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spencessmile · 4 years ago

Text

Trinity House

Pairing - Spencer Reid x Reader

Summary - You and Spencer visit a bookstore that’s close to both of your hearts.

Warnings - Fluff

Word Count - 2216 words

And all imagines/fanfics/blurbs are written solely by me so please don't steal my work and post it without my consent. Happy reading!

A/N - Went to a bookstore earlier today and thought about this cute concept. Gah, I would do anything to be able to go to a bookstore with Spencer.

Requests are open!

Spencer sat across from you in the living room. He was seated near the fireplace, case files surrounding him.

You were on the couch, a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream in your left hand as you doodled in your sketchbook, feeling snug in his blue sweater that was over-sized on you.

"How are the drawings coming along?" Spencer asked, looking up at you.

"It's getting there," You said, going over the lines to give your drawing a messy look.

"We don't have any plans for the evening, right?"

"Well, I was planning on finishing this drawing and then starting my next one because I have a crazy idea for it."

"Mint chocolate chip ice cream and drawings, the two things to keep you happy in life."

"Make sure you never run out of mint chip ice cream or sketchbooks."

"Wouldn't dream of it babe," Spencer blushes.

"If I ever came home and our freezer didn't have any more mint chip ice cream or your desk didn't have piles of my favorite quality of sketchbooks, I would run away."

"I wouldn't let you run," Spencer responds.

"Good." You said, looking back down at your drawing.

You and Spencer continued to quietly work until you felt his eyes on you.

"Your staring at me," You said.

"I'm admiring."

"Well," You said putting your sketchbook down and walking over to him. "You're distracting me." You sat down beside him, flipping over his case files not wanting to see whatever he was working on. You had huge respect for what Spencer did for a living but you made it very clear to him to keep his case files feets away from you. You chose to see the good in the world but you knew that as you looked into one of those files you would lose all faith in the world, you didn't want that.

"Let's go to Trinity House," Spencer smiles.

"Really?"

"We haven't been in so long. Come on," Spencer helps you off the ground and races down the hall to grab his satchel.

"Can I at least change?" You ask as Spencer walks back out.

"Why?"

"Because I look a little messy," You motioned down to your clothes.

"I love when you look messy," He replies, pecking your lips.

Spencer held your hand as you drove passed down familiar streets. Spencer and you loved Trinity House in words you couldn't describe, maybe it was because it's where you first met Spencer and fell in love with a nerd who had the perfect golden brown eyes and a smile that made you melt.

"You know who's going to be really glad to see us?" You asked.

"Jess," You both said at the same time.

Jess worked at Trinity House for longer than before you and Spencer ever meant but she was the one who always teased you about Spencer whenever you would come in. It was the push from Jess and your lucky stars that you mustered up the courage to ask Spencer out one day when he walked in the bookstore.

"How long has it even been?" Spencer asked and you shrugged.

"It's been way too long."

"It's been far too long since we've come here," Spencer said, parking right in front of the bookstore. He unbuckled his side and helped you out.

"Thank you," You responded, kissing Spencer's kiss.

Spencer opened the door for you, stepping in you took in the smell of books and coffee.

"Y/N!" Spencer!" You turn to see Jess running towards you, hugging you tightly.

"Hi Jess," You said, as she pulled back and waved at Spencer. "I'm seeing you both after so long. I thought you forgot about this place." She exclaimed.

"I don't think that's possible," You said.

"Jess, how have you been?" Spencer asked.

"I've been good," She replied.

"I see you did some renovations," Spencer said, pointing to the several new paintings and remodeling that was done.

"Yup, wanted to give the place a more comfier feel? So, how does it feel?"

"Comfy," Spencer replied and she nodded.

"So?" She raised her eyebrow at you and Spencer. "How have you two been? Married? Any cute little genius babies yet?"

"Not yet," Spencer shook his head. "But I did ask Y/N to move in."

"Oh, did you say yes?" She said, looking at you.

"I couldn't resist," You reply. "He's just too pretty to resist."

Spencer blushed as he playfully pushes you away. "Go look for your books," He said. You walk away as you notice Spencer continuing his conversation with Jess.

You stare at all the new books that were apart of the Trinity House and you wanted them all. But you needed to control yourself because Spencer and your's apartment literally looked like a bookstore. There were books everywhere; left, right, in every corner of the apartment.

As you continued to gaze at all the books, Spencer and Jess watched you.

"She has the most incredible taste in books," Jess spoke.

"I choose from her side of the bookshelf more then mine," Spencer admitted, truthfully. "I thought nobody had better taste than me in books but she takes the crown." Jess laughs.

"She's always had an eye for the best," Jess said, and Spencer blushed. "Go find your books, I'll be in the back whenever you two love birds are done."

Spencer walks over to you.

"Find anything you like?" You looked up from your book to see Spencer.

"Is it bad that I want to buy this whole section of the shelf?" You pointed the left side. "They all are calling me name."

"Then add them to the pile baby," Spencer said, looking through your large stack of books on the small table.

"Did you find your book yet?" You asked.

"Is it weird that I'm nervous to look?" Spencer asked.

"Do you want me to look for you?" Spencer nods and took his hand and walk towards the R shelf. Spencer has been wanting to get his hands on The Essential Rumi book for months now and he only wanted the older version.

Your eyes quickly scan all the book titles until your eyes catch the book you're looking for. "Spence." You say, looking at him as his eyes were scanning another book from the shelf.

"Hmm," He responds. You pull out the book and put it in his reach of vision.

"They have it!" He whisperers, taking it slowly out of yours like it might fall into pieces if he grabbed it any quicker.

"They do," You smile as you looked at him admiring the book. "Babe, add it to the pile."

After another two hours or so Spencer finds you in the N section.

"Hey baby," Spencer called out for you.

"Hii," You respond.

"You already know that I love you but this book," Spencer grabbed it from you and ran his thumb over the cover. "Is heartbreaking." Spencer goes to put it back on the shelf but you stop him.

"I want to read it," You say.

"I don't want you reading this," Spencer said softly.

"Why not?"

"Because it'll make you cry."

"So?"

"You know it's breaks my heart when I see you crying," You lightly smiled at his response.

"I'll be okay my love," You said, kissing his cheek.

"Nobody is okay after reading this book," Spencer looks at you and you could tell this book hit Spencer somewhere deep. Spencer read thousands of books and remembers all of them but you remember Spencer telling you that there was one book that he'll never recover from and today you found which one.

"How about we buy it but I only read it when your home with me?" You ask. "So that if I do start crying you can be there to comfort me and tell me everything's going to be okay?" Spencer looks at you for a couple of moments before pulling you in for a small kiss.

"We can do that," He nods. "You ready to check out?"

"I think we got more than enough."

"You can never have enough books baby," Spencer said, carrying the basket full of books to the counter where Jess was waiting for you two.

You stand the shelf watching Spencer pay for books as you just simply admired him from afar. Spencer noticed you weren't beside him and he made grabby hands at you. You walked up beside him and laid your head on his shoulder.

"When will I see you two lover birds again?" Jess asked, slipping Spencer a receipt.

"As soon as we finish these," You pointed to the four bags on the counter, filled with books. You reached for a bag until Spencer smacked your hand away.

"No," He said, grabbing all the bags. "I got them." You smiled. "Thank you, Jess! See ya soon."

"I need to talk to Y/N Spencer," Jess said, holding onto your arm. "She'll meet you in the car in a couple of minutes."

"Everything okay?" Spencer asked, looking between you and Jess.

"Yup, just some girl talk."

"I'll be there in two minutes babe," You said and Spencer nodded. As soon as he was out of your and Jess's sight, she quickly grabbed a bag and handed it to you.

"When the book arrived I nearly cried," Jess said as you pulled out the book from the bag and looked at it. "He's going to love it."

You called Jess a couple of weeks back asking if she could track down a book for you that Spencer's wanting to get his hand's on for two years now.

"He is," You smiled, slipping her the money. "Thank you for doing this. I don't know how I'll repay you for this."

"You can repay me but having dinner with me. It's been way too long and we need to do some catching up."

"Yes. Definitely!" You say. "I'll see you real soon." You said walking out and getting into the car.

"You got another one?" Spencer questioned.

"It's the most important one," You said.

"Can I see which one?" He asked, curiously.

"I'll show once we get home."

"Okay," Spencer nodded. "Your cute." He added, kissing you.

"Your cute too."

"Not as much as you."

"I beg to differ."

Back at the apartment, you and Spencer stand on your separate sides of your huge bookshelf and organize your books with soft music playing in the background.

You were so concentrated in your books you didn't notice Spencer's hands wrap around your waist pulling you away from the bookshelf.

"Can you show me the last book you got?" Spencer asked.

"You really want to see it, huh?" You laughed.

"We always share our books with each other," Spencer spoke, he was right. You and Spencer always shared books.

"I can only get the book if you let go of me, my love." You say as Spencer let's go of you. You grabbed the bag and walk back up to him. "As I said earlier, this book was the most important." You held the bag in front of Spencer. "Open it." Spencer looked at you confused. He slowly opened the packaging.

You heard Spencer gasp as the cover of the book came into his vision.

"Y/N, you didn't," Spencer said, looking at the book in his hands.

"Oh but I did," You said, grabbing on his arm.

"Where did you find this book from? I haven't been able to get my hands on this for years!"

"I pulled a few strings." You smiled as Spencer looked at the book.

It was the book 'Between Shades of Grey' by Ruta Sepetys. Spencer had mentioned it several times he wanted it to be apart of his shelf more times then you could remember so you knew that you had to get it for him.

Spencer put the book down on the desk and looked at you.

"What's wrong? Is it the wrong one? If it is I can get it chan-"

"No, no, no," Spence shook his head. "It's the one." He said.

"Then what's wrong?"

"What's your favorite thing that you've found at Trinity House?" He asked, his voice soft.

Spencer's words put you in deep thought, you had found many things at Trinity House at were your favorite, you'd have no idea where to start.

"Want to know my favorite thing that I found at Trinity House?" He asked.

"What?"

"I found you at Trinity House." Your eyes began to water. "I found the most loving and adorable person there and I'm so thankful."

"I love you so much," You hugged Spencer as he rubbed your back. "And I thank my lucky stars for you every day."

Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are - Mason Cooley

#spencer reid #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid angst #spencer reid fluff #BAU #criminal minds

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shyvioletcat · 4 years ago

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ITT Drabble?

HERE IT IS! Last one on my 1200 follower Fluffy Prompt-a-thon. (Masterlist for that here)

