#apparently i just look super hot in medieval clothes or something

[milkywayan]

I usually never get hit on/flirted with/etc, so I am absolutely not used to it happening

at the medieval event last weekend there was not one, but 2 guys(!) hitting on me. And it was so obvious that even I noticed it (and my medieval friend confirmed that they were hitting on me, after I asked him 'how do i react to that?!' because it never happens)

i mean it was nice to get a few compliments and attention, and they were very nice and polite and all, but it felt strange because again... never happens. And then suddenly there are 2 at the same time, like what are the odds

[kunrendeotaku]

Chapter 6

“Okay!” Star bounces through the steam filled bathroom towards the shower, and the look on her face gives me a bad feeling. “Star, you remember what I told you about how to use the knobs, right?” I throw her a pair of clean towels, leaning against the bathroom counter while still in my own towels. “Yeah, yeah, I got it. Hot and cold and righty tighty lefty loosey or whatever.” Star slams the stall shut and begins tossing her own clothes over the stall door with a lack of hesitation that surprises me. Its definitely not my first rodeo, so it doesn’t bother me knowing shes naked on the other side of that glass or seeing her underwear (petticoats? Chemise? Weird shorts? Medieval underwear is weird, especially with that almost modern blend, so i’m not sure what to call the little light dress and poofy, almost boxers I assume she was wearing under her dress) lying over her other clothes, but usually it kind of freaks exchange students out to have me in the room while they shower.

Regardless of male or female, I have to say. Although, the female response the first few times can be a bit more...violent. I distinctly remember the black eye I got from Jeane, a french girl who stayed with us a couple years back. Maybe being a princess, Star is used to changing and bathing in front of other people? I heard they used to get servants to wash and dress them back in the day, though Star seems independent enough that I doubt she had servants do that for her. If someone in her castle (does she have a castle, or just like a mansion?) actually is supposed to be the one in charge of cleaning this force of chaos, I really quite pity them. Anyway, long story short, I recognize that it's weird for me to do this, but I really have to make sure she’s safe! It's just a bit more weird that she seems not to care herself.

I watch her silhouette through the cloudy glass finally managing to turn on the water, and a sharp yelp echoes out from the shower. Clearly not quite the temperature she was expecting, though whether too cold or hot I couldn’t say. I decide to grab a nail file from its spot (outlined in a thin layer of chalk!) on my side of the counter and do my daily cuticle care. Hangnails could lead to terrible things, after all. The feeling of the abrasive surface dragging against my nails relaxes me, over the next few minutes. Really, this whole situation relaxes me. Star might be the...weirdest of our exchange students so far, but she still fills what always feels like a hole in the household when we don’t have one. I wonder if I would react like this if I had a brother, or sister? Sharing a bathroom, not feeling relaxed unless someone is watching my back? I don’t really know.

Out of the shower comes a steady stream of giggling mixed with yelps and weird curses as Star clearly can’t keep her adhd hands away from the knobs. She doesn’t seem capable of letting the water temperature be, getting bored within a few seconds no matter how comfortable she makes it. I’ve heard that if people are locked in a room with a box that does nothing but shock them, they’ll eventually start poking the box even though it hurts them, just out of sheer boredom. We hate that more than pain by quite a bit. I feel like I’m watching that process happening right now in fast forward, seeing Star freeze or burn herself every few moments. It actually worries me a bit that she might forget herself and blast a hole in our shower, but a quick glance around shows that she left her wand on her side of the sink. At least that won’t be a problem.

I nearly jump right out of my towel when I hear her scream “Marco!”, and opt to drop my nail file instead to grab and right my only current covering. “What, Star? Now my file is all dirty.” I begin grumbling, leaning over to snag the nail file from the ground. Just as I do so, I hear another, much louder clatter of something hitting tile-this time from inside of the shower itself. I blink, leaving the poor file where it lies and looking up at the shower. Luckily, based on her silhouette, the falling object wasn’t Star herself, but she seems squeezed into one of the corners. “Marco! I think I turned the knob too much and it broke! Now the shower is in like, super volcano heat mode. Can you fix it??”

In spite of herself, even Star seems embarrassed to ask a boy into her shower, her voice shaking with nerves for that last sentence. It's a first for me as well, I might act comfortable with all this, but familiarity is a thin blanket of defense against the realization that we’re both teenagers, alone in a soon to be very small space while wearing almost nothing. “I don’t think that's a good idea, Star! Just turn it off, grab your towel, and get out.” She messes around with the one remaining knob for a few moments, before it too pops off and falls. “That didn't work! And I haven’t gotten to play with the weird bubble syrup soap yet. Pleaaaase?” Surely she has shampoo in her dimension, or something like it. I just chalk this particular bit of oddness up to Star’s personality and sigh, a blush coloring my cheeks. I pinch the towel tighter, and glance down below my waist to give a warning look towards mister happy. Entering into a shower with a naked girl or not, I really don’t need any tenting going on around Star after only knowing her for a day.

“Fine, I’m coming in. Just...cover yourself up! I won’t look in your direction.” I wait until she gives the all clear, still huddled in her corner of the shower, before slowly pulling open the shower door. I’m immediately blasted with a wave of steam and small sprays of hot water-jesus, its has to be near boiling. Do we even have water that hot in our shower? I keep my eyes glued to the tile floor, and notice the pair of temperature knobs immediately. They’re sitting in the spray itself, which will make for a painful snatch and grab, but should be possible. The other thing I see is a pair of pale, surprisingly small feet. I wonder if she has her boots made larger than she needs to for some reason? Looking up further make it clear what her leggings usually hide, that her calves are just as toned as her arms. No delicate daisy, Star. I have to physically force myself not to look up any further than that, turning my attention back to the knobs.

Star, uncharacteristically, stays silent throughout this. Maybe she’s feeling just as awkward as I am. Or more so! I at least have a towel, after all. She just has….Don’t think about it Diaz! I grab both knobs with a slight his of pain at the hot water, my hands going as red as my face must still be. I’m afraid to look down at my groin, but at least it should be mostly hidden with me kneeling down and hunched over. The next issue immediately makes itself clear to me, after having acquired the knobs. In order to fix them, I’ll need to look up where they usually go-and Star will be directly in my line of sight. Half out of need and half out of teenage boy hormones, I raise my gaze.

A weird mixture of relief and disappointment engulfs me as I realize that Star is actually shockingly well covered. Her giant cloud of blonde hair has been moved from where it usually sits behind her, to in front of her shoulders. Everything from her knees up is completely hidden by the thick, wet blonde locks. Even her face is partially obscured, though when I look into the small part of her cheeks and eyes I can see, I realize she either was burned by that scalding water or is blushing even harder than I am-every bit of her face is the color of a tomato. She intently whispers to me “Marco, hurry up!” Which finally distracts me from my shameless ogling. I feel my cheeks attempt to experiment with new shades of red as my embarrassment at being caught staring at a ‘naked’ girl hits me, and I try to just quickly screw the temperature knobs back on.

Placing them at their perfect sharpie marked spot, I warn Star not to touch them again before finally backing out of the shower, closing the stall door, and standing back up. My heart slows down from beating a million times a minute, and I hear a similar release of tension in a sigh from the other side of the shower door. We both slowly find our previous positions, I finishing off my nails by the counter, and Star having distracted herself with the wonders of shampoo.

It's not long after that Star leaves the shower, wrapped in her own pair of towels. Her hair towel isn’t exactly equipped to deal with the sheer volume of her hair, but its doing its best. By mutual silent agreement, we don’t mention the shower escapade. Better news, now that I’m back in familiar territory, Marco Jr. has completely settled down-no damning tenting below the waist. “Now we can just head to our rooms and get dressed. I, apparently, have a lot of cleaning to do-and you need to have a chat with Mom ASAP. As soon as possible, is what that means Star.” I answer the question I can see forming on her face before she even gets the first word out, which has her giggling. “Okay! I’ll swing by your room later then!” She claims, before opening up the door and allowing two showers worth of steam to invade the house.

I pretty quickly follow her out, though I make the turn to my room instead of hers. Everything I own is back! In a giant, disorganized pile in the center of the room. I feel my eye twitch at the sight, slam my door behind me, and get to work on the first priority: Finding my Jam-Jams.

[oneofthosecrazycatladies]

Arrowverse Re-Watch: Arrow season 1, episode 1 “Pilot”

***Disclaimer: I recommend you read the tags before digging in to this review.

So I’m doing my annual Arrowverse re-watch (where I go back and watch all the Arrowverse shows in chronological order) and this year, I decided I would make these reviews/commentaries about each episode as I re-watch them.

So here goes... WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Oliver: The name of the island they found me on is Lian Yu. It’s Mandarin for Purgatory. I’ve been stranded here for 5 years.

