#Callie and the Pumpkin Seed

[penspagesandpulses]

Book Review: Callie and the Pumpkin Seed by Sarah Beran

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.5 out of 5. Sarah Beran’s Callie and the Pumpkin Seed is a sweet and whimsical nonmagical retelling of Cinderella and The Princess and the Pea. I have a confession to make. I don’t like pumpkin. I will eat it when forced, but I just don’t love it. And yes, I’ve been reviewing all of these Autumn Fairy Tales which all incorporate a love of pumpkin. Callie and the Pumpkin Seed…

[ultimateaclrecovery]

Checking in on my 2023 goals!

23 things for 2023

1. buy 1 horse

Done!! Bought Luna!!!

2. Knit a pair of socks

I knit a sock, that I finished today. But I mostly decided I wanted to knit other things instead so this is fine

3. Three camping trips

went to mt of the holy cross, and New Mexico for two camping nights, plus a day hike in winter park. So technically no but pretty close!

4. Plant four pumpkins

…..no. I bought seeds and did nothing and I don’t feel that bad about it

5. Handstand (five fingers) press

Lol no. Did nothing for it. Never made a plan and so did not achieve

6. Kill side yard weeds (because weeds are the devil 666)

Success? I paid a Gardner to pull them all so yes! Feels like a failure because I didn’t really deal with them or the yard in general, but they are all gone now.

7. Go to Loyola social justice meeting (7th heaven)

I went to a meeting! And baked cookies for an event. (And then never went back oops)

8. Mail 8 letters to mates - birthday cards probably

Success! (Rebecca birthday, Sarah birthday, Clare get well card, Callie birthday, Alison birthday, clare birthday, Callie wedding, clare kt recipe card)

9. Research 9 hours of getting a cat (9 lives)

Decided a horse was enough so stopped researching 🤷‍♀️[ read complete guide to adopting a cat 3 hours]

10. Do ten full pull ups

Total yes, in a row like intended absolutely not. I can do like 2.5 in a row. Made haphazard progress, but now I have a pull up bar so hoping for better next year!

11. Buy 11 things off of my to buy eventually list

Success! This was easy and I did it! (air fryer, air mattress, nice soap dispensers, office mat, thermometer, fire extinguisher, white tank top, little plates, shower cleaner, plastic drain pipes, sheet pan organizer, bonus: back door light bulb, rainbow flag and holder, more bras)

12. Go on 12 dates

Success! I thought this would be really hard but then I just got my boyfriend by like February and it ended up being the easiest ny resolution ever. He even asked me out to start.

13. Run a half marathon 13.1 miles

Success! (Okay this was a gimme because I signed up for it and had a training plan in 2022 but still)

14. Hike a fourteener

Success! mt of the holy cross and it was terrifying and very long but we did it!

15. Read 30 (15x2) books

I read 27 and have three in various states of completion. I kind of wanted to power this one thru but it wouldn’t have been fun and then what’s the point. This one is hard because I abandoned so so many books this year. Like I made it at least one chapter into like 40 and a couple half way thru. So close but no cigar but I refuse to read things that aren’t fun just to hit a goal so I feel fine about it.

16. Host 8 things

Hosted 3, organized a couple others so partial credit. I would like to do better in the future. ( galentines, whimsy brunch, birthday, organized brunch at watercourse, organized lake day)

17. Go out dancing (must be more dancing than drinking, dance class counts.)(dancing queen only 17)

Nope. But also that’s fine.

18. Upgrade phone and deal with all photos. Upload belize to fb and save others. Data management

Mostly. I got an external storage for Christmas so I can finish when I get home. So solid partial credit. (uploaded some. Upgraded phone plus new battery, still need to get data off of it) emmapictures2222_2@gmail.com emmapictures2222@gmail.com

19. General contractor for house cracks plus install air conditioner

Success. Installed ac. Got the cracks looked at once and they were fine and then they got worse and now I’m getting foundation work done. So success I guess.

20. Get 20 layout ds

… I did not count. I def got some but probably not 20 so partial credit. (4 from leiout)

21. Go to frisbee Masters regionals

Success! Another bit of gimme but we went and qualified to nationals!)

22. Buy purple navel jewelry (I’m feeling 22)

Success! (And I love it)

23. volunteer for 23 hours

No and I feel bad about it. I need to find something to volunteer with. I feel like I should have the time/be able to make time but it also feels like I never have time and also never want to. But I think it’s important.

So overall full success on 11 of the goals, happy partial on 5, annoyed partial on 2, abandoned 4 and failed my last one and feel bad about it.

But overall pretty good success!

[jade-byrd]

A silver parachute drifts slowly to the ground. Attached is a canister containing trail mix. Inside is a note from Cress Meadowforge. The note reads "For keeping your promise - C.M."

A moment alone, finally. He thought he'd be alone for most of his time in the arena but so far he'd been kept busy with potential allies, and future enemies. He'd snuck away from the pack so that he could let his shoulders relax, breath a little easier for even just a few minutes. As great as these connections were for him, he'd never trust anyone, not even someone like Mars, who he'd known for so long-- and that was a little exhausting, if he was completely honest.

He saw the parachute floating towards him and wondered who might be sending a gift already. He wasn't hurt, wasn't even all that hungry after he'd found the fruit earlier, but either way, it was a nice surprise. A token of the outside, of people supporting him, a reminder that he was to be a victor soon, and this support would not go to waste.

Ezra started on the trail mix before he opened the note, crunching on some pumpkin seeds, he turned it over to reveal the short message. His heart flipped when he saw the initials, something he'd never have expected, using funds she'd collected for him in place of Slate or Calli. It was the ultimate compliment. He ran his thumb over the C.M. just like he'd ran his thumb along her skin just days ago.

He turned the note over in his hands a few times, unsure of how to react, although on the inside, his system was on overdrive. What did this mean? Was it really just a thank you? Would she be so daring to show her support for him in front of the entire nation? Ezra carefully folded it over and tucked it into his belt before he looked out into the empty space in front of him.

"Only for you" he spoke quietly, finishing the trail mix and throwing the packaging away before he quickly turned back towards the group, wondering if the elation he was feeling was written all over his face for them to see.

[absurdthirst]

Sorry your inbox got wiped! I can see Max Phillips being like on your ass about keeping your iron up if you were anemic. Just because he needs to make sure his food is good not because he actually got kinda scared that one time you almost passed out by the way I got you a cookbook with iron rich foods you should use it.

