#because garden is a highly specific thing over here

[shrekgogurt]

wanting to soft launch saying flat instead of apartment around my ipl friends because it’s so much less effort but when I said “uni” once they bullied me relentlessly

[gallusrostromegalus]

any gardening advice for dealing with a million pill bugs consuming the plant life in a supremely wet climate? (there are so many they are killing my strawberries and rhubarb everything says wait for it to dry out but it is dry for like 2 months here max (pacific northwest) any and all wisdom will be accepted please god)

I regret to inform you that the real solution is multi-year terraforming, but this is also our duty as residents of planet earth.

The GOOD news is that in the interem, you can surround your strawberries with Diatomaceous Earth to protect what's left of them (make sure to dig around the stems to get any lurking there), and that when you break it out over the course of a couple of years, the terraforming is very manageable in both physical effort and financial impact.

The reason you have an ungodly number of ravenous rolly-pollies is because you have an even more ungodly number of rolly-pollies than you are imagining that have fuck-all to eat and fuck-all eating them. I do not know the exact circumstances of your yard, but odds are your property has no isopod food or real predators because it's either been terraformed into suburban sterility OR terraformed to sterility and then neglected, which is not the same thing as rewilding.

I can't speak to the PNW specifically, but I highly recommend reaching out to your county extension (look up "(your county name) extension phone numer/email") and they'll be able to give you contact information or websites for people who can tell you how to basically re-terraform your yard back into a viable landscape with native plants and minimal upkeep for your area.

Once you've got the local ecosystem going again, the isopods will leave off your strawberries to eat their normal detritus and will also be a lot more cautious about roaming far and wide for food once their predators like Woodlouse spiders, centipedes, frogs and newts and almost all birds are regularly patrolling the garden.

@headspace-hotel definitely knows more about this than I do, but I've had a lot of success with diatomaceous earth as a short-term protector, and every time I've put in more native shrubland/steppe plants in CO, my pest problems in general go way down.

[springtyme]

🪐 Hi Sagie! I looove your baby fever fics with 141 and könig! I you have any hcs for them, like will they have more babies in the future? (I’m especially in love with the soap ones, you made the family scenario feel so real❤️)

I’m so happy to hear that you like those fics, they are some of my favourites I’ve written, and I’m especially happy to hear that you like the johnny one, cause I have actually thought about writing some for that specific version of him because I liked writing them so much. These are just some quick, random thoughts about how I think the future could look like for the guys and reader in the different scenarios. I might change it if I decide to write more about them in the future, though. But I had so much fun writing this, so thank you so much for the ask, dear anon! ♡

The fics this is based on: part one & part two

Ghost ♡

I don’t actually think that you and Simon will have more children after your daughter. She wasn’t planned, but she is so loved and cherished by both of you, and he is so extremely happy and grateful that it happened, being a family was something Simon never thought he would be allowed to experience, and he had always secretly wished for it, but he also has a lot of insecurities and anxieties about being a father. He wants to give your little girl all that he never had growing up. You and your daughter are absolutely everything to him, and the two of you have filled the hole that had been gnawing at his heart for so, so long. He doesn’t need more, he is complete now. One kid, one fur baby, and having found the love of his life is all he needs to be happy and content. I also think that he is also very aware about how demanding his job is and the fact that he often is gone and has to leave for weeks at a time, leaving you back home alone so only having one kid to look after when he is not there to help,  makes things more manageable for you and I think that is something he would value highly, not wanting to leave you overwhelmed and stretched thin. And he is so, so grateful for you and all that you do for your family.

Price ♡

Again, I don’t think you and John are going to have more kids, just like Simon he is very aware of the demands of his job, despite the decision of retiring from fieldwork after you had your son, he is still often away on base and works long hours, plus he also isn’t as young as he has been anymore. He values the time he gets to spend with you and your son, and he loves the family dynamic you all have. He loves being present and active in your son’s life, and he wants to make sure he can give him all the love and attention he deserves. You and John have built a beautiful life together, and he is so grateful for everything you’ve given him, and he makes sure you’re always taking care of. John values quality time with you and your boy extremely highly, he never misses a single football game, school event, or milestone, and he cherishes every moment he gets to spend with the two of you.   

Gaz ♡

So, you and Kyle will stay in your flat for the first three years of your son’s life until you move to something bigger, after finding out that you are expecting your second child. It is a lovely, little semi-detached house, with garden to three sides and here you welcome your second baby, a little girl this time. Kyle is absolutely over the moon with the idea of expanding your little family, and he can’t wait to give your son a sister to look out for. Kyle absolutely loves being a father and is so grateful for the life you have built together. He is so excited for this next chapter in your lives, it is something he has been excited for almost since he first met you. Kyle is a very hands-on dad, always eager to help out with the kids and make sure you have some time for yourself and he makes a big deal out of having quality time with both kids and making sure they both feel loved and cherished. He is so proud and grateful for the family you have created together. 

 Soap ♡

Okay, it all started out with a comment about how you and Johnny had to balance out all the boys in his family and you did. Johnny becomes the ultimate girl dad. You end up with three girls who are around three years apart from each other. He loves being surrounded by his girls and is so grateful for the special bond he has with each of them. He is always there to support and protect them, and he cherishes every moment he gets to spend with them. His family absolutely adores you all, and he is so thankful for the love and happiness you have brought into his life. (Your oldest daughter’s middle name is Teresa after Johnny’s mother, but when you had your second girl there was no doubt between you and Johnny about what hers was going to be; Maighread.) 

König ♡

So, I kind of see two scenarios for this one. 

The pregnancy with the twins was pretty hard on poor mama, having to carry an absolute unit of a man's children and all, so I could kind of see you not having more after that. It was always your plan to have 2-3 kids, so when the twins turned out to be a boy and a girl it kind of just seemed perfect and complete with a family of four. 

But I could also see the twins being two boys though. Two chunky, happy babies who turn into a pair of cheeky, energetic toddlers, running around together, causing chaos and laughter wherever they go. And even though they are fraternal, they look a lot alike, both a spitting image of their father, despite having inherited your eyes, but their faces are still all König, from the way they scrunch their nose to the dimples on their cheeks when they smile. They are a handful and keep you on your toes, but they are also the sweetest and most loving little boys. It is a few months before the boy’s seventh birthday when you and König start to think about maybe expanding your family again. And it’s only a few weeks after their birthday that you find out that you are pregnant again. The pregnancy is much easier this time around, König still creating a chunk of a kid, but this time you’re only having one. And this time it is a little girl who instantly steals the hearts of her father and big brothers. The twins dote on her, constantly showering her with love and attention, always looking out for her and making sure she is safe. And König is absolutely wrapped around her tiny finger, and truly a sight for sore eyes to see the giant man doting over his little princess.    

[los-plantalones]

Let’s talk about bulbils! joey makes fun of me on the reg for stealing these from all the forgotten scapes but GUYS

when garlic is done flowering, it leaves behind a small clone of the underground bulb at the top of the stalk (scape). ↓

as seen here in my one of my more popular tiktoks, with over 6 comments worldwide

this smol clone bulb is SO smol in fact, that instead of being called bulbs, they’re called bulbils. 🥹 you can plant them the same way you do a regular bulb, and doing so will even help to better accclimate your garlic to your specific growing conditions!! and doesn’t transmit soil-born disease!!! highly recommend if you want a 2-year garden project.

did i also mention that they are EDIBLE?

they are tiny bombs of garlic that you can do all kinds of fun things with without much work

toss them in salad! sprinkle em on top of pizza (my jersey trash fave!) crush em and toast them and have the best thing to dust on EVERYTHING

here i made garlic bulbil biscuits. just add them to dough as is!

common garlic is great to use for this if you grow it, but you can ALSO do this with field garlic (AKA onion grass, wild onion, allium vinneale, crow garlic). this is what i use mostly because it’s DAMN EVERYWHERE

enjoy fun knowledge and eat more garlic (future epitaph 💕)

[all-pacas]

do you have any taub headcanons? i love that weirdo and i can never find any good posts about him besides yours

i don't, which i won't let stop me! here's some taub headcanons i'm making up on the spot:

He likes to sing, and he's not half bad at it. Kind of a showtunes guy. Sings in the shower, or while puttering around the house.

He's a big putterer. The type who likes to do dishes or fold laundry just because the repetitive nature lets him space out and think. He'd probably like gardening if he'd ever tried it. Despite this, he's not a particularly tidy person, or even all that organized.

He did always want kids. It wasn't like a driving thing, he did believe he was fine not having them when Rachel said she didn't, he probably could have lived his whole life not having kids and been fine. But he really loves fatherhood, even if it happened in the messiest way possible.

Although Taub was driven out of his practice, he didn't have to go into a Fellowship, let alone one for a fake field like diagnostics. But it sounded fun. And that actually matters to him. He can't do a job he doesn't care about, he'd rather take a shitty paying job for House than be bored as a GP or something.

