#but it looked empty so i added the other photos lol

[edwinas]

camrusj: Week 10 of living in Cape Town with the greatest group of people you could ask for

[jexnkookie]

The Law of Attraction (Lawyer! Jung Kook x Reader) [Part 7]

Story Synopsis: Throughout his life, Jung Kook has only ever loved one girl. Despite her being out of his league and of an elite class that he wasn't born into, he fell hard, keeping his feelings a closely guarded secret. When they parted ways, and Jung Kook pursued his law career, he did so with the intent of moving on. But when she unexpectedly arrives back into his life, Jung Kook finds himself once again face to face with his own insecurities, and the girl of his dreams.

Story Rating: M (18+) [Language, sex, depression, alcoholism]

Genre: Angst, Fluff, Smut

Characters/Pairings: Lawyer! Jung Kook x Reader (feat. Jimin x Reader)

Chapter Word Count: 3k

Author's Note: I know I always say this, but I am very excited for this part! lol I hope y'all like it! Also, if I forgot to tag you in the taglist, or if you'd like to be added, please let me know! I try to add people as they ask, but I'm afraid I'll miss someone. So just let me know! Thanks!

Taglist: @cassies-cookies @crisle19 @jk-190811 @khadeeeeej @kooklovee @lalataegi @lallataegi @parkinglot-nights @rispwr @taetaecatboy @whoa-jo @11thenightwemet11

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Series Masterlist

“How are you feeling about today?” Namjoon asked his client. 

Jimin was standing with you in the lobby of the courthouse, dressed in his best Ralph Lauren suit, keeping your hand in his. You sported a long-sleeve baby blue pencil dress from Versace that belted around the waist, with a pair of beige Louboutin heels. You chose your outfit knowing that the press would be there that day, and you wanted to appear put together and presentable for your fiancé’s case. Standing by him, with your engagement ring proudly shining on your finger, you could see the cameras outside through the lobby windows, snapping photos that will undoubtedly be front page news tomorrow. You understood fully that the direction the day goes would determine so much; the Park family name, the perception of Jimin as incoming CEO of the company, and most importantly, your future together. 

“I’m ok.” Jimin replied, gripping your hand, before turning to look at your face. “How are you feeling, my love?” 

“I’m ok, too.” You offered a sweet smile. Composed. 

“We’ll get through this.” Namjoon said. “I can’t imagine Judge Harmon being more difficult than he has to be.” 

“How is he? As a judge?” Jimin asks. 

“No bullshit, but fair.” Namjoon replied. “He’s worked in the city a long time, and he’s seen it all. But as long as he can see that you’re trying, he’s fair.” 

Namjoon glanced at his phone, checking the time. 

“We need to go in there, it’s our time.” Namjoon said. “Ms. Y/L/N, thank you for having your statement ready for me this morning.” 

“Of course.” You responded, squeezing Jimin’s hand. “Anything to make this easier.” 

Jimin smiled sadly at your words. He wished it were easier; he wished the situation weren’t so difficult on you. He felt like a liar to your families, and to himself. He knew he’s already failed so many times in taking care of you, loving you, and giving you the life he knows you deserve. Yet here you were, dignified as always, standing by him in front of the world’s attention. He didn’t deserve you, and for the first time, he truly understood that deeply. But he was thankful that you were there nonetheless, holding his hand. 

The four of you walked down the hallway together, and you gave Jimin a quick kiss for luck before slipping away with Jung Kook into the public, gallery seats in the court room, behind Namjoon and Jimin’s council table. The court was empty otherwise, except for the other legal team at their table, as the judge ordered prior to that no cameras were to be inside for this brief decision. 

“All rise for the honorable Judge Joseph Harmon.” The bailiff announced, leading everyone in the room to stand while the judge entered, taking his seat at the bench. “You may be seated.” 

“Mr. Park,” Judge Harmon began, looking up from his glasses to the young heir. “It seems your council is asking for a deferral on your case today. Is that correct?” 

“Yes, your honor.” Jimin answered. 

“Your honor, my client is asking for a minimum ninety day deferral, in order to seek rehabilitation treatment.” Namjoon began. “We request to submit a treatment plan to the court, as well as a personal character statement written by the defendant’s fiancé.” 

“Very well.” Judge Harmon nodded, allowing the bailiff to take the paper work from Namjoon and bring it to him. The court was silent as he looked through the documents quickly. “And, why must the defendant miss his upcoming court dates for this? Could he not be escorted to and from the court during those dates, and return once the day is over?” 

“Your honor, it would be against the suggestion of his therapy team to remove Mr. Park from his in-person support for long hours at a time.” Namjoon reasoned. “His team, as well as Ms. Y/L/N, have requested in writing that Mr. Park focus solely on his health before his dates, as any distraction may disturb his treatment plan.” 

“Your honor,” The opposing lawyer spoke up, her tone annoyed. “Calling this case a ‘distraction’ is insulting to those who Mr. Park misled and defrauded out of their investments. I would argue that Mr. Park is attempting to delay this case in order to lower his chances of facing any consequences for his actions.” 

“If I may, your honor,” Namjoon responded, “I can assure the court that Mr. Park is not delaying consequences, as we feel that we have a strong case against these allegations. My client is simply doing the responsible thing; doing right by his family, his business, and his wife-to-be, by seeking immediate help for his addiction and behavior.” 

“And what behavior would that be, Mr. Kim?” The judge asked. Jimin shot Namjoon a wide-eyed panicked look, not wanting to reveal his private fight with you. 

You became nervous, as well. Jung Kook knowingly reached for your hand, and was surprised when you took it, locking your fingers with his for support. I’m right here, Y/N, he said to himself, as if you could hear his thoughts. 

“Emotional management courses, your honor.” Namjoon replied. “It’s standard practice for someone on this treatment path, as outlined by his recovery team.” 

“I see.” Judge Harmon said, looking at the blonde heir. Jimin was sitting upright, in perfect posture, trying to keep his composure under the weight of the judge’s look. “Mr. Park, I believe it may be best for you to seek treatment before we continue with the case. The court is granting you the request for a ninety-day deferral to focus on your health.” 

“Thank you, your honor.” Namjoon smiled, looking over at a very relieved Jimin. The prosecution lawyer rolled her eyes and tsked in disbelief, but Namjoon paid it no mind. 

Jimin turned around to give you a smile, and Jung Kook mentally thanked his luck that your fiancé didn’t see his hand in yours from where he was sitting, because Jung Kook wasn’t at all ready to let you go; to let you leave his hold, and run back to him. But Jung Kook knew he had to, as much as it hurt him. He knew, despite his heart begging at him to keep you close, that you weren’t his to hold on to. 

————————————————————————————————————

Namjoon brought you and Jimin back to your hotel room to help Jimin pack for his treatment, while Jung Kook retreated back to his office for the rest of the day. When you arrived at the suite, bottles were still scattered among the tables, floors and counters, reminding you of all of the terrible nights, not just the most recent incident, where Jimin had crossed the line. All of the times he messed up, not keeping his promise that he whispered to you that night in front of your families.

“Mr. Kim,” Jimin called out to Namjoon from the bedroom, who was gathering Jimin’s clothes from the closet nearby. “Would you be alright with leaving Y/N and I for the afternoon? My driver will make sure I’m on time for my check-in, I just… I’d like to have some private time with her.” 

“Of course, Mr. Park.” Namjoon said, bowing respectfully. “If either of you need anything, please don't hesitate to call.” 

“Thank you.” Jimin said, waving to him on his way out, before turning to you. 

You were picking up empty bottles with a sadness in your eyes that Jimin never, in his life, wanted to see again. 

“Hi, my love.” Jimin said as gently as he could, approaching you. He could see that sadness so clearly the closer he came, and saw just how deep in truly ran. “Honey, come here. I wanna talk to you.” 

You nodded, and reached out for his hand. Jimin led you to the bedroom, and sat you on the bed before bending down on the floor by your legs to look up at you, making you giggle. 

“Jiminie, what are you doing?” You laughed, earning a smile from your fiancé. 

“Jiminie? Honey, you haven’t called me that in so long.” He replied. “I just wanted to look at you, my love, and I wanted to ask what my pretty girl is thinking about.” 

“I… I don’t wanna fight anymore.” You replied, your voice so quickly turning soft in exhaustion and sadness. 

“There won’t be any fighting today.” He said, rubbing his hands up your legs in comfort. “Tell me what’s on your mind.” 

“I’m just tired.” You responded truthfully. “I’m so tired, baby. I can’t… I don’t know what to do…” 

“Shhhh, I know.” Jimin said gently, looking at your face as you spoke. He could see it from the dark circles under your eyes, and the dullness of your skin. “I know I haven’t made things easy on you, and I’m sorry honey. You must be so worried all the time, right? Not sleeping or eating much?” 

You nodded to confirm. “Jung Kook made japchae, and that was the first full dish I’ve eaten in a while.” 

Jimin smiled unconvincingly, hating to know that another man took care of you in the way he should’ve. 

“I’m glad you ate well, my love.” He said diplomatically. “When I’m in treatment, I want you to you sleep and eat well every day, ok? And I want you to tell me if you need anything at all. ” 

“Baby, I’ll be ok.” You smiled, delicately keeping your composure. “It’s only for a short time, right? You need to focus on getting better, not on my needs. Besides, Jung Kook is there, just in case. I won’t be alone.” 

“Yeah.” Jimin nodded, trying to keep his protectiveness and jealousy under control. “But listen, honey, I mean it. If you need or want anything, you can come to me, ok? I want you to come to me.” 

“Ok.” You nodded. 

Jimin gazed up at you for a moment longer, unsure if you really meant it, because knowing you, you’ll do things yourself or ask someone else before him, just to make sure he focuses on himself. You knew that giving you things was Jimin’s way of feeling adequate. A manicure, a new bag or dress, a nice meal at a nice place, a beautiful vacation, amazing sex. Jimin felt needed and secure as a man when he gave you these things. But what Jimin didn’t realize, was that you needed something that was somehow both more, and so simple. You only needed him to be ok, and to prove that he can be a stable partner for you.   