Max Keeping Track of Your Iron Levels:

Max might be a capitalistic, MBA holding sales manager with an ego the size of Texas, but deep down this douche-bag undead bastard cares.

He claims it’s only because he likes to make sure that blood with a low iron count tastes like shit, and you are his personal blood bank. 

Absolutely not because you almost passed out the second time he fed from you. You totally imagined the panicked look on his face. He was afraid of getting blood on his new Fendi shirt.

And you absolutely were dreaming when Max Phillips put a woman in his bed without being a pervert and doing nothing more than taking off your shoes and pacing like a maniac until you recovered completely. 

Suddenly, there is a iron rich cook book that shows up on your coffee table. His excuse was that your cooking smells horrible, this should help. 

Pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate are kept in the drawer of his desk and every time you come in, he’s offering you some. 

Instead of donuts, Max orders iron rich oatmeal to be stocked in the break room in all kinds of flavors for a complimentary breakfast for the office. 

Even thought he complains when he gets within a mile of the seafood district, he bring you shellfish????? Claiming that there was a great deal and he knew how much you loved it. You don’t, but you don’t like wasting food. 

Grass fed beef is searing in a pan when you come over to his apartment to let him feed off of you. With a spinach salad as a side. He insists on feeding you, before he feeds off you.

Do not read anything into this. He doesn’t care care. He just cares. All of this mumbled while refusing to look at you. When you smirk at him, he wrinkles his nose and tells you shut up and lay off the garlic.

MasterList

Permanent Tag List:

@synystersilenceinblacknwhite @thewaythisis @thisis-theway @hanelijoy @readsalot73 @ah-callie @cable-kenobi @roxypeanut @arrowswithwifi @badassbaker @javierpenaspinkshirt @wickedfrsgrl @lilangeldevil006 @fioccodineveautunnale @jade10077 @getinthepoolkeanu @kirstiehenderson29 @fleurdemiel145 @thirsty-flygirl @random066 @pascalisthepunkest @whataenginerd @tangledlove27 @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead @gamingaquarius @the-baby-bookworm @jaime1110 @yamaktaria @perksofbeingivyy @earl-01 @gooddaykate @emesispo @deathlife97 @dindisneydjarin @a-ghost-in-the-tardis @veil-of-time @dornish-queen @theocatkov @ahopelessromanticwritersworld @sheerfreesia007 @apples-of-february @talesfromtheguild @visintaes @mandolover86 @whiskeyxinxaxteacup @immortalstarme @promiscuoussatan @takemepedropascal @katheriner1999 @nerdypinupcrystal @artemiseamoon @paintballkid711 @sirianisrock @engineeredfiction @frietiemeloen @mstgsmy @lilkermit14 @mrschiltoncat @dearspacepirates @thatgirlselectryc @lark-cale @hayley-the-comet @phoenixhalliwell @pedroepascal @501theory @max--phillips @thegreenkid @chicken-nugget-puta @corrupt-fvcker @im-just-here-for-cake @dindjarinscape @ohpedromypedro @moonlightburned @flightlessangelwings @f0rever15elf @kenedyybrooklin @mrsparknuts @lonelystarship @meabravo @chibi-liz05 @ilikechocolatemilkh @babybelou @melon-eyes @aeryntheofficial @the-wishmonger @onabouteverything @goblinqueen95 @ladytrashbird @awhiskeywithawinchester @thirstworldproblemss @66wookies @luvzoria @xxidontwikeitxx @jedi-mando @castiel-barnes @20skai @rach7 @wanderlustmags @barnes-dameron @neontonberry @artsymaddie @andriecastana @dreamydjarins @wigwitch @corellians-only @honeymandos @edencherries @popped-weasels @sesamepancakes @darthadeline @silverfish-kingdom @april-14-blog @xjaywritesx @josepedropascal @mrsbarnes-rogers @heyitmelexie @allthingsnarcos @bookshelvesandteacups @destiny21 @sweetsunflowerkisses @stardust-galaxies @cosmichearts8

Max Phillips Tag List:

@thekingofthegoats

[statelies]

(   *  💀  /  jessie mei li, questioning, she/they )  —  is that emmeline vance i just saw rushing down the corridor? i hear they’re a twenty year old hufflepuff, returning for their sixth school year, but their friends would tell you that they are industrious & compassionate as well as blunt & graceless. if you want to know more about them, i guess i could tell you that they’re muggleborn, and from what i hear, they’re currently allying with the order. when our divination professor looks into their crystal ball, they see: falling asleep studying over open books, split open pomegranates, working under flickering candlelight, casual intimacy between friends, a kitchen full of laughter.

CHARACTER INSPIRATION: Izzie Stevens (Grey’s Anatomy), Callie Torres (Grey’s Anatomy) (+ Sara Ramirez, the they/she icon we all deserve), Kara Danvers (Supergirl), Charles Boyle (Brooklyn 99), Alina Starkov (Shadow and Bone), Janet (Not a Girl) (The Good Place), Penelope Garcia (Criminal Minds).

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Implied Racism.

LINKS: Pinterest. Playlist (Coming Soon).

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒

I N T R O

full name ➵ Emmeline Huan Vance

nicknames ➵ Emmy; Emma; Line; Em; Melly; Melsy; Vance; Hurricane

pronouns ➵ she/they/her/them

birthdate / age ➵ October 24th, 1959, 09:47 am / 20 years old

birthplace ➵ Brighton, East Sussex

childhood home ➵ Unknown home in Brighton, East Sussex — 162 Orchard Croft, Harlow, Essex

current residence ➵ Hogwarts, Scotland

religion ➵ agnostic; paternal grandparents were Methodist ( Protestant ) while maternal grandparents were also Christian

occupation ➵ full - time student at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry

P H Y S I C A L

height ➵ 5 feet, 2 inches / 157.5 cm

weight ➵ 48 kg / 106lb

body type ➵ hourglass shaped figure

hair ➵ dark brown, bordering on black; soft and wavy

eye color ➵ dark brown

dominant hand ➵ right

FC ➵ Jessie Mei Li

voice ➵ Jessie Mei Li

special characteristics ➵

small waist

has a birthmark on her right ankle that looks like an apple

pierced septum

smells of ➵

lavender hand lotion

pomegranate

cardamom, jasmine and orange blossom perfume

E M O T I O N A L

zodiac ➵ scorpio sun (x); sagittarius rising; cancer moon

MBTI ➵ ISFJ (“The Defender”)

positive traits ➵ industrious; compassionate; generous; warmhearted; benevolent; selfless; observant; honest; personable; kind.

