#brew trip how to do tree house brewing

[inkandpaper1]

Perfect Design Fitting for People Who Love Tree House Brewing Stickers . It Can Also Be Given as A Birthday or Christmas Gift to Your Best Friend, Relative, Boyfriend or Girlfriend Who Also Love Tree House Brewing Stickers

[mediocre-shark-tales]

Autumn Break

Masterlist

The soft crunch of tires on gravel filled the air as Lando’s car rolled up the winding driveway of his family’s countryside estate. The sprawling stone cottage came into view, its warm lights glowing against the backdrop of an overcast autumn sky. The surrounding hills were painted in hues of orange and gold, leaves fluttering down with the breeze.

“This is it!” Lando announced with a grin, pulling the handbrake and hopping out. “Welcome to paradise, everyone.”

Franco was the first to step out, immediately stretching his arms. “Lando, mate, you’ve outdone yourself. This is incredible.”

Oscar followed, giving an approving nod. “I can see why you wanted to host. Feels like we’re in a painting.”

I slid out of the car last, my eyes trailing across the rolling fields. “It’s beautiful. Quiet, too.”

“Exactly the point,” Lando replied, clapping his hands. “No media, no fans, just us.”

Alex was the last to step out, his expression guarded as he adjusted his hoodie. His eyes flicked to me for a brief moment before quickly looking away. He’d been distant ever since the invite had been extended, and it wasn’t hard to guess why.

Lando caught the tension and quickly ushered everyone toward the house. “Let’s get inside and warm up. I’ll give you the grand tour.”

Inside, the estate was as cozy as I had imagined—stone walls, exposed wooden beams, and a massive fireplace crackling in the living room. The smell of freshly brewed coffee lingered in the air, and a stack of blankets was already piled on the sofa.

As Lando launched into a detailed history of his family’s estate, I couldn’t help but notice Alex keeping his distance. He hovered near the back of the group, his arms crossed, his eyes scanning the room but never settling on me.

The awkwardness between us was palpable, but I decided to give him space. Franco, ever the entertainer, kept the mood light with his exaggerated reactions to Lando’s stories.

By the time dinner rolled around, everyone had settled into their respective corners of the house. Franco had claimed the spot by the fireplace, Oscar was engrossed in a book, and Lando was in the kitchen preparing snacks. I wandered outside for some fresh air, finding myself on a stone patio overlooking the garden. The quiet was comforting, a stark contrast to the chaos of the paddock.

“You okay?” Franco’s voice broke through my thoughts.

I turned to see him leaning against the doorframe, his easy smile reassuring.

“Yeah,” I said, forcing a smile. “Just... taking it all in.”

He nodded knowingly. “It’s a lot, huh? Don’t let Alex get to you, by the way. He’s just cautious.”

“I get it,” I replied. “I just wish people would take the time to know me instead of believing everything they hear.”

“They will,” Franco said confidently. “Starting with us.”

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, Lando proposed a hike to “explore the vast wilderness.”

“It’s a three-mile loop,” he explained, tying his boots. “Should take us a couple of hours if we don’t stop too much. Franco, try not to sprint ahead this time.”

Franco smirked, slinging his backpack over one shoulder. “No promises.”

As the group set off, the crisp autumn air filled my lungs, and the sound of rustling leaves accompanied every step. Lando and Franco led the way, their laughter echoing through the trees as they debated the fastest route. Oscar stayed in the middle, occasionally chiming in, while I found myself at the back—again, next to Alex.

“Some view, huh?” I said, breaking the silence.

“Yeah,” Alex replied shortly, not meeting my gaze.

Deciding to keep things light, I continued, “I think Lando’s underestimating how bad Franco’s sense of direction is. We might end up doing double the distance.”

That earned a faint chuckle from Alex. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

Encouraged, I pressed on. “Have you been on many of these trips with him?”

“A few,” he admitted. “Lando loves this kind of thing—getting everyone together, playing host.”

“And you?”

Alex hesitated, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. “I prefer to keep things simple.”

The trail eventually led to a small clearing at the top of a hill, offering a panoramic view of the countryside. Lando and Franco were already there, Franco snapping pictures while Lando struck ridiculous poses.

“Finally!” Franco called out as Alex and I arrived. “Took you long enough.”

“We weren’t the ones who got lost halfway up,” I shot back, earning a laugh from Oscar.

As everyone took a moment to catch their breath, Alex wandered to the edge of the clearing, his hands in his pockets. I hesitated before approaching, the silence between us growing heavier.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” I said softly, standing beside Alex.

He nodded but didn’t respond.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to address the elephant in the room. “Look, Alex... I know you’ve probably heard a lot about me, and I can’t control what people say. But I’d appreciate it if you gave me a chance to prove who I really am.”

Alex’s jaw tightened, his gaze fixed on the horizon. “It’s not just the rumors. It’s... hard to trust people in this sport. Everyone’s looking out for themselves.”

“I get that,” I said, my tone as earnest as I could be. “But trust has to start somewhere, right?”

For a moment, Alex didn’t say anything. Then, finally, he looked at me, his expression softening. “Maybe.”

It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

That evening, the group gathered in the living room for game night. Lando had pulled out a stack of board games and a console, insisting on a Mario Kart tournament.

“I’m warning you now,” Lando said, wagging a finger, “I’m undefeated on this track.”

“You’ve met your match,” I replied with a grin, grabbing a controller.

The games were chaotic and loud, with Franco yelling at the screen every time he crashed and Oscar quietly dominating round after round. Alex was surprisingly competitive, his focus laser-sharp as he maneuvered through the tracks.

When Alex and I were paired up for a doubles match, I couldn’t help but notice how the tension between us had eased. He even laughed when I accidentally sent a blue shell his way, shaking his head in mock exasperation.

By the end of the night, the room was filled with laughter and empty snack bags. As everyone started to drift off to bed, Alex lingered for a moment, his gaze meeting mine.

“You’re not bad at this,” he said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

“High praise from the great Alex Albon,” I teased, earning a quiet chuckle.

“Goodnight,” he said softly before heading upstairs.

“Goodnight,” I replied, feeling a small sense of accomplishment.

The next morning, I woke early and found Alex sitting on the patio, a steaming mug of coffee in his hands.

“Mind if I join?” I asked, holding up my own mug.

He gestured to the chair beside him. “Go ahead.”

The two of us sat in silence for a while, watching the sun rise over the hills. Finally, Alex spoke.

“You’re different from what I expected,” he admitted, his tone thoughtful.

“Is that a good thing?” I asked with a small smile.

He nodded. “Yeah, it is.”

The conversation that followed was easy, flowing naturally as Alex asked about my journey into racing and the challenges I’d faced. For the first time, he seemed genuinely interested, his walls starting to come down.

By the time the others woke up, I felt like I’d made real progress. And as Lando teased Alex about his newfound friendliness, I couldn’t help but smile.

For the first time, it felt like maybe, just maybe, Alex was starting to see me for who I truly was.

After breakfast, I found myself lounging on the couch, the warmth of the fireplace making it almost too comfortable to move. But an idea had been brewing in the back of my mind since the night before. I turned to the group, a sly smile creeping onto my face.

“You know what this place needs?” I asked.

“What’s that?” Lando replied, lounging dramatically in an armchair like he owned the place (which, technically, he did).

“Cookies,” I said simply.

Franco perked up immediately. “You mean the fresh, warm, melt-in-your-mouth kind?”

“The only kind,” I confirmed. “But we’re going to make them ourselves.”

“Uh-oh,” Lando said with mock concern. “Do we trust you in a kitchen?”

I shot him a playful glare. “I can bake, thank you very much. But it’s a team effort.”

Alex, sitting in the corner with a book, raised an eyebrow. “You really think we’re capable of that kind of coordination?”

“That’s half the fun,” I replied, already grabbing my jacket. “But first, we need supplies. Who’s coming with me to the store?”

The trip to the local store was far from calm. Lando insisted on driving, which was a mistake given his tendency to take every turn like it was a hairpin on a race track. Franco and I were crammed into the backseat, laughing as Oscar tried to argue with Lando about his “questionable” navigation skills.

The store itself was no better. Franco and Lando raced down the aisles with shopping baskets, grabbing random ingredients that definitely weren’t on my list.

“Why do we need gummy worms for cookies?” I asked, holding up the package Lando had thrown in.

“They’re for me,” he said with a grin, tossing another bag into the basket.

Alex, who had been surprisingly quiet, handed me a small bag of chocolate chips. “These are the good ones,” he said, his tone oddly serious.

“Noted,” I replied, smiling. “Thank you, cookie connoisseur.”

By the time we left, we had enough supplies to bake cookies for an army—or maybe just for Franco, given his appetite.

Back at the house, we divided into makeshift teams: Franco and Lando were on “mixing duty,” Alex and I handled measurements, and Oscar claimed the role of “quality control,” which mostly involved sneaking chocolate chips when he thought no one was looking.

“Why is this so sticky?” Franco asked, holding up a spatula covered in dough.

“Because you’re not mixing it right,” Lando replied, trying to wrestle the bowl from him.

“You’re not mixing it right!” Franco shot back, prompting an all-out tug-of-war over the bowl.

“Guys!” I intervened, laughing. “Just stir it gently. It’s cookie dough, not cement.”

Alex smirked from across the counter. “They’re hopeless.”

“And you’re not helping,” I teased, nudging him with my elbow. He shook his head, but I caught the faint smile on his face.

After what felt like an eternity—and a small flour fight initiated by Franco—we finally managed to get the dough onto baking sheets and into the oven.

As the cookies baked, the smell of chocolate and vanilla filled the kitchen. Lando set a timer and then plopped onto the couch, visibly exhausted from the “hard labor.”

“This better be worth it,” he said dramatically.

“Oh, it will be,” I assured him.

When the timer dinged, everyone crowded around as I carefully pulled the trays from the oven. The cookies were golden brown, the chocolate chips glistening.

“Moment of truth,” Franco announced, grabbing one before they’d even had a chance to cool. “Hot! Hot!” he yelped, tossing it between his hands.

“Patience, Franco,” Alex said, shaking his head.

But once the cookies had cooled enough to eat, the chaos turned to quiet as everyone took their first bite.

“These are... amazing,” Oscar said, his eyes wide.

“I told you,” I replied smugly.

Even Alex looked impressed. “Not bad,” he said, his voice light.

“High praise from the great Alex Albon,” I teased, earning a chuckle and a slap to the arm.

With the cookies devoured and the kitchen a mess, we all collapsed in the living room, full and content. Lando had a plate of extras balanced on his lap, and Franco was already eyeing them.

“This,” Franco declared, “needs to be a tradition.”

“I’m not cleaning next time,” Oscar said firmly, though his smile betrayed him.

Alex, sitting on the armrest of the couch, glanced at me. “You were right,” he said softly. “This was fun.”

“See? Told you baking isn’t so bad,” I replied.

For the rest of the evening, the house was filled with laughter, the smell of cookies lingering in the air. And as I looked around at my friends, I couldn’t help but feel grateful. These moments—messy, imperfect, and full of heart—were what made everything worth it.

[inkwolvesandcoffee]

Just Papa Solomons Things:

Summertime Edition

TH Masterlist

- More sex than usual. At least four times a week, unless he thinks it will impact your health too much or you are on your period.

- I’m not joking and we all know it.

- The man seems like a wolf in rut during the season.

- It’s seriously as if he has puppy fever, mumbling how you’d make the perfect mother and he wants a family with you while delirious with pleasure to a degree he usually isn’t.

- Those types of comments only leaves his lips in summer.

- Along with the effort to keep going until the condom rips if you don’t give in to his pleas to take it off first.

- Werewolf!Alfie would certainly have puppy fever. Imagine the possessive breeding sessions. I… I can’t🥵

- Now, clothes are definitely optional according to Alfie. However, whereas he usually at least keeps on a pair of knickers or jeans (if he really wants to meet you halfway) he’ll be buck-naked from the moment he comes home.

- Speaking of which, he loves coming home to you. Funnily enough, ever since you started dating, Alfie’s become a lot more domestic. It’s that he’s the breadwinner (no pun intended), but he’d be happy to be a house husband.

- Barbecues and vegan cooking galore. Barely an evening passes by whereby you two don’t treat the neighbourhood to delicious smells.

- Rum, tea, and coffee in the yard beneath the pomegranate tree until the sun sets.

- Alfie’s bought you various silk nightgowns and pieces of lingerie. Partially to keep you cool, mostly because he loves how you tend to creep out of your shell whenever you wear it.

- He loves how you’ve grown more comfortable with it, adores it how you’ve grown to love your body. Yourself.

- Beach trips on his days off, which are quite a few. Ollie will literally shoo him out of the bakery if you don’t come get him yourself without having to be prompted by a phone call. The two of you have banded together to combat The Mad Baker of Camden’s workaholic nature.

- And you know he works a lot to provide for you (and save up for a ring), but his health isn’t the best and you dread the prospect of him in a hospital bed.

- So you and Ollie literally force him to take time off.

- Alfie loves it when you put sunscreen on his back, the way you massage it into the damaged skin and help him relieve some of the constant tension his years in the army and running the bakery have left him with.

- If the weather is pleasant enough and his leg’s okay, Alfie likes to take you on day trips by motorcycle. However, if it’s going to be a long one, he’ll simply drive.

- Impromptu overnight stays if you two lose track of time on the days you do go by bike. Can’t have you falling asleep in the backseat, so a hotel it is.

