#i’m crocheting a christmas tree for my mom

[sincerelysoda]

in the past day, i have lost two yarn needles in my bed. idk where they went. did someone steal them. pls return them😞

[its-time-to-write]

hello i have a request for an idea i literally cannot get out of my head: jamie and a partner who is really into knitting/crocheting and they knit him something as a gift and the fluffiness that ensues xxx

this was a v cute ask!! Here you go!

glitter on the floor

Knitting is a luxury, something you only do when you have a good chunk of time set aside. You’ll pull out a project while watching a movie and each time without fail, Jamie Tartt will give you puppy dog eyes and ask, “Is that for me?”

It never is.

That’s because you’ve been working on something for him for Christmas, and you’re pretty sure it’s your best work yet. 

You and Jamie are planning on having a tiny Christmas celebration, just the two of you, before he’s off to Manchester and you’re on a plane to your parents. You’re going to put on matching pajamas and sit by the Christmas tree and eat a shit-ton of snacks, because you’re both adults who can do what you want, and what you want to do is gorge yourselves on everything you definitely shouldn’t have.

So here you are, a week before Christmas, all cozy at home exchanging gifts and giggling about what comes after presents, which may may not be a variation of sexy Christmas that you stole from Keeley. 

“Open this one next,” you say, handing Jamie a particularly interesting package. 

You’re grinning, but there’s something sinister in your eyes. Jamie’s not sure what to make of it because it’s Christmas, or at least it almost is, so why are you looking at him like a cat that just ate the family goldfish?

He hesitantly takes the proffered package, perfectly wrapped in forest green with a bright white bow. He unwraps it carefully, sets the ribbon aside, and opens a box to reveal- 

A sweater. 

He exhales a little. Oh good, it’s just a sweater. But your eyes are still gleaming so he’s sure there’s more to it, especially because you’re practically vibrating from the effort of keeping yourself from laughing. 

Jamie pulls the sweater from the box and it unfolds, revealing the fact that it is a couple sizes too large for him. But you’ve obviously made it so he’s going to like it anyway. 

“Turn it around,” you say before he can give you his appreciation. Jamie complies, to reveal words stitched to the front in flowing script. 

this is our Get Along sweater

“Ask me what it’s for,” you command gleefully and Jamie’s pretty sure he’s never seen you this silly, so he bites. 

“Alright, what the fuck is this for?” he asks, matching your grin. 

You have to bite back a laugh. “Ok so remember how we talked about you being an only child? But I had siblings and our parents had to figure out creative ways to discipline us? One of the ways was a ‘get-along’ shirt. The two of us who were fighting had to wear the same shirt until we got over it. Sometimes it took like three or four hours. And one time, my mom managed to get three of us in one. It was hilarious.”

“Sounds like,” says Jamie. “Doubt you were in it very often. So is this for you and me, then?”

You sniff. “As if. Putting on clothes never solves our arguments. It’s for you and Roy.”

The words are barely out of your mouth before Jamie’s saying, “Fucking hell,” and you’re in stitches. 

“I already told Ted about it,” you manage to gasp out. “I’m really only showing it to you right now, because I’m dropping it off at Nelson Road as soon as the holiday is over.”

“Christ,” is all Jamie can come up with. His only consolation is that he can’t imagine how Ted could force him and Roy into this sweater. He might be more susceptible to caving, but Roy? No way. 

(In this moment, Jamie overlooks Roy’s fondness for you, as well as Ted’s extreme stubbornness when it comes to enforcing new policies he just made up.)

Ted sends you a photo of the sweater in action a week after they return.

[jinniebit]

hahaha yeah, i think i would need 2 popcorns or at keast the biggest possible option to MAYBE last me through the movie 😂

yeaaahh i had quite a few close calls to kpop only having a phase but....the only phase i had during these years is smaller phases for groups hdjdjsj. my wallet wishes it was only a phase, and my mom does too DHSKJS you should see the face she makes when she learns that i ordered albums again.

i think listening to music does count! ^^ OOOOO i've also been watching rpg and gaming streams for a while :o i regularly watch a few streamers on twitch, and i've been pretty obsessed with critical role and some other dnd campaigns for the past year or so. been obsessed with critical role so badly i've finished campaign 1 and 2 in about 14 months...🤕 also i like playing video games! i would want to play a lot more if my computer could handle the games�� i usually play with the sims, stardew valley, darkest dungeon or dorfromantik <3 also this year i picked up crocheting!!! im not very good at it haha but im trying my best! im currently restarting a beanie project because halfway through i realized its going to be too smal :// also the final goal of this is creating replicas of kpop group plushies😂

do you have any exciting plans for today? ^^ im going to decorate the christmas tree and bake gingerbread!!! im so very excited haha, gingerbread is one of ny favorite things in the world - 🎄 santa anon

My mom don’t make faces anymore because as she says is my money but she did get a lil surprised when I said I bought the seasons greetings 🫢

I used to be a bigger fan of video games when I was younger.. I had a Nintendo wii, I think the first one that came out?, and I used to play all the time! But then the console stopped working and I was never a big pc gamer so now I’m stuck at watching game streamers haha

Omg crochet stuffed animals are so cuute I 100% support you on this goal! I’m sure everyone would fall in love with it!

I spent the whole day at home doing nothing haha yesterday we had our end of the year party at my department and let’s just say we did a lot o drinking games and I was just not having it jdhsmdh but now we are going to another city to see their Christmas lights! They have a whole ceremony for it and it’s usually pretty cool so I’m excited! I hope you had a great day! Gingerbread does sound really good!

[agent-oo-z]

I like to imagine what an alien/post post apocalypse archaeologist would think if they found my room.

Long post warning. Also run on sentence warning.

Like let’s assume my room is somehow magically preserved so that everything is exactly the way it is right now but like. Maybe a bit aged from time.

My bookshelves are not mainly used for books. The books are part of the decor set up. Different shelves have different themes, like my marvel shelf with all my funky pops and my handful of action figures from when I was obsessed with marvel. Or my animal shelf with my warrior cats and similar animal protagonist series books are kept along side my corresponding animal toys/figures/models(the wolves, the dogs, the cats, the bears). And then there’s the Monsters Inc shelf. There’s also the color specific ones like my white blue and purple shelf or the red shelf or the yellow and black and white shelf. And the “oh shit I have a lot of notebooks and journals I guess these can have their own shelf and I’ll fill the rest of the space with some random decor” shelf.

But that’s just the book shelves. My desk has its own little shelf organizer on it but instead of supplies it’s also just a collection of things. Little plushy keychains and my 3 furbies and my special steve Irwin funky pop.

And my walls. My goal is to have all my walls covered in things. If it can be put up with poster putty I’ll put it on my wall. There’s tickets and posters and postcards and pictures and wax seals and certificates from summer camps and art from loved ones and professional artists and magnets and pearler bead things and convention badges and trading cards and confetti and magnets and broken jewelry charms and an origami heart pouch filled with fortune cookie fortunes and a giant fat head brand golden retriever decal and those plastic glow in the dark stars/planets/comets/etc and the sticker glow in the dark stars/planets/comets/etc and a 3d moon lamp that cycles through the phases of the moon and a cinnamon witches broom and my high school graduation cap and pressed pennies and the thank you cards and drawings I got when I worked at a summer camp and a Polaroid of two children no one in my family recognizes and a Chuck E. Cheese token.

And then the medicine cabinet turned altar with the top dedicated to Bird Mom and then half the top inner shelf is dedicated to her as well and the other half of that shelf is for Loki and then the next shelf down is split between Dionysus and Aphrodite(and Athena is on top of the book shelf next to the medicine cabinet because she doesn’t want to share and also is very picky about what I’m allowed to dedicate to her so she has the least amount of stuff). Also an entire shelf of that book case is dedicated to Bird Mom and my deceased pets and family members.