negative traits ➵ blunt; graceless; meticulous; well-meaning; impatient; internalizes feelings; oversensitive; tactless; overbearing; clumsy.

likes ➵ Pumpkin pasties; duelling club; laughter; the rush of incoming patients; cooking for friends; Ballycastle Bats; Diagon Alley; being barefoot at the beach; roadtrips; apple juice; hugs from friends; nicknames; vanilla candles; the heat of a boiling cauldron; Sugar Quills; warm sweaters; pizza; pomegranate seeds; cheek kisses; taking photographs; finishing essays early; coffee with milk and two sugars; Queen; Aston Villa; cats

dislikes ➵ spam (the food); apparition; the Daily Prophet; starless nights; Kenmare Kestrels; karaoke; losing bets; skinned knees; snakes; pigeons; the colour fuschia (it’s too bright); ticking clocks; banana flavouring; funerals; Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans; Celestina Warbeck; mayonnaise; blue M&Ms; her lao ye; the word mudblood; leprechauns; fans of Kenmare Kestrels; losing football matches; witch Halloween costumes; rugby

amortentia ➵

birthday cake

fresh mint

old books

orange blossom

M A G I C

blood status ➵ muggleborn

wand ➵ Aspen, dragon heartstring core, 8 inches, hard

wand-quality aspen wood is white and fine-grained, and highly prized by all wand-makers for its stylish resemblance to ivory and its usually outstanding charmwork. The proper owner of the aspen wand is often an accomplished duellist, or destined to be so, for the aspen wand is one of those particularly suited to martial magic. An infamous and secretive eighteenth-century duelling club, which called itself The Silver Spears, was reputed to admit only those who owned aspen wands. In my experience, aspen wand owners are generally strong-minded and determined, more likely than most to be attracted by quests and new orders; this is a wand for revolutionaries.

patronus ➵ Hippo

E D U C A T I O N

Hogwarts class ➵ Hufflepuff, 1981

extracurriculars ➵

Hufflepuff Prefect / September 1979 - June 1981

Herbology Club & Greenhouse Keepers / September 1977 - June 1981

Toothill Duelling Club / September 1979 - June 1981

Wenlock Study Club / September 1979 - June 1981

courses & exams ➵

Ancient Runes - O

Astronomy - E

Charms - O

Defense Against the Dark Arts - O

Herbology - O

History of Magic - O

Muggle Studies - O

Potions - O

Transfiguration - O

Care of Magical Creatures - E

M I S C E L L A N E O U S

health ➵

walnut allergy

hayfever

pets ➵

Jíngyi; the long-eared owl

Shu; the white cat

handwriting ➵ Abuget

F A M I L Y

Deirdre (née Wilkinson) Vance ➵ paternal grandmother; retired nurse; deceased May. 1980

Edward Vance ➵ grandfather; retired soldier and miner; deceased Jan. 1980

Xiulan Wong ( Wong Xiulan ) ➵ maternal grandmother (lao lao); homeschooled; housewife; alive

Da Wong ( Wong Da ) ➵ maternal grandfather (lao ye); homeschooled; shop-owner; alive

Dr. Cillian Vance ➵ father; worked for/with the Red Cross UK (and the Hong Kong Red Cross); alive

Mei (née Wong) Vance ➵ mother; teaching assistant; alive

𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌

emmeline had always known they were different. at first, it was because of her skin, the way she looked and spoke and could never find anyone to play with on the playground, her chinese middle name and her lao lao being the one to pick her up from school every morning. she would cry to her mother at night, cling to her arms like they were the port keeping her safe from the storm, and listen to her father sing, voice warm and tender as she drifted to sleep, but she never got the answers for why she was treated differently — never got answers for why she was the only non-white child in her school, never got answers for why they hated her so much, hated her existence. but she weathered through primary school, finding her footing in secondary school with her only friend, aisha, who never cared that she was different, that sometimes she could do things that nobody else seemed able to do, that she’d been encouraged to always tell the truth, nothing but the truth, that sometimes she’d say things that hurt, things that stung even though she never meant for them to.

for a while, the feeling of being wholly different faded, or at least, emmeline didn’t notice it quite so prominently anymore, and then suddenly it appeared again — but this time it had been because she didn’t know if she always felt like a girl. not a girl in the traditional sense, anyway, not some days. she liked dresses and fancy heeled shoes and tiaras, but found herself equally at home in plaid shirts and her father’s way-too-big suit jacket and kicking around a football, and for a half-asian barely a teenage… person (she’s still working on it), suspended constantly between two identities, it confused them (even though they’re perfectly aware now that those things are superficial, but the feeling still remains). the only person they ever talked to about it back then was aisha — their lifeline, their best friend, the one their parents reluctantly approved of because they had been so lonely for so long. while aisha was crushing on boys, sweaty and loud and just this side of too teasing, and starting to wear makeup and changing herself, emmeline was trying to find where she fit in, trying to understand who she was, who she is, why they feel so different.

in the midst of all that, emmeline’s letter to hogwarts came. just another difference for emmeline to feel, the knowledge that they have magic was unexpected and tore her family in two. the family she loved - her mother, her father, her lao lao and lao ye, and granny and pops - all had differing opinions on whether or not to accept it, whether or not to send them to school and deal with the fact, up front, that emmeline was, and always would be, special. in the end, emmeline’s pops snuck her out, following instructions from a professor mcgonagall, to find diagon alley, the place where emmeline suddenly felt she fit in. she could feel the magic in the air, could feel it almost crackling in the space around her, almost inviting her in. of course, it took some time — a little too much time, really — to buy everything she needed, and when she cried into her ice cream on the way home, overwhelmed and tired and feeling so many things, he was the one who held her all the way home. 

he and their granny were the only ones there to send them off the hogwarts that first year, their parents reluctant to accept anything so unnatural about their child, but emmeline hardly cared at the time (even though it hit them later that night and they sobbed into their pillow), too excited to remember to even wave, too excited to remember to cry because she was leaving behind the only friend she’d ever truly known, and when they saw hogwarts, that castle appearing, they just knew. they were home. she knows, after years and years of being torn between two identities on so many different fronts, that people aren’y happy she’s here, happy she has magic, happy she calls this place her home away from home, that she laughs loud at the hufflepuff table and wears yellow and black face paint for quidditch matches and tried out for the muggle football team, but there’s nothing they can say to change who she is, her pride in the blood flowing through her veins, in the magic at her fingertips. emmeline’s always known they’re different, but having magic, being home at hogwarts, is the first time she’s ever felt proud to be so.