Okay, don’t get me wrong, the main reason I love Arrow is because the characters are great and real and the stories are so interesting. And Stephen Amell is a fantastic actor, definitely one of the best in the Arrowverse...but hot damn just look at that body

I really don’t like objectifying anyone (of any gender), but art deserves to be appreciated and this body right here is art.

Okay I literally couldn’t find a gif of it anywhere, but that shot of Oliver looking into the mirror and the lightning flashes and you see him in the hood for like a split second...that shot...yeah I love that shot. Ugh it’s so amazing and just chilling.

Okay so apparently a lot of people hated the flashbacks...which I don’t understand??? But I loved the flashbacks. Mostly because I just love flashbacks in general. I mean, they weren’t always super interesting and a lot of the time the flashback storyline wasn’t really as interesting as the main storyline, but I still really liked the flashbacks. I actually kinda miss them sometimes.

TOMMY!

Like basically everyone else in the Arrow fandom, I miss Tommy sooo much. And I know, I know Colin has Chicago Med now, but I gotta be honest...I still haven’t quite gotten over that Tommy (any Earth version) wasn’t Vigilante. Like honestly, what was even the point of making him Vince (or Vinny they literally changed his nickname). God season 6 was such a fucking mess...but more of that later.

Okay so I have a bone to pick with this little moment where Oliver speaks Russian to Raisa. So like I guess it was supposed to demonstrate how Oliver has changed and all that...but like, Oliver’s not stupid. He wouldn’t be so careless as to speak Russian in front of his family and friends when he knows that they know he didn’t speak Russian before the island (thus revealing something about his time away when he’s usually so careful not to let things about that time slip).

I just don’t really like that moment because it seems a bit out of character for him.

Oliver: I didn’t realize you wanted to sleep with my mother, Walter.

Tommy: Have you noticed how hot your sister’s gotten?

It does kinda make me cringe a little though tbh. Although, full disclosure, the first time I ever watched this show, I did kinda ship them. I thought they had great chemistry. Better chemistry than Tommy and L*urel (but we’ll get to that later).

Tommy: So what’d you miss the most; steaks at the Palm, drinks at the station, meaningless sex?

Oliver: L*urel

Oh god here we go with this bullshit...can we just skip to the part where the writers realized that L*uriver was awful and they all jumped on the Olicity train?

Oh look it’s L*urel L*nce, the Queen Bitch of Starling City.

Okay that was an exaggeration...and I don’t actually hate LL, well at least, I don’t hate the idea of her. (Alright, strap yourselves in.)

I feel like LL was only the “real” LL in the first like 3 episodes of season 1 and then like the last 2 episodes before she dies. Every episode in between those she was like the off-brand version of LL. In the first couple episodes, she’s a pretty great character. She genuinely wants to help innocent people, she’s independent, she fights for what she believes in. Other than her being a totally soulless, cold-hearted bitch to Oliver, I actually liked her. But the whole Oliver drama really ruined her. And I blame the writers for that (namely the notorious misogynists Kreisberg and Guggenheim).

So first, they thought that “you cheated on me with my sister” was a great beginning to an epic love story. And then they made her totally cold to Oliver. Like look, as much as I dislike LL, I will always take her side on this issue. Playboy Ollie was a grade A fuckboy jackass and LL has every right to be pissed at him. But...then he spent five years in literal hell. Whatever mistakes he made before the island, he paid for them and then some. Now I know LL doesn’t know all the particulars of what went on in those 5 years, but she must’ve at least seen the movie Cast Away, right? I mean, from her perspective, Oliver spent 5 years completely alone on a deserted island. In that situation he would’ve had to teach himself to hunt and kill animals for food, he would’ve had to learn how to build shelters, he would’ve had literally no one to talk to or interact with for five years. She would’ve had to know that he probably has PTSD...and he comes back and she says “I’d hoped you’d rot in hell a whole lot longer than five years.” Like, are you fucking kidding me?! Why in the fuck would the writers think anyone would ship them with this kind of beginning? How are we supposed to have any sympathy for LL when she won’t even let Oliver try to apologize? And saying that he deserved what happened to him on the island? Jesus fucking Christ. God I couldn’t be more anti-L*uriver if I tried.

I get what (I think) they were trying to go for with LL, but they completely fucked up the execution.

LL: ‘Cause her body was at the bottom of the ocean where you left her. It should’ve been you.

“It should’ve been you.”

Okay bitch let’s go. No one talks to post-island Oliver that way. Ever. Oliver Jonas Queen is a gift to the world and I don’t care what dumbass Ollie Queen did you do not get to say that to Oliver. He has lost and suffered so much, too much. JFC where the fuck is Oliver’s unconditionally loving and supportive wifey when he needs her? Don’t worry bb, only two more episodes and you’re home free.

Mercenary Dude: What did he tell you, Mr. Queen?

Oliver: He told me I’m gonna kill you.

God yes where has this Oliver been the past couple years? Not the kill-happy Oliver, just the intimidating hardcore Oliver that can take down half a dozen guys single-handedly. That’s one of the things I hated about season 6 was how they wrote him so out of character just for plot. Ever since they introduced the newbies in season 5 they’ve written Oliver like he literally can’t even function without having like 5 other people out in the field with him. I don’t mind having a team (I love Roy and Dinah for example) but the team is just too big. (I’ll talk about that in much more detail when we get to seasons 5 and 6 [and that bullshit “civil war”])

Mercenary Dude: You’re delusional. You’re zip-cuffed to that chair.

Oliver: Not anymore.

*shivers*

God the MUSIC! Ugh I love the music in this scene when he’s taking down the kidnappers.

Oh yeah...and this incredible stunt...

And I love that you can tell that Stephen did all these stunts himself. But I especially love the above stunt because it’s so incredible, but like he just does it and it’s as if it’s no big deal because he’s just that physically fit.

QUENTIN!!!

With hair!!!

Oh Quentin deserved so much better than all that nonsense the writers put him through in season 6. But I’m getting ahead of myself here.

I’m just so happy to see him! And to see the journey that he took in the first 4 seasons. (Seasons 5 and 6 [especially 6] weren’t the real Quentin. It had to’ve been one of his doppelgängers because the real Quentin is smarter than to be fooled by BS’ bs).

Ahh did you see what I did there?!

I love Raisa and I’m so happy they brought her back for season 6! I hope she returns again in season 7! I love the way she takes care of the Queen boys!

John Thomas Diggle is in the building ladies and gentlemen! This man is a gift and honestly I sometimes think we don’t deserve him.

Okay I kinda miss seeing Oliver in regular clothes. It seems like, ever since he became mayor, the only civilian clothes we ever see him in are suits. Don’t get me wrong, that man can fill out a suit, he looks delectable...especially when he’s just wearing a button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up (those arms!)

But I also kinda miss just seeing him in like jeans and a t-shirt. Maybe once he gets out of prison we’ll see more of that (since he won’t be mayor).

The whole workout/training sequence is just...

We were completely deprived of shirtless Oliver in season 6 and I just cannot stand for that. We better get like double the amount of shirtless Oliver in season 7 to make up for it.

Tommy: Now, by my rough estimate, you have not had sex in 1,839 days.

Yeah except for Shado and who knows? maybe Sara or even some random girl in Russia.

LL: I’m sorry about saying that you should’ve been the one who died. That was wrong.

Nice apology, LL (this is the real LL I was talking about earlier), but you’re gonna change your mind in like 2 episodes. @jbuffyangel calls this phenomenon “as the Lances turn” (referring to the crazy inconsistencies in how the Lances [especially LL] are written). And I love that phrase I’m totally gonna steal it because it’s so true, but I’ll discuss that more when it flares up in later episodes.

John: I would believe you, Mr. Queen, if you weren’t so full of crap.

John Diggle, ladies and gentlemen, taking none of Oliver’s shit since 2012.

Please, someone, give this man a medal.

Okay but did John and Oliver ever talk about Oliver putting John in that hold and knocking him unconscious? I don’t know why, but I kinda have this headcanon that they never actually did talk about it until like years later (probably after Oliver and Felicity returned from Ivy Town and Oliver and John made up) that John was just like “remember when you knocked me unconscious at your welcome home party”.

Okay I know that it’s Yao Fei’s hood, but I kinda wonder why Oliver didn’t get it lined with Kevlar from the get-go. I mean it’s not like he trained in medieval times and then time-traveled to the 21st century to start his crusade, like he’s aware that guns exist and that a lot of the people he planned to take down would use guns. I mean, he could’ve just gotten Anatoly or someone else in the Bratva, I’m sure they know people who know how to do that.