And because the people who had this house before us were strange in different ways than we are there’s a mount on the ceiling that used to hold up a boxing bag but now it has a magnetic fake succulent in a little ceramic pot and stuffed animal called a Purrmaid that is a combination of an Angora cat and a jellyfish. It also has a crocheted vine with purple and yellow flowers(one is red and yellow but only the one) that connects to the curtain rod and a hook on the wall and goes over the mirror too which is on the wall above the desk. And the mirror has stickers and decals on it but also sticky notes to remind me of random things. Under the vine and over the mirror there’s a string of felt papel picado(spelling?) and then there’s my high school graduation cord connecting the leftmost wall hook above the mirror to the rightmost wall hook above the wall with the door(where the air vent juts out over the top of the bookshelf) and there’s the pompom spider Halloween decoration that’s hanging on that. There’s also two tiny versions of the jellyfish cat in different colors and three Christmas tree ornaments hanging on the hooks supporting it. One ornament is a box of original flavor cheezits and one is a peacock feather eye in a glass casing and a blue and purple and pink gradient acrylic deer with a constellation type pattern on it. The wooden zebra mask that we found at good will is hanging from the hook on the right most part of the wall where the stupid shallow closet juts out. On the wall is also a collection of paper dolls of the various drag queens who have won Ru Paul’s Drag Race (up to season 10 I think?). And then in the closet one of the shelves has all the build a bear my little pony friendship is magic characters I have. And because the closet is so tiny the drawers that contain all the clothes I don’t hang up are actually next to the closet and on top of one of the stacks is a flat surface so of course that’s covered in trinkets and tchotchkes. And then of course there’s the massive pile of stuffed animals wedged into the corner against the wall. It’s between the foot of my bed and the right hand side of my desk(the desk I’ve had since the previous house we lived in, the desk I’ve had since third grade, the desk covered in stickers and unused return labels and duct tape scraps and marker stains and glitter glue and candle wax). Some of them are from media I care about and some are just cute designs and some are based on real creatures(both extant and extinct) and some even have visible repairs.

Like. What would they think of me? Would they be able to tell what was a dedicated altar for spiritual purposes and what was just a collection of items that represent my interests and aesthetics? Would they be able to tell what on my wall was selected for its emotional significance and what was just pretty or perfect to fill that one little spot? Would my sense of humor creep through? Would they be able to tell how much I love animals and zoos? Would they find all the stains ground in to the carpets, the cat fur that clings to most surfaces no matter how often I manage to vacuum, the dirt and grim that finds it’s way into hard to reach places?

Would they catalog my room and leave it as is? Take all its little pieces and separate them by categories and put them in storage? Would they take my soul made manifest in the little living space I can somewhat control and shatter it eternally or tend to it lovingly as they exhibited it for countless onlookers to come and learn about what life was like in my time?

I have a little journal I keep on the windowsill next to my bed. It’s my joy journal. Each day I try to write in it at least three things that I did/saw/heard/ate/etc that brought me joy. But on occasion, when something really big has happened and I just need to process it, I’ll write about it. I even went back and added an intro and a symbol key so that if some future historian comes across it they can learn more about me! I told them my name and pronouns and diagnoses at the time I wrote the note. I also told them about where I was born and raised and where I was going to college at the time and what I was studying and why. I apologized for how atrocious my handwriting is.

(I also threatened to haunt them if they intentionally misgender me)

I hope that they would see how much my little hoard of nonsense meant to me. And that even if they dismantled it or left it alone entirely that someone somewhere would find out about me and think “wow this is so similar to how I live my life, even though our existences are so separated by time and space we do the same things.”

[snowlessknitter]

The Masked Singer: S11 E6 (Group A Returns/Transformers Night)

Another Wednesday, another episode of The Masked Singer! Tonight Group A returns to the competition and if I remember correctly, we get a new Wildcard entering the competition. There is a double elimination this week. As always, I post before seeing any unmaskings, so don’t take my guesses as spoilers.

I’m watching on a delay, but have done everything I can to avoid spoilers.

Starfish ⭐️: We see record sleeves with Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, and Green Day. We also see a fishbowl with a “Teachers Lounge 🍎” sticker on it. The word “LIVE” in neon lights, which could possibly mean she was on Saturday Night Live. I’m kinda leaning towards Molly Shannon, but let’s find out what the bonus clue is. The bonus clue: Starfish has earned awards as part of a talented group. It’s either someone from SNL or an ensemble sitcom. I’m sticking with Molly Shannon for now.

Ugly Sweater 🧶: His wife is on the cover of a magazine called “Crochet Couture”. A silver jet plane, he apparently topped the charts and she had no clue who he was. Opposites attract, eh? The bonus clue: He spends his time wisely and got a lifetime achievement award. I have no clue who this is, but I think the judges’ best guess is Charlie Wilson from the Gap Band.

Lovebird 🦜: Says he hid in plain sight and the world got to know him as somebody he wasn’t. Seen waving a checkered flag, indicating he won something. A golden birdcage containing a golden container of popcorn. (That could indicate he won an MTV TV & Movie Award.) He says he’s helped people “from courthouses to White House’s”, so perhaps he’s an activist? Possibly a well-known LGBTQ rights activist? I’ve seen some people suggest this is Colton Underwood from The Bachelor (who came out as gay a few years after his season aired), but I don’t know if that lines up with the popcorn. I also considered Lance Bass, but the vocals don’t quite line up with Lovebird’s. The bonus clue: Has made television history before. I’ll go with Jenny’s guess of either Nick Viall or Colton Underwood, but I don’t know if the clues line up either way.

Goldfish 🐠: A snow globe with a Christmas tree. A vampire bat. And it sounded like she said “mum” instead of “mom”, which I think could indicate she’s from Canada (as it’s common in some parts of Canada for people to refer to their mother as “mum”). A police siren. Says she’s seen her exes everywhere and her romance turned into TikToks. The bonus clue: Put her heart, soul, and tears into her work. I’m still leaning towards Carly Rae Jepsen, but Rita’s guess of Nina Dobrev could also work, as Nina is Canadian (she was on Degrassi before becoming famous in the United States for The Vampire Diaries).

Koala 🐨: A sticker with the abbreviation “CO” (the postal abbreviation for Colorado). A championship belt with the Sun on it. A cattle skull with a tiny hat, a white rose with a captain’s hat. On the first listen, my gut says it might be Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino), but let’s see what the bonus clue says. The bonus clue: He’s on a shortlist with some of the greatest of all time. Could be an athlete, possibly Von Miller (who played for the Denver Broncos). But he played relatively recently. I’d say the best guess from the judges, though, actually came from Ken: Deion Sanders. (Although I don’t think there was any mention of his time playing baseball with the Atlanta Braves.) But I think I’ll stick with Deion Sanders for now.

[rosy-wooyoung]

[19:58]

🎄 Day 6 of the Christmas project🎄

pairing : jongho x fem!reader

"Hi, love," you announced yourself as you walked through the door, welcoming the warmth of your apartment with opened arms. Discarding your coat, boots, and beanie, you took the tote bag that you carried all the way there and entered the kitchen, where Jongho was preparing dinner. You put the bag on one of the chairs and went to give your partner a back hug, Jongho turning his head to the side to kiss your temple as he was stirring the food in the pot on the stove.

"Babe," he said as he slightly moved, extracting his left arm from your hold to wrap it around your shoulder. You both stayed in silence, enjoying each other's company for a moment. Today, Jongho was your life saviour because truly, you were too lazy to prepare dinner, you probably would have gotten something warm to eat on your way home. "How was the afternoon with your mother?" he questioned as he detached his arm from you, turning off the stove as he walked to the other cabinet to get two plates and items of silverware out.   "Oh, tell me about it. You know how my mom is," you sighed with a smile as you freed your boyfriend's hands so he could keep an eye on the dinner still boiling in the pot. "What? Did she say something upsetting?" he demanded, and you shook your head. "No, no, she was overall very lovely, but you know how extra and dramatic she can get," you paused as you finished putting everything on the table, Jongho signalling you that you could sit down as he lifted the pot to place it on a board between the two of you. 