[reluctant-mandalore]

👻Pumpkins🎃(Mandalorian Fanfic)

The Mandalorian decides that one of the perfect ways to celebrate the child’s first Halloween is to get some pumpkins and carve them together! 

Warnings: Fluff, Halloween, Family fic, strays from cannon (Not sure if they actually celebrate Halloween in the star wars universe).

Word Count: 1,275

Pairing: No Romantic Pair. Just Din and the child bonding. 

a/n: Hey everyone! Here’s the first of hopefully many Halloween themed fics I want to try and get out this week. We’ll see though lol

Translations: Ad’ika = son, daughter, little one, child

One of the most shining features of Halloween were the pumpkins attached to the holiday—and this had been something the Mandalorian knew quite well. So when he had decided to celebrate the holiday with the child for the first time, he knew that it would be a good idea to go pumpkin picking and to bring some back to make into Jack-O’-Lanterns with the child. 

To his surprise, it had turned out much easier than he expected to find a farmer with a pumpkin patch who was willing to let them pick some out. He had thanked the woman, promising to pay her for the troubles no matter how much she insisted otherwise. Only then, did he allow for the child to run through the fields and find himself a pumpkin of his own.  

The Mandalorian had lurked closely behind, watching over as the child went to each and every pumpkin to inspect them. He had noted a few himself during this time, looking at them and wondering if he should bring more than one home with them. He was pulled from his thoughts though, by the sound of some loud chattering from the child, which made him look over to where the little one was approaching him with a bright orange pumpkin in his grasp.

The child had rolled the lumpy pumpkin over to his adoptive father, babbling happily as he showed off the pumpkin he had picked out all on his own. The little one had beamed as he watched the man look over the orange fruit, his excitement over the whole ordeal evident in his tiny features. 

Out of all the pumpkins, the child couldn’t have picked a worse one. It was lumpy with disgustingly discoloured patches all along the surface and compared to the others, it was relatively small in size. It definitely wasn’t the prettiest pumpkin in the world, and would probably be difficult to carve into later on. 

The Mandalorian had frowned underneath the helmet as he took in the sight of it. Not wanting to say no to the pumpkin that the child had spent hours picking out, but also not wanting to risk any issues with the carving. 

“Ad’ika…” He trailed off, fondly looking down at the child, “we might want a more round pumpkin—like this one.” 

Din had leaned down so he was leveled with the child, holding out the more appealing pumpkin out towards the little one. The child tilted his head in wonder at the pumpkin, as if he was considering what the Mandalorian had said. Din had nearly rolled his eyes when the child turned back to his own and tapped it in excitement. 

Clearly the child didn’t plan on taking any other pumpkin home than the one he had picked out himself. Din had sighed, but smiled, picking up the pumpkin that the child was insisting on taking, and holding both in his arms. 

“Well…I guess we can just take both.” 

So, with the two pumpkins in hand, the Mandalorian and the child made their way back home, thanking the kind farmer again before leaving. The entire walk back, the child had practically skipped, looking up at the pumpkins which his father carried. His ears perked up in interest as the man spoke to the little one about carving them into Jack-O’-Lanterns once they returned. 

When they finally reached the Razor Crest, Din set the two pumpkins on the table and then went to look through a hatch to find some tools to help with the carving. Returning to the table, he was met with the sight of the child sitting on one of the chairs, rubbing his little hands over the surface of the lumpy pumpkin he had picked earlier. 

The sight had made the Mandalorian chuckle—giving the child a fond rub on his one ear—before getting to work cutting open and gutting the pumpkin. The foundling had watched with unbound curiosity as the man went about scooping the seeds and goop from inside the pumpkins, placing both into a bowl to be separated later. 

The child, in his fifty years of life, had never seen or experienced such a thing before. Soon, his tiny fingers were picking up one of the seeds out of the mush excitedly. He had then brought the little seed up to his nose, sniffing it before deciding to try a taste for himself. 

“Ah, don’t eat those.” Din had said as he took the pumpkin seed from the child’s grasp. “Well don’t eat them yet at least. We can roast them and then eat them later, ok?” 

The child had only blinked at him in wonder at his words. His head tilting as he watched the armored covered man go back to work at removing the pumpkins guts and insides to prepare them for cutting. When the Mandalorian finished, he tilted the pumpkins to show the child, who let out a sound of admiration at the sight of the smooth interior. 

“Remember the designs we came up with earlier?” He pulled out the drawings they had done earlier as he spoke—laying them out and showing them to the child. “Now we need to cut the pumpkins to look like them.” 

The child titled his head, confusion dancing across his features, as he stared at the Mandalorian. 

“Don’t worry I’ll show you,” the bounty hunter smiled, giving a small pat on the child’s head, “You can’t use the knife anyway.”  

The rest of the afternoon was spent with the Mandalorian and the child carving out their designs into the pumpkins. The child had giggled and laughed for the majority of it, as the man told him about the other Halloween traditions they would be doing that night. The child’s ears perking up again at the mention of all the candy he would get from Trick or Treating, which amused the hunter who sat next to him greatly.  

After cleaning up the mess the two had made of the table, the Mandalorian looked over the carvings, and fixed any of the odd or choppy corners he found. He had wanted them to be flawless when the child saw them—it was the little one’s first Halloween after all, and to Din that made it a special occasion worth making perfect. 

Din had trailed his fingers over the design that the child had come up with, a carving of his own helmet staring back at him on the pumpkins surface. He smiled fondly at the image, his heart swelling with pride from the thought of the child wanting to carve an image of him into the pumpkin. In return, his own pumpkin had been carved with a depiction of the child in mind—creating the most perfect Jack-O’-Lantern duo he had ever seen. 

