Mama gave me a place to stay and kept an eye on me; I bet she’ll do the same for you.”

It’s a bet she wins every time. Mama welcomes Dani in with a smile, tells Barclay to make a big dinner to celebrate a new resident, and shows her to her room. Aubrey stays by her side, chatting as she unpacks her bags. Her belongings are sparse, practical, and the only flashy item is a comb with a pearl handle. 

They talk until Dani is yawning and Aubrey keeps bumping into walls because she’s too tired to fight the current every freaking second. Aubrey says goodnight, tells Dani to come find her if she needs anything. Dani promises she will, brushing their tails together before closing the door. 

As she swims to her room, Aubrey’s thoughts swirl like a school of sardines. Dani’s room is so bare. Dani deserves a room overflowing with beautiful art and sea glass jewelry and vases of sea flowers. 

It’s lucky, then, that Aubrey knows just the mers to help her out.

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

“Oh wow” Dani holds the strands of blue and white glass up to the windows, “Aubrey, this is beautiful”

“Glad you like it” she feels like the red in her tail deepens whenever Dani smiles at her like this, “Ned owed me a favor, and I thought some sea glass curtains might make the room more, um, homey.”

Dani swims to her, rubbing their cheeks together, “You’re the best.”

“Heheee, um, I mean, I’m super glad you like it!”

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

“Did you draw this?” Dani turns in a slow circle, searching for the perfect spot to hang the picture Aubrey brought her. 

“Nope. Indrid did. He was selling some of his stuff this weekend, and I remember you saying you thought Atlantis was one of the prettiest places you’d ever seen. So I, um, I figured you’d like one of his pictures of it. You know he’s actually from there. Like, he’s one of the citizens who sunk with the city.”

“That’s wild. Wait, doesn’t that make him super old?”

“Yeah. Duck doesn’t seem to mind though, and he tries hard to keep up with the times. He mostly succeeds. Mostly.” She snickers, remembering the time Indrid tried to say he thought Duck was handsome and it came out as “looks like a million red-hot lobster claws.”

“C’mon” Dani hooks their tails across each other, ushering her across the room and causing her to completely forget what she was saying, “help me decide where to put this.”

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

“I wasn’t able to wrap these, but they’re totally a present for you.” Aubrey holds out the two pots of starweeds, “Duck said they’re a great way to garden in a small space. I know you’re helping with the big garden out back, but I kinda figured you wanted some in your room too.”

Dani takes the pots, not bothering to keep their hands from touching, “Thank you, firefins, they’re lovely.” She sets them on the windowsill, picks up her comb on the way back, voice much softer when she asks, “would you brush my hair before we go down to dinner?”

“Sure!” She loves brushing Dani's hair; if it’s the only time she ever makes the other mer sigh happily, the only time those golden tresses cascade down her fingertips, she’ll die happy. 

As she carefully guides the brush through Dani murmurs, “my mom gave me that. She said it’s been in our family for generations. Apparently an ancestor was given it by a human lover.”

“Dang” Aubrey’s amazed anything this beautiful wasn’t just swallowed up by the open water, “I’m glad they hung onto it; it really is gorgeous.”

“I um, I, I want you to have it.” Dani turns to look at her just as Aubrey pulls back.

“Dani, that’s so sweet, but I can’t take this from you. It’s you connection to your family. To your mom.”

“Oh.” The mermaid takes the comb when she holds it out, “okay. Let’s, um, let’s just go meet the others.”

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

“...been like that for the last two days. I know you spent a bunch of time in the open ocean, so I wanna know everything there is to know about what dating is like for mers out. I’ve got to show Dani just how much I care about her.”

“I see” Ned rests back in his chair, watching Aubrey as she swims back and forth in agitation, “I shall do my best, my friend. Let me think...gift giving is common, but that’s the case for all but deep sea merfolk. Painting your scales...no, that was southern mers in general. Aha!” Ned snaps his fingers, “because open ocean mers are nomadic, giving them things for building a home is a sign of commitment and romantic interest. If the feeling is mutual, one might also offer a precious item as a token of affection.”