"She was telling me how my brother and his girlfriend didn't like the Christmas sweaters she knitted for them," you explained before whispering a sweet thank you as your boyfriend served you some of the food.   "She was like "yeah I'm mad because they didn't even say thank you for making those when I spent hours working on them. I had this amazing idea of knitting sweaters for them, and I was at the store when I saw some crochet hooks and decided to use this method! It was a great idea, right sweetie?" and I couldn't say no, other she would have thrown me another tantrum about how ungrateful her children were," you told as you started eating. Jongho was all ears at your story, giggling as he could visualise the way your mom was acting. 

"But wait," he suddenly said as looked at you, "did she give you some for us as well?" he rolled his eyes with an amused sigh as he looked at your puppy eyes. "I'm so sorry," you said before taking a bite from your plate, "I couldn't say no," Jongho seemed like he had given up but started laughing at your remorseful expression. "She even argued further that she would be delighted to receive some pictures of us wearing them" Jongho almost spat out the slice of meat he had just started munching on. "Of course," he said while laughing, wiping his mouth with a napkin before sighing. He looked up to meet your eyes, and you had an embarrassed smile on your face, feeling sorry that you had to make your boyfriend do this just for the sake of your mother's pleasure. 

"Alright," he said as you took a break from eating, "how do they look?" Your eyes went wide, not expecting your boyfriend to be this conciliatory. "What?" "Do you have the sweaters here?" he asked, and you felt a smile forming onto your face. You grabbed the tote bag on the floor and unfolded two massive crocheted sweaters. "I don't know what design she knitted on them, I hope it's not too embarrassing," you whispered as you turned the sweater, searching for the potential weird design.   "Well, they're not that bad," your boyfriend said as he extended his hands across the table, reaching out for his sweater.  "Look," he added as he slightly pushed his chair away from the table with his feet before passing the sweater above his head. It was just his size, your mother had a trained eye for measurements.

Jongho's sweater was dark blue with a few dots of white here and there, mimicking snowflakes falling from the sky. On the left side of his abdomen, there was a Santa Claus face, a long white beard with red cheeks.

"Wait, stand up," he said, and you copied him, walking to the window to see your reflections. "See," he said as he poked your right side, making you squeal, "you have Mother Christmas here," he said, keeping his forefinger where he's just poked you. You gave your boyfriend a weary look before rolling your eyes, Jongho chuckling at your behaviour. "I'm tired of her, you can take it off," you sighed as you were about to remove the item of clothing, but Jongho wrapped his arms around your shoulders. "Hey, it could be worse, love," he whispered, but you shook your head, rolling your eyes again. "I'm just glad she didn't do a below-the-belt joke," you mumbled, Jongho grabbing your hand as he walked you to the living room, in front of the decorated Christmas tree. 

"Don't move," he said as he paced to the bedroom before coming back with a tripod and his camera. "Love, we don't have to do this, really," you let your arms fall on your sides as Jongho shushed you with a smile. "Let's do this for your mother, hm?" he said as he adjusted the camera, "I'm not fond of doing this but I do it for you and our relationship with her. For the great terms and harmony in your family, okay?" he said as he pressed on a button, the self-timer starting to run. He paced next to you, standing on the good side to make sure that your mom's joke would be visible on the picture, his arm around your waist.

You tried to hide your irritation while smiling, the camera clicking a few times before going silent, Jongho going back to check if the pictures were good. He looked quite happy with them, so he started another wave of pictures, where you allowed yourself to be goofier. "What do you think?" he said as he tilted the camera screen so you could have a look of the different shots. You puffed at how ridiculous you looked but shrugged anyway. "They're okay, I guess," you replied, and Jongho nodded, putting the protection back on the lens before placing the camera on the table. 

"Aren't you taking it off?" you asked, and he just shook his head, getting cosy and comfortable on the couch. "No, it's pretty warm," he giggled, and you chuckled at his behaviour. He was quite right, he looked buffy and warm, his face almost drowning in the material. "Come here, babe," he said as he made grabby hands for you to come closer and cuddle him, your annoyed look vanishing as his arms wrapped themselves around you, trapping you in a warm embrace. "Thank you for tolerating my mom's weird moments," you bluntly said, and you felt him laugh, a hand softly rubbing your back up and down. "It's okay honey, I can go through that for you, you’re worth it," he answered as you looked up to him, locking your eyes with his with a smile. And, before you could do the slightest movement, he captured your lips in a loving kiss, keeping you close to his chest.   "Thank you," you said as you pulled away, nestling your face into his neck. "No worries, love.”

[fractallogic]

Full of melancholy thoughts tonight because all of the sewing notions I’ve been using are my grandma’s, which always makes me go back to various similarities between her and I... namely this proclivity to do a bunch of creative hobbies decently well

I mean, I have a bunch of her paintings hanging up in my house that she did to Bob Ross. (I don’t think you would have known if I didn’t say that.) I had her entire yarn/knitting/crochet stash (and still do, except for the yarn, because it was really gross polyester in awful colors). I have literally never bought normal sewing thread because I also have her sewing box, her button collection, a bunch of spare machine needles, rickrack, elastic that’s probably dead because it’s from the 70s or 80s, and I USED to have her sewing machine until my mom had to move and gave it away.

I wish I could have met her as an adult. She died when I was 11 or so from MS complications, and honestly... it was a relief at that point, because she couldn’t really walk, she was incontinent, she really couldn’t take care of herself even in the retirement home, and she was obviously not happy even to baby me. I grew up with her and even after my mom moved out of her house, she was my primary babysitter/secondary caregiver. We both loved orange foods and would regularly have orange dinners (stouffer’s mac n cheese, orange jello, orange juice, orange sherbet) while watching I Love Lucy and Looney Toons and the Andy Griffith Show; she had this amazing semi-finished basement with a huge cupboard full of canned vegetables (hell yes canned spinach), and one of the things I remember best is that she would just like, do crafts with me and for me. She made me a dress that I loved in part because I got to pick the little button at the top in the back, which was pearlescent and I was therefore convinced that it was magic. She told me about all kinds of different necklace shapes (or styles? Idk?) and she’d show me how to make them.

When she was still working it was SO COOL because I could see my two favorite caregivers at the same place at the same time because she was my dad’s secretary.

She chainsmoked Virginia slims and try as I might, I could never quite get the hang of both sneaking a cigarette and figuring out how to work the lighter (but also, I was like five. So. It’s fine.). I just wanted to be like grandma.

I still remember her phone number (798-1109) and her fake Christmas tree that we would always get to assemble, and all the strange stuff that was in the basement from my uncles’ high school days (because, you know, they also grew up there).

And to this day I’m PETRIFIED of getting her MS because it was so debilitating. She would only be in her late 70s now if she were still alive. I think of her contemporaries who either are still around or were until recently, and she was in absolutely abysmal health, and I wonder how much of that was caused by her smoking and diet versus how much of the smoking and diet was as a result of trying to cope with MS. I think by rule of thumb or whatever I have until I’m 35 to start showing symptoms, and I will tell you that every time I have a clumsy moment and sprain my ankle just by walking because I kinda forget how to for a second, my next thought is “this is how it starts. In 20 years I’ll be confined to a wheelchair and having to wear adult diapers. Fuck”, and so this happens a LOT

But like idk! Who knows! Maybe the sickly G****** genes are washed out by the stupid-healthy D**** genes that let my other grandma play basketball with me when she was in her 60s. Maybe all I inherited from her side was some of the curly reddish hair and the height and proclivity for doing artsy hobbies. Maybe the smoking and >4L of Coke a week were what was really detrimental, not the MS. Maybe I have 50 good years left instead of 5.

It’s been almost 20 years, but I miss you, Grandma. I think of you way more often than I think I do. I’ve gone to sleep looking at one of your paintings for at least 15 years. I wish I could tell you all this.

