#coffee beans candles and keyboards

[caelwynn]

Caelwynn's Birthday Week SDV Reader Requests #1 - "Bluebell"

Because that title isn't a mouthful. 😅

This one comes from @shortysus4: "AU (maybe in Zuzu?) where Callie gives Ben a dance lesson, bc I keep thinking about this concept and it's adorable to me."

Ben, for the record, is her farmer from her fantastic fic, Coffee Beans, Candles, & Keyboards (seriously, check it out! Especially if you're a June lover). Callie, of course, is the main character/farmer from my series Choices.

With Ben not-so-subtly pining over a June who has left the valley to go on tour, Emily agrees to be his partner at the Flower Dance. Unfortunately, her attempts to teach him go... poorly. At her wit's end, she asks Callie for a helping hand. The resident monster hunter easily agrees, looking forward to the opportunity to tease their newest farmer. And if she happens to have another lesson to impart, well, Ben should be glad to benefit from her wisdom and experience.

Pairing: Ben (Original Male Character)/June (Ridgeside Village)

Word Count: 4k

Rating: Teen (there's a few f-bombs in the there)

Warnings: Fluff, teasing, swearing, dancing, penguins

(Note: Chapter 16 of Choices: Fall will go up a bit later today.)

[stardewfanficwriters]

MONTHLY REC LIST: NOVEMBER EDITION

We have some absolutely amazing fics to recommend this month, some our members have written this month, and some old ones that we've been reading and sharing. Take a look! (but mind the tags - some of these are spicy)

Comments are always welcome 🩷

The Love You Want by orangemochafrapp - Sebastian/Female Player (14/?)

Coffee Beans, Candles, and Keyboards by Andrea_P_Quintell (June/Male Player)

Meant to Be by KellyCataclysm - Harvey/Female Player

They're All Safe by A_little_snail - Kent/Jodi

Lonely Dancers by lily_alphonse - Sam/Sebastian

Penny For Your Thoughts by Annetastic - Penny/Sebastian (7/?)

Spinning Truths and Spinning Lies 'Til Both Come Tumbling Down by Caelwyn - Shane/Sterling

Mine: Costume by spiritedKnight - Sebastian/Female Player

How Can I Help You Say Goodbye by Annetastic Sam/Sebastian

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood by ForgottenChesire - Morris/Pierre

all of the stars by anonymous - Maru/Penny

A Broken Loop by BitterRose13 - Farmer/Sen

Ask Me Anything by KellyCataclysm - Harvey/Female Player

Staring At The Sun, Can Burn The Heart by BirdieLouWho - Sebastian/Female Player

Sam to the Rescue by WriterofWorlds - Sam/Male Player

The Reason She Made it Back by lily_alphonse - Harvey/Female Player (Firefly inspired AU)

Valley Defense Squad by Nedjemet - Sebastian/Female Player (7/?)

Symphony of Seasons by purpleandgreen - Harvey/Player

The Unicorn in the Garden by Five_seas - Sebastian/Female player (4/?)

Mezzanine by sdvbraindump - Shane/Haley

A House in Pelican Town by nebraskashouse - Harvey/Female Player (2/?)

Lady of the Sciences and of the Sweet Pea by TheMerryPanda (Maru & Harvey)

Working Weekends by FightTheThorn - Sam & Shane

Contrast & Color by Mouse_213 - Sam/Sebastian

Bad Decisions by UrsulaNoodles - Haley/Harvey

Redhead Supernova by Writing_for_Soup - Haley/Leah

[endcant]

an incomplete list of things that are mundane but that i miss because i don't have access to them right now:

the foods i am allergic to now

dandelion tea

being part of a large team of people

making red bean paste

having a garden that isn't in pots on a balcony. it doesn't have to be big. i just miss the actual ground.

dancing without downstairs neighbors

sidewalks between me and almost anything i could ever want

getting somewhere early

having my own other place where i can lock things away and not just during work hours

being able to feel like i have a positive impact on people as regularly as i did at the tutoring center. but where else could i ever work that i can get profuse thank-yous every 15 minutes on the dot? with my skillset?

fishing with dad in california

bringing maple cookies to school friends in batches of 30

parking really far whenever i go anywhere and having a nice walk to and from my car

serving moms whiskey samples at noon on a sunday in a california grocery store

coffee and pumpkin jojos with my sister

walking a dog

feeding fish

the sierras

hot, dry, yellow landscapes

meeting someone else's older relatives every time i visit a friend's house.

feeling safe in a really big crowd of people

saving coffee for the security guard who would lock up at the art gallery i worked at for awhile. never got his name but i knew how he liked his coffee.

frequently meeting much older people who are currently attending community college and therefore are interested in learning new things

just having free agency to move around in much larger groups of people by myself in general (as a kid in california this experience was mandatory, as an adult in tennessee this experience costs a lot of money and also usually involves friends who expect me to stick with them the whole time)

piano with weighted keys

the scent of peach tea and wet dog at the same time

living in a room that was big enough for all of my earthly possessions and i never had to share that space with anybody and none of my stuff ever moved from where i expected it to be (thanks stephanie)

going to concerts in town

buying lots of books and having enough room to keep them all on shelves

when the creek's biodiversity wasn't obliterated by the city extending its gas pipelines to new developments

living somewhere WITH fences and WITHOUT "i will shoot you if you come onto my property" culture, both of which resulted in an overall better experience for Walkers

an incomplete list of things i have right now that i will miss if/when i do not have them later:

my roommates are incredibly generous and supportive and have helped a lot when ive had money problems

baldur is curled up on my keyboard and occasionally stands up, turns around and lays back down

both of my roommates laugh really loudly from their respective rooms at regular intervals

friend group chats are fairly active right now

the sound of cicadas is really relaxing

there were no dangerous storms for the past few days, so i have been able to go outside for basically any excuse

i have all the medications i need right now

i have my allergen-free spice mix that i can use anytime

i did a lot of laundry today and my back doesn't hurt. my back will hurt soon because i am about to do dishes, so i really have to enjoy this right now.

i am reading a library book about regional witchcraft right now. it is amazing. i will have to give it back, which is a little sad. i want to buy a copy one day when i have the money

i am not yet tired of the songs i am learning right now

all of my devices are currently functional

in general, my pain levels have been pretty bearable for the past month or so

our folding table is really helpful and not THAT bent yet

big lamp with daylight bulb keeps me sane

tall, thin, blessed candle that i got as a gift from a priestess will one day be used up or lost or broken

i have lots of art supplies right now

i have something specific to look forward to that is guaranteed to happen and that i can prepare for all i like in any way i want, but ultimately i'll still "succeed" in some basic way as long as i show up

there is a poem i want to memorize

[starseedfxofficial]

The GBPCHF Trend Game: The Hidden Secrets of Riding Trends The Only Trend That Won't Let You Down (Unlike Those 80s Fashion Comebacks) Picture this: You've just hopped on a GBPCHF trend and it’s taking off like a rollercoaster—one that doesn’t suddenly go backwards, upside-down, and make you question your life choices. Trend following with GBPCHF is like riding the smoothest rollercoaster in Forex... if you do it right. And today, I'm here to spill the beans on the game-changing strategies to master this ride—and no, it doesn’t involve a seatbelt or a death grip. Trend following isn't about playing “follow the leader”; it's about being the savvy person who spots the direction before the crowd rushes in like they’re at a Black Friday sale. Ready to up your game and learn some ninja tactics that even your Forex buddies haven’t heard of? Great—because this isn’t just any ‘trend’ article; it’s the article that reveals underground strategies, hidden opportunities, and a couple of chuckle-worthy moments that make Forex trading feel a lot less like tax season. How to Date Trends (Without Falling for Fake Moves) Look, being in a relationship with trends can feel like Tinder for Forex. Swipe right on a bad trend, and before you know it, you've been ghosted by GBPCHF faster than you can say "Margin Call." The trick is to know when that trend is a keeper—and when it’s going to swipe left on you. - Spot the Trendy with the Moving Average - Most traders stick to the standard moving averages, which is fine, like buying vanilla ice cream. But why settle for plain when you could have chocolate fudge ripple with cookie chunks? Enter the Hull Moving Average (HMA). The HMA helps you catch trends earlier than the regular crowd, and who doesn’t love getting a head start? It’s like grabbing the best spot before the picnic starts. - The Trend Line That’s More Reliable Than Your WiFi - Want to know if a trend is worth your time? Use a trendline and combine it with an ATR (Average True Range) breakout. The ATR can show you how volatile things are getting, and trust me, volatility is just like salt on popcorn—a little is good, too much is disastrous, and none is just plain boring. Waiting for a trendline breach with an ATR spike gives you that salty-sweet balance. Avoiding Common Pitfalls (No Trend Was Harmed in the Making of This Section) A classic mistake: Traders often jump ship at the first sign of consolidation like they’re abandoning the Titanic. But a small pause doesn’t mean it’s sinking. Instead, here’s what you do: - Patience, Grasshopper: Stick to Higher Timeframes - The GBPCHF tends to pull back on lower timeframes before continuing its smooth jazz melody. Instead of letting the 15-minute candles give you heart palpitations, zoom out. On the 4-hour chart, you’ll often see it was just a little riff before the song continued. In trading, patience isn't just a virtue—it's a darn strategy. - Don’t Fall for the Whip (This Ain’t a Dance Move) - Ever seen the market fake out faster than a magician's card trick? Yup, the infamous ‘whipsaw’ move. It’s what happens when the price spikes only to crash again, leaving you with the financial equivalent of spilled coffee. To avoid this, always verify with an oscillator like the Relative Strength Index (RSI). If RSI is showing divergence, maybe that spike is just a blip. And remember, nobody likes coffee on their keyboard—or their balance. The Hidden Gems: Elite Tactics for GBPCHF Trend Following The Magic of Multi-Timeframe Analysis Imagine having a drone-like bird’s eye view on the market—the trend may be up on the daily, but down on the hourly. Confused? Well, don’t be. It’s like a crowded escalator: sometimes people are going up while others are going down. In the Forex world, zooming into a 1-hour chart to confirm the trend aligns with the 4-hour or daily chart can give you the clearest view—and it saves you from riding the wrong way. Ichimoku for the Brave (and the Wise) Ever looked at an Ichimoku chart and thought, "This thing looks like spaghetti gone rogue"? Trust me, it’s actually a brilliant shortcut once you get it. For GBPCHF, Ichimoku Kumo Clouds can act as your personal traffic light—green cloud means go, red means “maybe slow down.” If you’re not using Ichimoku, it’s like you’re still using a paper map when there’s GPS. Nobody wants to end up in a dead-end—especially with your money. Expert Quotes to Make Your Life Easier According to John Smithson, Chief Analyst at TraderPrime, "The secret to trend following is sticking with the trend until the market gives you a good reason not to. Cut losses early but let winners run.” Meanwhile, Emily Tran, Forex Educator, adds, “GBPCHF has unique rhythm and tends to trend for longer periods—if you can time your entry based on multi-timeframe confluence, you’re in for a smoother ride.” Emotional Safety Net: Trend Following Requires Mindset Hacks It’s easy to feel like the market is against you, personally. Sometimes, when GBPCHF spikes, it’s tempting to feel like the universe just doesn’t want you to have nice things. But trends follow structure. GBPCHF isn’t out to "get you," it’s just a pair of currencies battling it out. If you’ve got a plan, you’re not just relying on luck—you're navigating the rollercoaster with the knowledge of where each loop and drop is. - Ninja Focus: Keep Emotions Out of It - Set alerts for key levels. This isn’t because you’re lazy—it’s because you’re smart. Alerts mean you’re less likely to overtrade, and overtrading is like overeating—sounds good at first, feels terrible later. - The Free Tools to Make It Easy - StarseedFX offers a Free Trading Journal where you can actually note down each trade. Keeping a log helps to refine your moves. Don’t skip it—it's your secret weapon against repeating mistakes, like buying another ugly sweater that stays in the closet. Wrap Up: Ride the Trend or Get Left Behind Trends, especially with GBPCHF, aren’t some mystical creature only a chosen few can ride. The secret is to have the right toolkit and mindset—and maybe a dash of humor to get you through the tricky parts. Whether it’s using an oscillator to avoid the fakeouts, Ichimoku clouds to find your sweet spot, or simply remembering to zoom out to see the bigger picture, there are countless ways to stay ahead. If you're ready to level up, don’t forget to check out StarseedFX’s free resources that help you keep tabs, track trends, and make informed moves: - Stay on top of economic news and movements: Forex News Today - Expand your skills with elite trading methods: Forex Education - Join the expert community: Community Membership —————– Image Credits: Cover image at the top is AI-generated Read the full article

