#for my birthday I might get myself an adjustable height work table thing I saw at a hardware store the other day?

[tj-crochets]

Okay no crafting updates, but my room is so much cleaner! Most of it was organizing to clear floor space but I also finished cleaning this little organizer thing and separated out my safety eyes by size and color and was able to fit a bunch of other things in this organizer

And there’s still space for when I finally find my metal plushie claws! They are in my room somewhere and someday I will find them

[hellas-himself]

Where There Are Shadows Pt 28

I literally was going to skip shit and write an ending but honestly that’s cheap and I enjoy writing this and enjoy sharing it with you guys. 

This is prob all fluff. Again. But tbh LUCIEN NEEDS TO BE HAPPY 

So that’s like. Goals. 

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-Lucien-

 I had been to the Day Court countless times since I’d become emissary for Tamlin. I had seen most of its palace. The gardens. Its people. I had visited the villages in the mountains, I’d gone hunting with the riders in the plains. But I had never walked through its streets as its people gathered to welcome me to their home with song and music, children laughing and playing trying to get a look at ‘our High Lord’s son’ as others threw rose petals from their balconies.

Half way through the city I saw Padmini standing with a garland of flowers in her hand, her attendants behind her. She smiled at me the way she smiled at Helion. At my mother.

“Welcome home, Lucien,” she said as she placed the garland around my neck. She greeted Helion and my mother with eager hugs before she led us to the palace. The singing, the cheering- it didn’t stop the entire way.

At the palace, before the open doors, stood two High Fae. Females. Their skin as deep and rich as Helion’s. They were smiling just as brightly, if not brighter, at my arrival. The younger one resembled Helion, even her eyes. Beneath her yellow veil, her long black hair flowed over her shoulder. The older one, as small as Madja but standing as proud as any High Lord held a silver plate in her hands. Her ebony veil was pinned to the low bun at the nape of her neck. Her hair was grey. Something about that made my heart swell with joy.

Both females met us at the foot of the stairs. Padmini got down on one knee, bringing her hands to the older female’s feet before gently touching her forehead. When she stood, Helion and my mother did the same.

I froze, unsure of how to greet them. I had never seen them before, but Helion had bowed for her. She had to be-

“Lucien, this is my mother, Shreya,” Helion said as he threw an arm around my shoulder. Then he gave a sigh and waved his hand at the younger female. “My sister, Parineeti.”

Parineeti glared at him before she looked at me and smiled.

“Welcome home,” Shreya said, and as I went to kneel before her, she gently placed a hand on my shoulder. She gave me a smile as she bade me stand. I noticed the plate held a small flame, flowers and incense. There were tears in her eyes as she circled the plate before me. A blessing, I realized.

Soon enough, we were inside the palace where more fae waited… Waited to actually see me. Saying my name and throwing flower petals. Smiling. Singing. All the way until we made it to the throne room- perhaps one of the most beautiful in all of Prythian.

Helion led both my mother and I towards the dais where his golden throne waited. And at either side, its mirror image. In height. In the sunburst at the very top as if to say ‘this is where the sun rises, where it sets’. And with the way the sun shone into the room, the way it bounced off its mirrors, I could believe it. Shreya and Parineeti went to sit some feet away from the dais on a cushioned seat where a little gold table stood, covered in trays of drinks and food. I had a feeling that was where Feyre would enjoy being when I brought her here.

“For my son,” Helion said loud enough for all to hear. He guided me towards the seat which put me at his right hand. My mother was beaming when she sat down to his left, confident. Happy. At home amongst them all. The throne was cool when I sat down, but it was comfortable. This place needed no magic to fight against nature. Helion welcomed the sun, welcomed the light and in return, the Day Court had no need for the glamours and the falsehoods that I’d come to know in Autumn.

Music started up in the throne room, some fae danced as others began to file in line… bearing gifts.

“I’d wanted to wait… To give you time to adjust, but mother would not hear it,” he said as he leaned over to me.