[nblesbianbenhanscom]

6, 19, 25

6. say three nice things about yourself (three physical and three non-physical).

first of all, fuck you lol. making me do this when i say no. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

um. 1. i like my hair for the most part. it’s messy af like all the time, but i like it anyway. 2. i like my eyes, i think they are a really pretty brown. 3. I like my belly. It’s big and chunky but fun to play with.

1. i am a decent writer. like i know i’m not everyone’s cup of tea, but like what i write is good even if people don’t like the content. 2. i care so much. like all the time. (sometimes this can be annoying, but i’d rather care than not.) 3. i am good at crocheting and cross stitching.

19. most important thing in your life?

my friends.

25. what’s the best personal gift someone could give you (playlist, homemade card, etc.)

uhhh ?? like if anyone got me anything i’d be so happy? like, stuff doesn’t matter as much as time spent together, but that’s like not the question. i don’t know. i’m very much a oMGOSH I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU THOUGHT OF ME ENOUGH TO GET ME/MAKE ME THE THING!? person. like when i was young, my mom put a bag of split pea soup as a decoy under the christmas tree cause my sister and i were little shits who liked to peak, and when i opened it i was like ??? and then just like got genuinely happy that she was going to teach me how to make split pea soup because i fucking love split pea soup. my real gift was a computer which like i wrote shitty stories on and it had this mr. pibb zombie game that was a real thing i googled it recently. it was old enough that we changed the year on it so it would work post y2k. it thought it was like the 50s or something lol.

anyway... point is stuff is great, and like if it’s hand made i’m even more 😍😍😍 but if we’re close enough i’d probably rather just spend time with you than get something.

but also if someone wrote a fic for me or drew me fan art i would like absolutely die. like. just fucking keel over and die.

send me more soft asks!

[pokingholes-cptsdwarrior]

I finished crocheting my first baby yoga ornament tonight. So cute! 😍 I'm going to make another one for my eldest son and daughter in law for their tree. 🎄 I can't decide if I should put the pink yarn for blush on his cheeks, or not. It will be cute either way. Anyhow, I am feeling better than expected tonight. I think it has something to do with how I refused to get pulled in by my narc mom. If I had turned to face her she would have grabbed me to hug me and would expect everything to be alright, just like that. The old me would have been sucked right back in. I feel somewhat empowered now by how I reacted. Before, I felt guilty, but not so much right now. I'm taking care of me. I'm holding fast to the boundaries I set. It's going to be no contact Christmas #5 this year. Btw, I'm not sure how many people know why I called myself Poking Holes. My dad used to call crocheting poking holes, and I thought it had a good double meaning for me. I'm poking holes as I crochet, but I'm also poking holes into the stories I've always been told about my childhood to get to the truth, my truth. Crochet got me through my first no contact Christmas. I taught myself how to crochet by watching tutorials on YouTube. It really helped me a lot. ✌❤ #babyyoda #mandalorian #crochet #pokingholes #nocontact #boundaries #nocontactchristmas #selfcare #selflove #selfcompassion #selfprotection #reparenting #narcissisticabuse #narcissisticmother #cptsd #complexPTSD #childhoodtrauma #DevelopmentalTrauma #childhoodptsd #ptsd #trauma #cptsdrecovery #donm #aconm #tellingmystory #sharingmystory #youtuber #blogger #mentalhealthrecovery @pokingholes_cptsdwarrior https://www.instagram.com/p/CJA7X6LDUiL/?igshid=zmp2vjj62vqg

[fredsweaslies]

the gardens that grow between us | chapter seven

● word count: 1325

● fic index

JUST A FEW DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS, Paloma left Hogwarts to visit her brother in Mexico alongside her parents. Dolores was staying for the holiday break, seeing as she begged her mother to stay just so she could soak in the holiday magic at school. Draco stayed behind as well, but his two minions Crab and Goyle weren't staying for the break, Dolores didn't care to ask Draco as to why.

That morning, Dolores sprang up from her bed and saw the pile of presents at the foot of her bed. The festivities were a bit somber without Paloma by her side ripping through gifts with her. But the noise of tearing from her other two roommates gave her company. Dolores gave the two other girls a chocolate frog, her niceness shocked them and the girls dropped a few candies on her bed in return.

She received a crocheted scarf with Slytherin colors that was handmade by her mother, along with a steaming box of Christmas tamales that made Dolores squeal with excitement. The next gift was from Paloma, who gifted her a forest green beret, with "D.R.", Dolores' initials, embroidered inside. After cleaning up the shreds of paper that covered her bed, she grabbed her gift for Draco and bounded excitedly out of her dormitory.

There, she saw Draco who was also heading out of the boy's dormitories.

"Draco!" Dolores said excitedly. "It's too early for shouting." He said raspily, she had taken that he had just woken up. Dolores frowned. "I got you something!" She said, the two had moved over to a couch that was normally occupied by students at any given hour, but with the vacancy of more than half their house, it sat empty.

Draco looked puzzled as Dolores pushed the small box into his hand, he said nothing. He opened the box and took out Dolores' gift. She had given him a plain steel, black ring.

"I noticed you wear a lot of rings, so..." Before she could finish, Draco interrupted. "I didn't get you anything." He said quietly. "Oh, that's okay!" Dolores told him sincerely. "Should I have gotten something for Paloma?" He asked. Dolores shook her head, "I don't think she cares." She laughed.

Draco then placed the box on his lap and slid the ring across his slender, pale fingers.

"Thank you," Draco mumbled. "Oh! And one more thing..." Dolores trailed off and ran into the girl's dormitory, coming back with the box of tamales her mother had given her.

"My mom makes these every Christmas, they're tamales." She told him, opening the box and causing it to erupt with steam. "What?" He questioned, leaning in slightly to look in the box. "They're so good, take a bite." She pulled out a tamale from the box and placed it in Draco's hands. He smelled it and then took a hesitant bite. He chewed for a bit and finally swallowed.

"Good?" Dolores asked, smiling as she studied his face for a reaction. He nodded yes and continued to take another bite. "I knew you would." She laughed and closed the box up.

"Wanna go to breakfast?" He asked with food in his mouth. "Not really, I ate a few tamales already. Wanna go for a walk?" "It's freezing cold outside," Draco muttered. "Come on, just a lap around the castle." Dolores pleaded.

Draco groaned and finished the last few bites of the tamale. The two headed into their respective dorms and came out dressed for the bitter cold outside. Dolores was donning the scarf her mother made and the beret Paloma got her. Draco was wearing a gray knit turtleneck sweater beneath his heavy snow jacket.

The two stomped through the snow, finding students making snowmen and throwing snowballs along the way.

"What else did you get for Christmas?" Dolores asked, her face was buried in her scarf and her nose was bright pink. Her curls were now littered with bits of snow. "Some new boots from my mother and some Bulgaria Quidditch things from my father." Dolores didn't know much about Quidditch so she didn't even bother to further that conversation. "Are you close with your parents?" She asked earnestly. The two finally settled to sit in front of a large fir tree near the Quidditch pit.

"Of course I am." He mumbled, he started to pat some snow that was beside him, his pale fingers seemed to fade into the white of the snow, "and you?" he continued.

"I'm close to my mom, yeah." Dolores said somberly, Draco shot his head up at her, "and your father?" "My dad passed away when I was young." She gave him a weak expression and start to pack a snowball. The corners of Draco's lips fell, "I'm sorry...I didn't..."

But, the snowball Dolores pelted into Draco's chest interrupted him. Draco's eyes were filled with anger, Dolores giggled and shot up, preparing for his retaliation. He quickly packed an even bigger snowball and launched it into Dolores' back. The force of the large snowball and her foot getting stuck in the snow sent her flying face-first into the snow. Draco gasped and ran carefully through the snow to check on her. He grabbed her shoulder and flipped her over, but yet another snowball was thrown by Dolores onto his face.  She started to laugh hysterically, her face covered in snow.

"You little -" He growled, wiping his face rid the remnants of the snowball. Dolores continued to gasp for air through her laughs. "You...You should have..." She wheezed, "Seen your face..." Tears started to stream down her face. As Draco stood over her in the snow, he carefully examined every crease and crinkle of her laughing face, getting lost in her childish joy.