- Alfie likes to make sure there’s a carafe filled with ice water in the bedroom at all times. Partially because his house can get pretty stuffy, being one of those old English houses not built to keep out the summer heat.

- Mostly to keep you hydrated after yet another round of animalistic yet intimate lovemaking.

- On the hottest of the dog days he’ll put a carafe and glass on both your bedside tables.

- If sleep doesn’t come to either of you, you’ll sit in the living room, watching Margate at night.

- Although, occasionally you join Alfie in his midnight baking ventures.

- Slow dancing in the kitchen, especially then.

- Alfie isn’t much of a dancer, but he likes to softly sway with you while you’re waiting for the oven.

- Regardless of the heat, you’ll both have one cup of hot coffee during breakfast to get a proper start on the day. However, ice coffee rules supreme for the hours thereafter.

- Alfie prefers iced vanilla latte or regular latte, having a bit of a sweet tooth. You, on the other hand, like the complete opposite: americano and cold brew.

- Nevertheless, there’s an old saying that opposites attract.

- And that he insist on paying for your caffeine boosts.

- Because he’s your man.

- And what good is a king who can’t provide for his queen?

Tag list: @liliac-dreamer @potter-solomons @buttercupsandboys @dreamlandcreations @rose-like-the-phoenix @zablife @babaohhhriley @hecatemoon87 @vir-tual @wandawiccan60 @solomons-finest-rum @mollybegger-blog

[mirkwoodshewolf]

Hellfire's Mama fox Chap. 7; Halloween campaign

*Author's note*

This was a long time trying to figure out. I had a few ideas of Roxxi's campaign in mind so it was hard to pick just one but I finally stuck with one. Now I apologize to any D&D players out there if I've written this campaign poorly. I've only played like 2min of a D&D campaign in college during a camping trip and never got to do another campaign again. So I just did the campaign based off how we've seen various campaigns that were shown in the show. I hope the next chapter doesn't take as long as this one did but work's gotten me busy lately but I had hoped to at least get this one done before Halloween came around. So I hope you all enjoy this chapter in the end :)

NEXT CHAPTER

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things

@waddles03

@psychosupernatural

@queen-paladin

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels

@gay-and-ready-to-cry

@assassinsasha23

@sweetpeapod

_______________________________________________________

September came and went and finally it was my favorite month of all, October.  The Halloween decorations, the jack-o-lanterns were being put out on every house, and the cooler weather started to seep in.  Not to mention the leaves falling from the trees to create piles large enough to jump in them.

Halloween has always been my favorite time of year, so much so that every weekend before Halloween I always love to dress up in different costumes of my favorite monsters/characters on TV.  And when Eddie and I created Hellfire and I started my Halloween campaigns, I made it a rule for all members to dress up in different costumes throughout the time of my campaign, then when it was Halloween night, we dress as our characters to finally end the campaign and go off with a bang.

Now as I have said, I had been working on this campaign for months while I was away in Indianapolis and only until just around after Eddie’s and I’s anniversary did I finally decree that it was complete.  The title of my campaign; Don’t Blink.

In this campaign, our heroes were hanging out at the Green Dragon pub after their last venture.  But as they sat around drinking ale and eating their food, Jeff’s character soon found a familiar sight.  It was Beren.  He had told the company that there was trouble brewing in Luthien’s homeland, an old enemy had returned and was planning to harness and feast on the magic of the Elves.

He didn’t know much about the details only that his wife had gone to help the cause but he hadn’t heard anything from her in over seven months.  Fearing the worst, Beren decided to go to Luthien’s homeland and see for himself what was going on and what happened to his wife.

Knowing how important Luthien was to Jeff’s, Gareth’s and Grant’s characters, they were willing to join the cause.  And being the newbies and wanting to help out a legend that was Beren, Dustin and Mike also joined in along the quest (unfortunately around this time, Lucas had been missing several campaigns and was now on a temporary suspension until Eddie and I decided what to do).

For weeks now I had the guys going on a dangerous quest through Luthien’s forest.  To which Beren had told them that it was never this dangerous before in the past.  A dark power had infested the forest making it sinister and almost come alive.  Soon they came to Luthien’s palace.

“And there you all stand before the grand palace of the Elven king Thingol and Nymeria. But instead of a palace that once shone like the stars, the palace was desolate and hung open like a rotting wound. Vines and tree branches encompassed the palace walls like a blanket.”

“Varda’s stars. The entire kingdom it’s—it’s destroyed.” Eddie replied.

“What in the hell happened here?” replied Jeff.

“Just what could’ve done this? Not trolls or ogres.” Said Dustin.  “Or can they?”

“No, this is not ogres nor trolls. The magic of this forest is built to keep them out. Whatever attacked this place, must’ve been already been here.” Said Eddie.

“But why? Why would the elves keep something like this hidden within their own realm?” Mike asked.

“That’s what we’re here to find out. And I’m not leaving here without my wife.”

“And that my friends is where we shall end it tonight.” I said just before the boys all groaned.

“C’mon Roxxi! This is the 3rd cliffhanger this month can we please continue on just a bit longer?” asked Dustin trying to do the puppy dog eyes.

“Sorry Henderson, but I promise you. Next Saturday is Halloween and we shall wrap up this campaign on that night.” I said starting to pack up the stuff.  The guys all soon began packing up their things and hitching their rides.

“Normally I never try to question your pace, but this is surprising even for you. You sure you don’t want to add a bit more tonight? At least to allow Beren to use his expert tracking skills to determined what happened to Luthien’s palace?” Eddie asked me as he wrapped an arm around me.

“Nope. I promise babe, next week will be worth it. You’re gonna love it.” I pecked his cheek and after packing everything up, Eddie drove us back home.

After showering and changing out of my Morticia Addam’s costume, I was on the phone with someone and writing some things down.

“Yeah. Yes exactly. It’s an open field just off Route 24. Big field can’t miss it. And everyone’s still on board to come? Awesome. And thanks again for doing this, and it was really good talking to you again Courtney. You too, bye.” I hung up the phone as Eddie said coming in with his toothbrush in his mouth.

“Who was that?”

“A friend from Indianapolis. She’s thinking about coming over next week, so I was just clarifying some information for her.” He hummed before going over to the kitchen sink to spit out the toothpaste from his mouth.  “Do you have to spit in the kitchen sink?”

“What’s the difference? It’s all a sink that’s gonna take it to the ocean or wherever water goes.” He said wiping his mouth with a paper towel.  I rolled my eyes at him.

“Yes but when there are still dishes in the sink, I think Wayne and I both agree that toothpaste don’t need to be mixed in.”

“A guy forgets to do the dishes and he’s labeled for life. You know we had that English test to study for. Plus all that reading, I swear who has time to read 250 pages a night.”

“But what about—”

“Tolkien is different. Dickens just rambles on and on and on and on never getting to the point. Jesus we get it dude, the streets of London are filthy, no need to drone on 20 pages about it.” I shrugged, not denying that logic.

“Still babe, it was your week to do the dishes and you still haven’t done it yet.”

“I’ll do it first thing in the morning, I’ll even vacuum and dust the place as compensation.” I thought it over.

“Okay, and as a reward I’ll make you my chocolate chip pancakes.”

“With whipped cream on top?”

“What am I a barbarian?”

“Have I told you how much I love you?”

“Only every second of every day.” He pulled me in close and began kissing all over my face making me giggle and squirm in his hold.

“And. Don’t. you. Forget. It. Cara mia.” He said between his kisses.

“Oh mon amor.” Eddie then hoisted me up, holding me up by my thighs and whisked me off to the bedroom for some special nighttime fun as only Gomez and Morticia Addams were known for.

*Halloween night 1985*

Halloween night.  When kids dressed up in costumes and went around trick-or-treating.  But while that was happening, I was out at Pelennor fields with some friends of mine from rehab getting things set up while Eddie and the guys got ready.

“Yo Roxxi, where do you want me to put the fog machine?” asked Derek.

“Just set it within the hay Aaron brought.”

“Roxxi, did you still want the screen projector for the shadow-puppets?” asked Amy.

“Uhhhh, keep it on standby. Lately our new kits have been keeping me on my toes with their successful rolls.”

“Hey Roxxi, Courtney wants you to take a look at the costumes and makeup for your villains.” Ashley said as she came up with grey and black makeup all over her hands and face.

“Alright be right there.” I looked around to check our setting to see the table was all set, jack-o-lanterns were all carved and ready to be lit later tonight, a prop column was placed but the crystal ball was missing.  “Hey has anyone seen the crystal ball we need for Luthien’s scene?”

“I saw Garret with it earlier, I’ll get him to place it back.” Amy said.

“Thanks Amy.” I raced over to the U-Haul truck and saw all my actors getting their makeup ready.  They were dressed up as stone-like angels but what was frightening about them was that they had on leather masks that showed their sharp teeth and empty stone-statue mouths.  “Looking frightening ladies, ohh man I’ll bet a few of these guys are gonna piss their pants once they see you all.”

“Thanks Roxxi.” They chorused as they were finishing their makeup.

“Took me over 2 months to get the masks all done correctly, the silicon was a bitch to do but I finally got it down.” Courtney said.

“I really appreciate it Courtney.” I told her.

“Hey anything for you kid.” She said ruffling my hair to which I shoved her hand away and redid my hair.

“You know it took me 20 minutes to get this Elvish hairstyle just right.” I looked down at my watch and saw it was nearly time for Eddie to start bringing the guys over.  “Okay guys, last looks! We’ve got just under an hour left before Eddie and the guys get here!” I called out to everyone.

Everyone was running around getting things prepped, making sure some of the machines worked properly, costumes and makeup was on everyone, it was a race against the sun until Courtney proclaimed.

“That’s it time’s up!” everyone all cheered and clapped.

“Okay, angels go get into positions. Techies and everyone else, thank you all for your help. Go and get yourselves something to eat and be sure to be back just as nightfall sets.” I told everyone as I got on my elven crown Eddie had made for me years ago.  Everyone broke up and I turned to Courtney and asked her.  “Got the camera ready?”

“All set. That boyfriend of yours won’t forget this for a long, long time.” I smiled and we high-fived each other.  “Well better get into position and start filming.” She then took off for the woods while I sat on the table awaiting the boys to arrive.

*Eddie’s POV*

Roxxi had suggested that this years Halloween campaign should conclude out in our haven of Pelennor fields.  Now I’ll admit I was hesitant to bring the guys up there because it was our special spot and the guys didn’t need to know about it.  But with some persuasion and the fact that I could have the guys blindfolded so that they wouldn’t know how to get there, that satisfied me enough to drive them all up there.

But first Roxxi told us that we needed to take a specific forest trail which we called ‘Fangorn trail’. All of us were in full costumes but as we walked along the trail, I began to notice something odd.  So far I had counted three strange angel statues.  Did someone abandon them out here or what? They couldn’t be mannequins but even for as real as they seemed to appear, there’s no way in hell a person could just freeze like that for hours, right?

We soon came to a clearing in the forest and there Roxxi (dressed as my beautiful Luthien) stood with our table, some jack-o-lanterns all lit up and a column with a crystal ball on top standing just a few feet away from the table.

“Welcome Fellowship of Luthien.” She greeted us.  “Tonight comes the end of our journey to save the Woodland realm of Arna. Please take your seats.” We all sat down, opened up our folders and took our figurines out.  “Where we last left off on our journey…..You all had arrived to the castle of Luthien’s parents, and you all have decided to venture inside of it, but as you walk, you are stopped by a forcefield of powerful magic. What is your next move?”

“I’m the Mage so I’ll use a counter-spell to break through the barrier shield.” Gareth said.

“Roll for the initiative.” Said Roxxi.  Gareth took the dice and shook them between his hands before rolling them across the table.  “Yes 17!”

“The spell is a success. Proceed Gareth the Great.”

“By the Power of Mordenkainen, I command this shield to be gone! Necronom Hezberek Mortix!”

“A powerful beam of red strikes at the white barrier shield. The shield tries to hold strong but slowly it begins to crack until finally the barrier breaks and the shields come down, allowing you all to enter the castle within. You cross the stone bridge and stand before the large stone doors.”

“Luthien taught me the password to enter within, better leave this to me gentlemen.” I soon spoke up.

“Beren approaches the door, places his hand along the hidden Elvish runes that were engraved in the stone and speaks the password.”

“Annon Edhellen edro hi ammen!”

“The runes glow a bright starlight shine and slowly begin to open. All you can see is darkness inside and dead silence. Do you dare continue onward? Or do you flee and turn back?”

“We’ve come too far to turn back now. I say we go in.” said Dustin.

“For Luthien.” Jeff replied.

“For Luthien.” Agreed Gareth.

“For Luthien.” Mike also said.

“We go forward!” I proclaimed.  The corner of her mouth perked upward as she told us.

“You enter inside.”

“I’ll give us some light.” Gareth said as he held up his propped staff.

“A light from Gareth the Great’s staff and shines through the darkened throne room. You can see that there were clear signs of a battle that had occurred. Grand stain-glass windows had been broken in from the outside, the thrones had deep claw-marks that almost appeared animalistic. And the banners had all been torn up.”

“It had to be those werecats we encountered in the forest.” Suggested Mike.

“No, no what purpose do the werecats have for wanting the power of the Elves?” asked Gareth.

“What about those orcs? I mean didn’t Beren once say the Elves drove them away from the mountains when they came here? Could be a revenge story?” asked Dustin.

“If it were orcs, then were are all the bodies and the blood? For as bad of a struggle this looks, there’s not a single trace of blood anywhere.” Said Jeff.