“Precious item? Like a family heirloom? Hypothetically?”

“Yes, I’d imagine that would fit the bill nicely.”

“Aw beans! Thanks Ned, gotta go, talk later byeeeee.”

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

“Dani!” Aubrey rounds a patch of sea grass.

The other mer looks up from where she’s collecting urchins, “Aubrey? Is everything okay?”

“No! Or maybe yes. Dani are you, were you trying to tell me you wanted me to be your girlfriend?”

“Yes, but I’m starting to think that wasn’t as obvious as I thought it was.”

“Nope!” Aubrey launches herself forward, gathering Dani in her arms. The other mermaid laughs, rolling them over to lay in the soft grass. 

“I’m sorry” Dani kisses her cheek, “I thought I was being obvious.”

“I mean, I guess you were, we just had a communication breakdown. I just...I can’t believe you’d give me your most treasured possession.”

Dani leans down, kissing her until her lips are buzzing with delight and their tails are wrapped tight around each other, “Sweetheart, the only treasure I need is right here.”

[plush-anon]

You worked at joanns? 😍 dream job

In all fairness, a large part (and I do mean a LARGE part) of why I enjoyed working at Joanns were the managers.

The store manager was a guy named Richard, one of maybe two or three men who worked there total, and this man was practically a saint as far as retail goes.

This was a man who would, with no hesitation, get on the floor to help customers, or hop on the registers to check customers' purchases out, or pop on to the cutting counter to cut fabric. He remembered the names of regulars, would chat and smile while getting shit done, and was the type of guy to speak slowly and softly when we had shitstains explode at us measly peons for not giving them the full cost of an item back in a return (ex $200) when they used a coupon to purchase an item to begin with and only paid a portion of the cost (ex. $150). No joke, this actually happened to me on Black Friday with a man who stood at about 6 foot with a crewcut and a snarl (the military Karen, if you would)

Richard, of course, stood at about 6 foot 5 inches, and reminded me of a ginger grizzly bear in some ways. Very few customers continued to be assholes when they asked to speak to the manager and Richard came over, smiling wide. He encouraged us to chat with the customers while we worked the cutting counter - it was a good way to learn about what they were making, encouraged general conversation and lent itself to a better environment for everyone, worker and customer alike, so we weren't just awkwardly standing in silence the whole time.

The assistant store manager (aka his second in command - we had two other assistant managers, but she wielded more power than both of them) was Farrah, and she was basically Cool Wine Aunt, but with weed. She was open about smoking it (but not in a pressure-the-underlings kind of way, but more of a 'yeah, it calms me down' kind of way) but never on the clock, and was just really chill in general. She was also a 'jump on the registers' type of manager, and on occasion would take the closing staff out to get a drink from the texmex place next to us in the shopping center, and cover one for each of us - particularly during the Holiday Clusterfuck of October, November, and December (their Frozen Kahlua Mudlslide was my alcoholic drink of choice - they also had these spicy chicken strips that were amazing with it, but I digress).

Both of them were amazing people who would support and back us up without hesitation (if they weren't dealing with corporate or stock trucks coming in), and both routinely worked 15 to 20 hours UNPAID overtime during the Holiday Clusterfuck so that we the underlings could get more hours without Corporate jumping up our ass about going over budget.

They were also refreshingly upfront in our monthly meetings about profits and meeting them, as well as why company policy was the way it was, and how to work within the boundaries so we got more hours. One of my favorite moments was when they said the fabric sales essentially covered their own cost (production and delivery); the rest of the cheap crap in the store was what covered our paycheck and electricity, so hawk it as much as you can if you want extra in the bank (paraphrasing here, but that's not that far off what they actually said tbh).