[llamagirl28]

What does the inside of the SINY crews bedroom look like. I'm guessing Dom has a lot of comic book posters in his lol.

Oooh love this ask!

Dom - yep he's got comics/movies/musicals posters, all nice prints and framed and very aesthetic™️; his style in general is very cozy/homy with rustic touches and warm, pleasant colors, dark wood. He's got a bookcase full of books and comics, his walls are a moss green, his bed frame dark wood, he's got some action figures and Star Wars lego on his shelves.

Megan - her room is all pastel colors; pastel blue walls and vintage/retro furniture that ranges from different light shades of blue, green, pink and violet. Lots of plushies and pillows on her bed, bed that has a vintage metal frame. She also found a trunk at a flea market and placed it in front of the bed as extra storage space and because it looks nice. Has a desk with her pc setup, and got one of those pastel, retro blue mechanical keyboards that she's very fond of. She also has a small vintage vanity table she got for cheap and that Zoey helped recondition for her.

Cameron - there's almost no part of her walls that isn't covered. They're were probably some off-white to begin with. They're filled with band/movie/cartoon posters and art prints. Her bed is pushed against a two walls, her cozy nook and lined with her plushies. Very grungy/dark style but with the occasional pop of pink. Has a pick up and boxes of vynils and a desk which is her workbench. Also, has a bean bag in the form of a seal. She's also got all sorts of knick knacks she's gathered over the years, like Gothic candle holders with unlit candles, small statues of bats or black cats, grinning pumpkins, or anything that looked steampunk.

Grey - has a studio apartment so he's living is also his bedroom and his kitchen is open space so it's all just one big room lmao His dream home would be a warehouse home tho, giving industrial vibes. The studio apartment does have a brick wall which kind of swayed him to take it! He's got an extendable couch that doubles as bed, a deep red, old style sofa that's very comfy to curl up in with the cats, furniture is dark browns, grays, some of them that have a sort-of worn out look. He's got a bookcase, a drawer with his clothes, a smaller cabinet full of only magic-related stuff, a narrow desk, a small treecat house, two cat beds and lots of cat toys strewn about. As for decorations, some steampunk inspired ones.

Eva - when she gets her own place, a one bedroom apartment, she goes for dark purple walls, dark woods, lots of purple and violets and with a very lush and glam feel. Chandelier. Vanity table. A full body mirror with a fancy, antique frame, fluffy carpet, framed art prints that are art nouveau or Toulouse Lautrec. Has some house plants and flowers.

Zoey - very bohemian, cozy, colorful. She has lots of plants, especially crawling/climbing plants on her bedroom walls. The walls are a pleasant off white/cream but mostly covered in paintings, pictures, plants or shelves anyway, her furniture is in light woods, she's got colorful plant pots, oranges and yellows are rather prevalent, colorful carpets, framed paintings she's done or photos she took during her travels, usually framed in golden or frames in vibrant colors that matched the picture. Shelves with books and knick knacks like statues and postcards or other souvenirs from where she's visited.

Bill - by his standards, his NY apartment is rather minimalist lol Half of the wall space in his bedroom is just floor to ceiling windows with a wonderful view to the city. His huge bed is set again the window, so when he wakes up he can just turn around and enjoy the view. Opposite there's a huge TV, along another window wall there's a white lounge with a glass coffee table. He's got a cat bed and a cat tree house for his cat. There's a white drawer with golden accents, and full body mirror with a gilded but simple frame and a door leading to his walk-in closet. The color scheme is white, light woods and golden accents. He's got some vaguely artdeco golden decoration on the wall. And a very fluffy white carpet.

Morgan - very English cottage feel. He's got a soft, floral wallpaper, the bed has a dark wood frame, he has a wooden, vintage bookcase with books of course but also decorations, such as the small bird cages he made, either with bird statues or flowers spilling inside, or empty. The general colors are blues, greens, reds, pinks. He's got a small green, vintage writing desk and a wooden closet.

Vesper - Vesper's bedroom, in their dimension, is very lavish. The ceiling is high and painted like the starry night sky, as are the walls. They have a great, golden chandelier, huge bed, double doors. They have ornate, gilded mirrors, and lush settees; soft carpets, carved tables, and floor to ceiling windows that open into their garden.

[chaosnoirjpg]

cultivating joy list

Things that make me happy or think or whatever...[not limited to]

Fat babies

Tiny things

That boop sound from the mathematical video

Good music

Good poetry

Good art

good conversation

A genuine smile

A genuine laughter

Sunsets and sunrises

Cool rainy days

Cold rainy days

Sitting in my car while it rains

Jamming out to music in my car

Singing in the shower

Singing in my car

Being held by a loved one

Holding a loved one

Dancing with my dogs in the nighttime

Watching Ghibli films

Buttered bread

Reading Hannibal lecture books

Philosophical discussion

Breakfast food any time of the day

Coldwater on a humid night

Dancing in my room in the dark

Shitting in the bathroom in the dark

Baby cooing

Puppy's first a-wooo

Puppy hitching a ride on a duck

Baby hugs a puppy

Pizza.

Katsu curry.

Peach cobbler.

Banana pudding without the Banana.

Sweet potato pie.

Lovingly regarded without motive

Bear hugs

Gently petting

Loving caress

Being present

Mediating together

Writing love poems

Doing what you love

Doing what makes you smile

Paradoxical theories and ways of thought

Anthropology

Sociology

Social Science Ethnic Studies

The way people and the world think and move in the world

The light in your heart after you've processed and healed dense emotions

Creating for yourself only

Loving yourself completely

Inner knowing that you cannot deny

Child taller than their parents

Child taller than an adult

Younger sibling taller than older sibling

Musicians making music on the fly

Ppl saying birds aren't real

Horror movies

Comedy, drama, murder mystery movies

Ugly big mansions

Beautiful architecture

80's hair

Fucked hairstyles

Authenticity

Chill vibes

The color Teal

The smell of coffee

Soft and crunchy cookies

Chocolate long johns donuts

Waffles

Fried hard eggs

Pancakes

Buttered toast

Turkey bacon and sausage

Sausage and baked beans

Baked beans

Blackened salmon with veggies and mashed potatoes

Shroom tea

Clicky keyboard

Pill bottle sounds

Clicky pen/pencil

Pickles

Pickle juice

Cranberry juice

Moisturized skin

Dry brushing

Body tingles

Ant wars

Creatures in the sea

Conspiracy iceberg

The word sonder

The word moledro

Obscure emotions

Ambiguous colors: Teal, periwinkle, etc

Cool facial wipes

Made bed

Soft blankets

Soft pillows

Nice smelling candle

Fruit bowl

Houseplants

Flourishing garden

Sunlight

Starry night sky

Goya paintings

Orange juice

RnB soul

Emo rap

Alt rock

Common sense

The morning time

The night time

Soaking in the tub

Hot shower

Cool shower

Starting over

New perspective

Love songs from the 80's

Playing with their baby

Playing with their dog

Iridescent beetles

Iridescent bug wings

Iridescent anything

Not taking life seriously…bc the universe has a sick sense of humor my guy

Surfer dude accents

Scottish accents

Irish accents

Dinosaurs.

