#also yes i thrifted each one of them

[analogboii]

man i really need yo find a shelf for my ladies but i just cant find one good enough 😮‍💨

look at them. they deserve the best smh one day yall will have the perfect shelf

[this-is-not-a-slow-burn]

#10 happened to someone I know who bought a used backpack and then a few months later tried to travel with it. TSA stopped them bc the drug sniffer dogs went apeshit. They got very thoroughly searched :| Do you know how hard it is to explain that it really honest to gods "isn't mine man!" to the TSA?

Least fun parts of thrift shopping:

This thrift shop used to have jeans for like $3 and now everything is priced like it's new

Hear about a cool new thrift shop in town and you check it out and it's actually "vintage upcycling and consignment" so the shredded jorts are $250 on sale

This place used to get cool stuff but the tiktok haul resale people found it and now anything decent is snapped up and immediately resold for like $500 online

"Ooh this is cute" and then you check and it's shein

"Ooh this is cute" and then you check and it's Harry P*tter

The jacket of your dreams is in your price range but it's 3 sizes too small

Your absolute FAVOURITE thrifted item finally wears out beyond salvation and when you do research to maybe find a replacement it's been discontinued since 1983

Check the pockets and find used kleenex

STICKY THING

This was exactly what I was looking for but I can't get the weed remnants out

"This is obviously broken but I know how to fix it" (never fixes it)

[always-a-slut-4-ghouls]

The building I live in was like “we got rid the spider infestation” last fall I think, and now that it’s warm out I am seeing more other bugs in here than I did last year. Like, I wonder why that is 🤨 they asked “how do we get rid of the spiders?” And not “what are the spiders munching on and are they helping?”

[zeppelinlvr]

Dating Dean Winchester

Dean Winchester x Female Reader

Notes: I just wanted to post some head cannons since I don’t have any fic ideas rn. Also thank you guys for all the support, i can’t even begin to express my gratitude, i’m so glad you guys like my work! 💗💗

Warnings: Fluffy, some cursing

✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰

- Protective like no other, if you join him on a hunt he makes sure you stay close and is throwing punches the second anything gets near you

- Dean has trouble saying he loves you but he shows it through his actions and taking care of you.

- Takes him a while to let you get close but when he does you’re his whole world, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for you or to protect you.

- Loves loves loves taking you out to eat, he always wants to try new foods and restaurants with you, both of you overeating and cuddling while watching a movie until the stomach ache goes away.

- Sam helps you plan surprises for Dean on your anniversary or his birthday

- Opens up to you about wanting a family (Dean is such a girl dad ugh)

- Lots of teasing and playful banter, if you mix words up or say something dumb he’s sure to let you know he heard it.

- Petty arguments over things that definitely don’t need to be argued about

“Dean where are my shoes”

“probably by the door” he said without looking up at you

“i’m standing by the door dumbass” you told him

“i didn’t take them” he responded flatly

“yes you did” you shot back

“why would i take your shoes?”

- Arguments end when one of you finally laughs or you just kiss and make up.

- Both of you asking Sam to take your side in an argument

- Going to bars and laughing at everything after too many drinks

- He LOVES kissing the back and top of your head.

- Def holds the back of your head when you hug him.

- Tries his hardest to make you feel better when you’re upset, he lets you talk through it and tries to make you laugh. He’s not good at helping people with their emotions but he tries his hardest for you.

- Getting a cat with him and he acts like he hates it but you catch him cuddling it and letting it sit on his lap.

- Says he hates the cat even though he babies it big time.

- Calls you a dork but he loves how smart and educated you are in certain areas.

- Singing together in the car and making dumb faces at each other.

- Talking with him about music and gifting him cassettes that you pick up at thrift stores and music shops on the road.

- He let you drive the impala one time and was sweating and twitching the whole time. (no hate to you he just loves his car), he prefers to drive you around.

- Defends you in public, corrects you in private!!

- Telling him everything that comes to your mind and he lets you yap because he’s secretly interested in your leg pain, the people you saw at the gas station and what new perfume you want to buy.

- Will laugh at something for an hour with you even though it’s definitely not funny anymore.

- Feel like he likes Johnny Cash and old country so you make him a mixtape of old country songs.

- He rolls his eyes at your complements but you see the smile playing at his face.

- Calls you sweetheart, sweet cheeks, doll, sweet girl, pretty much anything he can add sweet in front of.

- Both of you eat up the themed motels, trying to find the most ridiculous ones you can.

- Even though you guys bicker and you get on his nerves Dean would do anything for you, he’d literally go to hell and back to keep you safe.

✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰

[natalievoncatte]

31. Spookycorp

(Yes I know it’s late. I have a permit. I can do what I want.)

Lena adjusted her cheap plastic tiara, which she’d had chosen herself at a Spirit Halloween. Though she would never admit it, Lena felt giddy when she went shopping now. She used to just send Jess or use a high end shopping service; Lena Luthor had neither the time nor the patience to fumble with checkout lines and coupons, but post-L-Corp Lena, private citizen Lena, head of a charity org and retired from corporate sharkery Lena delighted in it. In a sweater and leggings with her hair in a simple ponytail and glasses not contacts, she felt human. Normal.

Her costume was simple, the tiara and a goofy floofy mini dress she’d picked up at a thrift store, and a wand to top it all off. Kara recognized her immediately.

“Let me guess, a good witch?”

Lena stood in the door and beamed, nudging her glasses. She was still getting used to them every day but her therapist had insisted she stick with the changes she made.

(The penthouse was going on the market and she was selling her Louboutins. Most of her Louboutins. She was finally telling that little voice in her head that sounded like Lillian to SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU’RE NOT MY MOTHER whenever it admonished her about not being perfect enough)

Kara was dressed in an all-green ensemble with a pointed hat resting on her head and a cheesy plastic bow on her back.

“Robin Hood?”

“Of Locksley,” Kara bowed.

(If I’d know, I’d have dressed as Maid Marian.)

She beckoned Lena to enter in an expensive gesture and watched her step inside, her gaze lingering in a way that made Lena tingle all over, goose flesh rising on her arms. She hopped up onto a stool and smiled when Kara handed her a beer.

“They make pumpkin spice beer now?”

“Mmmm,” Kara said, nursing her own. Lena’s eyes widened when Kara tipped a flask into it; a sticker on the side read Not For Humans.

“Just a little to loosen me up,” said Kara. “It’s a party.”

Kara sat down on the other side of the table and just… looked at her. She looked at Lena with her chin resting on her fist and a soft distant look on her face, and Lena stared back just as intently, entranced by the way her sunny curls escaped her sloppy ponytail and framed her face.

The spell, as it were, was broken by a knock at the door. The snacks were coming, an absurdly huge order that Lena had placed while she was on her way. As the bewildered delivery boy accepted her excessive tip, Kara carried the bags into the apartment, and together they began laying it all out on the kitchen island.

Brainy and Nia were the first to arrive. They wore matching silver body suits and Nia had put on a gloss of green makeup: Querl simply disabled his image inducer.

“We’re aliens!” Nia chirped. “Lena I love your outfit! Wait is Kara Robin Hood? Lena, why aren’t you Maid Marian?”

Lena froze, suddenly aware of Kara’s tense presence beside her. She didn’t dare turn her head and gauge Kara’s reaction.

“Did you purchase every potsticker in National City?” Brainy asked, almost pointedly snapping the tension.

Kara laughed. “I think Lena just wants to keep me from eating everything else.”

Alex and Kelly also showed up in marching costumes, making the moment even more awkward. They were married, of course, so they were supposed to coordinate.

Alex strutted into the apartment, grinning, and threw back the cowl of her Batman costume, as Kelly rolled her eyes behind the mask of her Catwoman outfit.

“That’s cute,” said Kara. “Did you guys like flip a coin to decide who was who?”

Alex poked the gray fabric over her stomach. “You know what, Kara? Sometimes I want people to know I have abs too. And unlike some people I have to work for mine.”

Kara poked out her tongue and shoved a beer in her hand as Kelly pulled Lena into a hug.