This takes place just before Chapter 27 of It Takes Two. Masterlist for that if you needed a refresher.

~~~~~

Rowan stepped out onto the street after finishing his shift at the gym. Even though it was close to 7 o’clock the street was still busy. It was late night shopping and people were stepping in and out of shops along the street. Which was good, there were a few things Rowan needed to buy for Aelin’s baby shower and this was his last chance to get them before it on Saturday. He already had something for Aelin in the back seat of his truck, but he wanted to get a few things for the baby.

Yesterday on his way to work he had stopped at the shopping centre he had gone to with Aelin and went to one store in particular she had taken him to. He bought her the blue floral wrap dress she had tried on to demonstrate to him exactly what a wrap dress was. She had looked lovely in it and he could tell that she wanted to buy it, but hadn’t because of the price. So, wanting to get something for her and only her, Rowan had bought it. He desperately hoped it was the right size, because he had got it on sale with a no return or exchange policy on sale items the shop assistant had told him. He’d cross that bridge if it came to it but he had a feeling Aelin would be at least a little impressed that he had managed to get it at such a good price.

With Aelin’s gift done Rowan now needed something for the baby. A bit clueless, he had done a little bit of research on useful baby gifts. It didn’t take long for him to get overwhelmed, but he had a few ideas. He had fully intended to give what he bought to the twins so they would take to the shower. But Aelin had asked him to come, insisted that he come now that they had come to their new understanding. She had said she wanted him there. Something about that had made his heart beat a little faster. They were moving forward and Rowan was excited to see where it led.

He didn’t go to his car, instead he started walking up the street. There was a baby store a little way up that he had driven past and had been looking in the window as he went by. Rowan had seen something the other day, well he thought he had seen something at least. It only took him a few minutes to get there and he looked in the window. He had been right.

There in the window was a mobile, a single halo of flowers with animals and a few more flowers hanging from it on decorative strings. But they weren’t just any kind of flowers. The door opened and Rowan moved to hold it open for a pregnant woman and who he assumed was her mother. They thanked him as they passed and Rowan nodded and smiled in return before he went inside. This store was more of a boutique than anything else. It didn't stock a large range of things, but what they did looked like they were good quality.

Rowan started to browse, looking at some of the toys and the tiny clothes. Towards the back of the store was some furniture – he could see cots and bassinets and rocking chairs – but he was making his way towards the window. The mobile was hanging there, the flowers small blooms of kingsflame, like the one that he had seen on Aelin’s dresser. They of course weren’t real but they looked as if they were the next best thing. The only thing that was putting him off were the elephants that hung from it. He didn’t think Aelin would particularly like the elephants, not that she would have anything against them but… Rowan had noticed what she decorated her room with and the little knickknacks she had around the house. He knew she liked deer, it had something to do with her family lineage. An old sigil of the Galathynius was a white stag and Aelin seemed to follow along with that imagery. But hopefully he could at least go along with something more woodland-ly.

“Can I help you?”

Rowan turned to see the shop assistant behind him, smiling politely.

“Yeah, actually,” he said and then pointed to the mobile. “By any chance does this come with other animals?”

“It does actually, it’s one of our customisable mobiles. I’ve got a book of the options at the front counter.” The shop assistant started walking towards the counter and Rowan followed. It didn’t take her long to find what she needed and soon Rowan held a large magazine in his hand. “When did you need it by?”

“Saturday actually,” Rowan said as he started to flick through the pages.

The assistant sucked in a breath. “I don’t want to get your hopes up, but let me know which one you like and I’ll see what I can do. We don’t have all the options in stock at the moment but they can be ordered in.”

Rowan nodded and continued looking. There were horses and foxes, some weird looking dogs. He was hoping there would be deer but he didn’t see any. Maybe the foxes would have to do… But it turned out there was another option. He’d almost missed it because he was flipping the pages so fast in his frustration, but there on that almost missed page was the answer he was looking for. Rowan had always liked hawks, and birds of prey in general, so when he saw the little felt hawks in the book he had already decided.

“Do you have these?” Rowan pointed to the picture of the felt birds.

“Hmm,” the shop assistant said, her lip pursing thought. “We might. I’ll have a look out back for you.”

“I’ll just keep looking around,” Rowan said and the shop assistant nodded and left him to browse.

Rowan wandered around the store, curious about the products on offer. He stopped by a rack of clothes, flicking through the onesies. He pulled one off the rack and held it up. Dear gods, it was basically the length of his hand. Were babies really that small? Gripped by a mild sense of panic Rowan put the onesie back and kept looking. The next section he reached was the stuffed toys, an antique looking bookshelf crammed full of them. Peeking out between a rabbit and a teddy bear was the head of a little deer. Rowan couldn’t help but pick it up to look at it. Its brown coat was speckled with white, the hooves made of a velvety material and it had large fluffy ears. Rowan didn’t put it back down, deciding that Aelin would very much like it.

“Good news!” Rowan heard the shop assistant call out and she was approaching where he stood. “We’ve got the hawks.”

“I’ll take them,” Rowan said without hesitation.

“I can put them on the mobile if you like?” She offered kindly.

“That would be great,” Rowan said with a polite smile.

“I’m assuming you’re shopping for a girl?” She asked Rowan nodded. “We’ve got some new dresses over there,” she nodded to her left. “Just if you were interested.”

The shop assistant headed for the front window where she pulled down the kingsflame mobile and took it over to the counter. Rowan went over to the clothes again with renewed interest and looked at the teeny tiny dresses. A blue one caught his eye, almost the exact same shade as the dress he’d bought Aelin as far as he could remember, just without the flower pattern on it. It came in a few sizes, and reading the tags he was a bit lost as to what they meant. He soon worked out the more zeros there were the smaller the item was. Still not really comprehending the exact size of babies he thought going with a 00 might be safest and hung the hanger over one of his fingers.

By now he had pretty much looked in all the sections of the store except the furniture. Just before the furniture Rowan stopped at the display of bedding. Ignoring the sheets he looked at the muslin wraps, which there were piles of. From his very cursory searches he deducted that these were an essential item, with many uses apparently. He glanced through the stacks, seeing if any caught his eye. He paused on one that looked to have a floral pattern on it with some little critters too. Easing it from one of the stacks he saw that the critters were in fact little fawns. He added this to the growing pile in his arm.

At the very back of the back of the store was the alcove with furniture set up. Rowan wandered through it, looking at them casually. The other day Aelin had been browsing baby things on her laptop and he’d caught a glimpse of the screen as she’d put it down on the couch as she got up. She had been looking up bassinets, and she had also sadly muttered something about baby things so expensive as she walked away. Aelin was adamant that she would wait until after the baby shower to start buying things just in case anything she needed was given as a gift. She was an efficient shopper and knew how to cut costs, it was probably why her bookstore did so well.

Rowan started looking around intently, trying to remember what kind of bassinet she had been looking at on her computer. Maybe he could buy this for her so she didn’t have to fork out the money for it herself. It was an essential item so he could give it to Aelin as a gift for the baby shower, and besides that he wanted to. Gods, he’d been exercising so much self control to not buy everything that caught his eye. He was excited and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it.

Looking at the bassinets Rowan was getting a little overwhelmed. There were different styles and some looked like they had different features, but what they did exactly Rowan had no idea. He passed one that was suspended from the roof by a large hook. The longer he looked the sicker he felt. All that was holding it up a fair few feet from the ground was some rope and a hook. There was no way in Hellas’ realm was his baby being put in one of those. Rowan turned away from the whole sight before he had a stress induced stroke just imaging the thing falling down with a baby inside it and went to look at the others. He saw one that looked similar to what Aelin had been looking at. It was a simpler design, a white bed and a timber base. This one looked much more secure with the base on the ground, and Rowan liked this one because it looked a bit taller than the others. Some of the others he had passed had barely brushed past the middle of his thigh. It would be a long way down if he was putting a baby in one of those.

He turned around and saw the shop assistant was at the counter. “Excuse me?”

She looked up and smiled and came over to him. “What can I help you with?”

“This bassinet here,” Rowan said, tapping the rim of the bed basket. “What can you tell me about it.”

“Well, this is one of the most popular designs on the market,” she explained. “First of all there’s no tools required for set up, you just attach the pieces together. Then looking at its features, it has six height positions, anti-reflex base positioning to help baby sleep if they’ve got reflux. This here,” the shop assistant pointed to the zipper, “folds down for easy and safe co-sleeping and it fits on just about any bed. Mesh ventilation is on all sides for added breathability. Just about everything is removable and machine washable, and the mattress is included.”

Rowan did not understand half of what this woman had just told him, but it all sounded good. Important, even.

“Can I attach a mobile to it?” He asked.

The assistant nodded, “You’ll need to buy a mobile arm for it but yes, you can put a mobile on it.”

“Great,” Rowan said. He was decided. “I’ll take that too. Can I pay for it now and pick it up on Saturday? It’s… it’s a surprise.”

The shop assistant nodded enthusiastically then led the way to the register. “Absolutely. Did you want to leave anything else with it?”

“I’ll take these things with me,” he nodded to what was in his arm. “But I’ll leave the mobile with the bassinet.”

“Perfect,” she said and entered some things into the computer at the register. Rowan put the items he was carrying on the counter and it only took her a few moments to scan those in too. “Would you like these gift-wrapped?”

“That would be great, thanks,” Rowan said. His wrapping techniques were atrocious. If he ever bought a gift for anyone he usually just took the receipt out of the bag and handed it over.

The shop assistant got to work wrapping the dress, deer and muslin wrap, quick and efficient. Rowan was about to pay when he saw a book on the counter.

What to expect when you're expecting

Rowan grabbed that too. “You don’t need to wrap that,” he added.

The book was for him. If he was going to be part of this and help Aelin through the rest of her pregnancy he would like to know what was going on. The more he knew the better prepared he would be for whatever was ahead of them. Because they were in this together.

“Ready to go,” the shop assistant said and Rowan paid. She put the book and wrapped items in a bag and handed them to him. “Thank you so much.”

Rowan gave her a small smile and nod in return and left. He was almost to his truck when it dawned on him what he had just done. He had just bought Aelin a bassinet for their baby. What if Aelin didn’t like it? What if there was another one she had been looking at that she wanted? What if he had just completely over stepped and this would upset her? This was a big thing to buy and maybe she wanted to be part of it...

Rowan rubbed at his face as he opened the driver’s door and got in his truck. If Aelin didn’t like it it would be easy to return. If he’d overstepped Rowan would apologise and hoped it went smoothly. But he hoped she liked it just as much as he did. He carefully put the bag on the passenger seat then pulled out his phone. There was a text from Aelin from about half an hour earlier letting him know she was going to bed and not to worry about dinner for her because she’d eaten some leftovers. Rowan didn’t reply in case he woke her up and was secretly glad she’d gone to bed. It meant he could get his purchases into the apartment without any prying questions. It took Rowan a few minutes but his thoughts settled and he was finally quietly confident with his purchases. He didn’t waste anymore time and put the keys in the ignition and drove home.

~~~~~

He’s so cute, right?

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bitchardhendricks · 4 years ago

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Well I’ve Never Been to Heaven (But I’ve Been to Oklahoma) Pt 10

So. The last couple weeks have been...A Lot. Both personally and y’know from an entire racial equity uprising perspective, and I’ve felt very much that my responsibility was to read, learn, understand, listen, and be quiet. No one needs to hear a white girl writing about white nerd boy problems right now. But I realized after a couple weeks that when I got overwhelmed, or when I needed to relieve the pressure valve on my emotions, I turned to the same form of comfort I always have - stories. Stories about characters I love, whether they’re in tv, movies, fic, whatever. The comfort of those stories allowed me to rest just enough that I could wake up the next day and keep reading, learning, listening. So it may seem silly, this meandering tale of these two flawed men confronting the past and the future together, but reading stories like this helps me feel sane enough that I have the energy to keep trying to do better. I hope this one helps you, too. Catch up on previous entries here, and come say hi in my inbox and let me know what you think.

***

After lunch, they head 1 mile east until they reach an unremarkable long, squat building with a faded green roof hanging down nearly halfway to the ground and obscuring the store front, held up by a series of flared white cinderblock columns. This elongated hut takes up the better part of a city block, and as they pull into the cracked parking lot, Richard spies Jared’s face lighting up as he reads the sign.

“Gardner’s Used Books, CDs, Videos, DVDs, Toys, Comics, Records, Collectibles, Gifts...my goodness, that’s quite a treasure trove!”

“You have no idea,” Richard says, bounding out of the car and up to the front door in quick strides. The tables set up under the roof’s overhang hold boxes and boxes of books, lining the entire front of the building, but Richard doesn’t stop to look at these. “Bargain books,” he explains as Jared pauses to scan some of the titles. “You find some great stuff, but you can pay outside so I usually do that last.” He points to an old Folgers coffee jug with a slit cut in its plastic lid. A sign above it says 50 CENTS OR 3/$1, but Richard’s attention is now focused on entering the front door, the familiar jingle causing a rush of nostalgia that works its way into his guts.

He’s 16 again, acne-riddled and knock-kneed, and his new driver’s license is burning a hole in his velcro wallet. The dusty scent of old paper and ancient carpeting is commingling with the aroma of hot oil, onions, and sizzling meat from the bookstore’s attached Mexican restaurant. He has $37 in his pocket, and a whole day of summer vacation to burn.

As present-day Richard takes in the familiar organized chaos, Jared nearly walks into a gargantuan statue of the Hulk because he’s looking around at the stacks of books piled everywhere, muttering a sheepish, “Excuse me!” to the statue. A bubble of warmth seems to rise from deep within Richard’s belly, and he grabs at Jared’s wrist to redirect him - that thin, elegant wrist, so delicate, almost like a bird, maybe that’s why Jared likes birds so much, because he feels a kinship with them? - and tugs gently. “C’mon. I wanna show you around.”

Richard leads them to the left, past rows and rows of new arrivals and fiction. A coffee shop has been added on; all the decor is aggressively Parisian in a very bland Hobby Lobby-type way. There are wire shelves hanging off the walls holding the top 20 best selling mysteries of all time. Tall wooden shelves in the middle of the room stretch from floor to ceiling, arranged in small mazes that take up their respective corners, crammed with colorful paperbacks. Jared pauses at the Mary Higgins Clarks for a moment, but Richard urges him on by saying, “Wait, there’s more!”

Another archway, this one opening up into a cavernous beige room with a little more natural light. Small rolling footstools are perched in every aisle so customers can reach the tops of the towering shelves, and with each new shelf, Jared’s eyes seem to grow wider. “Does it just go on forever?” he asks, and Richard nods, steering him past Romance and Horror to the seemingly endless Nonfiction shelves. Cookbooks, humor, foreign language - the section names are taped to wooden beams that extend between the tops of the rows of bookshelves until finally they reach the Computer Science section, which Richard presents with a grand flourish.

“This is where I got my very first coding manual. Python, it was--” he scans the shelves, squints, but, “oh, um well they don’t have it now. Duh, why would they, that was, anyway, this is where it all started!”

Jared takes in the shelves with a look of absolute wonder lighting up his face. He looks young and carefree in a way Richard isn’t sure he’s ever seen before, like he’s about to burst into song in a musical or something. Before he can say anything, Jared has his phone out, the sound of the camera shutter in his face making Richard jump. “Aw, c’mon Jared, don’t,” he says, but his voice is teasing, soft, and there’s a pleasant whispering at the back of his mind at the idea of this place meaning something to history maybe. Where the first seeds of Pied Piper took hold, and the genius coder Richard Hendricks took his first step toward...toward having everything taken away from him by Hooli and Gavin Fucking Belson. His insides are suddenly doused in ice-cold water and he shakes his head, scowling.

He’s just about to tell Jared to browse by himself for awhile when he’s stopped short by Jared gasping loudly, “Oh my goodness!”

He’s turned to look at the shelf opposite the Computer Science section and is now holding a light green cloth-bound book in his hands as if it were something made of exquisite, delicate glass. The cover has what looks like colored pencil drawings of two yellow birds sitting together on some branches, and Richard leans closer to read the title out loud - “Birds That Every Child Should Know. By,” he pauses, looking up at Jared for confirmation, “Nelt-yah Blanchan?”

Jared nods, dumbstruck. He looks positively bowled over, and all thoughts of Gavin have fled Richard’s mind completely because he wants to know what could possibly have made Jared so flabbergasted. “So...what is this book? I mean, why’s it - what’s so special about it? Is it rare or something?”

“It is rare, yes; this book was published in 1907. But, that’s not exactly...” he swallows, then looks at Richard with those terrifyingly blue eyes, the ones that root Richard to the spot and peer inside him and refuse to let him squirm away. “My mother had a copy exactly like this. We would go birding together, you see. Just in the woods behind our apartment complex, nothing too exotic. I would spot robins, orioles, blue jays, but ah - “ his smile grows shaky, like it’s trying unsuccessfully to hold up the weight of all those memories, and he says, “I just never thought I’d see this book again, that’s all.”