Vibing out

Chicago Architecture

Clean bathroom

Edibles

Tea hot and cold

River

Waterfall

Sense of awe and wonder

Sweet potato fries

Mom keeps buying off-brand cheerios by accident and now we have several boxes of non-brand cheerios

Ppl wearing glasses for aesthetic

Getting inebriated

Broad city

Flight of the concords

The office

Arrested development

New girl

The fountain movie and graphic novel

Shoulder massages

Tempura sushi

Good food with loved ones

Self-discovery

Hoodie

Big afro

Beautiful tattoos

Teeth

Rengoku

Demon slayer

Jujutsu kaisen

Nail art

Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh's brother and sister-in-law

Eyeliner art

Brain tickles

Hogwarts architecture

Indie movies

Indie music

Sagitterrorist lol

Scorpihoe lol

Thrift store

String instruments

Anime, dubbed teehee

Black boy joy

black men acting a dayum fool

titties

thighs

chicken thighs

flats

sweet chili sauce

thai food

spring rolls

Mothers approval

Dogs love

Animal affection

Pets love and affection

Nightmare core synthetic wave music

Puns like corny puns

Wednesdays

Thursdays

Fridays

Sunday risings

Skin care routines

Curly hair routines

Babies looking at themselves in the mirror

Babies being afraid of their own shadow

Musicians with beautiful minds and souls

Toothpaste

The right lipstick

Good hair days

Le twins

Twins in general

Black alternative gender-ambiguous beings

MUSIC:

RnB

RnB soul

Rap

Alt rock

Alt rap

Indie rock

House music

FOOD:

Thai food

Japanese tempura sushi

katsu curry

Chicken Tikka masla

Tea in general

Mac and cheese

Cheese toast

Chocolate chip cookies

Banana pudding no bananas

Peach cobbler

sweet potato pie

Jumex

Shrimp tacos

Blackened salmon

Lobster tails

Grilled chicken

Outback steakhouse

Strawberry banana smoothie

Egg rolls

Shrimp rolls

Teriyaki chicken

bourbon chicken

cookie dough ice cream

Caramel ice cream

Cookies and cream ice cream

Nachos

Loaded fries

Pizza

Sweet spicy chili wings

Crunchy fries

Honey mustard sauce

Caesar salad

Mediterranean sandwich/salad

Waffles

Pancakes

Ice coffee

Hashbrowns

eggs fried hard

peanutbuter and honey sandwich

tomatoe soup

Grilled oysters

Tuna salad

Pasta

ART:

Frances Goya

Vincent van gogh

LMJ works

Marc Rebillet

Kendrick Lamar

Kenny mason

Chris Fleming

Dave Chappell

bill hicks

Bo Burnham

Lakieth Stanfield

Le twins

Frankjavcee

whyt manga

Likelihood art

LANGUAGE//SAYINGS:

Think mark think

You got my head spinning out of control

Grief is love persisting

Everything the light touches is ours/our kingdom

Animals:

Quakka

Kasawari

emu

Ostrich

jaguar

cheetah

Jellyfish

octopus

squid

whale

Turtle

tortoise

dog

Cats on screen only

Crow

owl

frog

High animals From the vet

PLACES:

Africa

Australia

Japan

islands

Northern lights

The split sea

Nighttime glow Beach

Black sands Beach

Dessert

Mountains

redwood forest

THINGS:

Thighs

Titties

Clean teeth

sweet smile

Big expressive eyes

Sharp cat-eye makeup

Good lipstick

New purse smell

Purses that smell like a pleasant perfume or lotion

Cracking creme brulee

Dipping hands in a bag full of beans

Warm tea on a cool rainy day

Looking up at the sky to see the stars and moon

Feeling the rain on my skin

A warm bath by candlelight

Dinner by candlelight

Reading or journaling by candlelight

Sunbathing in a hammock

Sleeping under the stars

Genuine laughter

The look of love and affection

Completing a project

A job well done

Making it out alive

Dancing like no one is watching

Singing like no one is listening

A good book

Pillow fights

Intimate soulful talks at 3am

3am

Twilight

Dusk

Sunsets

Sunrises

Cold rain

Washed hair

Moisturizer

Body oil

Tea tree oil

Eucalyptus oil

Lavender oil

Intense burning

Lit candle

Oil burner

House plants

Clean kitchen

Hidden storage

Northern lights

Hot showers

Wine

Night drives

Pedicure

The clicking of heels

Keyboard clicks

Pills shifting in a bottle

Retractable pen clicks

Geometric architecture

Emerald windows

The color Teal

Looney toons

most ghibli movies

Afros

Edibles

Head massages

[another-tmnt-writer]

Happy Birthday

Mikey x Reader

Author: Mo

Prompt: Could I get an artistic s/o who went and splurged a lot of money on art supplies for mikey as mikey deserves some love!

Note: Oh my god this is so cute. We love our precious orange bean <3

Warnings: None?

Word Count: 1.0k

You remembered the day Mikey had first shown you his sketchbook. It was a few weeks after you’d met the turtles. You’d only gone down to the lair a few times to hang out with them so far. They were your age and Mikey, the youngest, had explained to you that they didn’t really have that many friends to begin with, but they also didn’t have any friends who were their age. Because of that, you’d made it your personal mission to be friends with them.

Mikey had settled down on the couch next to you, his sketchbook open on his lap. He started flipping through his drawings, showing them all to you with this sense of pride, watching your reactions to his art. Most of them were sketches of his brothers, their dad. Some of them were just objects around the lair: his skateboard, the graffiti on the wall, Leo’s bonsai, his nun chucks. And then there was the last one, a drawing of you.

“You drew me?” You asked, your features lighting up in a bright smile. “Awwww!!”

“You looked so cute and focused while you were doing your homework the other day, angelcakes. I couldn’t help myself.” He shrugged, smiling shyly.

“You’re so talented, Mikey. These really are amazing.”

“You think so?”

“Absolutely. You’ve got some real skill.”

“I guess, you know, being stuck down here for so long, I had a lot of time to practice.” He was smiling, but he sounded sad when he said it. He went on to explain that it had been hard for Donnie to get ahold of art supplies for him. He was lucky to have the sketchbook he did, but it had been made out of recycled paper Donnie had cooked up in his lab. While he was appreciative, he’d always wanted to sketch in a real sketchbook with supplies that were intended to be for art.

You compartmentalized this for their birthday a few months later.

Until the boys had met April, they didn’t know when their birthday officially was, but she’d been able to give them the exact day they’d started getting their mutagen treatments and that was good enough for them, considering they didn’t know exactly how old they were. So, in July, you went down to the lair for the birthday party you, April, and Casey had thrown together.

“Angelcakes! You came!” Mikey rushed up to you, a party hat on his head. He scooped you up into one of his famous bear hugs.

“Of course I did, Mikey! It’s your birthday! It’s a special day.” You told him, your feet dangling above the ground. He set you down and his eyes immediately flicked to the gift bags in your hands, each of them color-coded for the turtle you had bought them for. He hyperfixated on the orange one, the contents of which were hidden underneath sparkly orange tissue paper.

“What’s in the bag?”

“It’s a surprise.”

He whined. “You know how impatient I am! Can I get a hint?”

“Nope.” You told him. “You’ll have to wait just like the others.”

“Awwwwwww come onnnnnnn…” He followed you out to the living room, where the other three birthday boys were seated.

April carried in a few boxes of pizza and Casey had the birthday cake. Mikey tugged you down into the seat next to him, practically vibrating with excitement. He ate his pizza and cake so fast, you were sure he was going to get a stomach ache, but he knew as soon as everyone was done eating, he’d finally be able to see what you’d gotten for him.

After what seemed like an eternity, everyone was done, so Mikey gathered all of the paper plates and rushed them to the trashcan while you, April, and Casey dispersed presents. You handed Leo his first, then Raph, then Donnie, and finally, as he rushed back to his spot on the couch, you gave Mikey his.

The boys started opening their presents. You’d gotten Leo some new scented candles, a few books from your favorite bookstore, and a few succulents for his growing plant collection. Raph’s present had been the Fast and Furious box set, which he gasped at as soon as he laid eyes on it, his expression the happiest you’d seen him in a long, long time. For Donnie, you’d gotten him a purple keyboard cover for his computer because he was always complaining about crumbs falling between the keys, as well as some new mugs for his steadily worsening coffee addiction.

Mikey pulled the tissue paper out of the bag and stared for a long time, silent. You watched his reaction, settling in near him. His eyes watered and he covered his mouth with a large green hand. “(Y/N)…”

You swore that was the first time he had called you by your name instead of the numerous nicknames he’d taken to calling you.

“Angelcakes, this is too much.” He shook his head. He started taking the things out of the bag and gently setting them on the coffee table in front of him. A set of paint brushes, an assorted set of canvases, some acrylic and water color paints, a sketchbook, a set of pencils and erasers, and a giant box of colored pencils.

“You deserve the world, Mikey. This is just a start.” You told him, your voice soft.

He looked at you for a long moment and then, all at once, pulled you into his arms, holding you tight, his face nuzzling into the crook of your neck as he pressed a dozen kisses to your cheeks and jaw and forehead.

“Happy birthday, Mikey…”

[sohotthateveryonedied]

5.How many accounts do you have?

20. Describe your blog in 3-5 words

35.what does home mean to you?

39.Describe your aesthetic

5. How many accounts do you have?

just the one! i have neither the patience nor the motivation to start another blog no matter how crowded this one gets

20. Describe your blog in 3-5 words

chaotic, nerdy, funny, weird, superheroes

35. What does home mean to you?

wherever my cats are

39. Describe your aesthetic

well-loved books with dog-eared pages, pink flannel with the sleeves rolled up, notes jotted onto hands in messy scrawl, ink smudged on paper, the clacking of a laptop keyboard, old mugs with stale coffee dried on the rim, fat cats with sleepy eyes and toe beans, and bakery-scented candles

[under-the-blue-sun]

blankets, coffees and afternoon naps

summary: Blankets, coffee and afternoon naps have become the new normal.

word count: 1217

rating: general audiences

warnings: profanity

note: just a collection of domestic moments between dan and phil during quarantine written for @stupidity-to-the-max for phandomgives. enjoy ♡

read on ao3

Blankets, coffee and afternoon naps have become the new normal.

Dan sighed fondly as he looked down at Phil sprawled across the couch. He had a bet with Dan that he would stay awake, but he was already fast asleep and fully relaxed, head resting on Dan’s lap, a thousand pillows burying him into the couch. He smiled faintly as he noticed Phil was wearing the mismatching socks he had given him for his 29th birthday. 

As if awoken by Dan’s thoughts, Phil blinked, slowly opening his eyes. 

“Hey.” Dan whispered softly.

“Hey.” Phil murmured, rubbing his eyes as he sat up from Dan’s lap, almost knocking over his half-full coffee mug. “How long was I out?”

“Only half an hour.” Dan said, suddenly shivering as Phil quickly left his legs, grasping his lukewarm coffee cup to conjure some warmth. “Now you have to take the garbage out.”

Phil groaned. “But Mellie is taking it out today, and I already had to deal with her two weeks ago.”

“You shouldn’t have bet on it.” Dan said, smirking arrogantly.

Phil buried his face in Dan’s lap again.

“Bitch.” he called out, muffled.

“Yeah, yeah. Now go back to sleep.”

-

“How do you deal with blocks?”

Phil frowned in confusion and looked up from his laptop, observing the source of the noise across him who was slamming his head on the table. “Blocks?”

“Yes!” Dan called out, exasperated. “Blocks.”

“Like chocolate blocks?” Phil joked, enjoying the annoyance continuing to write all over Dan’s face.

Dan sighed. “I meant like writer’s block.”

“Oh.” Phil said, shrugging and returning to type. “I don’t know. Write about...your mum.”

Dan squinted at him. “You write. How do you cure writer’s block?”

“Well, it’s gonna sound cheesy.”

“Tell me.” Dan said immediately.

Phil stopped typing and looked up, smiling softly. “I write about you.”

Dan rolled his eyes. “Oh, shut up.”