After a toast to James, and J’onn, and Winn, and absent friends, Kara started the first movie of their marathon. Each couple had selected one film, and Alex’s selection went first: a really weird movie called The Keep.

“This was originally three hours long before the studio butchered it, but it’s still a classic,” Alex explained. “It’s Michael Mann’s only horror movie.”

Lena found it largely incomprehensible and not very scary, and there were some scenes, especially the nonsensical sex scene, that made the experience a tad awkward.

“If I was in an ancient castle in Carpathia and the crosses in the wall started glowing, I would not mess with them.” said Kara.

“Yes you would,” Alex snorted. “Your approach to danger is to shove you arm in it.”

Kara drained her beer and rolled her eyes. Lena glanced over at her and giggled, nursing the last of hers.

“Want another one?”

Lena nodded, and Kara got up to get them more drinks. Lena lost interest in the movie as she watched Kara cross the apartment and bend low to grab two more bottles from the bottom shelf of the fridge, bending at the hips. The bottom of her tunic pulled up over her muscular backside and the buns of steel strained her green leggings.

(She would annihilate me with a strap)

When Kara stood up, Lena snapped her gaze around and found everyone staring at her, Nia suppressing a giggle. They all looked endlessly amused, except Brainy, who had a self-satisfied smirk, as if he’d beaten her at chess.

Kara sat down and passed the cold beer to Lena, saying, “these movies would be scarier if they didn’t all have a bad guy I could just toss into space.”

She looked at Lena and raised her arm to curl her bicep.

Lena felt her soul almost leave her body and took a drink from her beer to hide the shivers.

The movie ended and Nia jumped up to put on her selection, which she proudly announced to the group. “ARMY OF DARKNESSSSS!” she shouted, clapping her hands.

Lena hasn’t seen this before and even though there was a ten minute prologue explaining what the hell it was about, Lena finally just decided to stop caring about the plot and just go along for the ride.

Kara had apparently seen it and she and Nia went back and forth quoting the dialogue back and forth at each other and gobbling snacks. Alex and Kelly seemed more interested in each other and had gone fairly quiet.

Lena was more interested in Kara. Her joy was infectious, especially after a third beer.

It was getting cool in the apartment by the time they were ready for the final movie, and Lena’s outfit was hardly warm. Kara felt her shiver and got up, coming back with a stack of blankets, which the others accepted.

Kara then took her cape and spread it over Lena. The fabric was stout and heavy and lay warmly about her as she tucked it under her chin.

“Uh oh,” said Alex. “Lena gets the Superblankie.”

“Oh, shut up,” Kara said.

“Lena always gets the Superblankie,” Nia agreed.

“Guys!” Kara said, sounding a little panicked.

“Start the movie already,” Kelly yawned, breaking the tension.

Kara put on the final movie, her choice: Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

No one remarked that for movie choosing purposes, Lena and Kara had been expected to act as a couple. Kara sat down on the sofa with Lena and pulled the cape around them both, tucking them tightly together and sharing her blessed, glorious body heat. Kara ran about three or four degrees hotter than a baseline human and it made her a living space heater. Lena adored it.

She adored a lot of things about Kara, like her laugh and her smile and that funny little scar, the only imperfection on her invulnerable body. She adored the way her blue eyes glittered like sapphires in the dark apartment, and the soft pillow of her bottom lip and her big strong hands and the way she was always laying a protective arm across Lena’s shoulders, making her feel so safe and…

Lena turned her attention to the movie. It was a comfort choice of hers and she knew it by heart, so it was easy to relax into Kara and not worry too hard about how much she was utterly, irrevocably, cruelly in love with her unattainable best friend.

The apartment was quiet. Lena was fairly sure that Alex was asleep and Kelly was mellow, too entranced with her new wife to care about anything else, and the way that Brainy and Nia were tucked under their blanket and whispering to each other made Lena hot with jealousy.

Kara’s chest hitched and Lena turned to her sharply.

“What is it, darling?” she murmured.

“Nothing,” Kara lied, then whispered. “This is so sad.”

She took Lena’s hand and Lena almost died on the spot, and it got worse when Kara nuzzled her chin into the crook of Lena’s shoulder.

Out of nowhere, half an hour later, Kara murmured, “if I lost you I think I’d become a monster too.”

Lena flinched, then turned to her. Kara was looking at her with big puppy dog eyes and that crooked little smile of hers, at once an honest smile and a smile for the keeping of secrets.

Everyone else was asleep, and would probably stay that way until morning.

“Kara,” Lena whispered.

Kara took it as an invitation, gently shifting so that Lena was now in her lap, and tucked Lena under her chin. She wrapped her arms around her and just breathed, chest gently rising and falling against her.

“I want you to know how sorry I am for all the things I’ve done,” Kara whispered into the top of her head. “I’ve never told you, I was gone before I could and after I got back I was scared.”

“Kara,” Lena murmured back, “darling, it’s alright.”

“I was so scared when I was there,” Kara said, not daring to name the Phantom Zone. “That place messes with time. I was terrified that if I ever got back you’d all be gone. You would be gone. I was so afraid it hurt.”

Lena went still, just listening.

“I’m so sorry, baby. You deserve better than me.”

“No I don’t,” Lena insisted, almost too loud. “No I don’t. There is no one better. God, Kara,” she softened her voice, “I think I fell a little in love with you the day we even met. I never used to believe in love at first sight or soulmates but… I am a witch after all.”

Kara let out a slow sigh. “Lena, are you saying…”

“Even when I was trying to tell you I hated you, I was telling you how much I love you. It’s you, Kara. It’s always been you.”

“I love you so much,” Kara said whispered, “I’ll love you forever.”

“Kara, everyone else is asleep,” she forced out, her jaw trembling from excitement. “Take me to the bedroom. Please.”

Kara said nothing but stood up in a single motion, lifting Lena with ease and curling her up in the cape. Lena didn’t think her feet ever touched the ground as they slipped into the bedroom and Kara laid her down on the bed, quickly and quietly closing the door before lunging into the bed, pressing Lena into the mattress with a barrage of hot, aggressively desperate kisses.

They were both quiet, Kara pausing only briefly to implore Lena with her eyes and wait for a murmured yes. There was something thrilling about the quiet, they way they swallowed their gasps and passed their moans softly through one another’s lips, and Lena would never forget the way Kara delighted in her, virtually worshipping her.

Lena returned the favor with with enthusiasm.

By morning, Lena was exhausted in every sense of the term and was curled up in a tangle of blankets and a snoozing Kryptonian.

There was a knock at the door.

“Well lock up on our way out,” Alex called. “By the way, you guys forgot about the whole keeping quiet thing about halfway through. Thanks for etching Lena yelling “daddy” into my brain.”

Kara snorted.

“Alex, I love you, but get out.”

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

The Exchange

Warnings: allusions to parental abuse, non/dubcon, and other dark elements. Not all kinks or triggers are tagged. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

Summary: Your father surprises you for Christmas.

Character: Cole Turner

Day Twenty-Three of the December Daze Challenge.

Prompt - let me dust the snow off your coat/hat/shoulder 

Note: As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

“What the fuck are you doin’?” Your father’s snarl sends the turkey slipping back into the sink. You spin to face him, holding up your cold hands. 

“Daddy, just doin’ up the turkey,” you blink. “It’s thawed now--” 

“I don’t care about the fuckin’ turkey,” he retorts. “Should be gettin’ yourself ready.” 

You frown and look down at yourself. You wear one of his old shirts, the Ford tee with the hole near the hem and a loose cardigan Shelby from down the way gave you, over loose sweats that were once also his. Nothing you have it really your own, it’s only his scraps, what he doesn’t need anymore. 

“Ready for what?” 

“You questioning me, girl?” He growls. 

You gulp and shake your head. You lower your hand, keeping them away from your clothes as you’re all too aware of the raw poultry all over them. You stare at him. 

“Yes, sir, I'll get ready,” you step forward hesitantly, uncertain as you watch him.  

He huffs through his nose and curls his lip, “presents on your bed. Figure it out.” 

You nod as you come close to him, wary of a lunge as you thank him under your breath. He only shoulders past you and goes to the counter. You’re confused.