After a few moments of committing your features to memory, etching them into his mind, Jimin wrapped a hand around each of your ankles, and began kissing up your exposed legs, distracting you from your thoughts. Softly, slowly moving up your skin with his plush pink lips, making you giggle in surprise.

“Jimin!” You laughed sweetly. 

“Let me make you feel good, honey.” He said, his voice deepening as he moves up your legs, lifting your dress. “Gonna use my tongue just how you like it.” 

He continued to pull your dress up as he moved, keeping himself on his knees, nibbling and kissing your thighs until he reached your lace panties. He kissed you over the fabric, teasing you with just enough pressure and tongue to make you whimper in anticipation.

“Jimin, please…” You begged, running your fingers through his blonde locks. 

“Angel, this sweet little pussy’s so wet for me already.” He murmured, moving your lace to the side with one finger. “Such a needy girl, so easy to get your pretty pussy excited.” 

He gave you wet, soft kisses along your opening, nibbling delicately on the skin, making your throw your head back and pick up your breathing. Then, his tongue, pressing quick kitten licks at your clit, which had already peeked out to seek attention. 

“J-Jimin…” You whined, gripping his hair as he continued to alternate between speed and pressure, licking and sucking, burying himself between your thighs. He slid a finger, then two, moving them in and out, and curling them to caress your sensitive spot. “Baby… Baby… Please… Baby…” 

You had no idea what exactly you were begging him for, with your mind emptying alongside each movement. You knew it was a distraction; a moment of pleasure in a sea of pain that you’ve tasted many times before. But for now, you’d let his familiar touch melt your worries away once again. A few more moments of careful attention had your toes curling and your hands pulling his hair as you came with a cry. .

You let him move you up further onto the bed, so that he could undo his pants and drop them to his knees, to let his hard, sensitive length spring out. He slid fully into you with a possessive growl, and began to fuck you hard, making the hotel bed, and yourself, squeak just as you did the first night you stayed here. 

Each movement was a strong cocktail of loving passion, pleasureful distraction, and begging apology, mixed with a lingering sense of his sense of possession. Jimin locked his lips to your neck, and engraved you with shallow marks as he whispered in your ear, “My pretty girl… Fuck, my sweet angel… My girl, taking my cock so well… F-Fuck…. All mine… ” 

It was a clear reminder, whispered to you through your whines as you let pleasure consume you once more, feeling his thumb massage your clit; Parks got what they wanted, and Jimin intended on keeping it that way. His mistakes could always be fixed with the swipe of a card, some sweet words, or a good, loving touch between your thighs. But as his thrusts became more sloppy and shallow, so too did his promises, when he pulled out and spilled onto you, ignoring his vow to finish inside and be closer to you. 

It was a moment of realization, as you lay there looking at his beautiful face, that no matter how seemingly hard he would try, he would always be Jimin. Flaws and all. The way he showed love, the increasingly obvious emptiness of his commitments, the circles he takes your heart in. He will always be that version of himself, because it is the only version of himself.

As he kissed your neck and whispered “I love you”, you wondered, for the first time, if those words, and that love, would ever truly be enough. 

——————————————————————————————————  

You went with Jimin to the rehabilitation center, and after a teary goodbye, you had the driver take you to Jung Kook’s apartment. He was waiting for you in the living room, only able to imagine the emotional day you had. He had rehearsed over and over again what to say, to give you the comfort and love he knew that you needed. But when you walked in with tears, his mind blanked, and the only thing he could think to ask was, “What do you need?” 

“I… I don’t know.” You said softly, unsure of so many things. 

Jung Kook looked at you with sad brown eyes, walked towards you, and replied, “I think what you need, is a hug. C’mere.” 

As he wrapped his arms around you, he realized he couldn’t have offered anything better. You clung to him like a float in a crashing ocean, desperate for a moment of calm. He wanted to provide that for you, so he held you close, hoping it could somehow meld the leftover pieces back together. Or, at the very least, remind you that you never had to pick them back up alone. 

He hoped you understood that later that night, when he heard you speaking to your father on a video call in the guest room. Jung Kook wanted to give you privacy, but when he heard the angry tone of your father, he couldn’t help but overhear through the thin wall between the bedrooms. 

“So Jimin is in treatment right now?” 

“Yes, Appa.” You responded, nervously picking at your nails. “I think he’ll be better afterwards. He just needs some time.” 

“Y/N,” Your father sighed. “I don’t like that you’re dealing with this again. How many more times are you going to have to go through this with him?” 

“He’s really trying.” You said sadly. “He’s not a bad person.” 

“I know he’s not a bad person, sweetie.” You father said, trying to reason with you. “But I think he may be ‘bad’ for you. I don’t know, I’m just worried about you. Are you by yourself now, in a new city?” 

“No, Appa. I’m staying with Jung Kook.” You said. “He works with Mr. Kim, and I used to go to university with him. He’s been very sweet to me, you would like him if you met him.” 

Jung Kook couldn’t help but smile at your words, but still held on to what your father said. Jimin’s not a bad person, but he’s bad for you. Your own father having doubts about your engagement was not something he expected to hear, but he shouldn’t say he was all that surprised. You deserved more. 

When he heard you say your goodbyes, his thoughts were interrupted, and he began to scroll through his phone as he laid on his bed, pretending as though he hadn’t heard your conversation. 

“Hi.” You said after a few moments, with a knock on his bedroom door. “I think I’m going to bed.” 

“I’m sure you’re tired. It’s been a hard day.” Jung Kook responded, watching you turn around. “Hey, Y/N.” 

“Yeah?” You asked, turning around towards him once more. 

“I’m off tomorrow.” He smiled. “Let me show you some cool places in the city.” 

“Jung Kook, you don’t have to do that-”

“I want to.” He replied. “Please? I think I… um, it can make you feel better.” 

You smiled at his sentiment, ignoring the charming slip of his words. 

“Ok.” You agreed, giving in to the brown, puppy eyes of the man who looked so soft in his bed. “It’ll be fun.” 

“Yeah.” He smiled. "I think so, too."

“Goodnight.” You waved, turning away from him. 

Jung Kook’s eyes widened, watching your hand wave him good night. Something was different, missing, that was clearly there before your conversation with your father. It made his heart drop to his stomach, and his mind buzz for the rest of the night.

Your engagement ring was gone. 

[svnnyd4ys]

the seven + nico incorrect quotes lol

Piper: She's the girl of my dreams! Annabeth: You say every girl is the girl of your dreams. Piper: I have a lot of dreams.

!!!

Leo: *watching their house burn down* Leo: Leo: *starts filming* Waddup, guys, welcome to my vlog, today's topic: how to get away with accidentally committing arson because you forgot Spaghetti O's cans are metal and thus non-microwavable! Step one: deny everything.

!!!

Jason, looking at a selfie of Leo’s: I hate this photo. Leo: I’m cute as fuck in that photo! I’m smiling kindly. Jason: You’re not smiling kindly; you look like you’re up to something. Leo: Up to kindness.

!!!

Hazel: Nico, how do you feel about lifting heavy things? Nico: My doctor just said I should avoid— Hazel: Being a wuss? I agree.

!!!

*During a game of Hangman* Piper: Nope, there’s no Q. You lose. Leo: Are you kidding me?! You can still add something! Piper: I already added a belt, four earrings and an extra arm! YOU LOSE!

!!!

Jason: Are you guys bringing anything to the party? Nico: Yeah, an empty stomach. Annabeth: My sparkling personality. Percy: A flagrant disregard for common decency. Hazel: ... Hazel: Chips.

!!!

Piper, looking at a map: It’s a barren, featureless wasteland out there, isn't it? Jason: Other side, Piper...

!!!

Percy: You know, Leo, when you generalize, you tell general... lies. Leo: ... Leo: Are you trying to teach me moral lessons through puns.

!!!

Annabeth: What time is it? Piper: I don’t know, pass me that saxaphone and we’ll find out Piper: *BLASTS the saxaphone* Nico: WHO THE FUCK IS PLAYING THE SAXAPHONE AT TWO IN THE FUCKING MORNING Piper: It’s 2 in the morning.

!!!

Leo: You’re overthinking this. Hazel: You don’t know the appropriate level of thinking, Leo. What if I’m underthinking?

!!!

Frank: I am an expert at identifying birds. Percy: Okay, what about those ones flying over there? Frank: Yeah, they're all birds.

!!!

Percy: *Pulls a glass a water from out of nowhere* Jason: Where did you get that? Percy: My pocket. Jason: How do you keep a glass of water in your pocket? Percy: Skills.

!!!

Frank: If I fall down these stairs, I'm just going to lay down and accept my fate.

!!!

Frank: I’m taking a look at your numbers, and it doesn’t look good. You have a lot of measurements. Quite a few variables. Jason: Is that… bad? Frank: Variables are the #1 risk factor for outcomes. The past is a big contributor to the future. Jason: Isn’t that just causality? Frank: Causality is the leading cause of death in this country. Jason: So what are my odds? Frank: Do you have a family history? Jason: Of what? Frank: Just, in general. Jason: …Yes? Frank: Oh no.

!!!

*the Squad at Disneyland, in the teacups* Leo, Frank, and Jason: *spinning a little and talking* Nico, Annabeth, and Hazel: *flying past them, spinning as fast as they can, screaming*

!!!

Percy: My dad drowned at sea when I was little so whenever someone jokes about fucking my mom I’ll pretend to be really sincere and say some shit like “Glad to see she’s moving on, my dad’s death hit her pretty hard.” Then watch them absolutely fumble trying to figure out a response to that statement. Percy: Update, she got a new partner I can no longer make the joke.

(pre discovering yk his half God-ness)

!!!