After the series, he goes back to plastic surgery, but keeps in contact with Chase partially just to fish for consults. Like come on buddy. Don't you want to tag Taub in sometimes. Wouldn't it be fun. Come on. Come onnnnnn

Taub liked Kutner a lot, but they never really transitioned into out of work friends; they'd grab lunch sometimes but Taub never had Kutner over for dinner, for example. Which absolutely destroyed him after Kutner was gone.

So he made more of an effort with the others going forward. Like Chase thought Taub was being condescending when he invited Chase over for Thanksgiving Post Divorce, but no, Taub meant it, he actually does try to be a proactive friend. He's low key about it. Foreman was easy (Taub isn't at all threatened by or intimidated by his ego). He keeps in touch with 13 in a vague way after she moves on to Greece (he goes to her eventual wedding). He even still sends Christmas and birthday cards to Masters. (She got confused the first time, because isn't he Jewish? So now he sends her Christmas and Hannukah cards.)

Taub is not at all a practicing jew but his judaism is super important to him and he does lowkey want his daughters to go to Hebrew School. Just for cultural reasons. That said, he's probably the type to put up a Christmas tree because it's easier. I'm putting a lot of my dad into him with this one. Taub has dad vibes.

He loves a good argument. In quieter moments, he and House actually probably have a lot of fun going way into the weeds on highly specific philosophical or theological arguments.

He is a fiend for gossip, and tells all of it to his wife. Even after the divorce.

He and Wilson tried to be friends and it didn't quite work. Not because they dislike one another; they have a healthy appreciation for one another. It was just one of those things. They never quite clicked. They look at one another's philandering and self depreciation and inner insanity and go "what a loser." They're just alike enough in the wrong ways that they have nothing to talk about.

Lowkey, he probably had a bit of a thing for Cuddy.

[jakescaravel]

The Caravel (series)

🏴‍☠️ ⚔️ ⚓️

Part 1

Pairing: Jake x reader

Word count: 3,317

Warnings: Alcohol consumption, mentions of kidnapping, pirate life 🗡️🗡️ (it’s pretty tame for now. Make sure to read the A/N below before jumping in!) 18+ MDNI!!

A/N: Hello all! The Caravel is a slow-burn series about pirate Jake, I don’t want to give away too much here because the summary is already written into the story! One more thing! ⬇️

I have very carefully created a mood playlist for this specific part

If listening to music while you read isn’t your thing that’s totally fine but I do highly recommend it. The songs are kind of in a specific order but it shouldn’t matter too much if you shuffle. Okay it’s finally time…

🏴‍☠️           🏴‍☠️           🏴‍☠️

Exposition

Jacob Thomas Kiszka was a pirate aboard The Caravel. A ship that had once belonged to his father.

Captain Thomas Kiszka was his name. He had met a woman on shore and 9 months later, Jake was born on the very ship. Thomas had insisted his son live the life of a pirate. And his mother, having nothing much to offer him, had no choice but to hand over her precious child to become the next captain of the infamous ship. However Jacob Thomas Kiszka would not be the next captain of The Caravel.

The only two things Jake’s father had left him were his sword fighting skills and a little coin necklace from the great Atocha, a ship with immense treasure that Thomas’s crew had pillaged before he was killed in battle.

The crew aboard The Caravel were the only family Jake had ever known. They had taken him in, taught him how to fight, sail, how to handle his women and his rum. They had taught him how to navigate the seas and how to uphold The Caravels legacy.

It was late summer, the time of year when the seas were the angriest. It had been storming for longer than any of the men on board had ever seen. The crew was well equipped for bitter weather but they had never had to endure it for this long. They were running low on everything but more importantly, they needed a doctor.

The current captain of The Caravel was named James Calico. He was Thomas’s first mate and the one who was to lead the crew of fearless men to find the lost treasure at The Gardens Gate before Jake was of age. Captain Calico had heard of a young woman off the coast of the town they were nearing who was a doctor. All they had to do was collect the needed supplies for their voyage, and then collect the girl too.

🏴‍☠️           🏴‍☠️           🏴‍☠️

Jakes POV

Your mind is fuzzy from the rum you've been drinking all morning but all you have to focus on is your job. Go in, get the liquor and get out. Fast.

You roll your eyes at the thought. They know I can handle more than this, It isn’t fair.

Everyone on board knows who you are. They know who your father was. They respect you and treat you well. They took you in as one of their own and taught you everything you know but they do not give you as much power as the son of Captain Thomas Kiszka deserves.

You had heard parts of the plan from Reed, Captain Calico’s first mate, and a well respected man on board. He had always been the one to tell you more than the captain intended for you to know. You think of him as the closest thing to a real friend.

You know the plan has something to do with kidnapping a doctor but you don’t have time to worry about that. You have your job and you are ready to do it. 

You look down and grab the handle of your sword. You run your hand along the smooth leather (a nervous habit you picked up) keeping it in place and you instantly feel calmer. You’re confident in your ability to fight. I’m ready.

The boat docks and the anchor is lowered. You look to your Captain for instruction and he gives a slight nod. Within seconds, you’re all running off the ship and making your way through the town. You are ready to defend yourself if anyone tries you. However, as usual, no one does. You smile to yourself hearing the familiar shrieks and cries.

“Pirates!”

This is a feeling you’ll never get sick of. The feeling of straight adrenaline coursing through your veins and raw… power. You feel your heart beating out of your chest and you know nothing can hurt you in this moment. You’re invincible. Soon the entire square is clear and you make your way to the pub knocking over boxes and crates in the process.

You don’t have to look around for long. The rows and rows of bottles line the walls and you grab two cases and fill them up, and then one more for good measure.

You make your way back to the square where you see the rest of your crew, taking supplies and one by one returning to the ship. 

You look over and see a man everyone called ‘Brute’ holding a woman by the throat threatening to cut off her head if she didn't give him the rest of the meat at her stand. We don't have time for this. You hear the commanding voice of your captain telling him to let her go. And when he speaks, people listen, that's the rule.

Back on the ship you only take two steps before you hear the anticipated cheering. Time to celebrate. You set down the cases and help pass out the bottles of rum. You feel a small jolt and soon The Caravel is gliding across the water.

When you reach to grab a bottle for yourself, something catches your eye, or rather someone. It's a girl.

Wow.

You’ve heard of sirens in stories but you thought they were make believe. She is unlike anyone you have ever seen. She’s beautiful.

Your eyes travel up and down her body, slowly taking her in. You can't help yourself when you stare at the exposed skin on her stomach through the tear in her dress, or the bit of thigh that was showing. Your eyes meet hers and she quickly looks away.

She’s scared of me. Usually this revelation would please you but it feels like a stab to the chest. You think for a moment. She must be the doctor.

You hadn't expected it to be a girl, let alone someone this beautiful. She looks confused and panicked. Now that you pay closer attention, you see that she's being held roughly by two men, Patrick Lock and Robin Evers. They were good men but they obviously didn’t know how to control themselves in the presence of a lady.

A realization washes over you when you look into her eyes. The storm is gone... strange.

You shake the thought when you see Patrick and Robin wearing identical evil grins that make your hands bawl up into fists. Let go of her. You want to grab your sword and slice through their hands but instead you stay by the liquor cases continuing to study her.

🏴‍☠️           🏴‍☠️           🏴‍☠️

Her POV

Your mind is racing and your heart is pounding. It’s hard to think clearly when your arms are being held so tightly. Do they have to be cutting off my circulation?

Just moments ago you were sitting at home with your sister reading to her and now you were on a pirate ship. One of the ones you had only heard about in the stories your father used to tell you. 

Your eyes flutter closed hoping to wake up from this nightmare. You can smell the ocean. Of course you always could but it was so much stronger now. The cool breeze on your skin is refreshing in contrast to the sun's harsh rays. You let the sound of the water distract you from the dull pain growing in your arms. 

SWOOSH.

One particularly strong wave crashes against the side of the boat causing your eyes to open again.

Crash against wave upon wave.

The realization hits you once more. This isn’t a dream, this is real. Your eyes search the ship frantically. If they let go of my arm maybe I could jump off the side and swim back to shore. You look around once more.

The ship is like most that you’ve seen around the dock. Perhaps a little bigger. You don’t know much about them but you recognize the familiar ropes and watchtower. Your dad is a sailor but you’ve never gotten to see his boat. Now I never will.

There is something else near the tower, it’s a flag. A black flag. An exposition.

There is a symbol of some kind. What does that mean?

Your thoughts are cut off by the dozen men that surround you beginning to close in. You can hear the sound of their boots hitting the wooden deck.

Creeeeeek.

Each of them looks slightly different than the last. Some of them wear hats and carry swords, some of them wear shirts and some of them don’t. But they all look ragged and their eyes share the same slight yellow tint. Scurvy. They all eye you with dangerous expressions and wild eyes. It makes your stomach turn. 

However, there is one man who stays back. He looks younger than the rest of them. He has long brunette hair and entrancing brown eyes. He has on a white button up shirt with only one button done up just above his belly button. Classy.