Your father doesn’t get you gifts. He doesn’t get anyone gifts. You spent weeks thrifting what you could to give to your aunt and uncles when they got here, altering it all to make it presentable, but he only ever reads his sci-fi books and makes demands. 

You go to the bathroom to wash your hands. You look at yourself in the mirror. Anxiety tenses in your cheeks. Every day roils with the same uneasiness. Every day for more than two decades. You should want to get away but complacence is easier. He hates you but for whatever reason he won’t let you go. 

You go to your room. There’s a bag on your bed. You don’t know why you expected something wrapped or a bow. Still, your surprised by the contents of the paper bag. 

A pink dress with long bloused sleeves and a short skirt. You lift it out and stare in disbelief. You lay it on the bed and take out the shoes with it; little white booties with fur. At the bottom, there’s a box with shiny colours streaked across it; makeup? 

Your father’s footsteps have you facing the door and he appears in his stained flannel, slurping his instant coffee. “Well?” 

“Thank you, daddy, it’s really nice--” 

“Get a move on,” he snaps his fingers at you. 

“Oh, uh, yes, sir,” you shrink down and turn to gather up the things. 

“Make sure you wash all of ya,” he sneers. “You smell like a dead bird.” 

You swallow down your embarrassment. It feels like a trick. Why would he get you such nice things but still be so mean? Where did he get the money? His Christmas bonus always goes to whatever car he’s clanking around on in the garage. 

You go to your dresser and fish out a bra and some clean underwear. Everything you have are handmedown. They are all forgotten, like you. It feels so strange to have anything brand new. 

You take it all to the bathroom and start the shower. You stick to the golden rule; no more than three minutes to get washed up. Don’t waste the damn water, your father’s voice haunts you. 

You dry off and dress. The dress is nice but a bit snug. It’s too short, isn’t it? You tug at it until you can breathe. 

You once more face your reflection. You are lost. You do your best to tame your hair then put on the dollar store cream.  

You open the box of cosmetics. You read each label and search for any instructions. There’s nothing.  

You uncap the liner and examine the tip. You pull your eyelid taut and meticulous draw a thin line over the edge. You let it go. It looks okay. Not tacky or anything. You do the other and do your best to even them out. 

Next the mascara. You fear scraping your eyes but coat your lashes without incident. It looks better now. You blink as you take in the effect. The blush... you’re not very sure. You blend a bit into your cheeks but don’t think it makes much difference. 

Finally, you gloss your lips with the stick of pink. You like the colour but the sheen feels unnatural and sticky. Your father clears his throat as he prowls outside. You sniff and pack everything up. That’s as good as it gets. 

You step out as he grumbles in the kitchen door frame. You glance over and he huffs. “Put the damn shoes on. Whatcha draggin’ your ass for?” 

You flit back to your room and grab the boots. You think of grabbing socks or something but you don’t have anything to go with the dress. Your legs will just be cold. 

You come back out on the heels, wobbling slightly. Your father storms at you from the front door, moving quicker than you’ve seen. He shoves your coat at you. You pout as you try to unravel his intent. 

“Daddy?” 

“Go wait outside. He'll be here soon, won’t he?” 

“He? Daddy?” 

“You’re so fucking mouthy, go.” 

He jams his thumb at the door and you flinch. You take the coat and pull it on. It doesn’t go with the dress or boots. What’s going on? 

“Are you coming?” 

“Fuck off,” he pushes you toward the door and you stumble into it. 

You put your chin down as you plant your feet and pull away from the door. You put the coat on before you untwist the lock. You are lost. 

He slams the door behind you before you can shut it yourself. You shiver as you step onto the porch and search the wintery country fields. There isn’t much snow, enough to dust the ground, but the air is crisp. Your legs are scalded by the early freeze. 

You stare off in the distance. Your heart pumps faster as a thought startles you. Did your daddy just kick you out? Why? On Christmas? 

You see the square headlights first. The pale blue truck winds down the hidden dirt road and steers towards the old homestead. You squeeze yourself as another chill sweeps over you as you watch the approach. Hooked to the back of the truck is a long trailer, the contents covered. 

You recognise the silver trim of the truck. You squint at Cole through the windshield as he pulls up, the exhaust clouding the frigid air. The door shrieks as he pushes it open and you chatter as you bring your hands to your raw cheeks. 

“Hey, you look frozen,” he says. “Merry Christmas.” 

“M-merry Christmas, sir,” you call back. You still don’t understand. 

“I’ll just unhook the load for your dad, then we can head out,” he grins as he keeps his hand on his open truck door. “Got the heat going, you wanna get in before you freeze your knees off?” 

You wince and turn to peek at the windows. Huh? You shrug and come down the steps. You’re so cold, you don’t care. You just want to stop shivering. 

Cole closes the driver’s door and leads you around to the passenger’s side. He pauses to dust snow off your shoulder as flakes swirl down lazily. His touch somehow makes you colder. He opens it and holds out his gloved hand to help you up. He’s always polite but you don’t see him very much. Your daddy did a few repairs on his truck and he would help with the garden in the summer. You were always inside, locked up. 

You let go of him, your hand thrumming from his warmth. He gently shuts the door and continues towards the rear. The truck jostles as he unhooks the trailer. You peek in the mirror and see the thick ends of the wooden planks poking out from under the tarp. It’s a lot of wood. Expensive, probably. 

None of this makes sense. Cole comes up to the driver side and gets in with a ‘brrrr’. You blow into your hands and he reaches to turn the vent up even higher. He smiles at you as you avoid looking at him. 

“Ready?” He asks. 

You hunch down and rub your hands together, “for what?” 

He’s quiet. He peers through the windshield at the house then back at you. You shrink under his gaze. 

“Did your dad... what did he tell you?” 

You heart thumps. Will you get in trouble if you don’t go along with whatever this is? “He didn’t... he just told me to wait for you.” 

“Ah,” he reaches once more to wipe away melted snow from your sleeve. “Well, er...” He stiffens in his seat. “I thought he’d... say something.” 

You just nod. Whatever you say or do will get back to your daddy somehow. He’ll be mad if you ruin whatever this is. 

“It’s a lot of wood. Your dad says he’s going to add onto the garage,” Cole speaks as he shifts gears and steers away from the trailer, circling back towards his tire tracks. “Not many folks got that kind of money and I don’t really need anything done on the truck.” 

Your lashes flutter in furious thought. It feels like this should be obvious but your mind isn’t clicking. 

“Did I say you look really nice?” He clears his throat. “Cold, but nice. I shoulda bought some stockings too.” 

You look down at the rosy skirt and shake your head. A piece slips into place. Of course it wasn’t your daddy who bought it all. 

“Oh, you—thank you, Cole,” you squeak as you smooth the short hem. 

“Well, I figured you’d want to look pretty. I mean, you always do, but... it’s Christmas, right?” 

He sounds nervous, just as much as you. You wring your hands and look around the white landscape. Your stomach is a storm. 

“It was nice of you to bring daddy all that lumber, sir,” you say. 

“Please, call me Cole,” he insists. He’s quiet for a moment as he steers, then sucks his teeth. “Or you could call me something nicer. Like... honey?” 

“Honey?” You eke out. “Why-- uh... oh?” 

You furrow your nose and rub between your brows. That dark feeling crawls up from your stomach as the doubt in your head trickles down to meet it. It’s not making sense but... 

“You still look cold,” he reaches over to rest his hand on your knee, “you can get warm...” He tickles along your skirt then bends his arm up and stretches it out to grab your shoulder. “Come here.” 

You blanch but make yourself slide over. You tremble as you do. He curls his arm over your shoulders, his other hand on the bottom of the steering wheel. 

“See, isn’t this nice?” 

Your eyes prick as that rotting sensation in your chest overwhelms that voice in your head. You sniffle and touch your nose. You squirm as the cold seeps away to unbearable heat. Your denial melts under the flames of dread. 

“Sir-- Cole,” you twiddle your fingers. “Where are we going?” 

He chuckles and slows, turning to plant a kiss on your hair, “you’re going to come meet mom and dad. They are very excited to have you for Christmas.” He squeezes you even tighter, “not as excited as I am though.” 