“They hardly know me… Is this…” I had no word to explain. What had I done to deserve any of this? For a moment, looking at him was like looking in the mirror. What reason would Helion have to feel doubts?

“They remember you, the emissary who treated them like his equal. And for that kind, considerate male to be my son… Well, their joy is tenfold.”

I sighed. “I’m not used to this. Any of this.”

“They are welcoming you home… Think of it as a very overdue birthday.”

That made me laugh, and it seemed Helion needed that as much as I did. He relaxed a bit more in his seat and called the first guest forward.

I was given more garlands of flowers. Bundles of silks, jewels. A child had brought me ‘the prettiest flower’ they could find, and I had it pinned to my tunic which made the little thing beam with joy. Some offered songs, music, poetry. Others, sweets and fruits. On and on this went until the room became a melody of song and dance. My mother pulled Helion off his throne to join them all. She belonged here. I saw it in how she smiled. She knew their songs, their dances.

“Come along, nephew. You grew up without our customs, but now you have no excuse not to learn them.” Parineeti held her hand out to me.

“You’re not going to make me sing, are you?”

She laughed. “Gods, no. But mother might.”

I looked over to where Shreya sat, clapping her hands. Parineeti laughed again.

“I’m teasing. Come dance with us.”

By the night’s end, I was grateful that my mother led me to the room prepared for me. I had been hugged and kissed within an inch of my life and Helion had teased his mother for it, earning a swat to the back of his head with her delicate sandal.

“I’m certain you must be tired,” she said softly.

“A little.”

She smiled. “Mother wakes before the sun to walk to the temple for prayers. Sometimes I go with her, but today was a very long day. You, darling, can sleep to your heart’s content.”

“Is it always so… lively?”

She giggled as she reached for the door.

“Most of the time. Helion likes to go out to his lands to take care of their petitions. Whenever he comes back, it’s always cause for celebration.” Whenever he comes back… He had left the Day Court once, and never returned. Fifty years, it had taken fifty years for us to be free.

“And what do you do when he’s gone?”

She giggled as she opened the door. I gasped at what I saw. It was so large, the townhouse could fit inside and still have room for more. The bed would fit Azriel and Feyre with their wings completely stretched out. And the windows- stained glass. Everything was rich in color, colors I had no name for.

“Padmini and I take care of the finances of the palace as well as the whole of the Court itself. He likes it when I write the official letters he sends out from time to time. But I think it’s because he’s lazy.”

I chuckled. I thought of Rhysand, watching me work with that stupid grin on his face. And Feyre, she would love the stained-glass windows. I could see her sitting on the floor, sketching while Rhys and I lazed about.

“I also like to go swimming, which I hope to do with you soon. You’ll love the water gardens.”

I could only nod as she led me to the closet. It was bigger than our bedroom. I smiled, Rhys would die happy in here, even if the clothing was anything but black.

“I didn’t know you swam, mother.”

She giggled. “I learned the first time I came here. But that was ages ago.”

With a wave, I knew that subject was done for the night.

“I haven’t seen the water gardens,” I admitted. Court matters had restricted me to the throne room of the palace, or the villa near the mountains. The villa was to him what the townhouse was for Rhysand. Except, Helion truly enjoyed his palace home.

“If you see something you don’t like, let us know. I’ll have it replaced. You have to go see the clothiers. Between you and I,” she said, lowering her voice. “I go sit and watch them sew sometimes. I’ve been learning a few things here and there. I’m working on a little surprise for your father.”

Her face turned red but I just smiled. She led me back out to the bedroom, telling me of a morning when Helion had been so hung over that she’d held court in his stead.

“The poor bastard waltzed into the room to find I’d already handled everything on my own.”

The pride on her face, the ease in which she spoke her mind… It tugged on my heart. I took her by the hand, perhaps too suddenly as she looked up at me with concern.

“I know today was a bit… overwhelming.” She brought her free hand to my face and passed her thumb over my scars. The first time she’d seen me after… I’ll never forget how much she cried.