“Wow,” Richard says, his upper lip caught in his teeth at his own awkwardness. He never knows what to say when Jared mentions his past. Real helpful, Richard, Jesus fuck. “You should um, you should definitely buy it. Right?”

“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly afford, it’s an antique--”

“Jared, come on. You have to. It’s - look, I’ll buy it for you, ok? As like. A thank you present. For coming with me. You have to deal with my parents, deal with me, and it’s just...it’s the least I can do.”

Jared splays one enormous hand over his chest, aghast. “Richard, you don’t have to--”

“Bup bup bup!” Richard says, easing the book out of Jared’s grip and peeking inside the front cover at the price. $26 is penciled in the top right corner of the title page, which seems more than fair for how happy Jared is to have discovered it, so he snaps the book shut and tucks it under his arm to carry. “Done and done. No arguments, Jared. Okay?”

“Okay,” Jared says quietly, his cheeks pink and his eyes shining, looking at Richard like he’s some sort of miracle, some unexpected wondrous hero, come to slay dragons and save the kingdom from wreck and ruin. It takes longer than strictly necessary for Richard to wrench his gaze away.

“Come on, there’s a lot more of this place to see.”

#jarrich #silicon valley hbo #sv squad #richard hendricks #jared dunn #sv fic #my sv fic #Well I've never been to Heaven

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fictionadventurer · 4 years ago

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Book asks: C, H, M, N, U, and Z

C: Do you remember the first book you ever read?

One of the first books I “read” by myself was a board book about animals going to a party. I don’t remember the title (something like “Animal Party”) but the first few pages are forever engraved on my brain.

“Let’s have a party,” said the cat/ So Dog put on a nice party hat./ Along came Mouse with a plate of cheese/ Owl with a rug to cover his knees/ ‘Tweet’ sang the birds as down they flew/ Duck came with three little babies, too.

H: What’s the longest book you’ve ever read?

The Bible. If you want to get technical, that’s more of a collection of books. Longest single work I’ve ever read is probably The Lord of the Rings.

M: Favorite classic?

I’m going to try to avoid books that I talk about all the time, so I’m disqualifying Austen, Chesterton, Lewis and Sayers, etc. on the grounds of, “Well, obviously.”

Shakespeare probably should be in that category, except that I haven’t actually read a ton of his work? And I don’t much talk about the plays I have read. But my favorite among those is Much Ado About Nothing, followed by Julius Caesar.

N: Favorite YA?

Again, disqualifying the obvious (The Hunger Games, The Fairy Tale Novels, etc.)

I’m just going to take this opportunity to mention that Matched is underrated as a dystopian novel. The first time I read it, I was left in a daze, thinking about the point it raised that freedom really means the freedom to choose the wrong thing. I reread it earlier this year, and while the love story isn’t at all convincing (which is a huge problem in a romance-focused book), the dystopia is still fascinating. Yes, it suffers from Generic YA Terminology, and there are things that don’t make sense, but I read it about a week after everything started shutting down, and so much of its world-building was eerily relatable. You can see how this dystopia would develop, because it’s built upon doing everything for the common good, until it gets pushed a thousand times too far. Not a great story, but a fascinating philosophical exercise.

U: What’s your favorite used bookstore?

My favorite in terms of atmosphere is this obscure used book store in this run-down looking building that must be bigger on the inside, because it seems like every time you turn there’s a new aisle of books, a new little room, a new cranny with a couple of shelves. And every shelf is crammed full of books, all in very good condition. He’s got history, classics, science, cookbooks, vintage genre paperbacks, kids books, just everything you can think of. The selection is so vast and scattered across so many sections that it’s too overwhelming to actually shop there (and the prices are too high for me to buy many books) but it’s an absolute joy to visit. Like stepping into another world.

Z: If you wrote a book, what would it be about?

I’ve got a whole file of unfinished WIPs dedicated to answering that question. So let’s say I had to write a nonfiction book. It’d probably be a collection of essays about tiny points of life or pop culture applied to larger cultural concepts. A sort of modern-day Tremendous Trifles.

#thanks for playing!#ask games #answered asks #isfjmel-phleg #books #reading

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thegreenwolf · 6 years ago

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Why Pagans Need Field Guides

Originally posted at A Sense of Natural Wonder at http://www.thegreenwolf.com/why-pagans-need-field-guides/

I was talking to someone on Facebook today about how I’m a field guide nerd. I have an ever-growing collection of identification books on the fauna, flora and fungi of the Pacific Northwest, as well as its complicated geology, climate, and other natural features. I even collect vintage ones just for the fun of it. I’m also an avid iNaturalist user and spend a decent portion of my outdoor time taking photos of beings I meet along the way. And I love the challenge of trying to identify some critter or plant that I have never encountered before, just to put a name and a niche to it.

Now, I’ve spent the past couple of decades watching experienced pagans talk about how important history books are for pagans wishing to deepen their practice. They’re right, of course, at least if your path is in any way linked to historical cultures. But think of how many pagans invoke the elements without understanding anything about the earth, air, fire and water in their bioregion, or who call on deities of storm and forest and fertility with little comprehension of those natural forces. We can name entire pantheons of deities and list off magical correspondences for hours, and yet so many of us can’t identify more than a few native plant or bird species. I’ve already asked why we can’t be as nerdy about nature as we are about history in a both/and rather than either/or manner. So consider this a continuation of that query.

Using Field Guides

First, what is a field guide? Simply put, it’s a book or website that lists a certain group of living beings found in an area. Bird guides are by far the most popular as birders are also generally pretty avid book fans, and when you’re trying to fill your Life List with positively identified new species it’s important to be very sure you know what you’re looking at through your binoculars. But field guides to flowers and other plants, mushrooms, wild mammals, and other beings abound. Some of these cover entire continents; others focus on a single state or region. The best have clear, full-color photos or high quality illustrations showing the field marks–distinguishing characteristics–of each species, along with pertinent info on behavior, habitat, and more.

The best way I’ve found to use one isn’t to cart it around with me all the time, but instead to take note of various beings I find in my day to day life. If I can get a picture, great! But sometimes that’s not possible, and so I need to either sketch or write down as many of the field marks I noticed as possible. For example, the first time I saw a varied thrush I noticed that it was a bird very much like a robin except it was yellow and black. When I got home I grabbed one of my Oregon bird guides and flipped through until I found a bird like the one I saw. The size, location and habits all matched up with what I observed, so it was a pretty safe bet that this was indeed a varied thrush.

I also read through my field guides, because there are many beings I have yet to see in the wild. There are several species which I had previously only seen in books and photos, and which I instantly recognized in person the first time because I was already aware of how they looked. Plus it’s fun to imagine what sorts of wildlife, plants and mushrooms I might find if I decide to go exploring somewhere new!

I’ve kept a journal of my nature sightings for several years, and I also have a pretty extensive collection on iNaturalist. Every time I find a new animal, plant or other being, I make note of it in the journal with what I saw, when and where. Then as I further research the ways in which my ecosystem is put together I can place this particular being into its niche and know how it’s a part of the greater whole. The varied thrush, for example, is food for hawks and other predators. As an insectivore it helps to keep insect populations in check. And like all birds its droppings are important fertilizer for plants and fungi, and because it eats berries it helps to distribute the seeds to new locations. I can appreciate the need to preserve forest habitats in particular since the numbers of this species have been declining due to habitat loss. And so now I think of those things whenever I see a varied thrush, rather than just saying “I see a bird. I wonder what it means?”

How Is This Useful to Pagans?

If you’re going to draw on nature in your path in any way, it’s a good idea to have at least a basic understanding of what it is you’re incorporating. Any introductory book on paganism will extol the virtues of getting to know the differences between various deities and spirits and the like so that you aren’t calling on Artemis in a men’s ritual or asking Dionysus to help with a safe ocean passage. In the same way, it’s important to be able to identify at least some of your non-human neighbors if you’re going to be asking them to join your rituals.

And I don’t mean just going with anthropocentric information. If I am going to learn about fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) I’m not just going to look at pictures of Smurf houses or try and pretend I’m a Siberian shaman by ingesting some of this hallucinogen. Instead I’m going to find out this fungi’s natural range, what sort of substrate its mycelium prefers, what sorts of trees it forms mycorrhizal relationships with, and whether there’s any animal that can safely eat it. All these tell me more about how it fits into the ecosystem I am also a part of, and gives me a greater appreciation for it as something other than ��one of those mushrooms that can get you high.”

The more you get to know your community, human and otherwise, the more you come to value it. Just as knowing the names of your neighbors and store employees conveys a deeper sense of connectedness, so knowing the names of the animals, plants and other beings around you makes you more appreciative of them. And as you grow your awareness of how your human community works together in a web of inter-reliance, so your understanding of the complexity of your overall ecosystem shows you just how precious and important it is. And that, to me, is the center of truly nature-based paganism. Not how many Samhain decorations are on your altar or how many crystals you own, but how aware you are of just how entwined you are with everything around you and how much responsibility you have to it. If all you do is take, take, take and never give back, even in the simple act of knowing something’s name, then you are a parasite rather than a partner.

Field guides are a great way to begin this healthy and balanced relationship. Like a list of deities in a pantheon, they introduce you to who’s who. You don’t have to memorize every species in every book or website; just knowing which field guide to start with when researching a species is a great first step. And how much you explore is up to you. You may be content just knowing the data in the field guide entry for a given species so that you can name it the next time you see it. Or you may wish to get to know it better, along with the various other beings that it is inter-reliant with, so that you can place a few more pieces into the puzzle of your ecosystem and have a greater part of the whole picture.

How Do I Find Field Guides?

The easiest way I’ve found is to go online and search for “Oregon field guides” (you can substitute your state, region or country for Oregon.) Or go to Amazon and search for “field guides” and see what pops up, though I recommend actually buying your books from local independent bookstores. If you want to narrow it down, search for things like “Oregon plant field guides” or “books on birds of the Pacific Northwest.” If you’re more hands-on, go to your local bookstore and peruse their nature section. I’ve gotten almost all of my field guides from the gift shops at state and national parks and wildlife refuges as I like supporting them financially.

The same goes for websites. Let’s say I saw a salamander but didn’t know what it was. Searching for “Oregon salamanders” brings up several pages that showcase all the species of salamander found in this state. Some of these sites, like the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s wildlife viewing site, also include information on other sorts of animals, making them valuable for broader research. Here are a few more links to get you started (please notice some of these are US-based, though there are some non-US links as well):

Encyclopedia of Life’s list of online identification guides

Whatbird – the Search page allows you to narrow birds down by attributes like location, color, shape, etc.

Identify That Plant’s list of plant ID websites

MycoKey – the free online version only allows ID of some types of fungus. I haven’t been able to find a single good online reference for all fungi.

10+ Naturalist Resources for Identifying Wildlife – a few broken links but still a solid list

Does this post resonate with your idea of paganism? Then I bet you’ll enjoy my books! The titles from Llewellyn are particularly informed by my interest in natural history and include more details on how to connect more deeply with the nature around you. Check them out at http://www.thegreenwolf.com/books/

#pagan #nature #biology #wildlife #field guide #mine

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since--1999 · 6 years ago

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Oregon + Las Vegas 2019

A year ago, my friend and I went to Colorado for spring break. We both wanted to go back, but we decided to do something new and head to Oregon this year. We planned everything within just a few months, and were soon at Dallas Love-Field Airport, waiting in line at security.

After a 5 hour flight, we walked off the plane and were greeted by Oregon’s cool and windy weather. The sun was out, despite weather predictions of rain. We ordered a Lyft and were dropped off in downtown Portland by Powell’s Books. We walked in to get a quick look since we were already there, but soon left to walk around the streets of Portland.

We walked around the Pioneer Square area and soon became hungry when we smelled the food coming from the food trucks. We somehow ended up going to a Chinese place inside a plaza. We sat on high chairs where we could watch the chefs cook, and ate chicken, pork bbq, and dumplings. When lunch was over, we walked out and it was just beginning to sprinkle. Luckily, I came prepared, so we had an umbrella to squeeze under.

On our way to the Tom McCall Waterfront Park, we crossed the street where the smallest park in the world was at- Mill Ends Park.

At the Waterfront Park, we looked out at a darker sky. We could see the Hawthorne Bridge from there and made our way to walk across it. It started to rain more and feel the bridge move as the cars drove past quickly. Then we walked down to a small pier where we could see the Tilikum Crossing Bridge, similar to a bridge in Dallas.

The rain had stopped by now, and we were pretty wet, so we took a break to dry off at Starbucks. Afterwards, we walked to Old Chinatown and saw part of the Lan Su Chinese Garden before it closed. We made our way back to the iconic Powell’s Books and spent our time walking the whole store. At first, I didn’t understand the big deal everyone talked about how it was a must to go to, but after walking through all the color-parts of the bookstore, I understand. It was huge. I lost count how many floors there were and the different branches of each category a floor was divided into. My favorite section was the architecture books. Afterwards, we walked past the “Keep Portland Weird” mural and Voodoo Doughnuts. Before we left downtown, we made our way to another iconic sign of Portland with the jumping deer by the Co-op.