Your chest hollows out as if you’ve been hit directly in the heart. You can’t breathe as it sets in. It’s absurd but there’s no other explanation. Did your daddy really trade you for a cartload of wood? 

Well, he always did love his cars more than you. You hope it’s a nice garage, that it’s worth it. Well, it would be worth more than his useless daughter. 

[dj-of-the-coven]

How to Burn Your Own CDs - a guide for Windows users

Are you--yes, you!--tired of paying money to stupid shit like spotify for your music? Do you hate the way that the music industry takes almost all the profit that bands make through streaming and leaves them with pennies? Have you ever wanted to fire up that old CD-Radio in the corner of your bedroom, only to be stopped because all you have on CD is Weezer's blue album and a copy of Kidz Bop 16 that you don't remember buying? Well this guide just might be for you!

Materials you'll need:

A computer. Can't do it without this one.

A CD drive. It can be internal or external, but you'll need one either way. You can find them at Office Depot for fairly cheap and I've heard that some Walmarts carry them.

A pack of CD-Rs. CD-Rs, or CD Recordables, come in packs of 20, 50, or 100. A proper 100-pack should cost you no more than $30, so unless there's some special shortage in your area, don't buy from anywhere selling them at a markup. CD blanks are literally 50c a piece.

CD cases. Sold wherever CD-Rs are, but you can also find these at thrift stores pretty easily.

A sharpie or some kind of permanent marker

Software you'll need:

Jdownloader. You can acquire mp3s through Bandcamp if you're dedicated to righteousness, but for everyone else, install jdownloader or some other kind of open-source download program. I will be proceeding as if you have jdownloader available.

Windows media player. This should open automatically when you insert a CD-R into your CD drive.

Fre:ac audio converter. This is only for the occasion that you encounter OPUS or mp4a files that cannot be interpreted by your CD player.

Note: If you're very determined not to download software onto your computer, you can use free youtube downloaders and audio converters, but these are subject to viruses and other issues such as download speed. I will be proceeding as if you have the programs I listed.

The process:

Decide what you want to burn--anything goes, but keep in mind the time limit on your CD-Rs. Most will record 90 minutes or less.

Open jdownloader, switch to the linkgrabber tab, then paste youtube links in any order until you have all the music you want. I'd personally recommend doing it song-by-song instead of a full album stream, because a massive file will require a lot of work to separate back into searchable tracks.

De-select all files except audio on the right-hand side options menu.

Make a folder inside the music folder of your laptop and label it with the name of your mix CD.

In the properties tab of each song on jdownloader, change the destination folder to the folder you've just created.

Hit "start all downloads".

Once finished, open each folder. If everything is an .mp3 or a .wav, skip the next 2 steps.

Open Fre:ac audio converter to convert all audio files that aren't .mp3 or .wav into .mp3 or .wav.

Drop the converted files next to the unconverted files in your folder. If you wish, you can delete the originals to make the folder easier to browse.

Put your blank CD-R into the CD drive. If external, plug in your CD drive first or the tray will refuse to open.

Windows media player will open automatically. On the right-hand side, you will see the tracklist of your CD-R (which should be blank). On the left, you will see the audio that your computer is able to find in the music folder. Put your selected tracks IN ORDER onto the tracklist.

Listen to the beginning and ending of each track to make sure there isn't a significant time gap. This also prevents accidentally burning a youtuber's stupid outro if you missed it before.

When satisfied, hit "start burn".

On an external drive, the CD tray will open upon completion. You can reinsert it to ensure that the burning went smoothly.

Once satisfied, remove the CD from your drive. With your sharpie or permanent marker, write the name of the album on the front, then store safely inside a CD case.

you did it👍

Ask me if you run into any issues.

Legal disclaimer: this guide is purely for educational purposes and I do not admit to or take responsibility for any piracy committed using the instructions given.

Illegal disclaimer: cops suck my dick

[lightless-flame-official]

gerry keay (classic flavor):

skinny. not in a way most people notice off the bat, because he's quite tall and very good at looking big, but leitner hunting burns a lot of calories and he's been chronically underfed for most of his life

eye tattoos on each of his joints, placed there by supernatural means as a protective ward against other powers

his hair always looks like shit for several reasons, including but not limited to:

- he doesn't like to dye it when his mother is around, both because of the vulnerability of the position and because he doesn't like to be Perceived by her while doing anything he actually. ya know. enjoys. this means that it has a lot of time to fade and his roots grow out.

- if she's around too often for a stretch of time, he has to find a local business he hasn't already been banned from and rinse it out in one of their sinks. this leaves it looking understandably patchy and rushed.

- the dye he uses is cheap as hell -- having his own money is an occasional luxury which cannot be taken for granted.

- he just. generally doesn't take care of himself and his hair suffers overall as a result. he doesn't shower often enough and when he does he uses precisely one (1) type of soap. and it's like. if they have irish springs bar soaps in england then it's that and if they don't then it's the closest equivalent.

he isn't actually like. goth. as we would think of it.

black clothes don't show bloodstains and they made him feel safe edgy and dangerous as a teenager.

we're talking thrift store jeans purchased when he was 16 an never replaced. maybe some band tees. boots for marching into a den of hunt avatars.

the leather jacket is also secondhand and while yes he does feel very badass and cool in it it's also a practical piece. good for fighting. especially when the people you're fighting might have claws or want to set you on fire.

sewing needle piercings with visible scarring around them.

he just generally looks. kinda sick all the time? again, not something that usually registers because he's also good at being intimidating but if you're looking for it there's all kinds of evidence of chronic sleep deprivation and malnutrition. he looks unhealthy, concerning.

gerry keay (tmagp):

goth. like, real goth. like buying from thrift stores still but more often and having fun with it now.

we're talking fishnets. we're talking eyeliner. we're talking black lipstick. we're talking absurd and impractical jewelry. we're talking dabbles in lacy skirts and definitely owns a corset. and yes he still wears a leather jacket but exclusively because it feels cool and badass. he's goth babey!

no longer skinny. precise body type is whatever your heart tells you is true but three square meals agree with him and he's gained a very noticeable amount of weight.

the hair dye is still not professional, his roots grow in occasionally and it's still a bit patchy, because he's still doing it at home, but also. he's doing it at home. it's fun, and he has fun with it. the dye is better quality. gertrude helps him with touchups. black is still a favorite but he's dabbled in other colors, dark purples and greens and blues.

loves to be covered in stuff. when he's baking, he will intentionally smear flour on his black pants and make it look accidental, and when he paints he doesn't wash his hands. this is partially so he can see the evidence himself, and partially because he wants people to notice it and ask. he wants to say, "oops, i was baking earlier, i must've wiped my hands on my pants."

he still has shitty irresponsible piercings from when he was a teenager. the more recent ones are more professional.

his tattoos are pretty and useless. he designed most of them himself.

there's color in his face. sleeping gets a little easier every night.

[kissracing]

Everyone’s favorite, carlos sainz jr,

summary. various instagram posts from the goddess, beautiful, multi-talented, writer, yn ln &&. her husband carlos sainz jr.

featuring. carlos sainz jr x fem!poc!reader (faceclaim, orion carloto)

this fic includes the following. . . yn &&. carlos are married, google-translated spanish, read the end for more info!!

yourusername • instagram

liked by alexandrasaintmleux, carlossainz55, and others

yourusername Love life 🖼️🍒💍

♥︎ 764k 💬 65.8k ➢

view more comments. . .

carlossainz55 📌 Cielo mío ❤️

⤷ yourusername Mi viejo 🤍

⤷ carlossainz55 VIEJO? Oh please 🙄😐 I’m 3 years older than you.

user MY PARENTSSSS

user mama y papa

landonorris Who took that photo of you two at the gallery..???

⤷ yourusername … No comment

⤷ landonorris It was the camera timer huh

⤷ yourusername Blocked.

user they’re so aesthetically pleasing

user WHERE ARE THE RINGS FROMMM

⤷ yourusername The clock & flower looking one are from a thrift store in spain! The other ones are from my wonderful in-laws 🫶🏼🤍

⤷ user AHHH you actually replied HEHE

user they compliment each other so well oh em gee

user the day they got married, lives were changed fr

user the beautiful, gorgeous, multi-talented, yn ln-sainz 😍😍 and carlos ig

alexandrasaintmleux The prettiest 💞💐 We must go to a gallery together!!