“It’s not that…”

“Rhysand and Feyre are more than welcome to come stay here. You know that.”

I chuckled. “I know. It’s not that. I- You’re happy, mother. I’ve never seen you this happy.”

She sighed and led me to the bed where we sat down. She held my hand in hers, and I noticed all the rings on her fingers. The many bangles she wore. Helion showered her with material wealth as well as affection. Dinner had been… interesting, to say the least.

“I know that I was not… I was never the mother that you needed. I was weak… and afraid.”

“I don’t blame you. Not for anything.”

She shook her head. “Every year I told myself I’d reach out to Helion, to tell him about you. To help us get out. And every year, I didn’t. And you grew up right before my eyes.”

“Mother…”

“I didn’t protect you when I should have, Lucien.”

I would have protested but I simply remained silent. She rested her head against my shoulder.

“Being with Helion, having his child… that had been my dream. From the moment I met him, I knew that I’d risk everything for that dream… But it was not enough. Never enough to keep you safe.”

“But you have that now. I’m here.”

“I know.”

A knock came to the door and soon enough, Helion was peering through.

“There you are. I was beginning to think my mother had stolen you off to pray.”

My mother laughed as she sat up straight.

“Your mother’s prayers are what keep you alive, you brute.”

He stepped into the room, laughing.

“Hm… I beg to differ.”

I grimaced, remembering what I’d overheard at dinner.

“No talk about begging.”

My mother flushed crimson as she rose to her feet. I did the same.

“I think you have traumatized him enough for one night, my love,” my mother said as she took his hand. She kissed his cheek and then came to me and did the same. “Sleep well, my little fox.”

Now I was blushing.

“Goodnight, Lucien,” Helion said as he reached for her hand.

“Good night.”

I woke up before sunrise. I had hardly slept, but I knew that I would not sleep anymore. Once I was dressed and my hair was braided, I stepped out of my room. The hallway was lit with fae light. As I roamed the halls, I noticed not one corner of the palace was in darkness. Strange, but I supposed that I’d been at the Night Court long enough to find comfort in darkness. I expected to find it everywhere. That at any moment, Rhys would step out of a shadow and come to annoy my soul.

I sighed, my eyes on a tapestry but not actually seeing it. What I had nearly said to Rhys… I could not have left him with that weight on his shoulders. I wasn’t sure how I’d manage without them until the Summer Solstice, but I knew this was where I needed to be.  

I continued my aimless wandering until I heard the sound of someone screaming. I ran in that direction, ready for whatever I’d find. But I was not prepared for what I heard.

I stood before a set of double doors and on the other side, I heard my mother. I heard weeping.

“You’re safe, my love,” I heard my mother say. “The sun will be up soon, you’ll watch it with me, yes?”

Helion said something I couldn’t understand.

“There is no more darkness, Helion. We made it out.”

I felt my chest grow heavy and I stumbled back. It made sense now… The candles. The fae lights. And yet, he had stood with me in darkness to fetch my mother. I ran the other way. I had no idea where I was until I skidded to a halt. I found myself face to face with Shreya. She eyed me from where she stood, holding her little silver tray in her hands.

“Walk with me.”

So I did. She led me through another hallway until we were going down the stairs and out another corridor that brought us outside. Even out here, fae light floated over us wherever a candle could not be lit.

“My son has wounds that I cannot see. That I cannot heal.”

The path we walked was not paved, but it was worn from constant use.

“When we returned from the continent, your father put on such a display, I was foolish enough to believe he had left that hell unscathed. So that night, I made the mistake of ordering the candles to be put out that I might sleep. Helion had already gone to bed, what need had we for light?” She sighed. “How he knew the lights were gone, I will never know. But it was a mistake I will never make again. I could not survive seeing him suffer in that manner. Not again.”

“I understand,” I said quietly. Rhysand had not been able to say it out loud, but I knew.  

“I know,” she said sadly. “I know.”