Annabeth: I’m gonna mix a can of Red Bull with seventeen shots of espresso in a fishbowl and then chug it while Kids by MGMT plays in the background so I can perceive twenty-three spatial dimensions and fight my own soul.

!!!

Nico: This is a safety pin. *cuts off end* Nico: It is now a danger pin.

!!!

Jason: Sometimes I talk to myself for no reason. Jason: Me too!

!!!

Piper, explaining why they are not allowed to cook: I put the noodles in the pot and put the pot on the stove and turned the burner on high. Turns out you don't put noodles in marijuana and I almost burnt the whole house down.

!!!

Hazel: *gets set on fire and screams in agony* Hazel: Nah, I’m just kidding. Fire does nothing to me.

!!!

[neo404]

HockeyPlayer!Nick x FigureIceSkater!reader

• The two of you met by accident. He had a match in the ring next to yours, when he entered, he didn’t notice the whole place was empty until he heard a sharp blade hit against the ice, and when he looked up from his phone, in the ice were you jumping and spinning around. He was dumbfounded, never has he seen a guy look this graceful on ice, it was always pushes and shoves when he was on the ice.

• When you finish your program you pose on the middle of the ring, when you hear a ‘Wow…’. Nick who was still standing there admiring you got a bit shy of his natural reaction. Then, to make the situation more awkward he added. “So… this is not the jockey ring, right?” you laughed, and pointed the direction to him, and when he was about to leave, he complimented your performance and shyly asked if you trained there usually.

• From there, your relationship bloomed, you told him about your competition next weekend expecting nothing of it, but he actually went, and cheered and clapped harder than anyone. No shame at all.

• Your flirting consisted in mocking each other for their sports. What do you mean you can score a point but not do a double axel? Or, what do you mean you can spin on ice but can’t hit the puck?

• Lots of dates around skating. Him teaching you how to play hockey and you teaching him to do simple movements to do in pairs.

• You always go to his matches and wear his spare jersey (he loves that, he goes crazy when he sees his name on your back) to cheer him up. You become good friends with the rest of the team (specially his brothers).

• He always goes to your tournaments (no matter if they are on different states) and always arrives with a bouquet of flowers or a box of your favorite sweets (sometimes both).

• He loves to tie the laces of your skies.

• He loves to put his helmet on you because it fits a bit big and he thinks its cute.

• He will make you watch the matches of his favorite team and you eventually learn a few names and recognize a few faces.

• You make him watch the performances of your favorite figure skaters (mine if Yuzuru Hanyu btw, just wanted to say that lol) and he eventually learns the name of a few movements. He still doesn’t get how they (and you) spin so many times in the air.

• He loves to help you choose your outfits for the tournaments; he is very good at it.

• If he loses a match, he is very upset and needs lots of cuddles and kisses. Every time his coach is rude to him, he will bury his face in your neck and mumble about how they don’t appreciate him.

• He loves when you cheer for him and take photos of him. He won’t say it, but he melts when you show him off.

• When he gets injures, he is very stubborn but listens to you when you tell him he needs to rest. On the other hand, you still want to skate even when injured. So, he literally has to restrain you in bed so you can recover, he will lay on top of you (being careful to not squeeze the injured part of your body) so you can’t get up.

• Is very sassy and annoyed when the judges are biased or didn’t score to his liking (he think you should win every single competition you enter). Surprisingly is good friends with your coach (Nick bough them cookies and now they are besties).

• Once he bought two new pair of skates (one for him and one for you) and exchanged the laces from one of them, now you have a skate with white laces and he has one with black ones. He says that is to carry each other every time you step on the ice (which is when the both of you train and give your best). “It’s my lucky charm… and my mantra, when I see it, it reminds me that I can’t punch the other players in the face because you don’t like violence.”

Taglist: @freshloveforthefit @shywolfapricotfan @sturnphilia @matty-bear @thenickgirl @stvrniolvsp @paige05 @soursturniolo @miloisdone1 @teenagetrash00 @lovely-calypso @h3arts4harry @malirosee

[mailb0xbunii]

closeups and explanations of all the details in my big , big c!aimsey ; a semi-long post

i worked long and hard on this piece so reblogs are greatly appreciated ^_^ !!!

1. scrapbook formatting ; i've had this headcanon since the early days of c!aimsey that she keeps anything they can keep their hands on in a big , big journal/scrapbook . everything from flowers to drawings to daily journal entries . and this entire piece is just a mishmash of things they've collected over the years !

the spools of thread and pin cushion are a little callback to another hc i have that bloom taught their self to sew from a young age to repair damaged clothes :-)

2. c!guqqie's drawing ; this part is a little drawing i imagine cguq gave caims not too long after they met ! i tried my best to replicate guqqie's style while putting my own spin on it . the stickers were added by cguq , as shown by the Attempt at making them weathered .

3. photos and polaroids ; c!aimsey takes a lot of photos , much like cc!aimsey does ! so i made sure to include a handful

first off , past friends from the bearsmp : in order we have c!bear and c!bill on the top row with c!neptune and c!moonzy on the bottom . no other comments to add i just miss them :'-)

okay i realize now that this one doesn't make sense in the canon timeline , but i enjoy drawing c!ranboo much more than ghostboo so .....

and that's what i hc c!ran's handwriting looks like ! they used a glitter gel pen ^_^

and the c!guqqie polaroid is definitely one of my favorite parts of the entire piece . she just looks so happy here :'-))) . the butterfly is a small tortoiseshell butterfly , which are native to ireland . just for funsies bc cc!guqqie is irish lol

4. michael's drawing ; this one is another personal favorite ! i feel like i nailed the look of a child's drawing pretty well ^_^

this one is also up to interpretation . can michael see c!guqqie's ghost ? idk ! that's up to you ! (and those blurry dots are tear stains hehe)

5. c!aimsey playlist receipt ; this part was inspired by those spotify receipts . except i made this one by hand with a few songs from the official c!aimsey playlist made by aimsey themself . yeah it was pretty tedious but i'm proud of the outcome

6. extra bits ; stickers , stamps , and tickets to fill the empty spots ! adds to that scrapbook-y look too

7. c!aimsey info card ; no closeup for this one because i Did Not draw this part ! if i remember correctly , early bsmp members had a little passport-like infocard to go along with their addition to the server .

the original artist is FruitlegsWorks on twitter !

[deliriumzer0]

Gen Loss' shooting location

I'm super into dead/dying malls so I knew what mall it was as soon as I saw the ending of Ep 2, but I didn't wanna post anything about it until after Ranboo had left NY just in case. I'm not about to facilitate any creepy behavior, you know?

So GenLoss was filmed at the now-closed Galleria at White Plains, which -- fun fact! -- is the same mall used for interior mall shots in the movie Eighth Grade (so everyone who enjoys Ranboo/Bo Burnham connections, there's a fun one!). It opened in 1980 and positioned itself as the mall for "normal" people, in contrast to the more upscale Westchester mall nearby. Sadly, that other mall is still alive & kicking, while this one was closed at the end of March 2023. There are apparently redevelopment plans in the works to turn it into mixed-use (retail + residential) space.

I was too curious about what some of the stores used in the shoot used to be, and how much of what I saw in GL was set design and how much was already in place, so I looked up old directories & photos of the mall to see if I could sleuth some of it out. In case anyone else was curious about the set designers' work, or is into retail history, I figured I would share my findings!

The central elevator area of the mall in GenLoss, and how it appeared in 2019. (Screenshot from the 2019 video linked below)

Apologies for the multiple different angles on this one, but this is all the same area, first in GenLoss (right after Ranboo starts walking away from the panel where Hetch is appearing), then from the Fleabitten Adventures 2023 video, then from the Raw & Real Retail video from 2019. (Couldn't resist screenshotting the drone ad on that last one, lol)

In the GenLoss screenshot, at the far right edge of the Sears entryway, you can see a bit of the painting left behind, so my guess is the GL set decorators got rid of that artwork for the shoot.

The screen where Ranboo first speaks to Hetch in ep 3. The empty store behind them was an American Eagle Outfitters at one point, but it was already closed by February 2023. (screeenshot from Fleabitten Adventures 2023 video)

Here's a before & after of this directory panel. (Screenshot from the Fleabitten Adventures 2023 video)

The store full of "props". In the original store photo (Google's only photo of this shop), you can see how the existing shelves were repurposed for GL. Also way at the far end of the store there's a black & white photo of someone with a basketball that was left hanging up.

I had a hard time finding a closer angle of this Victoria's Secret, but in case you were curious, here's one from the Raw & Real Retail video lol.

Where Ranboo almost left but Hetch stopped them: a Kay Jewelers.

The streamers are sitting in the following establishments: My Kitchen, Bourbon Street Cafe, Sarku Japan, Dunkin' Donuts, and of course Charley's. The last empty storefront was a Burger King before it emptied out. (Photo from Foursquare, cropped by me)

The Dental & Foot Care storefront is unchanged except for the seating out in the open area. It was a rounded wooden bench set as of Feb 2023 (screenshot from the Fleabitten Adventures video), but for GL it was the standard metal benches found throughout the mall. Not sure why.

Going far back enough, this was a Radio Shack. Couldn't find ANY photos of this particular location though, so here's the only photo I could find of what it was in the interim: a dress shop called Gloria's. (Photo from Yelp)

This one is my favorite part. :) As of February 2023 (screenshots are from the Fleabitten Adventures video), the "Heart of the Facility" is this weirdly sparse artsy furniture store called Home Splash. But before this, what the shop's facade was designed for, was...

A Charlotte Russe location. Ranboo died in a fucking Charlotte Russe. When I learned this, I could not stop laughing.

More/Sources:

https://www.reddit.com/r/deadmalls/comments/zupwhw/the_galleria_at_white_plains_ny_in_late_afternoon/

A great youtube video from Fleabitten Adventures walking through the whole mall in February 2023

Raw & Real Retail walkthrough video (from 2019)

A shorter walthrough video from HELLOTHISIS4U

Photos from FourSquare

I didn't cover everything I learned here, just the stuff I thought was coolest (and that I had images of), so please feel free to flood my ask box with questions about what certain things used to be!