Satisfied with the appearance of their carvings, he went to go find the candles and matches he had stored away, returning to light the candles inside of the pumpkins. He allowed for the flames to flicker for a few seconds before closing the tops once more. The Mandalorian gave a nod of approval to the illuminated carvings. He picked up the child soon after, holding him at a height where he could better see the lit Jack-O’-Lanterns in all their glory. 

At the sight of the now shining pumpkins, the child had grinned and began babbling in gibberish excitedly while held in his father's arms. The Mandalorian had smiled as well, happy to see the joy which the little one was experiencing as they viewed the Jack-O’-Lanterns. 

Later, Din would set both of their pumpkins out into the evening air, allowing for others to take in their shimmering glow. For now though, the fearsome bounty hunter left them in place for his foundling to view, both of them excitedly getting ready to celebrate their first night of Halloween together.

---

Tags:

@a-seeker-of-imagination​ @starrywatermelon​ @ah-callie​ @readsalot73​ @karnita-mexicana​

[terithemuse]

continued from here.

Of all the traditions that came along with Halloween at the Muse household, carving pumpkins had always been Teri's favourite. "Aww you think?" Teri grins, looking down at the pumpkin to admire her own work. While most people went for something spooky or even scary, Teri liked to carve the cutest face she possibly could ever year. Most people accused her of not getting into the spirit of the holiday properly, but her older sister had always been supportive of her unconventional decorating ideas. "I'm thinking he looks like a Jimmy," she decides after staring him down for a long moment. That's a cute name, right? "Oh she'd totally kill us!" Teri laughs, already picturing it. They don't often gang up on their other sisters, but sometimes Mel has an idea that's just too good to resist. "We have to do it." No matter how mad Clio gets, it will be totally worth it to see her covered in all those gross pumpkin seeds. They would definitely have to be prepared to run fast, though, because there's no way they won't get chased around the house by a screaming Clio. "Any chance she'd believe us if we said Calli and Thalia did it?" // @mel-ancholymuse​

[transparentnekoatsume]

Anon asked for transparent mementos so here is a batch: aluminium pins from Pumpkin, flower bookmark from Marshmallow, flowered collar from Snowball, glow bracelet from Spots, damp matchbox from Callie, cicada skin from Shadow, raffle ticket from Gabriel, random seeds from Tabitha, seashell earring from Fred, shiny acorn from Sunny    ^  ^

- mod Marshmallow

[ficdirectory]

Disuphere (An AU Fosters family fic) Chapter 52

CHAPTER 52

3:12 PM

When He left for work, it was so hard to keep digging.  To not scream for help.  To not look around for something to chop his chain off.  But no.  Josh had to stick to the part of the plan he knew for sure: he had to go to school tomorrow.

His muscles ached and burned.  His arms felt like lead weights.  Checked the watch on his wrist.  Nine hours digging.  Almost no progress.  Josh had no idea how he had done this the first time.  Must’ve blanked out and just done it.  He wished he could do that now, but he had to listen to Mama.  Had to stay focused.

“Hey.”  Nine-year-old Mariana was there in his head.  “Think about me.  Think about coming back.  Think about how this is probably the last hard thing you’re gonna have to do.  Moms don’t make us dig holes.  Plus, if they make us work hard, they help, and they give us food and water.”

“Okay, I get it.  Jeez, I’m digging okay?” Josh said out loud.  (If He really was watching somehow, He’d just think Josh was talking to himself.)

Josh imagined he was digging his way home, each shovel full of dirt bringing him even closer.

All his hair was hot and heavy on his back.  He smelled like sweat.  Gross.  Josh was so gross.  Probably the grossest kid ever.  It made him wonder again if Moms even wanted him back.  Then, he wondered about New Kid.  That made Josh a tiny bit jealous.  Because at least Down There it was colder.

“Jesus, listen.  We have to think together, okay?  All of us.  If you’re going to get out of there,” Mama said.

“So, what do I do?” he asked in his head.  “I can’t break any of His stuff or He’ll kill me.”

“You know if you break stuff in a store, the cops come and arrest you?” Eleven-year-old Brandon was there, sounding impressed and scared.

“I can’t get arrested.  Mom would be so pissed!” Josh shot back in his head.

“It’s a means to an end, love.”  Mom.

“No idea what that means…” Josh admitted silently.

“It means I understand and I need you to do this for me.  I know cops scare you.  But I need you to trust me.  I need you to get arrested.”

(Okay.  Mom had lost her brain.  Officially.  What the hell was she saying?)

Josh felt so dizzy he almost passed out.  This was crazy.  He couldn’t do this.  What if the cops got him and just sent Josh back to Him?  It happened with Ana even though she couldn’t keep them safe.  It would happen again, and then he would just die anyway.  Josh just made his family up in his head to deal.  They weren’t actually there.  Mom would never tell him to get arrested!  She was a cop!

She was a cop…  If Josh got arrested, they wouldn’t know who to call.  Josh could give the cops Mom’s cell number.  (She’d had the same one forever, and made them memorize it in case of emergencies when they were in kindergarten.  Josh couldn’t forget it if he tried.)  They could call her instead of Him.  She could come and get him and…

“I can’t.  I can’t say all that.  Where I’m from.  My other name.  Your name.  What if it’s a guy cop?”

“Ask for a woman,” Mama said calmly.

“Oh, like it’s that simple…” Josh scoffed privately, hefting another shovel full of dirt.

In his mind’s eye, Mama crossed her arms and raised one eyebrow.

“Oh my God!  Fine!” Josh snapped.  (His mind was super sassy.  If he ever saw Mama again, he wouldn’t be so disrespectful.)

“You know what was such a good idea?” Mariana piped up after another long time of digging.

Josh waited, but kept digging.

“Those notes you wrote last Halloween and hid in the candy bowls!”

“You mean the notes nobody found and when they did they thought it was a prank?” Josh insisted silently, wiping sweat out of his eyes.

“Yeah!  Those!  Write another one with the most important stuff on it, and when they start asking questions, give that to them.”

“I’d have to write it after school or something, so He didn’t catch me, or find it…”

“Duh, Jesus.”

The expression was so Mariana that Josh couldn’t help it, and he smiled just a little.

7:19 PM

Back home, after a successful trip to the pumpkin patch, Stef couldn’t help but feel irritable.