We made it to the temple right before the sun began to rise. When she removed her slippers, I removed my shoes. She seemed pleased by that. I offered to light the candles. That made her smile.

“It is fitting that my grandson has fire in his veins when the sun itself is all but flames. And it is that fire that lights our way in the shadows. But make no mistake, darkness is just as essential as the light. We cannot have one without the other.”

She gave me a knowing smile, and I was reminded of Elain.

“While I enjoy your company, I will be here a while. You may return to the palace, the cooks are no doubt preparing the morning meal and you need to eat.” She poked my side. And though it made me smile, I felt an ache in my chest. I couldn’t imagine walking back without her.

“I believe I’d like to stay, if that’s alright.”

Now she was on the verge of tears.

“Come, let me show you how we worship the gods here…”

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@readingismycopingmechanism  @fuzdog @gently-say-aha @alxanxah @highladyofherondale @city-of-fae @myfeyrelady @rhysandshighlady @feysanddotacotar

If anyone would like to be tagged, please let me know!

[dragonydreams]

Fic: Service with a Smile - Captain Canary

Title: Service with a Smile Fandom: DC's Legends of Tomorrow Rating: Teen Pairings/Characters: Sara Lance/Leonard Snart Summary: Cable technician Leonard makes a house call. Timeline: AU Word Count: 2,088 Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over these characters. I am merely borrowing them from Berlanti Productions, DC Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Television. Betas: Thank you to angelskuuipo and shanachie for looking this over for me. Author's Note: Happy Birthday @agentmarymargaretskitz!

Or AO3

 Leonard Snart - cable technician by day, master thief by night - parked the company van outside of a two family house. He grabbed his company phone from the passenger seat and logged in his arrival time after double checking that he was at the right address.

He grabbed his gear, exited, and locked the van. He looked up and down the street, taking in all of the multi-family homes that lined the tree-lined street. He might need to go for a walk after clocking off of this job, case the neighborhood a bit, he mused to himself before ringing the doorbell.

He heard feet pounding down stairs before a beautiful blonde woman in her mid-twenties yanked the door open.

"Sara Lance?" he enquired, glancing down at the work order on his phone.

"That's me," she confirmed, beaming up at him. "You're on time."

"I always try to be," Leonard said, smirking. "My name is Leonard. Want to show me the problem?"

"Yeah, follow me."

Leonard really did try to keep his eyes on the stairs instead of the perfect ass that was at eye level as he followed Sara up the stairs.

The apartment was sparsely decorated, as if she hadn't lived there long. A safe house, perhaps? It certainly looked like many of the safe houses Leonard had used over the years.

Leonard paused as they reached the living room, his eyes immediately drawn to the coffee table in front of the couch. More precisely, the dozen or so daggers lying on a cloth, along with a whetstone and a sword.

Sara soon realized that Leonard had not followed her into the room and caught where his gaze was fixed.

"Like I said, I didn't think you'd be on time," she said, by way of explanation. As if every young woman maintained a collection of blades.

Any thoughts that Leonard may have had of poking around for something to steal later faded away.

Slipping his smirk back on, Leonard drawled, "I'm sure your being alone with a complete stranger has nothing to do with it."

Sara shrugged one shoulder, dipped her head, and smiled up at him. "A girl can never be too careful."

Damn, under different circumstances - ones where an array of weapons weren't in arm's reach - Leonard would have considered flirting with Sara. Depending on how the work went, he may decide to live dangerously.

As if sensing his thoughts, Sara gestured to the muted television.

Leonard set his bag on the floor and knelt in front of the cable box. "The note said that the box can't find the internet?" Leonard asked.

"Yeah. The Wi-Fi works fine on my phone and tablet, but for some reason, the box can't find the signal. I've tried all of the steps the box says to try to connect and nothing. I've tried unplugging the router and plugging it back in, but that didn't make a difference. The cable is still working - I can watch stuff, but the guide is blank and it's not recording my shows."

"I'll take a look. Where is the router?"

