#he spent the past 2 days working on baking all those pies

[triglycercule]

horror keeps pulling this dumb gag joke on killer during his birthday where he keeps slamming his face into pies. where does he get them from. when did he have the spare time to bake all these pies. why are they all different flavors. why not just make it a bunch of whipped cream. nobody knows but the joke is always funny to dust. killer is sick of it but tasting all the different pie flavors is nice (stage1)

[janicho88]

Falling For You - Part 1

Pairing- Dean x Lisa(past),  Female!Reader x OMC Justin(past), Eventual Dean x Female!Reader

Word Count-3019

Warning- Mentions of cheating, slight angst. This is going to be a bit of a slow burn.

A/N- I had an idea for a one shot, and giving a backstory to Dean and the Reader meeting took on a life of its own. This story is AU, and un beta’d.

Summary- After being burned before you had sworn off finding love for now. Coming home from work one night there is a strange man pounding on your door.  Neither of you knew what this meeting would lead to. 

Series Masterlist

  It had been a long day at work and you just wanted to get home to your couch, although you knew that would have to wait.  The apartment needed some cleaning, and you needed to wash laundry too. You had put it off, work keeping you busier than usual the last 2 weeks, and you really should go hit the gym.  You had been slacking there too. 

The elevator was being inspected when you walked in the building so you had taken the stairs  Reaching your floor you were surprised to find a man standing in front of your door continuously knocking.  Slowing walking over you looked around, no one else seemed to be near.  Knowing the time, your neighbor across the hall, Jess was probably on her way home from work, you weren’t completely certain about her fiancé though.  The other two apartments on this level kept to themselves. 

“Hi, Can I help you?”  You cautiously asked.

“Nope.”

“Are you sure?”

The greenest eyes you had ever seen turned to look at you with a grin forming. “Thanks, but I’m just waiting for my brother to let me in, unless you want to give me your number for later?”

“I’m good thanks, but why is your brother letting you in there?”  You didn’t get any danger vibes from this guy, so you weren’t too worried about standing here talking to him yet.

“Well miss nosey, it’s because he lives there.”

“I don’t think he does.”

“Really, and how would you know anything?”  The man back to pounding on your door.

Before you could respond Jess’ fiancé Sam came running up the steps sweaty from his evening jog.

“Dude, you weren’t supposed to be here till tomorrow, and why are you blocking Y/N’s door?”  Sam unlocked his door across from you and went to hug his brother.

The man backed away from him, “Seriously man? You’re sweaty and gross, shower first. I needed to get out of there, and traffic on the way up was pretty light.  You told me you and Jess were 44.”

“No Dean, I told you we were 43. We live on the fourth floor in the third apartment number 43.  You weren’t listening,”  Sam turned to you still unable to get into your apartment.  “Sorry Y/N, this is my older brother Dean.  He just got up here from Kansas, he’s staying with us for a little while.  I’ll get him out of your way,”  He leaned down to grab one of Dean’s bags before heading into his apartment.  

Dean turned to look at you then looking at your door before he leaned down to pick up the other bag. “Oops!”  With that he headed into the open apartment and shut the door.  Shaking your head you went to unlock your own door. 

Heading to your bedroom after setting your things down,  you figured if you didn't get your workout done first it wasn’t going to happen.  Quickly changing you grabbed some laundry and went to throw a  load in the washer so the first load would be done when your workout was finished.  Very thankful to have a washer and dryer in your apartment.  Grabbing your key you headed the gym on the ground floor.  An hour on the bike left you feeling a little better, getting out some of your frustrations.  

Back inside your apartment you changed the laundry and started on your dusting and window washing before vacuuming.  Finally finished, you headed for a shower to clean off the dirt and sweat.  

All clean you ventured to the kitchen to see what you could whip up for dinner. When a knock at your door pulled you away.  Who could be here now you wondered.

Opening the door you came face to face with Mr green eyes again.  Shoot, what did Sam say his name was.

“Your brother still lives across the hall.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that.  I swear Sammy told me it was 44.  I just wanted to come say I was sorry for bothering you earlier.  I know the right place now.”

“It’s fine.  Have a nice visit.”

“Thanks it’s not really a visit.  I’m Dean, like he said, I’m his older brother.”

“Y/N, the neighbor.  Nice to meet you Dean.”  Holding out your hand to Dean his bigger hand engulfed it in a firm shake.

“Would you let me take you out for a bite to apologize for my first impression?”   

“I don’t know if that’s a good…”

“It’s not a date,”  He hurriedly cut in.  “It’s just, I mean, you seem like a nice person, and you would probably be a great date, but it’s not.  It will just be food I swear.  Tomorrow afternoon, or night?  I don’t know if you have big Saturday plans?”

“Shouldn’t you be spending time with your brother?”

“He has a work dinner with Jess they can’t miss.”

You thought about it for a moment.  You had been friends with Sam and Jess a little while now and trusted them, so you should be able to trust his brother.  “I’m supposed to go dress shopping with my friend Meg, tomorrow.  We should be done by 6 if you really want to grab some dinner.”

“Sounds good, sweetheart, I’ll knock on your door again then.”

“Okay, goodnight Dean.  Oh and welcome to Michigan.”  Shaking your head you shut the door to go back to your search for tonight’s dinner.  

The fridge was pretty empty, you didn’t even have any frozen microwaveable meals left.  Looks like grocery shopping just became part of your weekend plans.  Settling on a bag of popcorn, it is a vegetable of sorts, somehow right?  You finally headed for the couch and turned on the Hallmark Channel to see if there was a movie you could get lost in for the rest of the evening.  Before you know it, it was time for bed so you could get an early start on tomorrow.

It was an honor to be asked to be the Maid of Honor, right?  You needed to keep reminding yourself of this as you wandered through the dress shop the next day with Meg.  Meg was a friend from elementary school and sometimes you think you are the MoH because many others would not have been able to handle this process with her.  She could be a little blunt and rude, but you were used to this and could take the wedding craziness coming from her.  5 hours and two shops later she finally found the perfect dress for herself.  You couldn’t be happier since you had already spent two other Saturday’s out searching.    

Her fiancé Cas, thankfully had the patience of an angel.  They had met when Meg left for college in Kansas, he was a year older than her.  After graduation he had followed her back up here. Six years later, Cas finally got her to say ‘yes’. She seemed to be a better person with him around, a little kinder.  They would be good for each other and you were very happy for them.

Your love life on the other hand, was not so lucky.  Two months ago, you had broken up with your only serious boyfriend.  A night out with friends had ended in tears when trying out the new bar in town.  You had turned around in time to see a flash of Justin in a corner booth, walking over you found him lip locked with another woman.  You stood there shocked for a moment when the woman noticed you staring and commented on it.  A look of shock on Justin’s face as he quickly moved away from her and tried to explain  The rest of your drink ended up on him as you walked out of the bar.  Meg having seen the whole thing took you home and kept your now ex out when he came over to try and talk to you.  The guys you had been out with before him, hadn’t done much for your faith in men either, having made the choice to give up dating for now.  You were two years away from thirty, and had always thought by now you would have settled down.  Maybe that wasn’t in the cards for you.  

It was only a little after three so you decided to stop at the grocery store on the way home, this way you wouldn’t need to run out tomorrow.  You would be able to just enjoy a day at home.  Arriving home you pulled into your assigned spot and went to empty your car, you were one of those people who tried to carry everything in one trip.  At least the elevator passed yesterday’s inspection and was running today, or it would be a challenge carrying everything at once up 4 flights of stairs.  Although you couldn’t open your door with your hands full and keys in your pocket.  Freeing a hand you finally worked it open as the door opened behind you.  

“Need a hand?”  Turning around Dean was standing in the doorway leading to the opposite apartment.

“You don’t have to, half the challenge was getting it up here.”

“I know I don’t have to,”  As he finished talking Dean leaned down to pick up the discarded bags.  “Dinner for tonight or are we still good to go?”

“Still good to go, I just had an empty fridge and decided to hit the store today and enjoy tomorrow.”

Dean set the bags on the counter and started to unpack them.  Looking at the various items he turned to you holding up molasses and baking soda, “These aren’t your typical dinner items.”

“No, this is me getting a head start on what I need for Christmas baking. I know it’s the start of October, but December comes quick, and I like to have my baking done for my family’s Christmas party the first weekend of December.”

“You bake?”

“Yes, I actually really enjoy it.”

“So what all do you make cookies, cakes, pies maybe?”

Laughing at the hopeful look in his eye at the last item you nodded your head.  “Yes, those plus bars, and different candies.  Christmas I do the most, although not usually pie for that.  Different holidays or events vary, or when I’m in a funk and just want to get lost in my kitchen.”

“Ever need a pie tester, I’ll gladly volunteer.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”  The groceries unloaded Dean looked around before heading out saying he would be back at six.  Glancing at the clock you saw it was almost five and decided to hop in the shower to get cleaned up.  

There was a knock on your door right at six, dressed casually in jeans, a sweater and tall black heeled boots you opened it to see Dean smiling at you. Also having gone casual with jeans and a dark green henley. “Ready to go, Y/N?”

“Yep, all set.  So where are we going Mr. Winchester?”  Dean turned, giving you a funny look, as you got into the elevator “What?”

“How do you know my last name? Been looking into me?”

“You’re Sam’s brother, right?  I kinda thought they would be the same.”

“Oh, yeah, true.  As for our destination, I thought I’d surprise you.”

You screwed up your face but just nodded.  You didn’t want to come across as rude to whatever he was thinking.  Getting in the car he turned to look at you, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”  There wasn’t much you hated more than surprises. 

“Your face said otherwise a minute ago.”

“I was just thinking about something else, all good here,”  You gave him a smile before looking out the window.

A short while later you pulled up outside a bar you hadn’t been to in a few months. Quietly getting out of the car you followed Dean inside.  “Sam told me about this place, he said it was fairly new, but the food is good.  Have you been here yet?”

“Once, but I wasn’t here long enough to eat.”  It was early enough still it wasn’t too busy yet, Dean heading over to a booth asking if that was alright.  You agreed and sat across from him. After ordering drinks and food it was a little awkward between the two of you.  This wasn’t a date, what was it.  You didn’t know the man so it wasn’t even friends hanging out.  Not wanting to sit in silence any longer you decided to break it.

“How long are you visiting for?”

“I’m working on moving up here actually, I’m staying with Sam and Jess while I look for a place and find some work.  Then I’ll head back to Lawrence with Sam and we’re going to drive my stuff back.”

“Oh wow, like the mitten state that much huh?”

Dean was quiet for a moment before answering,  it almost seemed like he was having an internal battle on how to respond.  “I needed a change and my brother and best friend both moved up here. Sam and I were pretty close growing up, and it would be nice to be near him again.  My parents are still in Kansas but have talked about moving for a while.  I can see them heading up here if Sam and Jess are here, especially if they end up having kids. I guess I’m going before I get left behind.”  There was a sadness in his eyes that told you something was missing from his story. 

“What kind of work are you looking for?”  

“I actually was in business with my dad before I left.  Owned an auto repair shop and we specialized in classic car restorations.  Dad’s keeping the shop, but I’m guessing he’ll retire in a year or two and sell it.   Going to see if anyone around here is hiring for now. How about you, what is it that you do?”

“Oh, I work at a physical therapy clinic in the business office.  It’s usually a nice 9-5 job, but we had someone leave unexpectedly in the front office so I’ve been filling in for her and trying to do my work too.  Makes for some later days.  Someone new is starting next week so once they are trained it should calm down again.”  

Dean was watching you and noticed you were doing your best to avoid looking around the bar, your focus either him or the table.  “Is there someone you don’t want to see you here?  A boyfriend I should worry about coming to beat me up?  What’s up?”

“No, nothing like that.”  Taking a deep breath you look up at Dean, “This place doesn't have great memories for me.  The one time I was here I caught my then boyfriend making out with someone else.  It was definitely a surprise, I wasn’t a fan of surprises before, but that was one of the worst I could have.”

“I’m sorry, I guess I should have checked the place with you first.”

Reaching across the table you put your hand on top of Dean’s, “No it’s okay.  I really should just get over it anyways.  It’s stupid on my part, right?”

“Not at all Sweetheart,”  Dean turns his hand over giving yours a squeeze.  “I understand to well how much that stings.”  Letting out a deep breath he continues, “I had been dating this girl for over a year.  Thought she was it ya know.  I came home from work early to surprise her one day and found her in our bed with another guy.”

“Oh Dean, I am so sorry!”

 He gave you a little smile before continuing, “It was my house. I kicked her out and put it up for sale, packed up my stuff and ended up storing it at my parents while I was staying in my childhood bedroom.  I just couldn’t stay there.  Got lucky it sold in a few months. I would see the two of them all around town and needed to get out of there.  Sammy, and my childhood best friend, Cas like it up here so I decided to give it a shot”

“Wait, Cas?  Is he engaged to Meg?”