With some Karen-y exceptions, the customers were honestly pretty chill. There were two women from a nearby church who bought well over 200 yards of cut fleece to make no-sew fleece blankets for children and the poor in December (it took forever to do, but they were so cheerful about it and told some funny anecdotes in between, kept the counter clear as soon as they were cut, etc. Took them three carts to haul everything to the register XD).

There was the slew of quilters making everything from baby blankets to anniversary gifts to quilts for their grandkids attending the local university that they could wear to football games in the colder weather, while still showing team pride. They always bought quarters and eighths and the end of the bolt for half price, digging thru our remnants bin for something they might have missed they could get for half price. They always talked about what they were working on, and spoke in great detail on their kids or cousins or niblings or grandkids. I saw so many pictures on phones, in wallets, and they loved them to absolute pieces.

There were cosplayers making their first costume to comicon, halloween goers trying their hand at making their own outfits, and a few furries making custom suits for order or just updating their own personal outfit. There were the usual school and church Christmas plays that needed costumes, and folks making custom table runners and place settings for family holiday meals.

One notable young man bought out 30+ yards of our 65" inch wide bolt felt for JEWELRY projects he was making as a part of his business and as a part of his art program (you can major in art with a concentration in jewelry making, and he was using it for that). He didn't leave a card, but the pictures he showed us were STUNNING.

We had a few elderly mothers come in with their daughters, to pick out fabrics so they could make their own wedding dresses, or quinceanera outfits, or veils; they showed us the patterns they had, or the pictures they were basing the designs off of, and all of them were STUNNING. (One came back in with the finished dress in the bag, this intricately beaded poofy dress that had to have taken days, hot pink and shiny).

We had local restaurant owners pop in for re-upholstery projects and curtains and vinyl; same with teachers and deck dads and furniture restoration workers that would gush about the design, what they had planned. Some would bicker with their spouses on the pattern, but it felt good-natured on the whole.

We had some elderly men come in to peer over our sewing machines - "How much it run for? My wife's birthday is coming up and her old machine's about done, and I want to surprise her. She had a Singer, but she hates the electronic screens on some of these newer ones, they hurt her eyes." - and moms coming in to sew some custom bed sheets for their kids - "My son really likes the new My Little Pony show, but he's a little shy about it. Do you think the blue's okay? Only he like yellow more, but they don't have any back there and he doesn't MIND blue really but - Actually scratch that, how wide is the fabric? My pattern says it needs to be at LEAST 22 inches wide, does it say on the box?" - and people coming up with some WILD craft ideas that were always a delight to hear them gush about - "So this MAY seem crazy, but I can turn these plastic pumpkin trick-or-treat pails into SNOWMEN heads with felt like this. We fill them with treats for the kids since we don't have a fireplace and they like it fine, but someone said I should sell these on Etsy and people really like them! But I've run out of pumpkins, and you have NO idea how happy I am that you guys still have some left."

The group we had to work with was also pretty crafty; a few were chronic call-outs, some a bit lazy, some perpetually done-with-this-nonsense, but we were mostly on the same page on shift, and all of us were crafty as heck. The employee discount was a blessing AND a curse, lemme tell you.

Stock was the best part, for me. Hours before the store opened at 9 AM, we would rip open the boxes and stuff everything onto the shelves, organizing anything the closing shift missed the night before along the way, updating new stickers or shuffling pegs over for new product arrangement, etc. We could listen to music or podcasts as we worked, and I ended up impressing some of them bc of how fast I tore through everything some mornings (the music definitely helped out there).

I was actually about to be promoted to assistant manager after 6 months, but then I got my job with the university, and they had federal health benefits AND dental, so... yeah, no contest there. Richard actually laughed when I told him I'd been hired at the university and was giving my two week notice, since it meant he didn't have to do the slew of paperwork that accompanied new assistant manager hires. He congratulated me on the job, especially the health benefits - he said that was a perk worth leaving any job here for. I nearly cried with relief that he wasn't mad.