[iztea]

How do you get the ideas for your backgrounds?

mmm ideas.... sometimes i draw the background directly from a photo reference (the happy case) so there's not a lot for me to change and i can have a rather peaceful painting process

othertimes, the BG is tied to the subject/concept/scene I'm thinking of, so it only makes sense that i have that as the background

for example, for this fem skk art, i knew i wanted to have chuu kneeling in a crater after destroying a city so drawing that background was just a logical follow-up because i already had the entire idea in mind

Here, I wanted to have Akiangel sit on a building, watching over the city. The ominous sign with "the day of salvation" and crow came later after I found this picture on Pinterest, so they helped further develop the concept, but the main idea was there and so on

The third background option happens when my painting doesn't depict a certain irl scene or landscape, nor do i have any particular references i can use. In that situation, I first and foremost think about the general composition, the shapes, how they flow with each other, how I can tie them to my main theme and what sort of symbolism or little easter eggs i can throw in there just to keep it fresh and interesting for the viewer ( aka the person reading this aha ;;) :-* )

For this piece, i started with a big circle for the background, and then I started breaking it up in pleasing, cloud-like shapes and swirls that constantly keep your eye moving around the picture (i mean hopefully lol). The composition was inspired by a) Dazai's Mayoi card ofc, that trad Eastern illustration style with the circle and then branches of trees, and also .. kazuha's splash art ok i admit it bshsj

for this one, the roses came much, much later. Again, I added that sort of golden arcade to better frame the focal point or the main subject of the scene which was ofc her face and/or outfit. Then, since it still felt rather empty, awkward, and directionless, I tried finding a pleasing, spiral line that would compliment the already existing shapes and that would, again, move your eye all around the composition. I figured since her outfit already had those small roses stuffed in her belt, those curvy lines could become some bloody, spikey roses and boom! here are the theme and elements for you: blacks-roses-blood-deadly-sharp-gold etc. I then had her crush some of those roses in her right (ik it's the left hand shut up) hand to balance out the busier left side

and a last example, sometimes I draw multiple character poses in one piece and they sort of become my background. Yet I still have some blank spaces left so i gotta figure out a way to fill them out. Here, since the pose where he's all curled up was inspired by the TDIPUD light novel, i drew him as a "corpse" in a pool of blood, and contrasted it with some nice flowery-ish patterns and swirls that sort of come from within that bloody mess ( someone also mentioned it looks like a womb which I found very interesting as well ). The cats also helped fill out the space. On the left side, i added that swirly black sun that drips into three squares that gradually fill up with straight blackness and raindrops falling below inspired by the "a conviction that the sun will never rise again" line. I don't think I should go into detail with the symbolism cause it's pretty obvious and not that deep so i won't but yeah, and that's my BG all filled up!

I do this with most of my BGs, it's mostly just abstract shapes; I'm very fixated on making the overall composition look okay and for the piece to send a message ( most of the time ), so i don't think of backgrounds as a separate entity, they are part of an already existing idea, generally speaking.

This kinda turned into a composition discussion midway......... sorry about that....... To be completely honest with you, I have plenty of BG ideas, they kinda just spawn in my brain so i'm not exactly lacking in that department. Having to draw them and finding refs is the hard part for me

[infamous-if]

I’m curious what the RO’s homes/bedrooms look like because I think it can tell a whole lot about someone 🤔

I'M GLAD YOU ASKED. I was actually ruminating over what Sev's room/apartment, in particular, would look like the other day.

Seven's room is very dark to me. Black walls, a lot of band posters plastered everywhere. It's a mess but an organized mess. Very much what a music enthusiast's room would look like in a 2000s teen movie lol. They've never grown out of the 'fanboy/fangirl' phase so they'd just have posters all over, they have a dresser of vintage records on one side and a mirror full of photo booth pictures and photos of their life tacked to it. Their bed is never made, mostly because Seven is always in bed when they're home. Seven has clothes strewn just about everywhere but they claim to know where everything is. A lot of ripped-out pages of scrapped out song lyrics on the floor. My imagination of Seven's songwriting process is a lot of pacing, a lot of humming. They get their best ideas while doing other stuff like cleaning and cooking. Outside of their room, their apartment is also messy with a lot of novels strewn about. Seven is very sentimental so every gift they've ever gotten is on display. Their bathroom is clean but messy; just a lot of hair products and makeup everywhere. Seven's "I just rolled out of bed" look is a stylistic choice lmao

I can imagine Sev being a very annoying neighbor to have since they always have music on and they're always singing. Seven has never actually cleaned their place quickly because of all the times they stop to have a mini concert in their living room. Seven is fun when they're alone lol

Orion's is expectantly clean and very minimalist. His room is barren, a plain black bed with a metal headboard. He always has incense burning and has an air purifier and a lot of tech. Everything is spotless and there's not anything out of place. Orion's place is a lot of dark furniture, a lot of leather, and a lot of gray and white in terms of looks. He has a large glass balcony that he likes to do work on in the mornings. I imagine him to have a large closet with all just suits on one side and just...straight up black clothes on the other. Orion isn't one to wear anything colorful. His neighbors love him and want to connect with him but Orion is not interested lol More than a few times he'd come home and just plops himself on his couch and falls asleep due to how tired he was.

Sebastian's home is large but sparsely decorated. He has a big TV to play his video games on and it's what you'd think is a stereotypical young guy's place: brown couch, some video game memorabilia, and some sports stuff. He has a huge gamer computer setup he built himself. He uses it for games and for coding and general data stuff. Sebastian likes displaying all of his goodies and stuff and he doesn't touch Maya's room, which is much like Seven's in that it's super cluttered with music stuff and posters. Sebastian's house is what a default sims house looks like: nothing stylish, just generic furniture.

Victoria and G's is luxurious that leans more to anything that they like they just toss it in there. Huuuuge with plushy colorful couches and overpriced designer furniture. OH! If anyone has seen Cara Delevigne's AD...that's what their house would look like. Just chaotic everywhere with so many knickknacks and things that it's like an assault on your every single sense. Funky wallpapers, leopard rugs. A lot of that, surprisingly, is G's doing. G was very set on designing their house. They're barely home and live mostly in hotels anyway so it doesn't really matter.

August's is pretty generic; gray walls, purple bed. They live with their family (August was supposed to live with a roommate but I changed it to better fit their route) and Clare tends to be the messy one. I would say August's room is half and half, it's pretty empty but what they do have takes up a lot of space like their drum set and their huge speakers. The house is big (August's parents are pretty well-off as politicians) and very Grecian in appearance. August doesn't have much knickknacks and things like Seven. They're pretty detached to sentimental things like that. It's a very standard room, the centerpiece definitely being their drums. They have a huge computer set up, though, like a gamer set up like Seb's but they don't use it for games lmao

[princeanxious]

✨️Moondrop progress update #1✨️

Picture 1 desc/info: knowing that I'd want to make Moondrop once I finished Sundrop, I made sure that(when I remembered to, as I'm learning that i wasn't quite as 100% consistent as I hoped I was) to make traced out references of each finished carved piece so that I wouldn't waste time struggling matching both of their proportions, considering nearly every piece required a duplicate piece to help achieve the eventual 'hollow skeleton' method that I use. Also, this is what I mean when I state that theyre carved from popsicle sticks. If it works, it works. lol

Picture 2 desc/info: here's the full lineup of every carved piece I have ready for Moondrop so far, and roughly how it will fit together. Every arm piece, leg piece, and even knee joint and the head piece have a duplicate(sans for the detail on the head's piece, obviously, though the headpiece is more complex than that as well). To further expand on why I did this, instead of just having one piece each, I need to point out the arm, hand, and ankle joint pieces. They will not be connected in two places, only one, to achieve full range of movement for the limb that they are attached to.

To achieve this, whilst still trying to keep this project's weight light, I'll create a hollowed skeleton. Essentially where the insides of the limbs(and body) are made hollow via smaller pieces of wood/popsickle stick scraps glued in-between the base pieces, but leaving enough empty space on either side to add two things. One side will have a rolled cylinder of a reinforced cardboard/paper mache combo, to provide a hollowed slot for the long joint piece side to slot into, and the other side, two hollowed holes to slot a dowel through with the joint piece inbetween. (If this doesn't make sense, dw, I plan on taking pictures when I get to that stage to show how I do it)

I also just end up stuffing the remaining 'dead-space' between the carved pieces with paper before i add clay, to further sheer off any unnecessary internal weight. Now, what you couldn't see with my Sundrop, is that by the time I finished adding clay and test stringing him together and started looking at reference photos again for color references, I hadn't realized up until that point that I'd entirely forgotten to add the dca standard wire-hook on his back. Not even superficially. So this will be where project Moondrop(whom at least uses the wire far more than sundrop, lol) will deviate from my original Sundrop design. I might use paper and cardboard to flesh out his limb shapes further before adding clay to make his body even lighter than suns, I've reinforced his torso pieces to account for the hole I'll carve into the back for my goal of a Functional wire-hook, I've made adjustments to his thigh shape for better ease of movement/posability(which might coincidentally make him just a smidgen shorter than Sun by design, shhh) because sundrops leg slots and the actual part of the leg that's supposed to slot in ended up quite a bit out of alignment due to the leg shape lacking a taper at the top to allow for a rounder end. Sundrop's legs are just a little janky bc of it.