“It’s true!” Phil exclaimed. “You always give me inspiration to write. there’s so much to write about you.”

“Like what?”

“Well, how you’re kind and soft, even if you pretend not to be, and that you give the best advice, and the best kisses, and you make the best Indian food on this apartment floor, and- you’re just fishing for compliments now.”

“Yup.” Dan said, grinning widely. “I know just what to write about now.”

-

“I think Norman hates me.”

Dan sighed. “You said that five minutes ago, Phil. He is literally a fish. He does not hate you.”

“Yeah, but...seriously. What if he does?” Phil asked.

Dan shook his head. “It’s 3am, Phil. You’re going delusional.”

“I know, but still.” Phil said. “What if I’m feeding him and caring about him and having anxiety dreams about him and he doesn’t care about me at all?”

“Go to sleep.” Dan said.

“But you’re awake!” Phil exclaimed.

“I’m turning the lamp off now.” Dan said, and he did. He closed his eyes, pretending to sleep.

“Good night.” Phil whispered softly.

Dan smiled slightly. “Good night. Norman loves you.”

---

“See? I told you! I fucking told you!”

Phil slammed his head on the cards. “This game is too complicated.”

“No, look at me! Look at me!” Dan shouted, grabbing Phil’s event card and waving it around. “I told you that this was too easy! You can’t just fucking airlift people and send them to different countries! It’s not how the game works! It’s not how any game works!”

“Who cares?” Phil yelled. “I saved the world anyway!”

“Illegally, you dingbat!” Dan said. “We’re playing it again.”

“This is the fifth time.” Phil said.

“I don’t care how many times we’re playing this, we need to get it right.” Dan seethed, already setting up the board again.

-

“Well, this isn’t perfect, but…”

“I love it.” Dan said, eyes shining. 

“Yeah?” Phil said hopefully.

“Yeah.” Dan affirmed, smiling brightly and looking around the dark room filled with candles. He smelt the air.

“You even put my favourite scented candles. I thought we were out of them.”

“I ordered some online.” Phil said. 

Dan put his hand over his heart. “Oh my god, I love you.”

“I love you too.” Phil beamed. “You look good tonight.”

“You too.” Dan said, taking a seat. “So, Mr Lester, what do we have tonight?”

“I have made three courses for you - appetizers, main and dessert. And bread, if that counts as a course.” Phil said. He hesitated before continuing, glancing at Dan’s lightly lit face.

“Go on.” Dan whispered, urging him to go on.

“Okay, so for the entree I made a beef carpaccio with avocado and walnuts, seasoned with salt and pepper. For main we have polish pork and cabbage stew with fresh marjoram with a side of fava bean salad with goat's cheese. Lastly, for dessert I made rhubarb tart with pistachio ice cream, and an attempt of Japanese mochi. All of this is with the non-burnt homemade sourdough bread I made last week, and butter from Sainsbury.” Phil said. “I hope you like it.”

“God, Phil. You did so much.” Dan said. “You didn’t have to do that much.”

“Yeah, but I wanted to. You’re worth it.” Phil said.

“I don’t know what to say.” Dan breathed.

“You don’t have to say anything.” Phil said, smiling softly. “It was nothing.”

Dan looked at Phil directly. “I love you, you know that, right?”

“Yeah.” Phil grinned. “I love you too. I’ll bring out the food now.”

“Chef, waiter and boyfriend. How much do I have to tip you tonight?” Dan teased.

“You’re my tip for tonight.” Phil said, kissing Dan’s forehead.

“We’re gross, aren’t we?” Dan called out as Phil got their appetizers and bread.

“Definitely.” Phil shouted back. “It’s great.”

-

“In summary, if you try to rap one more time, I will literally cry.” Phil finished.

“What are you talking about?” Dan said, still speaking into the faux microphone. “I sounded great.”

“I rate that performance a -8/10.” Phil said.

Dan pouted. “You’re so mean.”

“You barely said one quarter of the words in that song.”

“A for effort?”

“F for failure.”

“Fine, I rate your Britney a 0.”

“You already rated an 11! You’re not allowed to change it!”

“Since when? Hit Me Baby One More Time? More like “Hit Me Baby Zero More Times Because Phil Is So Bad At Singing It”.” Dan said, changing the song already.

Phil rolled his eyes. “You think you’re so funny.”

“Oh, you love me, shut up.” Dan said, getting read to rap into the microphone.

-

“You left your coffee in the microwave.” Phil yelled.

“Just heat it up again and give it back to me.” Dan yelled back, eyes refusing to leave the computer and fingers fervently glued to the keyboard. 

“Here you go.” Phil said, smiling as he put the lukewarm cup on the counter next to Dan. “How’s your writing going?”

“Good.” Dan said, continuing to type.

“Fixed your block?” Phil asked, sitting on the couch next to him.

“Yep.” Dan said, shutting his laptop. “Thanks for the advice.”

“What advice?” Phil asked.

“You.” Dan replied, adjusting the blanket hanging over his legs to share with the very confused Phil. “Let’s see if you manage to stay awake through this episode.”

Blankets, coffee and afternoon naps, they decided, were the best kind of normal.

[starryse]

Café of Hell- Literally

Kim Taehyung Demon! Au

Genre: fluff, angst, humor, fantasy, demons

Group: BTS (Taehyung)

Pairing: Demon!Taehyun X female! reader

~~~~~~**~~~~~**~~~~~~**~~~~~~**~~~~~ ~~~~~~**~~~~~

~~~~~~**~~~~~**~~~~~~**~~~~~~**~~~~~ ~~~~~~**~~~~~

For the past 3 months you’ve been working at the coffee shop near your university, which luckily for you, was only a few minutes away. The tips were always generous and the customers were polite, even if you messed up their order. Sure it was a minimum wage job that didn’t exactly allow you to buy gucci, but it paid your student debts and kept the electric on in your small apartment down the street. Plus, you just happened to be favored by your boss and receive discounts on all coffee drinks, how good for you since most nights when you got home from school were spent cramming in study guides and chugging down the cold vanilla latte from that morning. And the same happened to go for you now, as you sat on your grey carpeted bedroom floor, iron-man socks clad to your sprawled out legs, highlighter clutched in your hand as notes were scratched across your sociology homework that just happened to be due first thing tomorrow. The clock seemed to speed up when you really needed it to stop just long enough to finish this and rush to the night shift at work. Night shifts weren’t rare for you, so to have to rush through your homework and scramble around to get ready were almost a normal thing in your apartment. As soon as you finished the question you had spent ages on, the playlist that was once on shuffle was shut off as you stuffed the papers into your bag by the messy bed that had all your notes and clothes clustered from the headboard, all the way to the bottom where you stood. Tossing the floral bag onto the havoc looking bed, you pulled the hair-tie off of your wrist, threading it around your disheveled hair away from your face. You puffed your cheeks out as a breath of air came out, taking in a single moment of silence before you continued to run around your apartment getting ready. The curtains that were originally tied up were now flowing down the window, and the pumpkin candle aroma that filled your cozy apartment started slowly dying down as the smoke from the flame took its place. After tossing your laptop into your bag and grabbing your phone off its charger, you quickly shuffled your away through the door, locking it in the process.“5 minutes to spare tonight, nice Y/N” You glanced down to the time on your phone, taking a quick break from rushing to work, knowing you finally had time to get to work unlike the previous days where time was just a figure of your imagination.. In other words, you were so late out the door your boss thought you died. Typically you would drive to work since it had been either highly cold or pouring outside, but today was different. You were actually on your way early this time and the weather was calm and breezy, unlike every other day in your life. The cream colored building came into your view as you rounded the corner of the cafe.

The bell chimed as you stepped into the shop, the smell of coffee and the warmth of the heaters immediately hitting you. Shrugging off your long coat that held past your knees, you were met with the familiar face of your boss.“Somethings wrong, you’re never here when you’re scheduled to be. Who died? Do I need to call animal control?” The older lady’s face was filled with concern, but the underlying smile was clearly visible as she took the coat of your arms and hung it up on the employees rack. You smiled at that, rolling your eyes at Miss Kim's way of playing around.“Actually yeah you should, I saw that creepy guy back out there hugging the lamp pole, he doesn’t seem to ferile to be around people” Jeongyeon spoke up behind the cashier as she poured the frothy coffee into the cup, passing it to her customer. You walked behind the counter, grabbing your apron and tying it around your waist, “And I think I saw him at the market the other day. I overheard him talking about the “scary black eyed people he saw coming out of the cafe” i’m slightly concerned for him” you snickered at your friends comment, walking over to the register starting to work as quickly as possible, “Dudes probably on drugs or something, maybe he had one of Miss.Kim’s special drinks as she calls them” Jeongyeon chuckled at that, grinning at the inside joke between the two of you, as she proceeded to clean out the machines.

A few hours passed as your shift came close to an end, the last customer had ordered their drink as you locked up the register for the night, with only the machines left to be shut down. Jeongyeon had left an hour ago, leaving just you and Miss.Kim in the dimly lit shop. You tugged of your apron, replacing your coat on the rack, and began to clean around the cafe before you made your way home. As you swept the coffee beans off the floors, a sigh came from behind you.“y/n, dear, I know you have an early class in the morning but you’re the only one I can rely on with this.” miss Kim began, as she walked around the counter to you, placing her coat over her shoulders and slipping her white gloves onto her hands, “I really have to get home to Insu, apparently even at 15 the boy can’t be left alone without getting into trouble” Kim looked up from buttoning her coat, swinging her purse onto her shoulder, “Anyways, would you be the sweetest angel and lock up the cafe for me? Just make sure the doors are locked and the files are put away and locked up, it should only take another hour ish I promise! I’ll add more money to your paycheck, and it’d really help me out.” The stammering lady finally stopped rambling as she glanced up to you in hopes you say yes.You force a smile onto your face as you peer down to the aging lady, “Of course, Miss Kim, as long as you get home safely to Insu!” you usher the frazzled woman to the door, making sure to keep the smile on your face.“Oh thank you y/n, you’re such a dear!” Miss Kim opened the fairy light framed door, as she began to rush to her small car in the parking lot.