But at the same time, I guess it kinda fits with his whole persona and his plan. When he first starts out he’s not really waging a full-on war against all crime in the city, he’s just trying to take down the corrupt one-percenters and once he does that he hangs up the hood and moves on with his life. So it makes more sense that his suit is more “raw” because he’s more raw. He doesn’t have a team, doesn’t consider himself a hero. It’s just him and his bow and his list.

So I’m watching the scene where Robert kills himself and it makes me think of the scene in season 5 when Oliver is watching the video that Robert left him and Felicity comes along and is like “wow no prssure” and I’m like yeah! I mean, what a crazy and horrible burden to put on your child. I mean, there they are, Robert’s made all these mistakes, but instead of trying to fix these mistakes himself he’s like “nah I think I’m just gonna tell my son to right my wrongs and then blow my brains out right in front of him leaving him traumatized and completely alone”.

This is Robert:

Like jfc, no wonder Oliver’s so screwed up.

I just don’t get what Tommy sees in LL. I mean, throughout the season they just go on and on about how much Tommy and LL love each other, but I just don’t see anything between them. I mean what did they even have in common besides losing Oliver? I mean the only thing I kind of get about their relationship is LL encouraging Tommy to be a better person. Once again, it’s the idea of LL, but it didn’t really work out that way in execution.

And honestly, you know what the worst part about M*rlance was? Knowing that they only did it to create even more drama between Oliver and LL, but then the fact that the writers ended up dropping L*uriver in favor of Olicity made all that drama pointless. Now obviously I know that the writers didn’t know that L*uriver would be a total bust (though they should’ve) or what Felicity and Olicity would become at the time, but still...hindsight is 20/20 I guess.

Ah Moira, being shady af.

I miss her. I always loved her character and Susanna Thompson is such an amazing actress.

I miss her pretty much for the same reason I miss Tommy: the potential. Both Tommy and Moira never really got to see Oliver become the true hero that he is today. They never got to see Oliver fall in love and have his own family. I feel the same way about Quentin. They could’ve done some great things with him. I always wanted the writers to explore his relationship with Felicity more. They had a great father-daughter kind of relationship in season 2. And especially knowing that Felicity’s father abandoned her and Quentin had lost his daughter, I thought it made so much sense that they sorta would’ve adopted each other as a surrogate family. But no. Instead, the writers went with that BS bs (hehe I did it again). And now Quentin is dead; another great character wasted.

Anyway, that’s all for me about this episode. I hope you enjoyed my ranting and I’ll see you later for episode 2.

[imagine-loki]

Magic Mistake

TITLE: Magic Mistake CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 5 AUTHOR: staria ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine being a witch (on Earth) and accidentally summoning Loki. He gets angry and confused, but ends up actually liking your company and teaches you more magic.  RATING: T NOTES/WARNINGS:

——–

Three weeks had passed before I heard from Loki again. I was already thinking that I would never hear from him again, when he showed up one Saturday morning and knocked on my door. As always I was still in my pajamas trying to figure out what to eat for breakfast.

I opened the door to find him holding a box of donuts and cup of something that smelled like coffee.

“I bring edible goods,” he said, sounding extremely cheerful, which was really weird for him. He then bended forward, extending his arm towards me, giving me the box like it was a lost treasure brought from a mystical land just for me.

I was surprised that he had showed up like this out of nowhere acting like we were cool, he seemed to have forgotten that we had a bad fight a few weeks ago. I reluctantly let him in and grabbed the box with the donuts and carried it to the kitchen. I opened the box and grabbed a glazed donut and immediately began eating it. Mad or not, I never said no to free food.

“Hi, Loki. Nice of you to finally show up. I thought you were never going to talk to me again.”

“What? Why would I ever do that?” he said, trying to act all innocent with sad puppy eyes and all.

“Because of last time. You were a total jerk the last time we were training. Remember?” I said, while licking all the sugary goodness from my fingers.

“Psssh. I would never do that, it was all a misunderstanding, little witch,” he said, grinning “if you don’t want to train today, we don’t have to. I just thought I would be nice and bring you a treat,” he said, opening the box and handing me another donut which I happily grabbed.

“I don’t think we should train for now. I’ve been practicing by myself and it’s been going fine,” I said, crossing my arms.

He seemed to realize that I was still not happy, so he completely changed the subject before I could say anything else.

“I actually came by because I wanted to invite you somewhere.”

“Really? Where?” I said, suspecting that he was just making things up to distract me from the subject.

“I cannot tell you. It’s a surprise, little witch.”

“I really wish you would stop calling me that. I’m an adult.”

“Come on, it fits you so well. You’re short and a witch. Hence the nickname,” he said, while actually patting me on the head, “don’t you want to go out tonight? It will be fun.”

With one swift motion of his hand, my clothes changes from my pink pajamas to a layered purple dress, “Now you are dressed like an Asgardian, this way you will not attract unnecessary attention. Where we are going no one ever sees Midgardians.”

“Fine, I’ll go,” I said, as I admired my new attire, “I don’t even want to know what’s an Asgardian.”

He opened a portal in the middle of my living room, and then held out his hand for me to take, “We’ll be back before anyone notices that you are gone.”

I grabbed his hand and closed my eyes. I guess I trusted him more that I thought since I was willing to jump into the unknown with him.

* * * * *

We were inside a damp, hot cave. It was dimly lit with a few torches on the walls, but there was not enough light to see the path clearly.

Loki created a light orb and began walking down the passageway when he told me to make one as well. I informed him that I didn’t know how to do that. He sighed, annoyed at my answer, and said, “Of course you can, just mumble some of those rhyming poems you do and it should work.”

“I can’t. I don’t work like you,” I said, looking down at my new dress. I pretended to play with a small button in my waist area.

He turned around and got close to me, bringing the light orb close to my face. He held my hands in his. His face was so close to mine that I could make out all the specks in his bright eyes.

“Yes you can, Dannie. Just concentrate,” he said, looking fixedly at me, “Tell yourself that you really need this light orb and then will it into being.”

I decided to do as he told me to even though I didn’t have much faith in this. I closed my eyes and concentrated. When I opened them up again, there was an orb floating between us, it was not as big or bright as his but it was my light orb, so it made me super happy.

“I told you you could do it, you little witch,” he said, patting my head in an almost sweet manner. I was speechless as I couldn’t believe that I had done something so awesome.

We continued walking down the cave in silence for a while until we reached a room with a high ceiling and something that resembled a banquet hall like the ones you see in medieval movies.

“Welcome to Nidavellir,” said Loki.

“This is… different. Why are we here?”

“They have something I need, but they mustn’t know that I need it.”

“So, are we going to trade or something?”

“Yes, something like that,” said Loki smirking mysteriously.

We walked up to the throne where a short stocky man with a long reddish brown beard was sitting. He got up from the throne when he saw Loki and walked up to us.

“Loki! It’s been too long since you graced us with your presence. Who is this beauty next to you?” said the dwarf, looking me up and down like I was a morsel, making me feel uncomfortably naked even though I was wearing this beautiful dress.

“Greetings, Eitri, King of Dwarves. This is Dannie,” said Loki, “she insisted on coming with me when I told her about all the wonders in Nidavellir.”

“If she wants to behold all of our wonders you should feast with us. You arrived at a great time. It’s the second day of celebration for my eldest daughter’s wedding. Go, sit, and enjoy,” said Eitri, laughing heartily.

I sat down in a spot between Loki and a lady dwarf. She was drinking mead from a mug and smiled at me when I sat down. She offered me some of the mead from her cup but I politely declined it. She merely laughed at me and kept loudly talking to a dwarf  next to her.

“Dwarf food is simple but nourishing. They don’t have anything fancy like your donuts but they do favor roasted boar and bison,” said Loki, as he filled a plate with different types of meat and something that looked like potatoes before passing it to me. I looked around for a fork but apparently dwarves don’t have forks or knives so I decided to use my hands to eat.

The mood was a happy one and everyone talked loudly around me. The dwarves grabbed food with their bare hands, they would talk with their mouths full and laugh loudly at each other. It was a merry place but I was not used to all the noise and pretty soon I had a headache that only kept getting worse with all the mead the dwarves kept pushing my way but that didn’t stop me from enjoying myself. I never get to go out and just be myself like this.

Eventually everyone was dancing as the music got louder, and even a tallish blond dwarf invited me to dance. I’m not much of a dancer but I was in such a good mood that I accepted the invitation.

I twirled around a few times with the guy until Loki cut in and asked me to dance as well. I never would have thought he liked to dance but I accepted. He grabbed my hands and pulled me close to him. I was so excited about dancing that I completely forgot that I was mad at Loki. I stood on my tippy toes, locked my arms around his neck and let him lead the way.

“I didn’t know you liked to dance until I saw you dancing with that guy. Should I be jealous?” he said, as he lifted me of the floor. I held close to him as he spinned me a few times, trying to hide my face on his shoulder but he pulled me away from him.