⤷ yourusername Says you??? 🤨😭🤍 And yes we must haha!

yourusername • instagram

liked by landonorris, carmenmundt, and others

yourusername It’s a work in progress :) ☕️

♥︎ 802k 💬 78k ➢

view more comments. . .

user 📌 one thing yn will do.. is make sure her feed matches LOL

⤷ user SHE PINNED MY COMMENT ARHEHEHD

carlossainz55 📌 Mi bella esposa 🫶🏼🌷

⤷ yourusername Mi guapo marido 🫶🏼💐

user SHES WRITING CHAT. WE’RE GETTING A NEW BOOK

user the brown aesthetic >>>

user your handwriting is so gorgeous im so sick

user carlosyn supremacy

landonorris Oh so no photo credits 🤨⁉️

⤷ user LANDO YOU WENT WITH THEM??

⤷ landonorris YES and it was the worst “hangout” of my life 😒 They were just on each other.. so gross. They have no compassion for single people

⤷ carlossainz55 ?? You tagged along after seeing us in the coffee shop, That’s your fault cabrón 😂

⤷ yourusername Plus, we paid for your food and shoes that you wanted !!

⤷ landonorris SHUSHH THEY WERENT SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAAT

⤷ yourusername … Okay 😭?

user lando’s their son fr

user MOTHER

alexandrasaintmleux Who’s the gorgeous girl in the first slide 💘

⤷ yourusername Love you Alexx 👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👩🏼

text messages • yn &&. carlos

yourusername • instagram

liked by carlossainz55, landonorris, and others

yourusername Welcome my favorite addition to the Ln-Sainz family!! Milo Ln-Sainz. 💘🥺💌 Thank you Carlito

♥︎ 893k 💬 62.6k ➢

view more comments. . .

carlossainz55 📌 As long as you’re happy, I’m happy Mi Corazon

⤷ yourusername Oh how did I get so lucky 🥹

⤷ carlossainz55 I ask myself that everyday ❤️

⤷ user CON😭GRA😭TU😭LA😭TIONS😭

user GREY CARR

alex_albon All I’m hearing is… PLAYDATE!! 🗣️

⤷ maxverstappen1 NO I MEANT TO CALL DIBS FIRST!!

⤷ yourusername Gentlemen, no need to fight!! We’ll all have a playdate together 🥺🤍

user OH MY GODDD MY SHAYLA 🥹🥹🥹

user he’s so eepy oh my god 😭😭😭🤏🏽

⤷ yourusername Best napping partner 🥹

user please tell me yall are gonna make an instagram for him

maxverstappen1 Jimmy, Sassy and Donatello are extremely excited to meet their new friend Milo 🙂‍↕️

⤷ alex_albon Stan, Blue bear, Gigi, Hippo, Tiger, Duckie, Goosie, Frooky, MooMoo, Looky, Sasha, and Gucci are ALSO extremely excited to meet Milo 🙃!

⤷ maxverstappen1 Did you really name all of your cats to prove a point?

⤷ alex_albon …Yes

user max and alex fighting over milo is the best thing LMAO

user He’s so cute 🙁🙁

carlossainz55 • instagram

liked by yourusername, lilymhe, and others

carlossainz55 Escapada con Mi esposa 🩷

♥︎ 1.1M 💬 72.6k ➢

view comments. . .

yourusername 📌 Best trip ever 🤍 Thank you Mi marido

⤷ carlossainz55 You’re welcome cariño 🩷

user MY SHAYLA 😖😖😫😫

user THE SECOND SLIDEEE

user She’s everything.. and he’s ken

⤷ carlossainz55 Exactly

user literally how is she so perfect

user pinterest girlies finna go CRAZY

⤷ pinterest Can confirm, We’re going crazy!

user God.. it’s me again 😫

user SHES SO GORGEOUSS

user YALL LOOKIN FOR A THIRD

⤷ carlossainz55 Nope!

alexandrasaintmleux Bring her back! We (Milo, and I) miss her!!

⤷ lilymhe Count me too, quit holding her hostage Sainz!!

⤷ carlossainz55 Did I hear “extend our vacation to another week?” I mean if you say so!

⤷ lilymhe YNNN ＠yourusername

⤷ yourusername Ooh sorry Alex and Lils.. I’ll take that extended vacation.. Love you guys tho!! Kiss Milo for me!!

⤷ alexandrasaintmleux Carlos Sainz Jr, you will pay.

⤷ lilymhe I’ll see you in williams Sainz Jr.

user the first photo 😩>>

user I WANT THIS KIND OF LOVE PLEASEE

yourusername I love you Carlito 💘

⤷ carlossainz55 I love you so much more hermosa 💐💝

amera speaks. 2ND FIC!! and first fic for the new year!! yippee :D. i really didn’t know wtf to title this LMAO. i searched the web a little bit to figure out what orion’s ethnicity is. i know she said that she’s half hondurian from her mothers side which would make her latina(?). i also read that she’s half italian & portuguese. i only say this because i have “poc!reader” and i just wanna make sure that orion herself is a poc. let me know if i should change it!! i wanna be accurate as possible <3. okay BYE!

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

"Mr. Crewel-sensei, can you help me find suitable clothing for me? I barely have enough thaumarks to buy myself something nice, and i don't know where to start. " Yuu stood with their clothes ragged and their appearance dishevelled.

If he doesn't scare you, no evil thing will.

You perched on your creaky bed, twiddling your thumbs while stealing anxious glances at the man digging through your closet. Crewel tossed school uniforms all over the floor, growing increasingly frustrated with each duplicate. As it turned out, you hadn’t been joking when you told him the clothes on your back were all you had.

Clutching a crumbled uniform in one hand, Crewel met your eyes. “This won’t do. There’s no variety in your wardrobe—I had no idea you were in such dire straights.”

“Is it too late for me, sensei? Am I doomed to be a fashion disaster for my whole life?”

He grimaced, letting the vest and jacket fall on your comforter. “Not if I have anything to say about it. There’s still hope for you yet. To begin with…”

Crewel glanced around the room, taking in the grimy, worn interior design. Moth-eaten curtains, dusty armchairs unused for decades, rugs fraying at the edges.

“There is plenty of fabric around us that can be treated and repurposed. We can easily construct entirely new garments.”

He waved his pointer like a conductor’s baton—and at his command, the curtain carefully dislodged themselves and floated over to you. They circled your body, wrapping around you like a gown. It cinched, then a pair of scissors snipped down the line, cutting out a sheet of fabric in a comfortable size.

“Wow,” you marveled, watching the curtain get shaved down into a T-shirt. With expert stitching, a ribbon worked its way up the sides, creating a near criss-cross pattern on an otherwise plain top. “You can do that to replace my entire closet?!”

Crewel laughed, allowing the shirt to settle in your lap. “I could, yes—but what good would it do to spoil you? Growing pups must learn their own tricks and how to fend for themselves, not remain in the shadow of their master for all time. I will instruct you in the way of the needle and thread, then let you loose to experiment with your own style and creativity.

“You should also familiarize yourself with thrifting and taking care of used clothes. You can find fine outfits and accessories at an affordable price if you know where to look. I can give recommendations in the local town if you wish.

“And finally, there are ways to tidy up one’s appearance without breaking the bank. Investing in an iron, conditioning to smooth the flyaways, having a roller on hand to keep clothes free of hair and lint, splashing the face with cold water in the mornings to combat puffiness, brushing the hair, pinching the cheeks to improve circulation…”

Crewel rattled off tip after tip as though he were mid-lecture. You clamored to collect them all, making mental notes of each. When the needle and spool of thread landed in your hands, you hardly noticed them until your teacher clicked his tongue.

“Let’s begin with threading the needle,” Crewel announced, holding up his own. “You feed this through the eye… and be careful not to prick yourself!”

“What if I do?” you asked anxiously.