You groaned, tugging out your ponytail, letting your hair cascade to your shoulders. The look of joy was nowhere near evident on your face, as the dark circles under your eyes seemed to be even more prominent. “Alright y/n, all you have to do is lock the doors and you can go. Then you can get home to your warm house with all your fluffy blankets. Let’s get this done.” You grabbed the keys to the file cabinet in the storage room, putting all of Kim’s important documents away into safe keeping in the locked room. As you walked out to the counters you heard the familiar rumbling sound from the world outside. You popped your head up, looking out the large windows in the shop, being met with the large drops of rain pouring down onto the pavement. Streaks of purple lightning could be seen hitting trees in the farther distance, signaling a storm was beginning. As if you hadn’t groaned a lot previously that day, you did it again just for shits and giggles. The frustration that was hidden in you was slowly bubbling up to the surface as the realization that you weren’t going to get home until even later that night set it. How fantastic. Before your luck went downhill like the rain, you remembered the sticker covered laptop you brought with you for break earlier that day. After making yourself a pumpkin chai latte, you settled in the booth against the corner of the moon lit cafe, pulling out your laptop and opening up the new drama you began a few days ago.

The previously filled cup was now halfway empty and becoming cold as you shifted against the cushioned bench, the rain pouring outside not seeming to let up. The clock on your laptop read 12:13 a.m. You had officially been there for another two hours than intended, and from the looks outside it was going to be even longer. Your eyes began to feel heavy as your focus on the drama was fading, drowsiness taking over you as it got later and later. A loud crash from the room behind you quickly awakend your senses, your eyes widening and head shooting up from its position against your laptops keyboard. Not knowing whether to get up and investigate or shrivel up in the corner like a coward, you froze in your spot, waiting for another sound or a figure to come out. This was not how you planned on going out, half asleep and huddled on a bench in your workplace at 12 am. Growing tired of waiting, you gained the courage to seek out the cause of the crash. You stood up from the bench, shutting your laptop quietly and slipping your shoes back on. You silently began to move over to the counters, scanning around the dark shop. The air was tense and the only sound that could be heard was the rain slamming against the walls of the cafe. Your body rounded the corner before your eyes could look past the wall, and the first thing your round eyes set on was the large shadowy figure standing over the coffee pot. A shriek left your drying mouth, as you scrambled away from the figure. The shadow visibly jumped back, dropping the coffee in the process.

“Ah damnit! Look what you made me do, I was excited to drink that!” A deep voice cut through the room, covering up the loud sound of you panting. “Wait a minute, what the hell are you doing here, you shouldn’t be here?!” The mysterious person turned towards your attention as you were splat against the beige wall, hands gripping onto the plant that was previously on the counter. The man sniggered as he looked over you, “what exactly do you think the little leafy plants going to do? Health me to death?” You looked down to the plant that was tightly pressed against your chest, then back up to the owner of the laugh. His eyes were set on you as you scanned over him. His hair was dark and ruffled against his forehead and his eyes seemed to have a vague glint to them as he smirked at you. His shoulders were wide as he stood tall against the counter, his dark jacket covering his broad chest. You made no sudden movements, rather you just continued to stare up at the man, as you fiddled with the plant in your grasp.

“Um okay. Well I’m Taehyung! What’s your name girl who planned on hitting me with a plant?” Taehyung extended his hand over the register, a rather boxy grin etching across his face. Fuck it. You reached out to shake the males hand, slightly smiling (honestly you just look frightened) at him, “y- y/n” The handsome guy shook your hand, locking eyes with you in the process.

“Cool cool, nice to meet you, I think, y/n. I’m just gonna make my coffee if you don’t mind.” Taehyung turned around, releasing your hand, and began to remake the drink you made him drop. Your mouth finally closed after hanging open, all form of moisture gone, Sahara desert maybe? After relishing in whatever just happened with the stranger, your senses finally kicked in.With a shake of your head, you stepped up from the wall and walked over to where the mysterious boy was making his coffee.

“How did you even get in here? I had those doors locked?!” You watched Taehyung pour his coffee into a travel mug, God knows where he found that, the coffee filling all the way to the top of the lid, the froth foaming over the edges of the cup. The white substance dripped onto the countertops, eventually slipping down the cabinets to the floor you JUST mopped.

“Dude cmon I JUST cleaned those floors, that took my pure labor man” you rolled your eyes at the boy who seemed to brush off the fact you just worked to make the floors spotless. Taehyung took a swig of his coffee before turning to face you, walking around the counters to where you were, sitting on top of the light grey counter top. The honey skinned man watched as you reached for a napkin from the nearby booth, wiping away the mess the latter had made. A toothy grin made its way onto his features, something about watching you poor humans work just made him all joyful inside.

After tossing the soaked coffee stained napkin into the trash bin, you scoffed at the sugar packets left around the coffee pot. Seriously, the dude was raised in the depths of Hell I swear, what decent human being doesn’t toss their garbage? The sweet sound of silence filled the air as you clean the rest of the strangers mess, the drowsiness you felt earlier completely discarded. Taehyung clears his throat, setting down his cup, “To answer your question, I got in through the floor. You humans and your pointless questions, how else do you think I’d get in if you locked the door? Do you expect me to crawl through the window, possibly getting my Versace jacket caught in the frame? So weird.” Taehyung sighed, leaning back on the counter, his hands pressing against the cool material. He pursed his head over his shoulder, dark strands of hair falling gently over his eyelashes, as he watched your face crumble with confusion. You uncrouch your knees from your spot in front of the trash bin, facing the weird boy to your left.

“Did you just say you came up through the floor? And I can float through walls too, right?” You boasted with your answer, walking back over to the bench you were in before the ruckus Taehyung caused. The devil himself kicked off the countertop, nearing his eyes at you,

“I don’t know CAN you? You don’t have to believe me, y/n, you shouldn’t even be here right now talking to me in the first place.” He scoffed, taking a seat on the chair opposite of you. You pulled a face at the arrogant man, “last time I checked you’re the one talking to me and I'M the one that works here, in reality I should’ve called the cops ages ago.” Taehyung scowled in your direction, his tone lowering (if that was even possible with this dudes voice dayum) “Call the cops, I really want to see how that works out for you, human.” You pinch the bridge of your nose, rubbing your cheeks afterwords, distaste was evident across your expression. “Human? You’re a human too, dumbass. Seriously what’s wrong with you, you’re the one that came in here, made a mess, and now you’re acting as if you have the rig to be an ass? Bitch please, eat a snickers.” Regaining his composure, Taehyung slouched back in his chair, realizing that arguing with this girl wasn’t even worth his precious time. He had an eternity to live, why spend it arguing with a mere human girl he’ll never see again once the gates open. Taehyung hummed in response, craning his head around to look out the window. The rain was falling down as hard as ever, and the lightning has not ceased up since you last checked it, before you were jolted up from Taehyungs presence.

“It looks like the rain isn’t going to stop anytime soon, why don’t we play this civil until one of us leaves, hm?l Taehyung glances over at you, his eyebrows raising slightly waiting for your response. Your lips pursed together as you sucked on your lip, your baby pink vans tapping against the table leg. As you thought about what Taehying said, your leg still pressing against the table leg every so often, the sudden grip against your ankle causing you to blink up in surprise. “I said to be civil, I didn’t think that meant kicking my leg with your foot every 20 seconds.” You pulled your leg from Taehyungs hand, tucking it behind your other leg in front of you, your cheeks flushing the same color as your shoes.

“Sorry it’s a habit. But yeah cool civil I can do that whatever.” You rested your chin on your palm, leaning against the table. The two of you sat in silence listening to the rain drop against the roof of the café. As the night progressed and the storm carried on, the temperatures lowered to much colder weather than earlier, causing the chilly breeze from the howling wind outside to seep through the cracks in the shops door. The cold current snuck to the table, right along your arms, causing you to shiver and wrap your arms around yourself for some warmth. You stood up from the spot you were glued to the last half hour, brushing the hair away from your eyes. “I’m gonna go turn up the thermostat, I’m unfortunately not cold blooded so I’m getting chilly. Do you need another coffee or whatever it is you drink?” Taehyung peered through the crack in his arms from resting his head on the table, looking up to you. A quiet yeah sure could just be heard from the mumble the yawning boy let out. Your feet threaded across the icey floor boards, you being extra thankful you decided to wear the thick Christians socks your mom bought you, today. After making Taehyung his drink, you set off to the back room to turn up the thermostat, there was no way you were letting miss Kim find you as popsicle stuck to her bench tomorrow. Flicking on the light switch to the room, you immediately dropped the freshly made coffee straight to the floor in front of you, the liquid seeping through the grey carpet instantly.

“TAEHYUNG” the name left your mouth before you could even process it, you, meanwhile, stashing yourself away behind the desk chair by the door. The heavy footsteps of the person behind the name came faster than you thought when you were met with the owner of it stopping in front of the desk. Taehyung’s eyes brightened instantly seeing the cause of your distress, that same boxy grin etched across his face, “about time, they waited long enough this time!” glancing back and forth between the two things, you gawked at what just happened.

“Taehyung” you slowly got up from behind the chair, standing behind the door, “why in the hELL IS THERE A HUGE ASS HOLE IN THE MIDDLE OF MY BOSS’S OFFICE” Taehyung simply turned to look at you over his shoulder, his jackets zipper rattling, “that, my dear y/n, is my ticket home” your eyebrows knitted together though your mouth stayed hung open. “Talk soon, babe.” And with that, the boys golden eyes turned a dark hue as he waved his hand at you before diving into the bright hole on the ground. As you stood there in confusion as to what happened, the hole began shrinking, the bright light it cascades slowly fading, until there was nothing left but the coffee stain you spilt into Miss Kim’s office floor.