“Uh, yeah why?”

“She’s my best friend, I’m her maid of honor.  I’ve met Cas, he’s a great guy.”

“Yeah, she’s good for him.  Takes him out of his comfort zone.  Good for them, me on the other hand.  I don’t see myself dating anytime soon.”

“Me either, I don’t have the best luck with relationships. I’m sorry for what you went though, you didn’t deserve that.”  

“Neither did you.” You both sat there taking in what the other had said. 

Dean spoke first,  “I wouldn’t mind making a new friend though.  Especially if she needs any taste testing when baking.”  

Laughing before leaning back against the booth more relaxed than you had been, “I think new friends are good.”  

Deciding it was time to lighten the subject you asked him another question.  “So what brought Sam up here?  I know Jess was from Indiana, not here either.”  

“After law school Sam had been offered a position in a big firm in Ann Arbor, which I guess is like  30-40 minutes from here.  Jess didn't want to live in the bigger city, she wanted to be in a little smaller town if they could.  She said they did big city living in California during college and could visit Ann Arbor, or Chicago from here.  Sam liked the idea of that too.  I think they are both thinking of where they want to raise kids eventually”

“This is a good town to grow up in, I did.  Why they moved here never came up in conversation. I’ve hung out with her and Meg before, and neither mentioned Sam and Cas were from the same town.” 

  The two of you spent the rest of the night talking and laughing more at ease knowing where the other stood. It was after 11 when Dean pulled back into the apartment parking lot.  This had been one of the best nights you had had in awhile.

Part 2

Thank you for reading!!

Tags  @talesmaniac89 @katehuntington @winchest09 @flamencodiva @whatareyousearchingfordean @waywardbeanie @deanwanddamons​ @smol-and-grumpy @emoryhemsworth @anathewierdo @malfoysqueen14 @superfanficnatural @jensengirl83 @atc74 @sandlee44 @akshi8278  @fantasydevil2002

[emy-loves-you]

Wrong Numbers and Useless Gays (Chapter 7)

Happy Halloween!

Warning: Minor burns

Chapter 6 | Masterlist | Chapter 8

V- (8:04 AM) Happy first day of Halloween!

L- (8:05 AM) Virgil, it’s October 1st. Halloween isn’t for another 30 days.

V- (8:05 AM) We must be celebrating different holidays. Halloween lasts from October 1st to October 31st. For the entire month, you watch cheesy Halloween movies and decorate your home in black, purple, and orange. Spiders and bats become your daily esthetic. There are no exceptions to this rule.

P- (8:06 AM) I have arachnophobia and most of our decorations are green. Is that alright, Kiddo?

V- (8:06 AM) … There is one exception.

L- (8:07 AM) This is preposterous.

R- (8:07 AM) Calm down, Specs. Let our Dark and Stormy Knight have his holiday. We don’t want another incident of Pi Day, do we?

V- (8:08 AM) What happened on Pi Day?

P- (8:08 AM) Logan wanted to spend the day memorizing as many digits of Pi as possible. Roman told him that Pi day was only for baking pies. Logan decided to etch as many digits of pi as he could fit into the crust of a pie before baking it. Sadly, baking isn’t Lolo’s exPIEtise.

R- (8:09 AM) He almost burnt the house down. It was hilarious.

L- (8:09 AM) I will back down from this argument, if only to preserve my dignity. Since you decided to text us at 8 AM, I assume that you have plans to celebrate your “first day of Halloween?”

V- (8:10 AM) Yep. I’ve got my Scooby-Doo VHS tapes, an entire gallon of iced coffee, and enough decorations to cover every square inch of my house. Life is good.

R- (8:11 AM) Wait which tapes?

V- (8:11 AM) Zombie Island, Witch’s Ghost, Alien Invaders, and Cyber Chase. The 4 best Scooby-Doo movies to ever exist.

R- (8:12 AM) Now I REALLY wanna watch Scooby-Doo

V- (8:12 AM) What’s stopping you?

L- (8:12 AM) The desire to have a stable income

R- (8:13 AM) I’m starring as Van Helsing for our theatre’s production of Dracula. I’ve got rehearsals and performances almost every night.

V- (8:13 AM) Sorry. I’ll watch it in your stead.

R- (8:14 AM) Gee, how thoughtful of you

(October 8th)

L- (2:32 PM) Virgil, did you seriously buy MORE chocolates?

V- (2:32 PM) Do you like them?

L- (2:32 PM) That’s not the point.

L- (2:33 PM) This is the 7th set of sweets you’ve sent us in the past 8 weeks. First of all, this is extremely unhealthy. Second of all, how much money have you spent on these? Third of all, you tend to send chocolates specifically when you’re planning something that we disapprove of. So what, pray tell, are you planning this time?

V- (2:34 PM) Wow, I didn’t realize you were keeping track of that.

L- (2:34 PM) I keep track of everything. Quit ignoring the questions.

V- (2:35 PM) Okay. First of all, if they make you happy it doesn’t matter. Second of all, if it makes you happy it doesn’t matter. Third of all, if it makes you happy it doesn’t matter :)

L- (2:35 PM) …

V- (2:35 PM) Besides, you wouldn’t want me to STOP sending you sweets, would you?

L- (2:36 PM) … Curse you and your knowledge of my sweets addiction.

V- (2:36 PM) :)

(October 15th)

L- (5:47 PM) VIRGIL!

V- (5:48 PM) Hm?

L- (5:48 PM) DID YOU SERIOUSLY TP OUR HOUSE?!?!?

V- (5:49 PM) You have no proof

L- (5:50 PM) [*Photo Attachment*]

[The photo is of a door. There is a square of TP taped to the door, the words “VIRGIL WAS TOTALLY NOT HERE” written in sharpie]

V- (5:50 PM) See? I was totally not there.

V- (5:51 PM) And I sent you pre-apology chocolates, so you can’t get mad!

L- (5:52 PM) I CAN STILL GET MAD

V- (5:52 PM) NO YOU WON’T OR I’LL STOP GETTING YOU CHOCOLATES

L- (5:53 PM) YOU WOULDN’T

V- (5:53 PM) TRY ME BITCH

R- (5:55 PM) I don’t know WHAT you did, but Logan called me, screeched your name, and hung up. Keep up the good work, storm cloud ;)

(October 22nd)

V- (3:42 PM) Hey Pat?

P- (3:42 PM) What’s up, Kiddo?

V- (3:42 PM) You bake, right?

P- (3:43 PM) It would be very hard to run a bakery if I couldn’t, Kiddo!

V- (3:43 PM) True

V- (3:43 PM) So what do you do if your cookies catch on fire?

P- (3:43 PM) WHAT

V- (3:44 PM) [*Photo Attachment*]

[The photo is of an oven. The door is open, and inside is a tray of Pillsbury ghost sugar cookies. They are all on fire]

P- (3:44 PM) PUT IT OUT

V- (3:44 PM) HOW

P- (3:45 PM) DON’T YOU HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER?!?!

V- (3:45 PM) WON’T THAT RUIN THE COOKIES?

P- (3:45 PM) THOSE COOKIES ARE GONERS. ACCEPT YOUR LOSS

V- (3:46 PM) [*Photo attachment*]

[The photo is of the same oven. The door is still open, yet the entire inside of the oven is covered in foam]

V- (3:46 PM) Now what?

P- (3:46 PM) First of all, turn off the oven.

V- (3:47 PM) Done

P- (3:47 PM) Okay. Now answer me this: HOW THE FUDGE DID YOU MANAGE TO CATCH PREMADE SUGAR COOKIES ON FIRE???

V- (3:48 PM) I DON’T KNOW! I JUST PUT THEM IN THE OVEN AND SUDDENLY THEY WERE ON FIRE

L- (3:48 PM) Are you alright, Virgil? Did you sustain any burns or other injuries?

P- (3:48 PM) HOLY STARS I SHOULD’VE ASKED! ARE YOU OKAY VIRGIL?

V- (3:49 PM) I’m fine. I burned my wrist but it’s not that bad.

L- (3:49 PM) Will you please send a picture of your injury?

V- (3:49 PM) [*Photo attachment*]

[The photo is of a left hand. The hand is long, slender, and pale. The nails are long and painted black with cat noses and whiskers. The person’s wrist has a minor burn wound, around the size of a golf ball]

L- (3:50 PM) You are correct, Virgil. It appears to be a minor burn, no need to contact the hospital. However, I would greatly appreciate it if you tend to your burn at your earliest convenience.

P- (3:50 PM) Go wrap up that burn, kiddo! Make sure you add burn cream, too!

P- (3:51 PM) AND OH MY GOSH I LOVE YOUR NAILS! They’re PAWsitively PURRfect!

L- (3:51 PM) Please stop

P- (3:52 PM) Alright. Wouldn’t wanna have a CATastrophe, would we?

L- (3:52 PM) Please. I beg of you.

V- (3:53 PM) Okay, all patched up. What do I do about my cookies?

L- (3:53 PM) Make sure your oven has fully cooled down before attempting to clean it.

P- (3:54 PM) AND DON’T DO THAT EVER AGAIN, MISTER!

P- (3:54 PM) You nearly gave me a heart attack!

V- (3:55 PM) Sorry, won’t happen again.

L- (3:55 PM) I assume that this means you will be buying post-apology sweets? I assure you that it is unnecessary, Virgil. Your health and safety are more important than confectionaries.

L- (3:57 PM) Virgil?

L- (3:57 PM) Please refrain from buying more sweets.

L- (3:58 PM) I’ve already gained 3.4 pounds alone from these “Gifts”

V- (3:58 PM) Too late, already bought them

P- (3:58 PM) You don’t have to, Kiddo!

P- (3:59 PM) And Lolo, don’t blame V on your weight gain. I know Ro’s not the only one sneaking whole jars of jelly from the cabinets at night.

L- (3:59 PM) Virgil, how much are you spending on these sweets?

V- (4:00 PM) Would it help if I said that I get a discount since I purchase chocolates almost weekly?

L- (4:00 PM) VIRGIL

V- (4:01 PM) :)

R- (6:58 PM) Why does all the interesting stuff happen while I’m at work?

V- (6:59 PM) Get wrecked Princey

R- (6:59 PM) :(

V- (7:00 PM) Don’t worry I got you sweets too

R- (7:00 PM) :)

(October 24th)

L- (2:32 PM) VIRGIL!

V- (2:33 PM) Did you get your sweets? Send me a pick! I didn’t get to see the end result

P- (2:33 PM) [*Photo Attachment*]

[The photo is of three vases, each of different colors. The light blue vase is filled with tulips made of white chocolate. There are also chocolate-covered straberry and a giant chocolate lollipop with the words “I appreciate you a chocoLOT!” The red vase is filled with milk chocolate roses and another chocolate lollipop that says “Good luck slaying Vampires!” The navy blue vase is the most elaborate (probably just to mess with Logan). It’s filled with dark chocolate tulips AND roses, with a whole jar of crofters nestled into the middle of the bouquet. It’s lollipop reads “Weight and Cost are just #s!”]

P- (2:34 PM) These are ADORABLE, Virgil!

L- (2:34 PM) How much did you spend on this, Virgil?

V- (2:34 PM) Did you not read your lollipop?

V- (2:35 PM) Don’t worry about it, I wouldn’t buy the chocolates if I couldn’t afford them :)

L- (2:35 PM) My digestive system can’t afford them.

V- (2:36 PM) Well I couldn’t give you pre-apology chocolates so I had to give you epic post-apology chocolates.

P- (2:37 PM) Well, I cannot wait to eat these! Seriously, I’ve already eaten half a tulip. And these vases will look so pretty holding ACTUAL flowers! Thank you so much, V! But remember, you don’t have to do this. We don’t need apology sweets!

V- (2:38 PM) I know, but it’s comforting to know that there’s at least ONE way I can interact with you guys beyond texting. I’m sorry that I’m still not comfortable talking face-to-face yet.

P- (2:38 PM) That’s completely fine, Kiddo! Take all the time you need. We’ll be here when you’re ready.

L- (2:39 PM) I agree.Though I still do not see the purpose of excessive spending on our behalf.

R- (2:39 PM) Well I find it extremely thoughtful, storm cloud. I would type an entire ballad of how caring and kind you are, but I must get back to work. I shall speak with you tonight, fair raven.

V- (2:40 PM) Thanks, guys. It means a lot to me.

(October 31st)

L- (10:17 AM) How are you feeling about your “final day of Halloween,” Virgil?