Picture 3 desc/info: this is a look at the inbetween stage that the hip piece goes through, and you'll find that it's not reinforced with wood anywhere simply because of the completely curved surface. There were attempts made with sundrop to do this but they proved to be way too hard to bother with and less than affective with just popsickle sticks. Hense I use cardboard from a soda can box(aka cardboard that's compact and can carry a heavy capacity if the design is balanced and re-attachment points are reinforced properly) and then have so far gone over certain points with paper and glue(using the papermache method) to base reinforce places and also provide more adhesable texture internally. Because, that round piece(also cardboard) is going to sit in the main juncture of the top of the hips. A hole will be cut into it to maintain the ability to string the limbs and body together, and it will be further reinforced further with paper and glue, and later covered in clay- along with the rest of the hips inside and out, thus entirely made smaller than intended to account for the eventual bulk up of the piece. This cover provides a supportive divot in the hips that the middle torso piece can sit in that will give it the range of movement intended but also aid it in allowing the body to sit up straight otherwise(something that was discovered to be needed when working on finetuning sundrop whilst test-stringing, adding yet more weight due to the fix having been made solidly out of clay. Probably provides more support to Sundrop this way, but Moon needs to be as light as possible to prevent stress cracks/damage/balance issues/ect. If I want him to be able to have a functional hook to be used to be displayed with.

On a less technical note, there isn't much to show in the skeleton stage for the middle torso piece bc it's just a hollow cylinder of cardboard, thin enough to escape the bulk, but wide enough to still be strung through. It's just a lil tube for Sundrops frame anyway lol. Though, tbf, I might bulk Moondrops middle with paper/cardboard/whatever I decide, for the, once again, lightweight intention. I use air dry clay but even still it do be solid af when dry and sealed lol

Off camera just inches out of shot of each picture is sundrop, whom has slowly become disrobed and carefully disassembled in places to give me size references for things, but also one of these updates I'll show you how I made his head/face/ ray settup- why? Because it broke. Cuz my dumbass should've used wire and not a wooden dowel to support it all. (Further more, I'm using it as an opportunity to eventually redo Suns rays, because when I did the first set, I went for accuracy in the ray count, but still wanted them to spin freely. But I realized I HATE the gap that's left anywhere if his rays arent perfectly positioned and honestly this mechanism breaking is my sign and chance to fix it now that the rays aren't locked in anymore lol.)

I've decided to give this progress update log the tag '#projectdcadoll' from now on, so any posts I make abt this in the future will have that tag!

And if anyone has any questions about any specifics of the project, I'll also answer them/respond to them under this tag, so please feel free to ask away! I'm excited to share this process with ya'll!

[wordy-little-witch]

Hiiii thanks for answering my moment-of-weakness-at-2am-ish ask lmao

Sooo u said that u have lots of thoughts abt accidental rizz buggy,, and in p sure that the marines wer the tip of the iceberg... can we pls have more of ur ideas abt it?🥣😳🙏 im brainrotting but its vague scenarios that i cannot put into words aaaa writing is hard

Do u have ideas abt him rizzing the pirate populace? Or him doing circus tricks that are also hot,, like teaching some of his crew some acts while in a hot practice outfit,, like im talking about those tight but stretchy turtle necks and long gloves that almost reaches the shoulders also paired with loose pants but his ass still looks good in it, with them bare leg socks(the ones that show his toes n heel) and him taking his lectures seriously and oblivious to his crew just looking (dis)respectfully and having brain empty,, kinda like nightwing teaching gymnastics to women (i wish dat wer me)

Then croco and mihawk are also lowkey attending the lessons w an excuse

Or maybe abt his followers from the crew making buggy merch like pictures but they took some pics of buggy candid, pics that show more of his calmer side cuz I KNOW he pretty, he just emotes like a muppet lol,, which is then mass produced by his followers and them fanboying/girling over it, which then slowly spreads throughout the grandline n the 4 blues cuz ppl be curious abt who dat pretty blue haired pirate is then be shocked learning that its buggy the loud n flashy guy that could have a calm and soft side,,

and ppl demand more so his followers keep taking pictures of him, while buggy is oblivious to the fact that the pics are being distributed/selling,, then someone took notice of stonks rising that someone being crocodile and is somewhat surprised yet not surprised abt the public wanting more pics and then capitalized on this,, then croco is now making buggy have photoshoots but it gets thirst trappy, and now croco n the others in the set are also thirstier than the alabasta desert lollll, buggy still remains oblivious thinking that doing this for morale lolol

so now buggy has amassed a huge following by accident and the public gets even more thirstier because of the thirst trap photos,, and shanks be on his knees and jelly that so many ppl are thirsting after his buggy, and then ransacked a ship carrying the buggy pics n merch and had added it to his buggy room, which is a room full of buggy merch n pics lmao,, the red force r exasperated at first but then took a look at the pictures and they kinda understand their captain now lolll

And buggy still remains oblivious,, maybe until he decides to sail to an island and instead of ppl being kind of wary yet accepting due to his charisma,, he'll be bombarded with ppl carrying his (maybe thirsty) photos/posters asking for gis autograph,, and he be so shocked n confused but hes still a performer at heart so he fakes smiles thanks the crowd of ppl and signs the posters,,, Then suddenly he goes back to crossguild n asks them about it and is pissed at the fact that he couldve made more money in his knowledge lololol

dats all i have for now thank u for reading dis long ass ask :D

YES omfg just all the yes

Some general headcanons here on my end, but Buggy is STRONG okay, both bc of his circus skills, knife fighting and devil fruit. He just isn't Full Six Pack Washboard Abs. He's got a little curve. A layer of cuddly softness. HEALTHY muscle.

So he absolutely has a multi-faceted fan club of pirates, civilians, marines, alike. Some love the soft prettiness. Some like the fierce candid shots. Some are absolutely FERAL over casual competence.

Buggy regularly has cross training classes, I bet. He's a bit of a jack of all trades, and so he's got some skill in all sorts of topics that are useful. Piracy and circus performing are a lot more alike than a lot of people think, after all. He arranges classes and stuff to make sure everyone has some sort of transferable skill.

It's not HIS fault that he has his hair up for practicality, a sleeveless leotard and high waited capris. He's dressed for class, that's all.

If he does catch anyone staring, he bristles, taking it the wrong way.

Later on down the line, all of the sudden realizations that people are making MONEY, off of pictures from HIM hit him like a sack of bricks, and he rushes to his sassy besties, just "Gal, Vida. Am I pretty??? Like seriously, AM i????"

A: "No." / G: "Yes."

B: "................... a h."

The candid shots become photoshoots, become thirst traps, become eventual pin ups after Mihawk and Crocodile get Inspired. Buggy has the range to play the masc and femme with ease, and he's surprisingly photogenic.

Bonus: an entire line of Buggy Body Pillows with extra padding in the butt. ((Shanks owns several))

[cinnbar-bun]

How I Make Scrapbook Pages! (ft Kishibe Rohan)

This was requested by @rateater69 (so sorry for taking forever to make this), and here it is!

Just a notice, uh, I’m not a professional (lol) nor am I saying you have to do it like this. I will just say that I tend to do things on the fly and that scrapbooking should be messy and fun for you, not some anxiety inducing activity that makes you worry about being “perfect”. Before I began doing it myself, I saw a couple videos online on instagram, you can always check them out to get some inspiration.

With that being said, let’s begin! My “instructions” will be below the cut in a messy and scatterbrained manner as I make a scrapbook for Kishibe Rohan.

First off, you need your supplies! You can always, always, alwaaaaays use whatever random stuff is in your house, but I use a few things consistently.

A notebook (or paper, or whatever material you decide to do this on)

Craft tweezers, usually on the thinner with a curved edge.

That spatula thingy to smooth the edges and make sure there are no bumps

Double sided tape roller (truly one of the best things out there)

Scissors, obviously!

This is what I use but hey man, glue, regular tape, your own hand, and washi tape will get the job done just fine.

Now, I’m a recovering stationary hoarder (hence why I decided to make these pages so I can actually USE my things) so I have plenty of this stuff laying around. You can find this stuff easy on places like Amazon, Aliexpress, Five Below, your local craft stores, etc.- up to you where you get them you can find random stickers anywhere.

So the character I chose to make this page on is none other than my beloved Rohannie 💖 the brainworms got me so why not let it out with this.

I don’t have any stickers of him available so the next thing I do is print out photos I like and want to use. I limit it usually to 2-3 pics of varying size because my notebook is smaller.

(Yes the shirtless and wet Rohan pic was so necessary)

I begin by cutting them out and then playing around with where I think I’d want them. It’s not really an exact science or anything I just look and see how I feel.

I really wanted to incorporate the “book” part of Rohan’s abilities into this page and was considering using this old vintage letter sticker, BUT THEN I HAD A BRAIN BLAST.

I had this old freaking book lying around my room with nothing to do, so what better way than to put it in?

I was feeling ~romantical~ and decided to choose Shakespeare Sonnet 130 to go in it.

Skipping a few boring steps along, boom, I cut the page, lay out the photos of him, and some other stickers that catch my fancy. I’m vibing with the layout so I continue!

I first added another sticker underneath the painting and decided that I was pretty cool with how it looked.

Then I put a bit of washi tape there and then used the double sided tape to tape the book page to my notebook.

Okay accidentally missed a few steps but I chose some washi tape that intrigued me and smacked them on the page. Theres literally no rhyme or reason I just chose them in that way because it’s fun. I liked the circular ones for a bit more color and to match with the funky background of that smaller Rohan pic.

I then laid the Rohan photo overtop with the double sided tape, then added a small stamp sticker!

Okay I missed a couple steps again but I laid the second picture, placing it down with the washi tape I chose. I then added a fun line of words that I felt matched him.

I put the frame around the shirtless Rohan pic (memorialized now in my notebook <3) and that made me "done" with the main pieces I had. I felt there was a lot of empty space so I chose to add a (what a coincidence-) a Shakespeare quote sticker and another stamp to finish it off.

This is the final product and I'm pretty proud of how it turned out! Again, scrapbooking is not something I go into fully with a plan, it's just something I 'feel' then 'do'. You may find different materials or ways to do this, and hey, whatever makes you happy and makes it easier for you is best practice. And since most of these are stickers and washi tape, you can easily peel them off if you make a mistake (which I did even in this page).