It was nothing particular that got under her skin.  At fifteen, of course, Brandon was making sure everyone knew how “over this” he was.  He sat and refused to pick a pumpkin.  Callie and Jude at fourteen and ten, were awed by the experience, and Stef suspected it was their first time pumpkin picking, too.  And at thirteen, Mariana patiently carried Frankie through the rows, until they found the perfect “baby pumpkin” for Frankie.  (For the record, Frankie shared Brandon’s temperament about this, despite her earlier excitement.)

Lena snapped pictures and kept taking videos of the kids and Stef just found herself growing more silent.  That evening as they carved and painted pumpkins, and Lena put pumpkin seeds in the oven to toast, Stef stepped down the hall - slipped upstairs and into Jesus’s room.  The kid who loved Halloween wasn’t even going to be here to celebrate it.  Not just this year.  Never again.  Stef had to accept that.  

But Stef had always felt like she had six separate hearts running around outside her body.  To wall one off forever?  Well, she couldn’t do that.  As much as she had told Mariana differently just a week or so ago.

She couldn’t speak around the lump in her throat, so she let her thoughts do the talking:

“Jesus?  It’s Mom.  Can you hear me?”

11:32 PM

After seventeen hours of digging, with only a couple breaks for water, He unchained Josh and let him come in.  Made him shower.  Told him to come to His room after.  

Josh hated His room the very most.  But told himself that it was good that He wanted him in here, even if it was for Something Else.

This would be the last time.

Josh didn’t fight.  Didn’t yell.  Didn’t fall asleep like he really wanted to.  Instead, Josh did everything He wanted.  Even thanked him for being able to go to school tomorrow.  When it was over, Josh said:

“I really need to study for my test.  Is that okay?”

“No amount of studying is gonna make you any smarter, but go ahead.  Knock yourself out.”

When Josh went to his room to get his backpack, the bed was stripped.  All Josh’s stuff was gone.  Carefully, Josh went through his bag to make sure he had the right stuff in it.  His Science and Language notebooks from a couple years ago.

Opening to a fresh page in the one that was basically like a journal in sixth grade, Josh wrote:

Journal entry #2 Wednesday October 12, 2011

I have to get out of here.  He had me out side digging a hole.  He did not say but I think its to put me in after because that is what he did when he made me dig the other one.  It was to put Jacob in..  Tomorrow I will do the plan.  If this is the last thing I write, I love my family.  My real one, not Him..

Josh put the notebook back in his bag and zipped it closed.

He fell asleep and dreamed of walking into the local Target, and breaking all of their most expensive stuff.

[lotsofdogs]

Things I’m Loving Friday #258

The weekend is here! I’ve been anxiously awaiting this weekend because I booked tickets for me and the boys to fly down to Florida to snuggle with Callie! (We will be staying with my parents and don’t worry, I have full intentions to actually help my sister and not just snuggle her baby — I know how that goes! — but you better believe I am looking forward to loving on my niece, too!)  We bumped up our Thanksgiving timeline and will now be flying to Jacksonville early Sunday morning and Ryan will be driving down with Sadie after work a little closer to the holiday. Bring on the family time!

And now before I am off to get this Friday rolling and figure out what all I need to pack for our travels, I wanted to share this week’s Things I’m Loving Friday roundup with you guys. Let’s dive right in!

Things I’m Loving Friday 

Family Photos from Tripp Photography

Does anyone else out there get slightly stressed out at the thought of family photos? I know I can’t be the only one because I saw this little gem on Instagram a week or so ago and it made me laugh out loud:

I love my mom so much but that image brought me back to my mom asking me and my sister to pose in velvet dresses when we were younger and my sister and I just being so over it. Now I am that mom and I realize how hard it is to get two kids to look semi-decent in a photo, especially when one of them is a baby! But somehow Katie from Tripp Photography worked her magic on our family and sent over some of the most beautiful photos to us earlier this week.

Katie reached out to me on Instagram a couple of weeks ago because she’s looking to build a presence in the Charlotte area and I couldn’t wait to set something up because her IG feed was filled with gorgeous, moody images that had a such a unique and artistic look to them. Katie is incredibly personable and friendly and made our family feel comfortable right off the bat. She was also great with Chase (she has a little boy of her own and is currently pregnant) and did a great job of capturing pictures of our family interacting which I greatly prefer over super posed photos.

We are so grateful to Katie for sharing her talent with our family and if you happen to live in the Charlotte area and need professional photos of you or your family, I highly recommend Tripp Photography!

And since I had a few outfit detail requests here’s all the info from what I wore for our family photos –> Shoes: Wenda Cut-Out Booties via Target/ Bralette: Free People / Slouchy Sweater: Amazon (available in 4 different colors) / Jeans: Pistola via Stitch Fix / Hat: Scala via Nordstrom (I ripped the feather out!)

@Britta_Beauty‘s Instagram Facial Massage Videos

After Ryder was born and I began waking up a lot in the night for middle-of-the-night nursing sessions, I’d often awake to find myself clenching my jaw. I’m not sure why or when I began doing this but I’ve been trying to stop it the minute I notice myself clenching. I say all of this to say that I had no idea there are massages out there you can do for your face for a myriad of reasons. I randomly stumbled upon @britta_beauty‘s Instagram page and found myself watching her facial massage videos and was inspired to follow along. This video for jaw tension is my current favorite and I follow along with the video after applying rosehip seed oil to my face and it feels fantastic! I also love her morning lift massage videos even though I find myself doing them most often before bed.

Clean Eating Magazine’s Turkey & Mushroom Ragu-Stuffed Acorn Squash

I seriously swear by my Clean Eating Magazine subscription for meal planning! It’s one of my favorite go-to resources for finding new nutritious recipes to try and I love ripping out the recipes we love to save in a big recipe folder for future meal planning purposes. It’s the best and delivered yet another dinner winner in our house this week. I made the Turkey & Mushroom Ragu-Stuffed Acorn Squash from the October issue and it was fantastic! Definitely worth trying and definitely worth saving.

The First Patient by Michael Palmer

I finished reading The First Patient by Michael Palmer earlier this week and it was an interesting and intriguing one! The book follows Dr. Gabe Singleton and is a medical mystery that takes off when Marine One lands on the doctor’s rural Wyoming farm. The President of the United States and Gabe’s former roommate at the Naval Academy, Drew Stoddard, asks Gabe to come with him to Washington, D.C. to be his personal physician after his previous doctor mysteriously disappears.