“Don’t be shy now, little witch. Are you having fun?” he said, eyes twinkling in a mix of drunkenness and joy.

I nodded before hugging him, “This is the most fun I’ve had in so long. Thank you,” I said, as I tried to clean my tears with the back of my hand. The mead was really getting to me. I think he hesitated at first but he then hugged me back so hard that I thought I would never be able to breathe again.

* * * * *

The festivities continued late into the night and we didn’t retire to the chambers the king assigned to us until the early morning hours. We danced until I was falling asleep standing up. All I wanted to do was go to sleep, but once we  finally retired to our room Loki shared with me all about the amulet he wanted to steal. It was in a guarded room near the banquet hall behind the king’s throne. His plan was to exchange it for a replica that he had.

“We can’t just come in here stealing their things. They were nice to us!” I said, glaring at him.

“They won’t even notice that it’s gone. Dwarves aren’t very smart, so it might take them a few centuries to realize this is a fake,” said Loki, showing me the replica.

We sneaked behind the throne in the great hall where a few dwarves had passed out in a drunken stupor and still slept leaning against the long communal table. We reached the room and Loki used a weird key to open the door. Once inside, it was obvious that this was the room where all of their important artifacts were kept. There were swords, shields, and armors but all Loki wanted was a small amber colored stone that lay inside a box in a corner of the room.

Loki had already put the stone in his pocket and was holding the fake one when a guard caught us and shouted at him to drop the stone, so Loki dropped it. I raised my hands in surrender and so did Loki but then he quickly pulled out a dagger and threw it at the guard who moved out of its way before it was able to do him any harm. The guard then drew out a bow and arrow to shoot at us. Dwarves may seem clumsy, but this guard was agile and fast with his hands and before I could react, I felt a sharp pain in my arm. An arrow had pierced my shoulder near the clavicle. I was in so much pain that I tried to pull out the arrow but Loki stopped me.

Loki told me to stay back before throwing another dagger at the guard. He then used the distraction to punch the guard. The guard punched him back and Loki then kicked him in the chest, throwing him off balance. I wanted to do something but the pain was still unbearable and I could barely stay awake. I was covered in a cold sweat.  

Finally Loki was able to subdue the guard by using his Seidr to tie him down. He came to check on me but I could barely concentrate on his words and I began blacking out. I think he then carried me in his arms because I faintly remember being lifted from the ground where I was laying. He opened a portal that we went through and when I opened my eyes again it seemed like we were not back home because I heard Loki curse, apparently this was not where we were supposed to be. The pain was too much to bear and there was so much blood that I didn’t care where we were. That’s when I finally passed out.

[iknaq]

Inktober for Writers: Day 31 - Final REDUX (MCU)

(I wasn’t satisfied with my tired ramblings that I put up yesterday, so here is my resubmission for the final day. I really loved writing for these dorks this month and I see longer works in the future for these three.)

She practically growled at the knock on the door. 'I swear to god if someone snuck back into the lab and blew something up I'm revoking access for a week!' Dragging herself off the couch and opening the door, automatically smiling at the two standing there. Bucky quirking an eyebrow at her. 'Evening, dollface, rough day?' 'Definitely better now, what are you two up to?' She stood aside, accepting the kisses on the cheek as Steve and Bucky shuffled into her apartment carrying some kind of garment bag, Steve giving her a disappointed look...trying to remember what the hell she did wrong, she hated that look. 'Okay, what did I forget?' 'You were supposed to be joining us for Tony's Halloween party?' 'Ahhhh crap. Science squad has been pushing hard this week. I didn't think that was for another two days...shoot. I didn't get a costume.' She ducked her head and gave them a genuine sad face, they had both been excited for the chance to dress up and asked Darcy to join them and now she let them down...but surprisingly Steve was smiling and Bucky rolled his eyes before speaking. 'Yes, it was good planning.' She looked at the two of them curiously. 'What'd I miss?' 'I knew you were busy, so I grabbed a costume for you, just in case. You'll be part of our theme, is that okay?' 'Yes! Thank you, Steve! You guys are the bestest. Make yourself comfy and I'll take a quick shower.' She bustled to the bathroom, pausing to toss her phone on the dock and start some music playing, getting a second wind. It had been months since they broke Tumblr with the picture of Bucky and Steve and the three of them did most everything together when everyone was at the Tower. She was the in for everything current and they were her recipe test subjects, though they both still had a special soft spot for chocolate cupcakes. (My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark - Fall Out Boy) Wiggling and singing along with the music as she cleaned up, making it quick and hopping out before realising that she forgot to grab clean clothes. Sighing and pushing her wet hair out of her face with a sigh. Oh, well time to traumatize the super soldiers. Wrapping her hair up in one towel and doing her best to wrap the other around herself, nearly dropping it in surprise when she opened the door and Bucky was standing right there. 'WHAT THE HELL, DUDE!' 'Sorry, sorry! I was going to leave the dress out here for you, I wasn't expecting a show...not that I mind.' And there was that smirk that made her weak in the knees, it was so unfair. She hadn't exactly advertised it but she doubted it had gone unnoticed that she had a crush on the guys (and had since Mrs Richner's history lesson on the Howling Commando's in junior high, they'd heard about them before but that was the first time Darcy saw the video of them laughing and fell hard), grabbing the dress and holding it in front of her like a shield.

'Thank you and what would your boyfriend think of you ogling me in a towel?' 'Stevie! What do you think of me ogling Darce in a towel?' 'Darcy is in a towel? I'm missing out! Shoot, I need help with the wig, can you lend me a hand?' Wig? Oh boy... Bucky left her dripping in the doorway with a wink, making her flush before dashing for her room, looking at the dress Steve had picked. It was an absolutely gorgeous almost slate blue velvet dress, very medieval and very...fitted looking. It probably was meant for someone not as chesty as she was but she wasn't going to let that stop her, drying off before pulling it on to see if it actually fit. She was able to get it on, making her grin before pulling it off and choosing her undergarments. It wasn't until she put the dress on again that she realised how insane her boobs looked with the scoop neck, snorting a little and hoping she wouldn't give the old men heart attacks. She stared in the mirror, trying to decide what to do with her hair when she realised who she was supposed to be, giving a little snort chuckle. 'Steve, you giant geek' Darcy braided a strand on each side and pulled her hair back, dusting some highlighter on her eyes and cheeks and settling for a soft pink gloss and some mascara and calling it good. She stepped out and made for the living room, nearly swooning when she saw them. Steve had a long blond wig and elf ears, looking like a much more buff version of Legolas and Bucky in all his long hair and scruffy glory made a sexy Aragorn. She cleared her throat and couldn't stop the blush as they turned to her and both their jaws dropped. Steve recovered first, stepping over and raising her hand to his mouth. 'Gellon ned i galar i chent gîn ned i gladhog.' She had no clue what he said but her mouth went dry, trying to think of something witty to say and coming up blank. Bucky, not to be outdone pulled her to his chest with a soft smile. 'My Queen...' 'Oh god....come on, we're late...' She could tell they were enjoying teasing her, wearing identical smirks with mischievous looks in their eyes, one on each arm as they made their way to the party. - She was tired, it was a great party but it had been a really long week, kicking her heels off and finding a chair, curling up carefully and watching Bucky and Steve slow dance across the room. They were both ridiculously attractive and she was hopelessly in love with them, sighing softly, telling herself that she was going to start dating again and hopefully stop pining for them. Closing her eyes and letting her head fall back. 'You look tired, do you want to head upstairs?' Darcy smiled at the concern in Steve's voice, opening her eyes and locking with his gorgeous baby blues. Looking around, trying to figure out where Bucky went. 'Sam said something so Bucky started after him with the sword. Well, if we're going to get you home...may I have this dance first?' She let him pull her up and lead her over to the dance floor, so much shorter than him without her heels, snuggling to his chest and listening to his steady heart as they started to sway. His heart sped up just a little before she heard the soft rumble of his voice. 'Hiril vuin.' Tilting her head to look up at him. 'What is that, that you are speaking?' 'It's Elvish, Stevie always was a giant nerd.' Darcy flushed as Bucky came up behind her, leaning over so his chin was on her shoulder and his arms were around her waist, making her squirm because this was way too close to a couple fantasies she'd had. (All of Me - John Legend) Shivering as his warm breath tickled her ear, turning her head to look at him and blushing when his lips brushed her cheek. 'What does it mean?' Steve went quiet, too quiet, staring at her intently. So she looked back at Bucky, his face just as serious. 'James?' 'Let's head up, doll...you look done.' She frowned at the evasion but let them take her arms and made for the elevator, pulling away from them and leaning against the wall as they headed for her floor. Darcy wasn't sure what was up but it wasn't like them to keep secrets from her unless it was for a mission. Sighing and realising they needed to change, leaving the door open behind her as she stomped to her room and slammed the door. She hung the dress up, petting the velvet fondly before tossing her bra aside and putting on her comfiest pyjamas, which just happened to be an Avengers t-shirt and shorts, shuffling to the bathroom and brushing her teeth as she heard them speaking softly in the living room. She retreated back to her room, burrowing down under the covers the tears hot on her cheeks, pulling the covers over her head when she heard the door open. 'See, I told you.' 'Darcy...why are you crying?' She felt the bed shift on both sides and Steve's voice was soft in front of her as she felt Bucky's metal arm curve around her waist, choking back a sob. Fighting when someone tried to pull the covers down, not letting them see her tear-streaked face. 'Come on Darcy, please tell us what's wrong?' 'Tell her what you were saying, Stevie.' There was a pause and she heard him suck in a breath before letting it out slowly, letting the covers down just enough that she could see him over the edge of the blanket. He looked nervous and Bucky did too. 'I was saying...I uh...your laugh...eyes...uhhh.' 'What he's trying to say and failing is that we love you, Darcy Lewis. And...we were kinda hoping that you might love us too.' 'Of course, I love you guys, have I never not lo...' His words sunk in and her head whipped back forth between them, clinging to Bucky's arm like it was a lifeline. 'You...you love me?' 'Yes and we...we were wondering if you would be our girlfriend...' Steve found his voice but it was still full of nerves and Darcy flushed, wondering if someone slipped her a hallucinogen or something, trying to figure out the best way to determine if she was out of her gourd. Figuring, screw it, if it was a dream then it was going to be a good one. Pressing a soft kissing on Steven and then James, eyes fluttering closed and practically purring as she drifted off, exhausted. When she woke up the next morning, sandwiched between the two (who were just wearing their boxers, OMG), she had to pinch herself. Making a little surprised sound when Bucky's arm tightened around her and Steve pressed a sleepy kiss kinda on her mouth. 'Good morning.' 'Ummm...hi.' He cracked an eye at the tone of her voice, looking worried. 'Do you remember last night?' 'Up until you asked me to be your girlfriend and I kissed you and fell asleep...am I missing anything?' The relief was apparent before he tensed again about to open his mouth when she just leaned into him, kissing deeply. 'Yes...I would love that very much.' Turning and giving James a kiss, as well before closing her eyes and just lying there, beyond content. She'd freak out with Jane or Tash later but for now she was warm and happy.