He and Farrah chipped in and got me a small music box that plays Man of La Mancha's Dream the Impossible Dream on my last day. It still sits on my desk at work.

It was honestly my favorite retail job out of the bunch I've suffered through. Surprising at first, since I initially received a rejection email bare HOURS after my interview with Farrah, but about a month later (as I trawled endlessly through interview after interview, desperate for anything those first few months ), I got a call back from them asking if I was still interested (which I was, bc hey a job!). They remembered me specifically bc I had missed my bus to the interview, called ahead to let them know I would be late, then walked the whole way there in the rain to get there. (It was only about a mile and a half away, so not a terrible journey, but flooding is an issue in our flat-ass city; I looked like a drenched afghan hound holding a useless umbrella, so enjoy that imagery).

They were particularly impressed by the calling-ahead part.

Unfortunately, both of them ended up moving on to different paths over the year after I left - apparently they had been friends with benefits (? I say hesitantly, since I ran into one of my coworkers at an art show later on and she spilled the beans there - she was a bit flighty in nature though, and got caught up in gossip a LOT, so who knows. Lovely brocade custom projects though), and his ex girlfriend had called corporate on them and got both fired.

I think Farrah came back some time later, but the damage was done after that - the new manager came in and operated SOLELY to corporate policy. A LOT went to pieces in terms of store cleanliness, order, and general camaraderie after that - the new fabric counter folks look and sound dead inside, and barely interact with customers (not even a 'whatcha making' in passing, which is kind of sad - the stories I got helped to pass the time, and kept me from using up all of my Set Conversation Phrases for customers that actually WOULD leave us standing in silence). Corporate also stopped some of the smaller store policies that made our job easier and gave the customers a little something extra (the 'end-of-the-bolt' discount - if, after the customer orders say, 2 yards of fabric on the bolt, and there's say, a half yard "remnant" left on the bolt, we can sell them the remnant for half-price. A LOT of quilters LOVED this, and we did too, since it saved us from filling out the remnant tag and printing a sticker later on).

Just goes to show how important good management is in a business; especially when it can kick a store previously part of the top 50 stores in the NATION (while being a medium store at that - smaller place, NOT Hobby Lobby size like the Large stores) to something much less pleasant. I could be rose-goggling the situation thought - retail is still retail, no matter how nice some aspects are - but it still sticks with me as to how good he experience was even taking into account that it WAS minimum wage retail.

Food for thought, lads, food for thought.

[snoo333]

I don’t know the Turkish language so when i listen to this, i invoke a past collections of moments i store in my pleasure moments database. 

I think it was 2017 or 18. The dates don’t  seem to be important as remembering the pleasure moments. First time for me. My girl had been there before. She knows what i like when it comes collecting pleasant experiences. 

Everyone does in their own way. We would get up early in the morning to check off our must see sites. As nice as they are to a selfie with. Then, they must convey something to those who see the pictures. 

On the way to these sites (sights) from our not so original itinerary, there were a lot moments of walking in the streets of Istanbul. Its a big city with a active population. 

Add the scores tourists. the city is moving. With all that moving comes the energy of always moving. I am not sure if i am empath but i pick up on all that mind chatter from passersby. 

Walking those streets, you upon many poor and hungry. from all walks of life and family structure. An old man, a young man selling trinkets on the street and hes cold, mother with a baby. An old man with a grandchild. and the most heartbreaking, The handicap of a kinds. Many times i could not hold my tears. 

A grandmother begging for her family. A store owner that you feel needs your business. 

It was last Feb so it would snow and sleet often. My coat jacket had an inner lining. Learning from past travel. it is wise to keep your valuables on you. 

I always carry our passports and some cash in places i know can feel a pick pockets hands. 

The majority of the amazing people we had the honor meeting always had something they would sell. from low quality items to selling apples or oranges. most of the time where would only be1 or 2 items. 