“As everyone is discussing the probably enemies, Beren notices something about the claw-marks on the throne. He walks up to it and looks down at his own fingers before placing them over the claw-marks, to see that they were a perfect match.” Roxxi said.  As I took in what my Dungeon Mistress was saying, I then began to realize just what kind of twist she was making.

“By the gods, these aren’t claw-marks of a beast. They’re….. fingernails.” the party all looks at each other in shock.  “These were made by fingernails of a person.”

“How is that possible?” asked Gareth.

“That’s what we’re going to find out. We need to head to the library. They keep records of everything from their first colonization in these very woods to every lineage of kings and Queens that ruled here.”

“And so following Beren, you all traveled further into the palace towards the library. But you stop, there hidden within the corner of the hallway was what happened to be a body of an Elven guard. What do you all do?”

“I say we just leave it.” Said Grant.

“I concur.” Agreed Gareth.

“Really guys? This is the only person we’ve come across and you want to abandon them? What if they need help?” asked Dustin.

“Well if you wanna get tricked and eaten again just like with what happened with that man-eating flower monster. Don’t come crying to me!” Gareth whined.

“What say you gentlemen?” Roxxi asked us.  I turned to everyone and held up the dice.

“Lowest number goes to investigate the body.” I took the first roll and landed on 13.  Next up was Henderson who rolled 15.  Gareth rolled 12, Jeff 10, Grant 14 and Wheeler unfortunately rolled a 7.

“Looks like I have no choice.” Mike said exasperatedly.

“Tayr the Paladin slowly goes up to the body. It’s still corpse np moving as he got closer and closer. As he got right up to it, he withdrew his sword and was shocked at what he saw. The body was of Luthien’s mother who looked petrified. Her eyes widened but her body pale and cold to the touch.”

“No, oh Arella.” I spoke solemnly.

“Basilisk. There’s no doubt about it, it has to be a Basilisk.” Dustin said.

“Don’t get a big head Nog, if it were a Basilisk there’d be footprints everywhere. Plus how do you explain those fingernail marks that Beren saw on the throne. They can’t shapeshift.” Gareth stated.

“Doubleganger, or a skin changer, changeling, I don’t know!”

“We have to figure out what the hell is happening here.” Answered Grant.

“He’s right.” I replied.  “We’re not gonna get answers by waiting around here. I only hope Luthien isn’t like her mother.” I looked to Roxxi and she looked at me empathetically.

“After Beren covers up the Elven queen’s body with his cloak, you all proceed onward to the library. It stood adjacent to the gardens just behind it but to Beren something was off, there was an odd statue that he hadn’t remember seeing before in the garden. A statue of an angel covering its face.”

“That’s odd.” I said.

“What is it?” asked Jeff.

“That statue.”

“What about it? It’s just a statue.”

“That’s the thing, I’ve never seen it before nor has Luthien.”

“Perhaps they just carved it or something. After all how long has it been since you guys came back to her homeland?” we then heard a rustle and when we all looked up, some of us were startled while others jumped in their seats as we saw the very same angel Roxxi had just described being in the campaign.

“Jesus Christ!” Dustin gasped placing his hand over his heart.

“Don’t break the role Henderson, just—just ignore it.” I assured him taking his head and pointing it downward at the table but I couldn’t help but take one last quick look at the statue.

How the hell did we miss that standing there? Or had it always been there and we just missed it?

“You also take notice of a crystal ball standing at the center of the main table of the library. Do you go forth and investigate it? Or do you move on and do some independent research?”

“I recognize the crystal to be her father’s all-seeing orb. Maybe it can show us what happened.” I spoke up.

“That type of magic is highly advanced Beren, only the strong-willed and mind can withstand it’s power.” Gareth told me.

“Excuse me? Are you calling me weak-minded Gareth the Great?” I challenged as I raised my brow at him.

“No, no, what I meant was that—this is too emotional for you. The power of the orb could take advantage of your weakness and corrupt your mind. Destroying you in the process.”

“He might be onto something Beren. This is your wife’s home after all, you’re too heavily involved in this. Allow Gareth to use it.” Said Jeff.  I groaned and crossed my arms over my chest.

“Fine. But just hurry and find out what happened.”

“Gareth the Great goes towards Luthien’s father’s all-seeing orb.” Roxxi then gestures to the actual crystal ball that is standing near us.  He stands up and goes over to it whilst Roxxi follows him.  He stands on one side and she on the other.

Soon the crystal ball and the column began to light up on their own which had us stunned.  As Roxxi says.

“As Gareth touches the orb,” Gareth places his hands on it.  “An image starts to appear. It is the shape of a woman in Elven armor, her long black hair floating through the wind within the orb and soon the image becomes clear. It’s Luthien.”

“Luthien!?” I proclaim going over to stand next to Gareth.  “Luthien meleth nin where are you? Are you alright? What the hell happened here? Why was your mother petrified? Why haven’t you come home?!”

“‘All will be answered soon my love. But you should not have come. Any of you.’ says Luthien grimly.”

“Why?” Gareth asked.  “What happened here?”

“‘Look to your left.’ Luthien says. You all follow her direction and see Gareth shines his staff down the aisle of books and there laying against the bookshelf petrified was Luthien. Her body the same condition as her mother’s.”

“No……” I trailed off.  I turned to Roxxi who looked at me sadly.  I shook my head thinking this couldn’t be the end of Luthien.

“Wait so….you put your soul into your father’s orb?” asked Gareth.

“Not exactly. In fact this isn’t even my spirit. It’s a message I made before I was attacked.”

“But you’re replying to them. How can you know what they’re going to say before they say it?” Mike asked.

“My sister’s an oracle, I got everything I needed from her Tayr the Paladin.” Wheeler’s eyes bulged in shock for a brief moment.

“Luthien, what happened? Where is everyone else?” I asked.

“As I said my love, you shouldn’t have come here. They’ve destroyed the palace and feasted on everyone’s life energy trying to find what they’re after.”  

“Who?” I demanded.

“I’m sorry can we just back up real quick to how we’re actually communicating with a message that was pre-recorded and stored into an orb?” God Henderson I swear I could strangle you at times.

“What matters now Dwarf is that I can communicate with you all!” Roxxi snapped as Luthien.  “We’ve got bigger problems now. They’re still there! The angels are still at the palace!”

“Angels? What you mean those statue things?” I asked.

“Demons from the ancient world.” Roxxi explains.

“But they’re just statues.” I said.

“Only when you see them.”

“What does that mean?” asked Gareth.

“The lonely assassins my kin once called them. No one knows exactly how or when they came into being but they’re as old as the world. Or very nearly. And they have survived because they have the most perfect defense mechanism imaginable. They’re quantum locked. They don’t exist when they’re being observed, the moment they are seen by any other living creature they freeze into rock. No choice it’s a fact in their biology, in the sight of any living being they literally turned to stone. And you can’t kill a stone.” Roxxi then shrugged as she continued, “Of course a stone can’t kill you either but then you turn your head away. And you blink…..and oh yes they can.” Her voice dropped into a more menacing, darker tone in narration.

I turned to the statue and began piecing together that this was the additional surprise Roxxi had for this year’s campaign.

“Nobody take your eyes off that thing.” I spoke lowly.  Everyone turned to the angel statue as Roxxi continued to speak as Luthien.

“That’s why they cover their eyes, they’re not weeping they can’t risk looking at anyone. Their greatest asset is also their greatest curse, they can never be seen. And I’m sorry, I’m very, very sorry. It’s up to you Beren.”

“What must I do?” I asked.

“My necklace that I gave you, it’s what they’re after. The magic within it is enough for them to feast on for eternity but the damage they could do could switch off the sun and destroy the moon. You mustn’t let them get it.”

“But how do we stop them? How do we save you?” I pleaded.  Roxxi looked down then up before she said.

“Oh no, I’m sorry but that’s all my sister was able to see of you finding my father’s orb. I don’t know what’s stopped you all from talking but I can only guess, they’re there. The angels have found you.” Roxxi turned toward the statue quickly in fear and she leaned over till her face was illuminating under the lights from the orb.  “Now listen to me, your lives could depend on this. Don’t blink. Don’t even blink! Blink and you’re dead. They are fast, faster than you can believe! Don’t turn your back! Don’t look away! And don’t blink!”

Roxxi’s eyes were full of panic as she got into Luthien’s monologue before ending it as the light from the orb faded into darkness.

“Good luck.” And thanks to the now nighttime sky, all was pitch black.

“No! No! No Luthien!” I cried out.

“I-I’ll try to bring the message back up.” Gareth said.

“What good will that do?”

“Here let me see it!” soon I heard all the guys coming and talking over one another as they took the orb and I began to realize something.

“Stop! Stop! Stop! STOP!!” everyone went silent.  “Whose looking at the statue?” everyone remained silent.

Suddenly lights came on through the forest and the angel statue had now changed positions, standing just a few inches away from us but this time we got a good look at it’s face.  Hollowed stone eyes, sharp fangs built within the mask and an empty void-like statue mouth.  The long, sharp nails on it’s fingers stood about maybe 3-4 inches long and were extended outward to us.

We all jumped back.  Jesus Roxxi, you really outdid yourself this time, even more than when you did ‘The Curse on Moonscar isle.’  These were an even scarier makeup and props than the zombies were.

“Nobody take your eyes off that thing. Remember what Luthien said. Don’t blink.”

“No problem, I mean after all it’s just one of them, right? We’ll be okay if we just keep staring at this one.” Mike said.

“Three actually.” I said.

“What?” hissed Dustin.

“I saw three more while we were walking through the trail. And I thought I heard some movement so they might be moving closer to us.”

“With the statue assassin having you all under its mercy, what move do you all plan to take? Remember, no amount of mortal magic nor swords can kill these stone creatures.” Roxxi told us from the table.

“Why can’t we just give them the necklace now and be done with this?” Wheeler said.

“You’re really suggesting that to me?! You heard Luthien the damage they could do with the power within this necklace can switch off both the sun and moon. Absolutely not!” I snapped.

“If no mortal weapons can defeat them, nor any magic then we’re screwed dude! I hate to say it but I agree with Tayr.” Said Jeff.

“I concur.” Said Grant.

“Fuck you guys! My wife sacrificed herself to hold these things off I’m not about to let it be in vain!”

“He’s right. Everything has a weakness, and Luthien gave us the answer. They can’t look at each other. So all we need to do is find a way to get them all together.” Said Henderson.

“And how do we do that exactly?” asked Wheeler.

“Your eyes are straining to not blink but the urge is too strong. All you men can do is continue to stare at this horrifying statue that seems to be mocking you by remaining still.” Roxxi narrates our actions.  “What is your move?”

“Nog is right, Luthien did say there is a way to stop them. But it can’t be here. At the very bottom of the palace is a catacomb chamber. It’s tunnels and pathways are like a labyrinth. If we get them down there, they’ll never be able to get out.” I told them.

“Alright, then we get them to the chambers. But how do we get there without taking our eyes off of this thing?” asked Gareth.

“Let’s get back to the table and make our move, two people at a time keep looking at it.” I told them.  Taking hold of Dustin’s and Gareth’s arms, we all backed up first Jeff, Grant and I looking back to get us back to the table leaving Wheeler and Henderson to keep their eyes on the demon before us.

“Guys my eyes are getting tired over here. I don’t think I can hold it!” Wheeler exclaimed.

“I’ll switch with you Tayr, we’re almost there. Don’t turn till I look up.” Gareth told him.  When Gareth looked at the angel statue, he tapped Mike and allowed him to turn away.  Finally we made it back to the table.

“Tyrion and I will take the first watch, you three make the first move.” I volunteered.  Grant nodded and we looked at the statue while Henderson said.

“Give me the d20.” I heard the dice clicking between his hands and heard as it rolled across the table.

“16. Most impressive young dwarf. One by one, you each manage to successfully leave the library and head down towards the chambers Beren had talked about earlier. Down the stairs you all go, the further down you go, the darker it becomes. But then something begins to glow around Beren’s neck, it’s Luthien’s necklace shining like a star giving you the light in the dark. Eventually you come before a large set of doors with an Elvish inscription on top. It reads aloud: ‘Secrets in the dark, Secrets in the abyss. All who enter here are lost and sealed. Only the one with the heart of a star can pass through the darkness’.”

“‘The heart of a star?’ That must be Luthien’s necklace, right?” asked Henderson.

“Yes. My wife was known throughout these lands as ‘The she-elf born from the heart of a star’. She came early into this world, so frail and fragile, even the greatest of all the Elven healers feared she wouldn’t last pass the winter. So her parents prayed to their Goddess Varda to save their daughter. Then one night, a star had fallen out of the sky and landed right into their garden. Taking a small piece of that star, they touched it to Luthien’s heart and her hair gave out a starlight glow, her eyes shined silvery-white and she began to cry.”

“That’s why his wife’s also been named ‘Evanstar’ because of her starlight beauty. It was as if she were a star in human form.” Jeff said wistfully.

“So her necklace will help us through the chambers?” asked Wheeler.

“Seems like it.” I clenched the handmade necklace Roxxi made for me to represent Luthien’s gift to her beloved Beren.

“So is there like another password you gotta speak to get the doors opened or….? What?” asked Henderson.

“No, the way to get in is through this.” I showed him Luthien’s necklace and took the die and rolled it and saw it land on 17.

“Beren takes off his wife’s Evenstar necklace and places it against the wall of the door. The runes glow and soon a soft rumble is heard as the doors begin to unlock and open. There you all stand before the Great chamber of the secrets. A dark, dank chamber that extends far and wide. A single pathway lies ahead with various tunnels surrounding the chamber. A small river also surrounds you as the small sounds of dripping water can be heard echoing through the chamber.”