Inktober for Writers 2017 -  Master Post List

[sophisticated-angel]

The Littlest Winchester - Royals

Characters: Dean Winchester, Charlie Bradbury

Warning: None

Word Count: 1,143

Request:  Will u do a littlest Winchester imagine where in like season 8 Charlie is the queen of the learping thing and so the little girl hears about Charlie being a queen and sometime later dean calls her princess and she's like daddy I'm no princess I'm a queen

Story

   Lately, Dean’s four-year-old daughter has really been getting into anything and everything Medieval and Renaissance. Queens, kings, knights, and dragons occupy her thoughts and are the subject of much of what comes out of her mouth. Dean spoils her with book of Arthurian legend and fairytales, reads stories at bedtime and edits out the bloody parts. He’s been an evil knight, a fire-breathing dragon, a handmaiden, a court jester, a horse, and the knight in shining armor who rescues the fair damsel from the clutches of the evil Sorcerer Samuel – his identity has never been so confused.

   When he takes her to see Charlie, his motives are personal – he needs a hard drive hacked – but he’s completely aware that she’s in the middle of LARP season playing a queen and will be on the premises of her ‘kingdom’. And it’s possibly for the little girl to stay with Cass or Sam, but Dean decided to take her because he wants to spend more time with her. He should admit that he wants her to have a true medieval experience already.

   All the four-year-old knows is that Daddy needs to go somewhere for work and asked her to come with him. Without being asked, she donner her princess dress and grabbed her fairy wand (today, apparently, she’s a fairy princess). It takes her a second to realize that everyone at this gathering is wholeheartedly portraying characters from her favorite time period, but once she does she about explodes from fangirl excitement, and her devotion to playing her character is permeated by fits of glee. No one else breaks character, not even the evil witches and man-eating trolls who are bopped by her wand to repel them with magic. She’s most excited, however, when they enter the Queen’s tent.

   “Charlie!” she squeals, bouncing on her heels.

   Charlie, restraining obvious delight, maintains her royal façade long enough to give and receive a curtsy and then sweeps up the little girl, exclaiming, “C’mere and gimme a hug, Buggaboo!”

   “Nice of you to notice me,” Dean comments sarcastically.

   “You’re here on business. That’s boring.”

   “Yeah, boring,” echoes the toddler.

   “And you didn’t dress appropriately.” Charlie sets the little girl down and points at a chest on the other side of the tent. “See that? There’s some costume stuff in there. Go ahead and start putting something together for your dad, okay?”

   She requires no prodding. While his daughter is occupied, Dean takes the hard drive out of his pocket. “Belonged to Tucker Orvis, guy who owns all those theaters I mentioned. Sam swiped it, but it’s encrypted past his skill level. Can you crack it?”

   “Yes and no.”

   “What does that mean?”

   “It means I can hack it, but not right now. I have a court meeting in five minutes, and I can’t miss this one because I missed the last two and now there’s talk of diverting the Queen’s power to the advisers so I really have to do my job.”

   “Uh huh. Why exactly did you miss the last two?”

   “The maid in the next tent is super hot.”

   “Ah. You know, people are dying because of what old Tucker’s hiding on this thing, right?”

   “I’ve got a plan. Go to the tech tent and look for a dark fairy, LARP name Diaspor Catspring, real name Elena Kabul. She’s real good at this.”

   “Is she a hunter?”

   “She’s got limited morals, no respect for authority, and a mega crush on yours truly. Just don’t let her actually read what’s on the thing.”

   “Got it.” Dean starts for the door.

   “Um, costume?” Charlie gestures to the mess of clothes surrounding the chest. Beneath a cape, something squirms. “Also, can I borrow your kid?”

*    *    *    *    *

   Truly, Dean gets a kick out of LARPing. Though he gripes about the dress, he changes into the outfit chosen for him, papier mâché sword and all, and heads across the site to find the tech tent. Diaspor Catspring is exactly where Charlie said she’d be and as lacking in morals. She’s more than willing to hack the stolen hard drive once Dean promises to put in a good word for her with the Queen, but he sacrifices speed when he turns down the invitation to her tent later. He gets what he wants, and the moment he does he snatches the hard drive away from Diaspor’s curious hands and leaves the tent.

   He finds his daughter punishing a troll.

   “You have been accused of intent to dethrone the Queen,” a man in wizard guard is saying to the accused being held by two guards. “Such offenses shall not go unpunished.” The wizard turns to face the Queen expectantly.

   There’s some whispering from the advisors near the throne. Charlie listens and eyes the troll thoughtfully, but as she opens her mouth, the toddler princess by her side speaks up.

   “Off with his head!” she cries, head held high and wand pointed damningly.

   Charlie backs her up. “Off with his head!”

   Spouting curses, the troll is dragged off to the dungeons. Dean approaches the throne cautiously.

   Charlie nods to her advisors. “A moment.” She steps down from her throne and follows him out the back entrance. “Did you get it?”

   “Yeah. Oh, and I don’t remember exactly what she told me to say, but I’m supposed to put in a good word with you, so this is me . . . doing that.”

   “Daddy, guess what!” The four-year-old vies for her father’s attention. “I put people in stocks and made them get their heads cut off!”

   “Don’t forget we knighted somebody, and you turned that one witch into a toad,” Charlie adds.

   “Sounds like an interesting day.”

   “Hey, Buggaboo, wanna knight your dad?”

   “He is one already ‘cause he fights monsters like one,” the toddler explains. “Sometimes Uncle Sammy is a wizard who kidnaps me, and Daddy is a knight who rescues me. Uncle Cass was a dragon one time.”

   “Almost burned down the motel because he was trying to be “authentic”.”

   “I made a dragon mask with a paper bag so he can wear it.”

   Charlie laughs. “That sounds very cool.”

   “We have our fun.” Dean ruffles the toddler’s hair. “We gotta get going, baby girl.”

   “Noooo, Daddy!”

   “Your uncle’s been alone all day, and I’ve got work I gotta do.”

   “But there’s a battle and Charlie said I can watch it with her!”

   Sighing, Dean crouches in front of the little girl. “How about this: after I finish working, I will call Charlie, ask her when the next battle is, and we can come back for that one. Sound good?”

   Consoled but still deflated, the four-year-old mutters, “Yeah.”

   “Good girl. Now, Princess, would you escort me back to the changing rooms so I might don my peasant’s garb?”