You can see his tanned chest and his strong arms from where the sleeves are hiked up. He has on a pair of black breeches and a piece of cream colored fabric wrapped tightly around his waist. He wears a brown hat and a small white knit bracelet on his wrist. The mysterious man wears two silver hoops and has a clean shaven face. A small coin necklace hangs loosely around his neck.

You look back up to find his eyes boring into yours. The sword he carries tightly against his body seems to be staring at you too. The sight of the sun reflecting on the pointed silver makes a shiver run up your spine.

Your gaze is broken by someone walking towards you. You know he's the captain by the way the men part leaving a clear path from him to you, some of them bow slightly. 

He walks slowly and carefully, not breaking eye contact. He doesn’t look anything like what you've heard of in the stories. No peg leg, no eye patch. 

He has a long beard and he wears a hat or a tricorne as your dad taught you. When your eyes travel down you see his sword swinging slightly by his side and the wood shifting beneath him with every step. You struggle against the two strong hands holding you causing them to grab you tighter. That’s gonna leave bruises. 

The captain finally reaches you and towers over you. He looks strong and powerful. He lowers himself so that his face is level with yours and you smell the rum on his breath. 

He speaks with a hint of amusement as if he thinks this whole situation is funny. “Hello young lady.” He smiles showing you his singular golden tooth. 

He looks to the men holding you “Patrick, Robin, is this how we treat our guests? We don’t wanna scare the poor girl.” His eyes widen.

“Aye.”

“Aye.”

They let go of you causing you to stumble forward. The men laugh as the captain catches you and lifts you back on your feet. You recoil at his touch. “Come on matey, I'm not gonna hurt cha.”

You think about running but fear plants your feet firmly to the ground. What does he want?

Unable to meet his gaze, you look back to the young man, he’s… smirking? When he sees you look at him, his face drops and he looks back to his captain.

He speaks again “Welcome aboard The Caravel. What’s yer name?”

You can't seem to form words so you stare at him, lip quivering. The captain laughs at you. The rest of his crew laugh too. The young man laughs slightly but trails off when you look at him once more.

You feel yourself getting dizzy. You can hear a small voice in the distance that you recognize as the captains. He’s explaining to you how they needed a doctor for their ship. He tells you you have no choice but to oblige and there’s no point in trying to run away. He points to something but you can’t see what. You’re trying to absorb his words but your thoughts are still clouded. You turn back and see that you’re already far away from shore. You watch as your town grows smaller and smaller until it's a dot to strange horizons. 

The captain yells something that you can’t quite hear and you watch as the men assume their positions. Some of them go straight for the cases of liquor. Some of them climb the many ropes that stretch to the top of the ship, and some of them laugh at a joke being told.

These men are loud and dirty and not very kind. I need to go back home, I need to find my sister.

The captain keeps his eye trained on you, it was almost as if he was saying, ‘try to escape, try to swim away, I dare you.’

In the next hours, no one speaks to you, no one addresses you, they don't even acknowledge you. As The Caravel got farther and farther away from home, your body felt smaller and smaller. Weaker and weaker.

Oh my god, my sister. I can't imagine what she’s thinking right now, I hope she’s safe. My father won’t be home for another week. I hope he’s okay too. There was a storm that seemed to have fizzled out but he must have survived it… he must have. He's strong. Maybe when he returns home and finds out I've been captured he’ll come to save me. Him and his crew.

You look up again, and there is the young man, just across the deck taking sips of his drink. He doesn’t seem to be doing much of anything. His eyes fall to yours then drop back down again. He then looks out into the vastness of the ocean, seeming to be thinking about something important. 

I want to know his name.

Time doesn’t wait for your thoughts to collect and soon the moon replaces the sun. One by one the men go below deck to sleep for the night. The harshness of your reality is starting to set in. I’m only of use to them when someone is injured, other than that am I just a lost thought?

You are left alone on the deck, it's cold and lonely. It reminds you of your first day of school when you didn’t know anyone. That night you had gone home and cried in your fathers arms but this night, your father was miles away, on the same ocean but still, miles away.

The boat rocks gently to the rhythm of the sea. Your body becomes a part of the ship, swaying with the water. You feel the little droplets splash over the side and trickle down your face.

It's almost calming, almost. Maybe if I wasn’t a prisoner. At least I'm not tied up.

The moon is full tonight. Its light illuminates the deck and the water in its path. It’s breathtaking.

After several minutes of staring, you accept your fate and try to find somewhere to sleep. You decide a sandbag will have to make do. You attempt to find a comfortable position which proves to be difficult.

As the boat moves with the water on the salty sea, your salty tears begin to fall. It’s scary how quiet it is, and you miss your home, and your bed. For miles in every direction, there is nothingness.

Just as you close your eyes preparing yourself for an uncomfortable sleep, you hear a noise. It’s footsteps. You look up to find the young man approaching you. He’s holding something. 

Where is his shirt? 

The little coin necklace bounces on his chest when he walks. He ventures closer and kneels beside you.

“Are you cold?”

This is the first time you’ve heard his voice, it’s low and raspy but comforting. He asks his question with caution and genuine concern. You nod.

“Here.” He holds up the shirt and wraps it around you. You can’t help but smile.

He smiles back but doesn’t leave. He pauses for a moment. He looks lost, as if he doesn’t know if he should stay or go. He offers you a small smile and breaks the silence once more. 

“What’s your name?”

You tell him your name and watch his lips curl into a perfect, addicting smile. You feel your cheeks flush. He was… pretty.

“What’s your name?” You ask.

“Jacob Thomas Kiszka, mates call me Jake.” He pretends to curtsey causing you to giggle.

This warms Jake’s heart, He couldn’t bear seeing you so sad earlier. You had looked… horrified.

You allow yourself to admire his face. The way his lips fall into a perfect heart shape, the way his eyes sparkle underneath the moonlight, the way his cheeks move when he smiles.

What he does next surprises you. He goes to sit behind you and asks if he can help you. What? You turn to face him with a confused look on your face. He smiles at you. He brings one of his hands up to your hair and drags it down the length of it exposing the many tangles that you hadn’t even registered.

“Is this okay?”

You wonder how you could possibly say no to him so you let him carefully comb his fingers through your hair.

You close your eyes and let yourself bathe in the feeling of his calloused fingertips gliding across your scalp. His hands move slowly and carefully so as to not hurt you.

You don’t really understand why you’re letting him do this or why he wanted to do it in the first place. Maybe it was the kindness in his eyes or the way his voice sounded when he asked. But you just sit there and let him continue.

Jake starts working on a particularly large knot and starts humming to himself. You smile at this small act of vulnerability and let out a small chuckle. He stops singing and you turn around to be met with his reddened face, flushed with embarrassment.

A few minutes of comfortable silence pass as you look up at the stars.

“Do you do this to your own hair?” You couldn’t help but ask. You had grown curious about life as a pirate and Jake was the only pirate you’d seen on board with long hair.

“Hmm? Oh.. oh yeah I do. It takes a while with all the salt in the air and everything, and you know I just thought…” He trails off.

He looks up at you smiling again and you decide, I can trust him.

He parts your hair and moves half of it to drape gently over your shoulder. You feel his warm breath on the back of your neck sending you goosebumps. Oh.

He finishes brushing through the second section and it’s over far too soon. His hands leave your hair and quickly run down your shoulders making you shiver.

He did that on purpose. 

He stands up and faces you, he’s wearing a similar smile to the one that paints your face. Now much more relaxed than before, you look into his eyes. How can a person's eyes be so comforting? 

You're sad to see him go. Part of you wishes he would stay, and that he could warm you instead of his shirt. You’re wondering if maybe he had the same idea but then he speaks.

“Goodnight then mate.” He winks at you. There’s that butterfly feeling again.

You watch him slowly descend down the stairs below the deck. His hair blows with the wind. I can still feel his hands in my hair.

You rest your head on the sack of sand and eventually your eyes close. That night you fall asleep thinking of your sister but smiling at the new friend you’ve made.

-

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Part 2

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[catsconflictscopicsandchamomile]

@kimberleyjean ok, you asked for this, its cursed and I'm sorry.

So first off I'm NOT going to try to explain what Supernatural is. Its a garbage fire, and I am unfortunate enough to be one of the feral, touch-starved gays to live in said garbage fire. Its the best show ever but all of its accidental, its the worst show ever in terms of anything that was done on purpose, etc etc. You're on tumblr you know the drill

Anyway, before GOs2's "Final Fifteen", the ONLY connections between GO and SPN were:

A demon in spn is named Crowley, in an homage to GO Crowley. They are alike, but they are NOT the same character and I don't think it can be argued that they're the same person in different forms (bc with demons that would be possible). They are however both Scottish, greasy and have a deep disrespect for authority. I do HAVE a theory/hc connecting the two Crowleys but that's another post for another day. Weirdly, SPN!Crowley (who I'm going to call Fergus from here on out, bc even though nobody in spn or the fandom calls him that, it is his canonical first name) has very little to do with anything I'm about to say. Just fyi, he exists.