Before leaving the suite. I would pack wades of cash in multiple denonatons. I Always go no lower than a 5 in any part of the world. More often, those fives would put with other larger bills most of the time. 

We were walking in a busy shopping district. Since i am always looking for these amanzing people. I often see them. most go past them. I saw a lady probably in her late twenties. sitting the cold side walk with a small secltion of used dolls with one new. From the look of the box, even the one new item was old. 

I had to cross a busy street with trams and cars in constant motion. The woman’s daughter was around 5 or 6. I always ask the price of what they are selling. I never have a need for any of the times i buy from these people. 

The mother pointed to a old piece of paper. it has a dollar amount. If you were a pantomime in a past life, then you would do great with people not knowing what your saying. 

So, i asked the little girl, which one do you like? She pointed to the one old boxed doll. I ask the lady, as i always ask others in their position. How much for the whole inventory. The ways some eyes light up when they process my question, you can not a better pleasure on the inside as when you see these people. 

I always give the price of the whole inventory, from walnuts to pens, to cheap jewelry. But i always take one item to remember the moment again. 

To the lady’s look, i said i will take the boxed set. i put amount for the whole inventory in her hand and took the doll. As i walked away, doll in hand, something kept tugging at my heart. I tried to ignore it as were late for our destination. I turned back after 50 yards. i found the lady packing up her stuff. 

I saw look in her face. thinking i must have made mistake and have come back to collect the rest of my money. I gave the doll to the little girl as a gift from me. from my prized collection of tokens of bliss. 

add a hundred more memories like that and you will most definitely have an affinity to a place. 

After a long day of those kinds of ups and downs. I would come home tired but still wired. The firewater would calm the nerves and sore muscles. 

I always watch the television of the locals. They kept playing a song from this artist. I enjoy listening to the songs without knowing the lyrics. 

So when i listen to a Turkish song similar to this composition, it takes me back to the little girl and count less others. 

[lovemesomesurveys]

survey by painted-skylines

How often do you use lotion? Eh, almost never. I don’t use a lot of products to begin with. <<< Same, honestly. 

Do you know anyone in college? What are they studying? My younger brother, who is about to graduate next month with his business degree. 

Do you have a laptop for school? I’m not in school anymore, but yeah I had a laptop throughout school since high school.

Have you ever in your life had a bunkbed? Yes.

Have you ever been to any form of summer camp? Nope.

Did you hook up with anyone? I think this question is meant to go along with the previous one?

Have you ever hooked up with anyone? Nope.

Do braces make people ugly? Uh, no?

Aren't these questions pretty mundane? Yeah.

Are you better at showing love, or professing it? Showing it.

Waffles or pancakes? Waffles. 

Were you in Girl Scouts when you were a little girl? I was.

Have you ever been to a church concert? Yes.

Do you have anything signed by a celebrity? I do. I have things from Jamie Lee Curtis, Drake Bell, and Jim Carrey. 

Name something of yours that holds sentimental value. There’s a lot of things that hold sentimental value to me. I’m big on that.

Have you ever been in a cave? No.

What can you see out your bedroom window? Nothing at the moment, it’s pitch black.

Have you ever climbed a rock-wall? Well, no.

Wall-E or Eva? I never could get into that movie.

Have you ever chased after someone that really wasn't worth it? They were worth it to me.

Would you ever wanna go caving? No. That would be quite difficult for someone in a wheelchair to do. I’m also not an outdoorsy, adventurous type of person.

Do you use an eyelash curler? I rarely ever used one. It freaked me out.

You walk in on your bestfriend making out with your ex. What now? My mom wouldn’t do that.

Have you ever had a macaron? Yes, though it’s been years since I’ve last had one. They’re so good.

Have you ever been on stumbleupon.com? Nope.

What about angryalien.com? Nope. 

Have you ever actually met anyone named ''Bob''? Yes.

First & middle name together; I only share my first name, which is Stephanie.