"What?" She had sobered up at Draco's careful expression.

"Nothing." He answered softly, looking staring down at her. She saw him and he saw her, in a strange way Draco felt vulnerable. He balled his fists and shot his head around the empty piece of field they were in, the space was barren with no students in sight. "Lay in the snow!" Dolores ordered, kicking his ankle with her foot.

Draco was glad there was no one in sight as he laid next to Dolores, shoulder to shoulder. Draco never wanted to get up. He wanted to lay there next to Dolores for the next few hours, days, weeks...

He didn't know what this feeling that he was feeling was. His heart felt full and the warmth of Dolores' arm next to his made him strangely nervous. It was something that he had done plenty of times; bumping into Dolores as they walked to halls or even getting close to her face to hear what she was saying in the midst of murmuring students in class. But, there was something different about being in the snow, a strange intimacy in laying in silence without fear of someone seeing him with his guard down.

"You okay, kid?" Dolores asked. Draco flipped over to the side where she was and met her face. He nodded yes. "Do you mind if we go inside? I swear my hands are going numb." She laughed and sat up, shoving her hands into her jacket. Draco sat up as well and nodded. Dolores stood up first and grabbed for Draco's hand to help him up. Draco felt his stomach lurch.

He grabbed for Dolores' hand, helping him up from the snow. Even though her ungloved hand was freezing cold, he didn't want to let go. Even though her hand was freezing cold, there was a strange warmth from her he swore he could feel. As she let go of his hand, he felt bitterly cold once again.

The two powered through the thick snow and made their way to the castle. To Dolores, it was a simple romp with her friend, something she had done time and time again with Paloma when they were kids. But to Draco, it meant something more. He just wasn't sure what it was.

◀︎ chapter six ☆ chapter eight ▶︎

[basketofverbiage]

Making Snowflakes

Snowflakes. This is a real thing. My mom made a bunch of these a few years ago and linked them together to make a scarf. Anyway, have a crafty Yoongi. 

Y/n was curled up trying to follow a crochet pattern online to make snowflake ornaments to hang on their Christmas tree when Yoongi came in from the studio.

“What are you making, Pumpkin?” he asked as he leaned down to press a soft kiss to her forehead.

“I saw this picture of snowflake Christmas ornaments that someone online crocheted, so I’m trying to follow this pattern, but I’m having a difficult time.”

Yoongi curled up beside her, reading over the pattern. “I would offer to help, but I can make no sense of these instructions. Those aren’t even real words.”

“They’re abbreviations,” Y/n giggled. “Crochet patterns have their own language almost. Dc means double chain, which is a type of stitch; sl means slip stitch. You get the idea.”

“Interesting.”

Yoongi had been accused of being a cat by ARMY for years, and he couldn’t help but admit that he felt like a cat by the way he was totally fascinated by the way Y/n was able to understand the pattern and move her crochet hook around. After about 10 minutes, she had finished the first snowflake.

“Wow! That didn’t take too long at all. Once I get them all made, we can starch them so they will stay flat on the tree.”

Y/n held the completed snowflake out to Yoongi to examine. He turned it all around in his hand, noticing all the little details of the stitches. As he moved it, the light hit tiny strands of silver that was interwoven into the white yarn. He had to admit that it would look really pretty on the trees near the colored lights.

While Yoongi was looking over the snowflake, Y/n rose and headed toward the kitchen to make dinner, leaving her phone unattended. Yoongi knew that she’d have to make a lot more snowflakes. He wanted to help make them, but he was too shy to admit it, so he did the next best thing. He forwarded a link of the pattern to himself then deleted that text from her phone. Taehyung had taught himself to crochet the previous year, and hopefully he’d be willing to help Yoongi learn so he could surprise Y/n with snowflakes he’d made too.

The next morning, Yoongi kissed Y/n goodbye and headed off to meet Taehyung at a local craft shop that he frequented. He had been so excited to share his knowledge with Yoongi after he’d seen the pattern. Taehyung helped him buy the right needle sizes to make snowflakes of a few sizes and he helped Yoongi choose a couple of different types of yarn. They picked up breakfast and holed up in Yoongi’s studio for a while. Yoongi was surprised how quickly he caught on to the basic stitches that Taehyung taught him to begin with. After an hour or so, Yoongi was able to successfully crochet his first snowflake. Taehyung made one too, just so he’d understand the pattern in case Yoongi had questions. After that, Taehyung curled up on the couch and worked on his own project, a sweater that Jimin had found on Pinterest and begged him to make, so that he’d be nearby in case Yoongi got stuck.

Yoongi found that once he got the hang of it, something about it was soothing. It gave his hands something to do and his brain was able to just go on autopilot. He spent a while pondering over what gifts to buy for his parents and brother, the members, and for Y/n. He took a few notes as ideas for lyrics floated through his mind as well.

“I think I understand why you like this so much, Tae. It’s kind of cathartic,” Yoongi said after a while.

“Yeah, it is. Plus, I have the satisfaction of holding a finished project in my hands that I can keep or give away to someone I love. It’s also kind of like a puzzle sometimes trying to decipher a new pattern.”

They worked on their individual projects for most of the day. By the time they were ready to leave for the day, Yoongi had successfully made 7 snowflakes. He wrapped them up in some tissue paper and tied them with a ribbon so he could give them to Y/n when she was finished with work. He got to their shared flat a bit before she was due to be home, so he turned some music on and began making dinner. She opened the door just as he was pulling their dinner out of the oven.

“Mmm…It smells amazing in here, Yoongi.” Y/n wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled her head in between his shoulder blades. “You’ve been busy, Baby.”

“I have been. I hope you’re hungry. But before we eat, I have something for you.”

He wiped his hands on the apron tied around his waist before pulling the small tissue paper package out of his bag and handing it to her. She looked a little confused but untied the ribbon gently and unfolded the paper.

“Snowflakes?” she asked.

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Yeah. Last night while you were making dinner, I sent myself a link to the pattern. Taehyungie went with me to a craft store to get supplies and taught me the basic stitches to make the snowflakes. I’ve been making snowflakes nearly all day because I wanted to help.”

“Oh, Yoongi,” she whispered. “I love them.”

Y/n pulled him into a tight hug. “Thank you so much for making these. It means a lot that you wanted to make something to put on our tree too.”

Yoongi smiled the biggest smile. “I found that I kind of like it. I might get Tae to teach me some other patterns that I can work on. It was really soothing, and I was able to just let my brain go while my hands just moved.”

Y/n kissed him gently to help alleviate his shyness about his newfound hobby. “I love that. I might be able to teach you a few patterns too if you’d like. You can look through my pattern notebook later. But for now, I want to sit down with you and eat the gorgeous dinner you made.”

As they chatted about their days and other random things, Yoongi couldn’t help but feel accomplished. He had only made a few snowflakes, but in the end, it brought him closer to both Y/n and Taehyung, and he was thankful for that. Who knew that snowflakes made of yarn would have given him such joy and satisfaction?

[twinklesbrightly]

I’ve been seeing some people talking about their collections and stuff and it made me want to show off.

A lot of this is old and from when I was a kid.

I don’t remember when my grandmom gave me this ceramic jar but I’ve had it for forever (this was back when I was still presenting as female). I also don’t know when I started putting things in it.

The oldest thing in here are coins. I’ve got a half dollar, some foreign coins like Mexico and Canada, a flattened penny from a museum and a glass marble I found/stole from somewhere. I think most of the coins were given to me by family who were visiting places and a few of the copper coins had got mixed into US currency and my parents let me keep them.