Secondly, The Hillywood show did a Supernatural parody back in 2014-ish. I will link it below if you're curious, but again not much in this video is ACTUALLY RELEVANT to what I'm about to say (however, Fergus is there. He's the Scottish guy)

However, the specific arcs of Supernatural that SURROUND the season/topic this parody is centered on (Mark of Cain arc, ~s9-10) are where the coincidences get weird, and ok now I do have to talk about Supernatural a bit.

mmmfffff. Okay so the Metatron is a greasy, annoying, manipulative, power-hungry bastard who lies every time he speaks, wants full rule over Heaven and will control anyone and wreck anything he can to get there....

...and I'm talking about the version of the Metatron from Supernatural. LONG tldr, Dean (buzz cut, older brother, guy who's in love with an angel, the guy who says the news headlines in the Destiel meme) takes this thing/curse/whole other mess called the "Mark of Cain" to kill this kinda super-powerful arch-demon called Abaddon (more on her later), and blah blah blah Supernatural Happens For A Bit, and due to the Mark's curse making Dean act like a total psycho (and also, its implied, slowly turning him into a demon) they try to get help from the Metatron, who had been locked up after... well.

-when God was no longer contacting heaven, Metatron ran away from Heaven and hid on earth because he thought that the angels would use the Word of God (which the Metatron holds) "wrong" or something

-later, took advantage of strife & power vacuums in Heaven to manipulate Cas (angel, deeply autistic, the guy who says "I love you" in the destiel meme, in love with Dean) into doing a spell that CAUSED ALL OF THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN TO FALL, for no reason other than the Metatron is an actual pissbaby.

anyway, Metatron claims he can help Dean, that was a lie (shocking, I know), Metatron pulls some bs including basically stealing Cas' life-force (a second time. the first time was when he was ALREADY fucking w Cas as mentioned above) and runs off back to heaven... along with Gadreel, who he has manipulated/convinced to help him take power in Heaven.

who's Gadreel?

well. he's the angel who let the Serpent (or in this canon, just Lucifer) into the Garden of Eden, and he was cast into Hell to be tortured forever or something as punishment. However, after Metatron's earlier all-the-angels-falling scheme, Gadreel (for reasons I'm not too sure of tbh) took the name/identity of a VERY highly-regarded and powerful angel named Ezekiel, who died of his injuries during the fall

^this last part is a detail I try hard not to think about. this is because the names and roles are JUST similar enough to GO's Ineffable Husbands for the implications make me very, very sad.

Anyway, Gadreel had been around spn canon before, posing as Ezekiel, possessing Sam blah blah blah shit happened

Anyway this is a whole lot of words to say that the season/s of SPN that The Hillywood Show was parodying were the seasons where the Metatron was a main villain, and attempted/temporarily succeeded in taking power in Heaven BY MANIPULATING THE GUY WHO LET THE DEVIL INTO THE GARDEN OF EDEN

and then The Hillywood Show (who tbh I almost feel bad for lmao like BRUH) got signed to produce the parody/teaser/release date announcement for GOs2. Where the Metatron...

yeah.

yeahhhhhh

I would have LOVED to see the Hillywood Show team's live and immediate reaction to the Final Fifteen because I can't even imagine what must have been going through their heads.

ah yes. the FUCKING Metatron

oh also in spn, the Metatron (its complicated but basically)severely/fatally wounds Cas, and straight-up KILLS Dean, but Dean resurrects as a demon (for a few eps at least), meaning that Metatron DID technically try, and almost succeeded in, killing both members of an angel/demon gay couple, if only bc timing lined up so that Metatron was an antagonist in the arcs where Dean was turning into a demon.

so yeah

anyway I mentioned we'd get back to Abaddon so here's those major spoilers I mentioned. I'm fairly sure these are real spoilers and not theories, since my source is wikipedia

that's the whole article, there's not much else on her on wiki (though I should really do more research on Muriel). I think I heard Neil say somewhere that he created Muriel because "he wanted an angel character, from Heaven, who was 'just nice'" but idk if anything specific has ever been said about her name.

anyway that's why the Metatron gave Muriel that book "The Crow Road" in the Final 15, why he likes her so much, and why he's having her stay on earth

"The Crow Road" is a book about the nature of Death, and Metatron is, for lack of a better/less problematic word, grooming Muriel for the role of angel of Death in the apocalypse (Abaddon being a VERY prominent figure in revelations, for those who weren't aware)

...so on top of all the other Supernatural/Hillywood-Specific coincidences, sure, let's have Abaddon too.

uhhhhh

yeah

[watchtheblog]

Cutting Slack

hello to the hierarchy of my besties: irl besties, internet besties, fantasy besties; the hierarchy of my haters: just the three of you, followed by someone who goes by the alias k.s on google reviews; an ever dwindling number of exes who can read, a handful of people i’m just getting to know who are about to know me too well too fast, and anyone else who has stumbled upon this highly specific page on the internet!!

if you’ve been here before, you know the deal. i’m going to weave a web of little jokes into a somewhat coherent story and then as a reward for knowing me you get the opportunity to see 20 things i hope to receive for my birthday, which, i hope you know… is tomorrow (26 september); i’m turning 94.

The joke web:

In february 2023 after the company I co-created sold to one of the corniest companies on the planet, I quit because they wanted me to set forth eight hours a day I would be available to do work. Seven years into a job I’d put 8 hours a year into, this was a startling task.

Also, they wanted me to become a member of slack, or get on slack, or write to them in slack. Or do something, whatever one does, on slack. You can do a lot of things to me, but what you’re not gonna do is make me go on slack. Many have tried in the past and not a one has ever succeeded.

Not to sound like Mark Cuban - or myself in [redacted] years -  but an 8 hour workday was not for me. And I explained this. I told a woman alleging to be my supervisor that every morning I woke up, I did cult for 20 minutes, wrote in my journal for 45 minutes, went for a 1 hour walk, came home, showered, drank a little poison, read for one hour in my garden, did some dilly dallying on the internet, and then I went to an appointment*, and by the time I was done with all of that it was already 4pm and that’s wind down time in my culture. 

Where did she want me to find 8 hours?!

(*i realize appointment time is not a thing (everyone can understand) but I’m gonna have to save it for another post. appointment time is sacred in a directionless little bug’s life and it deserves to be explained properly.)

If you think I’m joking that I laid out this schedule to a woman who was born inside a human resources complaint folder and whose dearly departed soul resides within a ludicrously capacious bag somewhere, I beg you to get to know me better.

Fundamentally, she did not understand and spiritually I was not the messenger to enlighten her, so I decided to quit.

I am impulsive by nature but this decision was incredibly thought out. I wrote down a list of pros and cons and I titled the cons list “things I’m not aligned with” and I listed 11 things.

“I dont want to be managed!!!!!!” (this is a literal copy and paste) topped the chart.

To follow? “Corporate weirdness”, and, simply: “Slack”.

On the pros list I wrote: “Freedom”, “I will finally be free”. (LOL!) Underneath it, it says “Take a fucking risk.”

I sat with these lists for approximately three minutes, and then I wrote an email announcing my resignation. And then I quite literally never spoke to anyone there ever again.

This all leads me to one short pivot before we’ll arrive at our final destination of my birthday list. 

When I mentioned earlier that I am impulsive by nature, I mean that I quit my job because someone said there was a question posed to me in Slack and I needed to answer it came to Ohio to visit my dad’s (RIP) childhood home and my (then) girlfriend convinced me to call the number on a commercial real estate building and within 45 days I’d signed a lease and 90 days later I had packed, driven, and moved my entire life across the country. 

When I moved here, I knew no one so I did a lot of things you may think only people who are on reality dating shows do, like: go to an espresso martini making class, cook marshmallows over an open fire in a state park at night with strangers, slide down a snowy hill on a plastic saucer as an activity, or attend a local rat’s birthday party.*

*disclaimer for anyone here who doesn’t GET me bc I’m scared to be misunderstood: i loved all of these things I’m not mocking them; I’m simply holding a light to the absurdity of my *on the spectrum, agoraphobic weirdo* ass doing these things in earnest because i needed to not kms. ◡̈  kms stands for k*ll myself.*

(Of course all of these things on a reality dating show would involve two people, whereas in my case I did all of those things alone.)

As a treat for my efforts to be a member of society, the universe provided me with the unique gift of meeting the anthropomorphic version of my intrusive thoughts!! 

We’ll call her Gloria (for no reason) and in our first phone conversation she had called everyone in the state of ohio “fat, lazy and bipolar” and told me my business would fail.

One minute after we hung up, she texted asking if I wanted to sauna with her right now. Now mind you, I’ve been doing shit “for the lore” since before it was called “lore” and men were just telling me I was insane (simpler times!!) so I grabbed a bikini and drove 9 minutes ready to go in a sauna with a random lady I’d never met.