“Hmph, then you greatly underestimate this Crewel-sama. You have no need to fear. I’m qualified to patch you up, should it come to that. It would be cruel to leave a pup in need.” He gestured at your sewing materials. “The needle.”

“Right, right.” You summoned a grateful smile. “I appreciate the help. Please teach me well, sensei.”

He returned the look. “You’re most welcome—and you needn’t doubt me.”

[oopsiedaisiesbaby]

That gif you just posted of Callum in his white shirt gave me an idea:

Modern day AU, Gale is a freshman in university and he signs up for an online tutor. The tutor is John, a TA at another university. They meet twice a week over zoom but as the year goes on it turns from just tutoring to talking about their lives and backgrounds, dreams, etc. John gives Gale his personal number which is against rules but it's fine and soon they start texting about everything.

One late night the texting turns a little spicy. Then the next night a whole lot spicy. And it's just innocent fun, right? Yeah it's technically teacherish and student, but not at the same school and they're literally never going to meet, they don't even know what state the other person is in.

Except one day Gales normal literature TA is sick and the other classes TA fills in for him. It's John. Turns out that they are not only in the same state, but the same school.

He's taking the register and their eyes meet and suddenly there's a lot to talk about.

Oh mylanta 👀 Need this in my life now 🙌

In the states we sometimes have a university that is like a parent university to another, where it’s same system but totally different schools, mascots, rules, traditions… etc. and that’s what I’m picturing for them here. Also, if my tutor looked like Callum in those gifs, my grades would get worse not better because I would be so distracted 🤣

Anyways… perfectionist science nerd Gale who is making a B which gives him hives in some freshman level required course (his grade is so “bad” because he has zero interest in the subject… we’ll go with English for shits and giggles) so he signs up for the tutoring and at first John is like “??? You’re making an 88, why are you in tutoring?” and Gale exasperated is like “Because I’m making an 88, what are you missing here???”

Once they get over that initial misunderstanding though, they are smitten. Gale is enamored with the hot graduate level lit major in his cozy collared long sleeves and John is bewitched by the cute little freshman physics major with his soft sweaters and round glasses. They’re so different but they find they can talk about anything and everything and spend half of their tutoring sessions just talking.

I’m gonna go with they actually go to schools about 5 hours away from each other because I think they would discuss it at some point.

Gale is taken the fuck out when John reads from his personal copy of whatever assigned reading Gale has because there were no copies left at the library. Dealer’s choice which book it is, but basically Gale is so down bad after that Marge is concerned for his health and wellness because obsession like this can’t be healthy, especially not over a dorky ass Lit tutor.

Then they exchange phone numbers and they’re always texting, FaceTiming, sending each other TikTok’s and reels (they won’t follow each other on social media for plausible deniability since this is all very much against the rules). It’s always a little flirty but never crosses any lines until one night Gale sends a picture of himself curled up all cozy with his copy of the latest assigned reading and some tea and gets back a shirtless pic of John at the gym.

It’s all downhill from there because Gale was not aware that dorky ass John was an absolute unit like that and he was already in love but damn. The pictures and texts get saucier until Gale finds a vintage Yankees jersey at the thrift store and take a picture in it for John with just underwear underneath (it wasn’t meant to start anything, really, Gale just meant it to be flirty) and John goes in with a pic of himself hard in his underwear because he might just marry this one if he can figure out how to not get in trouble for everything that’s already been going on.

It turns into full on sexting and it keeps happening and escalates into phone sex until it truly gets out of hand and during one of their scheduled tutoring sessions (yes, they’re still doing those even though Gale is now making a 99 in his latest required English course) Gale mentions how hot it would be if John was actually his professor and they end up talking each other through teacher-student fantasies and getting off during their designated tutor times. They make a pact to keep tutoring, tutoring moving forward.

It’s not all about sex though, they have little FaceTime dates, they talk about the dates they would have if they lived closer. They talk about their hopes and dreams their fears and pasts… they are in love your honor.

John mentions transferring at the end of the spring semester to study under a professor that fits his research focus (don’t come for me, idk how MA’s so I’m taking on an MS approach lol) but doesn’t really bring it up again or say which school. Gale’s taking summer classes because he is a freak and trying to get through undergrad as quickly as possible.

Imagine his surprise when he shows up for his British literature course (he’s now minoring in literature despite his advisors insistence that it’s unnecessary stress) and the TA who will be teaching 50% of the classes is John fucking Egan. Gale waits after and gets dragged into what looks like a closet with a desk (it’s the shared TA office) and gets kissed within an inch of his life. There is zero discussion about whether or not they should be doing this (they shouldn’t, John could get fired and lose his grant and all kinds of other terrible stuff), just how they’re gonna keep this under wraps because they’re well aware they’re not gonna be able to stay away from each other.

I’m gonna go with, they almost get caught a couple of times (they definitely fuck in that tiny TA office more than once) and when John is no longer his TA and they come out as a couple they get some hard side eyes, but that they never truly get caught and they end up living happily ever after and they never quite get over that teacher-student fantasy 😉

[chericos]

Y/n's lifestyle guide: how to be a heartbreaker

This girl wakes up at 6:30 a.m. on the dot. every. single. day. without fail. It gives her time to plan the rest of her day and properly relax before she answers emails and calls and whatever the hell goes on in that crazy house.

The skincare routine is EXTENSIVE. Shelves upon shelves lined up with creams, serums, and toners. She has enough of everything to last her a lifetime.

CLOSET:

TOPS!— y/n's style is so inconsistent. She likes what she likes, and buys what she wants. All she knows is that her clothes have to be hot and able to break hearts. It's not her fault she was blessed with a great pair of tits, why not flaunt 'em while you have 'em?

BOTTOMS!— booty shorts, mini skirts, and lots and LOTS OF DENIM. she loves a good pair of jeans. when you see her enter a thrift store, just know she's leaving with at LEAST 10 new pairs. will definitely fight you for the last good skirt on the rack.

OUTWEAR!— you can never go wrong with fur and leather. this girl LOVES to layer, a jacket for every season and occasion. and yes, of course, it's all real. what do you take her for?

SHOES!— heels GALORE! a whole section of her closet is dedicated to her shoe collection and she takes it very seriously. thousands of dollars just on the bottom of her feet and she flaunts them with pride. she also loves her boots, ankle, knee, thigh? doesn't matter, she'll wear 'em. and I mean, you can't drive in heels (although she'd love to prove otherwise) so she has her fair share of adidas and new balances in the mix.

ACCESSORIES!— when you win every race cash can pile up quick, so what better way to blow it all off on a bag collection! this girl LOVES her purses, her favorite brands consist of Miu Miu, Prada, Burberry, and Dior.

ROOM!— comfort, but what’s comfort without style? pink, animal prints and glitter are the way to win this girl's heart! posters of artists and brands fill the walls. plants in the corner that may or may not be dead. and a bed with enough pillows for a family of 6.

GARAGE!— her cars and motorcycles are her life! her babies! every week she's in the garage for HOURS fine-tuning them to perfection. playlist blasting loud enough to be heard down the block but no matter how many noise complaints she gets she never seems to turn it down.

HOUSE!— her (atp everyone's cause they never leave) house is THE spot. its common knowledge that girls weekend is at her house on the third Friday of each month, the house is decorated based on the theme of whatever they're watching that night. and when she does something, she goes BIG! (one year, near Halloween, she hired scarers to sneak up on the girls as they walked down the pathway. let's just say maki was not one to be played with. never hired anyone after that.) close friends each have their own designated room and she stocks up on products that each of them love. limp balm? check your vanity drawer. Pads? hair products? underneath your bathroom sink. she has eyes like a hawk, she'll know what you use religiously and always have it available.

masterlist.