That's really all my 'instructions' on how I do this, but if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask!

[sheliesshattered]

We had a fabulous time visiting Batuu yesterday! Our outfits were comfortable and functional and well suited to what turned out to be a relatively cold and cloudy day in southern California. Disney cast members definitely seemed to interact with us more because we made the effort to dress up, and we got some lovely compliments from other guests, too. We were even gifted some BSO credit coins by random strangers who liked our outfits!

It was Jack's first visit to Batuu, and while I did get to spend a little bit of time there with my mom in October, this was my first opportunity to really explore the entire area, browse through the shops, and sample all the food and drinks available. It was at least as cool as my first impression of it back in October, and Jack was impressed and delighted by all of it. We spent a good portion of the day just admiring all the details and world-building and excellent sets.

Jack has requested no photos, but I did manage to snag this pic of him blocking the camera like a victim of the paparazzi, lol.

But look at those pleats! Both Jack and I are so pleased with how they turned out. Several of the Resistance jackets on display in the Rise of the Resistance queue had similar pleat details, and it was fun to look at them up close.

Over this last weekend and all the way up to late Monday night, I was able to add a few last details to our outfits. I finally adjusted the chain length of my dangley earrings and glued the leather cording wraps to the back of my kyber crystal necklace so that it wouldn't slip out. While I had the glue out, I figured I'd take a stab at making some spat-type things to cover the lacings of my tall Doc Marten boots. I was completely winging it from start to finish, but I'm really happy with how they turned out!

The spats are made from some left over suede I've had in my stash for literally more than 20 years now -- it's been used for an Aragorn vest for Jack, a couple of bags for me, and the inner layers of the big wedge shaped piece on my Oswin belt. And I still have some left over! Maybe I'll make myself a belt pouch to match these spats at some point in the future.

The narrow end of each spat tucks under the laces closest to the toe of my boot, and theoretically secures to itself with a hook and eye, though I found the hook didn't really hold from that angle, and really wasn't necessary anyway. The straps then velcro around the back of my leg, at the lowest point of the bend of my ankle, and right at the top of the boot, so that the strap sits just above the top edge of the boot in the back, which helps keep it from slipping down.

To make these I really just draped scrap suede on my boot while wearing it, started cutting it to the shape I thought might make sense, then copied that over for a second spat. I measured how much I would need for the straps and how much of an overlap I wanted for the velcro, then cut out all those pieces and glued them together using E6000 -- which works wonderful for adhering velcro to suede and suede to suede, but is a bit more iffy with the metal hooks and eyes (one eye popped off when I was taking off the spat at the end of the night, but since it wasn't staying hooked anyway, I'm not fussed).

Despite being such a quick off-the-cuff project, the spats worked out great, and added that last little bit to my outfit by covering the laces of my boots. They're visible in the third photo, the full-length shot in front of the door (and in the video below), and I think they add an understated bit of texture difference in all the black-on-black there, in addition to obscuring the modern look of the boots a bit.

Besides those detail bits for me, I also made a pair of little pockets for Jack's jacket, to hold 'code cylinders'. It's a tiny detail that really makes the jacket look that much more Star Wars-y, and the cylinders themselves are empty and their tops unscrew, so the space can actually be functional, too. (Currently they're filled with gum!)

And at Jack's request, I threw together a quick insert for the zipper section on his collar that used to hold the hood before we removed it. The hood was making the collar too puffy, but without it the collar didn't have enough body to stand up on its own.

I took some measurements, then cut a piece of cotton duck canvas (that I had originally bought to cover the zippers on my Moment vest, before I changed gears and made the Batuu vest instead) to the right length and about three times the height of the interior of the hood section. I did a simple zigzag tri-fold on the height, ironed it flat, and marked some guide lines perpendicular to the length. Then it was just a simple process of quilting the three layers together by machine sewing in short vertical rows ~1cm apart.

The quilting gave the canvas even more stiffness, and after that point it absolutely did not want to fold or droop along the short vertical axis. I slipped it into the former hood pocket (after snipping one corner to fit around the snap I hadn't accounted for), zipped it closed, and gave the whole collar area a quick pressing. It's removable if we ever need to, completely washable, and keeps the collar standing upright without looking too stiff. Jack was very happy with the result.

With our outfits finally done, we headed into the park around mid-morning, with a plan to stay late. I wasn't quite sure what to expect with Batuu Bounding at Disneyland (which is notoriously a bit more hit-and-miss than Batuu East, in Florida), but we got through security without incident and through the rest of the park without anyone commenting on our outfits. We saw someone else wearing the same leather-look leggings as me, and a guy wearing similar jacket and pants to Jack (but without the pleating), which made us feel like we didn't look too weird, by general Disneyland standards.

Once we were in Batuu, though, our bounding definitely got noticed more. A couple of fellow guests complemented our outfits (including the kind strangers who gave us the coins!), and cast members seemed way more interested in interacting with us in-character. I got to bring up a bit about the history I'd made up for Samæni Ray -- which led to one cast member later referring to me and Jack as "my friends from Denon!" All of the prep and character design made it a lot easier to think on my feet in those little improv interactions.

One cast member in particular kept finding us throughout the day, just suddenly appearing out of nowhere it felt like, and kept trying to sell us a speederbike that totally wasn't a broken down lemon.

Later in the day, he kind of sold us out to Kylo Ren and a pair of stormtroopers (but like, in a fun way, lol) which led to an intense interaction with Kylo Ren right up in both my face and Jack's. Kylo Ren is tall, and the voice and the mask and the body language was all perfect up close. There was a bit of nervous laughter on our part, but we kept our cool and convinced Ren that that since we'd only just arrived on Batuu from Denon, we couldn't possibly know anything about any Resistance activity in Black Spire Outpost.

We were way too in the moment to get any photos, but because we were dressed up and Kylo Ren was so much up in our faces, we did draw a bit of a crowd, so for all I know other people may have taken pictures or videos of the event, lol. My family has a saying about 'look hard' rather than take photos, and it was definitely that for us.

Overall the whole day was wonderful, and we ended up spending nearly 12 hours in Batuu without leaving once. I got to pilot the Falcon multiple times (though I can't really say I've gotten any better at it, lol), and got to try out gunner and engineer, too. We managed to ride Rise of the Resistance both during the day and again after dark, explore every part of Black Spire Outpost in detail, learn to play Sabacc with a cast member, have drinks at Oga's, and eat a bunch of really tasty, really well-presented food.

All together it was an excellent, excellent birthday. And we're already talking about when we might want to go back again.

[leviadraws]

Hey Levi, Is it alright if i ask for some Terurei and Kokoyuri HCs?

oh gosh oh gosh, sure sure I'm totally normal about them /lh

This is err, really really long (like 2.8k words lol), so under the cut. Sorry in advance for rambling. Also, I’ve kinda realised that these are less head cannons and more a brief simplified plot line haha.

Terurei: This is post DRA until SDRA2.

Learning to work with others as a team has been really hard for Rei, she's had to learn to not belittle others as much and learn to bite her tongue a little when people said silly things. Initially, Teruya (and Kinjo to some extent) were the only ones who'd know that she doesn't always mean the things she says or the harshness of her tone. She really appreciated his patience while she got the hang of it.

At the start of forming the Kisaragi foundation they needed to secure investment from important people to stay afloat amid the collapse. Which means Rei had to stress the importance of what they were doing without insulting anyone, and Teruya had to silently gesture or mouth "be nice!". When he could tell she was getting to the end of her tether, he came to distract the investors with some figures to give her a break.

Just as Teruya covers Rei in social situations, Rei covers him if he makes little mistakes in the field. She'll have extra contingencies in place so he doesn't take all the flack.

Training under Kinjo was hard for the both of them, and when the foundation was still small they'd often spar together. Initially Rei was better but as he got taller beating him got harder. The first time he won he put out his hand to help her up and she just dragged him down, out of pettiness. They still spar on occasion, while he’s taller and stronger now, she’s learnt judo just so she could throw him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The look of surprise of his face when she succeeded had her burst out laughing, it was the first time in ages he’d seen her laugh like that, and he couldn’t help but laugh too. They were just there, laughing in the empty gym.

The first time Teruya had shot someone was to save Rei, someone had caught them off guard and swiped the gun out of Rei's hands. Teruya scrambled for it as it hit the floor, and shot it before they could hurt anyone. One shot in the chest, just like Haru. He couldn't stop seeing his friend, he just broke down. Rei, just held him for a while in silence until he stopped shaking, they haven't mentioned it to anyone else.

One time the coffee machine broke at the office and Rei just went out of commission, face flat on the table, unmovable. Teruya managed to procure a new one and as he walks in she rushes over, grabs it, says "I love you", and immediately rushes to the counter to get it working. Teruya just stands there, red as a beet and there's a few whispers in the room from onlookers. Everyone kinda assumes she was talking to the coffee machine considering her state, but that doesn't stop him from being flustered for the rest of the day.

After the events of THH they (+Kinjo) had a visit to their old dorms at HPA. It's in the hope of triggering some memories that had been lost to them. Teruya finds a lot of photos that were taken with him, Haru, Satsuki, and Kiyoka, (and a couple that are the whole class, and also a couple of them all dressed up weird rehearsing for a play. He keeps the ones of Rei as a witch to show her later) that he keeps and frames in his office. Rei finds a giant teddy bear in hers that says "Happy birthday! From class 79b". Kinjo informs them that the whole class chipped in to get it for her birthday, he neglects to mention that Teruya had spent many sleepless nights getting that exact one at a good price after Mikako had come to him with the idea. Rei takes it back with her, it's dusty and worn but it's still cute. Afterwards, she notices that one of the bears paws has a rainbow embroidered onto it, was that custom added…?