If you had a $50 giftcard for Hallmark, what would you buy there? Hmm. They have cute Peanuts stuff.

When you get a box of chocolates, how long does it last? I don’t really get boxes of chocolate cause I don’t eat that much and I don’t usually care for the assortment.

Would you ever visit a nude beach? Nah.

Do you remember Veggie Tails? Yes.

How many cheap elastic bracelets do you own? Zero.

Do you ever make hemp jewelry? No.

Have you ever had feelings for someone, and wished you didn't? Yes.

Have you ever witnessed a real fight? Yeah. I never was the one who would rush over whenever there was a fight at school, I wanted to get as far away from it in fact, but I would end up seeing some of it. I never understood why people always rallied around when there was a fight. I don’t get any excitement or thrill from seeing people get hurt.

Do you have any beanbags? What do they look like? No.

Maybe a LoveSac? I haven’t even heard of that.

What's your favorite kind of cake? Funfetti, white, red velvet, strawberry. All with buttercream frosting except for the red velvet, which of course requires cream cheese frosting. 

Have you ever tried any form of tofu? No. It doesn’t look or sound appealing at all. I also feel like it’s a texture thing that I would have an issue with.

Do you like Bloc Party? Not familiar with it/them/whatever it is.

Have you ever watched 24? No.

Have you heard A Fine Frenzy's new album yet? It's pretty good. No.

Have you ever broken up with someone to regret it later? Not broken up, but messed things up before it even really started and very much regret it.

What are you eating for dinner tonight? I have no idea yet.

Are you gonna go see fireworks on the 4th? We just go out on my driveway and watch fireworks other people do and we also get the little ones that you do in the street.

Are you more excited or nervous for school in August? I’m done with school.

Do you even go back in August? --

Name every single color you're wearing; (: Black, gray, pink.

Katt Williams, Russell Brand, David Spade, Adam Sandler, or Dane Cook? Adam Sandler.

If you watched American Idol this year; Are you glad Lee won? I haven’t watched American Idol in several years.

Wasn't Krystal kind of way better? ---

Do you miss Jason Castro, like me? The name actually rings a bell, but I don’t remember what they sound or even look like.

Well, what are you gonna go do now? Pick a more exciting survey to take. <<< Bahahaha.

Wait - Do you like Teddy Geiger? (: I like her song, “For You I Will (Confidence)”

Oh, and have you ever flirted with a gay guy you didn't know was gay? :o Yes.

[husbandomail-archive]

Can I request some cute relationship stuff for Libra? Headcanons, a scenario, it doesn't amtter I just need cute axe priest boy in my life! I love him so mich agjahfjahfhajfhs

A relationship with Libra can be difficult; he’s so used to putting up a kind front, and he’s so ashamed of how empty he feels, that he seems to build extra walls when you try to get close to him. Although he enjoys your company as a friend, once he recognizes he’s falling for you, he gets incredibly skittish.

Once he’s in love, though, it’s all-consuming; he’s shy about it for so many reasons, but he won’t try to deny his feelings to himself. He’s not going to approach you first, though, and instead just chooses to savor the friendship; he doesn’t feel like he’s actually worth your attention, so he’s not going to do anything.

Libra does still have trouble with being touched, so even though he loves you, it’s going to be awhile before he can hug you or hold your hand. Instead, he expresses his love in other ways— he’s incredibly attentive, and loves to do things for you. He also enjoys showering you in gifts, be it flowers, pieces of jewelry, or, occasionally, pictures he’s painted himself. He adores the way you blush when he compliments you, or your smile when he brings you something new, and that spurs him to just keep going.

Something that might seem trivial to other people— he loves reading out loud to you. Be it scriptures or a cheap book picked up from the local markets, he just thinks there’s something sweet and intimate about relaxing together, you dozing off to the sound of his voice, occasionally adding commentary and pretending you’re not falling asleep. Those are the rare moments where he’s able to touch you a bit, running his hands through your hair once you’ve finally gone to sleep.