After Gabe agrees to help his friend, he flies to the White House and soon witnesses the president in the middle of what appears to be a mental breakdown, complete with hallucinations and other odd behaviors. It doesn’t take long for Gabe to suspect that the President’s condition may not be attributed to natural causes and Gabe soon finds himself searching for answers, a process that proves more challenging and life-threatening than he ever imagined.

Friday Flashbacks

Pumpkin Spice Icebox Cake (Sharing this here because I am planning to make this one for my family during my Florida visit! It’s a festive fall recipe that’s a little different from the usual Thanksgiving desserts — and super easy to make, too! )

10 to 100 Driveway Workout (Keep this bodyweight workout on hand if you’re traveling this Thanksgiving and hope to sneak in a quick no-equipment-needed total body workout!)

Question of the Day 

What is one thing making you smile this week? 

[Read More ...] https://www.pbfingers.com/things-im-loving-friday-258/

[gulescamisade]

Minnesota:  Day 7

[At some point during the night, or day -- it'd be indistinguishable to jake -- a voice speaks to him over an intercom.] ????: hey jami 2.0 u think u can do that pumpkin trick again?

JAKE: -snoring in a bed made of pumpkin patch on the ground. As an unfamiliar voice echoes overhead, he snorts awake. Jolting upwards with leaves in his hair. Also accidentally summoning 3 more pumpkins as he had fallen asleep practicing and all.-

JAKE: Hoosit?? -blink blink. He's AWAKE.-

????: eelmao

????: conchgrats buoy u did it

????: cept i kno u aint even got a grip on whatebber the fuck u doin

????: but i dont need u to

JAKE: -sitting there mouthing the words like eel-aye-em-oh and squinting. He feels... inexplicably chilled to the bone.-

JAKE: (Doh... now i have a bad feeling about this.)

JAKE: I dont suppose... this is all to do with a ploy to get some unmentionable dirty work dished out and done with? But why speak to me now?? Are you to level with me in some sense of the word???

JAKE: Why drag it out like this??? If you could do anything. Why not make me a mindless drone like dear sweet jade and jane?????

)(IC: cuz i dont wanna fuck w u small fry

)(IC: the gills are smart

)(IC: they aint barely need no direction

)(IC: give em a goal and they on cuz they know what the fuck is up

)(IC: u tho? alwaves wadin thru ur lil guppy emoceans

)(IC: makin some dumb ass pumpkins grow

)(IC: the fuck even is that

)(IC: do u even know what yoar capable of sonfish

JAKE: -takes the deepest breath of his life, his heart thudding like an iron clad weight. He can't see her face, he only knows her voice is there. Green eyes wide and fearful as he slowly rises to stand.- Im...

JAKE: I know somehow. Some way.

JAKE: Maybe it wont happen today or tomorrow. But my capabilities say that you are going to pay one pretty penny for the horrible things youve done.

JAKE: Mark my words. Its not me who should be afraid when at the end of all of this... -His face is now screwing up, visualizing everyone this war has ruined. Their wishes, hopes, dreams. The energy seems to charge in his veins, making the air around him hot enough that the pumpkin vines at his feet begin to shrivel.- At the end of all of this....

JAKE: Youre just going to be a scary story people tell their kiddos at night!!!!! A LAUGHING STOCK. HAH. Worse than me and ive never had a dignified moment in my fucking life!!!! And not a SOUL is going to be sorry youre GONE.

JAKE: SO FUCK WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE IN STORE FOR ME YOU FISH FRIED CURISH VARLOT!!!! FUCK IT THIS WAY AND TO HIGH HELL WHEN ITS WHAT I HAVE IN STORE FOR YOU THATLL BE WHATS FUCKING WHAT.

JAKE: Ill do it for jade! And jane and grandma and--- EVERYONE. Everyone youve fucking ruined with your vile reign of TYRANNY!!!!!! -This FIELD around Jake cannot be contained in this box of a room. Hell. The metal walls are beginning to bend with just these few seconds of intensity. Somebody do somethin'.-

)(IC: -LOW WHISTLE into her mic. she doesn't sound perturbed by his threats, or even by the damage he's doing. there's always more rooms she can put him in... maybe even make his lil friend roxy make him a nice box to hide in. she's definitely got more focus then this one...-

)(IC: im all aboat that reel glowy shit u got goin there

)(IC: but i know i can werk it betta

)(IC: anywave im board and i got shit to do

)(IC: goodnight BITC)(

[SNOP. Unfortunately for Jake, repressing magical/emotional outbursts is easy when she has the concentrated abilities of a cerulean at her disposal. But fortunately for him, she can only really put him to sleep, being a human and all... Also fortunately for him, she has the attention span of a gold fish and intends to let him dangle a little bit longer before experimenting on him as she intends to... Or maybe she's just having fun with him. Who knows.]

JAKE: -A lot of fortunates and a lot of unfortunates. It's always the seed of belief that matters.-

JAKE: -Passes clean out in the center of his cell, totally ready to write this off as some kind of fever dream... if it's not for the melty edges of the walls around him. This was exciting as it was frustrating.-

---

[Today when Jake wakes up, he will find himself redressed in tiny red shorts, red suspenders, and a big red bow tie. ur whalecum jami 2.0 ]

JAKE: -stirs awake before promptly looking down at himself.- ................................... SON OF A BITCH.

ROXY: =She couldn't help but to notice that Jake had gone missing. Which is unsettling for many reasons so she's taking a leap and exploring more even without the invisibility cloak from the void. Roxy blips out of her room, landing in the hallway and silently makes her way down it. Time to snoop!=

[It's quiet in these holding chambers with Jake and the Cherubs gone, leaving on Roxy and James who is presumably still keeping silent. At the end of the hall there is a door, and she'll find it isn't locked.](edited)

ROXY: =WHERES CALLI YOU MONSTERS?? SHE'LL FIND YA CALLI. She opens the door slowly and peeps in... if the coast is clear here comes a stinky, sweaty escaped prisoner. Where's your information?=

[The door opens up to an open room, on either side there are windows show casing labratories of some kind. It isn't entirely clear what kind of work is being done in them from where Roxy is standing. At the end of the room there's another door, but shee can also see more doors inside the labs.]