And go in a sauna with a random lady I did... fully clothed for a reason that both confused and relieved me. In that sauna, Gloria repeated the aforementioned phone topics and added a pointed “nobody wants to work out; you will fail” while staring at me in a box heated to 130 degrees.

“It’s okay. Everything is always working out for me” I told her as she persisted in her negativity, because I lacked the ability to just tell her to shut the fuck up (and also because that is true). 

I considered the possibility of her behavior coming from a good intentioned place, like when cars driving the opposite direction flash their lights to let you know they just passed a cop (as if that ever hits). I considered it was an act of humanity, one unstable woman to another; trying to save me from the hell she thought was inevitable given her own - self proclaimed - “failure”. (she had opened and closed a studio of her own.)

So I let her keep flashing her dumb lights at me, showing up to my studio uninvited in the middle of my buildout telling me I should see if my landlord would let me out of my lease, texting me little foreboding horror stories about the perils of being in the fitness industry, sending me local businesses that were closing as if to say “i told you so; i’m warning you.”

“You’ll see” she said multiple times, as if to predict my ultimate demise in a way I’d be able to reflect on in the future, remembering she’d warned me. 

In those moments and in the months of desperation and grind leading up to the opening of my business I had no other choice but to move forward blindly, confidently. Long before I met this psychopath I had prepared for the possibility of failure. Unlike this woman, however, that preparation involved the potential of having to say “I failed… now what?” rather than “I failed. I’m the rule, not the exception. The journey is impossible.”

It’s been almost two years since I left the career I thought would define me, and while I certainly haven’t failed, I’m not writing this from the other side. I’m writing this from the beginning of a long journey I’m prepared and excited to be on that began the day I decided to take a fucking risk.

Two years ago I couldn’t find 8 hours a day to work and now somehow I’ve found 14-18…

and not a single one of them has been spent on slack. 

The Gift Portion!!!  the intangible: for the dismantling of nextdoor dot com, for all my bad memories to be erased, to win the war against seed oils, for the ai to stop(!!!), that the person who sullied my google reviews finds God and healing bc going against me is a form of psychosis, for great deals on this upcoming amazon prime day, that natalia grace is ok, that i never hear a telephone ring again, for watermelon to be in season all the time, that nobody is ever mad at me, that all eggs would turn to donuts in a way that would not have negative implications for chickens or negative repercussions for farmers, that everyone bounces back from whatever inevitable side effects ozempic will have, that my frequently used emoji are all safe and sound after getting rearranged, and for everyone I know and love to read the source by dr tara swart, and that they are all happy, healthy, successful, and in love forever.

the ones you can buy: these shoes (size 38)  or these shoes (size 38) also these (and you guessed it! 38) i want to fix my brain here, a casual five day immersive neurofeedback experience this watch this large suitcase or this one i cant pick this gorgeana kind of urgently, this these shoes (great deal alert!!!!) (size 38) i think the trajectory of my life would change if i owed four of these and maybe some other things to go with it big year for shoes … huge a stunning linen spray this practical thing her this or something else from her(e) these, white, small also kind of urgently, these this definitely the max mara teddy coat in the absolute smallest size and this is the last time I’m gonna put it here!!!!!! ykto!!! (lol!!)

[plantmommoonbaby]

Some Cannabis and Overenthusiasm-fuelled Fan Theories about Worlds Beyond Number (Part 2)

Theory #2: Is Eioghorain Rasper?

Look, this one is so thin. But it really leads back to my overarching theory that Eioghorain isn't actually as bad as we think actually, this theory of mine is very emotional and very deep, so I shall keep it to myself until I have a relisten specifically geared toward proving this, or if he is, it's not in the way we think. In reality, it probably stems solely from me thinking over and over again about the GIFT that is the fact that Eioghorain looks like Toshiro Mifune. But we know literally 2 things about Rasper (as recallled from memory so please correct me if I'm mistaken):

1) his origins are very mysterious but his name is likely a name cloak

2) he is an older east asian man with graying hair at his temples and a lithe, athletic build

This literally just occured to me today while listening to the Fireside Chat when Brennan made an effort to remark that Eioghorain would be older now. Aabria and Erika were (rightly) distracted by Mifune still being smoking hot at any age, but I can't help but wonder...

Theory #3: Indri and Mirara are working together to kill Hakea

Ok... ride with me, please. I've already talked about this before, but I have to say it again because... i just believe it so much. We know that The King of Night wants to eliminate Ame so that the Coven can make moves against the Citadel. But... what if his infiltration of Hakea's retinue is actually a ploy from Indri to incriminate Hakea in the death of Gramore's lover??? Gramore and Hakea came into this house the closest bond. And Hakea is the one witch currently in the coven with an undeniable authority over Indri. If there can only be 3 witches, it seems like the very best chance Indri has in convincing Gramore is by turning her against Hakea so that it is Ame and Hakea on the chopping block.

Theory #4: Indri is eliminating the Coven of Elders one by one

Look... there's not a ton of data to back me up on this one besides Brennan admitting that Indri is him living his best Regina George Life. Here's what I do have

• Indri's predecessor was not about isolation and self like Indri is

• Indri killed her predecessor

• Indri is so threatened by other witches that she "gets rid of" any apprentice she has that starts learning magic

• Oh, and the Mysterious Garden of Highly Specifically Posed Ice Sculptures, including one who is very much Not Like the Others

• Indri looked exactly the same as she does now when she met Morning Wrensong... meaning she was likely equally as powerful

• Grandma Wren would've been the third witch eliminated from the Coven if Ame's curse worked

And... lbr, that's all I need to know this woman is threatened by other powerful women and is Very Likely Up to No Good...

Theory #5: Halumon might be our best bet at fixing the Coven of Elders

Remember how Halumon melted the ground of the courtyard? Also, remember the ice sculpture that was Not Like the Others? I feel like the only way we really put an end to Indri's determined elimination of her own Coven will be getting the pretty pony back to melt Ice Mommy and have her reclaim her position as the Witch of Wind and Stars. This is less of a theory and more of a hope, ngl...

Anywho, again, if you actually made it here, thanks for reading and please tell me how you feel about any of these. Also, if toy are anything like me, you have cottonmouth rn, so don't forget to hydrate.

[backgroundnoisewithaview]

Tired of Living Other People's Expectations....

Will seemed eager to talk to Dr Charles when he asked if Dr Charles had time to spare, but Will has been sat in his office, on his couch for nearly 15 minutes struggling to start.

So Dr Charles takes the initiative.

Dr Charles: Will, I'm not here to rush you man, you take as long as you need, but I don't think you really came to my office just to sit there, did you? Would it help to get you started if I asked a few questions?

WIll, relieved: Yes

Dr Charles: Did you want to talk to me about your Dad?

Will: No

Dr Charles: Did you want to talk to me about your job or how it's making you feel?

Will: No

Dr Charles: Is it about something specific, or just a general feeling?

Will: I.... both, I think?

Dr Charles: Okay. That's good. That's a start. How are you finding getting up and out of bed in the morning?

Will: No that's fine. That's not-

Dr Charles: Okay.

Will: It's- Okay so, here's the thing. Have you ever heard- I think I loved Natalie. Like, at one point I could have seen us old and retired and kids and grandkids, right?

Dr Charles: Right....

Will: But then there were problems and we could never work around the problems, but the thing is, sometimes it just felt like I was the problem. I made a few mistakes, I admit, but it felt like if it was anyone else, Natalie would have taken the bigger picture into account and talked to them over it, I got pushed out.

Dr Charles: Okay, and why do you think that was?

Will: She held me to a higher standard than other people?

Dr Charles: Probably, yeah.

Will: So, I saw some other poeple but I don't know. Those relationships also didn't work out

Dr Charles: Why?

Will: First I thought it was because, they're not Natalie. But lately... This is going to sound pathetic.

Dr Charles: Will, man, I highly doubt that. And there's really nothing you could say that I probably haven't heard before a million times.

Will: I think I just jumped head first into anyone who gave me the attention, the time of day... Like i had this idea in mind of how life should be, and this was the way to do it.

Dr Charles: How did you think life should be?

Will: Wife, dog, house, picket fence. The usual.

Dr Charles: I can understand why that would your ideal. A lot of people aspire to it.

Will: Right, but then, it never works out, they- it always came back to Natalie, or me, I didn't quite fit into their.... expectations, I guess? but... Okay i've been spending time with a friend, right? And it's the easiest things have ever been. We arrange to meet up, we meet up, we have a good time. I don't feel like i'm bothering them if i ask them to hang out or intruding on their own time, or that I can't say no if they ask me for something. And now, instead of getting old with Natalie, i'm thinking, it'd be nice to just get old with this friend. I don't.... I don't think I want... I mean. I'm not. It's not- I just can't see the girlfriend thing working out as well as this friendship currently is right now.

Dr Charles: What do you think is the main difference between this friend and Natalie or your other girlfriends?