“Now we walk.” I answered.

“But which doorway do you take?” Roxxi asked me.

“There’s over a dozen of them, I say we take the one just straight ahead. When in doubt, gotta go straight right?” said Jeff.

“I disagree, we should take the center door on the left.” Argued Gareth.

“If I may make a suggestion gentlemen,” Roxxi soon spoke up.  “Take heed to what the inscription on the door said.” The guys looked confused before Dustin spoke up repeating part of the inscription.

“Only the one with the heart of a star can pass through the darkness’. I think Beren should make the decision.” Everyone turned to me and I looked at all of them.  I turned to Roxxi who had her arms crossed and a gleam in her eye.

She wanted this to play out this way, for me to be the deciding factor in this whole campaign.  Alright then, if that’s how you want it Roxxi, it’s what you shall get.

“Give me the d20.” She smirked and picked up the d20 die and tossed it over to me.  I caught it in my right hand and rolled it between my palms.  I then rolled the die between my hands and let it roll across the table.  We waited on baited breath until it stopped and landed on 15.

“Beren takes the leadership role.” Said Roxxi with pride.

“Alright gentlemen, we go straight but take the one to the right of the entrance dead ahead.”

“You all follow Beren’s lead.  Once you go through your chosen door, Luthien’s pendant begins to glow of pure starlight, giving you all a light in the dark place, when all other lights have gone out.” As she narrated, I noticed how the spotlight that had once shone around us to reveal that real life angel, had now turned into a soft, silvery light.  Giving us the real feeling of Luthien’s starlight power.  “As you continue on, you soon come to a fork in the trail, do you proceed left or right Beren the Bard?”

“We go left at the fork.” I said to her.

“You go left. The pendant glows brighter in the darkness. You continue straight on until another fork is seen up ahead, this time there are three options. Which way do you take your company now?”

“We take the center pathway.”

“Are you sure?” she asked skeptically with a raised brow.

“Beren, I don’t know maybe we should go left again.” Gareth suggested.

“No, no we should take the path on the right.” Said Henderson.

“No, we take the center path. That is my final answer.” The corner of Roxxi’s lips lifted in a slight grin before she narrated.

“You go down the center path. The pendant starting to flicker until you finally reach the end of the path to see a large chamber before you. There you see you are surrounded by the stone angels.”

“Holy shit!” Mike exclaimed.  We all looked up to see more of the real life angel statues had now surrounded our table just standing feet away from us.

“Still think this was a good idea?” muttered Gareth.

“Fear not though gentlemen, for as you look down below you notice a special sigil engraved on the floor.  It had great stag-like points coming out from each end and the points crossed each other.  In between the antler-like base was a giant star in the same shape as Luthien’s pendant.”

“This is it, we made it. Now all we have to do is get them to look at each other.”

“Without getting killed ourselves.” Mentioned Grant.

“I concur.” Jeff agreed.

“Now gentlemen, this is the final move. What shall you do now to save yourselves and the Elvish kingdom of the stars?”

“I’ll create a barrier around us to protect us from them as they surround us. So one of us has to blink just seconds after my shield is up.” said Gareth.

“Roll for the initiative.” Roxxi said.  Gareth took the dice in his hands and rolled it but we all groaned as it landed on a 6.  “The shield fails for suddenly appearing is the same angel you all saw near the library that you managed to escape from. It’s right arm extended out pointing at Beren.”

“Uhh Beren, why is it……” Dustin started to ask but then the silver glowing light that surrounded us started to flicker on and off.

“Shit it’s starting to drain the power from Luthien’s necklace!” I exclaimed.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit what do we do?! What do we do?! What do we do!?” Henderson asked in a panic.

With each flicker of the lights, we saw how the angel statues were getting closer, their terrifying faces flickering in and out of the darkness as they kept changing positions with each flicker.

“We gotta use Luthien’s pendant to create a shield, it’s our only hope!” Jeff exclaimed.

“Quick Beren roll the die!” everyone was in a panic as I grabbed the die and I ordered them to shut up as I quickly rolled the dice for my initiative move.  Roxxi taking every second of enjoyment at seeing our panicked faces and fear, and knowing she didn’t need to narrate what was happening.

Because we were living it.

Finally I rolled a 17 and proclaimed out.

“Starlight barrier!”

“A beam of white light surrounds you all and protects you from the angels, just seconds away from escaping their touch.” We all panted as we saw that the angels had us now completely surrounded, entrapping us with their bodies and caging us in with their arms.

“Oh shit, oh gods above. That was close.” Henderson panted in relief.

“We’re not done yet.” I said lowly.

“Afraid you are correct Beren the Bard.” Roxxi said solemnly and darkly.  “For even with the barrier up, the angels now proceeded to slam their fists against the barrier. Luthien’s necklace now going from a flicker to a dim as the magic within was starting to fade out.”

Once again the guys began speaking over one another frantically asking what we could do but I knew there was nothing that we could do.  We were trapped, the magic of Luthien’s pendant was fading fast, and there’s no chance of us getting out of here fast enough.  I’ll salute you on this Roxxi, but never did I think you’d get us all killed in the end.

“We do nothing.” I solemnly said.

“What? No Beren we-there must be something. I can help…..”

“Elven magic is extremely delicate Gareth the Great. You of all people should know that. Even if you tried to give some of your power to the pendant, who knows what it’ll do to us in the meantime. Even then, we’d probably be dead before that even happens once the shield is down. My friends, thank you for helping me find the answers I needed.”

The guys all looked at each other confused, shocked and horrified at my immediate surrender.  They turned to Roxxi who merely looked at them with her arms crossed.

“It was great seeing you again Beren. And venturing with you these past few weeks felt like the good old times.” Said Gareth.

“Agreed.” Jeff and Grant said together.

“And even though we didn’t get to know you for very long, you’re as brave and courageous as the guys said you have been Beren the Bard.” Said Henderson.  Wheeler nodded.

“Then I guess we’re all in agreement.” I turned to Roxxi who had the d20 between her fingers.  “We’re ready.” She tossed me the die and I caught it in my hand.  If we’re all going out, then at least we should go out in the most grand way possible.  I blew into my palm and shook the die between my hands before letting it roll across the table.

Various numbers flashed before us ranging from the lower numbers mainly and I feared it’d be the most quickest, and painfullest death we’d all go through, but then the dice stopped and landed on 20.

“Crit hit.”

“The shield is destroyed, you all huddle together but just as you’re awaiting your end, there’s nothing but silence. You look up and see that the angels aren’t looking at you, but at each other. Their once horrifying faces now still as they stared at one another. With Luthien’s last will of magic, she had managed to force the angels to look at each other once the shield was destroyed.”

“Wait so we—we won?” asked Henderson.  A slow wide smile came across Roxxi’s face as she deepened her voice to a more mature female tone (almost how she does Galadriel whenever she reads to me on my bad days).

“‘Indeed you did.’ A voice echoed through the darkness. A flash of light briefly appears and there stands the King and Queen along with Luthien herself. ‘You all managed to outwit the very enemy that’s eluded even our most powerful magic’. Said Luthien’s father. ‘For centuries our magic of starlight had kept these fell creatures under a watchful eye, but when Luthien left us, the magic keeping them sealed away began to fade. That’s why we had called her home, but in their millennia’s of isolation in the dark and light, they became too strong for even our magic to keep them at bay’. Said her mother.”

“So they’re…..never going to move again?” asked Wheeler.

“‘No Tayr. As I told you, their greatest asset is also their greatest curse. We’ve tried to gather them together once we realized our magic wouldn’t work, but one by one my people were picked off until they became too fast for us to handle.’ Luthien said.”

“But you’re alright now? Everything feeling right as rain?” I asked worriedly.

“‘Yes meleth nin. We’re all fine. Once you had sealed the angel’s fate, their curse upon us was reversed. You freed us. All of you. And we the Starlight Elves are eternally in your debt.’ With that decree, a grand festival was held in your honor and with that my friends, our Halloween campaign comes to an end.”

We all applauded and cheered, and that’s when the angels in costume began to move and more applause was heard as people began coming out from the shadows dressed in black tech clothes.

“And I’d also like to thank these fellow NPC’s and techies for bringing the last segment of my campaign back to life.” Roxxi said and that’s when the guys and I cheered for them as they all came together and gave us a bow.  “Thanks again guys and I say now calls for a photo, everyone get together!” we all got together around the table as one of the techies set up a camera on a tripod before racing back over to us.  “Everyone say scream!”

“SCREAM!!!!” a flash came from the camera.  Once the photo was taken, we all packed up our folders, the table, books, game set, and the set props and all began to leave Pelennor fields bidding everyone a goodbye and happy Halloween.

After getting the kids back home, Roxxi and I made it back home and were getting ready for bed.  She was taking out the last few pins from her wig she wore and removed it.

“I gotta admit it babe, this was probably better than the Moonscar Isle campaign you did our junior year.”

“You think so?” she asked.

“Absolutely. And those angel costumes you had those guys wearing, babe I think you’ve forever changed my view on statues forever.” The corner of her lips turned up into a smirk.  “So how did you get all those people involved?”

“I met Courtney at rehab. Her uncle works at those Halloween haunt fairs over at Chicago every year and sometimes she’s helped out whenever she visits him. She got everything from the lights and costumes from him. Most of them were actual workers at the haunts and were gracious enough to book a flight here to do this little campaign of mine.”

“I swear you’ve got the magic touch when it comes to connections, you sure you can’t do that to speed up the process of the band’s success?”

“Sorry Teddy, my magical touch doesn’t touch the music industry. Just the makeup and hairstyle dept.” she finished wiping away the last of her makeup before coming over to me.  I pulled back the covers for her to get in and cuddle up to me.

She buried her face into my neck and I pulled her in close, softly kissing the center of her forehead.

“But I know you’ll make it big. Once we’re done with school you’ll have all the time to focus on just the music, and one day you’ll get your shot.”

“With my lucky charm at my side, I don’t see how we can’t fail.” Her eyes softened as she smiled at me and her lips met with mine.  “Now can I say something from one Dungeon Master to another?” she tilted her head in that puppy-like manner (that I always found so adorable).

“I thought you said you liked the campaign?” there was a hint of doubt in her voice.

“Oh sweetheart, you misunderstood. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it, I would just like to, you know…..add a little something extra to the ending.” I said reaching out and stroking her tri-colored strand and tucking it behind her ear.  “If you catch my drift.” I raised my brow suggestively.

“And what would you like to add? Dungeon Master.” She asked in her Dungeon Mistress voice, that low, seductive tone that always made me go hard.

“After their reunion and having his wife once again, back in his arms. Beren took Luthien to their bed, his body hovering over hers.” I reached over and grabbed my black and red d20 die, holding it between my index and tall finger as I smirked down at her.

“Make your move Beren the Bard.”

“With pleasure, Luthien the Starlight.” I rolled the die but in the end it didn’t matter what number I landed on.  I pulled the sheets over the two of us and we spent a night of pure bliss moaning not only our own names but our characters names as well.

This was definitely a Halloween night to remember.

[redheadspark]

can i request 3 from the actions list with jack russell from wwbn? thanks xx

A/N - Hey! I'll keep this one nice and short, thanks for requesting!

Obsessed

Summary - Who knew that a werewolf would be obsessed with Halloween

Warnings - Just some cute fluff :)

“Darling?”

“Oh, one second, Amor!  I’m in the kitchen and I’m almost done, is something wrong?”

“No…not really. I’m just….surprised,”

Having a somewhat decent day at your office job, you were looking forward to unwinding for the night with Jack, getting some more time with him before he would go off on another Monster Hunting Job that was in Europe.  But the last thing you were expecting to see, or even interact with at all, your little apartment decked out head to toe in Halloween Decor.

But how could you be surprised, given he fact that Jack was obsessed with the Holiday.

Being a Werewolf himself, he knew most of the myths and facts about Halloween and thought of it as an amazing holiday to celebrate.  You never minded it yourself, but it was intensified with Jack when you tow started dating.  Once late September and October came through, Jack’s mind was was the color of orange and black, on the crazy and insane sweets he would buy at the store, and without a doubt, the classic horror movies from the 30’s and 40’s.  He lived and breathed Halloween, it always brightened his mood during that time of year.

When you two moved in together, Jack was already thinking of the decor that he would use in the small space.  You both were already cramped, given your office job that plenty of things to take home and work on and his Monster Hunting equipment would be sprawled out all over the place, you had to wonder if Halloween decorations would even fit in the living room.

Jack made it work, along with the kitchen, bathroom, and even the bedroom.

Sure enough, there were plastic skeleton heads in the coffee table bowl, black candles that were massive already lit on the candle holders that looked like tree branches, and even the cocktail trolley had signs that said “Witches Brew” and “Lycranthropy Headquarters”. You had to admit, it all looked great.  Nothing cheesy or nothing too scary or horrid, but perfectly placed in the right spot.

“Ah!  I wanted it to be a surprise for you before you came home!” Jack came out from the bedroom, a few more decorations in hand as he saw you looking around the living room with a massive grin, “I must have lost time.  How was work, Amor?”

“Oh, good.  Nothing crazy yet,” You admitted as he walked over to give you a sweet kiss, “Jack, this looks awesome!  I could have helped you, you know,”

“No, I like doing this, it’s a bit calming for me before I leave for my job,” He replied as he made his way over to the kitchen.  You followed, smelling a sweet aroma near the stovetop.  A Dutch Oven was filled with boiling water, along with slices of apples and cinnamon sticks along with cloves.