ROXY: =Hm.... can she see computers in there? She decides to get close to one window and peer in. Nerds might be at work in there...=

[There's definitely computers and lots of mechanical equipment and various tech projects half completed on the tables. The lights are low right now so there doesn't seem to be anybody working at this time.]

ROXY: =SCORE. She doesn't want to waste all her gas there has to be a way to get in there..... maybe this door at the end of the room will get her where she's going. Quietly scampers=

[This door is also open, CONVENIENTLY. It leads to another hall, and to either side of where Roxy stands are, presumably, the doors to the labs.]

ROXY: =BITCHIN, HERE COMES HER. Lab number one she's gonna prob ya! KICKS DOWN THE DOOR..... quietly. With her hand=

[As she enters, the lights TURN ON!! And that's about the extend of what happens there. She'll see all the computers have aquarium screen savers but all the fish are glittery and/or have blingee'd accessories like gold chains and shutter shades.]

ROXY: 😒

ROXY: =This is a lab so she sprays disinfectant on the computer before goin to HACK=

[It just so happens that whoever used this computer last forgot to log out of their account... They have photoshop open and there are photos of Jake. He's in red booty shorts and suspenders and he's lookin' like D8< but whoever was doing this photoshop job is trying to make him look a little happier... Like he's cheering instead of like he's about to punch the photographer in the face.]

ROXY: =Oh well shit..... oh. Well.. she. Snrk. Sorry but also ok. Where was this taken? Does it say anything about that? WHERE'S JAKE YOU COMPUTER=

[Without much looking she will first find a folder full of unedited photos of Jake from his new cell. Dank and dreary, much worse then the cells they were in before. Only a bed and a medical tray table. Another folder with the edited photos reveals these are being used for magazine covers and spreads. It seems Jake is being used as Crocker Corps POSTER BOY. Look at this well fed and obedient (?) human.]

ROXY: =OH HOW DARE!? Are there any OTHER people here computer? Like Dirk or Mom or ANYONE ELSE? WHO ALL AM HERE?=

[The computer thinks Roxy expects too much from it. At least from this account on the server. It's only been used by a humble tech intern who edits pictures in photoshop. His name is Maxwell.]

ROXY: =What a fuckin nerd Maxwell is can she HACK to find out... or would that take too much time.... it probably would so she legs it to the other lab=

[The other lab has lots of cabinets and coolers containing samples of various things... Some of which she might recognize as GLOWING MUSHROOMS and ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER. The kind of research they do in here might be a little more obvious...]

ROXY: =Finally putting Sweet-n-low out of business she sees, good. But she's scrunching up her nose and looking for anything useful or recent? =

[Or perhaps they were behind the Sweet-n-Low game all along! In any case, if she dares to try confiscate some of the mushrooms or any of the extracts lying around, she might be able to try using it for its hypnotic properties. Otherwise, there's mostly just experiments with food and chemicals being done in this lab. Sadly no clues of friends.]

ROXY: =God dammit. Well shucks she blows this popsicle stand and goes on a hunt for Jakey boy or Calliope!=

[Back in the hall, on the other side there's yet another door but it's more heavily sealed then the others with some kind of keycard lock, but with little indication of what's on the other side. At the very end of the hall is an elevator, also requiring keycard access to use.]

ROXY: =this might be where its unavoidable. UNA-VOID-ABLE. She bets this heavily sealed door is something GOOD. She's going to take a quick peek in there if she can poof in!=

[There's a growling around these hallways... sounds like something or someone might be prowling around.]

[The room Roxy has poofed into seems to be some kind of observation room. There's a couple screens on one wall with a panel beneath -- one screen is showing the room Jake is being held in (where he's either sleeping among his pumpkin patch or being rowdy...) while the other screen is shut off.]

ROXY: =zoinks! Growls are bad news. She hurries and tries to see if she can turn on the other screen or find where exactly the room holding Jake is? GO GO GADGET STUBBY FINGERS=

[MAIN SCREEN TURN ON. She manages to get the other screen running, but it's only showing an empty room with a bed... With unsettling stains of red and green on the sheets.]

ROXY: ..... =Bruh tf?? She squints and that can only mean bad news. Does it say where these cameras ARE? She should make her way downtown and quickly!=

JADE: -zaps into the room- BARK!!!

ROXY: !!! =JUMPS= FUCKIN'--- oop.....

ROXY: ..................

ROXY: ..................

ROXY: ...........

ROXY: this isnt the bathroom wtf

JADE: -LUNGES AT HER!!!-(edited)

ROXY: !! =BLIPS, or tries to back for the door. tHESE ARE SOME STRESSFUL SECONDS IN THE VOID=

JADE: -gdi. She claws around the empty space, growling.- ill find you!!!

ROXY: =She pops on the other side of the door really and is booking it down the hall, back the way she came. NAH. NNNNNAAAAAHHHHH=

JADE: -there's the sound of BOOFing and scrambling feet behind her-

ROXY: =fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck, what to do, gotta think gotta think gotta think. Where can she hide? She doesn't KNOW this place. UUGHHHHHHHH! She's doing her BEST here just, SLAPS a pen holder off a desk she runs by FUCK THIS SHIT, YEET!=

JADE: -BORK BORK BORK BORK!! The pen holder jostles her, but not enough to stop her. RIP pen assortment...-

ROXY: =Can she.... throw a stick??? BLIP, pops a stick into existence. A SNAUSAGE STICK chucks it down the opposite hall= FETCh!

JADE: -DAMN IT. HER WEAKNESS.-

JADE: -stops and grrs... her programming is conflicted-

ROXY: =Oh shit..... CHUCKS ANOTHER ONE= go on girl! tasty tasty!!

JADE: grrr... JADE: -RUNS AFTER IT-

JADE: -but a few moments later, she zaps in front of Roxy with a snausage in her mouth, grabbing onto her and zapping again back into her cell-

ROXY: =Fuckin!! YES OK. SO..... she can't find Jake like this or Callie.... what to do.... what to do....UGHHHHGHGH. Just hides in a little corridor while trying to think. She doesn't even know if anyone else is here but now she's doubting it? AUGH. Okay, okay okay... think. Gotta think. Where can she hide? UUUGGGH--= ACK! =DOOF. Deposited on her face in the cell, gdi=