V- (10:18 AM) Incredibly depressed

P- (10:18 AM) Aww. Why’s that, Kiddo?

V- (10:19 AM) You guys know how I travel around with my friends, right?

V- (10:19 AM) Well apparently we have to travel out today. We won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon.

R- (10:20 AM) I’m deeply sorry, my precious stormcloud. If I may ask, why do you have to travel tonight?

V- (10:20 AM) My friends like to go to parties out of town, and I go to make sure they don’t get themselves killed.

P- (10:21 AM) I’m sorry you have to miss Halloween, Kiddo. I know how much you were looking forward to it.

V- (10:22 AM) I’m still gonna wear my costume. Just because I can’t celebrate at home doesn’t mean I can’t celebrate at all.

L- (10:22 AM) What costume have you decided to wear?

V- (10:23 AM) [*Photo attachment*]

[Photo is the bottom half of someone’s face. They’re smiling, with black lipstick and fake Vampire teeth. There’s red liquid running down their chin.]

P- (10:23 AM) That looks FANGtastic, Virgil!

L- (10:23 AM) I hope you have an amenable experience at the party, Virgil.

R- (10:24 AM) I agree! You look amazing and I hope you enjoy the party, storm cloud. Do not worry, I will watch The Nightmare Before Christmas in your stead!

V- (10:25 AM) Wow I feel so grateful

R- (10:25 AM) :)

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Taglist: @bisexualdisaster106 @self-taught-mess @itawalrus @arodynamic-enby @sanderssides-angst

[eirian-houpe]

The Pawn Shop On Main Street - Chapter 2

Fandom: Once Upon a Time (TV)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Mad Hatter | Jefferson & Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold

Characters: Belle (Once Upon a Time), Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Mad Hatter | Jefferson, Grace | Paige, Evil Queen | Regina Mills, Widow Lucas | Granny, Red Riding Hood | Ruby, Jiminy Cricket | Archie Hopper, Grumpy | Leroy, Blue Fairy | Mother Superior, Emma Swan, Prince Charming | David Nolan, Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard, Henry Mills (Once Upon a Time), Sneezy | Tom Clark, Merida (Once Upon a Time), Cloe, Mother Trude, Dove (Once Upon a Time)

Additional Tags: Cursed Storybrooke (Once Upon a Time), Angst, Romance, Eventual Smut, Will add more as apropriate

Summary: Gold is suddenly awakened from the curse, not by the fail-safe that he programmed into his mind, but by the unexpected presence of his long lost maid, with whom he fell in love well before Regina cast his Dark Curse, Rumplestiltskin must now find a way past Belle's disbelief and fear. She is still under the influence of the curse. With the help of his dear - his oldest - friend, Gold seeks a way past obstacles so that he can rekindle the love which he rejected back in the Dark Castle.

The story is set in the same 'verse as The Library Beneath the Clock Tower, and could be considered a sequel of sorts.

Read previous chapters on AO3

Chapter 2 - The Lock On the Door

If anyone had asked, he couldn’t have said how long he sat there, spent, a lump in the darkness like an abandoned sack of potatoes, staring over the top of the revelers and into the sky. He watched the stars move, the moon set, and the horizon darken toward dawn, and still he didn’t move, lost in memory, and the pain of memory, and the ecstasy of one sweet moment he denied himself… denied her.

Finally, as the flickering embers of the bonfire collapsed into a glowing, almost neat circle of color against the darkness, he reached out to find the handle of his cane, and hauled himself to his feet. Then, one limping step after another, made his way down to where the Cadillac was parked.

At that moment he was simply concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other to make it to the car. Then, in the car focused on the steps necessary to safely drive a vehicle such as this, the juxtaposition of his former and his current personae warring inside of him, the familiar and the unfamiliar.

One thing remained true in both worlds - Rumplestiltskin - Gold was a man of power.

By the time he pulled up onto the driveway of the pink Victorian, the maelstrom inside of him was so great that he was all but ready to take up his cane and smash anything breakable within reach. The imagined gratification of bringing the handle of his cane down on the mailbox, the trunk of the car, the rear windshield, with its melodious sound of splintering glass, the tail lights, the windows at the side…

…the soft expression that was there, barely a heartbeat, but there in Belle’s eyes. A second chance…

The desire to break things melted like ice in the midsummer sun, and Gold sat, breathing hard from the exertion of mere thought. He had gripped the steering wheel as though it were his lifeline. Slowly, he forced himself to release his grasp, and then get out of the car. He walked, with seeming infinite care, up to the house, and in through the door as soon as he had it unlocked. Then, without even waiting to see if it closed behind him, he lowered himself into a chair just inside the lounge, and put his head in his hands.

He didn’t think he had any more tears inside of him than those he’d shed with Jefferson. Yet, as he thought on Belle, on all that he’d - that they’d - lost when he sent her away from the dark castle, and on the emptiness of his life until the moment he took Belle’s hand, he wept for it all.

It was long into the morning by the time he emerged, exhausted, from his despairing self recriminations. Although there were things he knew he needed to do - even on the day after the Miner’s Day Festival - he also knew that he would not be at his best without some rest. Even a little would help. So, he slowly climbed the stairs toward his bedroom, stripped off the gold brocade jacket, which was now in need of a good dry-cleaning, peeled himself out of the rest of his finery, and fell exhausted into bed, where he dreamed, strange and knotted dreams of past and present interlaced and with a warring warp and weft.

It was a late morning by the time Gold woke, and for all that he’d had so little sleep, he felt remarkably well rested and, more importantly, clear headed. He knew exactly what he had to do, and made himself a mental checklist. He had a reputation to uphold after all.

For the first time in as long as he could remember, Gold got out of bed with a spark of hope in his heart, which he took with him to the shower, where he hummed softly to himself; a tune that his aunties used to sing when they were spinning, or better yet, baking the meat pies he loved so much. He stopped suddenly in the middle of soaping his chest and stomach. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d thought, so happily and peacefully, of his aunties. It made him wonder how long it had been since he used the memory to draw back the power of his magic. He shook his head at himself, and smiled, feeling so full of love in that moment it was almost painful, but it was not love for his aunties, it was love for Belle, who had unlocked all of the kind wonders inside of him…

…a flicker of light in an ocean of darkness…

…and for the first time in longer than memory, that thought didn’t hurt him to the core.

The first order of business for the day was a short stop at Granny’s and then on to the hardware store. It would be remiss of him not to fix the lock on the door to the library apartment, especially since he noticed it hadn’t closed properly the day before. What kind of landlord would he be if he didn’t attend to the safety of his tenants? The hopeful spring in his step had nothing to do with the possibility of seeing Miss Marchland again. Not at all.

He smiled as he passed the library and saw the sign stuck on the door declaring the public building closed for the day. That meant that Belle would be home, and he would have the opportunity to… apologize for whatever it was that had caused her to run off at the Miner’s Day Festival - and a part of him, a small part hoped that it was not because she remembered their life together and had not forgiven him for sending her away. The larger part hoped that he, his intensity as he had remembered everything, had simply spooked her, and she didn’t yet remember. That way he would have the chance to court her properly - if she would give him the time of day.

His impulse pulled at him to climb the stairs, once he had the outer door unlocked, and knock on Belle’s door, but no. He could not force his company upon her, so instead, he set to work on the lock. He tried to make sure that the action of the catch was as smooth as silk and closed first time, every time. Hadn’t he promised Belle forever?

He knew the thought was a kind of loophole. She had promised him forever, but what he had denied in the Enchanted Forest he embraced as the truth. Forever was a flow of time that looped both ways, and surrounded them both. He smiled and leaned down one more time to finish reattaching the catch-plate to the door.

He was so focused - or perhaps so lost to his surroundings - that when the sharp cry came from behind him, followed by the discordant jangle of keys hitting the sidewalk, he almost echoed it with a cry of his own surprise. He covered the slip, however, by reaching for the keys, and straightened up before he turned and found himself face to face with Belle.

“Miss Marchland,” he greeted her, using all of his self control to appear calm and collected. He gestured behind him. “I was just working on the door. Seems a little attention was necessary to ensure it closes properly.”

“Well,” he watched as she punctuated her own greeting with a deep breath, he guessed, to compose herself in kind. “Thank you, Mister Gold. I appreciate it.”

The slight pink already creeping into her cheek was delightful, alluring, and he couldn’t help but tease gently as he said, “Well, we can’t have just anyone walking up to the apartment without invitation, now, can we?” He raised an eyebrow and was more delighted than he had been in many a long year when she returned the gesture. In another life, he might have thought she was flirting with him, but there, he dare not hope for it.

“No indeed. There’s no telling in what state they might discover me,” she said, and the pink in her cheek deepened to flush of red. It warmed him deep within.

Ever the gentleman, however, he did not want to cause her discomfort or embarrassment. “Don’t worry,” he said, “I’ll be out of your hair before too long.”

He was about to turn back to be sure he had indeed finished when she completely derailed his attention by snapping, “Why didn’t you tell me what was happening with Paige?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Paige,” she began, then added, “Grace,” and his heart lurched with an almost painful hope. Did she remember, then? “The girl that helps me in the library.”

“Yes,” he said, his heart sinking when he realized that she was simply using the girl’s cursed surname. “I know the girl to whom you refer. However, I fail to see what I should have told yo—”

“Oh, drop it, Gold! You knew, and you said nothing!” The fire in her eyes brought back the painful memories of the last time he had seen it, and he almost stepped towards her; almost moved to protest his innocence, and tell her how wrong she was. Her next words snapped him from the memory of it, and he closed his mouth on the words that were about to reach out to her. “That poor girl has been… maid and… nurse, and… who knows what else besides. I could have done something, could have helped. Instead you pretended there was nothing wrong, and let it all continue. And for what!”

“Be… very careful, Miss Marchland,” he rumbled, part in annoyance at her challenge, but the greater part in warning for fear of what she might stir up, should Regina decide to oppose her right-hearted desire to help poor Grace. “You know very little of which you speak, and none of the harm your interference could—”

“Interference?” He winced at the incredulity he heard in the tone and pitch of her voice. “Only you could think of offering help as interference. You are unbelievable, you know that?”

“No, Miss Marchland,” he said, trying, by his words, to convey the meaning of his warning, without openly making accusations in the street. “I am a man that simply knows how, and when to best take sides.”

“Take sides?” He frowned as she threw up her hands, and the pitch of her voice grew higher yet. “This is a child’s life we’re talking about, not some meaningless argument about… parking restrictions on Main Street.”

“Indeed,” he said and nodded his agreement. “Which is exactly why I have acted as I have.”

“Done nothing, you mean,” she spat. “At least you didn’t try to deny you knew what’s going on. At least I’ll give you that.” 

He said nothing to counter that accusation either, and she made a sound of derision, before she stepped forward, obviously meaning to push past him as she finished curtly, “Excuse me, I have cleaning to do.”

He caught her elbow as she did, and stepped in closer to her as he held her against the open door. For just a moment at least, his eyes met and held hers in an uncompromising stare as he repeated a warning, his mouth almost against her ear.

“Everything comes with a price, Miss Marchland, so you need to be very sure how much you’re willing to pay.”

She held his gaze still longer, as if searching for something within his eyes, and he held his breath, willing her to find what she sought. After only a moment though, her face clouded with anger and she snatched her arm out of his grasp, pushed past him and left him watching after her as she mounted the stairs toward the apartment.

With a sigh, and no further excuse to loiter at the door, he closed it softly, and hanging his head, began to walk away. She was right, of course. Even before he awakened, he knew what was happening to Paige - to Grace - and who was behind it, of course. As much as he opposed Regina and her hold on the town of Storybrooke, as much as he had always stood in opposition to her, he never did anything to help that child, who now turned out to be the daughter of his oldest, dearest friend. He felt ashamed, and it was an uncomfortable feeling. He should have acted.

He continued walking toward the pawn shop, and pulled out his cell phone as he went, dialing the number that he knew by heart, but only now knew that the man he’d known as a friend for all this time, had been in his heart for so much longer.

“Rumplestiltskin…?”

The sound of his name, his true name on Jefferson’s lips, even through the artificial sound of the phone, brought a smile to his face, though it was a sorrowful one as he thought about all that he and Jefferson had shared.

“Can…” he cleared throat as his voice cracked a little, “Can you meet me at the shop? There’s something I’d like to discuss.”

He could almost hear the hesitant frown on the other man’s face as he answered, “All right, I’ll… head that way.”

“Thank you,” Gold said quietly, “And Jefferson—”

“I’ll see you in a little while,” Jefferson cut him off, and disconnected the call before he could say any more.

He spent the intervening time between then, and when the bell above the door sounded to announce his friend’s arrival, cleaning and polishing every item in one of the glass display-cases. He was agitated, and even that mundane task did little to quell his nervous energy.