It was the golden hour at that time, which meant it was time to walk to the Greyhound Station to catch our bus to Cannon Beach. After 9.5 miles of walking, we were exhausted and rested on the way to the coast. We watched the sun set as we drove away from Portland and the silhouette trees. After an hour and a half or two, the bus stopped and the bus driver said our destination- Cannon Beach. We were the only ones who got off, so the rest were probably headed to Beaverton. It was almost fully dark when we got off at the bus stop. It was quiet like a small town would be. We crossed the street and saw a small convenience store, and then, for our convenience, our hotel! Luckily, it was just steps away from where we were dropped off. We were welcomed by the staff and checked in. We walked to our hotel room nearby and were surprised by how beautiful it was. We quickly settled in and then walked back out to a nearby restaurant for dinner. We made the mistake of ordering some fancy fish tacos, which were too rich for us. That night, we slept in the most comfy, and spacious bed to prepare for the next day.

When I was finally able to get my friend up, I opened the curtains and was fascinated by the gigantic view of Haystack Rock just from our room.

It was a dark blue outside before the sun was going to rise. Our room was just minutes away from the beach. We were soon walking on sand, and getting closer to Haystack Rock. We sat on the beach waiting to see the sun rise. Unfortunately, all the clouds were blocking it! However, it was amazing being right next to the rock and seeing the birds fly across it. The sky became a bit brighter, and we saw the beautiful beachfront houses and mountains in the distance.

We went to the cute small town of Cannon Beach and had some breakfast at a wonderful cafe. After a generous amount of bacon, poached eggs, and fried potatoes, we went back to our hotel and rested before we had to check out and start the day’s adventures.

We walked a little more through the town’s shops when it started hailing out of nowhere. Fortunately, we were right by a covered area when it happened, so we sat and waited for it to stop. After a while, we walked down to the snow-covered beach. Our view looked out to the light waves and white beach. We wanted to get across to the other side of the beach, but a deep amount of water was blocking our way. So, we ended up hiking through a bit of a muddy and complicated trail.

On the other side of the beach, we walked and walked until we reached a huge rock formation on the shore. The sun was out and the weather felt much warmer. We saw some cute dogs, a ton of birds walking on the beach, and some seashells. After a long afternoon walking the beach, we decided to go back to town and get some lunch. We realized there was an easier way to get back to the other side of the beach connecting to the town through a neighborhood street.

Shortly, we went to the closest food place and got pizza. We warmed up again by having some hot chocolate. Before our beach day came to an end, we shopped for some souvenirs before catching the bus back to Portland. As we walked to our bus stop, we watched the sun set until our bus arrived at dark. When we got off in Portland, it was dark and felt pretty sketchy. We made our way to a nearby bar to wait for our Lyft. As we waited, I heard what made me confirm Portland was weird. A car had ran over a glass bottle, making a cracking noise, and everyone there was pretty entertained by it. Most of them were probably drunk, but what was weird was what this woman said about it: “It’s not the car’s fault.., it’s the bottle’s fault!” The way she said it was pretty weird too. By then, my friend and I were tired and wanted to get the hay out of there. The hotel we stayed in that night was a decent, old-fashion place by the University.

The next day, we were picked up to go on a tour. Our first stop was the tallest waterfall in the country- Multnomah Falls. It was mesmerizing seeing how tall this was. Just from afar, you could smell the coffee from the stand before hiking up to the bridge. It was very slick and crowded with visitors on the way up. Many times, I almost fell, but I had the rail to keep me up. From the bridge, you could see the water falling below and the people at the bottom.

Then we headed to a fish hatchery and some some cool fish and the huge Herman the Sturgeon measuring almost 11 feet long.

The next destination was Starvation Creek. As we walked through, there were tall green and snowy trees. It was beautiful. It felt very different than the parts of Oregon we had been in. It was quiet and calming to be away from all the visitors.

For lunch we drove to the town of Hood River. It was another cute town with houses and shops on hills. My friend and I had some Mexican food, but they didn’t have chicken, nor beef! Our pork tamales weren’t impressive, but dessert made up for it when we had our bunuelos with a generous amount of whipped cream. We walked around the town a bit before our drive to Rowena Crest.

On our way up, the scenery became a vastness of snow. Everywhere was just snow. It looked pretty amazing. When we got out of our van, we were at the top of one of the most beautiful viewpoints I’ve seen. On one side, it overlooked the whole snowy town, and on the other side, a cool picture-worthy loop road.

Our last destination was the Mt Hood National Forest. Unfortunately the visitor center was closed due to an excessive amount of snow, but we finished it off by playing in the thick and flaky snow on a hill. Just getting up the hill required climbing up 4 feet high snow. The view of the snow blowing off the trees and a glimpse of Mt Hood was perfect to end the tour. We ended up falling in a deep chunk of snow and feeling like it was impossible to get up. Walking down the hill, I completed my annual streak of falling down. Last year’s fall was in Colorado.

Back in Portland, we rested before getting some dinner nearby. We went to a sushi place which we didn’t know was a sushi train style. We were completely confused about how to order/if we were supposed to order. At that point, we really thought Portland was weird. It ended up being an interesting and pleasant meal to end our last night in Portland.

The next morning, we had some breakfast at our hotel before walking across the Tilikum Crossing Bridge. It was bright and sunny out. We went down to a pier where the USS Blueback Submarine from the US Navy was at.

We headed to Mt. Tabor next to get some hiking in. There were views of Portland and the reservoirs around it. There were tons of trails to go walking on a nice and sunny day.

Lastly, we went to Rocky Butte, which overlooked the town and a nice view of Mt. Hood. When it was time, we said goodbye as we headed to the airport.

After a short flight, we landed in Las Vegas for a layover. Walking outside, we were already excited after seeing the pink sky, palm trees, and part of the High Roller. We were dropped off by the Flamingo Hotel and cut through an alley leading right to The Strip. Immediately we were high fived by 2 dudes and our eyes were looking at all the sights Vegas had to offer. We saw it all (almost). We probably walked 8 miles of it. It was very cool seeing all the lights and famous hotels and restaurants. We were able to see the end of a fascinating fire show and I ended up ziplining for the first time through the Linq Promenade.

Before it was time to leave, we watched a quick show of a spray-painting artist and bought some souvenirs. At the airport, we were surprised to see gambling machines inside. Our flight was a half hour delayed, so by the time we got on the plane, we fell straight to sleep after all that walking. Arriving early in Dallas, we were still exhausted and I slept the whole 30 minute drive back home and jumped into bed once I got home.

When I woke up, I was for once in a while, done with the excess traveling. With a few days off work, I spent the rest of my spring break resting. This trip I kept in mind the Costa Rican phrase and philosophy of Pura Vida- enjoying the simplest pleasures of life and living life to the fullest. I am so very grateful to be able to really live, discover other parts of the US, and meet new people.

#oregon #cannon beach #portland #mt hood #las vegas #the strip #pura vida

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arteacactus · 7 years ago

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Colorful Words pt. 1

Warnings: Cursing, nsfw mentions, lack of knowledge of blindness i apologize Pairings: Logicality (and side Prinxiety) Word count: 2395 Notes: Sooo.. this is gonna gonna be a two parter. Oops. I intended for it to be just one part, but this ones gonna be Logan and Patton meeting- part 2 is gonna have the good stuff lol Taglist (Fanders taglist in reblog): @misplaced-my-notes, @myfourstrangesons,

@an-anxious-acquaintance, @hanramz-the-fander, @bishipsaremyships, @thatonelampwrap, @toujours-fidele

Buy me a coffee :)

In this world, everyone was born colorblind- in which everything was in black and white. Until you meet your soulmate.

When you and your soulmate lock eyes, the world bursts into color. You get to experience what your parents would always talk about, get to see why your friends and their lovers always gushed over “reds” and “blues” and various other colors, when they all looked like shades of gray to you.

Logan Sanders was, quite frankly, perfectly happy seeing things in black and white.

He didn’t care for the so-called ‘gorgeously vibrant’ world around him. Why would he? Blacks, whites, grays, they were nice enough colors, why ruin a perfectly nice world with headache-inducing, unneeded vibrancy? He didn’t understand how kids would gush over how they wish they’d meet their soulmate soon so they can color pictures with specific colors they’d been told about. He didn’t understand how his friends acted like meeting their soulmates had been the highlights of their lives.

Perhaps he was just bitter, because he was nearing thirty years old and has yet to meet his own soulmate.

He convinced himself at twenty-five, when all his friends had already found their soulmates, that he didn’t have one. They either didn’t exist, or they had died before he could meet them. Or he was just one of the extremely unlucky ones, to have a soulmate across the world.

Though he preferred the idea he simply lacked a soulmate.

He’d come to accept this fact, that he just didn’t have one, and yes, he was entirely fine with this.

So when he unintentionally caught the eyes of a stranger in public and suddenly dots of color, something other than black and white, started to fill his vision, he stopped in his tracks and damn near fell over.

Logan whipped around, almost slamming into the chest of his friend, who’d been walking behind him, and shoved past him, frantically scanning his gaze through the crowd, mentally hitting himself. Why didn’t he look at the stranger better? He caught a glimpse of fluffy curly hair and a pair of glasses, but that was it.

Because why would you just stare at strangers? His logical thoughts hit him, It’s not like you’d know this stranger you glimpsed at was your soulmate.

“Logan!” Came the slightly offended exclamation from his friend, “How dare you hit me and then shove past me! Did you see a book in distress and desperate for your help or something?”

“Shut up, Roman,” Logan scowled, swinging his gaze around to Roman.

Red.

He could recognize that color right away. Roman always rambled about how much he loved red and made sure Logan knew he wore it daily, so when Logan caught sight of a bright, piercing, hot color decorating Roman’s clothes, he knew immediately what it was- and now he knew why Roman loved it so much.

“Don’t just stare at me like that! What’s that expression for?” Roman scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Logan took a shaky breath, and his eyes narrowed, determination seeping into his gaze.

“I need you to help me look for someone in this crowd.”

“What-”

“He has fluffy hair and large black-rimmed glasses,” Logan continued, “I just briefly glanced at him, and I saw his eyes- and now you’re red, Roman.”

Roman opened his mouth to respond, when Logan’s words sunk in, and he stared open-mouthed in shock at his friend, who had apparently just caught sight of his soulmate in the streets.

“Wh- But- We- I-” Roman stammered, before shaking his head and gripping Logan’s wrist. “We have to find him. Right now.” He demanded, changing direction from the store they were walking into to the direction that Logan’s soulmate had wandered off to, excitement welling in his chest at the thought that Logan finally might get laid and won’t be so uptight all the time anymore.

Logan huffed, sitting in a coffee shop with his two friends; Roman, and Virgil, Roman’s soulmate.

Roman couldn’t not tell Virgil about Logan catching a glimpse of his soulmate, and ever since, the two were frantically trying to find him, more excited about the situation than Logan himself. When asked, they’d only tell him they want Logan to get laid, which was both endlessly infuriating and embarrassing at the same time.

At the moment, they were trying to get Logan to stare at everyone he saw with glasses in hopes they’d be his soulmate- which was also incredibly annoying. He wasn’t allowed to just drink his coffee in peace, no, every outing they went on was just a hunt for his soulmate. Frankly, Logan was getting sick of it.

“Does he look like he could be him, Logan?” Roman asked, nudging Logan to look at a man with spiked blonde hair and thick-framed glasses who was standing in line for coffee.

“No, Roman, I told you, his hair was long and curley.” Logan sighed, resting his cheek on his palm as he rolled his gaze around the shop lazily. “I don’t see why either of you care. It’s just a soulmate.”

Roman made an offended noise, putting a hand to his chest. “I’ll have you know that-”

“Finding a soulmate is the best thing that’s ever happened to you, yeah, I know, I’ve heard this rant many times before.” Logan replied boredly, “No offense, Virgil.”

“None taken. He’s very annoying.” Virgil replied, kicking Roman in the shin. “But seriously, Logan, it’s a good thing. At least you know they’re in this city, and aren’t in Ireland or something.”

“Or they could be and are just visiting for a day or something before vanishing again.”

“Hey. Now you’re starting to sound like me. Stop that.”

Logan rolled his eyes and swept his gaze across the cafe once more, before pushing himself up to stand.

“Logan? Did-”

“No, Roman, I didn’t find him. I have to use the bathroom. Is that alright with you, your highness?” He snapped, his anger boiling over a bit, before forcing himself to take a deep breath and calm himself. “Give me a minute.”

Roman and Virgil nodded wordlessly, and Logan left- walking out of the cafe and across the street to the bookstore to use the restroom.

Or, he told them he was doing that.

He just wanted an excuse to get away from them for a while, and well, that was the best excuse he could come up with. Not his greatest material, but it worked.

Logan pushed open the doors to the bookstore, listening to the familiar jingle that announced his entrance, nodding to the cashier at the register as he immediately made his way to the back of the shop, where he couldn’t be seen in the windows, not letting Virgil and Roman watch him.

Logan hid himself in the science section, pulling out a book on astronomy to look busy, and walked towards the few chairs that sat in the corner of the shop, a coffee table in between them, allowing Logan to sit and read in peace.

He found someone sitting there already, a blind person much to his surprise, reading a braille book with their service dog sitting obediently beside them, busying itself staring out the windows at the birds so its owner could read.

His presence must have alerted the dog, as it’s gaze swung around to look at him, and the jerking movement tugged on the leash attached to it’s harness, alerting it’s owner of someone else’s presence.

Logan averted his gaze before he could look the stranger in the eye. “Apologies if I’m bothering you. May I sit and read here?”

“Go ahead!” The stranger replied with a smile, an oddly chipper tone to his voice. “I don’t mind! But my dog’s really friendly, so please excuse her if she begs to be pet.”

“That’s quite alright.” Logan chuckled, taking a seat across from the other and flipping open his book.

The stranger wasn’t lying, he found, as only moments later, his dog made her move and padded up to him, nosing his hand and quietly whining to be pet.