“Smells divine,” You said to him as he pushed some of the apples around with a wooden spoon.

“Ah, my mother used to do this to fill the house with the smell of Autumn,” he explained, “I figured we would use this in our tiny apartment to officially being in Halloween,”

“Well, I wish to thank her to showing you how to do this,” You hummed as him as you kissed his cheek, “You ready for your trip?”

“Bags are packed and ready to go,” he reassured him as he turned down the heat very slightly on the stove, “Now, go take a shower and unwind a bit, I’m gonna order some food and we’re going to watch a classic tonight,”

“Which one?”

“Wolf Man, of course,”

“Why am I not surprised?”

Hearing Jack chuckle, you made your way over to the hallway that led to your bedroom and master bathroom, rubbing the back of your neck to ease some of the tension that was still there from work.  The sweet scent of the Autumn Aroma was floating everywhere in the apartment, letting the stress melt away and bringing in the warmth that you knew would come in Autumn.  It made you thankful that Jack found pleasure in the little things, whether it was him making your home a sacred place to unwind and relax in, or doing activities that made him feel happy and joyful in the harsher times of his life.  Jack’s heart was worth more than gold.

And it showed, even in his Halloween Decorations.

But of course you were surprised to see the skeleton hanging on the bathroom door when you walked in, you screaming from the sight and sighing heavily.  That’s when you heard his voice from the door.

“Sorry, Amor!  I’ll take the skeleton out of there!”

The End.

Halloween Prompt Session

[mondaymisfortune]

Chapter 1

The mattress cradled my sleeping form. The cold air of my new empty room battled to beat the fortress of blankets and quilts that weighed down on me like a cocoon. My heavy eyes blinked awake, and I was bitterly reminded that I was no longer home. Everything was new; this state, this house, my room. The floors, the walls, the ceilings, even the smell. Nothing was familiar, nothing was comfortable. Numerous boxes crowded the empty space of the fresh four walls before me, reminders of how my life could easily be packed away and shipped across the country just like everything else. These plain tan boxes were honestly an insult to my being. The colorful art, and clothes, and games, and pictures, and hobbies that made me who I am, all trapped within identical boxes of cardboard lingering with the smell of mildew from the ever present humidity of Maine. 

Maine. Even the thought of telling someone “I live in Maine” was a stranger to me. No, I’m not from Maine, no I don’t live in Maine. All things I wished I could say, all things that were false. 

The trip from California had been a pretty smoothe one, minus the traffic and the cramped hours and the frustrated tears of constant bickering from my parents. It could have been worse. 

I had spent my entire life, all 16 years, in California. I loved the sun and the beach and never ending excitement. But everyone in my little three person family would agree, we couldn’t stay there forever. The noise, the people, the bullying. It was all too much. I suppose my family moved for my sake. Thought it would be a fresh start, a chance to reinvent myself, find my footing. But like so many others, change was totally not my thing. 

I love my parents, I really do, but I don’t think they understand that moving to the middle of a forest is NOT the move for someone who constantly imagines people that aren’t there and freaks when left alone for too long. 

The visions started when I was 11. Small things like hearing my name called when I was alone in the house, seeing a passing shadow in the corner of my room at night. All things that could be chalked up to the imagination of an only child and unmonitored access to the internet. But as I got older, they never stopped, only matured. The voices became louder, the shadows took forms. Suddenly I was being followed everywhere I went, watched from every corner. 

Though no two visions are ever identical, one element has remained the same, there has always been a man, or more or less, a large figure. Even in my earliest memories I recall a tall and looming presence, no, not threatening, just…present. My first memory of him (or it) was when I was five. We had this little pastel playhouse, just a simple four-wall, plastic thing that I decorated with various princess and monster truck stickers. Inside was the tea party spot. I held countless spectacular tea parties with all of my dolls and plushies, and the occasional parent (though I quickly learned they were far more fun by myself). I was throwing one of my famous tea parties with my plush bunny, Lucy, my Ken Barbie, and my teddy bear, Charlie. We ate TownHouse buttery crackers and sipped lemonade in plastic tea cups until the sun went down. That was when I saw him, through the plastic window cut-out, right along the fence, within the trees. He blended in, seamlessly, I convinced myself there was an eyelash or something in my eye. After furiously rubbing my eyelids, blinking, and batting, and rolling my eye ball around, I sneaked a peek through a slitted eyelid, and there he continued to stand. A tall, black, blurry blob, staring. Or what I assume to be staring as he had no eyes…no nothing. He carried no distinct features, only a static outline. As quick as my little five year old legs could carry me, I dashed inside, tears brimming and brewing. When I delivered the news to my parents, they didn’t fear ghosts or interdimensional beings, they thought I had seen a real person, a real man. My mother secured me to her chest as my dad bolted outside, ready to swing on whoever was creeping on his little girl. Wielding the butter knife he had been using to cut strawberries and the flashlight from his phone, he marched across the yard, only to find no one. No man, no figure, no nothing. Only trees. 

Pretty quickly the source of my tears switched from being the mysterious presence to having forgotten my dolls. How could I have forgotten them in such a moment of weakness? How could I have left them all alone in the dark playset with that creature? What kind of friend was I if I had run off to save myself and let them fend for themselves? Much to my pleasure and comfort, my dad retrieved the toys and brought them all back inside and any thought of the creature man quickly dissipated as my little five year old mind began to jump to other trains of thought. My parents let it go, not wanting to bring it up again, satisfied with me being in the house and safe. As I got older, I asked them about the occurrence frequently, having it set in my mind that what I saw was real. They fostered the belief that what I saw was just a trick of the light and a wild imagination, not wanting to poison my child brain with thoughts of scary monsters and figures . 

I knew he was real when I was ten. I was on the swingset, just down the street from our little pale blue house. The playground was small, a yellow, red, and blue jungle gym with chipped paint and creaky rusted bolts, next to it one giant metal slide that became a frying pan in the summer under the California sun. The playground was surrounded by a weak and worsening chain link fence that I fail to believe was even close to being up to code. A smart and warry parent would quickly mark the place as a hazard, but as a kid, I couldn’t imagine a more perfect location. 

The star of the playground was the swings. Two sets stood on opposite ends of the wood chip-filled square, one a shorter, more condensed version of the other. It held six swings, three pairs of two, sized down for the smaller kiddies and the babies. The other also held six swings but in one giant row. It reached higher than I had ever seen a swingset reach. You could swing so high it felt like you just touched the clouds. Two boys, brothers, who lived in the neighborhood swore they had been able to do a full 360 around the upper supporting bar. I believed them, I was ten. 

My favorite thing to do was head out when my parents started dinner, swing till the streetlights came on, and then dash home like my life depended on it. One evening, as the sun began to sink her way down behind the hills, I found myself swinging and swooshing to my heart’s content. I swung higher than I ever had before. If I had made the choice to jump off, I was certain my arms would transform into wings and I could soar up up and away from our little street, high into the clouds, away from the Cali heat. I closed my eyes and imagined flipping and twirling and dashing through the fluffiest of clouds, each grey huddle of droplets grazing my face and kissing the hairs on my head. I was completely free, unrestrained from the chains of the swing or the ties of gravity. 

A touch of nausea was coming over me as I vigorously swung back and forth and I re-opened my eyes, touching back down to earth, landing among my place in the universe. And there he stood. Again. Far away, outside the chain link fence, occupying the little break of empty space among the rows of trees. Watching. Waiting. For what? So I may walk towards him or so I may cease swinging and allow him to rush forwards towards me? My heart dislodged from its rightful spot in my ribcage and dropped straight down to my stomach. I thought I might throw up from how full it made me. Faster than I should, I dug my feet into the dirt and wood chips beneath me, sending splinters flying in every direction, logging pieces in my socks and skin. For a moment I stared back, part confused, part scared, part daring it, asking it, what are you going to do? When I blinked and he refused to move, I took that as my cue to haul ass back to the safety and warmth of my home. 

I launched myself from the swings, ignoring the small stabbing pains of the wood chips in my shoes, more focused on the fact that in order to make it out of the playground I would have to run towards the only opening in the chain link fence, which unfortunately, was towards the creature. I was so scared. As I ran I felt a headache more painful than I have ever felt before, even to this day. Every twist and turn in the road, I refused to look back, to acknowledge his presence. I knew he was there, still watching. Always watching. 

I sprinted and sprinted till I pretty much crashed into the front door nearly letting the scream escape my throat as I frantically searched the house for my mother in the kitchen. My vision was blurry with tears and panic, my head pounding like a jackhammer was being directly drilled right into my frontal lobe. Something wet came seeping down my nose towards my lips and nausea bubbled up inside of me. I thought I might just pass out then and there. As I came screeching to halt in the kitchen. I tried voicing for help but nothing came out, all I could manage was sobs and sharp breaths. My mother looked to me, wide-eyed and startled. I will never forget the look on her face as she stared, mouth a-jar, trembling she asked,  

“Honey, why is your nose bleeding?”

[downwiththeficness]

Shadow and Veil-Chapter Thirty Five

Summary: Eva Moore’s life was a carefully constructed fiction.  Every day, she did exactly what her mother in law, her husband, and his  best friend expected of her. No mistakes. And, that was going pretty  well for Eva right up until a huge complication literally tried to run  her over. Now, she’s faced with trying to keep the pieces of her life  from falling apart while attempting (and failing) to keep her feelings  for her husband’s new business partner at bay.

A/N: This fic is a sister-fic to A Need So Great and A Need Unleashed.  You do not need to have read ANSG or ANU to read this fic, but there  are Easter eggs from those fics in Shadow and Veil for readers with keen  eyes.  This fic is explicit for canon-compliant blood, gore, violence,  and sex. As such, it is intended for an adult audience, only. A/B/O  dynamics come with their own warning. Anyone under the age of 18 should  not interact with this work. I do not consent to reposting this work to  other platforms. Reblog only to Tumblr.  

Word Count: ~2,200

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Eva stood in the kitchen, waiting for a fresh pot of coffee to brew. It was almost lunchtime and she’d already taken her normal route around the neighborhood. There were no new job openings to inquire about, so she bought a piece of fruit from the vendor and wandered around until she got tired. Then, aware of the time, she headed home and turned on the next episode of Sergio and Maria’s story.

Luz had no idea that Sergio was struggling with the question of whether or not he would go through with marrying her. She spent most of the episode filling out invitations and looking for dresses. Maria, on the other hand, was drowning her sorrows in tequila with her best friend who was encouraging her to seek out her long lost love. All in all, Eva found it very entertaining.

The ring of the phone startled her during a commercial break. Eva picked it up with a tentative ‘hello?’

Horacio’s voice came through, “Eva, did I leave my lunch on the kitchen counter?”

Leaning around the doorway, she looked for it, “Yes, you did.”

“Would you mind bringing it to me?” He asked, “I would normally just get something here, but I was looking forward to the leftovers.”

Eva sympathized with him. If she hadn’t eaten every scrap of food on her plate, she would be looking forward to the leftovers, too.  “I can do that,” she replied, already reaching for the phone book to call a cab. “You’re at your office today?”

“Sí,” then, “Gracias, Amorcita.”

Eva smiled wide even though he couldn’t see her, “You’re welcome. I’ll come right over.”

After hanging up with Horacio, Eva dialed a cab company and very carefully asked for a ride from her home to Horacio’s office. The person on the other side of the line didn’t seem bothered by her stilted speech and gave her a wait time of twenty minutes. It was plenty for Eva to get cleaned up and make herself presentable.

She knew that there was little that she could do about the fact that she stuck out in a crowd. Eva was a foreigner and too new to the country to effectively hide how American she was. She just had to try her best to make a good impression wherever she went, especially if she was going to Horacio’s office. As long as she was polished and polite to his coworkers, it probably wouldn’t matter too much that she was from an entirely different hemisphere.

She selected her outfit with care. Her sartorial choices were limited, but she had enough accessories to add a little flash here and there. After stepping into her heels, she put some money in a handbag and went to the kitchen to grab Horacio’s lunchbox.

The cab pulled into the driveway and Eva gave the address to the driver. Along the way, she attempted to memorize the route. It was further away than she’d been, aside from the first trip from the airport. The neat houses gave way to a highway flanked by trees until the car reached the outskirts of the city, proper.

Most of the buildings were uniform concrete with official looking signs. Eva made note of a medical center about half a block from where the cab eventually pulled to a stop. There was also a post office and general store. In the distance, Eva spotted a small park with children running through it.

She paid the driver and got out, smoothing her skirt nervously before climbing the steps to the front door. While she walked, Eva practiced the translation for ‘hello, I’m looking for my husband, Captain Carrillo’ in her head. The closer she got to the doors, the more nervous she became. When she cleared the stairs, Eva made herself stop and take a deep breath. She was just a wife dropping off lunch to her husband. No big deal.

Another fortifying breath and Eva breezed into the lobby as if she belonged there. She found a secretary who patiently listened to her inquiry. A moment later and she was standing in an elevator staring as a sticky note with short directions written on it. The doors opened and she stepped out, looking both ways to find an office number.

At the end of the hall, Eva dropped down a short set of stairs to an open floor littered with desks. The sound of people talking was muffled by the click of typewriters and the loud scratch of a fax machine printing in the corner. Eva paused at the base of the stairs so that she could scan the room for Horacio. It didn’t take her long to spot him.