“What in the actual fuck just happened.”

~~~~~~**~~~~~**~~~~~~**~~~~~~**~~~~~ ~~~~~~**~~~~~

[caelwynn]

Reader Requests Masterpost

Thank you to all of you who participated in my birthday bash this week, both those of you who submitted requests and those of you who read my little one-shots. This is post to collect links for them all in one spot.

Bluebell

An AU/Crossover between Andrea_P_Quintell's Coffee Beans, Candles, & Keyboards and my series Choices. Takes place during Chapter 11, "Straw Hats and Purple Shorts" of CBC&K.

Pairing: Ben (Original Male Character)/June (Ridgeside Village)

Word Count: 4k

Rating: Teen (there's a few f-bombs in the there)

Warnings: Fluff, teasing, swearing, dancing, penguins

Sweet and Sour

The first time Shane met the new farmer, it was hate at first sight. To be fair, the feeling appeared mutual.

Pairing: Shane/Female Farmer

Word count: 3.5k

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Drinking, drunkenness, drunken confessions, semi-public sex, dirty talk, swearing, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers

Whatever Keeps You Around

Sterling and June had danced around each other for years, always flirting yet never following through, until one night a mutual friend took matters into their own hands. But with Rhett now out of the picture, what were they? Still lovers? Old friends with just a touch too much forbidden knowledge?

Or had feelings gotten involved?

(Prequel to Choices.)

Pairing: Sterling/June

Word count: 2.2k

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Implied/Referenced Sex, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, and piss-poor communication

Mrs. Jenkins

Fearful of losing or damaging the Jenkins' books, Nettie refuses to take any home with her. Instead, night after night, she returns to their home to share wine, books, and companionship. She wonders if Victor realizes just why she lingers so late.

Pairing: Olivia/Fem!Farmer

Word count: 1.2k

Rating: Teen and up

Warnings: Nothing too risqué, just a lot of... tension.

Comfort and Joy

The morning after Jeric's birthday, Sterling dotes on both of his lovers.

Pairing: Sterling/Jeric/June

Word count: 1.1k

Rating: General audiences

Warnings: Tooth-rotting fluff

[thesoftestmess]

overcoming writer’s block

The only thing that has worked for me is basically quite simple… ROMANTICISE WRITING!! We all started because it somehow fascinated us and because it’s fun to do, so remind yourself of the things that you love so much about writing… I personally find myself thinking a lot of stuff along the lines of  “writing is so hard, man” or “it’s so much work” - blah blah blah But consider this:

writing is beautiful, writing is fun, writing is flexible, writing doesn’t judge you, writing demands nothing if you don’t let it

everything you write is under your control

you can sit there with a cup of tea/coffee/hot chocolate and light some candles and put on a nice playlist if you want and get lost in your story again

basically have a date with writing

I promise you will work wonders again, even if it needs time

don’t you love that sound of your fingers flying over the keyboard?? it makes me, a smol bean,  feel hard working and important and professional

don’t you love the excitement of creating your characters with every single word you write about them?

isn’t planning out a plot the most interesting thing in the world? it can be challenging, yes, but also so much fun!

let your thoughts and feelings stream into your keyboard without a filter and see what happens if you dare to

write because writing is such a powerful, incredible, creative, healing thing to do 

if a good story comes out of it, even better

but don’t write with the intention of creating perfection, you will only block yourself and your creativity 

writing is your friend, man…it doesn’t have to be intimidating

And if you really don’t know what to write, I dare you to write about how beautiful writing is- it’s the perfect way to find your love for it back and let go of your fears, because I think that’s all a writer’s block is…

[icarusthelunarguard]

This Week’s Horrible-Scopes

Aries

That unique, one-of-a-kind chocolate form you were given for Valentine’s Day WAS kinda disturbing. But you only know half the story here. Think of the poor chocolatier and their staff that had to entertain the idea in the first place. Dump your current special someone and ask to date that incredibly professional chocolate wizard ASAP!

Taurus

Making an ice cream sundae for one isn’t that bad: Get all the good ingredients and make your own whipped cream from heavy cream and confectioners sugar. It’s a simple ratio: 1 Pint of cream to ¼ Cup of confeccioner’s sugar. But you bought a half-pint of cream, so now you need ⅛ Cup, which is a stupid measurement! Nobody sells a ⅛ Cup measure! This is just STUPID! Valentine’s Day is STUPID! It’d be better if we just celebrated it in more traditional ways and just shot people with bows and arrows!

(*Others*) Geeze, man! You OK?!

Oh, sure. Now that I figured out ⅛ Cup is TWO TABLESPOONS I am! This Imperial Measurement shit is just stupid!

Gemini

One Nice Bribe coming up for you! Somewhere, deep in your collection of ‘Stuff’, you still have an Apple Power Macintosh 6100/60. There’s someone on eBay who REALLY wants the monitor cable for it! Play your cards right and you’ll sell them that cable PLUS a Handspring Visor, USB Dock, and a folding keyboard for it! It’ll be nice to have some extra money for a change, won’t it?

Cancer Moon-Child

We warned you about trying to wire up a 2,400 Triple-A Battery Pack in your car. We told you it would only work once, right? Well, it did - as a self-contained heating unit. State Farm won’t be there for this one. Nationwide isn’t on your side this time. And Prudential’s “rock” is just gunna get dropped on that flaming wreck. Can we interest you in a Lime-Green 1977 AMC Gremlin with blue racing stripes?

Leo

Imagine this: You’re visiting New York City with your family. It’s raining, you’ve got a great big golf umbrella keeping the rain off you and your family while you’re waiting for the street light to change so you can cross the road. Suddenly, out of nowhere, someone walks up next to you, GRABS your umbrella’s shaft and SHOVES it down, narrowly intercepting the water being splashed by a taxi in front of you all. They lift it back up again, give you a nod, and continue walking, getting lost in the crowd as you watch. There’s your Creative Writing Cue, Leo - We’re expecting a good story from you next week.

Virgo

We’re running behind schedule, so… uhh… Your car tires need to have the air rotated. Drain them and re-inflate them with the current Pre-Spring air per the manufacturer’s instruction manual - which you’ve never read.

Libra

All that coffee you’ve been drinking still has another use at night. Spread out the grounds in a shallow tray and dry them out in your toaster oven at 150c or 300F. The smell of re-roasting coffee beans in your house is soothing. After they’re all dried out, save them for your spring planting, or make coffee scented candles or spread them on the icy walkways. Or maybe ease off all the coffee drinking?

Scorpio

Not only can’t you tell the difference between a student-sized guitar and a mandolin, but you can’t tell the difference between a C-Flat and an F-Flat kazoo?! Seriously, just give up on your mid-life crisis musical career hopes. You’re just not ready.

Sagittarius

We’ve got Good News and Bad News for you. Bad news is Cher is currently 75 years old, so old enough to be someone’s grandmother. The good news is, she’s single and ready to mingle! Her last boyfriend was Ron Zimmerman, better than 10 years ago. Why is that Good News? HE doesn’t have a Wikipedia entry either - so GO for it! You can’t be worse than Richie Sambora… or Rob Camilletti… or Tom Cruise… or Val Kilmer… or Les Dudek… or Gene Simmons… Oh PLEASE, don’t be worse than Gene Simmons!

Capricorn

Not all heroes wear capes. Not all cats have a superiority complex. Not all rainbows have a pot of gold at the bottom. And not all nightmares will come true. You won’t be writing your trig homework on the blackboard while naked. Unless you’re a physics professor having a weird 40-year delayed acid flashback. And if that’s the case, congratulations on losing all that weight!

Aquarius

Your Chinese Fortune Cookie Fortune says…

“You should be able to undertake and complete anything.”

Meaning your ancestors had such high hopes for you.

……..HAD!

And your Lucky Numbers are: 36H… 25… 47… (*PAUSE*) Guys? Are these lottery numbers or what the kids today call “dump truck” measurements?

Pisces

(*Interrupting*) Ahhhh… We’ll look that up on Urban Dictionary after the show. And finally, Pisces? Have you remembered to water your indoor plants this week? We know there’s a few of you out there that have, but only because it was crying at night. You’re not crazy, you just have some really screwed up dreams. It’s the ones that hear it crying in the daytime that scare us.

[poppymadness]

dumbass do the questions

could i be doing something better? probably. will i? no, this has been sitting in my drafts for months

burro’s tail: what was the last dream you had? the last dream i ‘remember’ is the crazy one i told you about that i just put in quotations because i don’t even remember that one anymoreagave: what’s your favorite time of the day? niiiight, idk if i should be more specific butcrown of thorns: are you more of a cozy rainy day or a warm sunny day? COZY RAINY DAYsempervivum: what’s your favorite artist to listen to when you’re sad? fuck idk i still listen to jaymes sometimes, sometimes it’s a Strong cte mood, most times it’s a shuffle all my music mood and i scream when three days grace comes on bc i’m a dumb bitchjade plant: what is a bird you associate yourself with? i… don’t know….. birdsaloe: what is your favorite season and why? fall and in states with actuAL SEASONS just…. crunchy leaves, good weather……. Goodpussy ears: how do you take your coffee? lots of milk and Lots of sugar bitchponytail palm: what is your favorite flavor of macaron and ice cream? i’m a chocolate chip and vanilla bitch for ice cream so i meanperle von nurnberg: what makes your heart flutter? had a dumb thought dfjkadlf but idk geemoonstones: do you have a significant other? ——-agavoides: what is your first plant you ever owned and does it have a name? i know these are plant asks but like, i have no knowledgecupid: what are five aspects you like about yourself? sigh, bitches, sighflapjack what are five flaws you have? sigh, bitches, sigh string of pearls: do you prefer soft pastels, warm neutrals, or cool darks? oooh cool darks, but warm neutrals are nice too djfkadlavender stones: what do you look for in your significant other? iii don’t even know anymore bitchblack prince: are there any pets you would like to have? a fuckin corGI BITCH, a wolf would be nice too but ya kno idk why but i got the temptation to have a hamster again just now :(melaco: how would you describe a perfect date? yo literally dhjakd if i had a good time that’s all that matters to me lmao, doesn’t have to be anything big, doesn’t even have to be anything at all wooly rose: what are some names that you like? ASHER, any others i know when i hear them dhjakhaworthia: are a you more of a fruit popsicle kind of person or ice cream popsicle kind of person? oooh uuh? i’d have to go with fruit popsicle…lithops: how do you spend free time by yourself? can i use this as an example?aeonium: what is your favorite tea and how do you take it? grossbaby toes: what was the last book you read? oh… have tried restarting ready to fall so, thattopsy turvy: what is the most comfortable sleeping position? sides or stomach… always alternating, most definitely never on your backcalico kitten: what is something valuable that you learned in your life? oh god i am but a mere baby, bitch idk but Fuck assholes dhfkhadcactus: how would you describe the last photo you’ve taken? a.. selfie? with a dog filter dfhjakdirish mint: do you like to cook or bake more? well, if i did either, it’d be bakeblue elf: do you have a favorite scent? idkkk, i’m not a big candle person but i’ve realized i like cinnamon scented candles dhfalk. uumm otherwise like, a forest/woodsy areas after it poured and it’s damp and earthy,, Nicejelly bean: do you prefer walking, driving, or biking? out of these fucking options walking i guess dfjlalkcalifornia sunset: what accessory do you always have on you, no matter what? can i say my nose ring dfhkdf i don’t wear Things,,,little jewel: are you an art museum or a science museum kind of person? science museum!! def not that i can remember really ever going to eitherpainted lady: do you have cute nicknames? noooot reaaallllyyyydebbie: how would you describe your handwriting? kid-ish? bubbly, slightly sloppy- also type of handwriting everyone compliments you on and you’re like dhjakd bitch whatmoonglow: how do you relieve stress? hooow do you do that? idk i Avoid with games and sometimes blare music from my earbuds which is why i am fuckin deafkey lime: do you have a quirky catch phrase? nawlola: do you play any instruments? if not, are there any you wish you could play? i Love piano but who got the time. i tried to learn guitar once djfka and well, keyboard but that lasted even shorter than guitar. oH playing drums would also be hot dude. piano and drums pls i’d love that dhakd  