Upon hearing her whines, her owner gently tugged on her leash. “Lady. Don’t bother people.” He lightly scolded.

“I don’t mind.” Logan reassured, allowing the dog to sniff his hand before patting her head. “I’m rather fond of dogs, anyway.”

“Still, I’m sorry about her.” He apologized, “I’m Patton, by the way.”

“Logan.” Logan introduced, scratching the dog behind her ears. “May I ask what breed she is?”

“Golden retriever.” Patton replied, a big grin on his face. “Isn’t she adorable? I mean, I know I can’t see her, but I know she’s adorable.”

“She is,” Logan agreed with a small laugh as his hand was licked affectionately by the dog, “Lady, was it?”

“Mhm!” Patton hummed in confirmation, patting the dog on the back. “I love her a whole lot. She’s very intelligent.”

“Golden retrievers are highly intelligent breeds,” Logan replied in agreement, “Which is why they, and labradors, are such common breeds for service dogs. They’re easily trained and some have even been proven to be able to read.”

Patton blinked. “Wow, I didn’t know that. Cool! Are you a teacher or something? You give me that sort of vibe.”

“I am not,” Logan answered, flipping a page of his book and ignoring his phone lighting up on the table as Roman realized Logan had tricked them and was trying to escape them. “But I had wanted to be one when I was younger.”

“You’re really smart! I think you’d be a really good teacher, Logan.”

Logan’s cheeks flushed slightly, and he finally rose his gaze to look at Patton in the eye, and gasped aloud as their eyes locked and suddenly the black and white universe around him became lit with colors, the world no longer black, white, and gray, with a few dots of red and green- he saw all the colors he’d been told about throughout his life, blues and oranges and purples and yellows- mixes of colors that he never knew existed and didn’t have names for.

And now that he actually looked at Patton’s face, he took in the details he’d missed when he briefly glanced at him in the streets- he had freckles scattered across his cheeks and nose, like stars in the sky, and his hair was just as fluffy and curly as it had looked at first, but it seemed to be multi-colored, like Virgil’s, and-

“Did she bite you?” Patton asked in concern, only hearing Logan’s gasp and assuming Lady had done something either incredibly cute or she’d bitten him (unlikely, but still possible).

“N-No- I-” Logan stammered, sucking in a deep breath, “You’re my soulmate.”

“What?” Patton squeaked, his cheeks flushing red, and hell, they just brought out his freckles even more.

“I-I- there’s color, everywhere, when I looked into your eyes just now-” Logan cut himself off, shaking his head, “Sorry, that was sudden, wasn’t it? I apologize for my outburst, I was just taken by surprise-”

“Oh, no, no! It’s okay!” Patton was quick to reassure, flashing him a smile, “I just.. Kinda wish I could see the colors with you, y’know?” He shifted, then put his book down on the coffee table.

“W-Well.. If you’re my soulmate, I guess I shouldn’t be reading and I should be trying to learn more about you, huh?” He shifted nervously, “Sorry, I mean, I don’t know what to do, I’ve never meet my soulmate before- well, obviously, I just mean-”

Logan felt laughter bubble up in his chest, resting his hand atop Patton’s to halt his rambles. “It’s fine, really.” He blushed, “Uhm.. We can talk some, if you’d like?”

“Yeah.” Patton nodded, twisting his hand so he could hold Logan’s. “Yeah, I’d like that!”

“He’s not even reading any of my messages!” Roman whined, stomping his foot. “Are you sure we can’t just go over there and get him?”

“Roman, please. He clearly got away for a reason. He probably needed some air, or some space to think. We were being pretty pushy and terrible to him.” Virgil tried to soothe, flashing an embarrassed grin at the people who were turning to look at the fussy couple in the cafe.

“It’s been an hour! I’ve gone through two pieces of cheesecake, Virgil, two. Logan should be back by now. I can handle it if he needed some space, but not for so long!”

Virgil rolled his eyes, taking a sip of his tea as he turned to look out the window, then immediately choking on said tea and covering his mouth with his hand as he coughed into it.

Roman immediately hit Virgil across the back to try and help him get the tea from his lungs, frowning. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“Window,” Virgil croaked, before coughing into his sleeve some more.

Roman, thoroughly confused, turned his gaze towards the window, not realizing what he was supposed to be looking for- until he found it.

Logan stood outside the bookstore, lip-locked with some stranger Roman had never once seen before in his life, holding the leash of a service dog as said dog sat patiently by the stranger’s feet, tail thumping happily against the ground.

“Virgil. Virgil holy shit- Virgil are you seeing what I’m seeing? Oh my God. Logan’s gonna finally get laid. Virgil, why aren’t you freaking out about this do you realize how important this is-”

“Roman, shut up, my lungs are full of scalding hot tea, give me a fucking minute.”

Roman took a deep breath, before jumping up from his seat. “I’m going to introduce myself to my new best friend and their dog and try to get Logan to go home with him because it looks like they’re parting ways and there’s no way in hell I’m letting that happen.”

“Roman, no-”

And there he goes.

Virgil groaned, dropping his head to the table, glancing out the window from the corner of his eye and watching Roman rush across the street to fling himself and Logan, rambling about something, probably along the lines of ‘congrats on finding your soulmate, when are you getting laid?’ if Logan’s flush and the stranger’s laughter was anything to go by.

Virgil shook his head.

Soulmates were fucking stupid, his own in particular.

#logicality #logan sanders #patton sanders #soulmate au #prinxiety #virgil sanders #roman sanders #my fic #fanfic

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machihunnicutt · 7 years ago

Text

Worth It - sarchengsey, pynch gift fic

Hiya, this fic is for the @trc-exchange !! It is my gift for @221fandomwitches who, upon searching, I believe has changed their URL to @alexdamnvers so I’m including both lol. They gave me many lovely suggestions and I went with sarchengsey owning a bookstore + pynch and Opal being cute on the farm. Hope ya like it!

Worth It

Blue heard him before she saw him. The bell on the front door dinged and she popped up from the receipts and paper towels and books that hadn’t been priced yet she was arranging on the shelves behind the counter to grin at who she assumed was new customer but was actually one of her boyfriends, looking very frazzled.

“Jane, have you seen Boots?” Richard Gansey III’s eyes flitted from the magazine stands to the rare book section he’d spent two hours dusting because he kept getting distracted by ornate covers and musty pages and would flip through the oldest books with a look of utter delight on his face, making small sounds of surprise or amusement as if he hadn’t selected every volume in the collection.

Blue rolled her eyes. “Hey Henry!” She called through the empty shop. He was restocking books in the farthest shelves.

Henry leaned out from behind the shelf, his arms full of fluffy white cat, and Blue heard a sigh of relief from Gansey.

“Yeah?” Henry called. “Oh hey Gansey boy, you’re back.”

“Henry why did we let Gansey name the cat?”

Henry put Boots down on the hardwood floor and she bounded forward. Gansey knelt down to meet her and she nuzzled against his leg happily. Blue was convinced that she only liked him best because he named her.

Henry laughed. “We’re lucky he didn’t name her after some dead Welsh princess.”

Gansey looked up, glancing at the two of them disapprovingly as he adjusted his glasses and pushed his overgrown hair from his eyes.

“I’ve been looking for her since my class ended. I accidentally let her out and you guys were busy and I didn’t want to worry you so I…” He was doing that anxious rambly thing again so Blue cut in.

“It’s fine honey, she came back after you left and I let her in.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t say anything,” he said. When he stood Blue got a better look at the bags beneath his eyes and the paleness of his normally tan skin. He had exams coming up and didn’t have much time to sleep between class, his TA job, and his time at the bookstore (not that Gansey was ever great in the sleeping department.) She worried about him sometimes. The three of them might have bitten off more than they could chew opening up a bookstore by themselves.

The idea had sprung from a late night conversation in the backseat of the Pig. Gansey had parked the car under the clear expanse of navy and bright stars. It was summer. Blue was stretched out between her boys, laying uncomfortably on the assorted clips she’d shoved in her hair. They only had a few days of summer left before Gansey had to go back to Oxford for his senior year, Henry to his internship in New York, and she to her last semester studying rainforests in Costa Rica.

Their lives thus far had seemed a strange mismatch of rigorous structure followed by the complete lack thereof. After their cross country roadtrip (in which the biggest decisions were which snacks to get at 7-11, and what motel to spend the night in) they’d split off in exciting, but painfully distant directions for college. Now, nearing the end of their undergrad years and close together for a fleeting moment, Blue wondered what came next.

It wasn’t something she often had the opportunity to wonder. Fate screwed with a girl’s brain like that. After years of being told what her love had to mean by the women of Fox Way and what she did and didn’t have the chance to be from greasy tables at Nino’s, it felt odd to be in control. She didn’t think she’d be able to go to college, much less abroad. She thought about Adam in the forests. Though the birds had brighter feathers and the humidity was heavy in a way it never was in Cabeswater, she thought he’d like it there. She’d never told him, but he was the reason she started thinking college could be in the cards for her. Savings and scholarships and belief that she could be something beyond what people saw for her had compiled into almost 4 years of finding things about herself she never knew were there.

“I’m going to miss you guys when I go back,” Henry had muttered, and she looked over at him. The moonlight highlighted his content, even expression. He had never been afraid of the distance, or if he had he hadn’t let it stop him from arranging weekly video chats between the three of them, and two very active group messages (“Squadsey” - Henry, Gansey, Blue, Adam, Ronan, and “Henry’s Faves <3” - Henry, Gansey, Blue.) He was working as a media intern for a tech company in New York City, which by his description involved too much coffee fetching and had early hours that prevented him from styling his hair the way he liked it.

“You know we can do anything we want after this year?” She said, it was almost a whisper, and it surprised her. Gansey and Henry both turned to look at her. She focused her eyes on the blurring brightness of the stars.

“What do you mean?” Gansey asked.

“I mean what have you always wanted to do that you haven’t already?”

She saw his face go red and she readjusted on the seat so she could lean forward and turn down the radio. “Go on, I know there’s something.”

“I’m terribly happy with everything I have right now Jane,” he replied, earnestly, she could tell.

“Yeah, but there’s still something,” Henry said. “And we’ve got our whole lives ahead of us. Or, in your case, your whole second life.”

Blue laughed and swatted at his arm. “Henry’s right. What do you want to do Gansey?”

“What do you want to do Blue?” He shot back at her, reaching up to fix one of her hair clips that’d gone askew.

She thought for a moment. “I want to make something. Or build something. I don’t know what. I just want to do it with the two of you.”

“I’ve always wanted to own a bookshop,” Gansey said quietly.

“A bookshop?” Henry repeated, grinning wildly.

“Really?” Blue echoed. “In Henrietta?”

“Yeah Jane,” he said, confidence building. “We could have rare books and bestsellers and invite local poets and writers to come give readings and…” She saw him take in the happy look on her face before he continued. “You could make art to put on the walls and we could have free coffee at the counter and a cat.”

“You want to get a cat?” She said.

“Every good bookshop has a cat, Blue,” Henry put in and then she couldn’t stop laughing because Gansey had clearly put thought into this and there was no real reason they couldn’t just open their own bookshop in Henrietta. Between them they had the money, though she knew there would be arguments and negotiations in that respect. Gansey knew a thing or two about books after years of scouring obscure stores and libraries for the Glendower search. Henry would be great at advertising the place and teaching them the finer points of business sense. She certainly had the work ethic for it. Who knew how long they could keep it up but it could be worth a try.

“Let’s do it,” she had said definitively.

“I agree,” Henry said.

“It won’t be easy,” Gansey warned. The collar of his polo was flipped up on one side.

“When has anything we’ve done been easy?”

“Fair point, Jane.”

Two years later they had the cat and the old books and the coffee and more, really. If you looked hard enough you could spot several dream shelves (that somehow held twice as many books and made pages smell like nutmeg) in with the average ones. Their Yelp reviews were stellar, as Henry often reminded her, and business was surprisingly steady. It was a lot of work but so far it seemed to be paying off.

She and Henry worked at the shop full time, and Gansey practically did seeing as he spent all the time he wasn’t in class (or driving the 30 minute commute to campus) at the shop.

Blue was happy. She liked talking to customers and playing whatever music she damn well pleased during her shifts (a complaint she had for her shifts at Nino’s). She liked reading when things got slow and watching Henry dangle toys in front of Boots or lead customers around with easy charisma.

“Blue?” Gansey had picked up Boots and was cradling her gently in a way that reminded her of the way Ronan handled Chainsaw.

“Yeah?” she replied.

“I asked if everything was going well today,” he repeated.

“We’ve been pretty busy,” Henry said, eyeing the empty coffeepot on the counter. “Blue only had a cup and a half and we need to make more.”

“I can make it,” Gansey said with an urgency that was unwarranted for a pot of coffee.

He set Boots down and scooped up the coffee pot but she stopped him with a hand on his wrist. “Wait a minute, if you spent all your time looking for the cat, then you didn’t get lunch did you?”

He avoided her eyes sheepishly, which meant yes.

“We’ve talked about this.”

“I know we have.”

“Call in your last coupon Blue!” Henry called. He had migrated back to the farther shelves.

“Excellent idea,” she replied.

“Oh no, don’t bother them. I’ll find something,” Gansey said.

“Shut it, I need to talk to Adam anyway,” she said authoritatively.

“Yeah Gansey, listen to your girlfriend.”

“Or alternatively listen to your boyfriend. We’re in agreement on this,” she quipped.

“Fine, fine,” he said, but he was grinning. “You call them. I’ll make more coffee.”

***

Adam’s hands were covered in flour when he picked up the phone. It was Ronan’s phone, but by now they were used to sharing (sweaters, the couch, descriptions of nightmares).