   “I’m not a princess,” she argues, brightening, “I’m a queen!”

@pureawesomeness001 @27bmm @jarpadandjensenaremyheroes @super-not-naturall @gabriel-themightysugaraddict @mogaruke @mrswhozeewhatsis @hexparker @kdfrqqg @little-castiel13 @18crazybutcutealsopsycho @angie1djonasgg @wolfshifter4life @queenkelseyjackson @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @alexandriajanae4

[thevalueofdowntime]

Day 12 - Gifts

So I wrote quite a bit of text here, so I’ll leave it as in-tact as possible, sprinkling in the pictures as I can. Anything new will be in italics.

November 26.

This is the first entry I'm contemporaneously writing since coming back from Xiamen, so this might be significantly more detailed than anything since the first few days.

I spent the morning talking to one of my friends from middle school about recent developments in his life (he'd been busy with work and things, so we hadn't caught up) and I discovered that Messenger voice calling is quite a bit more reliable than WeChat voice calling. I followed that up with a call with Emily, who is now in Thailand, so we're now on the same timezone and can shoot texts to each other throughout the day!

I had a small breakfast of rice porridge mixed with preserved egg, some youtiao (I actually hadn't had any on the trip until this point), and then a bao filled with sweet lotus seed paste. 

After that, we headed out to a mall near one of the fancier (not sure if fancier is the nicer word, it's definitely not "hip" in the American sense, maybe the most consumer-oriented section?) parts of town. 

Wow, look at these cats!

Here, I ate a meal at the food court from a place referencing "Old Guangzhou," although my meal was a fairly spicy instant noodle with beef brisket dish.

I ate the whole damn thing, including several pieces of white-cut chicken and soy chicken from my parents' dishes (WHO KNOWS why they got those dishes when they didn't actually want the meat very much). 

I then nursed a bubble milk tea for the next hour, and I was extremely full.

I went shopping for gifts shortly afterwards and I remembered I'm a truly shitty gift-buyer/gift-giver because of me growing up very self-centered. Either way, I usually vacillate between buying the first gift that seem good and then skipping every potentially average gift in the hopes that perfect gift will show itself, except nothing shows up, and I have to buy something average. Buying somebody a good gift always feels really good, though, so it's something I try to get right whenever I go on vacation.

Here’s a collection of things I saw, but did not buy:

I bought a pair of baby's hats and socks (horrifyingly, I now find baby clothes significantly cuter than I did a year ago, especially hats with ears and tiny little socks, or maybe onesies that remind you how chubby babies usually are), a scarf, and some Chinese candies I've never had before but were recommended by my parents. 

The whole process took about two hours, during which the entire time my dad was grumpy and clearly wanting to do something else (hilariously, he intended to go to another electronics mall, but my mom called him out early in the day, asking, "We're not going to the mall to check out more electronics, are we?"). The part where we bought candies was especially fun because I'm 5 years old and I just want to eat every candy, salty snack, and pastry on the planet. I might've touched on this on previous days, but Chinese bakeries are all really awesome, even down to generic grocery story ones. The lamest Chinese bakery is as good or better than an above average bakery in the US.

I’m actually devastated that I didn’t take any photos of the candies or snacks.

We bought sesame curls, some kind of sesame/garlic cluster, cow ears, some kind of fried cracker with peanuts, a series of candy-crackers with various nuts (including almonds and peanuts), a couple of gummies (coconut, mango), various Nestle chocolates available apparently only in China, and some more milk candies. When we got home, we munched on the savory crackers and I ate some of a vaguely sourdough cranberry creamcheese bread twist thing I had purchased the day before. I just keep chronically overeating the whole time I'm in China.

For dinner, we went to get a kind of claypot rice dish I had at the tail-end of my 2015 trip. It's an interesting dish where they fire the clay pretty hot and the rice at the bottom of the bowl forms a crunchy crust. The dish usually comes with lap yuk or lap cheong with a small amount of choy sum. My dad got one with spare ribs, although I've yet to be impressed by any spare rib dish in China. Anyway, there was way too much god damned rice and I'm still super full from that one meal at 4 or 5 hours ago. 

We walked to Beijing Road, which I visited last time, and I was pleased to discover that eventually I did recognize many of the landmarks, including a fountain, a section of medieval road, a large building my mom used to work at, and the now hollowed out (as a historical site) apartment where my parents used to live.

Also, I found another cockroach, a tiny one. What the fuck, why are there roaches in an apartment where nobody lives? Out in the open, too, not even in the kitchen where you would expect food to be.

Here are some bonuses! 

Peppa Pig still big in China.

My parents!

[oonandhergoons-blog]

June 28-29, 2017

Strap in for a long post because these last few days have been BUSY. (This reminder is as much for me writing this post as it is for you reading this post.)

Yesterday (Wednesday the 28th) began with an early morning bike ride down to a local lighthouse with Cuchulain and Claire. Well, I should probably rephrase that: the original goal was to get to the lighthouse, which Google Maps insisted would only be a twenty-minute bike ride. However, it started raining fairly aggressively shortly after we began biking through the streets of Dublin, causing our sense of direction to get way off and resulting in a number of wrong turns that severely diminished our confidence. In fact, we did end up seeing the lighthouse, but it was off in the distance mostly hidden by the iconic Irish fog. After seeing this faint red outline of the lighthouse so far away from us, we decided to turn and head back to the apartment in order to finish getting ready for our road trip (woot woot) to Blarney! I ended up taking a bit longer than everyone else because I was a dummy and hadn’t packed the night before, but by ten thirty, all of our luggage for the weekend was packed in our rental car and we were off!

The car ride there was fairly uneventful, although the scenery next to the highway is much different from what you’d find next to I-77. Following about three hours in the car, we arrived at Blarney Castle with plenty of time to spare for lunch, which we ended up enjoying at the Blarney Café right outside the gates (a lovely establishment, by the way). It was a really nice way to be able to decompress and relax after such a long time in a confined space.

But enough about the small details, let’s talk Blarney!

Blarney Castle itself actually ended up being a very small part of the whole Blarney experience. The grounds seem to stretch on forever and I spent a lot of my time in the Rock Close, which contained a bunch of old Druid sites from times way before Blarney Castle was even built. A lot of it was clearly done up for tourists, but it still passed off as really magical, especially when walking through it on my own.

And yes, I did kiss the Blarney Stone. How could I not when Mom and Dad have been talking about their experience kissing it for the last fifteen years?

In all seriousness, despite the nearly-hour-long wait to get up to the stone, it was definitely worth it, primarily because I felt very proud of myself for kissing the stone despite my fear of heights.

The seven of us met back up in the Blarney gift shop at about five p.m. and hopped back into the car to make the hour-and-a-half drive to Bunratty, which would be the finale to what Dad excitedly called “castle day.” We were able to relax in our newest Air B&B, an adorable house in a suburb near the castle, for about an hour once we got there, a welcome break to our busy day. But, because relaxation is for dweebs, we quickly whisked ourselves out the door once more around eight p.m. and piled into the car for the short ride to Bunratty Castle.

We were actually going to have a medieval dinner in the castle, which sounded really awesome and ended up being REALLY awesome. There were several actors dressed in medieval-style clothing there to greet us and hand us mugs of mead as we walked in the door, the latter of which proceeded to make Mom squeal with excitement because she has literally been waiting to taste Bunratty mead again for the last fifteen years. We were guided into a sort of waiting room with the other groups that were there that night, which was gorgeously decorated. There were really detailed fifteenth-century tapestries on each wall, as well as a gorgeous “dowry wardrobe” that was leaning against the right wall as we walked in. A dowry wardrobe was apparently a piece of furniture that a rich family would begin constructing when a daughter was born into the family, which would then be continuously added onto until the girl was married off. The final piece carved into the wardrobe would be the crest of the husband’s family.

After a about twenty minutes in the waiting room, we were directed into the main dining room. This room ended up being packed wall-to-wall with people, a fact that no one seemed to mind because at least seventy-five percent of the room’s population was slightly tipsy or just about there. The atmosphere was warm and energetic and everyone was super into it once the actors started announcing the various skits of the evening. The food was delicious as well and the madrigal singing that the actors performed throughout the night was beautiful. Special shoutout to the harpist, who absolutely killed all of her solos.

We left Bunratty in incredibly high spirits with a lot of quality spirits. (Get it? Because we took some mead with us.)

Today (Thursday the 29th) was quite possibly one of my favorite days of this entire trip. We didn’t get out of the house until about eleven-thirty when we headed into Limerick for a nice family brunch. We wound up at this restaurant called Hook & Ladder near City Centre. When I say this place was adorable, I mean that this place was so cute, you’d want to wrap it up and take it home with you to look at when you’re feeling sad. There were these two booths along the back wall of the bottom floor that were separated by a wall of very realistic tree branches stretching up to the ceiling and connecting with these strings of old-fashioned spiral lightbulbs. It was altogether very homey and the food was amazing as well.