@ CHERICOS all rights reserved do not repost, edit, copy, translate or plagiarise my works

[natspookie]

book worm

warnings, …stalker nat? LOL

an, kinda bad but i had the idea??? also, i’m working with the reqs soon!!!

it was rare natasha had time to go out for leisure, more so, to shop. but here she was, natasha romanoff shopping at thrift shops and markets.

this one road in new york was slammed with sellers and all sorts of things to buy.

natasha had bought a few vests she thought yelena would like, also some for her to match. she’d bought little trinkets to fill her room up. she had been dragging her shopping bags for about two hours when she reached the end of the market, a book stall.

hundreds of books were stacker on top of each other but the one of top caught natasha’s eye.

pride and prejudice

in the red room, sure natasha had read books. well.. books how to seduce men, and basic knowledge. but never for her own enjoyment.

she picked the book up, flipped through its pages seeing annotations here and there but she didn’t mind, handing the shop owner a couple of dollars before she made her journey back to the compound.

it was a quiet weekend at the avengers compound, not much missions. “hey nat! ohhh, what did you get?” wanda immediately eyed the eco bags on natasha’s wrist.

“just saw like a flea market or some thrifting- i don’t know honestly.” “the one near that shawarma shop we go to?” “precisely. i also got you this lamp, you said you broke yours”

natasha handed wanda a clear pink tinted lamp with crystals hanging from the top. “oh nat i love it! thank you!” wanda jumped across the couch and hugged natasha “no problem, witchy” natasha laughed, making her way to her room.

she took a quick shower before unloading all the things she got on her carpet. she put all of yelena’s things in one bag and started to put her things in her laundry bin.

when everything was sorted, she picked up the book and sat on her bed.

it was a book with good condition considering she paid 2 dollars for it. she got her reading glasses out and started to flip through the pages, immediately seeing clean and beautiful cursive black writing.

on the cover page it says, “01/01/2023 my love, i have my whole heart to give to you and it starts by the pages of this book. with little annotations, i hope you love this book as i do you.

all the love, y/n”

love was never in the cards for natasha but boy, would it not be nice to receive this.

as natasha ventured through the pages of this book, she found a certain comfort in the cursive writing she knew she was not meant to read.

little comments like “i bet she’s as beautiful as you” “you remind me of this line” “i want us to experience this” were enough to get her hooked till dinner time.

“nat, dinner” wanda knocks on the door before rushing to the kitchen. natasha had made it more than halfway through the book.

she reached the confession in the rain and one writing in red caught her eye. “no love is ever the same. but know my love for you is bursting with all kinds to give” natasha had fallen in love with the words from a person she doesn’t even know.

she made her way to dinner, nose nuzzled in the book. “nat, you read classic romance?” yelena points out “mhm” natasha sets the book down, remembering her page.

“i got you vests and left them in your closet” natasha stabs a french fry before eating it as natasha does a little ‘yes’ air fist.

natasha didn’t stick around for dinner conversation. instead, she grabbed a milk tea in the refrigerator and retreated to her room to read.

it was 1 in the morning when natasha finished, reaching the last blank page. the words took her by surprise.

“09/01/23

it’s been 9 months without you, you didn’t read this book. i’ll be giving this to the book shop down the block and you will never read the words i longed for you to hear. i hope you’re happy with your new life, truly.

to whoever is reading this,

i wish you a love as strong as darcy and elizabeth. you’ll get there;)

all the love,

y/n”

natasha shut the book with a deep breath. along the pages, she had been looking forward to that annotation in the end. natasha took it as a sign to sleep with all the excessive thinking.

yet all the black cursive words swirled around in her head that night, painting numerous people to who could be the face of these carefully said words.

the next morning natasha went on a personal mission to find you. why? she doesn’t know.

she realized an hour in that it was pointless looking for a y/n if she doesn’t even know what you look like. hence, her going back go the market.

she asked the seller when the book came in and if he knew who.

“oh yes, around last week monday a young woman with (y/h/c) donated a whole stack of books! only that one had annotations though” natasha nodded and thanked the man before going back to the compound after getting shawarma.

natasha accessed the city cctv footage from last week monday and saw you struggle with a pile of books.

you turned before turning back to the person and walking the other way. nataha rewinded the footage and paused it when you turned, she knew what you looked like now!

natasha ran face scanners and finds you — y/n y/l/n.

fresh graduate and working at a little cafe not too far from the market.

natasha didn’t really have a plan so when she stepped foot in the cafe. but when she saw you, she immediately lost track of her words.

“hey, what can i get you?” you smiled at natasha “um- a drink” natasha said as you laughed “what kind of drink?” “coffee” “black coffee?” natasha nodded

“alright, can i have a name?” you grabbed the cup and a marker “natasha” “thanks, that’ll be 3 dollars” natasha handed you the money. “i got that book” you tilted your head at her “pride and prejudice.. the one by the market” you sighed

“oh. yeah… sorry for the annotations” you laughed “no! i actually loved them. you have a great way of words” “thank you.. did you stalk me here to say that or something” you joked, putting the drink in front of her. “sort of” natasha shrugged and you paused

“that was a joke but… thanks?” “i mean this in the nicest and less creepy way but i really was curious by you. as i said, i was kind of enthralled by your words.” “are you saying you want to take me out on a date, natasha?”

“hoping to do so” natasha leans on her heels. “7 o’clock.. don’t be late or be a stalker” you chuckled, walking back to the counter “you bet”

[dovand]

i am as always thinking about 14 and the nobles... specifically 14 & shaun. CRIMINAL lack of 14 & shaun content . excuse me that is my emotional support deranged lovers-in-law prongs of a queerplatonic throuple V. that is my little scrinkly wet cat and his chill saint bernard friend. that is my symbiotic relationship weirdos who sleep back-to-back to 14 can a) leech his body heat b) cuddle donna c) not fall off the bed. that is my favourite “both wake up early but one of them is being clung to like they are a teddy bear and it is Not Shaun, who is making ‘too bad’ faces at 14 and tiptoeing away” dynamic.

(14 either ends up dozing again after he wakes up early or just lays there curled up thinking—but, either way, when shaun shows up with breakfast in bed every sunday, he is treated to the beautiful sight of the two huge autism creature eyes peering up at him from behind the most bedraggled mop of hair ever seen. whether there are any thoughts behind those eyes depends on whether their owner has been napping or Pondering)

(yes this is all made up in my head!!! yes i am dismayed by there only being FOUR FICS (4!!) using it as a tag and none of them (afaict) doing it in a qpr way. where is my deranged weirdplatonic polycule!!!)

further insanity under the cut pleasseee please please read. please i need to be insane about this with people

(also btw this post is about queerplatonic doctordonna, doctordonna shippers i love you and you are welcome to contribute but it is a Little squicky for me so if tag ur additions (so i have a heads-up) that would be so lovely and i would adore you forever <3)

shaun likes listening to people ramble and 14 likes rambling so it is a regular occurrence to find the two of them like. standing in the kitchen holding cups of tea except one of them is actually drinking the tea and one of them is talking too rapidly about equivalent exchange to remember to blink, let alone have a sip of earl gray that has veered violently past lukewarm and is headed straight for room temperature

if 14 is in a not-wordy mood tho… thru shaun’s expert tutelage he has mastered the art of the Dad Nod. he passes shaun in the hall and gives him a little nod. shaun gives him one back. 0 words are spoken but they understand each other on a deeper level than if there had been.

they go on a Family Outing to a thrift store. rose and donna disappear to the dressier sections. shaun creeps along the racks of trousers, solemnly comparing seemingly identical pairs of jeans. 14 follows him and stares for a while, then silently hands him a loudly patterned pair of shorts. shaun takes them without question and adds them to his basket & sylvia loses her mind just a little bit when she sees him wearing them