Moving quickly through the spacious room, Horacio’s purposeful steps carried him alongside another officer. He was speaking to them in words she couldn’t hear, but the tone was clear: This is what I want, and this is how I want it. It was a tone that she knew intimately and just hearing it made her skin prickle.

Other officers noted Horacio’s approach long before he got there. Eva watched their bodies stiffen and move out of the way to let him through. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen him part a crowd just by walking towards it and Eva had always assumed that it was a Diego thing. That the danger Diego represented was telegraphed so acutely that anyone could sense it.

Evidently, it was a Horacio thing.

Eva quickly calculated where he might be going and easily found her entry point when a group of officers scurried off down another hallway. She put herself in Horacio’s path and waited for him to spot her.

She waited about seven seconds.

Horacio locked eyes with her and the ambient sounds of the room dimmed. His mouth pulled up into a smile and he seemed to completely forget that he was speaking to someone. The even stride shortened and quickened as he made his way towards her. When he got close, both hands reached out to grasp her hips.

He kissed her cheek lightly, “You brought lunch?”

Eva held up his lunchbox, “I brought lunch.”

The officer he had been talking to stood off to the side, watching their interaction with interest. If the expression on his face was anything to go on, Eva thought seeing Horacio kiss someone in public was a rare event that would later result in gentle ribbing between them.

Horacio took the lunchbox from her and stepped to the side, “Eva, this is Officer Trujillo. Trujillo, this is my wife.”

Like the last time he introduced her, Eva’s heart fluttered at the way he said ‘my wife’. No hesitation. No stumbling over the word. No derision or sarcasm in his tone. Just a simple statement of unequivocal fact.

“Mrs. Carrillo,” the officer greeted, “its nice to finally meet you.”

Eva smiled, “Its nice to meet you, too. And, thank you for finding the house for us. We’re very grateful.”

Trujillo dipped his head in acknowledgment, “You’re welcome. Besides, what else was I supposed to do when I heard the Major went to America and got married without telling anyone.”

“Major?”

Horacio shifted on his feet, “Ah. I got promoted this morning. I was going to tell you when I got home.”

“That’s wonderful!” she gasped.

Trujillo stepped forward and slapped Horacio on the shoulder, “I’m looking forward to hearing how you managed to bring down that American doctor. We could use some new strategies.”

Eva felt her smile freeze in place.

Horacio, bless him, noticed, “I’ll let you know when I’ve scheduled the training. Right now, I’m going to have lunch.”

Trujillo waved him off with a grin and Horacio guided Eva away with a hand on the small of her back. They walked to an office that was in disarray. Boxes and filing cabinets were half opened. The desk was covered in accordion files that were bursting at the seams. On the far wall was a couch that had even more boxes stacked on top of it.

Horacio closed the door behind them, “Sorry about…”

Eva shook her head, “He doesn’t know. Its fine. Just caught me off guard.”

He looked at her a moment more before he seemed to accept her answer. Eva watched him walk around his desk and kneel down. The sound of rustling preceded the distinct chime of a microwave starting.

“So, new promotion and a new office?”

Head lifting so that he looked at her from just above the edge of his desk, Horacio replied, “Something like that. I’m supposed to head a task force to hunt down drug dealers.”

She huffed an amused laugh, “I’d say you have a head start on the job.”

He stood, “Yes. I think so.” A tilt of his head, “I doubt it will be nearly as exciting as playing a drug dealer. But, I’ll manage.”

Sauntering over to him, Eva said, “I wouldn’t toss Diego aside so quickly. You might need him back someday.”

There was something in his expression that flinched, but he covered it smoothly by pulling his mouth into a very Diego-like smirk, “I’m sure Diego would be thrilled to hear you think so highly of him.”

Eva turned her shoulders coyly and scrunched her face, “Have to say: When I first met him? Total asshole. But, he grew on me.”

Horacio took her hand and held it loosely, “You’re right. He was an asshole. But, he was efficient. And, I never would have met you without him.”

He was right. If Diego hadn’t stormed into her life, Eva would still be living in that stupid fucking house surrounded by pretty things and slowly dying inside.

“I’m glad I met him,” she murmured.

“Me, too.”

The microwave dinged. Horacio knelt down and carefully pulled the Tupperware from it and cleared off a space on his desk. He sat in a rolling chair and gestured for her to take on of the two chairs opposite.

“We’ll share,” he announced, picking up the fork.

Eva sat and leaned her elbows on the desk, “That’s very gracious of you.”

With a bright hum, Horacio passed her the fork so that she could take a bite, “I’m glad you liked the restaurant. We should go back soon.”

“We should,” she agreed, “We have a promotion to celebrate.”

“Its not a big deal.”

Eva pointed the fork at him, “It is a big deal. You said it, yourself. The whole point of going to Louisiana was so that you could get this promotion. And, look, here it is. You did it.”

Horacio took the fork from her, “I had help. Your help, actually.”

She rolled her eyes, “Yeah, I was a big help while I had a complete mental breakdown and cried for, like, six months.”

“It wasn’t an easy situation.”

He had a point, but Eva refused to allow it, “And, I didn’t make it any easier.”

Horacio chewed thoughtfully, “I don’t need the promotion to be happy with what happened. I got something better.”

How was she supposed to argue with him when he was saying such sweet things? Eva shook her head ruefully, but let him have the win. He forked another bite into his mouth instead of gloating.

Eva’s gaze shifted to the mountain of files on his desk, “Are these your first cases, Major?”

Before he could answer, her eyes caught the familiar Ardent logo. She laid a hand on the file and looked at him in question.

“I,” he began in a long, drawn out syllable, “got an update faxed in from Javier. Its about the trial.”

Her chest clenched, “Oh?”

“The evidence we gathered was very, very good and the DA was suggesting a minimum sentence of twenty years.”

“That’s good, right?”

He nodded, “But, a few days ago, he fled. They’re not sure where he went—he covered his tracks pretty well.”

Eva couldn’t speak around the fear that began to bubble up from her stomach and into her throat. The food in her mouth suddenly felt like lead.

Horacio caught her attention, “He won’t get close to you. I’ve already flagged him at every airport in the country. That’s if he figures out that you’re here, which he won’t.”

She remembered the extra measures he took while they made their way to Colombia. Meticulously, Eva walked through them, looking for weaknesses that Josh might be able to exploit. They were few and far between, but they were there.

The best plan would be for the authorities to catch up with Josh and put him behind bars. But, where…?

“I know where he is,” she said.

Horacio’s brows rose, “You do?”

Eva nodded, “He’s in Mexico. Before everything went to shit, he said that he wanted to move the operation.”

Picking up a pen and notepad, Horacio began to write, “Did he say where in Mexico?”

She shook her head, “No, but I would look for manufacturing towns—places where he could create a new company and start over. Somewhere that he could export the product back into the US.”

He wrote down her words with bullet points and set down the pen, “What was that about not helping, again?”

[pulsedmaggot]

happy lesbian day heres 2 pieces of a girl!jim/girl!corey wip x

five years in a band. nine people. seven guys. two chicks. and only now does it seem that the world is louder than they are. what used to be a united front of sound and shockwaves is now muddled by someone changing a tire. a car honking in the distance. cicadas crooning and the sliding of a restless singer’s shoes over concrete. before this, they'd all be trudging along to this gas station together, gathering unfavorable stares and shouts alike. today- tonight- it's just the two of them. the rest of the band are probably shuffling around their own sidewalks and bus stops, with the ones truly loyal to the making of their third album holed up in that same mansion corey didn't “feel right” in. and jamie is here with her, wondering how someone claiming to quit smoking could ask to borrow a lighter so much.

the impromptu shopping trip wasn't too bad. jamie didn't get a beer because she knew she couldn't share it with corey, and decided to take her journey to stop drinking seriously for once. a bottle of pre-brewed vanilla ice coffee is starting to grow room temperature in the fold of her elbow because of this. corey’d topped off a bottle of cold brew before jamie got to pay for their drinks, having huffed and puffed that this humble 7-eleven didn't already have a hot pot on when they walked in. if jamie knew she needed a caffeine fix, she would've started a pot for her back at the mansion, knowing that corey only sucked down the truest and deepest of self-ground black sand these days. the very premise of them being out of their comfortable beds at shit o’fuck at night could've had to do with corey’s supply depleting. wouldn't be the first time she's thrown a fit over running out of coffee.

“y’know, i could-” before jamie’s about to offer to pick up a six pack of refrigerated starbucks, a belch resounds from corey’s chest.

corey slaps her diaphragm, her moody facade having crumbled the moment a hiccup followed soon after. jamie laughs at corey’s swearing fit, wondering if she regretted putting back that bottle a minute ago.

“i was gonna go back and get you, like, one of those packs, or the big jugs of stuff, but-” corey calls jamie a ‘fucking prick’ before she can finish her sentiment, the corners of her mouth turning up a little.

“all you have to do is ask! it's hop skip and a jump for me, y’know.” jamie mimes stomping back over to the gas station in very long steps, knowing it'd get a reaction out of her.

“yeah? lumberwoman?” corey rolls her eyes, still pretending to not be in the mood for jamie’s antics. after all, she’s supposed to be angry at some vaguely unsettling aura of their fanciful magician house/recording studio.

“it's no problem to me, ms. tree stump.” jamie taunts, “i know you had a thing for that cashier, so i’ll just tell him you said hey while i’m in there.”

“fuck off, i did not-” corey’s entire face goes red, the hair framing her face looking lightning-white in comparison. “that dick-for-brains unplugged the coffee maker!”

“right, yeah, that's what ruins a man for you.” jaime snorts.

“exactly.” corey flips her hair over her shoulder. “i only fuck gas stationers who do their job right.”

[...]

corey gets that air about her, where she stands too still for what feels like too long, but is probably no more than about 20 seconds. it's pure uncanny valley whenever she stays still; all those thoughts and actions hidden by a blank stare and the occasional curl of her hair over her finger, too much humanity blanketed over a pothole of pennies and thumbtacks. jamie tries not to stare, but there's no way to get around how unfocused corey looks- how captivating she is when she could do anything, say anything, yet chooses to stay still. she could gather every bit of caffeine lying dormant inside of her and run across the street, zigzagging through bikes and taxis and find herself in another part of town. jamie also tries not to think about how easy it would be for her to follow mindlessly behind her. obediently.

corey opens her mouth to say something, presumably to ask whether or not jamie can run faster than she can say ‘vanilla’, but before jamie’s ankles have a street corner to twist on their bus is showing up. bright lights in the night’s haze squeaking to a halt, the bus driver throwing an overly polite hat-tip their way. jamie can feel corey rolling her eyes in her periphery. as much as she would love to entertain a round of quipping over the driver, jamie gives corey’s shirt sleeve a pinch.

“i’ll race ya.”

[champion-level-astroturfing]

things that have happened since i got to ballonlea on friday

met at station by my brother's wife. forgot how much i hate that guy

informed i treated my brother 'like absolute shit' and given cold shoulder for rest of trip home. guess they hate me right back

Her Majesty refused to greet my brother and i could tell it sort of hurt their feelings

brother's pet swirlix tried to sit on my lap for cuddles and blue literally headbutted him onto the floor??? jeez blue

blue then let brother's wife give him scratches and treats. traitor.

forgot how shit the internet is here unless you shell out for the really good lines which my brother refuses to do. phone has taken this long to agree to a stable connection. however i don't even think it's the internet provider's fault i think the phone ghosts were arguing with the tangle trees. this sounds fucking bonkers but the figures on the boat on the home screen looked really pissed off the whole time

the house sinistea has tried to replace my cuppa and thought i wouldn't notice six times so far. sorry bud you're in a dainty little china teacup and i take my brew in a mug the size of my head it's kind of obvious

brother has let the tangle take over most of the garden by this point and i woke up this morning to Her Majesty having an argument with a bramble vine outside the window. a loud argument.

[magxit]

Matty played Madison Square Garden 3 months ago, so he was in NYC. He also was on the Johnathon Ross Show in England 2 months ago.// But Anon, Taylor was in LA and then Glendale in tour rehearsals during this time. There is absolutely zero evidence they were in the same city after the January appearance at the 1975 concert. I think people are getting tripped up by what we’ve actually seen versus that obviously false Sun article: there is atm nothing to suggest anything more than a fling/situationship is happening here. People need to get better at understanding the Sun often gets kernels of truth right but the details horribly wrong. As 2 people who were already friends and collaborators and had a history of 10 years, very little needed to transpire between them to get to a fling/situationship happening. Matty clearly is into her and has been and probably took his shot as soon as he heard the news. Not to mention her hooking up with someone else fresh off a break is her usual MO so I don’t get why people are struggling to understand how this could’ve happened? Also, people romanticizing him flying right after his gig to get to her: yeah cause he knew he’d get some (don’t underestimate what men will do for good sex) and once again, he’s been into her for some time and knew he needed to act fast here (he fumbled the bag previously).