During brunch, Claire came up with the idea to go on a boat tour around the Killary Fjord, which was around an hour and a half away from our final destination for the day. A boat tour sounded like a new and exciting experience to us all, so we eagerly agreed and planned to make it to the four-p.m. tour. Our original plan was then to find something to do as we drove through Galway, but due to a bunch of delays on the roads in Galway, we ended up having to just drive straight through in order to get to Killary on time.

I then fell asleep for about an hour, only to open my eyes to the most beautiful countryside view I had ever seen. Travel guides are not kidding when they say Ireland has the most scenic road trips in the world. Several of us gasped when we saw the mountains, including Cuchulain, who seemed to be unable to stop saying, “Oh wow.” In all honesty, he was just saying what we were all thinking.

(Complete side note: About twenty minutes from our tour meetup point, our path got blocked by a bunch of escaped sheep, who paid absolutely no mind to us. We all found that really amusing.)

The crazy thing is that those views weren’t even the best part of the day.

We made in to the boat tour office about ten minutes before we needed to be there and got a taste of what we were going to see over the next hour and a half. It was breathtaking, to say the least.

About ten minutes after four, the seven of us walked onto the boat and our journey began.

I cannot even begin to express all the different ways that this place was beautiful.

It was super windy and cold, but it really didn’t bother any of us at all because the air felt awesome running through our hair as we stood at the front of the boat. There was one moment when the majority of us were standing at the front, clearly starting to feel the effects of the cold, and Dad walked out with a bunch of hot chocolates from the boat’s built-in bar. I can definitely say that there was nothing else that could have made those next few minutes anymore perfect. Hot chocolate, a perfect view, family around me: it was, in a word, fantastic.

The entire hour and a half was filled with amazing views. The only way to properly describe them is to show them to you.

See what I mean?

We also got a lovely man on the boat with us to snap this picture of us, which I think is absolutely precious.

At the end of the tour, we were all thoroughly exhilarated and exhausted at the same time, which didn’t end up being a very good thing for our nerves as we drove through the narrow roads of the Irish countryside. However, we ended up making it safely to Westport, a popular tourist/vacation spot along the west coast, where we decided to have dinner. We settled on a lovely Italian place, which gave us another chance to decompress before getting back in the car for another hour-long drive.

On this last leg of the journey before reaching Achill Island, which is the destination of the half marathon that Dad, Cuchulain, and Claire are running this weekend, Cuchulain decided to start up some car games. These didn’t end up going in his favor, much to his frustration as time went on with no wins to his name. However, he couldn’t be too upset because the views outside our windows started looking unreal again.

I am now typing this post from a delightfully cozy cottage a little way up the mountains in Dooagh, one of the towns on Achill Island. As a conclusion, I’ll leave you with this high quality picture of some sheep that blocked our way as we drove into town.

Prospective plans for tomorrow: exploring???

[outfittrends]

What to Wear in Italy: Packing List 2019 and 15 Outfit Ideas Outfit Trends - Ideas How to Wear & What to Wear

New Post has been published on https://www.outfittrends.com/what-to-wear-in-italy-packing-list/

What to Wear in Italy: Packing List 2019 and 15 Outfit Ideas

What to wear in Italy. Choosing your outfits when traveling to Italy does not have to be a hassle nor does it need to be overwhelming! In this article, we have you covered on all things wardrobe so you can make the most of your Italian travels. With outfit ideas, packing tips, and wardrobe pointers, say goodbye to packing stress and hello to your best vacation ever!

Italy is definitely a dream destination and we’ll help you look dreamy too!

How To Pack For Italy Trip

Let’s start with some Packing Tips:

Most tried-and-true travelers will recommend that you pack super light when going abroad in order to save space for the inevitable souvenirs you will pick up. So bear that in mind when you are planning your Italy travel wear.

You can either opt for a capsule wardrobe to optimize luggage space or if you are only staying a short while, a more extensive, fashion-conscious wardrobe.

The season will also determine what you end up packing. Italy is apparently quite hot during the summer, especially during July and August, so if you are going during the summer months, make sure you pack light, breathable clothing. 

↓ 15 – How to Choose a Capsule Wardrobe When Packing For Italy Trip

The rule of thumb for creating a capsule wardrobe is designing a wardrobe where every piece works with each other. Some people choose a 37-piece limit; others 50. You will also want to stick to a basic color scheme.

Depending on how long you will be traveling determines how many pieces you ultimately bring along with you, but here are 10 pieces we think are absolutely essential:

Two dresses (choose colors and a cut that complement your complexion and figure, as well as can be dressed up or dressed down according to the occasion)

Trousers and/or jeans

Long-sleeved shirt

Sweater/Cardigan if traveling in Fall/Winter

Shorts

Blouse

Tee shirts

Underclothes

Well-fitting, classic jacket

Jumpsuit

A Versatile Skirt that you can pair with any shirt

One pair of sneakers/walking shoes and neutral heels that can be paired with any outfit

Accessories are separate, but there is no need to go overboard. Opt for a few main accessories that match your clothing, and keep in mind that you’ll probably be doing a lot of walking and exploring when choosing your footwear.

↓ 14 – How To Fit In When Visiting Italy

A classic trend you may see a lot of in Italy is tucked-in shirts. It’s a simple trick to give you a slightly more European look. With this ensemble, pair a light blue button-down shirt with a well-fitting, patterned mini skirt. Tuck it in and, if you really want to seal your immersion in the Italian culture, add a belt to the outfit! Italians love a good belt.

To finish this look off, opt for a pair of oversized sunglasses, a trend-setting purse, and some stylish boots.

Pro Tip: If you are going to be doing a lot of walking (and let’s face it – you probably will) remember that many of the streets are cobblestoned and roughly paved. Avoid delicate shoes like espadrilles or TOMs and, if in doubt, opt for boating shoes or stylish sneakers.

Via

SHOP THE LOOK FOR UNDER £230

H&M Bucket Bag £14.99

MissyEmpire Margret Black Chunky Square Sunglasses £8.00

Harrod’s Patch Pocket Collar Shirt £205.00

↓ 13 – Street Style in Italy

This look is perfect for a breezy summer day walking the streets. If it’s just too hot, you can switch out the jeans for shorts, but we love how the more skin-revealing top is matched with these high-waisted, wide leg jeans. Distressed hems and stylish sneakers bring the look home.

Also, can we talk about this super cute off-the-shoulder blouse? Not only does it make for the perfect top to achieve some summer-ready sunkissed shoulders, but it also reminds us of that classic I Love Lucy episode where Lucy goes off on a grape-stomping adventure at an Italian winery, donning a lovely if not somewhat touristy style dress in order to imitate the local women. Happily, we can say pretty confidently that no one will be looking at you twice in this ensemble, as you will be fitting right in – no Lucy to see here!

Pro Tip: It goes without saying that heat-conscious clothing is a must if you are traveling to Italy during the summer months. Linen and cotton are your best bet, so keep this in mind when picking your outfits.

Via

SHOP THIS LOOK FOR UNDER $470

Madewell Wide Leg Crop Jeans $128

Revolve 2790 Platform Sneaker $80

Ray-Ban Sunglasses $213

H&M Weekend Bag $39.99

↓ 12 – Tuscany Sightseeing Tour Outfit

Tuscany is another must-see destination and most people choose to do a one-day tour of Tuscany during their visit to Italy. It’s most popular for its fields of flowers, vineyards, medieval towers and the leaning tower of Pisa. We recommend going for a neutral outfit for this trip, for example, a black dress or a white tee with jeans. If you want to go for something printed, we recommend stripes since they’ll look great in Tuscan pictures. Especially if you’re taking the day trip, you would want to choose something simple and fuss-free. Have a look at the Tuscan images below to get some ideas:

↓ 11 – Outfit For Venice Boat Ride

For most visitors or tourists, the boat ride in Venice is one of the highlights of their trips. It’s such a peaceful and romantic experience and of course, it’s where you get the best pictures of your trip. So obviously you need to wear something that will look good in that background. We highly recommend going for something flowery and flowy, like a floral maxi dress. If you’re not a fan of floral prints, go for a solid colored dress instead but make sure that you choose a bright color like red or orange because you want to stand out in the water and not blend in with the background.

↓ 10 – Perfect Outfit for Summers

Summer is that much coveted time where Italy’s ladies bust out the heels, so make sure you have at least one sturdy but fashionable pair to bring along with you. We love these open-toed booties that would match well with nearly any outfit.