“I think you missed a spot,” Jefferson raised a cheeky eyebrow, and made a pantomime of polishing the top of the case with the sleeve of his coat.

“Funny,” Gold answered dryly, making Jefferson chuckle.

“What’s so important,” he asked as the chuckled failed, “that you had to drag me all the way into town.”

“An… apology,” Gold answered, hesitation drawing out the words, and making Jefferson frown.

“There’s nothing—” Jefferson began, but Gold interrupted.

“Grace,” he said. “I should have—”

Jefferson shook his head, and craved softly, “Don’t. There was nothing you could have done. Regina—”

“I should have done something.”

“And what!” Jefferson asked, beginning to pace in agitation of his own. “She would never have let you interfere with whatever reason she has to punish me.” Gold’s heart broke as Jefferson swung round to face him, stopping dead as if he hadn’t been pacing at all, and ran his hand through his hair, leaving the front even more mussed than usual. He let out a huff then. “She has no reason to punish me… save perhaps spite. She had already separated me from my daughter. Trapped me in Wonderland, where—”

He stopped suddenly, as if whatever he had to say was some great shame, and Gold stepped toward him, took a tentative hold on his arms.

“Where?” he prompted, his tone tender, full of the worry he had for the man, but Jefferson shook his head.

“I can’t,” he whispered. “I can’t.”

“No one blames you, Jefferson,” Gold told him, his voice low, soft, compassionate.

“They should!” The Hatter suddenly cried, throwing up his arms and breaking Gold’s hold on them. He paced away again, then swung an accusatory glare his way. “She begged me - pleaded with me - not to go, but no… my arrogance, my certainty that one. Last. Job…” a sob that became a shiver, then a tremor that shook his body. “If I had listened. If I had stayed,” he continued in a whisper, “Grace would still have a mother. We’d still be a family. She wouldn’t be trapped, living a hell, with a withered hag as a jailer.”

Gold knew Jefferson was referring, not to Cloe Grace, but to Mother Trude, the ‘neighbor’ supposedly looking out for Grace, where the woman the curse had cast as her mother could not.

“I can fix this,” he whispered.

“No!” Jefferson cried, snatching at him and hauling him close as if to shake him like a rag doll. “Rumplestiltskin, No!”

“You can have her back. Your Grace.”

“She doesn’t know me!” Jefferson released Gold, and unbalanced he teetered back until Jefferson steadied him, but then The Hatter threw up his arms again. “Not as her father. As far as she knows, her papa was taken away when she was small. Ripped away from her by the authorities for gods know what!”

“Jefferson…” he tried to interrupt the man’s agonized tirade.

“That’s her reality. All she’s ever known in this world.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” Gold said softly, when Jefferson’s anguish burned itself out. “Nor in the way she has to live now.”

“You think Regina wouldn’t find some way to torment her to punish me if anything about the life she inflicted on Grace changed? Especially if she knew you were involved… even if she doesn’t know you’re awake?”

Gold shook his head, but couldn’t find the words to disarm Jefferson’s justifiable fears.

“And if she finds out!?” Jefferson’s agitation rose again, and he filled the space around him with desperate gestures. “No… Rumplestiltskin, no. I… I can’t… I…”

Through Jefferson’s flailing, and over his shoulder, Gold saw the shadow of a figure moving past the front of the shop, pausing for a moment by the door as if the person would come inside. No one did, but Gold had recognized the figure none-the-less. He would know her anywhere.

“It may now be out of either of our hands,” he said, and watched as Jefferson turned in time to see the shadow move away from the door.

[sage-nebula]

Deltarune’s Ending - Kris or Chara?

One of the most commonly debated topics in the fandom right now is whether the person who rips out Kris’ SOUL at the end of the game is Kris themself or Chara. Personally, I’m of two minds about it; my first instinct when I played the game is that it was Chara, but after playing through the ending a couple more times (and getting to know Kris a bit better), I’m starting to lean toward the fact that it may well be Kris, and that there are few different potential motivations for why they might have ripped their SOUL out and tossed it in the rusted birdcage. I'm making this post so I can have my thoughts all laid out in one place. Note that I’m not trying to “prove” or “disprove” either one of these theories, before anyone gets heated; I’m just trying to lay things out as I see them at the moment.

So with that said, let’s go beneath the cut.

Theory One: Chara

The first theory is that Chara took over Kris’ body at the end, ripped out their SOUL, and chucked it in the birdcage. There are quite a few reasons why so many of us jumped to this conclusion, I think, particularly since the ending was so shocking that our screams were heard around the globe. In no particular order:

1.) Kris’ design is very reminiscent of Chara.

While Kris’ hair color and skin color are actually the exact same colors used for Frisk, overall the brown hair + green and yellow striped shirt is very reminiscent of Chara for most of us, even though the green and yellow used in Kris’ shirt is not the same green and yellow used in Chara’s. (But then, the blue and purple used for Dark Kris’ pallet isn’t the same as Frisk’s shirt, either!) Though the exact same shades aren’t used, the colors are still relatively close enough that a player who doesn’t have Chara fresh in their mind won’t notice the difference. I didn’t, at least, and this is probably extra hilarious because I actually spent the entire day cosplaying Chara the day this came out (since it was our Halloween party at work, and I went as Chara since I got the locket with my collector’s edition---and yes, I’d planned this before I ever knew Deltarune was a thing, it was just very lucky timing). While there are definitely visual similarities to Frisk as well (again, the hair and skin color), the sweater color is likely what most players will zero in on, and the yellow and green is very reminiscent of Chara, moreso than Frisk.

2.) Kris has a sweet tooth, as does Chara.

Chara’s sweet tooth is a bit harder to spot, given that they don’t have as much of a public presence in Undertale as Kris does in Deltarune, but not only do they make it a point to gripe about how there isn’t any chocolate in Asgore’s fridge in the genocide run, but if you subscribe to the NarraChara theory, they also provide Frisk with a joke to tell Snowdrake about a kid who ate a pie with their bare hands. Considering that the other jokes that Frisk is provided with by the narrator also relate to Chara’s and Asriel’s childhood, it could stand to reason that the kid who ate the pie with their bare hands . . . was Chara.

And that . . . is a very Kris thing to do.

While I regretfully didn’t grab screenshots of this because I clicked through the dialogue options too quickly (and didn’t wish to play through the entire ending again), when Kris first returns home at the end of the day, Toriel tells them that she baked a pie---and then very sternly tells them to not eat the entire thing again, implying that Kris has done so before. Toriel also, if Kris talks to them about the pie, says that a pie is a perfect cure for loneliness . . . provided she actually gets to eat some. Which, again, implies that Kris has a history of eating entire pies by themself. (And let’s be honest, Kris is a naughty gremlin, evidence of which I’ll provide later in this post. They would totally forgo a fork and knife to just scoop the pie out with their fingers, you know they would.)

Sans, who met Toriel the night before, also has this to say:

Kris not only eats entire pies by themself, but they also break into Toriel’s room to eat all her chocolate. Pie and chocolate are two favorite foods that Chara and Kris seem to have in common.

3.) They both have “a SICK sense of humor!”

In Undertale, we’re told that Chara has a “SICK sense of humor” by Flowey, after Flowey begins to realize that Chara is going to turn on him and kill him, too. Flowey, who is in actuality Asriel and thus knows exactly who Chara is, is accusing Chara of joking about killing him, partially out of hope that Chara is joking, but also because it wouldn’t necessarily be out of character for Chara to do so. After all, we know thanks to the True Lab tapes that Chara laughed when they accidentally poisoned Asgore with buttercups, and he almost died. We know that, on a route where all the dogs have been killed (or perhaps it’s just genocide, but I think it also works on routes where all the Snowdin dogs were killed) that Chara thinks such an act is funny, because when you examine the bag of dog food in Alphys’ lab after the dogs have been killed, the narration notes that “you remember something funny.” We know, if you subscribe to the NarraChara theory, that Chara thinks that the fate of Snowdrake’s mother is hysterical (to the point of “tears rolling down your face”), and is baffled when Frisk doesn’t feel the same way. And during a genocide run, when you’re in the battle with RG 01 and RG 02, after Chara runs the quote about “two lovers [. . .] whose love will end in Hell,” they end it with, “I can’t stop laughing.” Chara has a canonically cruel sense of humor. They find others’ pain and misery to be funny. And while Kris’ sense of humor isn’t exactly the same . . . 

. . . it’s similar.

I’ll get more into this later, but Kris is known by their neighbors for being creepy, and we know that they in particular had a fondness for tormenting their classmate and neighbor, Noelle. Noelle is a timid girl who can’t stand up for herself, but numerous dialogue branches tell us that Kris did things like hide under her bed to scare her, put ketchup on their arm and told her it was blood to scare her, told her the pizza restaurant mascot ate children to scare her, and so on. Kris took delight in frightening Noelle, and at least on one occasion had to be beaten with a wiffle ball bat before they’d stop lying. This type of thing feels like the same sort of thing Chara would do. It’s not on the same scale as laughing about people being murdered, no, but it’s a prank at the expense of someone else’s feeling of safety and comfort. It falls in line with someone who has “a SICK sense of humor.”

4.) The way Kris moves at the end of the game is reminiscent of how Chara walks during the genocide run, as told by Papyrus.

While we don’t get to see very much direct movement from Chara during Undertale given that we control them most of the time (most), their gait is described by Papyrus right before that battle:

Having one’s walk described as a “shamble about” paints a very striking image. Chara, while controlling Frisk, is not walking normally; their walk is a slow, awkward shuffle. While I don’t have a gif of this on hand, a “shamble” is the best way I can think of to describe the way Kris walks after they pick themselves up off the floor at the end of the game, even before they’ve ripped out their slow. It’s a very slow, awkward walk; they can’t even hold their body up straight. While we never got to actually see Chara “shamble about from place to place” in Undertale, we were told that’s how they moved, and we did get to see that in Deltarune with Kris there at the end. (It’s notable, too, that this is a striking difference from the only other time we saw Kris move on their own, which was when they dove to protect Susie from the king.)

5.) They flashed a slasher smile, and raised a knife.

Chara was very fond of knives. At the beginning of a genocide route, while looking through Toriel’s kitchen, they ask in red text, “Where are the knives.” At the end of a genocide route, when they find the Real Knife in their former bedroom, the flavor text reads, “Here we are!” While knives are arguably also Kris’ signature weapon due to the fact that they used a sword in the dark kingdom (and that “kris” is a type of dagger), the association that Chara has with knives can’t be overlooked.

Additionally, there’s the slasher smile. In Undertale, whenever a monster encounter begins on a genocide route, the “!” that normally appears above Frisk’s head is replaced with “=)” as the battle begins. While that’s not necessarily a slasher smile per se, we know that Chara is also prone to doing a “creepy face.” We’re told this the first time during the True Lab video tape movie marathon, wherein Asriel (in the past) urges Chara to “do [their] creepy face” for the camera. Near the end of the genocide route, meanwhile, Chara makes a “creepy face” at Flowey, which causes him distress and panic. We don’t know for sure that this is a smile, but given how happy Chara is to kill and how the smiley appears above them every time a new encounter starts, I’d wager that a slasher smile is definitely the kind of “creepy face” Toby had in mind when writing those lines and designing this character. (Additionally, I believe that Flowey tells Chara to stop looking at him with that “creepy face” at about the same time he accuses Chara of having a “SICK sense of humor,” so it would make sense if Chara was smiling there, rather than wearing any other kind of expression.)

(Note: I’m not including the red eyes here because although it’s popular fanon to give Chara red eyes, I don’t think we ever truly see their eyes turn red in the game. Their eyes are hidden in the flashbacks by their bangs---another visual similarity with Kris!---and at the end of a genocide route, their eyes look dark. I don’t think they turn red; while they do change, it’s turn into completely black voids that dark goo bleeds out of. They might flash red when Chara does their jump scare, but the entire screen does, so that doesn’t necessarily make their eyes special. 

EDIT: It has come to my attention that I was being very forgetful last night / early this morning when I wrote this post, because Chara does have red eyes in the soulless pacifist endings. Therefore, the similarities between Chara and Kris jump up even higher, with Kris’ red eyes mirroring Chara’s in those endings. Carry on!)

All of this said, while this does explain why so many of us jumped to thinking that Chara had taken over Kris somehow, this evidence fails to answer the crucial question: How? Deltarune is an alternate universe from Undertale; the two stories have overlapping characters, and perhaps exist in the same multiverse, but our Undertale playthroughs have no effect on this game. Thus, Chara’s line about “let’s move onto the next” from the end of the genocide route has no bearing on this one, particularly since not all of us completed genocide runs (and thus it would be rather punishing to players who did their best to leave the Undertale characters in peace to unleash Chara on this new cast anyway). Chara can’t have made it to Kris because of us, because not all of us made that deal with Chara in the first place.