The most obvious answer is usually the right one: Taylor’s first weeks on tour and then the switch to The 1 indicate the timing of the split and it being sudden. Obviously there were likely issues brewing for some time but you can’t ignore Joe was with her in LA until his film started and that he liked her pre-tour post and photo dumped himself at her Grammy party with Jack and the cats plus there were sightings of them in LA together through February). You also can’t ignore that it seems obvious something happened to cause her to pull the plug and that something made her friends immediately distance themselves from Joe too. Abi still follows some of the K family and Karlie and yet she immediately unfollowed Joe. I know some like to paint it like Taylor forces her pals to do this. But she clearly doesn’t make them choose based on multiple different connections several friends have to people who are on her shit list. So ask yourself why then did they all unfollow Joe so fast (especially since he’s rarely on SM)? And for those who say, why didn’t her pals know I’d ask have you been in an adult LTR? Issues or not, Taylor clearly believed she and Joe were going to make it (the house, her music, the likely engagement, etc). You don’t sell out your partner or share all the shit even with close friends when you expect to still be in the relationship - but also a legit source (People) indicated that pals did know they had ups and downs. But the biggest indication honestly should be how clearly Taylor is going through it in these past few weeks and even now (see last night’s show). We’ll see where this thing - whatever it is - between her and Matty goes. But with him back on tour shortly and her on tour too (plus everything she’s still dealing with) I’d be surprised if it goes on past May.

One last thing to point out: People is Tree’s go-to. When the Sun broke the TH news she didn’t comment and it played out as it did: a rebound or fling. When the Sun broke the Joe news, People had confirmation of the relationship within a couple hours because it was obviously something real. With this Sun article on Matty, People said nothing all week and then has only noted they were spotted together and the rumors from the Sun since. People would have gotten the confirmation this is a relationship if it actually was that. My guess is that we’ll see this play out like TH a bit and then it’ll fizzle.

.

[taiblogcomics]

How to Brighten Up

Hey there, cola-flavoured slime. How's it going? Transported to any magical worlds lately? If so, I'm impressed you're still reading this blog! If not, well, at least let me do so by proxy with our next review~

Here's the cover:

Ah, another simple but really fantastic cover! Like, when it's a cover you'd hang up in your room as a poster, that's when it's a good cover, in my opinion. Again, the actual parts of this are very simple, but the colours are gorgeous--which is very important for a Rainbow Brite series--and it really evokes a magical girl feel to it. Which I suppose Rainbow Brite actually is! I should note that all of these comics also sold with alternate covers that used the original '80s-style Rainbow Brite graphics, but I prefer using whichever's the "main" or "default" cover for any issue I review, and also I wouldn't hang up those alt covers as a poster~

So, last time we were introduced to our oddly-named protagonist, an imaginative young girl named Wisp. One night, she's woken from sleep by a couple of shadow creatures stealing the blue from her mother's car. Literally, stealing the physical colour from it. Wisp is attacked by the beings when they discover she can perceive them, and runs into a little sprite named Twinkle. Twinkle provides exposition while Wisp runs to her friend Willow's house to trip the lights of the security system. The bright lights banish the shadow monsters, but also Wisp and Twinkle are transported to Rainbow Land…

Rainbow Land isn't living up to its name much these days, as everything is dark and gray. Also, we open with Wisp being pursued by a large wolf-like creature, so that's not great. It's large enough that going deeper into the forest is actually a good idea, where the trees are too thick for it to pass. Catching their breath for a minute, Twinkle explains its nature as a shadow hound, and Wisp reasons that if it's sniffing out their colours, they should hide among the gray leaves. It's enough to disguise them long enough for a loud noise to scare the hound off.

What caused said sound, though? It's backfire from an inelegant, boxy-looking grey vehicle that's pulled up. A tall green-skinned man steps out, cursing both the vehicle and the name of Lurky for providing said vehicle. Grumbling, he dons a jetpack and blasts off, muttering that a scientist's work is never done. Both the vehicle and his jetpack produce copious amounts of gray smoke, so we've got a potential pollution subplot brewing. I thought this was supposed to be a Rainbow Brite comic, not Captain Planet~

Once he's gone, Twinkle explains that the green fellow was Murky Dismal, a scientist in the employ of the King of Shadows. The King hasn't been able to steal the colour from certain things, so he's hired Murky to examine them. So far, Murky has discovered a way to use stolen colour as a fuel. Given how much smoke he's producing, though, it may be burning a bit of a fuel-rich mixture. In short, he's an asshole, and the King of Shadows lets him get away with doing his own thing most of the time. Best to avoid him!

Instead, their attention returns to the shadow hound. Since it was once a regular dog from the Rainbow Lands, there must be a way to turn it back, yes? Naturally, a bright white light is needed. So, as Twinkle explains, all colour comes from Rainbow Land. It's actually mined, and then stored in various prisms, which beam it to Rainbow Castle, and then spread through the various other worlds. The King of Shadows has been conquering the lands with his minions, sealing the mines and capturing the Colour Guards, which prevents new colour from being created. Without colour, joy, fun, and diversity will also disappear.

The King of Shadows is too powerful for any one Colour Guard to fight, so the only hope is the legendary hero who can unite all the colours into white light: the legendary Rainbow Brite! And thus we come to the crux of the matter: Twinkle thinks he's looking at the next Rainbow Brite right now. Given her ability to perceive the shadows even back on her own world, this can only be the ability of someone with a connection to Rainbow Land. Naturally, Wisp protests that she's anything special, but Twinkle implores her as a friend, and she promises to at least try.

First step: we gotta break into Murky's lab. A powerful relic is held inside. They approach cautiously, but Twinkle reveals Murky doesn't really deal in minions. He just has a monster. This does little to assure Wisp, but since the monster's inside, there's little need for stealth outside. Wisp decides to climb a tree up to a nearby window, but partway up, the shadow hound appears again. Dogs can't climb trees, but they can headbutt them violently, nearly causing Wisp to fall. Twinkle takes it upon himself to distract the hound, so it goes running off after him, leaving Wisp quite alone as she climbs inside the lab.

While Wisp sneaks around, she can hear Murky berating his underling Lurky. She catches sight of what can only be the relic: a scepter held in a beam of light. She attempts to run and grab it, but instead runs right into a huge hairy brown creature: the monster Lurky. Wisp screams in terror, and Lurky responds in kind. Before Murky can order him to grab her, she ducks around him and closes her hand around the scepter. There's a flash, and a magical transformation takes place! A sequence, you might even say. And when the light clears, Wisp stands before them decked in the outfit of Rainbow Brite~

Second issue, also pretty good! Now you've got your backstory, your stakes, and most importanly: your villain. Lurky looks pretty much the same as his '80s likeness, but Murky's received a good deal of a glow-up, gaining full human proportions, and... well, I wouldn't say handsome features, but perhaps normal ones. He looks like a cross between Mandark and Bunsen Honeydew, which is fitting for his role as the Shadow King's chief scientist. They're a decent villain pair in the classic "smart guy, dumb muscle" mold.

Anyways, next issue, Rainbow Brite's gonna kick some ass. See you then~

[garbagefarm]

Mutucule Farm #13

2023-03-13, Session #13 for Mutucule Farm, Spring 7 Year 2 through Spring 13 Year 2

Cast:

Me (@mothmute)

Belle (@snacco)

Cam (@amanitaspore) — absent tonight, but with us in spirit

Erin (@salamand3rin)

Highlights include, but are not limited to:

Pompkin is taking a nap in solidarity with Cam, who couldn’t make it due to having to go to bed early

I accidentally killed one of the potatoes :(

Erin pet one of my pigs >:(

Making a trip to the desert just to plant a bunch of trees. Reforestation, yeah!

—followed immediately by clear-cutting Cindersap Forest. Deforestation, yeah!

Belle starts building fences around her barn and fences herself in

my notes say “very precarious seeds” but I do not remember the full context of that

Belle picks most of the jazz, but leaves one for the bees so they can make Jazz Honey

Belle continues building fences and walks into a tree, george-of-the-jungle style

I added gates to the fences that I made all by myself without Belle’s help at all

(this is a lie. not the part about the gates, that’s real, but Belle made most of the fences)

Belle asks if this is gatekeeping, I reply “yeah” in a way that made people laugh

Gotta save eggs for cam (not pam)

Hatmouse looking at me very sadly...

Hatmouse is a... small business owner

(Hatmouse is very small and has no money, so you can imagine the kind of stress that they’re under.)

We could all use a little enrichment in our enclosures

I realize, in the middle of the day, that it is raining. I mean, I knew it was raining, but I remembered the implications of the rain, and rush to the beach

(But I won’t go in for the kill pop the question ‘til Cam is back)

Belle has a cutscene where she scooches closer to Sebastian (for the kill)

Haunted Mariner isn’t convinced that Belle isn’t a cop and won’t sell to her

—at which point Belle realizes she’s only at 9 hearts with Sebastian. Maybe the scooch was too much?

Train! Doesn’t drop any loot, boooo.

I remember a secret note, though, and dig up some buried treasure (see gallery)

I regift a maki roll that Linus sent me to Belle

Erin brews coffee at midnight

The potatoes are done!! Harvesting all the ‘tatoes!

Officer is fully grown!! Detective is still a baby

We try to get them together for a photo, but it doesn’t really work out. (see gallery)

I keep forgetting Joja is an option for buying seeds

“but you’re such a big fan!”

I purchase Pig #3, Corporal!

I deny accusations of rustling. Cutting down trees is not rustling, if hear rustling it must’ve been a ghost.

(Fella enjoys sniffing the flowers by his stables)

First truffles!!

When Pompkin lies on the bed, you can still get into bed, unlike a cat on a bed in real life

Sold the potatoes!! We went above and beyond with potatoes! We didn’t need that one I accidentally killed, anyway!

I immediately rocket from like level 1 farming to level 5

We each get a mini shipping bin as a reward

I wonder if we could use it to lure Lewis into a trap...?

Potato money means Pig #4, Sergeant! I’ll have to upgrade the barn when I wanna get more

Erin gets a deluxe backpack!

I ask Belle if she’s feeling okay when she doesn’t make the reference

Discussing free range fruit trees

Erin thinks it makes sense, since we’ve got so much “unsprinkleable land”

Lewis sends Belle a letter about Mermaid’s Pendants

how did he know? is he always watching??

First apples are in, we’ll be able to finish the Fodder bundle soon!!

morning is egg day— we agreed not to do Eggs without Cam, so that’s the end of the session. ‘til next time!!

TO-DO:

Egg fest!

Gonna get married!!

Fodder bundle!!!

Still haven’t added more bees

More backpack + tool upgrades?

Taller barn/coop??

Finish the fences???

House upgrades!

fashion!!

more Iridium Sprinklers!!!

(other bundles)

(also I realized that Krobus sells stardrops, we need to save up for those)

Gallery:

The treasure!! (the best part is that it’s obscuring my hat*)

(* - legally not a hat)

Detective (L) and Officer (R) after Officer grew up got promoted!

Hey, could you get a little close for a better picture?

Oh. That’s ... maybe a little too close.

[wolfpants]

Hello hello!

Dear wolfie, my sister gifted me a trip to edinburgh next year for my birthday and i'm so excited! (it's a bit of an early gift because we have to organize basically everything but she knew i've been wanting to go and she thought i might just pack a bag and leave, that's how bad i want to go, so she had to tell me)

One of the first thoughts i had was you lmao i was like oh i have to ask them if there's a couple of places i should definitely see and things to do, obviously the classic places yes but maybe there's something i'm missing (i really don't want that to sound like i'm looking for a tour guide so sorry if it's weird)

Anyway, thank you for sharing your writing you are absolutely one of my favorite authors out here xx

Lovely anon, I am so sorry it's taken me so long to get to this for you.

And hurrah! What a lovely gift! I hope you enjoy Scotland while you're here! I mean, I know I'm biased but, it's wonderful.

As for things to do in and around Edinburgh, here's a list of my favourites:

The Botanics - plants and trees! Wide open spaces! A really lovely cafe! And just beside it, one of my favourite areas in Edinburgh...

... Dean Village! This is a protected area of Edinburgh and host to historic and untouched buildings dating back to the 19th Century! The water of Leith also runs through it, and if you follow that you can get to Stockbridge, which is a really nice part of town for cafes, boutique shopping, and just wandering around. The farmers market on Saturdays is brilliant too. Also has some nice charity shops and the Oxfam bookshop which is amazing for vintage volumes and coffee table books. Rare Birds and Golden Hare are also two very good bookshops in the area.

Leith is a cool place to check out if you're into beer/brewing (Campervan is worth a look at), and there is some good shopping up that way too and a nice walk along the Shore.

On the other side of town you have the Old Town and St Giles Cathedral which hosts lots of classical concerts and recitals if that's your thing, and I highly recommend booking a ghost walking tour while you're here. They're cheesy, but really fun and a must for first time visitors. Also, my favourite place in all of the city is Edinburgh Castle. It's expensive, but well worth it if you're a history buff. If you don't want to do the tour though, you don't have to pay to visit the platform.

Little gems around the city: Mary's Milk Bar (best ice cream ever), Dragonfly (amazing cocktails), Wings (for chicken wings and nuggets and about a million different sauces), Armstrongs (a few outlets - second hand/vintage), Paradise Palms (queer-friendly bar with amazing veggie and vegan food and fantastic music), The Salt Horse (cozy brewery shop/pub with great scran), the Cameo cinema (old school cinema up in a really cute area of town where you can also grab an amazing breakfast at Tree House).

This list isn't extensive but these are just a few things I love!

If you fancy a day trip outside of Edinburgh, I'd suggest hopping on the train (or bus) to: Linlinthgow, South Queensferry, Crail, North Berwick. I'm a sea lover and live on the coast myself so I'm a bit biased!

Have fun while you're here!!!!

[kinkykinard]

i know ur a lil anxious so i’m here are some questions i want to know ur answers to

favorite fidget toy? favorite scent? favorite color? favorite flower? favorite outfit? how do you take your coffee/tea (tell me allllllll the different ways)? best job you’ve ever had? what was your best birthday and why? favorite animal? earbuds or headphones? i’m having major deja vu as i type this. what does your favorite water bottle look like? what’s your idea of a perfect day? favorite 911 rescue? favorite season of 911? favorite buck hair?