Start with a boldly striped tank and tuck into a brightly colored pair of shorts. Don’t forget accessories. Oversized earrings like these flower cutouts will really draw the eye to your face. This is a great look for going out to lunch or grabbing some gelato!

Pro Tip: Bring pieces that you can mix-and-match and make multiple outfits with. Remember, you want to optimize your luggage space. These three pieces can be worn in a variety of ways, which should be your goal for everything you pack.

Via

SHOP THIS LOOK FOR UNDER $100

LOFT Stripe Ribbed Sweater Cami $44.50

LOFT Knit Tie Waist Shorts $49.50

↓ 9 – What to Wear in Italy to NOT Look Like a Tourist

Everybody wants to look like they fit in, especially when traveling to a new place. The truth is, you probably will stick out a little – and hey, that’s totally okay. However, there are a few things to keep in mind if you want to avoid looking like a massive tourist:

Opt for fitted, tailored clothing whenever possible. Italians are big on tailoring.

As previously mentioned, tuck your shirt into your trousers. It’s a thing.

Avoid flip-flops and Converse. Opt for flat sneakers, loafers, or a similar stylish walking shoe.

Don’t wear too-short shorts.

Say no to yoga pants, crop tops, and fanny packs. Those will stick out like a sore thumb.

For this outfit, tuck a vertically striped cap sleeve top into a pair of white wide-legged pants. Throw on a matching pair of loafers and let your hair loose. It’s a simple, well-fitting look that will have you totally fitting in!

Bonus: Peep the stylish guy look for your significant other!

Via

SHOP THIS LOOK FOR UNDER $415

Nordstrom We the Free by Free the People Patti Crop Cotton Pants $46.80

Two24 by Ariat Jubilee Loafers $227.95

Shopbop Cap Sleeve Tie Front Top $139

↓ 8 – Dinner Attire

For a European-inspired look, check out this gorgeous ensemble. Knot a satin, cream-colored top at your waist and pair with some white corduroy pants. Roll your sleeves to your elbows and tie your hair at the nape of your neck. This is a lovely evening look for when you are heading out to dinner or taking a boat ride through the canals of Venice.

Pro Tip: When accessorizing, you can’t go wrong with Aviator Ray-Bans (apparently you can buy them on any street corner in Italy for super cheap so take advantage!) and a scarf.

Via

SHOP THE LOOK FOR UNDER £70

H&M Wide Corduroy Trousers £39.99

ASOS Design Relaxed Satin Long Sleeve Shirt £28.00

↓ 7 – Beautiful Summer Evening Look

A trip to Italy would not be complete without bringing at least one or two dresses in your suitcase. And this lovely red dress is perfect for any occasion, especially when going out in the evening. This dress works well for summer or spring and can be worn with a hat and sunglasses for optimum style.

Pro Tip: In order to be allowed in a church or cathedral your shoulders must be covered. So keep a scarf in your purse so that you are always prepared! Also keep in mind that if you are wearing a skirt or dress, the hem must fall to the knee or below it and you can’t wear shorts. Otherwise, you can wear jeans or long trousers.

Via

SHOP THIS LOOK FOR UNDER $680

STAUD Penny Cotton-Blend Poplin Midi Dress $230

Nordstrom Straw Boater Hat $49

Gucci Aviator Sunglasses $420

↓ 6 – The Right Outfit To Explore Italy

While we recommend slightly more durable footwear when pounding those Italian streets, we cannot get over how cute this look is! Jumpsuits are stylish and versatile and can be worn so many different ways for just as many occasions! For this look, pair a well-fitting jumpsuit with a hat and simple accessories. This is a great ensemble for warmer days.

Pro Tip: A neutral-colored jumpsuit can replace one of the dresses in your capsule wardrobe and can be dressed up or down according to the occasion. Remember to pop a scarf or light cardigan over your shoulders when visiting a cathedral or church. (And yes, that includes the Vatican!)

Via

SHOP THE LOOK FOR UNDER $105

In the Moment Jumpsuit $101

↓ 5 – Italy During the Fall

With fall comes slightly cooler weather so if you are traveling during the later months of the year, this is the perfect opportunity for you to bust out the sweater, long-sleeved top or blouse. This look is light and airy, well-fitted and perfect for a lunch out dining on Italian fare. This look also works for touring different spots.

We love this pale blue bell-sleeved blouse paired with white jeans folded at the hem. (Bare ankles are a thing, you watch and see!) Accessorize with a paisley scarf and stud earrings. Opt for some street-chic boots like this neutral colored pair.

Pro Tip: Make sure your scarf matches the rest of your wardrobe, capsule or no. That way you can pair it with more than one outfit!

Via

SHOP THE LOOK FOR UNDER $260

Loft Ruffle Bell Sleeve Blouse $29.88

Old Navy Mid-Rise Skinny Jeans $30

Loft Coastal Paisley Scarf $19.99

Nordstrom Petty Chelsea Boot $99.95

Nordstrom Swarovski Crystal Pearl Logo Stud Earrings $78

↓ 4 – Simple and Classic Outfit to Wear For Sightseeing in Italy

You might just want to consider packing a pair of white skinny jeans as they feature in so many of these outfits. Remember it’s about the fit, so whether you are a size 2 or a size 12, choose jeans that flatter your body type and shape.

Here is another outfit where a light-colored or neutral top is paired with a white pant leg and a simple but classy shoe. Great for dinner or a gondola ride!

Via

SHOP THIS LOOK FOR UNDER $450

Nordstrom 10-Inch Button High Waist Crop Skinny Jeans 

SHEIN Rolled Up Sleeve Striped Dip Hem Blouse $18

Nordstrom Yaro Ankle Strap Sandal $99.95

Nordstrom Robinson Leather Wallet on a Chain $298

Delicate Layered Necklace $17.57

↓ 3 – What to Wear in Italy During Spring

We can’t imagine a better outfit for exploring the side roads and hillsides of Italy during spring than this look here! Extra points for the comfortable but stylish footwear, as well as the cinched waist on this striped, 3-quarter length sleeve dress. This is a classic, easily styled look that can work for just about any occasion.

Nordstrom Gondolier Boater Hat $375

↓ 2 – What to Wear in Italy in Winter

Depending on where you are visiting will determine how warmly you need to dress. As with most places in winter, the farther north you go the colder it will be. So make sure you bring along a well-fitting coat and at least one classically cut jacket.

We love the layers of this ensemble and hope you will too! In fact, you may find that most Italians really pile on the layers right around the October mark. For this look, start with black or opaque tights and top with a lacy dress, cinched with a belt. Layer with a black leather jacket and black heels. This is a great ensemble for traveling in the southern cities where winters are milder.

Pro Tip: Check the weather before traveling and pack accordingly. Also, keep an umbrella handy at all times! A travel-size one will fit in your purse or day-pack and serve you well in case you get caught in a downpour.

Via

↓ 1 – Classy, Elegant Outfit

Our last outfit is one that you could wear for just about any occasion where you want to look elegant and stylish. Plus, these are all items that can be worn over and over again when paired with other articles in your capsule wardrobe!

Start with your staple pair of jeans – these are Mom jeans done right with a high-waist and a straight cut. Pair with a tucked in floral-printed blouse and cover up with a long satin cardigan. Pop on a pair of heels and accessorize with sunglasses.

Pro Tip: Ultimately you want to enjoy your Italian experience. So pack clothing you love and will feel comfortable in. After all, that’s all that really matters.

Via

SHOP THIS LOOK FOR UNDER 105 €

ASOS Neon Rose Satin Cardigan 70,99 €

ASOS Schmale Mom-Jeans 30,49 €

[lollyholly99]

Before i forget I'm gonna just. Ramble abt the dream I had last night?

So like I was apparently living in this seaside-ish town and there was gonna be a big protest against??? Something??? but for said protest to happen a bunch of people had to get from the nearby hills to the beaches but there were tons of cops looking for the protesters and they would get them on the way? So a bunch of men in like. Medieval peasant clothes decided to have a big drunken party around a campfire to draw the cops' attention away from the protesters and it worked and also took all the guards away from this arcade in town. So like apparently kids weren't allowed in the arcade for some reason but with the guards gone I led a bunch of kids and teens into the arcade and let them all run loose and then I found this claw machine and after trying it I realised it was super easy to get a prize? And the hole at the bottom was absolutely huge so you could literally like stick your arm inside and just grab the prizes. Eventually I ended up with a big armful of toys and keyrings and stuff and then I looked over at this little tub of heads from action figures(??) For a few seconds and I looked back at the claw machine and suddenly all the rest of the prizes were gone apart from some rly sucky keyrings and some broken hot wheels bc all the other kids had realised that the claw machine was basically giving away the prizes and I got mad bc I'd seen a plushie I wanted that I hadn't gotten to in time and then I woke up