And then there’s the deal itself. After successfully completing a genocide run, Chara agrees to allow you to remake the world if, and only if, you give them your (or rather, Frisk’s) SOUL. If you refuse, Chara tells you to die then, and leaves you in the void for a long while. When they connect with you again, they again demand your SOUL. From that point forward, every pacifist run you do will be a “soulless” pacifist run.

So here’s the second question: If Chara wanted a SOUL so badly, why would they rip Kris’ SOUL out of their body and throw it in the birdcage?

The SOUL is what Chara wanted, because the SOUL gives them the ability to move freely. If they had a SOUL here, it makes no sense that they’d discard it. And no, they can’t have two SOULs in the same body, because we learned from Undertale that humans cannot absorb human SOULs. They’ve got the one SOUL, and that’s it. Chara wanted a SOUL, so their actions there at the end (aside from the knife and slasher smile) don’t make a whole lot of sense given their original motivations.

And, again, we still don’t know how they would have gotten there in the first place, unless the fountain had something to do with it. We do know that Kris’ SOUL behaved strangely when they approached the fountain, but we have no further context for what that meant at this time.

Anyway, that’s the Chara theory. Moving on to . . .

Theory Two: Kris

The second theory is that this was an act from Kris themself.

First and foremost, let’s get this out of the way: Kris is a strange child. They are a naughty little gremlin and I love them for it. Note that I use the word “child” loosely here; we don’t have an exact age for Kris, but Toriel notes that they’ll be joining Asriel in university “soon,” and their classroom is noticeably more grown-up than the one Toriel teaches in (which Susie calls the classroom for babies). Given that Kris is noted to be heading off to university soon, that their classmates are old enough to work, that Monster Kid was aged up to Monster Teen to join the class (and that they’re in class with characters like Snowdrake, who were teens in the original game), I think it’s safe to say that Kris is actually a strange teenager, rather than a strange child. Nevertheless, I am an adult, and so teenagers are children to me, so strange child they shall remain.

Regardless.

Our first clue that something is not quite right with Kris comes from the very first scene of the game, where we get a look at the bedroom Kris shares with Asriel:

Asriel’s side of the room is bright and beautiful. He has a nice computer, tons of trophies, a bedspread with a nice pattern, star stickers, a flower portrait, an alarm clock . . . it’s clear that Asriel was a well-loved child who took good care of his things. By contrast, Kris’ side of the room is downright depressing. Their bedspread is a drab grey, as is their lamp. They have nothing on their shelves or on their dresser. And at the foot of their bed . . .

There’s a questionable stain on the floor, and then the birdcage and the wagon, one of which (and we’d assume it’s the wagon, but given what happens at the end . . .) has “seen a few crashes.” If you knew nothing about Toriel or Asgore, you would assume that Kris was the unloved child, while Asriel was doted upon and spoiled rotten. We know this isn’t true; we see evidence in-game that both Toriel and Asgore love Kris very much, and want to make sure that’s known. Given how loving both Toriel and Asgore are (and how loving we know Asriel was to Kris, given that we’re told that Asriel used to do things like take Kris to the diner to get hot chocolate after their parents divorced, or how he used to carry them to school), we know that Kris wasn’t neglected or abused. Their side of the room is this barren, depressing, and creepy out of their own choice. And this is further cemented by their . . . other behaviors (a.k.a. here come the naughty gremlin receipts):

These aren’t even all the receipts I could have used; they’re just a small sample. Kris is the type of person who:

Eats entire pies by themself

Breaks into their mother’s room to eat all her chocolate

Drops bath bombs in toilets

Torments shy and timid neighbors (hiding under Noelle’s bed to scare her, telling her the pizza restaurant mascot was alive and ate children to scare her, putting ketchup on their arm and telling her it was blood to scare her . . .)

Spends church services trying to steal “sick fruit juice” instead of paying attention

Routinely forgets their pencils at home and bums pencils off their classmates (and let’s be honest, Kris isn’t the type to return those pencils, either)

Sleeps in class

Doesn’t wake up on time to the point where their big brother had to carry them to school on a regular basis

Is poorly behaved enough to be known as “creepy” by a neighbor, to the point where he tells them this to their face

I could go on. As much as Susie has been ostracized for being thought of as scary and intimidating, it seems that Kris has suffered much the same fate, with Asriel as their only friend, pretty much. It’s implied that Kris, like Susie, didn’t necessarily always want this to be the case; there’s a story told by Bratty (I think---might’ve been Catty, but I’m pretty sure it was Bratty) where they pulled the same trick on Kris that they did on Burgerpants in the original, telling Kris that they could be friends if Kris got them burgers---and then Kris did. (I think it’s also implied Kris stole the burgers, so again---naughty gremlin.) Kris wouldn’t have gone to those lengths if they didn’t want to be friends. But somewhere along the line, it seems Kris stopped caring, because Noelle comments on how odd it is that Kris is being so talkative, and we also see that no one wants to be their partner in class (and that, according to Berdy, Toriel is usually their partner). Kris’ bizarre behavior no doubt contributed to the reason why they don’t have many (if any) friends around town.

So with that being said, the idea that Kris is simply a creepy gremlin who likes to rip their SOUL out and throw it in a birdcage is not altogether that farfetched. After all, if Chara could do creepy things like poison themselves with buttercups so that they could fuse with Asriel and go on a killing spree, who’s to say that Kris couldn’t do creepy things like shove their hand into their own chest to rip their SOUL out and toss it in a birdcage? Chara and Kris do have a lot of similarities, after all, right down to their “SICK sense of humor,” so it’s not out of the question to think that maybe Kris is just the type of person to rip their own SOUL out and throw it in a birdcage at night. Maybe they’re just like that sometimes.

(Also, I won’t lie: The jokes about Asriel sighing and shoving the SOUL back in every morning are hilarious mental images for me.)

But apart from Kris just being like that sometimes, another idea struck me for why Kris might feel compelled to do such a thing . . . well, two other ideas, actually.

The first, and most basic, is that Kris was trying to reassert control. This is a theory that a few people have picked up on, I think. We know that we control the SOUL, and throughout the game we controlled Kris. We were told at the beginning that our choices don’t matter, but Kris’ choices ended up not mattering time and again throughout the game. And this has a noticeable effect; numerous people comment on the fact that Kris seems to be behaving oddly. The nurse comments that Kris can’t play the piano well even though they were always able to before. Noelle comments that it’s unusual for Kris to socialize. A few characters remark that Kris looks ill. They all shrug it off, but it’s clear that while we’re in control of Kris, they’re not in control of themselves, and so ripping the SOUL out at the end might be their way of taking control back (and perhaps the knife and slasher smile are meant to intimidate us rather than serve as a warning for what Kris is about to do to everyone else). That we can still control the SOUL while it’s in the birdcage is indicative of this as well.

The second thought that occurred to me, though . . . is that maybe Kris is trying to make themselves less human, and more monster.

Think about it:

Monster SOULs are not like human SOULs. For one thing, monster SOULs cannot persist after death. Boss monster SOULs can, for a short time, but even they disintegrate after a few moments. Human SOULs also carry incredible power; it would take many monster SOULs to equal even one human SOUL. Combine this with the fact that human SOULs come in multiple colors, and have multiple abilities, and there is a lot that separates human SOULs---and therefore humans---from monsters.

Kris, as far as we know, is the only human in town, and they seem to be rather isolated and ostracized. Again, I don’t think this is a fault on the Dreemurrs’ part, or even the neighbors’ part; as we’ve established, Kris is a creepy gremlin, so we can’t really blame the neighbors for not wanting to spend much time around them. However, Kris’ isolation is still notable. Their side of the room is barren, in stark contrast to Asriel’s. The game console under Asriel’s bed has one standard controller, and one knockoff controller. These are little cues that point to the fact that Kris may feel as though they don’t fit in, despite the love they’ve received from their adopted family. And in fact, just like the story we have wherein Kris tried to befriend Bratty, we also get a story that strongly implies that Kris does wish they were a monster like everyone else:

When Kris was a little one, they asked when their horns would grow in---when they’d look more like their adoptive family. To placate them, Asgore and Toriel bought Kris a pair of fake horns, and Kris---wanting so much to be a monster just like their family---wore them for months. Eventually, Kris gave up; they clearly knew the horns were fake and gave up thinking they could ever be a monster like their family, something which may have caused the depression that led to them leaving their room so barren. (Because I’m sorry, but I can’t look at a room like that, and behavior like this, and not think that Kris has some major emotional issues going on.) We don’t have concrete proof that Kris still wants to be a monster today, but it’s possible (and perhaps even probable) that longing never went away---and now that they’ve taken a trip to the dark kingdom, and knows what their SOUL looks like and how to access it . . . maybe they figured out a way to get one step closer to being a monster just like they’ve always dreamed.

(Or so they think, but remember what Gaster that voice said at the beginning: no one can choose what they are in this world.)

I think that if it truly is Kris at the end, then Kris doing what they did because they want to be a monster and are willing to do anything they can to be a monster rather than a human makes them a more interesting (and sympathetic) character than if they did it just because they’re a creepy weirdo (as Chara was before them according to Papyrus). But that said, all of this is speculation, and we won’t know for sure what’s going on until the full game comes out . . . whenever that is. (And even then we still might not know for sure, because Toby likes to leave ambiguity in his games, and to be honest, I think that makes everything more fun.)

Either way, these are my thoughts on this for now. Goodnight.

[swanqueeneverafter]

33. It’s Not Easy Being Green, Pt.2

The Enchanted Forest. Past. Dark Palace. (Zelena is transported to Regina’s chambers. She looks around the room and opens a wardrobe. Finally, she walks to the dressing table and decides to try the magical task Rumpelstiltskin has given Regina. Smoothly, Zelena succeeds. She is unaware that Rumplestiltskin is watching.) Rumplestiltskin: “Well, this is a day of surprises. I thought it would take you at least until— (He stops in mid-sentence; noticing that the woman is not Regina:) You’re not Regina.” Zelena: “No. I’m Cora’s other daughter.” Rumplestiltskin: “That’s not possible.” Zelena: “I’m Zelena. Her first-born.” Rumplestiltskin: “We’ll see about that. (Rumplestiltskin tears out a hair from Zelena's head and applies it to a potion, which becomes strongly green. Amazed, he looks at the result:) Oh, hello, dearie. A day of surprises indeed.” Storybrooke. Present Day. In The Woods. (Wielding his sword, David swings and cuts a mark into a tree. Puzzled, he turns around facing his opponent. Taking David by surprise his opponent is able to knock David to the ground.) Zelena's Farmhouse. (Hook and Emma carefully approach the house looking through the windows. In the kitchen there’s a teakettle standing on the table.) Emma: (Whispering:) “There’s definitely someone living here. Looks empty right now, though.“ Hook: (Whispering:) “Why are we whispering?” Emma: (Whispering:) “Because good hideouts always look empty. Trust me. I’ve spent a lot of time tracking down people who don’t want to be found. I know about hiding out. (Sneaking around the house, Emma sees a bicycle standing there. She also notices a storm cellar located in the garden:) A storm cellar.” (Hook and Emma approach the cellar. The door is locked. Emma draws her pistol, but Hook stops her.) Hook: “Whoa, wait. Wait. It’s one thing walking around a deserted farmhouse, it’s quite another descending into a one-way cellar with no way out.” Emma: “Scared?” Hook: (Sighs:) “There’s a difference between fear and strategy. We know she’s got flying monstrosities. Who knows what’s down there? If this witch is as powerful as we think, we could use some magical backup. Unless, you’ve been practicing in New York City.” Emma: “Okay, I’ll call Regina. Have her drop Henry at Granny’s. I’d like to see those flying monstrosities trying to get past her crossbow.” Hook: “And her lunch special.” (Emma discovers she received a message from David.)

The Woods. (The hooded figure approaches David who lies on the ground. Sensing someone standing over him, David grabs his sword and gets to his feet. Then, David turns around stabbing his opponent. Unimpressed, the hooded figure lifts David up, strangling him in the process. Pulling back the figure’s hood, David Nolan faces himself.) David: (With a strained voice:) “What are you?” Night Root David: “I’m you. (Chuckling, Night Root David pushes David back to the ground. David picks up his sword:) You can’t defeat me. I smell your fear. It’s like a stench. The stench of a scared shepherd boy who strayed too far from his farm.” David: “I’m not scared of anything.” (He attacks Night Root David. Smoothly, Night Root David parries his strokes.) Night Root David: (Laughing:) “If that were true, I wouldn’t be here. (David attacks his opponent once again. This time his sword tilts and Night Root David forces David down to his knees. With a single powerful stroke, Night Root David cuts David’s sword in half:) Don’t you see? Your fear makes you weak.” David: “No, I’m not afraid.” Night Root David: “Saying that doesn’t make it so.” David: “I’ll die to protect my family.” Night Root David: “That doesn’t make you fearless. Even as the point is proven. (Night Root strangles David:) Give in. It’s easier.” (David gets a glimpse of Emma’s car approaching.) David: “I am afraid. I am afraid I won’t be a good father. But I won’t let that stop me. Not now.”