[downanight]

p.s. - for a mobile friendly version of our member groups page, click read more!

STANDARD MEMBER GROUPS

all our standard member groups will be free and available on our launch date! we’ve based these on aesthetics versus traits to make them more flexible for you - please consider them loose rather than a total prescription of what your character needs to be!

BAGEL 🥯

vintage corduroy. rollerskates. peanut butter by the spoonful. thrift store couches. ferris wheels. hand drawn artwork. moodboards. watching the sunrise. camera shutters. undiscovered beauty. well-worn sneakers. banana splits. signing petitions. meditation. wise words. sprigs of lavender. long walks. wire rimmed glasses. humming under the breath. cluttered desks. creases between eyebrows. mismatched socks. happy little accidents. wide open windows. swatches. scratched heads. controlled chaos. spinning endlessly. pressed flowers. staring out the window.

BURRITO 🌯

cracking knuckles. the loudest voice at the table. impatient tapping. long term plans. 5am alarms. firm handshakes. sleek cars. dark blazers. polished brass. structured pants. avocado toast. belgian chocolate. annual gym memberships. my way or the highway. black coffee. dramatic sighs. whiskey on the rocks. swipe left swipe left swipe left. moodboards. neat lists. withering stares. asleep at the desk. ambient lighting. no room for mistakes. first place trophies. rehearsed speeches. hardwood flooring. never say never. late night cigarettes. ticking clocks. grasped hands.

COOKIE 🍪

blanket forts. home-cooked meals. words of encouragement. fireworks in the summer. hot fudge. black and white classics. unfinished thoughts. fuzzy socks. lost items in an old coat. hitting snooze over and over. nostalgia in everything. large families. ocean waves coming to shore. deep breaths. salt stains. juicy peaches. earthen dishware. chamomile tea. flour smeared cheeks. pumpkin spice. walks in the woods. blossoming carnations. slender jewelry. foreheads pressed together. slow jazz. filled calendars. warm cookies. unexpected gifts. fantasies.

FRENCH FRY 🍟

creased maps. raging waterfalls. unwashed hair. instant coffee. one way tickets. sunsets over the desert. root beer floats. half smoked cigarettes. grass stained jeans. dark chocolate. eye roll emoji. 3% battery. crowded concerts. sarcastic greeting cards. acid trips. candlelight. old posters. midnight swimming. warm musk. driving with the top down. burritos with extra guac. forgetting to text back. urban exploring. rumbling thunder. found family. rope swings. just jump. sharing stories. packing light. warm beer. road trips with no destination. bare faced. falling leaves. never look back.

HOT DOG 🌭

small details. herb gardens. busy city streets. conspiratorial smiles. baby powder fresh. tailgating at the big game. extra espresso shots. saying yes. endless ocean. meaningless tattoos. whatever’s on draft. 5k races. answers to everything. all night phone calls. truth or dare. messy buns. raspberry sorbet. you’re my bro, bro. cheating at monopoly. passing out on the couch. conversations with strangers. smolders. act now, think later. leather jackets. smudged makeup. restlessness. loud laughter. confident strides. natural talent. what ifs. hairbrained schemes.

PRETZEL 🥨

dogeared books. leather satchels. phone on silent. noise cancelling headphones. new book smell. chai lattes. chewed fingernails. dancing in the rain. trivia nights. succulents on the windowsill. all white bedding. a wrinkled dress shirt. messy handwriting. true crime podcasts. 5am drives. classic matte lipstick. bare feet in the grass. chapped lips. bullet journals. tired but satisfied. carefully chosen words. old libraries. well brushed hair. fresh bread. untouched snow. antiques. the shade from trees. bicycles. knitted scarves. knowing looks. first hand up in class. reliable suits.

PIZZA 🍕

dancing on tables. baggy shirts. salty fries. smeared make-up. bed head. bold statements. frappuccinos. fashionably late. lucky charms. girls nights in. roaring laughs. siri, open tinder. reality television. takeout on speed dial. midnight skinny dipping. incorrect turns of phrase. wilting houseplants. thriving on chaos. rocky road. hiding junk in closets. long island iced tea. long contact lists. bright confetti. breakfast for dinner. sweatpants. running from responsibilities. dark sunglasses. funky socks. fading hickies. social butterfly. novelty couch cushions. water balloon fights.

PREMIUM MEMBER GROUPS

our premium member groups will be up for grabs once the site launches. to gain a premium member group you’ll need to buy it with points, so get plotting, threading and saving up! purchasing a premium group will give you a cute new skin variation and colours, as well as some lovely prizes and opportunities!

CEREAL 🥣

paint splattered t-shirts. lush green fields. toothy grins. patchouli and sage. tiny tattoos. handwritten notes. mud tracked through the house. classic rock music. unread messages. chipped mugs. tangled headphones. repurposed leftovers. misunderstood punch lines. loaning money. old architecture. wandering. herbal remedies. heavy backpacks. chunky boots. encouraging smiles. thought-out haikus. tarot cards. pots of soup. charitable donations. unruly manes. socks and sandals. warm honey. old cars. golden hour. earl grey. canvas tents. gingham blankets.

CUPCAKE 🧁

maraschino cherries. no set schedules. comic books. wildflowers. light up sneakers. cosy beds. bubblegum. stacks of pancakes. singing in the shower. conversations with dogs. post its on the mirror. romantic comedies. champagne kisses. giddiness. blue sky thinking. twirling in a sundress. saturday morning cartoons. cursive handwriting. crushing hard on strangers. rolling down hills. chewed pen caps. bursts of excitement. hair flipping. cheap drinks. outright flirting. youtube marathons. great with kids. graphic shirts. tik tok trends. silver linings. welcome distractions. impromptu picnics.

ICE CREAM 🍦

drunk tattoos. neon lights. conspiratorial smiles. smashed phone screens. cheap wine. last night’s leftovers. walks of shame. scratches on backs. polaroid pictures. mischievous glances. glow sticks and glitter. crop tops. technopop. laughing til it hurts. bottles of vodka. messy bedrooms. dirt under fingernails. salty fries. bruised knees. doing it for the meme. scars with stories. lips between teeth. glossy lips. thumping bass. splashing puddles. throwing arms in the air. sleep is for the weak. bed head. wake and bake. adrenaline rushes. borrowed dollars. leaps of faith. live fast, die young.

NOODLES 🍜

starry nights. crossword puzzles. listening carefully. sci fi movies. art galleries. snorts of laughter. statement clothing. birds in flight. video games. catching fireflies. foreign films. angry tweets. stacks of books in the corner. saying the wrong thing. dramatic haircuts. taking the train. watching tv with subtitles on. highlighted pages. far off lands. pretending to be someone else. matcha. steamed up mirrors. people watching. documentaries. untied shoelaces. reminders on the back of the hand. underestimation. dad jokes. blanket burritos. nervous texting crushes.

SUSHI 🍣

candle-lit dinners. chilled wine. sound of stilettos on the sidewalk. twilight hours. lipstick on white collars. polished metal. few but close knit friends. love of higher society. hand on chest when laughing. french manicures. caprese salad. luxury watches. leather wallets. long walks on the beach. living peacefully. minimalistic decor. croissants and fruit. flower bouquets. sleek sweaters. well-made beds. pistachio macarons. the glow of a laptop. marie kondo methods. french press coffee. pressed linen. broadsheet newspapers. vanilla bean. grand pianos. long swims.

POPCORN 🍿

dark movie theaters. hand-holding. stuffed french toast. bulky sweaters. hot chocolate. heads on shoulders. beaten up converse. bowls of ramen. comfortable silence. pinky promises. old favorites. tight hugs. dusky evenings. gin and tonic. bubble baths. ruffled hair. slouchy shirts. carnival ferris wheels. amaretto sours. wide umbrellas. quiet murmurs. too many emojis. overstuffed couches. a push in the right direction. hand-me-downs. vcr collections. acoustic guitars. grandma’s casserole dish. sworn protectors. body warmth. aloe plants. waffle cones. dappled sunlight.

WAFFLE 🧇

careful notes. scrabble champions. never wrong. secluded cabins. under eye bags. never misses a phone call. the road less travelled. bitten lips. zoning out. keyboard warriors. cloudy lemonade. forgotten meals. ripples in water. debating at the dinner table. crossword puzzles in ink. crackling fires. best laid plans. paragraphs in journals. long stretches. budget spreadsheets. food magazines. thriving houseplants. practical advice. tailored clothes. raised eyebrows. protein shakes. filling the swear jar. decisive nods. leather couches. lined paper. reason over feelings.

[deafblindblast]

99 Ways to Add Mindfulness to Your Day

Link: https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/mindfulness-exercises?rq=mindfulness

***Few edits on this article to fit DeafBlind audience. Enjoy!

Small Steps For Feeling Grounded

The world feels uncertain right now—with quarantines and social distancing from the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re all feeling a bit untethered. All in need of a few deep breaths and a practice that keeps us rooted in ourselves. Enter: mindfulness.

Mindfulness is presence, embodied awareness, and connection to our experiences of the world around us. It doesn’t require hours of meditation each day; it does, however, require constant and conscious decisions to remain present in each moment.

Practicing mindfulness isn’t just for the privileged, either. It’s not always prescriptive, and your mindfulness might look different than someone else’s. Let’s hold space for each other as we all focus on connecting more deeply to ourselves and those around us.

We’ve pulled together 99 moments that offer themselves up to our awareness, and allow us to practice a little mindfulness no matter where we’re at.

Mindfulness In The Morning

1. When you wake up in the morning, do a body scan. Identify any sensations, comfortable or uncomfortable. Wiggle your toes. Lick your lips. Practice being present in your body.

2. Make your bed and mist it with water and eucalyptus essential oil. (At night, use lavender essential oil instead.)

3. Step outside to breathe the fresh air and get a sense for what the day may bring.

4. Make french press coffee. Grind whole beans with a non-electric grinder for a tactile experience. If you prefer tea, steep loose leaf in a teapot.

5. Hand-wash your mug when you’re done using it.

6. Meditate in the shower. Focus on the smell of the soap and how the warm water feels on your skin.

7. Light a candle and set an intention as you get ready in the morning. How do you feel today?

8. While brushing your teeth, identify one goal for the day.

9. Instead of rushing to the next task, wipe down the sink after you’ve washed your face or applied makeup.

10. Do small favors for your after-work self; in the morning, unload the dishwasher, take out the trash, turn on a diffuser.

11. Stick affirmations on your mirror or write them on labels of products you regularly use, like lotion or chapstick. Recite them aloud, and update them when it feels right.

12. If you take daily medicine or multivitamins, pour yourself a little extra water and drink it quietly as you reflect on what those medicines or supplements allow you to do.