Will: I... I- They don't expect me to be perfect, they don't expect anything of me at all, I don't think, not in the way Natalie or Nina did. I mean I can be an ass, and they're an ass right back. But that's... that's not normal, is it? I should want to make it work with a girlfriend.

Dr Charles: Who says?

Will, pauses, opens his mouth and closes it a few times and then just waves his hands around the room: Society, I guess?

Dr Charles: Your catholic upbringing maybe? Surounded by the parents with the kids and the houses, gardens, fences....

Will: Well. I- I mean. I...

Dr Charles: It's your normal because you grew up with it, but Will, you don't have to do that if you don't want to. And what you want now might not be what you want in ten years. You're allowed to change your mind, you're allowed to veer off the path your childhood forged for you.

Will: But.... what does that mean?

Dr Charles: That you're finding your own path. And as long as nobody's getting hurt, then I don't see a problem with anything that you're saying.

Will: But.... I mean, doing what I want for now sounds great but 10 years from now, C- The friend... they might have a whole different life and i'll be left in the dust trying to figure out where to start again

Dr Charles: That's just like, endings and divorces for you buddy. It's a sad fact of life, sometimes we do just have to start again. Friends come and go, so do wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, jobs, pets. Only certaintly in life is death and taxes.

Will: But then how will i explain being single for so long with the next girlfriend?

Dr Charles: Just like you have to me, you wanted to be single for a while after some relationships didn't work out, but, Will, why worry about crossing that bridge until you come to it? Maybe you'll never have to, for one reason or another. Maybe your friend is feeling the same way and thinking single life is the way to go.

Will: No.... I can't see that.

Dr Charles: Are you psychic?

Will, laughs: No

Dr Charles: So don't borrow trouble. And maybe one day you can talk to your friend about some sort of Odd Couple kind of situation, you know?

Will, laughs again.

Dr Charles: Can I... Can I ask you a question?

Will: Er. Yeah. Sure

Dr Charles: Have you ever heard of the asexuality spectrum?

Will: Er. No.

Dr Charles: It's a legit sexuality, Kinsey - you could say discovered it. 0 on the kinsey scale. A bunch of people who didn't experience sexual attraction.

Will: .... Right.....

Dr Charles: Not much desire for relationships in general, there's a related term called aromanticism but the two don't always go hand in hand. Some asexuals have sex for their partners, some don't, some don't have partners at all even if they experience roamntic attraction. Today, I would say the average asexual dream is to get a little house somewhere with a friend and a pet and no other expectations. Sound familiar....?

Will: .... yeah...

Dr Charles: Whether or not you would identify with that label, either way, just as valid as any other way to live.

Will: I did love Natalie

Dr Charles: I'm not saying you didn't. Maybe she wasn't the right... person, or maybe relationships mean something different to you than what they mean to most other people around here. Either way, it's fine.

Will: Hmmm

Dr Charles: I think I've given you a few things to think about, so how about this? I'm going to email you a link to a few questionnaires. I won't see the results, they're just for you, and see what it says. And if you want to talk to me about this again, you can do. If you don't, or want to talk about something else, we can also do that. What do you think?

Will: Er. Yeah. Okay.

Dr Charles: Is there anything else you want to talk about whilst you're here?

Will: No. No, that's.... Thank you Dr Charles.

Dr Charles: You're welcome, Will.

~

A few months later

Dr Charles: Hey. How're things going? We haven't talked, you know, in a while.

Will, smiling: I got a dog.

Dr Charles: Yeah? Good for you, buddy. What's the name?

Will: Kol. He was a patients who passed away, the good shelters wouldn't have him and nobody else could take him in, so...

Dr Charles: Serendipity.

Will: Yeah, I guess.

Dr Charles: And what are you doing at the weekend?

Will: Er. Going to a Hawks game with Connor. He keeps being given free tickets.

Dr Charles: Friends in high places.... Good. Glad things are working out.

[altraviolet]

hello violet,

i really love your writing, and want to express my admiration over the fact that you completed a story as huge as the echo garden, and executed it so well.

i am an artist and a writer, and i find it difficult to see my ideas to completion. i wanted to request any input on time management for creative work, or planning for writing specifically in your week.

thank you for your consideration! hope you have a lovely week.

cheers

hello anon!

thanks very much! I'm glad you enjoy my writing :)

ooooh... yeah, I have a lot of trouble sitting down and getting myself to WORK on stuff, so I don't feel super qualified to assist, but I can try

I actually see 2 different issues here you've mentioned

not seeing items to completion

time management

I see those as 2 different things because it's very very hard to finish things, and that's usually for reasons other than time management (at least, in my experience)

re #1: I've observed more than one pro writer say that you MUST finish works in order to grow. it's usually in top 5 lists for tips on how to become a better writer (I know you said you're an artist, too, I'll just use "writer" to keep this post less wordy). and I would agree: it's important to have the discipline to see it through so you know what it's like to finish a work. but also you get that Hooray! sense of accomplishment at the end. plus, you can't really evaluate a wip work: you can only judge it once it's all done. and then go back and fix it, knowing the whole picture

yes, time management can be part of that, but I think it more often comes to disinterest. people start projects, are excited, then they get past the honeymoon period of creation and reach the hard part of the creative relationship: the work it takes to get from the beginning to the end. the project isn't pure fun anymore, so they move on to the next one, leaving that one unfinished. but just like most things worth doing, it does take work. and that means you'll have to work on it when you don't want to. I'm not saying that's the case for you, but it's a common issue with the inability to complete projects

but, let's say you do have the inner drive to finish things, you just don't have the time

#2: time is highly variable between people, and it's going to have to come down to you taking a look at your schedule and your energy levels and your projects - and your obligations - and identifying where you can either squeeze little bits of time for projects, or sacrifice other events for projects. literally write out your schedule and see where the empty spaces are. those are where you will write.

if you're working several jobs and/or going to college, or have a very scattered schedule, you'll have to eke out the time when you can. the 30 minutes between class, the lunch break, the (if you are not driving, but are taking public transport) commutes, etc. I think this is a very difficult way to do things, but a lot of people do this. they REALLY REALLY want to write their books, or accomplish XYZ, and they make the time between obligations

subset to the above: if you can consolidate your schedule, or not go out with friends, or cancel plans, and take a very serious approach to your creations, you can put it in the schedule, and now it's a part of the whirlwind you have to do

it's the sad truth that the easiest things to cancel are social outings, and many creatives are loners/alone, perhaps by choice, but perhaps not. if your only really nice, juicy chunk of free time is Friday night, and you like to go out with friends, you may have to very seriously ask yourself: do I want to do this project more than I want to go out? and it may be the case that the project will not get done unless you make some sacrifices

if you do have a lot of free time, and it's rather an issue of discipline - sitting down and doing the work - I'm afraid you need to find ways to eliminate distractions. you need to work on things when you don't want to. I actually fall into this category more than the "whirlwind life" category (as long as family isn't in town). I work, come home, die in front of youtube for a while, go to bed, wake up, work, etc etc. but my whole afternoon and my weekends are largely free.

and I am very bad at taking advantage of them, because I use a lot of that time to recover from work

sooooo I feel kinda like if I tell you to do a bunch of stuff I don't, it's a bit hypocritical 😄 so, with that in mind...

one of the main things that got me through TEG was this very strange anxiety I got if I hadn't posted in a while. it'd usually build up over the week, until a sat/sunday when I had enough brain power to write, and then I'd post chapters sunday night. I was motivated by the anxious sense of "I need to get this done, I need to work on this, I need to work on this, I NEED TO WORK ON THIS."

probably not too helpful, but it is the truth xD

a couple of things that have helped me get started in the past year:

writing sprints. having a buddy that you write with for a set period of time holds you accountable. it's always easier with a buddy! often if you can just get started, you can keep going

changing the medium. by this I mean, 99% of the time I write at my computer. but last year I got a bunch of different colored pens and hand wrote in a notebook and it was super fun and I thought of a lot of things for a fic

how is that time management? these are "economical" things to do with your free time which may help prompt productivity. economical in the sense that they directly capitulate you into writing

this post is kind of scattered, sorry. work really kills my brain, lol

uhhhhh ok let's try another approach. here are some actionable things you can do:

write out your schedule. highlight all the times when you are free. pick at least 4 of them per week and dedicate them to your creative works

find a friend or buddy or amicable stranger and make them your writing buddy. do sprints together, or just write at the same time. make "writing dates" or something like that- the idea is that if someone else is working with you on it, you're not alone and you've got to show up for them, and they'll show up for you

you may find breaking your creation down into steps helps. then you can match these steps up to chunks of free time. "okay Tuesday I have 45 minutes free between Job 1 and Job 2. I'll work on chapter 4 dialogue at that time." in this instance you're leaning on structure to guide you through the day

bizarre side note: sometimes?? spite or jealousy?? can motivate you to do things. if you can work yourself up into a "I'm gonna DO THIS!!!" mentality, no one's gonna know which emotion got you there xD