Sara pointed behind the television and settled on the couch. She picked up the whetstone and began sharpening her daggers.

Leonard pulled the television stand away from the wall, grateful that technology had evolved enough for a 45" TV to no longer weigh a hundred pounds. He examined the router and agreed that it seemed to be working fine. Then he checked the company's splitter and discovered that one of the three lights wasn't on.

Turning back to Sara, who he realized had one eye on him and one on her hands, Leonard said, "One of these lights isn't on. I need to check the connection outside."

Sara nodded her acknowledgement. "I didn't lock the door when we came up. It won't lock behind you, so you can come right back in when you're done."

"Thanks," Leonard murmured and grabbed his bag to check the box outside.

~~*~~

Sara hated calling technicians. She'd much prefer to solve the problem herself than spend money to get it fixed. When she'd announced that she was moving to Central City, her father had made sure that she knew how to do basic home and car maintenance so that she wouldn't get fleeced by shady repairmen. Something she was grateful for, now.

Cleaning her daggers in front of any repairman she did have to call was a trick she'd learned at the dojo she worked at. One of the other senseis had mentioned having done the exact same thing (although for him as a joke) the last time he needed a plumber to come in. Sara took that idea to heart.

She wasn't worried that she couldn't fight off a physical attack - her years of martial arts studies negated that fear - but there were other ways strangers could be dangerous.

She'd seen that look in Leonard's eyes when he'd first set foot in the apartment. Eyes that immediately started scanning for valuables. 'Thief!' her senses had screamed. At least until he'd seen her impressive collection of daggers.

Heavy footsteps on the stairs pulled Sara out of her thoughts and she had to remind herself to relax her hold on the dagger in her hand - she knew who was coming up the stairs and he wasn't a threat. At least not yet.

"What's the verdict?" she asked as Leonard stepped into the room.

"The filter on the box outside wasn't working so I replaced it," he said. "You should be all set now." He crouched behind the TV again to examine the devices. "All green."

Sara took a moment to admire the way his tight black jeans showcased his ass in that position. She had to admit that if she had to call a technician, at least they sent someone attractive.

Setting aside the blade and whetstone, Sara stood and approached him. "Well, I guess it's good to know that I didn't call you out here for nothing. That it wasn't something I could have fixed myself."

Leonard looked up at her and Sara's breath caught. He had the most amazing eyes she'd ever seen. She cursed herself because there was no way he didn't see the desire that must now be written all over her face. His smirk confirmed it.

"No," he drawled, rising to his full height so that he now looked down at her, "this was definitely something you needed a professional to handle."

Sara unconsciously licked her bottom lip and she could feel Leonard's eyes track the movement. He was standing so close to her that she could feel the heat coming off of his body.

"I like a man who knows how to get a job done," Sara practically purred. She wasn't entirely sure what it was that she was doing. She felt like she was acting out a porno, but if that meant getting this gorgeous man into her bed, she didn't really mind living the stereotype.

Leonard took a step closer, so there was hardly any space between them. "I've never had a dissatisfied client."

Sara actually groaned at that line. "Seriously?" she asked, giggling.

"Too far?" Leonard smirked.

"Just a bit," Sara acknowledged. "Enough talking."

She lifted onto her toes; one hand reached up to grab the back of his neck, pulling him down to meet her in a hard kiss. After that first hard clash, their lips softened, if not their desperation. Leonard wrapped one arm around Sara's waist, pulling her flush against his body, his other hand sliding into her hair to help adjust the angle of their kiss.

They both moaned as their mouths finally came into perfect alignment as fire sparked between them.

Sara was all set to finish throwing caution to the wind when the downstairs down slammed open, the sound of it reverberating off the wall pulling Sara and Leonard apart.

"Sara, your door's unlocked," a woman's voice called up the stairs. "Why is your door unlocked?"

Sara groaned in frustration, resting her forehead against Leonard's chest for a moment to catch her breath.