(Using his broken sword’s hilt, David stabs Night Root David. It crumbles to dust. Panting, David notices that the hilt lies beside him. However, before he can lift it off ground the hilt vanishes in a cloud of green smoke. Emma, Regina and Hook approach him.) Emma: “David, you okay?” (David nods.) Regina: “Well, where is she?” David: “It wasn’t her.” Hook: “Then, who was it? You look whiter than a fresh sail.” David: “Myself.” Hook: “Come again?” Regina: “It’s the witch. She’s toying with us.” David: “Did you guys find where she might be hiding?” Hook: “A farmhouse. We think it’s hers.” David: “Then let’s end this. Let’s send that witch back to Oz.” The Enchanted Forest. Past. (Zelena and Rumpelstiltskin walk together in the woods.) Zelena: “Cora never mentioned me?” Rumplestiltskin: “A first born daughter? I think that’s something I would remember. Now, there’s a spell, a curse I’ve been working on for a very very long time. I foresaw that that curse can only be cast by Cora’s daughter.” Zelena: “That’s why you’ve been training Regina. You thought she was going to cast the curse.” Rumplestiltskin: “Until today. Shall we see what you can do? Magic isn’t about what you see, dearie, it’s about what you feel inside. (Using a black cloth he blindfolds Zelena:) You’ll have to dig deep if you wanna pass tonight’s test.” Zelena: “What am I meant to do?” Rumplestiltskin: “Simple. Find me. (Using magic, he teleports himself. Now, Rumplestiltskin is standing behind Zelena:) Over here, dearie. (Surprised, Zelena turns around. Leaning on a tree Rumplestiltskin appears in front of Zelena, only a few yards away from her. Again, she’s unable to catch him:) Close, but not close enough. Magic comes from emotion. Simply think of a moment that makes you boil with anger.” Zelena: “And use it to feel the magic. Yes, I’ve learned that a long time ago. It’s hard to pick one. Finding out that my mother abandoned me. That my father never wanted me.” Rumplestiltskin: “Getting warmer.” Zelena: (In a high-pitched voice:) “That my sister got everything I’ve ever desired. That she didn’t even have to prove something. It all just happened. And she doesn’t even know what she has.” (Successfully, Zelena grabs Rumpelstiltskin by the arm.) Rumplestiltskin: “Ding Dong. There it is. I can feel it in your nails.” Zelena: “Sorry, I lost control.” Rumplestiltskin: “And now, you need to think of a moment of happiness rein in some of that anger.” Zelena: “What do you think about?” Rumplestiltskin: “I’m the teacher. I ask the questions.” Zelena: “But, if you don’t tell me that how will I learn?” Rumplestiltskin: “Well, like you, I was abandoned as a child. Some spinsters took us in. We didn’t have much. But we got by. Whenever we finished a job they used to bake meat pies. The entire hovel would fill with the most wonderful smell. And after they had cooled they always let me take the first bite. And as the food warmed my body that was the only time I forgot who I really was. A boy who wasn’t wanted by his papa.” Zelena: “Mhm. (Smiles:) Then, I know my moment.” Rumplestiltskin: “What’s that, dearie?” Zelena: “The moment I stopped feeling like someone who wasn’t wanted. The moment you agreed to train me.”

Storybrooke. Present Day. In The Woods. Hook: “Any particular reason she would send a demon who looks like you?” David: “No idea. It was just there wearing my face, harping on my deepest fears.” Regina: “It knew your deepest fears?” David: “Yeah, things I never told anyone, even Mary Margaret. It wasn’t until I’d admitted them that I was able to defeat it by stabbing it with the hilt of my sword.” Regina: “Where is it? Your sword?” David: “Well, that’s the strange part. After I killed it, the hilt… it disappeared.” Hook: “What’s that mean, then?” Regina: “When we face our deepest fears, our true courage comes out. When you used the hilt of your sword to vanquish your fears, your courage transferred into it.” David: “And why did it disappear?” Regina: “It didn’t disappear. She took it.” Emma: “Hang on. The Wicked Witch stole his courage?” Regina: “Well, a symbol of it, at least. And symbols can be powerful totems.” Blanchard Apartment. (Preparing to leave, Zelena opens her handbag. The sword hilt is stored inside.) Mary Margaret: “I’m so glad you came by.” Zelena: “Of course. I so loved getting to know you. And please, thank David again, for meeting with me. You know, I’d heard so many stories about your courageous prince, I just… I just feel so lucky to have met you both.” Mary Margaret: “Oh, we’re the lucky ones. With this curse I had no time to prepare for the baby, and suddenly I feel like I can stop panicking.” Zelena: “Of course, you can. There’s no reason to be scared. That’s what I’m here for.” (Mary Margaret hugs Zelena.) Zelena's Farmhouse. (David, Hook, Regina and Emma approach the storm cellar. Emma notices that the lock is now broken.) Emma: “That lock. It wasn’t busted before. (Emma reaches for her gun and Hook draws his cutlass:) Ready?” (David opens the cellar’s door.) Hook: “So far, so good.” Emma: “Everyone, stay alert. Come on.” (Carefully, Emma walks down the stairs. David, Regina and Hook enter the cellar, too.)

Regina: “There’s definitely dark magic here. (To Emma:) Can you feel it?” Emma: “I don’t know. Maybe. Whatever I feel, it’s not good. (Notices a cage standing in the room. The lock is broken, too:) What would the Wicked Witch keep in a cage? Monkeys?” David: “No, not monkeys. (David turns on the lights. A spinning wheel is standing inside the cage. David crouches down picking up straw from the ground:) How many people do we know who can spin straw into gold?” Emma: “Rumplestiltskin.” The Enchanted Forest. Past. The Dark Castle. (Zelena arranges a meat pie on the table. Rumpelstiltskin enters the room.) Rumplestiltskin: “I don’t remember giving permission for guests.” Zelena: “That’s for you. Meat pie. Just like the spinsters used to make when you were a boy.” Rumplestiltskin: “Can’t stay. Have a lesson to teach.” Zelena: “But, we just finished a lesson.” Rumplestiltskin: “Not with you, dearie. With Regina.” Zelena: “You’re still training her?” Rumplestiltskin: “Did you think I was gonna stop?” Zelena: “Wait. You don’t need Regina. I’m going to cast your curse. (In a high-pitched voice:) She’s not nearly as powerful as me. She doesn’t deserve to have you teaching her.” Rumplestiltskin: (Interrupting her:) “Careful, Zelena. What was it your father used to always tell you?” Zelena: “No matter, what you feel on the inside you always have to put on a good face.” Rumplestiltskin: “You might wanna take his advice. Your inside is starting to show. (Shocked Zelena crosses the room so that she can look into a mirror. She discovers a green spot at her neck:) You’re turning green, dearie. Envy will do that to you. And don’t wait up. This could take a while.” (Zelena turns from the mirror to see that Rumplestiltskin has vanished.)

Storybrooke. Present Day. (Emma Swan enters Granny's Diner. Granny opens the door.) Granny: “If you want privacy, talk fast. We open in twenty and no one gets between Leroy and his bacon.” Hook: “Is there any sign of our quarry?” Emma: “I went all over that farm house and the land around it. Nothing.” David: “Well, now that the sun’s up, we should hit every place Gold might go. His house, shop, his cabin.” Emma: “'Cause dead men love vacation homes. Can someone explain to me how this is even possible? We all saw Gold, he…” Mary Margaret: “Disappeared into nothingness, I know.” Hook: “I might have an inkling. When we went back to the Enchanted Forest, Neal was talking about the possibility of getting his father back.” David: “What? How?” Hook: “He didn’t know how. He just… He missed his family. He was desperate to find a way to return to this world. He believed that bringing his father back was the key.” Emma: “Well, if that was his plan, then obviously something went wrong. Because, while Gold might be alive and kicking, Neal is… He is… We don’t know what he is. We don’t even know if he made it back to Storybrooke. No one’s seen him since this new curse.” David: “He’s out there somewhere.” Regina: “With all due respect, we have bigger issues right now, than who brought Gold back. The fact that he was in the Wicked Witch’s basement for one. I wanna know what the hell she was cooking up with him.” Mary Margaret: “Well, the best way to find that out would be to ask Gold, right?” David: “He could tell us who the witch is, maybe how to track her down.” Regina: “I’m gonna head back to that farmhouse. It’s possible this witch left behind some trace of potion or special ingredient.” Emma: “Have at it. Just be careful.” Regina: (Smiles at Emma’s concern:) “Well, she’s the one who needs to be careful. She invaded my space. When I return the favor, I’m not pulling any punches.”

Storybrooke. Present Day. (Holding the Dark One’s Dagger in one hand Zelena stands in the woods.) Zelena: “I summon thee Dark One. (Nothing happens. Frowning, Zelena tries again:) Rumplestiltskin! (Sighs:) It’s not working. The Dark One’s broken free and he knows far too much. (A flying monkey approaches Zelena:) Find him, beautiful one. Find him, now.” (Shrieking, the monkey takes wing. Meanwhile, Mr. Gold can be seen running through the woods.) Mr. Gold Pawnbroker & Antiquities Dealer. Belle: “So… So, Rumple is alive? I mean, how is that even possible?” Emma: “We were hoping you might be able to tell us that. You know him and the shop better than anyone. If he’s in Storybrooke, there has to be a clue in here about how he got back and how we can find him, now that he is.” Belle: “Yeah, I’ll… I’ll start looking right away.” David: “Keep your eyes out for him, too. If he comes into town…” Belle: “He’ll come to me. Yeah, I know.” (Emma gives Hook a look.) Hook: (Reluctantly:) “I will stay here with you. I’m surprisingly good at research.” Belle: (Faces Hook:) “You will stay with me?” Emma: “He’ll protect you, if the witch comes.” Belle: “You do know he’d tried to kill me?” Hook: “Well, there were extenuating circumstances.” Belle: “Twice.” Hook: (Flatly:) “Sorry.” Emma: “You really know how to charm a girl, don’t you?” Hook: “This will be my way of making it up to you. Hmm?” Belle: “Fine.” Emma: “All right, we should really get out into the woods.” David: “Hey, maybe you should stay home?” Mary Margaret: “Me? I’m the best tracker here.” David: “I know, but we’ll manage. Remember what Zelena said, you need your rest.” Emma (Approaches Belle:) “Belle, thank you for your help. Don’t worry, we’re gonna find him.” Belle: “Okay. Thank you.”

[heynells-blog1]

May Money Diaries // Recommitting to Low Waste Food Shopping

For the month of May, I’ll be recording my weekly expenses and sharing them as my “May Money Diaries”. Inspired by the “Money Diary” series on Refinery 29 and The Luxe Strategist, I thought it would be interesting to see how I hold up against my budget and long-term financial goals. I think I’m quite disciplined with my spending, but I ocassionally have slip-ups - these usually occur around food (eating out with friends) and coffee shops.

Photo 1 of many vegan low-waste | zero waste food hauls to come! 

Monday was my usual full day of babysitting, and I ended the day with a kickboxing class in Greenwich Village. 

During my lunch break, I bought 1 pack of vegan cheese and 1 pack of tempeh at Trader Joe’s - I amost bought a bar of 90% dark chocolate, but I returned it because I had 3/4 remaining from last week’s dark chocolate bar. 

Last week, I forgot to include the $20 online donation I made to my friend’s AIDS Walk New York fundraising page - so I added it to Monday’s expenses. 

I feel like a queen whenever I record a $0 day. I went about my usual babysitting and work from home schedule, and I made and ate meals at home. 

Since I meal prep at least 60% of my food during the weekend, I only spend 5-10 minutes prepping each meal and enjoying it within my alloted 30 minute meal time. I made vegan meals using groceries from last weekend. I tend to buy enough to last for 1.5 weeks because I want to get rid of any temptation to “eat out” just because I’m feeling “kind of tired”. 

It was a smooth morning going from baby sitting in Jersey City to my work meeting in Williamsburg. I was pleased at not paying for subway fare - kudos to my boss for providing me with prepaid student fare tickets. 