🤔

I think that's all the advice I have at the moment. I don't know what your schedule is, so I'm not sure what I can directly advise. I hope something in the above helped! best of luck on your creative endeavors. pick something small and finish it. then do it again, and again, and again 💪 have a good week!

ps wait I thought of another thing. do indeed start with smaller projects. I worked my way up to TEG. I knew it would require a LOT of time and attention and words to pull off. I didn't attempt it until I had already written a bunch of short stories and then a 150,000 word long fic. I felt that, at that time, I was as ready as I'd ever be. so like... find a balance between "feeling READY to do it" and "starting too soon." if you're struggling to finish a project of X length, try putting it aside and doing a 1/2 X length project. build up some small finishing victories. don't start with the big thing if you can't finish the little things 💪

[malleablemusic]

in the spirit of remaining genuine and honest in this article, i will be fully transparent and say i have heard the titular song of this album and am obsessed and in love with it, but i've never cared to listen to the rest because i no longer have a good relationship with the boy who introduced me to neutral milk hotel. because of our falling out i now have (perhaps misguided) negative notions of the people i picture to be fans of neutral milk hotel. i am now braving a listen through of this album due to my passion for using this blog to expand my mind/break down barriers of preconceived notions i have, but also because my boyfriend's best friend highly praised it, and he is a good man :) anyways, heres my review of in the aeroplane over the sea by neutral milk hotel:

king of carrot flowers pt. 1: 4.2/5 stars

the second it started with "when you were young" i knew i would be emotional

the imagination of childhood... and how it naturally disappears for us all as we grow up..but specifically this song insinuating it happening because of the domestic/family abuse the "king of carrot flowers" experienced...ouch

love how tender is sounds. how he sings is so raw and makes the awful story he's telling sound sweet

king of carrot flowers pt. 2: 3.9/5 stars

oh. where did jesus christ come from

"mouths open wide and spilling snow/ i will spit until i learn how to speak" and "i will shout until they know what i mean" perfectly encapsulates the feeling of not being able to communicate your anger

in the aeroplane over the sea: 5/5 stars

when i first heard this song, i sobbed and wasnt sure why. after hearing it a thousand times since, i know why the song feels so tragic. i heard it when i was 19 and in my freshman year of college. i think that was truly when i understood how important of a time my teens to early twenties were, and felt afraid that it was slipping away or i would blink and miss it.

"but for now we are young/ let us lay in the sun/ and count every beautiful thing we can see" i vowed to remain curious and appreciative of my youth. never discount the small joys in life !

"cant believe how strange it is to be anything at all" i wish i could scream this off a rooftop

two-headed boy: 4.4/5 stars

was immediately reminded of the two-headed calf poem, and my chest caved in

i am really in love with the way he shout sings, and especially how they do not seem to fix the clipping that happens when he does

i like the way he pronounces the "k" sounds so sharply

the fool: 4.2/5 stars

obsessed with the imperial sounding trumpets, feels like a king is marching in but instead im picturing a jester walking down towards the throne

feels like it belongs to the soundtrack of a movie

holland, 1945: 3.8/5 stars

i kind of wish i didnt google the song title first, because it made me more confused.

i do love how the song paints the picture of an profound story

communist daughter: 2/5 stars

did he. did he just say what i think he did. i had to pause and collect myself. "semen stains the mountaintop" HUHhhh?

no i wont lie i dont know what the song is about and tbh i dont care to?

oh comely: 3.2/5 stars

i would love to know what this man' sounds like when h's speaking voice sounds like. i wonder if he always rounds out his syllabus soo much (if so, love that) and also where his accent originates from

just as i was typing that i felt there wasnt enough modulation and i was bored, he did that high noooote (or his attempt at one) and i kind of love that it sounded so hard for him and his voice barely went up in register HAH. sounds like its really coming from the depths of his soul

ok. no actually what is this man's obsession with mentioning semen. "smelling of semen all under the garden" dude what actually is your problem that is a CRAZY line

ghost: 3.3/5 stars

i like the drums that come in at "and she was born in a bottle-rocket in 1929" and how its a delayed drum entrance

doesnt sound different enough from the rest of the songs it followed to be specially noted in any way tbh

[untitled]: 4.5/5 stars

i genuinely love pipes (apparently this song uses a uillean pipe) and think modern music needs to utilize its fantastic sound more, loving this so much

two-headed boy pt.2: 4/5

i really enjoy the two part songs, the narrative this album weaves is very well thought out

i love the motifs of the album and how he finds different ways to tie back to them (especially the flowers in her eyes)

i really enjoyed the album overall, and will definitely be taking the time soon to delve deeper into the album's lore. i;m glad i went in blind and without any preconcieved notions of the narrative, and look forward to learning more about the tale (or ideas/opinions of what it could be about!). im glad i gave the album a try, and would rate it overall 3.8/5 stars

[moonchild-in-blue]

darya can you give me some soft song suggestions?? 👀

Boy, can I??

Okay, SO! This is a bit of a mix of genres/vibes I suppose, to give it a bit of variety. Also it's highly biased list since these are quite literally some of my all time favourites ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (blue for my mostest beloveds!)

(cut here because i don't wanna spam people's dash. It's so longggg omgiapologiseoop-)

Indie / Pop vibes (aka more on the mainstream artists spectrum):

Cigarettes After Sex - Sweet ; K

Billie Eilish - i love you ; everything i wanted

Rex Orange County - Untitled ; Happiness

Bon Iver - Flume ; Holocene ; Wash (he's one of my top 3 artists of all time omg i love him so much everything he does is perfect 💙 also a certain someone has cited him as an influence... :::) )

Ry X - Sweat ; Only

Cuco - Hydrocodone ; Amor de Siempre (my beloved chicano 💙 - lofi pop vibes)

Joji - Glimpse of Us ; Ew ; Like You Do (i would give up my kidneys for him)

Frank Ocean - Pink + White (maybe not super singing-friendly but I had to include him) ; Bad Religion (not exactly soft per-se but it's beautifully heartbreaking)

Bright Eyes - Lime Tree ; Lua

Jake Bugg - Love, Hope and Misery

Owl City - Vanilla Twilight

Rock / Metal / Alt vibes (i'm leaving a million bands out because otherwise this would just be my depression list... I listen to a lot of sad/angsty stuff lol)

All Time Low - Therapy ; Somewhere in Neverland (there's an acoustic version of it!)

Being As An Ocean - Dissolve

Bring Me The Horizon - Deathbeads ; Follow You

Crown The Empire - Millennia ; Lead Me Out Of The Dark ; For Days

Dayshell - A Waste Of Space

Linkin Park - Iridescent ; The Messenger (just typing this already broke my heart)

Of Mice & Men - Space Enough To Grow

Our Last Night - Falling Away

Panic! At The Disco - Northern Downpour ; She Had The World ; The End Of All Things (i am a panic girlie what can i say)

Parachute - Kiss Me Slowly (the cutest love song ever omg)

Plain White Ts - 1, 2, 3, 4 ; Hey There Delilah (sure it's mainstream but whatever it's beautiful)

Pierce The Veil - I'm Low On Gas (...) ; She Makes Dirty Words Sound Pretty

Queen - Love Of My Life (this one is a must ugh the cutesttt)

Real Friends - I've Given Up On You (my heartbreak song lmaoo) ; Sixteen

Red - Nothing and Everything ; Of These Chains (these are sad and emotionally heavy btw. one of my all time favourite bands everyone should listen to them more)

Seahaven - Honey Bee ; Silhouette

Sleeping With Sirens - Don't Fall Asleep At The Helm ; 2 Chord

Eepie Voucher - Drag Me Under ; Telomeres ; Give ; Shelter (i know it's unnecessary but!!! Oh well)

The Story So Far - Navy Blue ; Phantom

Twenty One Pilots - The Hype (specifically the Locations - Berlin version) ; Truce

Vinyl Theatre - Thank You For The Good Times ; Speak My Mind (it has soft vibes, you'll get it if you listen. They are crazy good and criminally underrated)

Random Songs that I just remembered lmao:

The Beatles - Yesterday

Maroon 5 - She Will Be Loved

Goo Goo Dolls - Iris (SWS covered it and I love that version so so much)

Joe Brooks - Superman

Iron & Wine - Flightless Bird, American Mouth

Elliott Smith - Between The Bars

Terrenoire - Jusqu'à Mon Dernier Souffle (my fav frenchies)

Over The Garden Wall - Send Me A Peach (i sing this song at least once a day 🥺)

Kermit The Frog - Rainbow Connection (lmao i knowwww but this is one of my all time favourite songs hahaha it makes me so happy and soft and yeah 🥺🌈)

Baby I'm so sorry for the never ending list. I literally just scrolled through my music player curating songs. And I know I'm forgetting a million other songs but OH WELL 🥺💙💚

[eldritchsurveys]

1191.

Questions about random places A themed survey by Guia from scyphozoan

WHERE YOU LIVE: 1) What are the best and worst things about your neighborhood? >> The best thing is that there are multiple stores within walking distance, and the bus stops are plentiful. There are also at least 2 parks within walking distance, and a lot of people have gardens and sometimes fun lawn/porch decor. The worst thing is that it's an urban neighbourhood and therefore subject to urban noise levels.