“Hello?” He had to speak louder than normal given that Opal was scream-singing (he wasn’t sure she knew how to actually sing) Christmas carols at the top of her lungs in the next room.

“Good afternoon Adam,” Blue said, sounding teasingly chipper. “How are things at home on the farm?” She always said at home on the farm like his life was now a black and white family sitcom with a laugh track. It wasn’t, but it was similar in a way that that felt thoroughly comforting and only a little scary for the unknowable Adam Parrish.

“Ronan is helping Opal make sugar cookies,” he said.

“Wow, I’m going to need lots of pictures of that immediately.”

“I’m aware,” he replied, smile tugging at the corners of his lips. His time home at the farm had consisted of more of these sugar-coated, domestic things than he’d anticipated, not that he was complaining. “What’s up?”

“I was wondering if I could cash in on my final birthday coupon from Lynch. The one about the free homemade lunch? But if you’re too busy with the cookies I’ll…”

“No, I can talk him into it. I’ve been meaning to stop by the shop anyway so I can bring it.”

“Perfect, see you later then.”

“Bye Blue.”

“Bye Adam. Tell Opal she has a lovely singing voice.”

When Adam walked back into the kitchen Ronan was scolding Opal for sticking her hands in the eggs (she hadn’t stopped singing), and Chainsaw was making tracks in the rolled out dough.

“I’m back,” he said, sliding in beside them and picking Opal up from the stepstool on which her hooved feet were balanced. He silently moved her to the sink and Ronan flipped on the faucet as Adam held her hands under the water. “Blue says you have a lovely singing voice,” he said. She turned over her shoulder and smiled at him. She had flour on her nose and egg in her hair.

“What did Sargent want?” Ronan said gruffly, but without malice

“She’s redeeming her last birthday coupon. We’re making her lunch.”

“I thought those coupons expired?” He growled. He’d managed to get Chainsaw off the dough and onto his shoulder.

“There are no expiration dates when it comes to friendship,” Adam deadpanned and Ronan laughed in a way that still managed to make Adam breathless. It sounded like something Noah would say without a trace of irony, but he didn’t voice this thought.

“Touche Parrish,” Ronan said.

“They’re going to have to be fine with sandwiches because I’m not making anything fancy with the kitchen a mess,” Ronan said. “And I do say they because I know I’m really feeding the three headed monster.”

“Can I put the cookies in the oven Kerah?” Opal chimed, drying her hands on her skirt and getting them covered with flour again in the process.

“Have Parrish help you,” he said, already opening up the cabinet and locating the loaf of bread there.

Adam put oven mitts on Opal’s hands and guided her in the placement of the cookie sheet. This was their 4th batch. Needless to say they were going to have a lot. He got her set up at the kitchen table frosting some of the cooled cookies as Ronan assembled sandwiches (peanut butter and jelly for Blue, ham and cheese for the other two). He gave him a hand spreading the jelly.

“We made a lot of cookies,” he said quietly, stealing a glance over at Ronan. His hair was starting to grow out. It made him look softer.

“Damn right we did,” he replied, meeting his gaze. He had about as much flour on his plaid shirt as Opal had all over her person. “We might even have enough extra for you to take back to Boston,” he muttered, almost an afterthought.

“I’ve got two more weeks Ronan,” he sighed.

“I know that,” he said, nearly apologetic. Adam knew he wasn’t bringing it up to be mean. Long distance had sucked the first time Adam left for Harvard and would suck when his vacation was over and he had to leave again. They were making it work. They’d been through worse.

Ronan kissed him goodbye when the sandwiches were done and then turned to Opal, who had managed to get sprinkles all over the floor, and inspected her masterpieces of abstract expressionism via cookie.

Gansey waved at him through the window before he’d even reached the door. “Adam, how are you?” he asked brightly as the entrance bell rang. Blue was busy with a customer, but she gave him a curt salute.

“Good, today is cookie making day.”

Gansey had his enigmatic expression that reminded him of the Gansey in an Aglionby tie, who’d convince him to go exploring after he got off work.

“Brilliant,” he said. “What are you up to tonight?”

“Stop hogging him,” Blue called from the cash register. She had finished the transaction and was beckoning the both of them over to her. Adam presented the bag of sandwiches and Opal’s cookie artwork and she handed Gansey his ham and cheese. “Lynch is quite the chef today,” she said, going for a cookie before her sandwich.

“I was going to ask the three of you--assuming Henry is here somewhere--to go to the holiday lighting tonight. Opal is very excited,” he explained. So was Ronan, he didn’t disclose. He’d told Adam that he’d always gone to the town square lighting as a kid. It was a rare and exhilarating happening when Ronan talked about growing up.

“Henry’s in the back blasting bubblegum pop and taking inventory,” Gansey said. “But we can pass along the message.”

“We’ll be there,” Blue said. “Actually, Henry’s printed flyers for the shop to hand out.”

“Great, see you tonight then,” he said. Adam never ceased to be impressed with the work the three of them had done to put the bookshop together. They’d always been spontaneous and ambitious when they put their heads together, but this time their quirks had been combined in something that was really beautiful. It was weird to watch them all become real, adult people. It was certainly hard to watch himself, rewarding, but hard.

“I’ve got a book for you to look at before you go Adam,” Gansey said, hurriedly depositing his sandwich on the counter and disappearing amongst the shelves. Gansey generally had a book on education or literary history for him. A lot of them he’d read before (he did teach 100 level English classes when he wasn’t at home on the farm), but he’d become comfortable with Gansey’s enthusiasm, and rapt attention when Adam recounted stories of teaching anxious teens how to write short stories.

“He looks tired,” Adam said, when he was gone.

Blue frowned. “I know. And you like, invented being tired so you’d know.”

“His exams are over with soon?” He asked.

“Not soon enough.”

“Talk to him,” Adam suggested. He wasn’t the foremost authority on healthy communication, but he was working on it.

“I will, thanks Adam.”

Gansey returned with the book, a volume on etymology he hadn't read, and talked about it animatedly while Adam flipped through the pages.

“Thanks for the sandwiches,” Blue said, once they were done. “Send Lynch my best.”

“I’ll try but he might not accept it,” Adam smirked.

***

The streets were packed. Henrietta residents swarmed and Gansey was reminded of his model in Monmouth. He’d started working on it again on nights when he couldn’t sleep. He hadn’t told Henry or Blue this. He had a gloved hand full of flyers and was having a fair bit of success passing them out to families and teenagers who were underdressed for the cold.

“You good Gansey boy?” Henry appeared and clapped him on the shoulder. The lights weren’t set to turn on for another hour or so, and they’d separated to cover ground with flyers. “Cold yet?”

“Not with these gloves,” he said, holding up a hand to show off the lumpy orange gloves Blue knitted him. They were his favorite present she’d given him. Henry had a matching pair in green.

“Alright,” Henry said. “I’m going to make another circle around the square. Blue’s almost out of flyers. I told her to find you when she’s done. Then the three of us can meet up with the others.”

Gansey nodded and Henry disappeared into the mass of people. Crowds could make them both a bit nervous (there was room to be suffocated in the excitement), but tonight he wasn’t afraid.

Gansey handed out the rest of his flyers and stared up at the unlit strings of lights overhead. The air was chilly and laced with expectation. Nights like tonight made him think of Noah, Noah who loved things that glittered or shown in the dark.

“Hey,” suddenly Blue was at his side again, pressing her hand into his. He could feel her warmth through the glove and sucked in a deep breath.

“Hey Jane.”

“How are you feeling?” He knew she was worried about him. He hated that he worried her. Class and the shop and the people he loved were worth the exhaustion, but he hated that she worried. He was proud of what they’d built together.

“I’m great Blue, how are you?”

“I’m better than great,” she replied. “Shall we find Henry?”

The three of them met with Ronan, Adam, and Opal at a spot on the courthouse lawn. Ronan had brought a self-heating dream blanket and they all spread out on it. Blue braided Opal’s hair as she chattered excitedly in half-English, half-Latin about what she was asking Santa for. Adam had Ronan’s leather jacket around his shoulders and the two of them were sitting so close they were practically sharing a scarf.

“This is what it’s all about,” Henry whispered to him as the lights turned on. Gansey looked over at him, stretched out beside him on the blanket. He looked at ease in a way that never failed to make Gansey feel warm and present. “Everything’s glowing.”

The six of them walked back to the shop. Blue had suggested watching a movie on the TV in the back room since it was closer to the square than any of their homes, and offered Opal hot chocolate that she couldn’t pass up.

Gansey stopped in front of the shop when they arrived, just staring up at the sign and asking for a moment while the rest of them filed inside. It had begun to snow. Henry kissed him on the cheek and Blue gave him a fleeting look of concern before they left him alone outside. The snow was melting on the ground. It wouldn’t stick until later in the season, he knew, but it was still pretty.

He wasn’t sure why he’d stopped. Sometimes he just needed a second to collect himself, to remind himself that he was here and alive and that he deserved all the happiness that bubbled up in his throat and slipped down his spine in an energy that was often akin to anxiety.

After five minutes Blue poked her head out the door. “Ready to come back in?” she asked gently.

“Yeah,” he said slowly.

“You know you can talk to me. You can talk to any of us.”

“I know. Thank you.”

“I love you Gansey.”

“I love you too Blue. I’m sorry I make you worry.”

She opened the door wider and crossed the foot of sidewalk to wrap her arms around him. When she buried her face in his chest he was reminded of their late night drives back in high school. Everything had felt so heavy then. Affection had felt like something dangerous. Now, he hugged her back.

“It’s okay,” she said.

“I’m proud of what we’ve made, all three of us,” he said. Repeating the thought aloud made it concrete.

“I am too,” Blue said.

***

Ronan Lynch sat beside Adam on the couch and watched the entirety of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Halfway through the movie Adam leaned his head on Ronan’s shoulder and a feeling clawed at Ronan’s chest. He didn’t want him to leave again but he knew he needed to. Adam was right, they still had two weeks.

The lights on the square made everything seem open and revealed. You couldn’t hide in a place where gold lit up the dark and danced in Adam Parrish’s eyes.

He looked over and watched Adam’s eyelashes flutter. It had been a long day. The two of them had been trying to suck every good moment out of every day they had together.

“Hey Parrish,” he whispered, before he lost the nerve. The lights outside were still burned into his vision.

“Hmm?”

“We’re going to be okay. When you go back to Harvard and we’re long distance again...I know that we’re going to be fine.”

Adam tilted his head up to look at him. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Good, I know that too.”

“Good,” he parroted back, trying not to look as open and fearful as he felt.

When they’d walked back to the shop and the sign came into view, Ronan had nearly stopped when Gansey did. He’d been the one to make the sign (well, dream it up at least), but nevertheless he forgot it was there.

Blue had come up with the name. She’d brought it up with the group of them during a game night. He wanted to be remembered. She’d said. And he is.

According to Henry, the sign caused a bit of confusion in their first few weeks. People often asked which one of them shared the shop’s name. It was worth a bit of confusion.

Snow had started to collect around the letters: Noah’s Books.

On the couch beside him Adam had shifted again. His hand found Ronan’s in the blankets.

When he, Adam, and Opal walked home the snowfall had picked up. Flakes swirled in the breeze and he made sure Opal kept her hat on. She stuck her flushed face up toward the sky and spun around, closing her eyes against the flecks of snow.

“I’m in a snowglobe!” She announced.

Adam glanced over at him. They didn’t need to say it, but Ronan did anyway.

“She sounds like Noah,” he said.

“Yeah, she does,” he replied. And the night was radiant.

#trcexchange2017 #alexdamnvers #sarchengsey #pynch #the raven cycle #blue sargent #richard gansey iii #adam parrish #henry cheng #ronan lynch #opal lynch-parrish #trc fic #awi's fic #this is my first gift exchange on tumblr and it was super fun!!

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randyk1m-blog · 5 years ago

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There are so many fun things to do in Chicago with kids it can be hard to decide what to do! Here is our list of things that will be fun for the kids and parents on your visit to Chicago along with where to eat and where to stay.

From the museums on the Chicago Lakefront to a food tour and the Ledge there are a ton of family friendly things to do when you visit the city.

Attractions

The Escape Game Chicago

If you are looking for a unique and fun indoor activity to do with your family be sure to check out The Escape Game! We weren’t sure if it would be kid friendly but it totally was. You are put in a room and have 60 minutes to figure out how to get out. Don’t worry the game master is there to help you. Book Your Escape Game Tickets Now!

We really enjoyed doing this together as a family and loved how the kids were able to help us out with the clues and were part of solving them. We ended up making it out of the room in time! Check out our post on: The Escape Game for more information and to book your escape game!

Skydeck

We went up to the 103rd floor over 1353 feet high and into a room that was surrounded with windows looking out over Chicago. It was so beautiful!! I loved that you could walk around the whole building so you saw Chicago from all angles (city and lakefront).

Then there is The Ledge. . . An all-glass room that extends outside of the building! Crazy!! But also crazy cool!

Cannon walked right out and started jumping and both Craig and I yelled for him to stop. But the Skydeck worker assured us it was totally secure! Gradually all of us made our way out there and it was a really cool experience.

It was a bit cloudy when we were there and I am hoping we can go back another time when the sun is out and the sky is clearer.

They are also doing a remodel of the Willis Tower building and soon their will be shops and restaurants on the bottom 3 floors. So once you are done taking in the views you can do some shopping and eating!

Tip: Get there early. There is actually an outside waiting line – at this time you can’t wait inside the building so be prepared for that. Plus if you get there early there is a better chance that the weather will be good and clouds/fog won’t block your view. To that point keep an eye on the weather and pick a day that looks as clear as possible. Book Your Tickets Now!