These are rings I bought/were given as gifts when I was a teenager. Starting from top left and going right: a ring my grandmom gave me for Christmas, a jade ring I commission based on a story I was writing, a ring I picked out with an Egyptian eye on it, and a second ring my grandmom gave me with Celtic style knots around the band. Bottom left going right: A ring I bought from Hot Topic with stars on the front (each star had a crystal but three of the five fell out), a jade ring I bought (with free jade turtle pendent), a ring made from the wood of a skateboard, and another ring from Hot Topic lol

Lastly is a rock my mom found while visiting California years ago. It’s super lightweight and doesn’t feel like rock so I’m not entirely sure what it is. The hole goes all the way through it.

This is a leather pouch with small treasures in it. The pouch and treasures came together. At a fair when I was little, there was a tent where you could pick a pouch and a a few small items to put into the pouch. I just picked these because I liked them. Two are floral beads and one is a shell.

Going off of the gemstones, the pile on the left are gemstones my mom had for a long time. She was really into them when I was little but when she got older she fell out of it. So I got to keep them. The stones on the right (and the silk bag) I bought from some shop years ago. The green stone (jade?) is a rubbing stone where it’s got an indent for your thumb.

Shells! All of these I found on the beach when I was little. I use to have more but I think most of them were small and/or broken so I kept the goods ones. idk what happened to the rest.

I also use to collect rocks but idk where they all went. This is the only one I kept. It’s so different and looks like it’s made up of tiny quartz or something.

This is a purple glass paper weight! lol I got it from an antique store when I was little.

And now onto the modern stuff! This drawer has become my catchall. The box in the bottom left corner is full of stuff I’ve gotten from a monthly book box I get. Behind it is even more stuff from the book box. The box in the middle is full of knitted socks I’ve bought and crocheted gloves I’ve made. The fur i nthe back are fox tails I get from the renaissance faire (i get a new one every year). As you can see, I keep the purple pouch in here. There’s so much in that box I couldn’t possibly go through all of it.

And lastly, my sticks. This bundle of sticks came from the tree in my backyard. I cut them off last fall when I found out my mom would be having that tree cut down. I planted a maple tree in the backyard with my dad when I was 3/4 years old. I wanted to keep a piece of it since it was over twenty years old.

I also have a branch from the tree in the front yard. It was a fallen branch I decided to turn into a walking stick, long before I knew she would cut it down. That tree had been planted when my mom was pregnant with me and would have been almost thirty years old if it was still standing.

Anyway, that’s all of my collection. Even though I’m tagging @goblinblogging, it doesn’t feel goblincore/crowcore or any other versions out there simply because I’ve had them for so long or I bought them. idk, I just wanted to share because other peoples collections seemed cool. There’s a lot of history with mine just from having them for so long or the sentimental value they have. Maybe if people are interested, I can go through some of the stuff in my catchall drawer.

[hell-on-training-wheels]

For the random questions meme, please? - 13, 17, 22, 58, 72, 99, 106, 107, 123, 124, 140, 143, 165 and 200

Hi anon! Thank you for the ask!

13: Favorite food to pig out on.

Most definitely pizza, but a number 2 contender belongs to a local hub called Sweet Caribou that makes the best French Macaroons.

17. Name/author of the last book you read cover to cover. Do you recommend it?

Well the last book I read was required reading. It was a CPA training manual. No I would not recommend. Twas’ boring.

22. Last show you binged watched?

My crochet friend Stephanie and I binged watched Worst Cooks in America. Its girl time I look forward to, watching tv, crocheting and drinking lots of wine.

58.Favorite YouTube Channel

H20Delirious. I love his antics and the shit talking he does with his friend Cartoonz when they are duking it out to MKX or MK11. Their Dead by Daylight vids are also fun.

72. Real or Fake Christmas Tree?

Both. I do love a fresh cut evergreen to make the season bright, but I hate needles so I also love my fake tree when I just can’t deal that year. :P

99. Favorite Costume you wore for Halloween?

I went dressed up as Anna from Frozen and volunteered at a booth at the Performance Arts Center giving out candy to kiddos. It just came out that year too so there were tons of little Elsas and it was so cute to see their faces light up like they just ran into the real Anna. I felt like a performer at Disneyland and it made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. 

106. Favorite type of cookie.

Chocolate Chip. Yuuuuummm...

107. Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream. 

Strawberry with real chunks of strawberry in it. ^_^

123. Random boy’s name

Jasper. Cause I’m working on Shaolin Mom. Among two other projects.

124. Random girl’s name

Jacqui Briggs. Just got done writing a bit of dialogue for her.

140. Have you ever left a movie theater before the movie was done?

Yes. I went to a showing of Avenger’s by myself and the people behind me were so obnoxious that I couldn’t stand it anymore. Luckily, I had already seen the movie so I wasn’t too despondent about leaving. Still pretty annoyed, though.

143. Have you ever gotten a song you dislike stuck in your head?

More times than I can count anon. Last song I can recollect was probably ‘Mr. Mistofelees’ when I took a gander at a relatively unknown horror movie called ‘Cats’. Scarier than IT: Chapter 2 and Hereditary combined.

165. Name one item from your bucket list. 

Travel coast to coast by car across the U.S.

200. How long have you been on Tumblr?

Since 2015 I think. I forgot how to check lol.

Thanks for the ask!! *hugs*

[im-knot-crazy]

About my aunt

TRIGGER WARNING: DEATH

My aunt passed away last Friday, January 31, from cardiac arrest. We last saw each other at a despedida before I left for Spain; it was also the celebration of her 38th birthday. I gave her the two multi-colored bracelets in this picture as birthday gifts. I think it was great that I gave these to her; after all, it was she who introduced me to and helped me grow in love for thread.

I remember when I was in first grade, I couldn’t figure out how to make the starting loop for crocheting. I spent one whole day in school trying to figure out how to make that simple starting loop. I remember she was the one who taught me how to do it, and there began our common love for crochet. I remember being amazed by her collection of thread - so many colors! All in one big bag.

I will never forget her patience with me as she taught me how to make my first cellphone case, also back in first grade. The thread was purple, white, and purple again - purple was her favorite color. I remember how that cellphone case had no rows and how I just continued up and up until we settled for a size. And I also remember how she added a chain to make it a drawstring case, and how that chain had little threads at the ends like a pompom. I remember how happy I was that I had made it, especially since I wanted to give it to my mom as a birthday gift.

From cellphone cases it became coasters, from coasters it became snowflakes, and earrings, and even scarves. I remember when eventually it was she who was amazed at the amount of thread I had, it was she who wanted to borrow or have some, it was she who sold some of the ones I wasn’t using anymore... 

I remember the times I also made friendship bracelets and anklets for her, and how she kept them to herself when she told me she was going to sell them to friends. Now that I think about it, I’m glad that she kept them - she liked my work enough to want to have them and show her friends and wear them daily. She could have worn her own stuff - she made her own jewelry and she was good at it - but she chose to wear my stuff too. 

Last 2018 (my last Christmas in my country before leaving) I made Christmas tree earrings for the family party. I was cramming them in the car and she asked me to make some for her and for her daughter. I wish I didn’t charge her, but I did since it was so rushed. But I did my best to do them out of love, with love.

I know we weren’t so close - there were times when I judged her so hard because I thought she wasn’t being a great mom to her kids, or she wasn’t trying hard enough to get a job, or she made so many irresponsible choices, or she was spoiled by my grandparents... I didn’t know how sick she was until last Friday when my dad called me to share the news. I wish I was nicer to her, more patient and more understanding of how hard she’s had it in life, not just physically but more so in terms of familial relationships. 

I just wish I could give her one more hug and thank her and just tell her how much I appreciate her. How I will cherish the memories of the days when we would just go to the shopping center together or sit at the table after meals or bond over threads and jewelry. How she can rest easy now from this life and how I’ll do my best on my end to watch over my cousins, especially her eldest daughter. 

She made others’ lives better and brighter with her jokes and her laughs and her overall cheerful personality. She has filled my life with color, quite literally, with all the thread we have bonded over. And she will continue to bring joy (though with some sadness, of course) in all our shared memories of her.

Every stitch, every knot, every thread, every hook, every project, every bracelet... all in honor of her from this point onwards.