I wanted to have another $0 day. But after my work meeting, I needed a coffee shop for WiFi and to shelter me from the rain. I didn’t have a lot of options in finding a coffee shop near my afternoon babysitting gig that wasn’t crammed with people. I settled for the coffee shop closest to my kids’ pick-up location, though it had an expensive menu. In my opinion, $3.50 for an iced green tea is overpriced, but that day it was so humid and my throat was begging for a cold drink. I also didn’t want to take away time from working. 

$0 Day #2! Babysat in the morning, went back home to work and eat lunch, then left to head into NYC for a work meeting - subway paid for [again] with my student fare cards. 

My meeting ended early and I considered walking from Union Square to Chinatown; but I decided to use the 1 hour till babysitting to sit and work in the cafe. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do any work the next day, so I did as much as I could before my afternoon babysitting gig. 

I got hungry waiting for my kids and from using lots of brainpower during the meeting, so I helped myself to a few snacks from my kids’ pantry. I’m grateful that their mom is transitioning to being vegan, so the kitchen is well-stocked with vegan snacks. 

And because I was determined to have a $0 day, I made and ate dinner at home.

Hail Friday! I woke up a little anxious because I was going to meet my partner’s parents for the first time AND I also needed to stop by Whole Foods’ bulk bin section and Union Square Greenmarket before 1:30pm. I had a lot to do before and after my 9:30AM babysitting gig. 

In the past few weeks, I’ve been disgusted at the amount of plastic I’ve been using because I used to be committed to making less trash at least 70% of the time. I began losing track of my habits last winter, right after I finished my compost apprenticeship with Earth Matter NY. I got caught up in the stress of my dual work schedule that I started shopping out of convenience versus considering the long-term environmental consequences of my actions. I used and bought a ton of items that came in plastic. After realizing how far I’d fallen from my progress on making less trash and being plastic-free, I decided to recommit to baby steps on living a low-waste | zero-waste lifestyle. 

Whole Foods’ Bulk Bins

I rushed to get to Whole Foods by 8AM because I wanted to have enough time to peruse their bulk bins and determine my food choices - before babysitting at 9:30AM. After 5 minutes of careful deliberation, I got roasted and unsalted peanuts, roasted and unsalted almonds, and black beans; those are some of my common vegan food staples and those were also some of the cheaper options. 

I wish I knew how many pounds I got of each item, as I just filled my small cotton produce bags halfway or to the top. Since I was rushing, I didn’t look for a scale. I wasn’t worried about getting too much because I knew I would consume those items daily. In particular, I got A LOT of peanuts because I decided that I would no longer buy peanut butter from a jar since most store jars are made out of plastic. Instead, I’ll just add 1/4 or 1/3 cup of peanuts to my oatmeal every morning. I probably got enough peanuts to last me for 2-3 months. 

Because I love vegan cheese and I don’t have time to make it, I bought 1 packet of Daiya vegan cheddar. I don’t feel bad because I actually need it and it’s a manageabe food splurge. I died a little bit inside knowing that the bag was made of plastic, but I reminded myself that the point of being low waste | zero waste is doing what one can, within their money and time, to make sustainable choices. Also, it’s challenging to avoid plastic because it’s used almost everywhere. Instead of being hard on myself, I’d rather focus on taking this in as a learning experience and figure out a solution for future cheese cravings - this is how I’m practicing conscious decision-making. 

The total amount I spent at Whole Foods was $26.87. It’s a lot for 4 items, but I predict the amount of peanuts, almonds, and black beans will last me for at least 2-3 months and will save me some time for grocery shopping (since I won’t have to go back weekly to refill my cloth bags). The vegan cheese will probably be consumed within 1 month. 

Union Square Greenmarket 

After babysitting my Upper West Side child, I took the subway down to Union Square Greenmarket to buy fresh produce for me and homemade vegan dessert for my partner’s parents. 

For $11.75 I bought 5 apples, portobello mushrooms, spinach, and parsley to last me for 1 week. I didn’t buy a lot of fresh produce because I still have leftovers from last week’s food haul, and I didn’t want any produce to go to waste.  

I spent $16.50 on a vegan apple pie, vegan sweet potato and pumpkin pie, and a vegan sunflower double chocolate cookie from Body & Soul Bakeshop. I love Body & Soul because they make everything by hand and use local ingredients, and I think the prices for all their baked goods are fair and reasonable. The two vegan pies were for my partner’s parents, while the [huge] cookie was for me and my partner to share. I felt good after paying for everything because I spent less than my $20 budget and the cookie was so chewy, delicious, and moist with dark chocolate. 

For the Rest of Friday ...

I spent the afternoon with my partner’s parents. After eating with them, my partner and me went to the movies to watch Deadpool 2. My partner paid for my ticket because he had an offer that only required him to pay $4 for the ticket. Since the movie ended late and we got stuck in traffic heading back to Jersey City, we didn’t have time to get dinner together. 

It was a $0 day because I ate 2 meals at home (using food from last week’s food haul), and my parents paid for lunch at one of my favourite restaurants in Jersey City. My parents always pay for meals on the weekend because it’s the only time they get to see and actually talk to me. 

On Sundays, I rarely spend any money because I either eat my meals at home or I cook food / eat out with my partner. I’m not spending ay money today because I’m eating whatever food I have in the fridge and in my pantry. 

Considering that I spent more this week compared to last week, I’m relatively calm because I know $26.87 of that was on food expected to last me for 2-3 months. 

My mom surprised me with unexpected food purchases for this week - 1 pack of vegan Italian sausage, 1 pack of vegan burgers, avocados, raspberries, and strawberries. I felt a little bad that she bought the vegan saursages and burgers because I wonder if she did that because she knows I’m getting tired of eating beans and chickpeas. With my mom’s purchases, I know I have enough sources of protein and oatmeal toppings. I predict that next week’s farmers market haul will consist mainly of vegetables. 

[wireghana3-blog]

My First Day, 2018 Edition

I had my first day with kids this past Thursday. We had only 30 minutes with each of our classes, so I went back and forth about what I wanted to do. Some years, I like to get them in their groups and we start right away. I have a compelling question or *something* that starts the first unit, and we charge ahead. When I do this, I’m thinking “I want kids to see what we do every day in class. We do math. We work together. We don’t waste time.” [1] Kids seem to enjoy that. They are usually revved up and excited to start, even though we’re all a little sad that summer is over. (Okay, very sad.) But there’s energy in the air.

This year I decided to do something different. A colleague of mine did this for a class we both co-taught years ago, and I really thought it would be a great way to start this year.

Part I: The Initial Card Sort that Sorted My Kids Into Their First Groups

I said hello for literally only one or two minutes, and then I shared the activity we were going to do for 15-20 minutes. We were going to do a puzzle-y card sort to figure out who was grouped with whom. But in order for the class to be successful, they all needed to work together. I projected a sample card. I said anyone is allowed to use a calculator. But some of the cards might require some laptop assistance. So they had a little laptop symbol on it.

So in this case, for example, I knew almost none of my kids would know what binary numbers are, but using google they could find a converter online that would say this was actually “170.”

Each card had a kid’s name written on back. So each kid got “their” card. And their goal was to find others who were in their group because their cards formed a logical group. Here’s a sample group to show you what the cards looked like and how they link:

See if you can tell what the link is among these four cards…

I’ll give you a second.

I will reveal the answer in the next line, so don’t keep reading until you are sure you want to know.

Okay, the link is the number “ten.” So 10! is the number of seconds in six weeks. When the kids type those equations into desmos, they will see the number 10 show up. Neon is the 10th atomic element. And “X” is 10 in roman numerals.

You can see why kids are going to need each other and the class is going to have to work together. Because until someone recognizes that “ten” is a category, these all seem very unconnected. But as soon as you know someone’s card represents “ten,” then things like the neon symbol or the “x” make sense.

I’m kinda proud of these, so I’ll show you another:

The theme? “Pi.” The first one is circumference over diameter, the second is a recipe for pie crust, the third is an approximation for pi, and the fourth is a world record holder for reciting the digits of pi.

(If you want to download my cards, here you go: Group Card Sort! And the explanations are Group Card Sort Explanations.)

I only had allotted 15-20 minutes for this. I had no idea if this would go quickly or take forever. In all four classes I did this in, I was able to get them to finish in 20 minutes but only through some careful prodding/help. If I were a bit more hands off, I could see this easily taking 40 minutes and it being time well spent. But alas, I didn’t. Here’s how I intervened:

After 7 minutes, I stopped everyone. I asked who knew what they had. A few people did.

Throughout the time, I gave a “few” hints where I could, but mainly I was acting as facilitator to help others help each other. So for the pie crust recipe one, I had the person go around asking if anyone was a baker (or I would shout out to the room if anyone liked to bake, and had them come to us).

When someone wasn’t doing anything, I had them go help others. They might have been confused about their card, but they could help others (and get help from others).

Sometimes when a kid “got it” but still had some uncertainty, I would put them out of their frustration and tell them they got it. If I didn’t have time pressure, I wouldn’t have done this, but it didn’t ruin the activity or anything.

After 15 minutes, with my proddings and connecting, kids were doing pretty well. So I stopped everyone and had people who knew what their card represented be quiet. There were always three or four people who were stuck. So I had them share their card or write their puzzle on the board and see if anyone could figure it out in the remaining few minutes. (We wrote the different “solved” categories on the board, so sometimes they could figure out their card by seeing what it might be.) They gathered, talked, and some classes barely finished in time and others didn’t. I didn’t focus on that. For the ones that didn’t get them all in 20 minutes, I quickly went through the explanation of the remaining few cards.

It was really fun for me to watch, and I saw kids really getting into the puzzle-aspect of things. The first time a kid figures out their card and finds someone else with the same thing, it’s just a wonderful feeling. It honestly feels impossible to kids at the beginning. They literally start looking for anyone with the exact same card as them, or if they have a picture they’re looking for other people with pictures. But as soon as they realize it’s more challenging and more interesting, I get to see how they react and what they do. Do they sort of back down? Do they go help others? Do they hope someone comes to them? My big goal was having kids realize they can’t do this alone and most cards won’t tell you what they are so you need to hear about others and help others.

Oh! One big thing. I realized in the first class that kids were just kinda sitting with their cards. So I made a rule that until the card sort was over and everyone in the class figured out their cards, no one was allowed to sit down — not even when using their laptops. This actually got kids up and moving. It was a small thing, but I know it was super helpful to making this a success.

I wish we had time for kids to say hi to their first group and do a little group norm setting, but alas with only 10 minutes left, I had to transition.

Part II: New Years

So I totally saw Howie Hua’s first day post and was in love. It was positively inspired. Often times, people post awesome things they do in their classrooms that are awesome but just not me. When I read this, I felt: “OMG THIS IS ME!” He celebrated new years with his classes. Here’s one of his students’ videos/tweets:

And it really got me thinking. The first day IS my new years. My life doesn’t go in January-December cycles. It goes in September-August cycles! And it was the perfect time for kids to make a new years resolution. They had 90 seconds of thinking to come up with something.

Then after 90 seconds, I threw up this screen, obliquely referencing the Maurader’s Map from Harry Potter (but opposite-ish) and I had them recite this pledge:

Then I gave each kid a baggie that I prepared. In it was a super fancy piece of origami paper, a mardi-gras necklace that someone had a zillion of and was throwing them away, and a noisemaker I bought from amazon. It mabye took me 45 minutes to put these all together. But totally worth it. For some reason, I believe that being given your own personal goody bag is way more exciting than having someone pass out necklaces, noise makers, and origami paper individually.

I then handed out party hats too (but those had to be returned to me). I actually always keep a stack of party hats in my office, and when it’s a kids birthday, I give them a hat, candy, and we sing a short birthday song. As I said, this idea of Howie’s fit me!!! Anyway, kids had to write their name and their resolution on the origami paper which I collected. (Later that day, I put them together in a ziploc bag and hung them visibly in the room so this doesn’t become a thing we did but wouldn’t return to. I was thinking I’d give them back to kids after the end of the first semester so they can see how they’re doing on their resolution. But I might have another brilliant idea. Who knows!) As soon as the bags were out, the noise makers were making noise. And that was a lovely cacophony of BWWWAAAPP and BAAAAAAAA noises. (That was also why I had kids pledge to do no evil with what they were given… *grin*)

In any case, I was standing at the front of the room when they worked on writing their resolutions. When they were done, they had to bring up the resolution to me and wait at the front of the room with me (with the necklace, hat, and noisemaker). After 2-3 minutes everyone was up. And then… we took a class picture, all decked out, blowing on the noisemakers and just being amazing. And oh yeah, we also took a class boomerang (which is an app that lets you take a 2 second video and plays it over and over).

The boomerang was my favorite part because kids were jumping up and ducking down and doing fun things. And I kind of am obsessed with boomerangs. So there’s that.