Rei thought a nice thing to do would be to bring Teruya coffee on days he stressed towards the end of the tax year. It’s the one time of the year he stays at the office later than she does and it really wears him down. It turns out her coffee is way too strong for him and he was sent to the infirmary thinking he was having a heart attack. She brings him tea and some miso rice instead now.

Rei isn't good at handling feelings or relationships so when Minako and Midori invite her out for drinks they pester her about it. "He spends a lot of time in your office", "Why don't you bring me tea Mekaru", "I didn't know you could smile like that". It made her realise that perhaps she is treating him differently to the others she knew. That realisation was hard for her, she still has abandonment issues and doesn't want to lose what they already had. So she buries it for a while so she can properly think it over.

Teruya is more in tune with himself, and figured it out pretty early on. He's not sure when it started, but he has pretty low self-esteem since the killing game and he's not gonna act on it because to him she's so smart and beautiful and he's just.. him. She couldn't possibly see him that way.

Things get a little awkward on occasion after that, they'll work together and they'll accidentally brush hands, or hold a gaze a little longer so the pause is noticeable. Teruya always breaks it off first, he comes up with an excuse and leaves the room in a hurry. Rei is smart, but she's not very socially smart, so while she does question it she doesn't come to the right conclusion and just thinks he's has forgotten something. But then she'll ask him the next day and he has no idea what's she's talking about for a second. She starts to doubt then, perhaps he doesn't really enjoy the times they're together.

Minako is a terror, she got it out of Rei when they went out drinking and she /knows/ from how Teruya looks at her. So she plays a little prank on them, they need to go pretty far for their next scout and she has to book them somewhere to stay in the safe zones on the way. She purposely books one room with one bed and doesn't tell them. It's a …very awkward exchange that results in them alternating sleeping in the car. Rei says it should just be her, as Teruya is too tall to comfortably sleep in the car, but he insists. Rei had some stern words for their receptionist on their return.

Rei is the first to confess, it was by accident while they were on a mission and things go south. He gets hurt, there's so much blood and no not again, she can't lose someone she's close to again no nonono. She panics, and it all just comes spilling out. He's pretty delirious at this point from the pain, she doesn't even know if he can hear her, she doesn't care. She needs him to know, he's important to her, she can't lose him, she loves him.

He gets patched up at the hospital, once she's allowed to see him again she just sits and waits by the bed. She's asleep from exhaustion well before he wakes up. Once he wakes, he sees her there. She's a mess, she looks exhausted but she still looks so beautiful to him. He isn't sure if what he remembers from before was real or just a delusion so he just sits there quietly and lets her rest a little. When she wakes up he just smiles over at her "See? I'm not goin' anywhere". She pulls him into a hug out of relief and just sobs there for a bit quietly. Like how she did when he'd first shot someone, he just holds her until she stops shaking. At some point he musters up the courage to say it too, he knows now what he remembers actually happened.

Of the two of them, Teruya is the better cook. Rei has always been of the mindset of as long as it's edible, fast and nutritious who really cares, but Teruya likes to makes things look nice and got loads of local dish ideas from his trips with his dad that he likes to make. Occasionally he's a little too ambitious and it all turns to a mess, but he tries. If it goes badly, Rei just smiles and then orders something in for them.

They laugh a lot together, Rei has chilled out a lot and makes small sarcastic remarks that has him grinning, and Teruya gets really excited about the little things and can't wait to show her. He notices that she sticks up for him when she thinks he's out of earshot, and he just can't stop smiling for the rest of the day.

I could go on forever but Imma stop there haha

Kokoyuri (Every time I get someone asking about something kokoyuri I remember I ran a wheel of fate for SDRA2 with a Yuri protagonist that I /really/ wanna do some stuff on but the DRA one went so close to canon that I haven't shown them because I'm worried people will think I've rigged it lmao)

I'm gonna go with some HPA AU this time, so they're both 16 and all that.

There's kinda a mutual fascination there, it's really difficult to see what Kokoro is thinking when her expressions are so muted and her voice so flat, the only real way Yuri knows how to connect with others is through stories of the stuff he's been through, facts from his talent, or through compliments. Compliments don't seem to work at all, rather they either fly over her head completely or she just looks a little annoyed that he would derail an interesting subject with something so inane.

However, she really finds his stories fascinating. He's been through a lot of trauma for someone his age and yet he tells these stories so nonchalantly, as if it were totally normal to be kidnapped 40 odd times. She can see in his eyes that he's going through a lot when he recounts them, he's just gotten really good at masking it.

She finds him really easy to talk to, he listens to her ideas and thoughts intently, and he gives really insightful feedback. He seems against her harsher experiments when women are involved than men for some reason. He gently tries to coax her into doing having men as test subjects rather than women, and she can't help but wonder, why? Why would there be a difference?

“Idolising someone is just as dehumanising as demonising someone, in some ways, the way you treat women is the same as the way you treat men”. Yuri is shocked at first, outraged. So much so he leaves the cafeteria where they were chatting. She’s caught off guard, she’s always valued being able to speak her mind with him. Perhaps Emma was right, there are some truths better left unsaid.

Kokoro struggles to realise guilt for what she had said, but she knows that she needs to apologise. She goes to ask Yoruko and Emma for help, as she needs to understand the rage and hurt in his eyes before she attempts an apology.

Meanwhile Yuri is conflicted, hurt, confused. How could Kokoro say something like that? They’ve talked so much, how could she ever think that his adoration towards women, towards her could be dehumanising? But at the same time, he knows Kokoro can’t lie, and he knows the uncomfortable looks some girls shared when he compliments them.

And so he wonders, isn’t he just, lonely? Having never had the opportunity to connect with peers before he only knows how to act how the servants in his household do, or talk endlessly about his life and hobbies. And even if his classmates think he’s a little weird isn’t being remembered for that better than nothing at all? But it’s not like that with Kokoro, she’s interested in what he has to say, how his experiences have affected him and responds in turn with really interesting points and questions. It’s the first time he’s really been able to interact with someone as an equal.

They both come to apologise after school that day, it’s awkward and messy (mostly on Yuri’s side, as he starts to ramble), but it’s sincere and they agree to be friends again.

And things are so easy for a while, Yuri introduces Kokoro to his flight path AI that he’s been training for his final project at HPA, and Kokoro shows him some tricks to read people better, small fidgets and tells that will help him read the room. It helps him communicate with the rest of the class better, and in turn he helps explain to her why some of the class act the way they do, to know times when to be honest and times where it is better to be a little quieter.

She hasn’t told him, or the rest of the class yet that they’re kinda her test subjects for her final at HPA. That she’s studying the emotion and thought behind each persons actions day-to-day. Though she does talk to him about her research when he asks, she feels lighter being able to discuss it with someone, she’s convinced this must be happiness.

He starts to notice that she has her own tells, but so few compared some of the others in their class. She’ll sometimes hide behind her iPad when she’s trying to change the subject to something else, or if she’s unsure about something. He finds it kinda cute.

As he falls, he realises, shit, she’ll be able to see the emotion in his eyes when he’s talking to her. He can’t have that, she’s his first real friend he really doesn’t want to lose that and become all alone again.

So he starts avoiding her eyes when they talk, talking a little less and avoiding bumping into her. Their other classmates notice, and notice that Kokoro almost seems… down? She’s talking less and her sentences are shorter and more curt.

Kokoro isn’t sure if she feels hurt, or simply misses the status quo they had. But either way she wants to resolve this. She manages to catch him one day after school, it turns out he’s pretty fast when he wants to be. She wants to know what she’s done to cause this change and how it can be fixed.

She holds him by the shoulders and asks him to look at her, to which he reluctantly obliges. When she looks at his eyes this time she sees a wide variety of the emotions rattling through his head. She’s able to decipher some of them from practice, but there’s a good few that she doesn’t understand. And yet, they feel, light to her.

Meanwhile this is like ten minutes of absolutely unbearable silence for Yuri and his mind is just racing and she’s so close that he just blurts out that he thinks she’s beautiful. It’s not like his normal pickup lines at all, it’s just ungraceful word vomit and he’s cringing on this inside the moment he realises what he says.

Kokoro is just stunned for a second, she’s unsure how to process this. Some of the emotions she reads make a little more sense now. She’s not quite sure how she feels herself, these things don’t come to her naturally with her condition so she’s going to need time to work this out properly.

He’s happy with this response for now, it’s far better than all the terrible scenarios that ran through his head in those ten minutes. So they agree to take things slow, to keep it to themselves for now and see where it leads them. He may even be able to slip in more compliments and look for signs of those tells that she was telling him about.

Little do they know that the entire class was spying on the exchange, the whole school knew the next day.

Phew! Sorry that these aren’t really head cannons, but I had a lot of fun writing them so I hope you enjoyed reading them! If you’ve read this far, thanks! Please feel free to add your own or tell me where you think I’m totally off

[richiejerimovichsblueeyes]

Writing Sample

Here is a brief snippet of a new fic that I started earlier today. I plan on making a few parts, since it'll end up being pretty long. I might even making a accomapnying playlist, because I love imersing my self in music when I write

Summery- (still working out the kinks) Reader comes back to Chicago. A old friend (or someone) ask reader to go The Bear for dinner that week. Reader looks The Bear up on google, and discovers that her first love, Richie, works there. They end up running into each other, and things get messy.

I love the second chance romance trope, and ofc I love Richie, so I had to write a fic, lol. This will be 18+ (because there will be smut) Do you guys like this? Should I add anything to make it more interesting? I'm open to suggestions. Enjoy <3 You typed “The Bear Chicago” in the Google search bar. You took a sip of your mint tea while waiting for the results. At the top of the search results, you saw a few pictures of what seemed to be a group of staff in front of the building. You clicked it, and it soon opened up across your laptop screen. “The Original Beef of Chicagoland soon to become a new establishment; The Bear.” The headline reads. Air escaped your lungs from a certain person in the photo. Standing amongst the group of people was that familiar tall lanky man; Richard Jerimovich or more commonly “Richie”. The surrounding air suddenly felt thick. It had been years, over a decade, since you last saw him. He now sported a short haircut, close to his scalp, instead of his shaggy mop of brown curls. The years had added some age to his handsome face. Those blue eyes still pierced through you like lightning, even through a photograph. Thoughts and questions had flooded your mind. You recognized Natalie and Carmen Berzatto. Where was Michael? You wondered. Your eyes went back to Richie. He had a flat expression on his face. You remembered always begging him to smile. 