I love you, Tita Lani. Thank you for all the color you have brought into my life. When the time comes, I’ll see you in the next life, with so much more color and joy. 

[szopenhauer]

People do you live with - are they related to you? they are indeed

Have you ever had to have surgery before? What was this for? not yet

Are you listening to any music right now? What song is it? just finished, got tired/bored of it

Who did you last hug? When did this hug take place? Where? my mom, today, home

Who was the last person to play with your hair? Are they cute? my gf, yes

Do you enjoy shopping? Who do you usually go shopping with anyways? yes, mostly looking at stuff, dad

Are you afraid of thunderstorms? What exactly makes you afraid of them? nah

What color are the shutters on your house by the windows, if there are any? we don’t have shutters

Do you enjoy talking smack to those annoying telemarketers? Is it funny? I disconnect immediately

Do you need spellcheck in order to spell things correctly? usually not Do you do too many surveys? How many have you done today? yeah but it’s smth that keeps my mind occupied in those stressful times and I enjoy it for fun - you don’t have to read them if you don’t want to, let me do what I want to survive, I don’t need to explain myself actually as it’s my life  Have you ever changed yourself to impress someone?  I regret that Who was the last person you gave up on? Why did you give up on them? I gave up on almost everyone including myself Is there ink in your printer? not black, only color Have you been outside yet today? What were you doing? taking care of trash and dog  What kind of games did you play on the playground when you were younger? many

Have you ever buried a time capsule with a friend? Did you dig it up yet? with my sister, it disappeared  Do you remember the first time you ever drove a car?  never happened  Where did you get your favorite hoodie? it’s my sister’s old hoodie Are shoes under your bed? I don’t keep anything under my bed  Have you ever been in handcuffs?  *wink* not yet :P Have you ever had to be put to sleep at a hospital?  I might for my gastroscopy someday because I have a strong gag reflex and there’s no other way :( When are you planning on moving out of your parents’ house? plan pfft... Are you a fan of dogs?  small dogs Who was the last person in your family to graduate high school? Was it you? immediate family? it was me

What genre was the last song you listened to? dance/electronic I see… Did it have a male or female vocalist? female Have you watched any of your favourite TV shows today? Which? I haven’t watched any TV show today What colour is your make-up bag? I don’t use one Have you ever dyed your hair green? yep

What color was the first pet you had? green

Have you ever had fake nails? nope

What was your favorite year of high school? definitely not the last, probably first

Would you be more afraid of drowning or being buried alive? both include choking but drowning gives you a bigger chance of survival

Does your family own more than two houses? we’re too poor for that and owning more than one house is unfair in my opinion

Would you marry someone who could never have sex for medical reasons? I’m asexual, I don’t like/want/need sex so that’s cool

What about someone who was guaranteed to die in five years? anyone can die any moment so yes

Do you have any step parents? no

Do you know what year your mother was born in? I always forget

The person you would never want to meet? someone dangerous If you were a type of tree, what would you be? weeping willow or hollow/dead tree of some sort

Favorite age you’ve been so far? childhood in general I think You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up? maybe even myself?... If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do?  I don’t want a slave wtf You just found $100! How are you going to spend it? save it Are you a good kisser? am not Have you ever been admitted to the hospital?
 several times Have you ever built a snowman? of course Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets? sunrises, even tho I’m not a morning person If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create? dog + elephant Can you do any accents other than your own?  not well What is the last thing you drew a picture of?  not sure what was last

If the opportunity arose, would you ever go to a nude beach? Do you think you’d be comfortable enough, being naked among others like that? hell no, I wouldn’t be comfy enough to look at penises, gross! Have you ever considered keeping a dream journal? If you have one, have you ever looked back on it at all of the odd/interesting dreams you used to have? gonna burn it soon Do you think regifting is cheap, or is it okay? Have you ever regifted before? it’s ok, yeah

Do you like tablets or laptops more?  laptops Have you ever had to “come out” to your parents about anything (sexual orientation, change in religion, etc.)? How did it go? yep, it didn’t went well but it could be way worse What’s the most unusual kind of pizza you’ve ever tried? nothing unusual Has there ever been a time where you thought you were going to be great friends with someone, but it just never happened? yep :( What’s one of your favorite things to touch/feel? hmm... How often do you wear tights? very rarely Why is your favorite TV show your favorite? I like many but my favs I chose basing on the impact on my life Describe your favorite picture of yourself, or post it. those funniest and with my dad too I guess Assuming you have a Facebook, if one of your friends posted things that annoyed you, would you be more likely to delete them as a friend, hide their statuses, or just put up with it? hide statuses but if they’re not close to me I might even kick them out of my friends list forever, definitely won’t just put up with it When was the last time you wore a sports bra? yesterday On a scale of 1-10, how anxious are you currently? 11 How is the weather? windy

If you were a pirate, what would your name be? Sam Bell or Robin Hood unless you ask me for a nickname then I’d have to think about it more

Would you rather go the short way slow, or take the long way fast if you got there in the same amount of time? doesn’t matter

Would you rather always be in a crowd, or be the only person on earth? only person 

Do you squeeze the toothpaste from the top or the bottom?   middle?

If you had to move out of this country, what country would you move to? Why?   England or some scandinavian ones I believe

How many children do you want? Girls or boys?   0 but if any then 1 girl

If you had to lose one of your five senses, which one of them would you prefer to lose and why? smell because it’s hyper and I hate that

If you could live anywhere for one year, all expenses paid, where would you live? just my own apartment

What’s your favorite song to karaoke to? *shrug*

What takes you out of your comfort zone?   life

If you were on the cover of a magazine, which one would it be and why? I want my apartment to be on a cover of an interior design magazine

If you could be laid to rest anywhere, where would it be? Why? next to my brother and/or my dad after his death

Pool side or beach? beach

What is your favorite primary color? yellow

What is your favorite brand of bottled water? I don’t care anymore If you were to write a story, what would it be about? already written some  When was the last time you got out of your home? not counting going to my garden/yard - yesterday Do you like color pencils or crayons better? colored pencils Have you ever played Badminton? I liked to Would you ever consider running for president? nah What color is the sky right now? light blue Is March one of your favorite seasons? why not Do you write little reminders to yourself? shitload Would you want a pet iguana? I heard they commit suicide :x Exactly how many days have you been alive? 10,399 Do you know how to knit/crochet? a bit Do you enjoy windy days? I like the sound of wind and zephyr during the hottest days but that’s all

Do you believe that big goals are just as attainable as small ones? some to some

Have you ever deleted your Facebook, then brought it back? deleted and made new account

How many times a day do you change your clothes? depends

When was the last time you used spray paint? long time ago

What color are the chairs at your kitchen table? white

Do you believe that life only gets harder or easier? harder to me

Have you ever had sex with 2 different people in the same week? noooo

Are the doors of your fridge side by side or on top of one another? on top of one another

If you’ve moved out of the house you were born in, do you know the people who live in that house now? not applicable

do you sing to songs in the car when you are alone? I don’t drive so I’m never alone in the car

do you laugh at other people when they are alone in their car singing? it’s cute

the world will end in an hour. what do you do? send a cab for my dad if possible to bring him home

does the weirdest dream you have ever had involve your history teacher? that’s weirdly specific - no

how many christmas trees are in your home during the season? depends

ever told your date you were going to the bathroom and actually left? nope but if I was scared of them I could do that :o

what never fails to put you in a bad mood? ugh...

what is the first thing that comes to mind when i say green? plants

did you know that you hear/see something that relates to a monkey everyday? really? I don’t believe you

do you share a bed with anyone, or is it allll yours? it’s allll mine

are you from the north/south/west/east? personal

[iamartemisday]

Merry Christmas, Ms Foster! Day Seven

It turned out, everyone got a gift on Christmas Eve.