I think I’m going to get these photos printed and framed, and hang them up in the classroom. I don’t know what to do about kids who were missing  (there were a few) or who transfer in after some schedule change, but maybe I’ll list them missing on a caption instead of some awkward photoshop job?

Our first day together. (I did post the boomerang video and our class photograph on the google classroom site in case any kid wanted it.) [2]

And then it was the end of our first 30 minutes together. I was really happy with how it went. I like the feeling that I left each class starting the year with good vibes. Thanks go to my chemistry teacher colleague and friend for the card sort idea which I made into something my style (with my kind of clues!), and to Howie Hua for helping me make a memorable moment to start the year.

***

[1] We do a lot of the logistics things in the following week. They read the course expectations at home and fill out a “get to know you” google form which also asks them questions that require the expectations to finish. And then each day or day, I talk about one or two things I want to be explicit about (like how to write me an email, or that’s it’s okay to go to the bathroom and they don’t need to ask, but they do have to discretely let me know they’re leaving if I don’t see them, or that they need to bring a waterbottle to class because they can’t leave to get a drink).

[2] I just realized this photo could be fun to have up on the screen on parent night, when parents/caretakers come in two weeks to hear me talk about our class.

Source: https://samjshah.com/2018/09/09/my-first-day-2018-edition/

[rusticrevivals]

“The powerful wind swept his hair away from his face; he leaned his chest into the wind, as if he stood on the deck of a ship heading into the wind, slicing through the waves of an ocean he’d not yet seen.”  ― John Irving, The Cider House Rules

One of my favourite books, that.  The Cider House Rules.  Not really about apples or cider.  Not too much, even, about our neighbouring state of Maine.  But very deep, very philosophical and very beautiful.  If you haven’t read or seen it, do so. The parts that DO take place in the orchards are both romantic and dramatic.

Apple orchards ARE a place of romance for many. Through the ages they have been lovely settings – L.M. Montgomery’s Anne was ALWAYS mentioning “The White Way of Delight”, even when it wasn’t June and the blossoms weren’t  exploding on tree limbs.  Vintage postcards and greeting cards romanticize the entire system of keeping up an orchard.

  While my brother-in-law proposed to my sister in his grandparents’ old-farm orchard on the west coast of Newfoundland and although Richard’s niece is to get married here next summer under our own lovely apple trees with the Appalachians as the backdrop,

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we are actually finding our little orchard of apple trees to be a primary source of frustration (2nd to the constant blackfly problem for me, I’d say).

Our apple trees seem to be a focal point for our amazing views, no matter what the season.  They are dainty and pretty in spring, laden with  big red apples in late summer, dramatically ‘spiky’ in fall as they lose their leaves, and always holding sparkling layers of clean snow in winter.  Even more so, they are often ‘at the end of the rainbow’, or part of the footlights of the setting sun’s reflections:

And both last year and this we had a heavy crop of apples.  Here’s just a branch from one, taken at the wildflower garden we are slowly working on (and beside which the bride will glide next July!)

I’ve long been a fan of apple fests, apples-for-the-teacher, apple-blossom themes, and my work as Rustic Revivals proves this:

In fact, for their Christmas gift last year I made my sister and brother-in-law a hat hook for their summer cottage/old farm’s entranceway, romanticizing their engagement and reminding them of other things in their lives they love to share:

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However, it is not the quantity of apples here that is a worry, NOR even the quality, though 80 percent do have some kind of wormhole.  But I’ve taught Richard not to worry so much about those, as I just cut them out and go on with whatever I planned to do that particular day with that harvest.  The problem is, for two years in a row, and trying all the recommended options, we have been unable to KEEP our apples for longer than 2 weeks!  We divide them into three categories when we pick – “kitchen”, “animal treats” and “compost”.  I do try to get as many into some kind of production in the kitchen that day or the next, but with so much else to be harvested at the same time, it would make life easier if the apples could be put off say, until after Thanksgiving (Can. one, in early Oct., not the American one near end of Nov.).  But no such luck!

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Part of the problem with having an Olde Homestead is that the pioneers didn’t have the selection of various apples we have today, and thus many didn’t plant some of the more rugged thick-skinned apples that were made for winter storage.  Although we learned last year that one is supposed to wrap each apple separately in paper BEFORE putting into cold storage, that didn’t work any better this year than NOT wrapping them did last year.  So there went about 6 hours of my time wasted, over the course of several days of wrapping! (Those ones were primarily the ones we’d deemed for the animals, so admittedly they had more bruises, but according to all my reading they still should have kept better/longer!)

   The other part of the problem of Olde Homestead-owning is that there are usually, for many years, people not tending to the orchard’s needs, not pruning the trees, for instance, and not keeping the apples raked up from under the limbs every year (and this must be done immediately, as soon as a few apples have fallen or the next year’s harvest will be ‘buggier’ and less plentiful, we’ve learned!)  My brother-in-law, Boyd, has run into the same problem of years of neglect, on his grandparents’ farm – and he has chosen what I consider a frightening option. He’s cut down many of the old trees, and planted new ones, essentially starting from scratch.  For reasons of time, expense and yes, romanticism (I don’t want to start chopping down Ida May’s trees that she planted just before she died at age 33 in 1931!) we will have to find another solution.  And I couldn’t even convince Richard to purchase a pear tree for this year, to plant, so we’re one season further from having our own delectable yellow fruit as well!

Here’s my brother-in-law and sister standing in front of our apple trees in July:

If you’ve seen 3 more goofier-looking adults, it could only be with the addition of Richard in the frame.  We weren’t even TRYING to look silly, we were just smiling! (my skirt courtesy of cousin Linda’s family, some of our visitors this summer)

After completing losing about two bushels of apples we’d picked and I’d wrapped and put in the coldest part of our basement (they went to compost, but it still hurts!) we were invited to our Honey Man’s farm.  He allowed us to pick a plethora of his own apples, less blighted than ours.  But he still warned us they wouldn’t last long, even if wrapped.  Stubbornly, and as I was so busy preparing beans, peas, tomatoes, etc. I wrapped all of them late one night and had them put in the basement.  Within a few days, thanks to blackflies and fruitflies, we noticed they were starting to get mushy, so Richard went to buy a solid metal apple-peeler, and he went to work on them!

Mom and I did what we could by hand to keep up:

(Mom’s apron – and ours hanging in background just above her head – courtesy of Shirley Robinson, yet another of our many guests this past year).

The nice thing about the apple-slicer was that I was at least able to freeze several buckets of just slices, so at least in a way we have preserved ‘apples’ that we could eat ‘fresh’ or also feed as treats to the animals when it gets cold and they are very bored.  However, a bit of lemon juice or my homemade apple cider vinegar on them before they start to thaw is necessary so they don’t turn brown, which Richard hates.  The slices are also great to put into pies or loaves, but I also, as last year, immediately made apple sauce, juice, cider and apple cider vinegar.  (The many health, baking and cleaning uses for this latter were mentioned in my blog post on our apple harvest last year).  Here are the many processes we had to do over the course of only about 5 days:

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The apple sauce isn’t just eaten as apple sauce, but we reheat to pour over ice-cream, frozen yogurt (hopefully next year made with goats’ milk!), we CAN use it in my soda-cracker quick-pies, and a few table spoons can be put in bran mash for Chevy or Cammie on really cold days. (One thing I didn’t make this year, and we shall miss, is the delectable apple BUTTER!) The last photo is all the scraps we save from the peelings, which is then corked and allowed to sit for a month before we pour and strain to get the proper type of  ACV, with the all-important ‘mother’.  I try and drink a spoonful of this in water every day (sweetened with honey or Stevia).

So, while the apple harvest WAS a bit disappointing again this year, and there are no big red globes in our basement for easy access, there’s nothing like knowing that, thanks to our neighbour’s offer of a 2nd harvest of HIS apples, our freezer and pantry are at least full of pails and jars of the innerds! And there’s nothing like heating up that applesauce to have with a bit of custard, either! Hmmmm…

(that apron is courtesy of my grandmother McKenzie, from the old Sparta Mercantile circa about 1982, and the bonnet is from an etsy seller.  I have to put on this “Little House on the Prairie” get-up because many of our u.k. visitors seem to think we’re a cross between the Ingalls and the Waltons!)

Sadly, however, Richard came home from town yesterday with something that upset me, and I mean to fix this issue once and for all next year.  There HAS to be a way!  He wanted us to have a few fresh apple slices in our salads, and he wanted to feed Chevy ‘treats’ because he spoils him rotten.  Like a rotten apple!

Everything about this upsets me, the plastic bag, the unnecessary money spent, the fact that these apples aren’t local and certainly have been chemically sprayed, and the fact that we don’t seem one step closer to living self-sufficiently with these on our table, and two huge apple trees outside our bedroom window!

One thing we didn’t do was wrap them AND put them on single layers on racks downstairs.  We do have these racks built into the basement, so I shall try a few of them next year.  But anyone that’s found any other ideas for making them last at least to November, I’d very much like to hear your experiences!

Of course around here, the old farm orchards are being terrible wasted.  Although this is a pretty sight this week – I still HATE seeing it, as there’s so much we could have done with all of those if I could but learn how!

I even saw someone with spotlights on their apple trees like this, lit up for Christmas!  While it was lovely – I STILL wanted to go pick those apples!

When we first moved here Jane Hansen gave me a Victoria County recipe book from the local ladies of 60 or 70 years ago.  There are many ideas for baking with apples, so the slices in our freezer WILL come in handy for these, and it’s nice to know I’m using recipes handed down by our neighbours:

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Still, to add insult to injury (in my head at least) is the fact that I’ve been looking for more blue stoneware plates and bowls to replace the ones Richard breaks on a regular basis.  I once had a collection of 6 of each, with red hearts, and I’ve looked everywhere to find the red hearts again. They aren’t on etsy,ebay, or anywhere that I can find, but I did luck out and find these a few weeks ago in Value Village in Fredericton:

  Would you BELIEVE I have to look at apples now at every meal, just to remind me there’s no whole ones for us OR the livestock?  Ah, well — I bet you thought this whole blog was going to be about apples, though, didn’t you?

But we spend our days slicing through life in other ways.  Whether the bread I make every 2nd or 3rd day is in a traditional loaf pan, or like this one, we get better and better at slicing just the right thickness for toast, sandwiches or chunky warm delights with stews or soups:

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And Richard always has to have a ‘sweet loaf’ to slice up, in addition to the cookies/scones in the cookie jar:

(Fingerless mitts: an early Christmas gift  knitted by our dear friend, the lovely Hudson, Quebec artist Jane Wright, and made with the alpaca wool purchased at the last pioneer show the Wrights helped me organize in Ontario,  from Alpaca Avenue near Toronto: http://www.alpacaavenue.com/    See Jane’s artwork at:

http://www.janewright.ca/  )

And we don’t have much snow yet. Jennifer Clarvoe writes, in “Invisible Tender” that while  they had been slicing through the snow, it can’t have been very thick because greeny grass tufted through it and it was gravelly, dimpled, pocked.”  But nonetheless, Richard and Chevy have already been hard at the “Slicing Through” process, bringing in logs from our own woods for next years heat source.

  Not bad for a guy who’d never really handled a horse prior to May of this year, is it?

The next few weeks’ blogs will not be about harvesting/processing food anymore, you’ll likely be happy to read.  I promised I’d write about the big 100th anniversary of our church, the entertainment for which I was asked to organize, as well as more details about the New Denmark filming with t.v. star Jonny Harris and the crew from CBC’s Still Standing. Those 2 events encompassed just 10 days at the beginning of September of which I’ve only hinted at in a prior ‘tease’.   And all this past week and next Richard and I are involved again with the Perth/Andover Community Choir and the 2nd Wind Music Centre Choir from Bristol. Not only have we teamed up with them for the big July 1st 150 Voices concert, but we’ve sung with them for the fall concerts with the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra and are now joining them for the Christmas season. In fact, this weekend we are dressing as angels (I know, imagine Richard as an angel – it’s nearly impossible, isn’t it?) and going to “Bethlehem”  to sing for two rustic days, as Victoria County is invited to walk or drive-thru to see the merchants and travellers, nasty inn-keeper and new-born babe from 2000 years ago.  And then on two big days following we sing a tricky Vivaldi, bellowing from two different church choir lofts, down upon the Bristol choristers who answer us from below.  Glor-i-a, Glor-i-a Forevermore!  Just another Slice of Rural Life here at Blue Belldon Farm!

  Slicing Through “The powerful wind swept his hair away from his face; he leaned his chest into the wind, as if he stood on the deck of a ship heading into the wind, slicing through the waves of an ocean he’d not yet seen.”