Best In Chow Food Tour – Chicago Food Planet

I have always wanted to do a food tour, but wasn’t sure how it would go over with the kids. It ended up being great! We choose the right tour that was all about classic Chicago food (deep dish pizza, Chicago style hot dogs, hot beef sandwiches) which is also a lot of kids favorites. The Best In Chow Food Tour by Chicago Food Planet.

The tour was 3 hours long and we walked about 1 1/2 miles around Chicago stopping at a variety of restaurants to sample the food and also some Chicago landmarks where our guide gave us a great history lesson on Chicago and on the foods we were trying.

It was cool how we included not only history on Chicago, but also a lot of history and interesting facts about how these foods ended up being Chicago classics.

Eating 5 different kinds of foods can sound like a lot, but with the walking and the breaks in between to learn more about Chicago, the food it was perfect. Plus it kept the kids occupied and full so they were great and really enjoyed it.

At the end of our trip Carson said it was his favorite thing we did in Chicago! Book your tickets for the Best In Chow Food Tour now.

Centennial Ferris Wheel on Navy Pier

Head over to Navy Pier to go up on the Centennial Ferris Wheel! A fun way to get an amazing view of Chicago and the lakefront.

You can get tickets through the Go Chicago Card or Chicago Explorer or check with the Loew’s hotel – they sometimes have specials going where you can get tickets with your stay.

Chicago Magic Lounge

On Sunday the Chicago Magic Lounge puts on a show just for kids. We had no idea what to expect and when you get there you walk into a small laundromat room . . . we weren’t sure what to do so we started pushing some buttons. Then one of the machines opens up and lets you into a room where a lady is waiting to check you in.

She checked us in and the proceeded to pull a book on the wall that opened another wall that led us into the Magic Lounge. Such a fun way to get into the theatre!

From there we took our seat and ordered food and drinks and waited for the show to start.

The Magician did an amazing job and it was very interactive with the kids – calling up a lot of volunteers to help. Our kids happily kept their hands down, but definitely enjoyed watching the show.

At the end you are able to meet the Magician and pet his magic bird!

Andersonville

Our next stop brought us out to the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago just north of downtown. Chicago has 70+ neighborhoods and it was fun to explore one of them! It was still a bustling area with people walking around yet had more of a small-town feel then the skyscrapers of downtown.

We checked out the toy store that was filled with a collection of fun and unique toys. Some of them were even invented by people from Chicago. Then headed to the Women and Children First bookstore that had an amazing collection of books with a focus on women authors and topics. Then the candy store that had a unique and delicious collection of candy. All these stores were PERFECT for kids!

We also spent time at the Swedish American Museum learning about the people that came over from Sweden to Chicago then moved into the Andersonville neighborhood. The Museum was interesting but what the kids really liked was the children’s museum area upstairs! It was all about the journey people made from Sweden to Chicago with all sorts of hands on activities for the kids – milking a cow, picking vegetables from the garden, cooking in their house, boarding the boat, it was really cool!

Andersonville had such a fun and inviting vibe to it. You could also tell the people that lived there and owned the shops had such pride in their neighborhood and Chicago. There is something to the craziness that is downtown Chicago and the energy you feel there. But it was cool to get a little bit outside of that (about a 15 minute drive) and into a neighborhood where you still felt that same energy just in a less chaotic way.

Emerald City Theatre

Catch a play at the Emerald City Theatre. They have an amazing lineup of kid and family friendly plays and they do an amazing job. When we were there we saw the Fantastic Mr. Fox and their energy on stage was so engaging. Plus the theatre was smaller and more intimate so there was not a bad seat in the place!

If this is your first time brining your kids to the theatre or you are a seasoned veteran you will not be disappointed.

Skating Ribbon

In the winter check out the Skating Ribbon at Maggie Daley Park. It is an awesome ice skating ribbon – not a rink as it is a curvy trail that goes around in a circle. You have amazing views of downtown Chicago while you are skating. It is a bit pricey at $15 per skate rental (same for kids)., but if you have your own skates it is free!

They have a concession stand area with picnic tables off of the ribbon. But be aware they have a Zamboni that comes through and fixes the ice for 1 hour multiple times throughout the day. So the ribbon is shut down during that time. . . which is frustrating when you get there right when that hour is starting!

Museums

Museum of Science and Industry

We could have spent all day here and wish we would have gotten here earlier since they had to kick us out when they closed at 5pm.The Museum of Science and Industry is one of our favorite things to do in Chicago with kids.

There are a lot of hands on activities and yes some of the things are pretty complex but kids have a way of finding how to make it fun for their age. Even if that means they aren’t doing it right but instead are just hitting a bunch of buttons.

They also have a kids area that is perfect for toddlers up to 10 year olds. And right next to the kids area is a farm area where you can drive a combine and sit in a tractor.

The highlight of our visit was the kids watching a baby chick hatch and come out of its shell. They stood there with their noses glued to the glass for a good 20 minutes waiting for the chick to come out. It was a really cool experience for them to see up close and personal.

We recommend giving yourself a whole day to explore the museum and either bringing a lunch or buying lunch at their cafeteria.

We parked on the street across from the museum and it was a perfect spot since we could walk to get pizza from the same spot. This is definitely one of the best Chicago museums for kids, we definitely recommend a visit!

You can get tickets in a discounted package like the Go Chicago Card or the Chicago Explorer Card. Or check out a reciprocal museum membership!

Chicago Children’s Museum

The Children’s Museum is located at Navy Pier. It is a multiple story museum and most of the things there are geared towards younger age kids 6 and under. Our 8 (almost 9) year-old found a lot of things to do and we spent a good amount of time in the building section.

We’d recommend this Chicago museum for kids 10 and under – and just know for older kids you will want to check out the exhibits and find the ones that are geared more towards older kids.

The house/restaurant/car areas always seem to be a big hit with our kids and they love playing house or setting up their own situations. In this case they really enjoyed being mailmen and setting up their “house” in the tree house area. It is fun to watch their creativity come to life when they are in Children’s Museums and can just explore at their leisure.

And of course the water room is always a hit and keeps the kids occupied for a while.

Cannon and Craig ended up spending an hour building a house while the other kids came and went exploring other areas of the museum. I don’t know who had more fun Craig or Cannon!

We ended up in the same boat where we could have spent more time but they were closing. What is up with all these museums closing at 5pm! We don’t really get moving until after lunch . . .

We recommend giving yourself a good 4 hours here or if you want to come earlier play for a while, then head out to Navy Pier to eat, then come back if your kids aren’t done playing!

Check out discounted tickets through the Go Chicago Card or the Chicago Explorer Card. Or a Reciprocal Museum Membership can get you 50% off of tickets.

Adler Planetarium

Have space lovers in your family? Check out the Adler Planetarium! The Planetarium location is awesome – right along the lake front and they have fascinating information along with great planetarium shows. Our kids really enjoyed The Universe: A Walk Through Space and Time exhibit along with the very hands on Planet Explorers exhibit.

They have a variety of shows available including one that is specifically for little kids – with Sesame Street characters in it! Check out the schedule here.

Shedd Aquarium

A huge aquarium with tons of great information and fish. LOTS of fish! We haven’t gone to the Shedd Aquarium very often since it seems like it is always busy . . . We have heard it is best to go first thing in the morning so you aren’t stuck waiting in line.

If aquariums are you thing it is worth making a visit. They have over 32,000 animals and over 5 million gallons of water. With exhibits on Beluga Whales, the Caribbean Reef, jellyfish, penguins, sharks and so much more.

Field Museum Of Natural History

We walked to the Field Museum from the RV park we were staying at and had a couple of hours to explore. We love how the museum pass gives us the opportunity to do this! Since we get in for free. There were a lot of really cool things to look at, but out of all the museums it was our least favorite.

It seemed like the kids felt the same way. We kind of quickly walked through all of the displays which did take a while since there are so many and it is a big museum.

If you want to check it out the Go Chicago Card is the recommended way to go for the best price.

Art Institute of Chicago

If you have a budding artist in the family or you are really into art then you won’t want to miss the Art Institute of Chicago. They also have an Artist Studio that they recommend you stop in to see what is going on the day you visit. I know for us hands on activities are the only thing that really makes an Art Museum work for our family. Or else their hands want to go to touching the art work . . . If you are unsure about visiting an Art Museum with your kids check out our post: Tips For A Successful Trip To An Art Museum With Kids.

Check out the Go Chicago Card for best ticket prices.

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Where To Stay

Loews Hotel

WOW. That is what we all said when we walked into our room on the 14th floor overlooking Navy Pier with a play campfire and tent setup for us. If a room could be perfect in Chicago this would be it!

I love how the Loews hotel caters to kids and families. On our way in we were greeted with a package of toys for each of our 4 kids. Yes they each got their own! We had booked for the Snowed-Inn package so as I mentioned above when we walked in the room the tent was set up along with hot chocolate and cookies for the kids and an in-room movie of our choice.

After settling in we took a walk around the hotel and they have a beautiful lap pool for swimming, a spa and workout room. Along with an outside patio area that looked like it would be beautiful in the warmer months.

The location is also perfect since you are close to all the downtown activities, the Magnificent Mile and we were able to walk everywhere we wanted to go. It was definitely hard to leave!

The Guesthouse Hotel

I don’t even know if it is fair to call this a hotel! We walked into the room and we couldn’t believe the high ceilings, the space and the gorgeous decorations! The owners had started down the path of building condos and then decided to change to a hotel. And we are the lucky recipients of these unbelievable hotel rooms!

We stayed in a 3 bedroom suite with 2 bathrooms (the master bath had an amazing shower that doubled as a sauna!) a living room, dining area and a full kitchen. It was hard to leave to go out to explore when the place was so great!

You can also let them know ahead of time if you want any baby gear (cribs, highchair, toys, etc) or games and coloring supplies for the older kids and they will have them there waiting for you.

The lobby area was also beautiful and they hold small weddings and conferences there. Or when events aren’t going on you can just go down to hangout by the fireplace or in the library – where they also have kids books and games.

Our visit felt more like we were visiting friends than staying in a hotel. Both Craig and I said we could live there!

Best Western River North

Another nice hotel option is the Best Western River North. This is a great hotel if you are looking for a more affordable option, but also want a nice big room. Plus it is located in a great location to be able to walk to a lot of the downtown attractions.

Our room was huge and had 2 double beds and a pullout bed. They also have a large pool that was perfect for our family and allowed the kids to burn off some energy.

Another plus was their onsite restaurant that had pizza for dinner, a bar and a great breakfast selection. It was snowing when we were there so it was nice that we didn’t have to leave the hotel, but could stay right on site to get a tasty and convenient dinner and breakfast.

Our kids favorite thing about the hotel was the free ice cream sandwiches and Push-Ups that they had behind the front desk. Plus they were unlimited so you could get as many as you wanted!

RV Option: McCormick Center Truck Marshaling lot

Check out our post on our stay for all the details. But basically it is a truck parking lot where you can park your RV and then walk or ride your bike to the museums and Navy Pier! It is nothing glamorous and there are no hookups but the location was pretty great.

Where To Eat

SafeHouse

I wasn’t really sure if I should put this under Attractions or Where To Eat since it is basically both! In order to get into the restaurant you have to give them the password and if you don’t know it they make you do a dance and flap your arms around like a chicken and then they let you in.

Little do you know everyone in the restaurant was watching your dance moves! So upon entering everyone claps and cheers for you. Good times!

You then sit down to order and are given all of the instructions on dinner and drinks as well as a set of clues for an in-restaurant scavenger hunt. There is also a magician in the house that does some pretty cool card tricks.

The food is done in packages that include an appetizer, meal and a drink (non alcoholic – but never fear there is a great selection of alcoholic drinks to pick from). You will not leave hungry assuming you can force yourself to sit down and eat!

We were having so much fun walking around taking everything in and trying to find the clues that our server had to come find us to tell us to come sit down and eat or it would get cold!

If you are there to celebrate or just for the heck of it – order the flaming dessert. It is a huge ice cream with ha flaming candle on top. The kids LOVED to end the night with this!

A totally awesome experience that everyone in the family will enjoy and remember.

Urban Belly

This place was delicious!! Our kids weren’t sure about trying the Asian inspired cuisine. They aren’t the most adventurous eaters. But by the time we were done they all LOVED it and wanted to come back the next day.

They had great kids menu options (a very simple fried chicken with white rice that even picky eaters would be OK with) plus some good sharing food like the dumplings and the huge bowl of soup. They even have sharing bowls out that you can use!

Craig and I loved ours as well and definitely recommend checking them out!

Bar Roma

Looking for upscale Italian dining? Then this is the place for you! It is located in the Andersonville neighborhood and had an awesome vibe and ambiance. The menu is somewhat limited as there isn’t a kids menu, but they were super accommodating and were able to make a simple pasta for our picky eaters. Plus they have a meatball option – 3 giant meatballs – that the kids loved!

Craig and I enjoyed the drink selection and our meals were fantastic! If you are looking for delicious pasta this is the place for you.

Giordano’s Pizza

After we were done at the MSI (Museum of Science and Industry) or I should say once they kicked us out when they closed . . . we took about a mile walk to Giordano’s pizza for a real deep dish Chicago style pizza. Be aware that these pizzas can take up to 45 minutes to cook so you may want to call ahead or just be prepared to wait. We ordered an appetizer to hold the kids over while we waited.

Gino’s East Pizza

I am from Wisconsin, but I don’t think I had ever had true Chicago deep dish pizza growing up. Yes, I have had Uno chain pizza, but it doesn’t even come close to comparing to true deep dish pizza in Chicago!