After spending so much of his life having to care for himself, he comes to lean on you more than he expected; if you’re supportive, he’s willing to begin exploring with his life more. He’s not entirely sure he can leave the clergy, but he’s at least willing to acknowledge that he’s human and wants something more satisfactory. He’s dealing with a lot of conflict that he rarely reveals to anyone— the fact that you stay with him despite his flaws just astounds him, and he only ever falls further in love.

[clover-png]

character quirks!

originally this was going to be a list of passive and active character quirks (ex. passive = loves history but knows nothing about it, active = well, everything on this list), but once i started it, i realized that’s not how it works?? all of your quirks and hobbies and loves and hates leave stains on your personality, even in the tiniest ways. so here’s a list of quirks that actively change your character, with simple explanations! and please remember, this is strictly for characters. it is, in one way or another, based in stereotype! and humans aren’t built around stereotype, you are not built around stereotype. 

i don’t write about what I don’t know about, so almost all of this is taken directly from my own self or someone i know :]

only likes cold pizza/raw bagels/the off-brand version of a popular food - can indicate this character is a particular, detail-oriented person, and typically this type of person is not snobbish, but they are stubborn (if you’re looking for something similar to indicate the person is snobbish: they refuse to eat leftovers, wipe grease off their food, shuns fast-food restaurants) 

homeschooled/grew up homeschooled - coming directly from a homeschooler, we get a bad rep! not all homeschoolers are antisocial, extremely religious or have old-fashioned views on society. that being said, homeschoolers tend to act more like their parents and siblings than other kids do, and that’s where those stereotypes tend to stem from. while many homeschoolers are very sociable, it’s common for them to still be more reserved and a little more socially inept than other kids, just from lack of practice. homeschoolers also tend have a strong sense of loneliness, even if they have lots of friends/have graduated, that feeling will stick.

walks along the curb of the street, swinging one foot in front of the other - turning something as minuscule as walking along the side of a road into a silent game shows that they are in their mind a lot, they live in their imaginations. showing them walking normally can indicate that something’s wrong. traits that match with this quirk but aren’t necessary: quiet, optimistic

hates wearing hats/skirts/tights/etc. - a person that hates hats/skirts/tights/whatever is very much comfort before fashion. they’ll tend to not wear fully matching or fitting clothing and this can stem from a fear of change. if someone who openly dislikes wearing hats comes into the room in a beret, it’s change (yes, it can be as small as that. trust me, it took me 2 years to work up the courage to wear a non-formal dress in front of my family.)

always tapping their foot/bobbing their head/patting their leg - this means someone is more musically inclined than others, and it’s almost always subconscious. they probably play multiple instruments, and come from a family of musicians/music-lovers. close friends/family might make fun of them for dancing all the time, or someone might get frustrated when they won’t stop doing it during a serious moment 

zones out easily/can stare at nothing for hours - similar to the person walking on the curb, a character that tends to zone out on nothing for long periods of time is probably daydreaming about the other lives they could lead. they might feel like they’re stuck with the hand they got dealt in life. when things go wrong, they’ll probably get as far away from every person as possible and fantasize about running away and starting it all over. they don’t have to be loners, but they’ll typically feel isolated and different from their friends, maybe not as invested in their friendship as the other person is. 

having stuffed animals - a character, especially outside of young childhood, having stuffed animals can be a sign of their loneliness, the manufactured hug of a friend or soft fur of a pet when they don’t have the real thing nearby. a character with stuffed animals might be more empathetic and sensitive than others, getting upset if someone makes fun of them for it or holding extra tight onto one that fell or got damaged somehow. they also might have childlike fears or simply be more fearful than most, and the stuffed animals might be a sanctuary for them

draws slight attention to themselves in public (listens to music without earbuds, does things that could be done inside [painting, reading, stuff like that] outside, asks a stranger a question to prove their point in a conversation, wears bold clothes, talks loudly, etc.) - while it’s possible for these to just be seen as obnoxious/extroverted quirks, on a deeper level they can imply the character wants something to happen. they want to be seen by strangers. maybe they consume a lot of entertainment (books, tv, movies) and they subconsciously set up their life to be met with question, then a greeting, then a friendship, constantly giving “The One” a chance to appear. 