Taking several steps back, Sara turned to meet her friend at the top of the stairs. "It's fine, Sin. I told you someone from the cable company was coming over this morning, remember? The door was unlocked so he could go out and get back in."

~~*~~

When Sara went to meet the interloper, Leonard crouched in front of the TV again, presumably to push it back into place, but mainly to give him time to recover his senses - and libido - in some semblance of privacy.

This was extremely out of character for him. He prided himself on his professionalism and reserve. What was it about this young woman that made all of his sensibilities fly out the window? Half turning to look at her talking to her short, spikey-haired friend, Leonard knew that he would do many more foolish things for another taste of Sara's lips.

Reaching into an outside pocket of his bag, Leonard pulled out one of his business cards and a pen and hastily wrote his personal cell number on the back before returning the pen to his bag.

Standing, Leonard slipped the card into a front pocket of his jeans and picked up the remote. He quickly searched for the On Demand section on the cable box, nodding in satisfaction when it connected. Something it wouldn't have done if the issue wasn't just the filter.

Interrupting the two women, Leonard asked, "Are there any other boxes you want me to check before I go?"

He saw Sara glance at the TV and realize that he was finishing running through the connection tests, this time making all the proper connections she wouldn't have gotten when she tried.

"Yeah, there's one in my bedroom," she said. Very pointedly, she added, "Sin, you can stay in here."

Leonard smirked and followed Sara down a hallway and into a sparsely decorated bedroom.

As Leonard took the remote from Sara, their fingers brushing and sending a shiver down his spine, Leonard did a quick check that he could get On Demand on this TV, too.

"Sorry that we got interrupted," Sara said. "Sin has the worst timing."

"Can't disagree with you there," Leonard drawled. "Although it's probably just as well, since I'm still on the clock."

"You never fool around on the job?" Sara asked, a teasing smile gracing her lips as her fingertips danced up his arm.

"Never," Leonard solemnly admitted, causing Sara's breath to catch.

Leonard tossed the remote on the bed and wishing he could throw Sara on there as well, settled for pressing his lips to hers once again.

After only a few moments, Leonard pulled away. "Your friend's still out there, and I'm not much for an audience. Even if I wasn't on the clock."

"I know; you're right. I just can't seem to help myself around you," Sara admitted.

Leonard pulled his business card from his pocket and handed it to Sara. "My cell number is on the back. Call me and we can pick this back up when there won't be any distractions."

"I like the sound of that," Sara agreed, pressing her body against his and leaning up for one more kiss before pulling away.

Leonard followed her back to the living room, where Sin was flipping through channels.

"The guide isn't working," she complained.

"It'll take an hour or two for the signal to fully come back," Leonard said, picking up his bag. "If it doesn't, Sara, you have my card. Don't hesitate to give me a call."

"Don't worry, I won't," Sara said.

Leonard turned and headed for the stairs, Sara following him. On the porch, he said, "I meant it, call me anytime."

"Oh, I will," Sara said, raking her eyes over his body. "I have a feeling you'll be hearing from me very soon."

"Have a good day, Sara," Leonard said.

"I already am," Sara said, smirking.

Leonard walked down the stairs, feeling Sara's eyes on him all the way to his van. He had just started the car when he heard his personal cell ping with a text.

Pulling out the phone, he glanced at the screen, then back up at the house to see Sara standing in the open doorway, her phone in her hand.

Come back when your shift ends. I'll make sure that Sin's gone and we lock the door. Keep the uniform on.

Leonard smirked as he texted back.

I'll see you at seven.

The End

[tj-crochets]

I still have just under half this organizer left to fill, it's going to work so much better than my previous organizational system! (my previous system was "all of them dumped into a drawer together" lol)

Okay no crafting updates, but my room is so much cleaner! Most of it was organizing to clear floor space but I also finished cleaning this little organizer thing and separated out my safety eyes by size and color and was able to fit a bunch of other things in this organizer

And there’s still space for when I finally find my metal plushie claws! They are in my room somewhere and someday I will find them