:)

Thank you for the ask, lovely! 😊

Okay idk if it counts or not because it's not technically a fidget toy, per se, but paper clips. I love unfolding them, bending them, twisting them into all kinds of shapes. I keep a box of them close at hand at work all the time so I can fidget while I'm on calls and in between patients to help me focus.

My favorite scent is anything rose. I adore rose-scented products but Dani hates the scent, so around the house I typically default to my second favorite which is lavender.

Favorite color is pink! Although any jewel-tone or a lavender/pastel purple is alway great, too.

Favorite flower is a rose! Followed closely by lily of the valley.

Ugh I'm so boring but I'm a leggings and t-shirt kind of girl. If I could live in leggings, I would. I have this favorite pair of black athletic leggings that has POCKETS!!!!!!! and my favorite t-shirt is a gray heather v-neck t-shirt with a picture of a monitor lizard wearing a witch hat and holding a cup of tea on it.

If I'm making coffee at home or just drinking drip while I'm out, I take milk and splenda. If it's Starbucks, it's a flat white or one of their seasonal cold brews (the chocolate cream is my favorite). As for tea, I usually take it unsweetened if it's something fruity, sweetened with splenda if it needs a little sweetness, or with honey if I'm sick or my blood sugar is low and I need a boost.

Best job I've ever had was probably my first job. I was a youth group coordinator for a major non-profit organization over the summer when I was 16 and I LOVED it. We got to organize and execute fundraisers, awareness events, blood drives, and all sorts of other events. We did lots of teambuilding events and got to dabble in all sorts of cool things in different sectors within the organization and it was just fantastic.

My best birthday was probably my 13th birthday. I spent most of it on a plane on a trip to visit family in Poland, but the day after (after a LONG night's sleep to beat the jet lag) I spent the day running around my grandparents' orchard, picking fresh cherries from right up in the trees and having a great time. We had a barbecue with all the family and we had an AMAZING chocolate cake my auntie baked for me. It felt like a BIG deal because it was so different than most birthdays at home and I still remember it super clearly.

My favorite animal is the octopus! They're SO smart and just so cool.

Earbuds, for sure. Headphones tend to hurt unless they're sized exactly right because I have my helix pierced and I just don't like them very much.

My favorite water vessel right now is actually a tumbler. It's a dark green color and has pink leaves and apples etched into it. It's a hot and cold tumbler so I can put whatever I want in it, but it's usually ice water lol.

My idea of a perfect day changes by the day, honestly. Right now, I'm dreaming of a cool, rainy day to clear the smoke out of the air and freshen everything up. Cool enough that I could sit outside under an awning and drink tea while reading a book. I wouldn't say no to a little bit of distant thunder, too, just for ambience.

Oh man, how do I pick my favorite rescue? I think I'm going to have to go with the 118 rescuing one of their own - when Buck was stuck under the ladder truck. The civilians rushing forward to help always makes me sob in the ugliest way and just makes my heart hurt in the BEST way.

My favorite season is probably season 6, honestly. SO many great episodes. Closely followed by season 3.

My favorite Buck hair is any time it's longer and slightly curly. I just want to run my fingers through it so bad.

[jaylienpotter]

How I think the vibes would be in that scenario for each ship you tagged:

Wolfstar

They live in a forest not very far to the village but still secluded (mostly because of the werewolf transformations), never far from James because him and Sirius are platonically codependent, or instead live anywhere but visit a lot through floo powder, they definitely have an extra room

The cottage is a bit chaotic, has a bunch of Muggle stuff (especially pop culture), some things work the muggle way, others with magic (like certain appliances), they mostly get things because they like them individually and don't care so much about how it'll look with the rest of the house, so it doesn't really match but they don't mind

They spend a lot of time in the villages, trying to find places to go and things to do, they also eat out a lot since Sirius never learned to cook at home and Remus was often tired, when he was particularly exhausted they'd stay in the whole day and do nothing together, mostly cuddle

Try to see their friends often, to not get lonely (they both suffer from it)

Started stargazing as a way to have Moony stop associating the night with the full moon and what it meant, Sirius told him all about the constellations

They probably pranked the villagers all the time, like taking Padfoot on walks and pretending he was an incredible dog that knew a lot of tricks and always obeyed

Jegulus

Cottage inside a forest of tall trees (prob pine tree forest), away from water because Regulus has a phobia, also so James can wander around as a deer

Cozy, traditional, lots of stuff for potion making, fireplace is always on unless it's really hot (which doesn't happen often)

Regulus has the black cat energy and aesthetic, looking like a somewhat traditional wizard, wearing black

James is more laid back, uses the ingredients mostly for cooking, usually is the one leaving the forest to go to the market and buy things they need (has to apparate or use floo powder because he buys a lot at once to avoid constant trips)

They enjoy cooking/brewing potions together or at the same time and going on walks

Jegulily

Cottage in a forest with diverse types of trees and some flowers

Lovely big cottage with a greenhouse where they plant their own ingredients (hc that Lily loves plants but can't keep them alive therefore isn't allowed inside), always smells of herbs

Individual bedrooms for personal space and style, as well as a main smaller bedroom they share, mostly for sleeping/being intimate

They all go on walks and take turns going to the village (Reg goes less or usually with someone because he gets drained faster)

James and Lily cuddle with cat Reggie (animagus), they probably also have an actual pet cat

They all have individual activities they do with each of their partners, like a special thing. Maybe Lily and Reg have library dates where they pick books for each other, Lily and James take dance classes together, and James and Regulus have broom competitions (with prizes)

Marylily

Picnic queens

Fun small colourful cottage in a flower field, close to a lake/river where they like to swim in, maybe in a muggle place

They love baking together, especially since they grow their own fruits and vegetables (here Lily isn't bad at gardening), both obsessed with strawberries

Own several animals, a bunny, maybe chicken (collect their eggs but treat them as pets), a bird they found hurt and never fully recovered so instead stuck around

They love to randomly dance, to pick flowers and run barefoot on the fields (maybe even roll around), laugh a lot together and probably get their clothes dirty all the time

Love inviting people over, especially the girls (big sapphic vibes), as well as going to the village markets to get home decorations (there's so much clutter), jewellery and clothes (that they share a lot) or food/ingredients

Pandalily

Fairy vibes (environment and their own fashion style, especially Pandora - who is autistic), live in a mythical forest with magical creatures and a big waterfall

Their cottage is made of wood, full of vines and enchanted candles (to make them not able to burn the wood), fully off-the-grid with no appliences, everything is done the old way or with magic, they also craft a lot of their clothes and accessories

They love going mushroom hunting and dancing with the spirits of the forest (and Dora calls them), very relaxed, don't leave the area often

Not very clingy, opting for softer contact, like holding hands, braiding each other's hair, caressing the face, putting jewellery on each other, etc

Their love language is gifts and quality time, they don't invite people over much, prefer to have that little paradise for themselves, instead they usually go over to their friends' houses

Dorlene

Their small house is in a field, not far from other cottages, enjoying the peace and quiet without being fully alone

The house is a bit funky, some mixed styles but it somehow worked, they share the bedroom but each have a side they can decorate to their liking

They love to sing together while Marlene plays the guitar or ukelele, they go to small gigs in pubs, even if they didn't know the performers, sometimes they'd do karaoke

Marls writes some songs she dedicates to Cas in private, they're always soppy despite her usual tough attitude (soft for her girlfriend)

Love a bit of banter and going flying, trying to catch each other (they also do this running in the woods)

Like spending time with friends (including the Slytherins, who are friends with Cas)

Never shop for food on their own because they need to decide together (Marlene is a picky eater and too indecisive)

They cloud gaze and make up stories about the shapes they see in the sky

Rosekiller

Live far into a dim forest, there's at least one cave around, they explore and go hiking (sometimes too recklessly)

Their cottage is maybe made of rock, it's kind of cold so there's a lot of fire (which Barty enjoys a bit too much), it's kind of minimalistic, most of their decorations are a bit creepy (like animal skulls or things they found in the wild)

Steal a lot of their food from markets, they spend a lot of time in the villages, mostly to get drunk at clubs

Don't invite people over for the most part, mostly meeting friends in the villages

When bored they start drama or pretend they're strangers and make a scene in public (usually involves shouting)

Make so many bets

Their dynamic is aggressive but they work that way, never being really mad in the end

Evan probably needed to convince his boyfriend not to set fire to the forest at least once, could only convince him by offering something in return

Hope you liked at least some of them heh (I was falling asleep while doing Rosekiller's, hope I wrote all I wanted to) - I'm too tired rn but i might add or rb with hc of them all living in a community

I love ignoring canon and thinking of all the marauders living together in a cottage with their partners

[estatedekho26]

Apartments/Flats for Sale in Bowenpally Hyderabad

Exploring Apartments/Flats for Sale in Bowenpally, Hyderabad

When it comes to finding a place to call home, the journey can often feel like a quest straight out of an epic novel. You know, with the knights (real estate agents), dragons (budget constraints), and enchanted castles (the perfect apartments/flats). Today, we're diving into the world of apartments/flats for sale in Bowenpally, Hyderabad. So, grab your armor and let's get started!

Why Bowenpally?

Ah, Bowenpally. If Hyderabad were a dinner plate, Bowenpally would be the delicious middle portion where all the flavors come together. Located in the north-western part of Hyderabad, this neighborhood is a delightful mix of old-world charm and modern amenities. Picture this: tree-lined streets, vibrant markets, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee wafting through the air. Now, who wouldn't want to live here?

A Slice of History

Bowenpally isn't just another pin on the map; it's a place with history. Named after a British army officer, this area has grown from a quaint village to a bustling urban locale. But don't worry, it hasn't lost its charm. Walking through Bowenpally, you might stumble upon remnants of its past, like old bungalows and temples that tell stories of a bygone era.

The Real Estate Scene

Let's get down to brass tacks. What makes apartments/flats in Bowenpally so appealing? For starters, the variety. Whether you're a bachelor looking for a cozy studio or a family in need of a spacious 3BHK, Bowenpally has got you covered.

Types of Apartments/Flats

Studio Apartments: Perfect for singles or students. Compact, yet functional.

1BHK Apartments: Ideal for young couples or working professionals.

2BHK Apartments: Great for small families, offering a balance of space and affordability.

3BHK Apartments: For those who like a bit more room to breathe. Perfect for larger families.

Amenities and Lifestyle

Now, let's talk about the goodies. Living in Bowenpally apartments/flats isn't just about four walls and a roof; it's about the lifestyle.

Modern Amenities

Most apartments in Bowenpally come equipped with all the bells and whistles. Think swimming pools, gyms, clubhouses, and play areas for kids. Some even have jogging tracks and community halls. Basically, everything you need to live your best life.

Connectivity and Convenience

One of the biggest perks of living in Bowenpally is its connectivity. Whether you rely on public transport or have your own set of wheels, getting around is a breeze. The area is well-connected by buses, and the nearest metro station isn't too far away. Plus, with schools, hospitals, and shopping centers within arm's reach, convenience is practically your next-door neighbor.

Personal Anecdote Time

Let me take you on a little trip down memory lane. A friend of mine, let's call him Raj, moved to Bowenpally a couple of years ago. Initially, he was skeptical. "Isn't it too far from the city center?" he asked. Fast forward to today, and Raj wouldn't trade his Bowenpally flat for anything. His mornings start with a jog around the local park, followed by a cup of chai at his favorite stall. Evenings are spent at the nearby market, where he knows every vendor by name. "It's like living in a small town with all the perks of a big city," he says.

Humor Break

Alright, let's lighten things up a bit. Ever noticed how house-hunting feels a lot like dating? You swipe left on the ones that don't fit your criteria, and when you finally find "the one," you just know. And just like in dating, sometimes the best ones are the ones you least expect. Bowenpally, with its unassuming charm, is a bit like that quiet, unassuming person at the party who turns out to be the life of it.

Tips for Buying Apartments/Flats in Bowenpally

Before you dive into the property pool, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Do Your Research

Check the builder's reputation, read reviews, and visit multiple sites. Don't just rely on glossy brochures and fancy websites.

2. Budget Wisely

Remember, the price tag isn't the only expense. Factor in maintenance fees, registration charges, and the cost of furnishing your new place.

3. Visit at Different Times

Visit the neighborhood at different times of the day. This will give you a better idea of the traffic, noise levels, and general vibe.

4. Check for Future Developments

Look into upcoming infrastructure projects in the area. A new metro line or flyover can significantly boost property values.

5. Hire a Good Agent

A good real estate agent can make the process a lot smoother. They know the ins and outs of the market and can help you find the best deals.

Final Thoughts

Buying an apartment/flat in Bowenpally, Hyderabad, is more than just a real estate investment. It's about finding a place where you can create memories, build a life, and maybe even put down some roots. With its blend of modern amenities, rich history, and vibrant community, Bowenpally is a fantastic choice for anyone looking to make Hyderabad their home.

So, whether you're a first-time buyer or looking to upgrade to a bigger place, keep Bowenpally on your radar. Who knows? Your dream home might just be a visit away.

And remember, in the words of a wise (albeit fictional) wizard, "It's not the home that matters, but the life you live in it." Happy house hunting!

Visit estatedekho.com for more information about Apartments/Flats for Sale in Bowenpally Hyderabad Telangana. Estatedekho is an online platform that offers sellers, potential clients, buyers verified plots, and professional agents at service.