hates jewelry - fear of being trapped. a necklace feels like being choked, a bracelet feels like being chained down, a ring feels like circulation is cut off, but also take it in a figurative way. by accepting the jewelry, an expensive gift, they’re accepting that someone cares about them/they’re accepting that they have to wear it enough to make up for the cost. it sounds dumb i know but i can tell you from experience this is a very real thing

puts off work to the last second/procrastinates - i’ve really grown to hate that word. they grew up smart, or with an easy workload, and now they refuse to adjust to the updated workload. this one is short but there’s about a million posts on procrastination, and i’m sure there’s a more in-depth one than i could ever do! some ideas for prompts for this quirk is running out of time on something important, someone getting mad at the character for leaving the work until the last minute when they need them, being overworked, having a stress-induced meltdown and a love interest/forming friendship offers to help 

goes through phases rapidly - based on what kind of phases they are, this could show unrest at home for a secondary character. one day they go to MC’s house wearing florals smelling like fabric softener, soft rock music wafting through the air from their cheap earbuds. they’re making clever jokes and urging MC to go on a walk in nature with them. next week, they show up wearing a ragged, wrinkled black t-shirt and they have bags under their eyes, looking like they haven’t showered in five days. they’re being insensitive with their sarcastic cracks and impatient with MC’s reactions, maybe even admitting they didn’t know why they showed up in the first place. obviously that’s a dramatic juxtaposition, but just an idea.

a gentle vandal (carving their initials into old wood, drawing/writing in textbooks, letters to no one put in cheap bottles and thrown into the ocean, underlining passages in books, so on and so forth) - fear of being forgotten, a good romantic partner/close friend of this character would be someone who reminds them they’re not alone in the universe. 

never paints their nails/does their hair/wears extravagant clothes - fear of being seen as “different,” doesn’t want to be noticed by people. probably was bullied when they were young, or they have a family with a Reputation™ to uphold

struggles to accept compliments - a character that struggles with compliments, and basically any positive attention on themselves, would have low self-esteem to begin with. they probably didn’t grow up being seen as “pretty,” or someone made them feel ugly when they were young, regardless of whether it was true or not (example: Cinderella)

tips restaurant employees/delivery people way above the average/gives big gifts for small celebrations - this could mean they grew up in a upper class/upper middle class household and feels guilty for it, or that they grew up in a lower class/working class household and know what it feels like not to get gifts/have extra money. either way, it can give you insight to a character’s past without too much exposition, just a simple line of dialogue after an action. 

always has at least one band-aid on somewhere - this can show that a character is careless with themselves, or maybe that they have a very active mind and force their body to match it (running to write something down and tripping, getting excited about seeing something pretty to sketch in nature and getting scratched by thorns as they tried to reach it as fast as they could, etc.)

wears vintage clothes and/or watches old movies - in the most accurate sense, i think, a character who enjoys these types of things would likely have an old soul, they probably think life should be more exciting than it is, and they’re dissatisfied with the current state of humanity (this doesn’t mean that they have to have an old-fashioned mindset! i wear vintage clothes and one of my favorite movies is meet me in st. louis, but i’m still VERY glad we don’t live like they did. not everything that makes logical sense in life can be drawn together with a bow on top)

i hope this didn’t come off too preachy or anything? i mean, i don’t know shit, i just like writing and characters that make sense, and i feel like i see a lot of character flaw lists that are very.. generalized, and not everything works for every character! obviously you’re free to use any of these, but if you’d like to show me how you used them in your story i’d love to see it!!! feel free to message me any time!