2) If someone gave you an extra $5,000 for your house and only your house, how would you spend it? >> This confuses me for several reasons. I don't own this house, "extra" in addition to what, where am I going to live...

3) If someone outside of your town or city visits you for the first time, where would you take them out to? >> I think that would depend on what they're interested in, what they want to see and do. I would be a poor host if I just subjected them to stuff I like.

4) If you had to order a quick takeaway for dinner, where would you go to? >> Uhh... I don't know, really. I think that'd depend on how much money I have and what I was in the mood for. Takeaway isn't at all a frequent thing for me, I don't have a ready answer.

5) What’s a random fact about where you live? >> I don't know any random facts, I don't think. I must admit to not being terribly interested in this city.

THE LAST HOUSE YOU VISITED THAT WAS NOT YOUR OWN: 6) Whose house was it? >> Sparrow's parents' house.

7) Why did you visit and how long did you stay? >> It was Easter. About 4 hours.

8) What do you think about this person’s house? >> I have spent way more time inside it than I would ever want to. I don't have any real opinion about it as a location, I just am quite weary of it being a fixture in my life.

9) If you can take or copy something from their house, what would it be? >> I don't want a single thing from that house.

10) What about their house would make it difficult for you to live there if you had to? >> I did live there, and what really made it difficult was the fact that it wasn't a space I had any control in, and I had to live with people I don't even like. Also, the bedroom I occupied was in the basement and I'm not really the basement-dwelling type, I need sunlight in my room and shit.

THE LAST RESTAURANT YOU ATE AT: 11) What is the name of the restaurant, and what kind of cuisine do they serve? >> Uhhhh... was it King Pot? I think King Pot was the last restaurant I was at. They serve hot pot and Korean BBQ.

12) How did you first find out about this restaurant, and what triggered you to try it? >> I don't remember how I found out about it, and I tried it because I love Korean food and fortunately Sparrow's family agreed to take us there for Sparrow's birthday.

13) What did you order and how would you rate it? >> I can't possibly remember all the specific things I ordered, such is the nature of hot pot. I rate it pretty highly, it was delicious.

14) What do you like best about this place? What about it could be improved? >> I don't have any notes. It was just good.

15) Would you go back? If so, what would you order the next time you do? If not, where or what would have been a better option than going there? >> Sure, I'd go again.

THE LAST PLACE YOU VISITED THAT WAS MORE THAN 45 MINUTES AWAY FROM YOUR HOME: 16) Where did you go and what did you do there? >> Hmm... really testing the limits of my memory here. Uh... oh, it might have been Lansing. Went to Lansing on Christmas because Sparrow's family's Christmas dinner was being held at their sister's house.

17) How did you get to this place? How comfortable was the trip? >> Sparrow drove us. The trip was fine, it was like an hour and a half or something.

18) What about this area do you wish exists in or applies to where you live? >> They do have the superior Horrock's over there. Also they have this banger pizza place that I can't remember the name of but I think about constantly.

19) Do you know anyone who lives in this area? >> Yeah, the people we went to visit.

20) If you had to live in this area, what kind of housing arrangement would you choose? >> I don't want to live in Lansing. If I had to live anywhere in Michigan, I'd choose Detroit. Otherwise, send me south. Or west. Hell, east. Anywhere but north, I guess, lmao.

[folanoflimbo]

General Atticus HC's

Had the urge to write more OC headcanons, so here they are some more!

Is currently in his late 20’s-early 30’s. Despite being dead for 5 years and his revival being thanks to semi-supernatural forces, the Garden still aged him to keep him in-line with what it thought was right.

Sleepy Bisexual. Probably drinks as much coffee as Illyana does.

Still has traces of his old Australian accent. Still slips ‘mates’ and ‘oi’s into conversation sometimes. Comes out in full swing when he’s upset.

Majored in English Literature and Teaching! Will leap into long speeches about Shakespeare at the drop of a hat. 

Put on some weight during his time away from the X-Men. Chose not to get rid of it, even after being revived on Krakoa. ((This is definitely not because Illyana likes it, no sir.))

Sees the original New Mutants as his family, would defend any of them with his life.

Team Dad when Sam is away. He and Dani spend a lot of time wrangling the students and planning for the school with the others. He usually leaves her to deal with the council unless they request him specifically. ((Or he gets to see Kitty and Piotr, whichever is more likely))

Die-hard Dazzler fanboy, Alison once dropped into his and Illyana’s home and found him at the door wearing a “I <3 Dazzler” shirt, she never let him hear the end of it ((she was flattered though)).

A perpetual project-starter. Would start and drop a new, weird thing every few weeks. Some are successful (the sweaters he made his teammates, learning to bake) some aren’t (boxing, 

Briefly took a job at Avengers Academy as one of their “normal staff” and a mutant liaison (hilarious considering his history with the X-Men). Took the job despite his dislike of The Avengers because they offered him a ton of money.

Because of this he and Laura are surprisingly good friends, he was the first choice for a teacher for Gabby once he was revived and Akedeimos was more concretely established as a school.

Highly protective of his students, all of them, even the ones who aren’t his students anymore. Had to be convinced to not attack Arcade after he found out about Avengers Arena and almost started a fight with Bishop when he pitched his War Academy.

Frequently uses his powers for mundane things; spinning hand fans, hand drying clothes, rewinding tapes, etc. Will spin the earth around just to skip traffic. 

After being revived he can see errors and other signs of reality having been warped or changed in some way in the form of spirals appearing over the top of the affected object. Causes him serious headaches. 

Idolizes Captain America. Has considered using a shield as a weapon for its effectiveness and to emulate the man. Was very bummed out when Rogers acts like a “boot-licker” and worked against mutant-kind after AvX. 

Dude is just trying his best to live a peaceful and quiet life with his family, and all the superhero drama keeps getting in the way : (

[misscrawfords]

12, 16, 38

12. Tell one book story or memory (what you were wearing when you were reading something, someone saw you cry in public, you threw a book across the room and broke a window, etc.)

Already answered, but here's another one. Well, I've been just thinking and I have lots of memories associated with particular books and moments but a lot feel poignant or sad in some way now, so for a simple but happy one - I remember reading Persuasion for the first time as a teenager in the back garden. I'd got my dad to leave a corner of the lawn unmown so I could live out my fantasies of lying in long grass reading books and I remember doing just that the first time I read Persuasion.

16. Rant about anything book related

I'm gonna weigh in on Ali Hazelwood. I'm not actually a big romance reader - I tend to get my fix from fanfic; I'm often disappointed by actual published romance novels. But I really like Hazelwood's books. She's totally derivative and has in many ways written the same book three times over which is starting to bother me but I like several things about her books: 1) the focus on academia and nerd loving characters - I'm not in STEM myself but I respect her commitment to some level of reality of what that world is like and that her characters (whatever else they may be) are academically intelligent and inhabit a world that feels quite familiar to me. 2) her heroines are often successful human beings (debatable) but with little romantic experience not because they're blushing virgins saving themselves for marriage but because they're just doing other things, Olive especially is pretty clearly demisexual- this is unusual rep and I love it and find it relatable. I find romance novel heroines really unrelatable because they are either pure and Christian (or Christian coded) or highly sexual. Yes, I know, I probably need to read different books but I do struggle to find ones where the subject matter and writing style both appeal. 3) They're easy to read - I don't mean that in a bad way - they're both easy page-turners AND I don't keep stopping because the writing irritates me and jarrs.

Why do I care enough to write about her specifically in this rant? Well, she's a published Reylo author and people who hate the fact that Reylo fanfic authors are currently doing very well in publishing and on booktok go out of the way to sneer and hate her specifically. I'm not trying to make out that her writing is greater or more profound than she is but I think it is so small-minded to resent someone's success because they have managed to capitalise on their writing talent and made the move from fanfic to traditional publishing, just because you don't like a ship. As people in fandom, we should be cheering her on and her fellow newly published and popular authors, no matter our feelings on Reylo.

(Not even going to weigh in on booktok. I have no idea; I don't have tiktok and I don't want to get it. If people are reading and sharing thoughts on books then that has to be good at least to some extent.)

38. What qualities do you find annoying in a character?

Prooooooobably similar to what I find annoying IRL: being completely self-obsessed and lacking self-awareness. At least IRL such people can't help it but I guess in fiction, it's particularly annoying if the author is also unaware of it. Obviously a self-obsessed character who lacks self-awareness can be a wonderful (comic?) character in the hands of a self-aware author, but I mean those protagonists that are meant to be relatable and sympathetic to the reader but the author doesn't realise they're actually a boring, narcissistic turd. So I guess ultimately what I find annoying is a character created by an author who doesn't fully interrogate the character and understand their flaws and then either have them work on those flaws or, in line with the tone of the novel, fail to work on the flaws.