Jomungandr flipped through a book about Andy Warhol while Sif kissed the life out of Thor for her new pair of personalized boxing gloves. Darcy, who even Ian would’ve admitted was hard to shop for, seemed perfectly content with a thousand dollar gift card signed by Loki. Hela had already printed out two dozen photos on her new printer, one of which Fenrir stepped on as he flew his drone around the cabin. Frigga and Odin admired the keepsake boxes the triplets had made for them. Off to the side by the mirror, Jane helped Bucky into the new winter coat she’d bought him.

“How much did you spend on this?” he asked.

“No more than I spent on anyone else,” she said. “So what did you get me?”

“Remember back when all you wanted was a scientist Barbie for Christmas and your dad forgot to buy it?”

“Yeah.”

“Turns out, they don’t make those anymore.”

Jane rolled her eyes as he laughed and pulled her into a hug. They rejoined the party, Jane finding a spot by the fireplace to watch the kids play. So far, no one had started any fights, though if Fenrir ran over Hela’s pictures one more time, he might just get that drone thrown in his face. Someone had jazzy Christmas music playing on the flat screen. Jane tapped her foot to the beat, scanning the room for any sign of Loki.

She hadn’t seen him since the first present was opened.

Her trip into town had taken longer than she’d hoped. First a deer jumped in front of their car. Jane’s heart was still racing from that one. Then it took three separate stops to find exactly what she was looking for. Hallmark movies, among other things, had lied through their teeth about small mountain towns. All they had here were apathetic store owners tired from the holiday rush and a Starbucks. Finally the last owner tried to upcharge her twenty percent, and it was only Jane’s staunch refusal to be cheat that saved her from losing money. Bucky standing right behind her glaring at the guy might’ve also helped a little.

But that was all over and she had what she needed. Now she just had to find her giftee. 

She checked the kitchen first. That seemed to be his sanctuary whenever Thor got especially exuberant or if he just wanted a moment alone. When he wasn’t in there, she headed downstairs. The pool was empty, as was the gym. He wasn’t in his bedroom either, though his keys were still on the nightstand. 

Now she wandered back into the party. Thor and Sif had the kids together in a game of blind man’s bluff, laughing as a blindfolded Darcy snatched at the air a foot above Fenrir’s head.

“Your echolocation sucks,” he said, sidestepping another fruitless thrash of Darcy’s arm.

“Keep talking, kid, I’ll knock all your Santa hunting gear out the window!”

The chase continued as Jane’s eyes moved to the back window. A shadow on the trees made her look closer. It was Loki, standing in the middle of the snow, arms crossed, staring into the night like a watchman guarding against invaders. Jane kept him in her line of sight as she took her coat off the rack and walked outside. Wind slapped her across the face and sent her hair flying. She wrapped her arms around herself and kept walking. 

Loki didn’t turn around. “Don’t you want to enjoy the festivities?”

She stood beside him. “Don’t you?” 

“I will,” he said. He blew out a mouthful of air. “Sometimes I wish to be alone to think.”

“Alone outside in the middle of winter.”

“Yes,” he said. “I’m glad you understand.”

Jane chuckled. She wasn’t as cold as she was a moment ago. It was like he radiated warmth. “Did you like your present?”

She had given him a crochet scarf. Knowing that he was a billionaire and could easily by a hundred of whatever she got him, Jane had tossed aside all feelings of insecurity and bought him something she’d got for any male friend(?). He wore it now around his neck, tucked into his coat. That had to be a good sign.

“It is very useful,” he said. “You chose well.”

If that was the closest she’d get to a ‘thank you’ she’d take it. “Good, because I have one more thing for you.”

Loki turned his head as Jane reached into her pocket. “I thought we all agreed one present each.”

“This isn’t for Christmas,” she said, taking out a small wrapped box with a bow on top. For once, she was proud of her wrapping skills. “Happy Birthday.”

Loki eyed her, like he thought this was a trap and she’d pull a gun out any second. He took the box was some token hesitation and slid his finger through the tape. All the paper fell away, revealing a red and white box with a Christmas tree design. Inside the window, a larger cat cuddled with three kittens. All four wore green and red hats, scarves, and mittens. It was hard to tell inside a box, but a button on the back played a tinkling lullaby rendition of Silent Night. 

“It was a tradition for my parents,” Jane said. “Every year, they’d give each other a new ornament for the tree. Mom said it was because they were each other’s most special person.”

He looked at her. “Are you trying to imply something?”

She shrugged. “Not really. I know we’ve only known each other for a few months and… well, we did get off to a rocky start, but you are someone very special, Loki. Your whole family is. And I’m glad I get to spend Christmas with you guys. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Loki swallowed. He opened the box and held the ornament to the light. One of the kittens sat on the father cat’s head while the other two cuddled close. All of them wore peaceful smiles. They were together and nothing else mattered.

“I know you’re wondering why I didn’t tell you,” he said.

“Hela told me you said you would,” Jane replied. 

He nodded. “I did consider it, don’t think I didn’t. There are just things about my life you don’t know. Things I may decide to tell you one day, but for now… well, in truth, I’ve never liked to think about the day of my birth.”

Jane took his hand. It happened involuntarily, but even after she came to her senses, she couldn’t let go. She didn’t really want to. “Even if you don’t, your kids love you so much. Your family loves you. I think even Bucky might almost be okay with you now.”

“The feeling is not mutual,” he said, but with a faint half-smile. 

“What I mean is, even if you don’t want to celebrate your birthday, you deserve the recognition,” Jane said. “You’re a great father, and not too bad a person either.”

They shared a long, lingering look (‘this is the part where sappy music plays and the kiss happens you know…’). Loki’s other hand came to rest on top their clasped ones. Jane bit her lip. He appeared to be staring at them, but then he glanced at a patch of bushes by the treeline 

“Did you know that’s a mistletoe plant?”

Jane started to laugh, but he did not. “Wait, seriously?”

“It would be a strange thing to lie about if I was,” he said. If Jane didn’t know better, she’d think he was getting closer.

“Well, it sounds like you meant to pick that and nail it to the ceiling,” she said, leaning in just a bit. “You know that’s how it’s supposed to work.”

“It must have slipped my mind.” He lowered his head.

“I guess so,” Jane could feel his breath on her face. “We both have a lot to think about.”

Her eyes fluttered. If there was ever a time to stop it was now. Everything was so warm…

“DAD!”

They jumped apart. Jormungandr ran through the snow, tripping twice, but never stopping.

“What is it, son?” Loki stopped to fix his hair before Jormungandr grabbed him. 

“We did it! We did it, Dad! We found Santa!”

He dragged Loki inside, Jane following close behind. Hela and Fenrir were at their stations. Their equipment was alive with lights and alarm bells. On the screen, Santa soared across the sky in a red sleigh, eight Reindeer running on air, guiding him through the night. With a mighty ‘Ho-ho-ho’, Santa sped out of view, but the minute of footage the children had gotten was enough for them.

“We did it!” Hela jumped into Jane’s arms and hugged her around the neck. “We did it! We did it!”

“You did,” Jane said, hugging her back. “I’m so proud of you guys.”

They danced around the room, pulling the adults into the festivities. Even Fenrir was on his feet, pulling Darcy into a spin. Jane put Hela down so she could hug her grandma next, then gave Loki a smirk.

“So did you pay a guy to dress a plane up like a sleigh,” she asked, “or was some kind of hologram?”

Loki smirked right back. “I don’t know what you mean, dear Jane. It’s like you don’t believe in Christmas miracles.”

Someone else might’ve wanted to slap him for that. Jane got up on tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. “Merry Christmas, Loki.” 

He turned his head abruptly. Their lips brushed. “Merry Christmas, Jane.”

**

In the morning, Jane was up before anyone else. She walked into the living room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Presents were piled under the tree for the kids and adults alike to devour. A multitude of decorations glittered in the early sun, including one new decoration settled right under the silver star. 

Jane reached up carefully and pressed the button. Silent Night played as she stood back, watching the little cats sleep. 

“So this is how my Christmas special goes,” Jane murmured, smiling at Loki’s door. “I think it’s been pretty good.”