We visited Gino’s East (South Loop location) and sat in a booth where we could see out to the streets of Chicago. They also have a brewery so we had amazing pizza and microbrew!

It would be hard to say which one was better since I liked the crust better at Gino’s, but liked the sauce better at Giordano’s. But in either case both were good and I definitely want to eat at both places again. Trying all the deep dish pizza joints is definitely one of the great things to in Chicago with kids!

Doughnut Vault

If you follow us you know we always seek out the best donuts. Well, Doughnut Vault did not disappoint. They were yummy! It was an interesting place since you walk into a room about the size of a walk in closet and there is a lady behind the counter and she has all the donuts next to her (where you can’t even see them). And the flavors are listed on a board so basically you come in and tell them what you want and get out of the way for the next person. It is a popular place! We weren’t ready for that and normally let the kids see the donuts and pick what they want, so Craig took them outside and quickly made decisions off of what I thought the kids would want.

The donuts weren’t anything fancy but they were super yummy and all of us enjoyed them. They are definitely in the running for best donuts in Chicago.

Free Things To Do

The Bean/Millennium Park

I wasn’t sure what all the hype was about. I mean it is a bean looking thing in the middle of a park . . . then we went and saw it. It is actually really cool! Given the shape of it and the reflection you can look at it 20 different ways and see a different reflection. We had fun looking at all the different angles and going underneath it. Fun fact: Did you know it is actually named Cloud Gate not the Bean.

If you are in Chicago it is worth making a stop to check it out. It is located in Millennium Park and had we been in the city longer we would have scheduled a day to just hang out at Millennium Park. It looked like they had an amazing park for the kids and there was lots of room where we could have ran around and played tag and had a picnic. I also want to check out the crown fountain next time we are here.

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Lincoln Park Zoo

A FREE zoo! Yes you read that right everyone gets into this zoo free all the time! They have penguins and polar bears. Plus farm animals and apes. If your kids are into animals add this to your list of places to visit while in Chicago. Also be sure to check their site for different events going on at the zoo.

Lakeshore Trail

We used the Lakeshore trail that runs right along Lake Michigan to walk and bike to most of the places we went and it worked out great. We stayed at the McCormick Center Truck marshaling lot so everything was close and most things were in walking/biking distance. You can learn more about where we stayed here.

Navy Pier

Looking to do some sightseeing and walking head over to Navy Pier and walk out on the Pier and through the restaurants and shops. It is only free if you don’t buy anything :). And they do have some cool activities and attractions so maybe worth spending some money here.

Looking for ideas on how to get around the city with kids? Check out this great post on using Lyft and Uber with kids!

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**Thank you to Choose Chicago and their partners for hosting parts of our stay. All opinions are our own. This post contains affiliate links.**

The post 24 Fun And Exciting Things To Do In Chicago With Kids [Video Included] appeared first on Crazy Family Adventure.

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arscriptura · 7 years ago

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reminiscing on fire

Like any other kid, I read hunger games. It was the new twilight for me.

I read twilight, got all the books, and actually really liked it. I think I was about 12...I read the third book of eragon too, the gold one, brisingr (bring fire) where he’s such a terrible adolescent and uses a big fancy word every other sentence. Oh, that paolini. He’d better write again sometime...

So twilight. I mean, with Host, it was pretty nice. I remember I used to lie in the garden summer days, and lounge about the pool, reading Host...I must have read it six times, I think. A good book to beat under your feet...very mormon. Like that other mormon girl, what was it, the one with a fairytale cover where she nearly marries the actor. Nice that. I remember he said, “You’re a Mormon?” And she was like, “I’m perfectly normal you know!” That was the whole book, basically. lols. I didn’t even know what mormons were...what was the moral, only a mormon can keep her sense and marry a holly actor? What was twilight’s moral, only the kindest of girls can survive a vampire? Well.

The new twilight, new highlight. I remember some male teacher said, all the kids are going about, carrying twilight under their arms...

You see, I read potter when the seventh book was out. I watched the second movie when the eighth movie was out. I read eclipse when I saw breaking dawn out new in a bookstore...I used to go to the costco book aisle, every time we went there.

Hunger games...I didn’t particularly like the first book, although it was one I had to sit at the desk until midnight reading. The second book was pretty terrible, I thought. And the third book...I waited for it to come out, I got it, and then I was at my room in the top of the house, finishing it...I put it on the nightstand, where the silver bird shone. I was 12...I thought the end was really far too depressing. I didn’t know what suz was thinking. I guess she understood, they’re going to read the third book and the last section no matter what I do, so I might as well tell the truth.

Let’s not even talk about the movies! My mother wanted to watch it, but I couldn’t stand it. I came out after the movie, and I said, I hate Jennifer Lawrence’s guts!

Because really, think about it. She writes a book saying that the media eats children alive, and then the book becomes a movie?! She says that capitalism is bread and circuses ( bread = panem ) and the movies buy her rights? Katniss is starving alive, and lawrence says, I think all girls shouldn’t worry about being thin, and goes into the movie fat. Really. She wrote two series about war, and turned it into a media circus. Or rather, the series was about circuses. It was really too much.

It should be mentioned that I always loved Underlanders. I read it as a child. I loved how, like hpotter, with each book he grew. Like the rings of a trunk. But the last image, where he comes home, covered with scars, and his parents see it in the shower...where he looks at his little sister, and finds she can tie her laces already. That she grew up while he wasn’t there...why, it was like crying.

Oh dear. You see, too well, the parallels to her own life.

She thought, this is how it is when a boy goes to war.

And then she thought, when a girl goes to war, she catches fire...

And hunger games grew hotter and hotter.

This is why they say, we write dystopias so we won’t have them.

#suzollins #suzanne collins #catching fire #hunger games #twilight #eragon

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shoplittleleaf-blog · 8 years ago

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Your Guide to Feasting (and Drinking) Through Portland Happen to be in town for Feast too? Thinking about planning a trip anyway? Here's how to eat (and drink) your way through Portland's best. Welcome to Portland! Photo by scott1346 via Flickr. Portland and I had a good run: I turned 21 at a now-thriving cider bar where my roommates and I tried to start an under-handed darts league, I slung cupcakes while taking a postbac class in archeology, and I built my own bike. Honestly, I moved to Portland, Oregon on a dare, before Portlandia had aired or Pok Pok had become famous. It was there I witnessed “put a bird on it” first hand, watched as the small restaurant Jam grew to five-times its size, and benefited from classic food carts going brick and mortar. It’s been about three years since I called Portland home, but I go back every year—here are the places I cannot miss when I visit. (Please add yours in the comments, too!) More: Our community has slew of recommendations, too. Find them here. The shelves at Powell's City of Books. Photo by Kenny Louie via Flickr. To get around Portland like a pro, you’ll need a crash course in PDX navigation. Portland is divided into quadrants: Southwest, Southeast, Northwest, and Northeast (which, for this purpose, includes North Portland). Each “quadrant” has a few different commercial streets where you’ll find most of the shopping, eating, bookstores, coffee shops, and other ephemera. And look out for Burnside, the street that divides the city north and south on both sides of the Willamette river. Southwest: You’ll find downtown Portland, Powell’s books, the farmers market, and the biggest food cart pod in Portland. Don't stay here, but do check it out at least once. Southeast: I lived here, so I speak with an acknowledged bias when I say it’s the best. The main streets to check out are Hawthorn, Division, Clinton, and Belmont. Sellwood is a little further south, but it’s quaint and worth the treck. Northwest: This part of town is a little more mainstream, but if you're looking for a fun day of shopping and pastries, 23rd Ave is hard to beat. Northeast: N.E. is hip—get lost in art fairs, independent bookstores, and beer bars; Mississippi, Williams, and Alberta are all worth exploring. Getting Around: Portland is best seen by bike or foot. (The more exploring you do, the more likely you are to find a bungalow that will have you calling your realtor.) Remember, if your legs are tired, or you are trying to go the distance, public transit (buses and the MAX) is your friend. The Must-Do List: Drink coffee at Heart. Go to the Burnside location—this is a coffee shop that knows how to cortado. Give yourself a little extra time, get your coffee to stay, and snag a sidewalk seat for one of the best Portland pastimes: people watching. Shop at New Seasons Market. You may not be on vacation to go grocery shopping, but New Seasons Market is a fun stop all the same. They sell local produce, have an amazing sampling policy, and I like to use their home goods section as a souvenir shop. Spend an Afternoon at Powell’s City of Books. If you haven’t heard of Powell’s, better late than never: This Portland book store takes up a whole city block, has color-coded rooms, a café, and everything your book-loving, board-gaming self could ever desire. If you're only in it for the cookbooks, they have a store dedicated to the home on Hawthorne. So the line is long. This one is worth it—we promise. Satisfy your sweet tooth: Salt and Straw (NW/SE/NE): This ice cream joint lives up to its hype. Lines can wrap around the block, so do what I do: Buy a pint, skip the line, and eat ice cream straight from the container with friends. If you want the full experience—a cone, and lots of samples—the line is a must. Blue Star (SE/NE/SW): I’m telling you what I tell all of my friends. Voodoo Donuts isn’t worth your time. The line is too long (even for Portland standards) and the donuts are often stale. Instead head to Blue Star—they have four locations, bless them—and their donuts are some of the best I’ve had. Ken’s Artisan Bakery (NW): Please go here, even if it’s the only reason you go to NW. Get the morning buns, and a loaf of bread if you're planning a picnic for later. Two Tarts (NW): The cookies here are excellent, but tiny—so get five. (At least.) I go for the salted chocolate chip. Say it with us: Brunch early, brunch often. Your new motto? Brunch early. Brunch Often. Jam on Hawthorne (SE): Jam’s build-your-own-hash brown bowls and squeeze bottles of inventive homemade jam at every table make me swoon every time. Screen Door (SE): Have brunch here, but bring a coffee because chances are good the line will be long—Portlanders know it’s good. Olympic Provisions (SE): This sausage maker might be better known for the saucisson sec sold nationwide, but it's also one of the best brunches in town. Get there right when they open. Pine State Biscuits (SE/NE): These are some of the best biscuits in the north. (Bonus points for combining them with a trip to the farmers market on Saturday morning.) Get your food cart badge. Big Ass Sandwiches (NE): The name of this food cart does not lie. Their sandwiches are huge and house layers of meat, fries, and cheese sauce. Fried Egg I’m in Love (SE): Go for breakfast. Get the Sriracha Mix-a-lot. The Big Egg (NE): This beloved breakfast cart is moving on to a brick and mortar—which is good news because sometimes it can take over an hour to get one of their ridiculously good breakfast burritos. Pro tip: Always go with the bacon. Honkin’ Huge Burritos (SW): This is known as the food cart that started it all—it’s been in operation for over 20 years. Each vegetarian burrito is made by the cart owner herself, Shelly, and they are the best burritos in town. The best. Order an Andrea. Viking Soul Food (SE): This cart, which makes wraps out of lefse, is in the Belmont pod which hosts other gems like Namu. Bring all of your friends here, and try everything. Where to take your dinner date: Toro Bravo (NE): Get a “French Kiss” and a few plates before heading to a show at the Wonder Ballroom next door. Bollywood Theater (NE/SE): This restaurant is a Portland institution. Always start with an order of Papri Chaat, then find a table in the warehouse-like space. The best part is sharing, so bring a crowd—that way you can try everything. Lardo (SE/NE/SW): Lardo started as a food cart and has grown into a mini sandwich empire. Everything is great, but I go for the meatball báhn mì with a Moscow mule. Sizzle Pie (E Burnside/SW): Did things go late? Grab a slice here. Sen Yai (SE): Head here for lunch or dinner. You can walk down the street and enjoy the Whiskey Soda Lounge and Pok Pok to make a crawl of it. Apex has 50 brews on tap. Photo by Simon Wright via Flickr. Where to grab a beer: Belmont Station (SE): Known for having the biggest beer selection in Portland, this is a place you can’t miss if you’re a fan of fermentation. Cascade Brewing Barrell House (SE): If you like your beers sour, this place is for you. Basecamp (SE): Basecamp is a newer brewery, but they have things figured out. I recommend coming with a board game in tow to take full advantage of their front yard. Apex (SE): If you're a beer and burrito person, this is the bar for you. Apex is located right next to Los Gorditos, a vegan (and non-vegan) friendly burrito joint with an amazing salsa bar. Things to do when you can’t eat anymore: OMSI After Dark (SE): This over-21 event happens at the Museum of Science and Industry. It happens every last Wednesday, and happy hour starts at 5 P.M—the theme changes every month, but they always have exciting vendors and events. Forest Park and The Rose Garden (SW): Portland has been named the Rose City for good reason. You can head to the Rose Garden to see the city's best blooms and catch a great view of the city. If hikes are more your style, check out the rest of Forest Park, where you can wander through lush greenery for hours. Overlook Park (NE): Here is the best sunset spot in the city. Hands down. Happy Hour at Portland City Grill (SW): Order a drink and take in the unobstructed views from Portland’s highest, pinkest skyscraper. First Thursday and Last Thursday (NE): If you love art, this is a fun way to see Portland. First Thursday is downtown in galleries, and Last Thursday is an outside street fair. Beer and Bike Tour (SW): If you love biking and drinking, than these bike brewery tours are for you. Don’t worry—you are not responsible for steering. People’s Food Co-op (SE): Portland has a great food co-op scene. Check out People’s to stock up on snacks, and if you're there at the right time, there will be a juice food cart out front. Sunshine Tavern (SE): Free arcade games, soft serve, shuffleboard, and beer—be sure to stop here to get your fix of all four. Do you have a favorite, can't-be-missed spot in Portland? Tell us in the comments! All photos by Hannah Petertil unless where otherwise noted.

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