“Richie! Just smile,” you said enthusiastically “Nah, real men don’t smile for pictures, doll.” He smirked. “You’re smiling, loser.” You laughed as you posed for the picture. The flash went off before you could make another comment. After the photo was taken, Richie looked at you with an amused expression. “Turns out a beautiful girl like you makes a man smile.” he winked. He always knew exactly what to say to make your heart take off into a frenzy. Your fingers tangled into his curls, pulling him in. His lips found yours in a soft, yet demanding, kiss. “Get a room!” You hear a boisterous voice yell with laughter. Richie pulls back, your body still wrapped in his arms. Mikey sits up on top of the counter. He takes a big swig of his beer. Your point and shoot blue Sony digital camera hanging from his wrist by the strap. Richie chucks his empty beer can at him. Mickey dodges it gracefully. “Fuckin’ jagoff!” Richie grumbles before leaning in for another kiss.

The memory made your heart ache. Days like that were the best. You were young, and hopelessly in love. It had been fifteen years since that part of your life. You were twenty then. Richie had ten years on you. Richie and Mikey were your older brother’s best friends. You grew up around those two abrasive, but loveable men. Riche had always been your crush for as long as you had remembered. To your surprise, Richie had felt the same. At first, your brother wasn’t thrilled with the idea of his best friend dating his much younger sister, but he eventually came around.

Despite the age gap, you were both completely, or so you thought, in love. During that time, you were convinced that your future was set. But, life had a cruel way of taking those hopes and dreams and crushing them til they were nothing. The thought of possibly seeing Richie again, after all these years, terrified you. What would you say? Would he ever care? But, most of all, would he even remember?  

[koofishy]

Pink Screen (Yoonjin AU fanfic)

"One ticket for whatever he's watching."

Inspired by this twitter post and the fact that yoonjin are the og barbenheimer with their pink and black fits<3 I originally posted this as a twitter thread but decided to upload it here too, even if it's late for the trend lol. I hope you'll enjoy!

"One ticket for whatever he's watching."

The cashier smiles knowingly at the man. His black leather jacket and menacing glare are a little out of place at the movie theater, but she's never been one to judge.

"Cute, isn't he?," she nods towards the other guy who's already entering the screening room. The lighting catches on his soft blonde hair and pretty features, his oversized pink hoodie swallowing his wide frame cozily.

He seems like everything this newcomer isn't.

It's a harsh contrast but they do say opposites attract, so.

"Here you go, one ticket to the Barbie movie. Enjoy!," her grin widens as the man takes it from her and she winks for good measure. "And good luck!"

Yoongi stares at her, gaze piercing, until she starts to fidget uncomfortably in her seat. Then, he leaves without a word, following the pink man into the screening room.

It's dark inside, the commercials already playing on the huge screen. They paint the pink man's face in colorful hues and reflect in his eyes.

There are some other people, but their attention is either on their popcorn or the ads so Yoongi approaches the man without notice.

He's sitting in the otherwise empty last row. Yoongi sits down right beside him without a second thought.

There's an amused huff and Yoongi doesn't have to look away from the screen to know that the man is smiling.

"Hello, Officer," he hears the melodious voice, smugness evident in the tone. "You must miss me a lot, with how you're always in my tail."

"I have to keep an eye on you," Yoongi replies, cold and stern. He chances a glance at the other man, but he's looking at the screen, not at Yoongi.

His side profile is illuminated by the low lights. Yoongi's eyes stay on it for longer than intended, following the slope of the nose, the long eyelashes, the full lips.

"Take a photo, Min, that'll last longer."

Yoongi eyes snap up to meet those of the other man, dark gaze with a glint of mischief. The full lips curl into an ominous grin.

Yoongi starts talking before the man can spout any more nonsense. He keeps his face carefully emotionless as he says:

"I know you robbed that bank, Kim Seokjin."

The man pauses. His smile dims.

The next time he talks his voice is serious.

"You don't have proof."

Yoongi raises an eyebrow.

"I have witnesses."

They stare at each other. The movie is starting but neither of them cares.

Seokjin is the first to back down, exhaling and shaking his head as he leans back in his seat.

"So, you're here to arrest me?," he clicks his tongue. "A shame."

He stares up at Yoongi from under his lashes.

"As much as it would be an honor, Officer Min," Yoongi rolls his eyes on reflex, making Seokjin smile before he sighs, glancing at the screen. "I really wanted to see this movie."

Yoongi watches him carefully, without a word.

Then he turns back to the screen where Barbie is flying out of her pink dream house into her pink dream car.

He can feel Seokjin's eyes on him.

"What are you doing?," Seokjin asks. Yoongi shrugs.

"What does it look like?"

When he talks again, the grin is evident in Seokjin's voice.

"It looks like you're indulging the city's most wanted criminal in a movie date, Min Yoongi."

It's Yoongi's turn to huff a quiet laugh.

"Well, maybe I am," he mutters, glancing at Seokjin.

The man looks away quickly but not even the dark room can hide his pink ears. They match the color of his hoodie.

Yeah, Yoongi thinks, arresting can wait.

And so he gets comfortable, shrugging off his leather jacket and leaning back in his seat, knee knocking against Seokjin's lightly. He loosens his tie, too, then lets his arm hang over the armrest, palm turned suspiciously upwards.

It only takes a few seconds for Seokjin's hand to slide into his, fingers tangling and fitting together perfectly. They feel soft. Yoongi squeezes them barely noticeably and Seokjin squeezes back.

They stay like that for the rest of the movie and after that as well.

The cashier sends them a wide grin and a thumbs up when they leave the theater, still hand-in-hand. This must be how Cupid feels after a job well done, she thinks proudly.

And if Yoongi, how to say this, forgets to take Seokjin to the police station in the end, it's all on Barbie.

Criminal!Seokjin and Cop!Yoongi except they're too fond of each other to do their job properly<3 Don't be afraid to leave notes and comments, or share this fic with others, if you'd like <3 It really means a lot to me! Find me on AO3 and Twitter (I write there too) and you can ask or tell me anything here - please be kind with that tho^^

[songofsaraneth]

I've been meaning to make a container garden update post for weeks now, but health/life kept getting in the way. So these photos are taken within the last week-ish but I've been getting it all set up over the last month! Including finally getting through the last of my rain barrel so I could scrub and rinse it out.

First major thing is I finally bit the bullet and bought the expensive porch loveseat of my dreams. I've been wanting a little couch or egg chair out there for 2.5 years but nothing ever appeared secondhand, and they're SO expensive. But finally there was a half off sale and so I went for this one from target. The best part about having that wicker back means I can use an umbrella or clip fabric to it as a shade cloth, and since it's already almost 90ºF here, that's a big motivator for spending time outside. Anyway here’s the breakdown of what I’ve got in now. Text and photos not in order bc it was too hard. Also, I tried to put a readmore here, but... I guess tumblrs not letting me have those today so sorry, long post it is! For edibles, I’ve got 4 containers of tomatoes (3 cherry/snacking and one slicing), 2 containers of strawberries (all that survived from last season!),  2 kinds of chives (normal and garlic), 2 kinds of basil (sweet and spicy globe), oregano with lemon thyme, and my hardy old rosemary. The basils got chewed up by a stray cat so I had to keep them inside for a week to recover. Then I sprayed the general area with orange oil to deter it and the orange oil ended up burning their fragile leaves, so thye’ve had a rough time of it. but! finally recovering 😬 And the big blue container I’m trying to repurpose for melons this spring, and will plant spaghetti squash later in the summer. Will I be able to get cantaloupes supported on the treils with netting? Not sure but I’m gonna try. Def most experimental inclusion this year. For perennial flowers from last year, almost all survived! I’ve got 4 kinds of sage (one of which seeded into an adjacent empty pot, so I left it and added some annual violas), guara, penstemon, 2 kinds of lavender, and a miniature rose. My red geranium kept blooming all through winter, so I got a pink and a purple one as well. The sages look a bit rough right now because I left for a week before I put in the other annuals and they’re the thirstiest of the bunch, so dropped a lot of blooms. Oh well.  For new additions and annuals, I went crazy lol. My most dangerous to shop with friend and I went to the local nursery and stores together so of course we both went overboard. I finally got one of the jasmine I’ve been eying for a year and a half, which just started blooming and already smells amazing. My 2 gailardia were tiny rosettes but ones forming a bloom and I’m so excited. Also marigolds, zinnias, petunias, lantanas, those fluffy spike ones I’m blanking on the name of, and a fuchsia! And probably some I forgot. The fuchsia’s been swapped to a shader spot already, but it’s getting ready to bloom and I’m excited. I also, while visiting Colorado two weeks ago, accompanied my friend to a nursery and ended up driving back with a clematis, one of my favorite flowers ever. It’s still vining up right now but fingers crossed for flowers.  SO. Lots of things in at the moment, so far been good for the last week and we’ll see what ends up surviving the summer heat or not once we get to the weeks of 100ºF+ days. I’ve got some other plans/tweaks, but this is the bulk of things. Otherwise, life has been a lot and I’m still goin through it...grad school, research, coping with the porch birds I love getting killed by the feral cats, and so on :( Getting up to water has been motivating at least for finally leaving bed in the morning despite all my eye pain troubles (easier to just keep them closed for an extra 3 hours than to start the sequence of drops and compresses it takes to get them open). But then I can do my morning doomscrolling at least surrounded by beautiful flowers and birdsong instead of huddled in my cave.