(^ this inspired by going thrifting w my friend and looking @ everything and then finding her dad looking thru the racks of shorts comparing two beige ones, and my friend handing him a pair of pink shorts with penguins on and him buying them. because he has some . i think plaid shorts? at home and when he wore them his wife said he looked gay. so he’s trying to do it More) (it's an incredible family dynamic there. i have no idea what is going on)

god jesus. 14 learns how to cook so he can be the housething (as opposed to housewife or househusband. he is just a weirdgenderthing. little creature). someone buys him a nice apron and he wears it with so much delight. chases everyone else out of the kitchen so he can concoct something lovely. runs out into the garden to stick something into an oven in the tardis kitchen because “i am not working with enough ovens, here, people!”. organises the pantry and gets this crazed look if anyone tries to stop him. “how will i know where things a—” “it will be LABELLED.” brandishes a label maker that DEFINITELY is not from modern-day earth given that it seems to take dictation as input and can print in colour and has not needed a refill of paper even though he has extensively labelled EVERY PLASTIC BOX of stuff in the pantry

sometimes he gets into Moods where he needs to solve a problem before it makes his head explode and that used to be a like. tinkering in the tardis thing. where he’d have himself and whatever poor companion he was with just floating in the time vortex for a week while he tries to make this bit of the tardis do what he wants it to. now it’s a day or two spent almost entirely in the kitchen trying to find the scientifically optimal method by which to make meringues. he starts gesturing dramatically with a spatula forgetting it is not a sonic screwdriver. makes a sonic spatula. realises he doesn’t often need to like. scan a pancake for malware. sadly puts the sonic spatula away

he is absolutely a nightmare to watch movies with btw bc a) can’t sit still b) so tall. either he is bouncing his leg and shaking the whole couch or he is stretched out across the entire sofa. no in between. donna buys a thick rug so he can just lay on the floor. the rug is TOO comfortable and he starts just spending time laying on the floor which would be fine if he thought to turn the lights on because people keep almost stepping on him while he’s having 4am Floor Time (on the nights he's not drooling all over donna's pillow)

if anyone else has thoughts about Them PLEASe share i will love you so much and forever. doctor~donna/shaun weirdcule is the only thing in my head

[theic-manic]

Hellenic polytheism tip: ask Hermes to guide your shopping

Hermes will help you purchase things either for now or later.

Before I devoted myself to Apollo and was still casually worshipping him, I found a shirt at a thrift store that I wouldn't normally buy or wear anywhere but I felt drawn to it.

So I started wearing it initially to attract wealth and abundance, wearing it on warm sunny weekends and this was right before last year's solar eclipse in the northern hemisphere.

(Synchronicity penny just dropped: last weekend I watched a horror movie featuring a Solar Eclipse & Apollo showed me an online shopping page... I'll link below.)

Anyway once I established myself as Apollo's devotee rather than worshipper, I started wearing this shirt on Sundays as a devotional act for him.

The shirt:

(I'm tired so please excuse my face)

Last year while thrift shopping I found some cute cherub tea light candle holders, which isn't something I typically get either.

This was during a period where Hermes was being his trickster self & larping as Hekate (the spider in my towel head wrap is such an obvious sign looking back) but I was like "odd, this doesn't feel like hekate" so I packed then away.

Recently, while reorganising my bedroom I took them out and had a closer look.

There's a Lyre on each candle holder.

I asked Apollo if he'd like them on his altar.

Yes.

Another time, while shopping with Hermes I asked Ares if he liked a bag Hermes helped me pick out.

Ares complimented it so then immediately Hermes found me a "War Collection" box for my Ares altar ☺️

So let Hermes guide your shopping (set a boundary that he doesn't send you broke because one weekend he kept showing me a bunch of antiques and I'm like MATE I AM NOT RICH... yet)

E.g. when Hermes had me spend my annual leave buying a bunch of LEDs and a damn Asus Rog Ally hand-held PC for his altar as a thank-you for him gifting me with a year's worth of free coffee + $10k AUD

Hermes altar, the hand-held gaming PC he had me dedicate to him and the smol llama plush that now lives on said altar... (I still think it needs a name other than "Lola")

The second-hand coral pink Nintendo Switch that Hermes and Apollo had me go and buy my disabled housemate to make their medical appointments easier after the aforementioned winnings + Hermes helping me make $500 profit after calling my phone company out on predatory sales tactics and threatening to drag them to the telecommunications ombudsman.

I included a case I no longer use and some games I no longer play, as well as an LED charging cable.

Hermes finding me a Hermes-coded bag and a war box for Ares

Apollo being real subtle showing me eclipse mints next to a certain book title after watching a horror movie about a solar eclipse

Warning:

Hermes is also the God of thievery (I was extremely good at shoplifting during my youth that I once stole a 2L bottle of bourbon while wearing nothing but a bikini and a sarong) and he did once make a shopkeeper forget to charge me for almost $200 worth of thrift store merchandise however Apollo will absolutely drag you for such acts and so if you work with Apollo or other justice inclined gods, steal at your own risk.

[cheerstotheelites-if]

RO Updated Look³ (but I'm actually satisfied)

Under the cut for my design and change ramblings + the old design if you wanna compare and see the changes.

Here they are, fully in technicolor. Blasted melanin into Weylyn, Eliseo, and Ophelia, because A) I dislike how washed out they looked in the old design, B) makes them actually look distinct and not muddled, and C) they are literally mixed race and that feels like an injustice to them (yes 'them', because I'm including Weylyn now (his other half is from his mother's side). The color palette for each of them (individually and together) looks better, now that it's less saturated and easier on the eyes since the colors are bit more muted now. The clothes are better now too, and look like something they would all actually wear on a normal day based on their style preference. Plus, noses! All of 'em got distinct nose shapes. I tried to give also their own eyeshapes, but I think I mostly failed at that. And, uh, I guess face shapes? Weylyn's the most noticeable compared to his old design, and I honestly am happy with how he looks now.

Fleur's the only one that changed the least, I swear. She only got a haircut and called it a day. Jasiel too, but I'm already satisfied with how I dressed him, so he's fine the way he is already. Just changed his color palette from the saturated traditonally drawn art of him by muting down his colors and gave him brass bronze colored eyes to differentiate him from his siblings' golden ones.

I'm still really happy about Zephyrine's redesign, makes her the girly I knew she was destined to be. It really makes her stand out more and gives a better impression of her, plus it oomfs her character silhouette which is nice. I'd like to imagine she thrifts her clothes frequently, so there are a few clothes she has that look worn and washed out and clearly refurbished by her. The golden zig-zag on her cardigan is put there by her since she found it plain without a little pizzaz, and the gray beads on the end of her skirt used to form a leaf patter for each pleat, but lost beads overtime, so Zeph just added more beads, not to remake the shape (god forbid her patience runs out before she even manages to make one), but more on mark the skirt as now hers and styled to her preference.

Weylyn and Cooper were eventually dragged in to the redesign, mostly with fixing their hair (especially Cooper's since I didn't like him looking similar to Eliseo's) and clothes. Cooper's fit needed to give him that goofy weirdo vibe I wanted for him, plus actually making him look more friend coded than, uh... whatever I had in mind for his old fit. He's a bit more bejeweled, as more of a subtle telling that this man comes from wealth and is also kinda eccentric. For Weylyn, besides minutely fixing his hair and gave him new clothes, I changed his eye color too to a more yellowy hue than the old gold-ish one. It's not that obvious on mobile, but I swear it is on PC when I was drawing. 😭

Finally, Ophelia and Eliseo. The latter is fully embracing the dark grunge with pierced ears, a bit more silver chains and more rings and all that black clothes. The yellow smiley face is based on the band Nirvana's iconic logo, I just made it drippy and the smile into a toothy one for the troublemaker vibes this dude is going for. I gave him a mullet now (I think it's a mullet yet I also refuse to believe it is), based on some bad boy hair pictures I used as reference from Pinterest. Ophelia, on the other hand, had layers remove, let her wear a grandpa sweater and brown pants instead of her shorts (permanently stained with mud from all the times she went out to the forest to find for beetles), have a little string with beads dangle from her belt line as a treat. Her hands wear fingerless gloves now, and her doc martens are now replaced with regular old sneakers and black socks to hide her scarred ankles. She's droopy eyed now and I think it fits her more now for her personality and story compared to her round eyes. I based that loosely on Anya from Mouthwashing.

I didn't do a uniform line up like last time for the RO's that attend Lumintoile, because that'll be it's own seperate thing alongside an updated uniform look in general for the students. So you'll see everyone (minus Cooper) wearing uniforms with one of three pairs wearing a uniform variant for the different seasons. I also do plan to make an updated relationship chart, to see what's going on now currently between the RO's now that the story has changed and a new contender has arrived.

Older designs for comparison (minus Jasiel bc the man was not a concept at the time of me making this 😭)