13. Read a transcript to a news podcast instead of checking social media. Opt for reading too.

14. Place your hand on an object you use every day—your coffee maker, your car, your laptop. Extend a moment of gratitude for the object and what purpose it serves in your life.

Mindfulness In Your Routine

15. Wash your produce and rinse your rice slowly and thoroughly as you settle into the rhythm of cooking and nourishing yourself.

16. Eat without media distractions.

17. Practice mindful eating; pay attention to how food tastes and feels on your tongue. Experience how a warm mug curves gracefully in your palms.

18. Fold your laundry neatly and thoughtfully before you put it away; you can try Marie Kondo’s technique, or embrace one that is fully your own.

19. Water your plants. Wipe down their individual leaves.

20. As you move about your home, ask yourself, “Am I using everything in this drawer?” Set yourself up for flow by seasonally rearranging your rooms to match your lifestyle. If there’s a kitchen tool that’s always in your way, move it to a lower drawer or pantry, so you only see the daily essentials.

21. Visit the library and borrow a book. Stay awhile and browse the shelves. Turn over the books in your hands, read a few pages. Allow yourself space for curiosity.

22. Feel the music instead of turning on the television.

23. Ground yourself by scrubbing kitchen counters or the bathtub. Pause. Lean back and take in the sight with gratitude and respect for the home that helps sustain you.

24. Hand-wash a garment. Feel the warm water on your hands, hang the garment gently on a drying rack.

25. Turn lights on as you enter rooms, inviting one positive thought with the light. Turn them off when you leave, reminding yourself to release negative thought patterns.

26. When reaching for another cup of coffee or a glass of wine, fill your cup with water instead. Drink it down with a reminder to care for yourself.

27. Replace your usual screentime with a different craft or screen-free hobby.

28. Pick out an outfit for tomorrow, and make sure it’s clean, steamed, or ironed as needed. Hang it up.

29. At the end of the night, spare a minute or two to sip herbal tea and reflect on the day without judgment.

30. Read a poem or passage aloud. Read slowly. Feel each word.

31. While you brush your teeth at night, identify one success from the day.

Mindfulness At Work Or Out In The World

32. Focus on your breathing while you are driving, walking, or commuting.

33. Commute in silence. Don’t try to fill the quiet with noise to avoid discomfort; find peace in the stillness of your choice of transportation.

34. Engage yourself in a new way by driving, walking, or biking a different route to work.

35. Allow yourself to doodle while planning your day. If your hand wants to wander into an abstract squiggle, let it.

36. Keep a Bullet Journal, an all-encompassing space for to-do lists, note-taking, calendars, and random thoughts. Give yourself freedom from mental overcrowding. As soon as something (anything) crosses your mind, jot or type it down.

37. If you sit at a desk, check in with your posture to make sure you haven’t absentmindedly started hunching over. Keep your wrists in a neutral position when possible. Maybe it’s whenever you hit “send” on an email or whenever you notice the hot pink sticky note on your computer.

38. Take a moment to stretch your vision and look away from your screen. What is the farthest thing you can see?

39. Go for a walk on your lunch break and breathe in the fresh air.

40. Schedule out time to check your emails and Slack messages. Remove any popups or notifications on your desktop to prevent distractions.

41. Use bathroom breaks to enjoy a few moments of quiet. Maybe do some light stretches in the restroom and check in with how your body is feeling.

42. Close extra browser tabs to remind you to focus on the task at hand.

43. Each time you switch tasks, write down the timestamp and what you are doing.

44. If you are in a place you go every day, feel and notice one thing that you’ve never noticed before.

45. Shut your computer down at the end of the day to signify the end of work. Wipe down your keyboard.

46. Go on a walk without a destination. Leave your phone at home.

47. When you’re walking, keep your head up. Focus on the heel-to-toe movement of your steps.

48. Stop and smell the flowers. Reach out and touch a leaf or a tree trunk. Experience the joy of running your hands or bare feet through grass and earth. Indulge your senses with nature.

49. If possible, feel for loose change on the ground as you walk. Or, look for birds. Or skateboarders. Or blue cars. Focus on one element to keep your mind from wandering into the future or dwelling on the past.

50. Set a budget. Use cash to pay for items so that you always see how much you have left.

51. Set checkpoints throughout the day to check in on how you feel. Name the feeling and acknowledge it: is it worry? Is it stress? Is it hope? No need to implement solutions; simply recognize your feelings.

Mindfulness With Others

52. Hug your partner, friend, or pet for 30 seconds. Sign sweet affirmations to them.

53. Pause to leave a thoughtful, positive comment on a friend’s Instagram or Facebook. Direct messaging works, too.

54. If you’re wearing or using something you particularly love, email or tag the brand to thank them for their work. Do this especially for independent artists and makers.

55. Tell your partner what you most want to hear from them today. And then say it to yourself as well.

56. Say “no” when your schedule is hectic or when you’re feeling close to burnout. Respect your calendar and take an evening for yourself every once in a while. Don’t be afraid to make plans weeks out in advance.

57. Tell your co-workers or team that you are thankful for their work. Thank your barista for making you a delightful cup of coffee and your mail carrier for delivering your package. Just thank someone.

58. When you are prompted to pass judgment on someone, especially in conversation with others, ask yourself if there’s another perspective to consider. Think twice before engaging in gossip.

59. Inform yourself about slurs and ableist language. Find alternatives for those words and phrases. Embrace it as an opportunity to do better, to learn, to grow.

60. Make contact with people you are communicating with.

61. Pause for something silly—text a gif to a friend, tell your partner a joke, or dance it out in your kitchen. Embrace lightheartedness, even if just for a moment.

62. Practice mindfulness with your kids through play, or take a moment to ask them what the happiest moment of their day was.

63. Instead of asking the same old “how are you?”, ask someone, “what was the best part of your day?” or one of these other questions. Resist the automatic.

64. Practice mindful listening.

65. If you experience overwhelm or stress because of customers or co-workers, practice loving-kindness meditation. Remind yourself to act from a place of love—whether it’s when you respond or how you remove yourself from difficult people.

66. Be direct about your needs. Invite others to be direct with you. There is mindfulness in clarity and direction.

Mindfulness Alone—With Tech

67. Set reminders on your phone to check in on your hydration throughout the day. Take a moment to fill your water bottle, take a sip, and breathe deeply.

68. Turn off push notifications and badges on your phone. (Except your hydration check-ins!)

69. Schedule your media consumption in advance. Are you in the middle of re-watching “The Office”? Put one or two episodes on the calendar for the evening to avoid the endless Netflix spiral.

70. Play a video game that is soothing and helps you achieve a flow state.

71. Before posting something to social media, ask yourself why you feel it’s important to share. If it’s in search of external validation, take a moment to validate yourself instead.

72. Unfollow accounts that make you feel bad about yourself. The media we consume nourishes us, for better or for worse. Occasionally follow new accounts that feel healthy and supportive.

73. Delete Instagram or other distracting apps from your phone when you’re feeling overwhelmed; you can reinstall later.

74. Each time you’re tempted to visit Facebook or Twitter out of boredom, open a note and jot down the thoughts buzzing in your brain. This helps delay checking out old high school crushes and gives you a chance to check in with the “why” behind the urge.

75. If you come up against a non-urgent question, make a note of it and Google it later if it’s still pressing.

76. If you’re overwhelmed with content, choose one piece to read a day.

77. Listen to your favorite song and think deeply about it. What do you like about it? Is it the sound of the singer’s voice? The gentle bass bubbling in the background? The spunky snare?

78. Change your phone and desktop background to a calm reminder. While you’re at it, organize your docs and apps in a way that allows you to use your tech more mindfully.

79. Use a meditation or breathing app.

80. Create playlists for each part of your day: getting ready, commuting, working, cooking, winding down with a book in the evening. Set the mood and the intention for each action.

81. Go on a photo walk—use your phone to take pictures of beautiful flowers, sights, and other things that brighten your day. You don’t have to share these photos.

Mindfulness Alone—Without Tech

82. Meditate. Keep your mind from wandering by focusing on how the air of your inhales and exhales literally feels against your nose. (It’s often cold for the former, warm for the latter.)

83. Carry a “wallet poem.” Print or write out a poem that you’d like to reflect on and keep it in your wallet or phone case to read when you’re waiting for something.

84. Set aside time (maybe put it on your to-do list) to practice small maintenance rather than cramming it in. Clipping your nails, shaving, trimming nose hairs, applying a face mask.

85. Start a journal. Whether it’s a gratitude journal or a daily diary, note how you feel and how you’re experiencing the world.

86. Whenever you see or feel something soft, take it as a reminder to soften. Unclench your jaw, release sharp thoughts, lower your shoulders. Remind yourself that you, too, are a soft creature.

87. Apply hand lotion, and massage it into your fingertips and palms. If it’s scented, take deep breaths and enjoy the fragrance.

88. Invert yourself. Get your head below your heart in a handstand, forward bend, or hanging backward off the bed. It’s a playful posture and a reminder that you don’t have to be so serious all the time.

89. Pull tarot cards, consult your horoscope, connect to a passage in a religious text—look for input from outside resources. These nurture our inner voice, and the wisdom will stay on-hand for when we need it.

90. Ask yourself what you need right now. Is it a bath? A kind word? A cup of water? Get in the habit of asking often. And when you can, deliver.

91. Identify one thing to smile about right now. Maybe it’s a precious dog outside your window, the way the sunlight hits the floor, or a long-missed dust bunny in the corner.

92. Make a list of things you are good at, ways you bring value to others, compliments you have received, times that you feel happiest. Add to it; reflect on it; celebrate it.

93. When you feel frustrated about something, re-frame it with gratitude, empathy, or patience. Ask yourself when you feel tension growing—is there another way to view this situation?

94. Practice yoga geared towards mindfulness. Pair a yoga class with a meditation session. Yoga with Adriene has free classes you can practice at home.

95. How deep is your breath right now? If it’s shallow or you’re feeling stressed, use one of these simple breathing exercises.

96. The 54321 grounding technique can invite you back into your body. Focus on 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can feel, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.

97. Pause when the sunshine hits your face. Embrace its warmth. Pause when the wind hits your face. Embrace its chill.

98. Look for instances of your favorite color in the world. Pick a new color each day, or stick with the same color and look for new and surprising pops of it wherever you can.

99. Write a note to yourself about a recent accomplishment or moment that you surprised yourself. Revisit it later on a day you need a little encouragement.